Infoquake, Vol. 1 by David Louis Edelman

From Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Review
Web programmer David Louis Edelman's debut novel, Infoquake -- the first installment of his Jump 225 Trilogy -- is equal parts corporate thriller, technophilic cautionary tale, and breathtakingly visionary science fiction adventure.

In a world where virtually thousands of biological programs can enhance any bodily function -- U-No-Snooze 93 to stay awake, Analgesic 232.5 to lessen pain, PokerFace 83.4b to mask emotions, etc. -- Natch is the best at what he does, which is programming and marketing new and improved bio/logic products. But when the ruthlessly ambitious Natch is offered the opportunity of a lifetime -- to develop and launch a groundbreaking technology called MultiReal -- a host of enemies come out of the woodwork to stop him from succeeding by any means necessary…

The extensive appendices at the back of Infoquake -- which include a glossary of terms, a historical timeline, background information on the science of bio/logics, etc. -- are reminiscent of the addenda that accompanied Frank Herbert's original Dune trilogy. And similar to Herbert's vast prehistories (which planted the seeds for numerous novels and short stories by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson), Edelman's book has set the stage for potentially so much more than just a trilogy of novels. Brilliantly blending the cutthroat intrigues of the high-tech business world with revolutionary world building, Edelman could quite possibly be the love child of Donald Trump and Vernor Vinge. Infoquake is one of the most impressive science fiction debuts to come a long in years -- highly recommended. Paul Goat Allen

From the Publisher

How far should you go to make a profit? Infoquake, the debut novel by David Louis Edelman, takes speculative fiction into alien territory: the corporate boardroom of the far future. It's a stunning trip through the trenches of a technological war fought with product demos, press releases, and sales pitches.

Natch is a master of bio/logics, the programming of the human body. He's clawed and scraped his way to the top of the bio/logics market using little more than his wits. Now his sudden notoriety has brought him to the attention of Margaret Surina, the owner of a mysterious new technology called MultiReal. Only by enlisting Natch's devious mind can Margaret keep MultiReal out of the hands of High Executive Len Borda and his ruthless armies.

To fend off the intricate net of enemies closing in around him, Natch and his apprentices must accomplish the impossible. They must understand this strange new technology, run through the product development cycle, and prepare MultiReal for release to the public-all in three days. Meanwhile, hanging over everything is the specter of the infoquake, a lethal burst of energy that's disrupting the bio/logic networks and threatening to send the world crashing back into the Dark Ages.

With Infoquake, David Louis Edelman has created a fully detailed world that's both as imaginative as Dune and as real as today's Wall Street Journal.

Author of Crown of Stars - Kate Elliott

"Inventive and provocative, with a surprisingly emotional kick. Read this book, and then argue about it."

Author of Crystal Rain - Tobias S. Buckell

"A fascinating glimpse into an all too possible future of business, software, wetware, and over-powerful technocrats."

SFFWorld.com

...the genre might not be quite the same after this book...a stunning debut novel by a lucid, precise, and talented new voice in the genre...With an already impressive list of authors in their stable, Pyr looks to have nabbed one of, if not, the next big thing in Science Fiction. This may be THE science fiction book of the year.

Publishers Weekly

Slick high-finance melodrama and dizzying technical speculation lift Edelman's SF debut, the first of a trilogy. Centuries in the future, humans rely less on machines than on upgrading their own nervous systems with nanotech bio/logic programs. Natch, a gifted young code programmer-entrepreneur obsessed with clawing his way to the top, jumps at the chance to merchandise a major new technology, MultiReal, even though he doesn't know what it is. Natch soon becomes a target for not just his business rivals but also totalitarian governmental agencies and more mysterious groups. Natch's being a borderline sociopath makes him extremely creative in business tactics and personal manipulation (and thus fascinating to read about). The world in which he operates is also fascinating, with awesome personal powers being sold on a frantic open market. Edelman, who has a background in Web programming and marketing, gives his bizarre notions a convincing gloss of detail. Bursting with invention and panache, this novel will hook readers for the story's next installment. (July) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

In a distant future dependent on the exchange of information via the Internet and other advanced technologies, Natch stands out as an expert in bio/logics, the science of programming the human body. To him falls the task of assimilating and protecting a new technology-MultiReal-from corporate spies and the deadly energy bursts, or infoquakes, that threaten the existence of all bio/logic networks. In web designer and programmer Edelman's first novel, he moves quickly from scene to scene, building suspense with believable characters and in-the-know technical expertise. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

What People Are Saying

Sean Williams
"David Louis Edelman takes no shortcuts to a destination quite unlike any visited before-and we are richer for it."

SFFWorld.com
"..the genre might not be quite the same after this book..a stunning debut novel by a lucid, precise, and talented new voice in the genre...With an already impressive list of authors in their stable, Pyr looks to have nabbed one of, if not, the next big thing in Science Fiction. This may be THE science fiction book of the year."
—August 22, 2006

• Table of Contents
• Interviews & Essays

Table of Contents

Interviews & Essays

Explorations Interview with David Louis Edelman

Paul Goat Allen: David, you write on your web site about how the inspiration for Infoquake grew out of your hellish experience in the dot-com industry in the 1990s -- manipulative bosses, unethical business practices, unbridled greed, etc. Was there a single defining moment where you realized that, hey, this could be the basis for a great science fiction story?

