[Book] Halting State - Charles Stross

[wip3outguy7]

I picked this up on a whim a few weeks ago to feed my renewed appetite in cyberpunk novels. I read through Gibson's "Sprawl" trilogy and wanted something on familiar ground.

This novel is amazing. I honestly think people will look back on this book as the 1984 of this generation. Stross's predictions feel right on the money. The book is heavy on techno babble but Stross is well learned in the topics he writes about. This gives the novel a factual feel using terms and scenarios that are valid even today. It is written in 2nd person as a homage to early adventure games ("You walk into a bar. You order a drink. The bartender tells you about the day's sports scores."). The techno terms and acronyms really bogged me down for the first 3rd of the book. I actually broke down and googled a few things... and I consider myself knowledgeable in the world of IT (after all, I'm employed in it). The other difficulty some readers might have is the Scottish dialect some of the characters speak and think in.

**possible spoilers

Halting State takes place in 2018 in Edinburgh. A group of hackers or bug savvy gamers rob a virtual bank in a very popular MMORPG that isn't far removed from WoW or Everquest. They break the rules of the game universe and engine to do so and make off with millions of virtual dollars worth of loot. The real world company that manages the bank is now in serious danger of being sued out of existence. Meanwhile, a panicked employee gets the local Police involved. The company's stock and lawsuits aren't the only worry. The financial implications could affect technology and gaming firms across the globe.

**end possible spoilers

Please post if you've read. I only have about 100 pages left but I'm dying to discuss when I'm done.

[wip3outguy7]

Finished the book. Ending was unpredictable and a nice throw back to Generation X. Very satisfied.

[wip3outguy7]

review (not by me)

*warning, might contain spoilers

http://www.sfbrp.com/archives/61