Cheap Signal to Noise (Book) (Eric S. Nylund) Price

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Customer Reviews of Signal to Noise

Finnaly! fastpaced action-packed "Cyperpunk"
Signal to Noise is the best "cyberpunk" book I have ever read! After indulging in the classics such as Neuromancer and Shockwave Rider, I enjoyed Signal to Noise the most. The story begins fast and maintains its speed through the end. For those who get bored with a lack of action in the stereotypical cyberpunk, this new "hyperpunk" is your answer. Constant action and plot twists help to keep the reader glued to the story. The characters are well written without being overly revealed. The typical futuristic setting is also not oppressive in this book. Nylund presents an extrapolated version of tomorrow based on the trends of today. The plot is my favorite part of this book. I became hooked with the story as it unfolded. The story blends technology, aliens, genetics, and conspiracy theory into a seamless tale of human nature and destinies. You as the reader become witness to an intergalactic struggle for power and survival. The main character, Jack, becomes a middleman between alien civilizations, unexpectedly beginning the countdown to Armageddon. This story explorers human interactions and self-exploration using technology as a backdrop. If you are a fan of the X-files you will thoroughly enjoy this novel. The author, Eric Nylund, has a bachelor's degree in Chemistry and a master's degree in theoretical physics. This education comes through strong in his work. If you can handle some thechno-babble and abstract concepts without giving up on the basic message of a novel, then this book will work well for you. I recommend this novel to fans of science fiction, cyberpunk, or just well written fiction. Signal to Noise will keep your attention from beginning to end and make you contemplate your role on this planet at its conclusion.

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Hard to put down, but not completely satisfying
Signal To Noise is a fun, fast book. Nylund's style is completely readable, and he frequently had me on the edge of my seat--this is the kind of novel where you can read two hundred pages in one sitting. The plot is suitably complex, and some of Nylund's ideas are quite interesting. All in all, I enjoyed it a lot...but as my star rating indicates, there are major problems. The protagonist is decently well-developed, but all the other characters are quite thin. When one character is supposed to be undergoing a significant personality change, it has no impact on the reader because we barely know what she was like originally. The writing style is also uneven; there are some very clumsy sentences in here, as well as some misused words. (Nylund must need a new editor--one would think that a good one wouldn't leave untouched mistakes that a high school student could catch.) Finally, some aspects of Nylund's future don't quite ring true. He falls into the commmon trap of always using physical metaphors for computer functions, even though computers don't, and probably never will, work in the same way that the physical world does. The different types of aliens were also able to communicate with humanity much too easily. Image files constructed by one operating system aren't even always readable by another OS designed by the same species, let alone a different one!

Eos has promoted this novel as "hyperpunk," but they have never said exactly what this means. It suggests some kind of relationship with cyberpunk, but this Signal to Noise doesn't really have a cyberpunk feel, even if some of the technology is similar. I don't think that there is any need to create a new subgenre for this book. It's a science fiction novel.

Those who are going to read this book may wish to know that the ending is grim in the extreme. This hasn't changed my rating, of course, but it might be a disappointment if you are reading for light amusement. It does, however, set things up for a potentially very interesting sequel, and one which I will probably buy, despite this book's flaws.

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great story for a great genre
This is genre fiction people. If you want depth in a character read Henry James.

There is just enough character definition since the plot is the main focus here. Thankfully you don't get caught up in a character's neurosis or whatever else character depth entails. It's just unnecessary. What's left? Lot's of fun. This book rocks. The science is amazing; leaves your head spinning.

In a genre where exciting books like this one are rare gems, you gotta appreciate it.

P.S. I agree with the person who criticized Isabel's personality shift after taking the enzyme. It was a far jump.