David Louis Edelman: I don't know if there was one single defining moment. There were a hundred little things, like having a boss insist that I steal electricity at a trade show booth, or having a company cheat me out of thousands of dollars in sales commissions. There's such a fine line between genius and madness, and when you're in the trenches it's hard to tell the difference. For a long time, I thought these people had to know what they were doing since they were making so much money. Eventually I realized that sometimes the difference between genius and madness is just a difference in marketing and perception.

PGA: The protagonist of Infoquake, Natch, is a fascinating antihero full of contradictions. He'll do absolutely anything to literally bury his competition, but he has a pretty solid code of honor when it comes to his apprentices and business allies. He's a stone-cold SOB, but there's something endearing about his never-ending drive to succeed. Two questions: Was Natch based on a former boss? And was your ultimate goal to have readers hate him, empathize with him, or a little of both?

DLE: There were bits and pieces of Natch that came from various bosses of mine, but contrary to what some people think, he's not based on any one particular person. A number of people have come up to me and said, "I worked for a boss who was exactly like Natch!" That's a little frightening. Obviously, at the beginning of the book, you're supposed to despise Natch. He's manipulative, he's self-centered, and he's not above spreading terrorism rumors if it'll let him climb another rung in the ladder. But as soon as you turn the page to section two, you start to see another side of him. You see that the world has been beating Natch down his entire life, and you can't help but admire the tenacious way he keeps picking himself up again. At the end of Infoquake, readers should have a lot of conflicting feelings about Natch. He could really turn either way in the next two books.

PGA: Do you consider Infoquake a cautionary tale? And if so, why?

DLE: There's a part of Infoquake that's a cautionary tale, but I've been very careful not to go too far down that road. The book isn't a polemic. Like with the character of Natch, there are things to both admire and fear about the future I've come up with. Hunger and disease have essentially vanished, and people take for granted the ability to travel anywhere in the world instantly. On the other hand, the world is ruled by an autocratic military organization that essentially has no checks and balances. I think some people would have been happier if I had written a straightforward novel with a good guy and a bad guy and an easily identifiable political bias. But for better or for worse, my dad taught me to always play the devil's advocate. So if you come into Infoquake expecting a political tract, you're going to be disappointed.

PGA: If bio/logics were a reality, which programs would you most covet?

DLE: There are so many. I love the idea of the Jamm, which is a vast musical network where you can hop onto a million different channels and start jamming with other musicians all over the world. I'd also love to be able to get on the multi network, which lets you project a virtual body anywhere on Earth and interact with other people as if you were actually there. But of course, the program I really need to get my hands on is Feminine Mystique 242.37a. I'm sure I could make millions with that one.

PGA: Infoquake is the first volume in the Jump 225 Trilogy. What's the significance of "Jump 225," and what can readers expect in the second and third installments, MultiReal and Geosynchron?

DLE: There's a dream sequence at the end of section one where Natch is trapped in a forest and uses a program called Jump 225 to try and escape. I used this as the central metaphor of the entire three-book series. In a broad sense, the series is all about the limitations that nature imposes on us -- age, disease, death, hunger, gravity, etc. -- and our continual attempts to overcome them. I don't want to spoil too much about MultiReal and Geosynchron. Suffice it to say that I'll be exploring a lot of the technologies and locations that are only mentioned briefly in Infoquake. You'll find out a lot more about the Islanders, the politics, the military, and the orbital colonies. Oh, and there'll be some action and some unexpected deaths too.

PGA: Ever consider delving into ancient events just mentioned in Infoquake -- the Autonomous Revolt, the Big Divide, the life and death of Sheldon Surina, etc. -- as fodder for new novels or series?

DLE: I intend to write a bunch of short fiction to fill in the backstory for Infoquake, but unfortunately I haven't had time yet. I have drafts of stories about Sheldon Surina on my computer that I really hope to finish someday. And there are a couple of big surprises waiting in the backstory that will really throw everything in Infoquake into a different light. Ideally I'd love to visit all of the key points in my future history, but only if something inspires me. I have no intention of writing a story just to fill in a gap in the chronology. That's what the timeline in the appendices is for.

PGA: I recently read a novel where the author's pseudonym was a thinly veiled anagram that was relatively significant to the book's theme. On a whim, I ran "David Louis Edelman" through an anagram creator and came up with "Mad Villainous Deed." Pretty cool considering mine came out with "Tall Pale Guano." Just thought you might want to know.

DLE: Even more interesting, Neal Stephenson is an anagram for "Hatless Neon Pen" and Vernor Vinge is an anagram for "Roving Nerve." And if you plug Jump Trilogy in, you get "Grim Jolt? Yup!" Coincidence? I don't think so.

PGA: It's nice to know we're on the same wavelength…