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The Shockwave Rider Kindle Edition
Constantly shifting his identity among a population choking on information, innovation, and novelty, Nickie Haflinger is a most dangerous outlaw, yet he doesn’t even appear to exist. As global society falls apart in all directions, with corporate power run amok and personal freedom surrendered to computers and bureaucrats, Haflinger is caught and about to be re-programmed. Now he has to try to escape once again, defy the government—and turn the tide of organizational destruction, in this visionary science fiction novel by the author of The Sheep Look Up and Stand on Zanzibar.
“Brunner writes about the future as if he and the reader were already living in it.” —The New York Times Book Review
“When John Brunner first told me of his intention to write the book, I was fascinated—but I wondered whether he, or anyone, could bring it off. Bring it off he has, with cool brilliance. A hero with transient personalities, animals with souls, think tanks and survival communities fuse to form a future so plausibly alive it as twitched at me ever since.” —Alvin Toffler, author of Future Shock
“One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves.” —SF Site
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherOpen Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- Publication dateApril 1, 2014
- File size5.2 MB
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Review
"When John Brunner first told me of his intention to write this book, I was fascinated...A hero with transient personalities, animals with souls, think tanks, and survival communities fuse to form a future so plausibly alive it has twitched at me ever since."
-- "Alvin Toffler, author of Future Shock""Brunner writes about the future as if he and the reader were already living in it."
-- "New York Times Book Review""A compelling story of a future world tied together by a universal data network, a world that could be our tomorrow."
-- "Amazon.com review"From the Inside Flap
"When John Brunner first told me of his intention to write this book, I was fascinated -- but I wondered whether he, or anyone, could bring it off. Bring it off he has -- with cool brilliance. A hero with transient personalities, animals with souls, think tanks and survival communities fuse to form a future so plausibly alive it has twitched at me ever since."
-- Alvin Toffler
Author of Future Shock
He Was The Most Dangerous Fugitive Alive, But He Didn't Exist!
Nickie Haflinger had lived a score of lifetimes...but technically he didn't exist. He was a fugitive from Tarnover, the high-powered government think tank that had educated him. First he had broken his identity code -- then he escaped.
Now he had to find a way to restore sanity and personal freedom to the computerized masses and to save a world tottering on the brink of disaster.
He didn't care how he did it...but the g
About the Author
Stefan Rudnicki first became involved with audiobooks in 1994. Now a Grammy-winning audiobook producer, he has worked on more than three thousand audiobooks as a narrator, writer, producer, or director. He has narrated more than three hundred audiobooks. A recipient of multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards, he was presented the coveted Audie Award for solo narration in 2005, 2007, and 2014, and was named one of AudioFile's Golden Voices in 2012.
Claire Bloom, CBE, is an English film and stage actress, known for leading roles in plays such as Streetcar Named Desire, A Doll's House, and Long Day's Journey into Night, along with nearly sixty films and countless television roles, during a career spanning over six decades. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2013 Queen's birthday honors for services to drama.
John Brunner (1934-1995) was born in Preston Crowmarsh, Great Britain. He is the author of over one hundred books, including the Hugo Award-winning Stand on Zanzibar, as well as The Jagged Orbit, The Sheep Look Up, The Shockwave Rider, A Maze of Stars, and The Compleat Traveller in Black. In addition to writing mystery, science fiction, and fantasy novels, he was a linguist and translator and served as an officer in the Royal Air Force.
Product details
- ASIN : B00J5X5M42
- Publisher : Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy (April 1, 2014)
- Publication date : April 1, 2014
- Language : English
- File size : 5.2 MB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 290 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #128,928 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book thought-provoking and enjoyable to read. They appreciate its prescient look at the Internet, privacy, and society before it existed. However, opinions differ on the writing style, character development, and pacing. Some find the writing well-crafted and easy to follow, while others feel the writing is unprofessional or weird. There are also mixed reviews about the character development, with some finding them compelling and engaging, while others consider them one-dimensional.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book thought-provoking and interesting. They say it provides insightful and brilliant extrapolation about what makes people valuable. The novel demonstrates the state of society after the information technology tsunami. Readers appreciate the vivid imagination, compelling storytelling, and well-developed characters.
"...global surveillance, and cultural oppressiveness are well fleshed out carry the story...." Read more
"...A quick read, and interesting. who, or what determines who, or what we are?..." Read more
"Great sweetthinking, and behavioral and motivational characterization...." Read more
"...Technology run amok...this is a must read for all futurists and fans of the science fiction genre. 4 stars!!!!" Read more
Customers find the book enjoyable and thought-provoking. They say it's worth reading, a great book and an excellent film. The story is remarkable and prescient. Readers also mention it's underrated and inexpensive on Kindle.
