Daemon - Daniel Suarez What a conundrum, this book Daemon. On the surface it reads like a novelized action movie --- vivid scenes full of motion, loud (yes, you can hear 'em) explosions and souped up guns and vehicles. Much gratuitous violence. Bad guys and good guys duking it out. But on deeper plane, there is the story of the hero-victim going up against the omni-digital boss ala Case in Neuromancer, which is engaging, but does not last long as the book moves on to different preoccupations. Then, there is the story of the coming dystopia stemming from the failure of democratic governments to deal with technology. For me, this is where the book devolves into proselytizing and is the least interesting aspect of the book. Another element of note is the depiction of gaming expressing itself out of virtual space into meat space, bringing to mind Ready Player One.

Overall, the novel feels like one of those event movies, equal parts spectacle and story. A good book to read on a long weekend or on a boring oversea business trip. Plus, there's a sequel.