Radio Freefall

At its best, science fiction uses exotic settings and technical marvels to give insight into the compelling issues of the current time. In "Radio Freefall", Matt Jarpe uses the sensitive issues of our day--control of access to information, the immense power of global corporations, and the value of diversity to take the reader on a wild ride through the near future. Jarpe's engaging style makes this a fun and easy read, yet his social commentary is thought-provoking. He paints a world that is at once beautifully futuristic and laden with all-too-human foibles. Data sprays and artificial intelligence aside, humans are still emotional beings, naked apes acting on base instinct. This helps "Radio Freefall" accomplish that other goal of good science fiction: that of being believable.

I like technoScFi. This first work by Matthew Jarpe extrapolates twenty five years into the future using the WWW, evolutionary AI technobabble, space colonies, RockNRoll, mind manipulation, Cheneyesque evil guys, Gatesian smart guys and all with a bit of Carl Haaisen style humor. This book is one happy discovery for me, a fun read. Chuckles, thoughtful situations and very memorable and zany characters. The time line is a bit strained and the ending is maybe caramelish but the plot is plausible and the interleaving of the geek stuff and music threads is brilliant. Particularly cute is flashback references to the present music scene. I would have liked some Orwellian political zingers too. They would fit right in.

Absolutely excellent. Great story, great characters, and truly outstanding writing. Artificial intelligence, rock 'n roll, world domination, space colonies, and a little bit of romance--it's an unbeatable combination.

How can you stay on the run and hidden in a world where no one's anonymous anymore and you like rocking out in front of an audience to boot? Oh, and some folks don't like you. Really, they want stuff in your head out of it. You like your head and all the stuff in it. And it's all because you . . . And there you have the gist and non-spoilerage of Matthew Jarpe's debut novel, Radio Freefall, providing readers a well-paced, witty, and quirky look into a near future filled with well-rounded AI characters, a megalomaniac, computer geeks, hard-partying rock-and-rollers, one-worlders (see aforementioned megalomaniac), Nationalists, and . . . one enigmatic protagonist calling himself Aqualung who's hell on a guitar, laid back to beat the band, and an all around slippery dude to catch if you're antagonizing him. You will know people like Aqualung. The socially awkward (but for GOOD reasons) Quin Taber is a deserving underdog while the evil overlord, Walter Cheeseman, deserves something not far removed from a few swift kicks to the groin. Revel in the Snake Vendors, an upstart band of kids who find an apt mentor in ol' boy Aqualung. It's here that I'll pause and recommend your tripping over to Mr. Jarpe's site, http://mattjarpe.com/. You might also want to navigate to Meet the Snake Vendors (http://www.snakevendors.com/snakevendors.php) and check out "Mojo Motorbike," a fun video and crunchy, catchy song straight from the novel. And look out for the uber-virus Digital Carnivore because everyone else in the novel is. Overall, with Matthew Jarpe's firm control of Radio Freefall's plot and keen eye for building memorable characters and a sharper ear for dialogue, it's hard to set this freshman effort aside. It might not keep you up at night, but it will bring you back frequently until you`re done. It would be fun to trip back through the universe Jarpe's created in Radio Freefall, and you can tell he had stellar time writing it because it oozes, simply, FUN READ.

Matthew Jarpe's freshman effort, Radio Freefall, is an engaging, fun story about a eclectic group of individuals attempting to prevent the takeover of the world from a less than savory corporate big-wig. His main characters are interesting and likable, without being too perfect. While I'm a huge fan of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, I don't really see the resemblance here, except in a very broad sense pertaining to the outlying colonies not wishing to be controlled by Earth. Matt's writing style, while very readable, does not have the same voice as RAH. His characters simply don't take themselves that seriously. It makes the book a bit lighter, and a fun diversion. I'm looking forward to his next project.