Halo

Halo is a great cyberpunk novel. Though it's not as ambitious as Neuromancer, as egotistic as Snow Crash, or as neomythic as Schismatrix, it's quite good in its own right. Maddox's writing is vivid and exquisite. His characters are somewhat 3-dimensional although none are the antihero of most cyberpunk. Of course, characters are just a method of getting across philosophical ideas. Maddox delves deeply into two major philosophies, one, what makes intelligence, and the other, the buddhist concept that self is irrelevant but that we're all subjective expressions of one commonality. He talks about the ethics of artificial intelligence, and our responsibility to AIs we create. Maddox's Halo is the flip side of Gibson's Neuromancer. Maddox shows the potential that exists from cooperation, the potential of non-hostile AIs, and the potential of simulacra as alternate realities.Though not necessarily a good book for sheer entertainment, I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in reading a deep philosophical work.

The structure and style of Tom Maddox's prose make this an intriguing read. In addition, the fast-moving plot keeps you reading, and the philosophical references expand your brain. I liked this book a lot. It's not the standard fare, but it's definitely thought-provoking. If you want your eyebrows raised and your staus quo disturbed, if you're tired of the same old same old, this is a book for you.

This book is incredible. The character of Mikhail Gonzales is very easy to like. The scenes involving the zen theories of Toshi are the standout sections in my mind (the chapter "Your Buddha Nature" is the best). It's a cleaner type of fiction than, say, Gibson. Not gritty around the edges, but it is very smart, enjoyable reading. Try to take your time.