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Techno-Thrilla likelihood: 100% Dispatching SIA (Semi-Intelligent Agent).... MISSION: Evaluate Unholy Domain and add its parameters to database of materials reviewed. Target located. Hardback acquired and delivered to Dublin installation. READING NOW.... READING COMPLETED. ANALYSIS:
Manual Analysis:Like his fellow Künati scribe Peter Clennott, Dan Ronco has written an all-action thriller that aims to be smarter than its shelfmates. Unholy Domain precognates "the oncoming clash between religion and technology concerning what it means to be human," according to Ronco's July 2008 interview with Simon Barrett.
While it's a fast, engaging read, the novel doesn't make any important statement in that philosophical arguement. For one, many elements are implausible. Psychotic demagogue Adam Jordan's "Church of Natural Humans" has a ten-foot statue of Jesus in its entranceway, but otherwise has nothing to do with Christianity. His organization makes a fun bunch of baddies, but they are not spokespeople for Religion. They cannot contribute to a serious dialogue about the human soul any more than can the henchmen of a James Bond supervillain. The visionaries of technology against whom Adam Jordan and Moesha Jefferson fight would have been more interesting if their technologies had been more original. On the third page, trillions of nanobots are ejaculated on the reader. Man! I hate nanobots! An interesting idea when first featured on Star Trek: The Next Generation around 1992, these microscopic robots have been hashed and rehashed into everything these days. Ugh! Having completely taken over science fiction, I understand that 2009 will even see big campaigns for Coke Nano and Pepsi Nano Max. If I want something smalll that actually has interesting flavor, I'll sample that new microbrew, thanks. (Overcoming my nanobot prejudice, I must concede that Ronco's high-tech method of detecting intruders was fresh, and, research shows, plausible. If it had been bionic flies scanning the area rather than nanobots, I'd be buzzing.) As a back-and-forth chase-and-conspiracy adventure, Unholy Domain is enjoyable. The 340 pages pass in a few evenings- or, better yet, on a single long plane journey. David ends the story close to where readers will forecast, but his journey zigs an interesting course (around many, many potholes) and there's a twist at the end. Plus, one of the chicks who falls instantly for him is an absolute hottie!
I like hotties. Except when my reviews have angered them and they are coming at me with automatic weapons. Windows NT domains are truly unholy.Computer says: Liklihood that a Terminate order will be issued against Critial Mick: 91%
Yo! This review and all content on the DFA Guide site are copyright 2008 Mick Halpin. All links to other sites and documents are copyright to whatever source wrote something cool enough for Mick to give it a referral. Try to claim them as your own work and bad karma will catch up with you, baby. Believe it. Irate, huh? Managed to piss off another one? Direct your hatemail to mick @ mickhalpin dot com.
| This Page Was Last Updated On 10 November, 2008.
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