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Technogenesis
Praise for Technogenesis"Perhaps the most captivating science fiction read of recent months...[a] terse thriller that holds many unexpected twists and turns. An exceptional story." —The Bookwatch
"I enjoyed Technogenesis very much, both as a story and for the ideas and presentation." —Vernor Vinge
"Hard SF with romantic spice...satisfyingly rich...a taut and suspenseful read... great for fans of writers like Catherine Asaro—the romance structure and high technology setting work well together." —Science Fiction Weekly
"Imaginative and pleasing...a fresh and entertaining tour...a suspenseful read that creates some tough problems and then deals with them in some realistically messy ways." —Locus
"Mitchell blends high tech speculation with high adventure... Quite well done and genuinely creepy." —Science Fiction Chronicle
"An absorbing and creative science fiction tale...the protagonist is flawed and weak at times, yet so heroic that she represents the finest qualities inherent in our species. On a scale from one to ten, this novel is an eleven." —Midwest Book Review
"Fun and mind blowing at the same time." —Weekly Press (Philadelphia)
Back cover In the near future, all human interaction takes place on the Net. Nerve-induction jewelry keeps people connected 24/7. The Net provides access to global information, entertainment, and instant communication. Lonliness is a thing of the past—and so is privacy. A data miner for Infotech, Jasmine Reese retrieves information from people's thoughts and words to benefit her clients. But when her data mask malfunctions, she's left disconnected, unable to function in a society that doesn't acknowledge her existence outside the Net. Thrust into the "real" world, surrounded by the homeless and the unemployed, Jaz becomes an outcast. But she also discovers her senses are more acute, her thinking more alert. Slowly, she becomes aware of the strange, eerily coordinated behavior of the connected around her. And then she receives a cryptic warning from one of the disconnected: "The Beast is watching you..." Author's Notes Technogenesis is the book I wrote while working as a Web developer for the Internet Gaming Zone. You might say that my work bled over into my writing. I was fascinated by the Web and the possibilities of massively multiplayer games like Asheron's call. At the same time, I was following the wearable computers being prototyped at MIT. Then I saw an image in a jewelry magazine (jewelry fabrication is a hobby of mine) of beautiful diamond-studded face masks. I liked the combination of tech and esthetic in the term "data jewelry," and was soon imagining a world where everyone was connected all the time. Technogenesis is one possible scenario for such a world. As a side note, the NSA content in this book is wildly improbable. I tried to interview a person who works for the NSA to get realistic setting details. My source became uncomfortable and told me that were I to get the details too accurate, I would likely end up with federal agents knocking on my door. Their advice: wildly make stuff up. This I did. Go back Read the first chapter Order the book |
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Content updated 3 October 2002 |