"Just reread this book again after many years. It is still greatly enjoyable and neatly predicted much of todays world" Read more
"...If you enjoy cyberpunk or dystopian future stories, it's worth a read." Read more
"This is an underrated piece of work. Crichton said it was his least favorite work,but I enjoyed the heck out of it...." Read more
"...; by John Brunner is a story that is quite simply stunning and remarkable. Prescient, erudite, intense, all to real, and disturbing...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's knowledge of the internet. They find it a prescient look at the Internet, privacy, and society before the internet existed.
"...Prescient, erudite, intense, all to real, and disturbing...." Read more
"...Brilliant imagination talking about 1. the internet before it exists and 2. hackers that can write new identities to hide from 3...." Read more
"A prescient look at the Internet, privacy, and society -- from before the Internet was invented!..." Read more
"Prescient but dated..." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style. Some find it well-written and interesting, describing it as a quick read. Others mention that the writing is a bit ham-handed, written in a weird format, and unreadable.
"The Shockwave Rider (Kindle Edition) by John Brunner A quick read, and interesting...." Read more
"...Some of the writing is a bit ham-handed (I don't think Brunner displays a deft hand when it comes to interpersonal relationships), but the more..." Read more
"...The writing style is fluid, the atmospheric backdrops stunning, the science both encouraging and unsettling...." Read more
"...a British author educated in the previous millennium, so this is written well...." Read more
Customers have different views on the character development. Some find the characters thought-provoking and engaging, while others feel the dialogue is confusing and one-dimensional.
"Action is well-paced, characters are intelligent, as is the dialogue. A good, solid sci-fi read." Read more
"...Characters are cardboard, plot twists seem random, the low level plot is ok I guess but nothing special; I guess the computer stuff was pretty..." Read more
"...A great SF story of a future that could've been. Thought provoking with characters you can care about." Read more
"John Brunner is a great mind, poorly edited..." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing. Some find the science encouraging and intense, with emotional content and frightening parallels to modern times. Others consider it unconvincing, with an unconvincing dystopia and lack of direction for the good guys.
"..."1984" this story will grab you with its eclectic verbiage, emotion, and prophetic storyline...." Read more
"...there's something wrong with modern society, so there's an unconvincing dystopia, and lots of dialogue and inner monologue aimed at the reader to..." Read more
"Excellent early cyber punk with frightening parallels to modern times..." Read more
Reviews with images
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Despite influencing cyberpunks, not one of Brunner's best novels
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2024Just reread this book again after many years. It is still greatly enjoyable and neatly predicted much of todays world
- Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2016John Brunner is arguably the innovator of the cyberpunk genre (think Neuromancer or Count Zero from William Gibson, or Neil Stephenson's Diamond Age or Snow Crash).
The Shockwave Rider tells a story of a dystopian future, where every aspect of daily life is controlled by corporations, humans are slaves to their station in life, and there's no hope or escape. One man has found a way to fight the system, to hide who he is by altering his identity, and makes multiple attempts to change the system for the better. His backstory is filled in as the book progresses, how he came to be who he is and why he is able to do the things he is able to do.
Some of the writing is a bit ham-handed (I don't think Brunner displays a deft hand when it comes to interpersonal relationships), but the more general over-arching themes of government-corporate partnership, social stratification, global surveillance, and cultural oppressiveness are well fleshed out carry the story. If you enjoy cyberpunk or dystopian future stories, it's worth a read.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2020The Shockwave Rider (Kindle Edition) by John Brunner
A quick read, and interesting.
who, or what determines who, or what we are? In a world run by computers and politics gone awry, how can anyone claim to be an individual? And what happens when you peel away the lawyers to reveal the slimy underbelly?
- Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2025This is an underrated piece of work. Crichton said it was his least favorite work,but I enjoyed the heck out of it. The film adaptation starring George Segal was quite good. Recommended!
- Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2024Great sweetthinking, and behavioral and motivational characterization.
A bit dated since it was obviously written before cellular phones were everywhere.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2014"The Shockwave Rider" by John Brunner is a story that is quite simply stunning and remarkable. Prescient, erudite, intense, all to real, and disturbing. With similarities to "Catch Me If You Can" and Orwell's "1984" this story will grab you with its eclectic verbiage, emotion, and prophetic storyline. The writing style is fluid, the atmospheric backdrops stunning, the science both encouraging and unsettling. Technology run amok...this is a must read for all futurists and fans of the science fiction genre. 4 stars!!!!
- Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2018I will be honest - my actual review is 4 stars instead of 5. This amazing book has been so ignored by the Sci Fi community that I am bumping it up to 5 stars.
Near future Sci Fi is difficult to pull off because if the book stays around long enough the predictions will be disproved. Brunner managed to get a lot of his predictions right. "Tapeworms" and "phages" predicted computer worms and viruses. The hacking and lack of privacy looks correct. We are on the verge of the "genetic optimization" prediction. "Economic Obsolescence" looks correct. Social paranoia from lack of trust from unprecedented data flow looks a lot like the political climate we have today. Globalization also looks like the world of today. Even having organized criminals in government sounds like today. ;-) The hacking of "Delphi Pools" seem a lot like the hacking that is currently in financial markets. Even the over specialization seems correct.
So why is this book ignored? It doesn't even have an audible book yet. I get the impression that John Brunner was not liked by the Sci Fi community.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2014Action is well-paced, characters are intelligent, as is the dialogue. A good, solid sci-fi read.
Top reviews from other countries
- Hanslo FritterichReviewed in Canada on April 25, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars John Brunner saw our today, our future.
Written in 1975!? Could have been written tomorrow.
John Brunner saw our today, our future.
Memo to self (and all) READ MORE BRUNNER!
- MWC62Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 5, 2013
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding.
In terms of predictive, social sci-fi John Brunner is an author without peer. Everything else is in his shadow. This novel is one of the loose 'future shock' trilogy along with 'The Sheep Look Up' and 'Stand on Zanzibar'. Extrapolated fron Alvin Tofflers 'Future Shock' accademic treatise of the late 60's the trilogy is spookily accurate at predicting the world of now, the 2010's. 'Shockwave Rider's' primary focus is on the internet, hackers, viruses and governemt control and manipulation; and whilst the predicted technology and future here is a little different to what we have, it's certainly so close as to make no difference. But it's not predicting technology where Brunner stands out, it's predicting the culture and zeitgeist. Great sci-fi will expand your understanding of the world you live in and teach you something without being preachy or didactic and this book does that. I've read 'Zanzibar' which is in the SF masterworks series, and I'm just about to embark on an oversize large print version of 'Sheep' which is the only version available and what surprises me is that Brunners work is so hard to get hold of and is mostly out of print. This to my mind is a crime and a failing on the part of the publishing industry...perhaps his work is too seditious and too terrible and real for general consumption. Brunners work is REQUIRED READING!!!!!!
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FlorianReviewed in Germany on March 17, 2013
5.0 out of 5 stars Super Science Fiction
Fast vierzig Jahre alt und top-aktuell. Nicht ganz einfach, wenn Englisch nicht die Muttersprache ist, lohnt sich aber. Da kommt der Wurm her...
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batmanReviewed in France on March 14, 2005
4.0 out of 5 stars visionnaire
Ce roman se passe dans un futur hypothètique, vers 2020. Les Etats-Unis ont été profondément marqués et transformés par un immense temblement de terre qui a gravement touché la Californie.
C'est l'histoire d'un enfant très doué, remarqué par un institut de recherche (un "Centre"), et qui va subir, comme plusieurs autres, une formation spéciale. Cette formation va lui permettre de développer ses facultés intellectuelles et ses capacités d'adaptation. Cette formation n'hésite pas pour cela à placer l'enfant dans des situations très stressantes. 10 ans plus tard, l'enfant est devenu un jeune homme et... s'échappe. Ses facultés d'adaptation extra-ordinaires font de lui un caméléon qui peut changer d'identité comme il veut, et il peut assumer n'importe quelle identité/personnalité. A noter que ce roman a été écrit en 1975, bien avant l'apparition du feuilleton "le caméléon".
Notre caméléon tente donc de rester libre et de combattre le système politico-social en place, qui repose sur un immense datanet.
Un roman visionnaire, malheureusement pas très bien écrit. Mais le sujet est très fort, et toujours très actuel.
- Frank7Reviewed in Canada on July 9, 2020
4.0 out of 5 stars Did he have a conduit to the future?
Brunner as always is stunning in how accurate his predictions of social and political change. One would do well to take serious note of his ideas, and use them to understand and respond to our current world order.