Nano

It's no coincidence this book won the Editor's Choice Award from Nanotechnology Now, or that its author was nominated for the Foresight Institute Prize in Communication (for excellence in nanotechnology journalism) for his online Nanoveau column and other efforts. As fiction, this book rocks. It's also, in the words of Nanotechnology Now editor Rocky Rawstern (who knows a heck of a lot more about nanotech than the folks writing some of these reviews) "plausible, scientifically accurate, and timely...the most important piece of fiction written to date." I've read every nanotech-related novel I could get my hands on, and NANO is by far the best; it beats Crichton's PREY hands-down, and I can't wait to see it on the big screen. Buy it, borrow it, steal it--but read it. This is the future.

What a rush!Nano will have your mind pulling 10 Gs... careful, or you'll black out!An awesome, highly thought provoking 1st novel by John Robert Marlow. Just finished reading it... and this absolutely HAS to be a movie! It vaporizes (disassembles?) Crichton's 'Prey'... technically, emotionally, and intellectually. No contest!To finally see in story form, some of the overwhelmingly profound concepts that have filled my mind for years... moved me to tears. For years I have struggled to share exactly these concepts with people, but failed to capture their attention. NANO brilliantly illuminates these concepts, and the movie will create epiphanies for millions. The NANO movie may be the vehicle to finally inject the Nanotechnology meme into the mass consciousness!Most of the story surrounds the use of self-replicating nanobots, and a sentient AI that exists on the global net. The illustration of the AI's thought process and 'dawn of sentience' was great... I loved it! I want that upgrade... 8^)Bottom line... this story is an excellent 1st step to grasping the concepts contingent on Nanotech: arbitrary manipulation of matter, enhanced intelligence, immortality, sentient AI, and even the Singularity! What a rush!

If you haven't read Nano by John Robert Marlow, I strongly encourage you to add it to your list-at the top. It is plausible, scientifically accurate, and timely.While I certainly believe it will be the next blockbuster movie, more importantly this exceptional work is a wake-up call for those who do not yet understand the tremendous potential (good and bad) of advanced nanotech. Marlow understands both the science and the politics governing advanced technologies, and accurately depicts several near-future potentials of nanotechnology.Where Michael Crichton uses extremely unlikely and largely debunked theories as the basis of his latest novel (Prey), Marlow uses simple extensions of known science. Nano is a plausible, fast-paced technothriller, and is destined to become one of the best of the best. While Crichton fans will love this book, don't mistake John Robert Marlow for Michael Crichton; Marlow employs cutting-edge technology in a believable manner, describing science within the bounds of the generally-accepted. While Nano is techno-fiction, it could one day be techno-fact. While simple, the characters are entirely believable, as is the characterization of the various government organizations.Nano is crafted in such a way as to bring all the frightening potential of advanced nanotechnology to the mind's eye. I easily pictured the events as they transpired, and hung on every word and plot twist. Further, Marlow accurately details some of the ethics involved in the decisions we must begin making now, in order to minimize the potential downsides and maximize the benefits of nanotechnology.Anyone who understands history will see that the politics he describes should be taken seriously. Anyone with even a modicum of understanding of nanoscale science and technology will rapidly come to the conclusion that this writer has done his homework. "Give me a lever and a place to stand, and I will move the earth," said Archimedes. Advanced nanotechnology is that lever, and Marlow's Nano describes the many ways in which it may be used.From a "wake-up call" standpoint, this is the most important piece of fiction written to date.

A fast-moving tech thriller on a huge scale. From the opening murder of the world's richest man to the globe-threatening finish, this book delivers a great story. The tech is understandable and believable, and includes not just nanotechnology but other cool stuff like ECHELON, near-invisible aircraft, high-level artificial intelligence, Singularity, and of course nuclear weapons. The hero is not the standard he-man lead but a scientist who develops nanotechnology to make the world a better place. He soon finds himself along with a tech journalist heroine (naturally a beauty) on the run from outlaw elements of the U.S. government bent on world domination through nanoweaponry. Along the way, the book manages to explore many aspects of nanotechnology, good and bad, and makes the troubling point that this technology cannot be stopped, and will almost certainly prove to be Mankind's savior or his destruction. Because of the nature of nanotechnology, there can be no in-between. The book ends with a nonfiction afterword and appendix. A must-read for anyone into nanotechnology or technothrillers, or those who'd like to know more.