Books › Islands in the Net
Islands in the Net
First published 2002 · 575 pages
A globe-trotting, idea-dense plunge into the dark, data-pirated underbelly of a seemingly utopian corporate future.
What it feels like
Reading this feels like jacking into a geopolitical thriller where the real weapons are data and corporate leverage. The narrative moves at a brisk, globe-trotting clip, dragging you from the sterile, comfortable boardrooms of a multinational conglomerate into the chaotic, neon-lit havens of data pirates and high-tech mercenaries. It is steeped in a mood of creeping paranoia, where the slick veneer of a utopian, post-millennial society peels back to reveal a gritty, cutthroat reality. The prose is sharp and visionary, dense with speculative ideas about globalization and information warfare that feel eerily prescient. It is a perfect fit for readers who love classic cyberpunk but want a wider, more political lens focused on the illusion of security and the raw power of information.
- Mood
- paranoiac
- high-stakes
- corporate-slick
- gritty
- Tone
- pragmatic
- sharp
- cynical
- visionary
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- information as power · corporate hegemony · the illusion of security · globalization · technological disruption
- The writing
- The prose is sharp, idea-dense, and journalistic, packing every page with prescient technological and geopolitical detail.
- The arc
- The journey moves from the comfortable illusion of corporate security into a harsh, radicalizing awakening to the world's chaotic realities.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave classic cyberpunk that zooms out from the street level to tackle global corporate politics and data piracy.
Content notes
- violence
- kidnapping
- political terrorism
- murder
About the book
From the back cover:
Laura Webster's on the fast track to success. A bright young star in a multinational conglomerate, she's living well in a post-millennial age of peace, prosperity, and profit.
In an age of advanced technology, information is the world's most precious commodity. Information is power. Data is locked in computers and carefully rationed through a global communications network. Full access is a privilege held by few.
Now, Laura Webster is about to be plunged into a netherworld of black-market data pirates, new-age mercenaries, high-tech voodoo... and murder.
Description from Open Library.
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