Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780345467171
ISBN: 0345467175
Label: Del Rey Books
Manufacturer: Del Rey Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 288
Publication Date: 2003-04
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Studio: Del Rey Books

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Rating: - Protean cyberpunk from an author tragically ahead of his time.
Although shorter than the epic Stand on Zanzibar, and similar in some ways to the mighty Sheep Look Up, Shockwave Rider is an overlooked classic of sci-fi. Like much genre fiction it suffers from weak characterisation, but draws comparison with Huxley's Brave New World, other 70s new wave, and of course the later cyber sci-fi of the 80s. That we are all riding the shockwave of technological change is now more obvious than then, and Alvin Toffler's non-fiction 'Futureshock', mentioned in the preface, ... Read More

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Rating: - Future Shock class
The book describes a surreal and frightening future world with an omnipresent internet, and an all-powerful government which oversees the movement of all its citizens. The nations of the world are in a 'brain race', the logical successor of the arms race, and it's just as illogical and ruthless. The people show all symptoms of hyper-stress, and society is crumbling. The world depicted is around year 2010, and considering that the book was written in 1975, does credit to the powers of realistic imagination ... Read More

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Rating: - Fascinating ideas, but poor plot and characters
Brunner has tried to pack to much into a short novel. Written in the mid-70s his vision of a 'datanet' which can be accessed from any phone is remarkable. However, there are to many lengthy political asides and the characters are to flimsy to sustain interest. By the end I was skimming rapidly to finish the book - the ending by the way is particularly poor.

Brunner can do much better than this - if you have the stamina for it try Stand on Zanzibar, a much better novel.

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Rating: - Amazingly precient book. The writing style is very 70's.
This book is one of several John Brunner books that are frighteningly good predictions of today and the future.

The writing style may put some people off. It isn't as deliberately choppy as 'The Sheep Look Up' but it is still fairly jumpy.

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Rating: - Fuure Shock brought to life.
"Future Shock" was way ahead of its time but heavy going. This is ahead of its time and very readable.

Its another one of those books you can read and play spot the spin off with. The "pretender" TV series is probably the closest thing most people have seen to this.

If you liked that series, buy the book.

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