Interface

If you're already a Stephenson fan, then you'll be reading this book anyway. If you are not already a Stephenson fan, I would recommend you read either this book, Snow Crash, or Cryptonomicon as your first Stephenson read.

Truly a Manchurian Candidate for the computer age (thanks for the quote, Seattle Weekly), the story follows the path of one William A. Cozzano on his bid for the presidency. Guidance for his campaign comes from the usual cadre of analysts, speechwriters, policy wogs, et al but Cozzano is best aided by a computer chip. A chip imbedded in his brain...a chip that allows his handlers to, well, go read the book... The novel traces the side stories of the international development of the chip's technology and application, the tenebrous fraternity that moves to shape global realpolitik to suit its wishes, and the responses of the 'family' Cozzano to the new G4 processor in papa's skull. These give the novel its depth and soul. I particularly enjoyed the lifestories of Eleanor Richmond and Floyd Wayne Vishniak...these characters are beautifully crafted. This is a clever and deftly-written (as well as enjoyable and highly-credible) tale of politics & technology and the unholy alliance of the two. It works simply because it takes very little imagination to see real-world applications and their implications. Cheers to the authors for a job well done and also to their publishers for the reprints of this novel and of The Cobweb, another Stephenson/George collaboration. I thoroughly enjoy reading their material and hope they are working on a new offering...

I first came across the book back in 1994. As a satire of the political process, it seemed entirely relavent than. Now, it reads like history. In the story, elections are controlled by a shadowy "Network" of multi-billionaires who operate through campaign media mogul "Cy" Ogle. He plants a computer chip in the head of a popular Illinois Governor who has suffered a stroke. Communicating through this technology, Ogle controls what his candidate says, which thanks to sophisticated polling techniques, is always just what voters want to hear. Issues? An economic plan? Who needs 'em? Ogle just consults a polling device attached to a volunteer from a target demographic (given hilarious names like "Economic Roadkill" and "Mall-Hopping Corporate Concubine.") This is not to be mistaken for a thorough political analysis, but the novel is a good,brisk read, even for those who, like me, are not always huge fans of science fiction.

I finished Interface exactly one week before Inauguration 2001. After living through the maelstrom of the election season, I didn't really think I would want to read about a Presidential race, but I couldn't resist a book that I had just discovered was really by Neal Stephenson. Interface was, of course, one of those books you just can't put down. But it was also eerily possible, scary enough to have me comparing the book's candidates to the real ones who are finally vacating my television. The behind the scenes politics that are so far over the heads of the average Joe in this book are startling. At the same time, Cozzano, the main candidate, is really a great guy. Imagine that, a great guy running for President! In addition to the timeliness of the novel, Bury/Stephenson's characterization is excellent. I compare his character development to a satellite shot of the earth from the moon - just the big blue marble - that eventually takes us so close to the characters that we see them on a molecular level. Often times, he starts with the molecular view and zooms the reader out to the really big picture. This is all done with humor and feeling (not sappiness) and an impeccable eye for detail. Read this book - you will enjoy it!

The central question for anyone contemplating purchasing this novel is: is it Neal Stephenson, or is it the co-author who's the intellectual engine?It reads like Stephenson -- curiously, more like "Zodiac" and "Cryptonomicon" than like the middle works, "Snow Crash" and "The Diamond Age." "Snow Crash" is a dazzling portrait of the William Gibson's cyberspace taken to a higher level: the Metaverse. It's fascinating, but true science FICTION. The same is true of "The Diamond Age," which, while Stephenson's most intellectually thought-provoking work, is the least accessible."Zodiac" and "Cryptonomicon," and "Interface," on the other hand, are SCIENCE fiction. "Zodiac" is chock full of information about environmentalism and industrial pollution; "Cryptonomicon" is a cornucopia of mathematics and cryptology. The science in those novels is basically present day, without the need for more than minimal extrapolation. The same is true of "Interface."Other Stephenson touches: a fine eye toward non-tedious detail. One thing I found amazing about "Cryptonomicon" was that Stephenson could describe eating cereal in four pages without making it boring, something that neither Herman Melville nor Charles Dickens would have been able to accomplish (for me). "Interface" has that same quality of nerdy fascination in the seemingly trivial.In summary: if you liked "Cryptonomicon" and/or "Zodiac," you'll probably like "Interface" as well.