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Jack Potter #1
Signal to Noise
Jack Potter puts computer cryptography to work for the highest bidder: sometimes for private corporations, sometimes for the government. Sometimes the work is legal; if not, Jack simply raises his price. But one day, Jack discovers something cloaked in the hiss of background radiation streaming past the Earth from deep space: a message from an alien civilization. One that's eager to do business with humanity -- and its representative.
Before he knows it, Jack has entered into a partnership that will open a Pandora's Box of potential profit and loss. The governments, the multinationals, and mysterious players more powerful still, all want a piece of the action -- and they're willing to kill, even wage war, to get it. Now Jack is entangled shifting web of deceit and intrigue in which no one, not even his closest friends, can be trusted. For Earth's cloak-and-dagger business practices are writ large in the heavens...and hostile takeovers are just as common across light years as they are across boardroom tables.
Before he knows it, Jack has entered into a partnership that will open a Pandora's Box of potential profit and loss. The governments, the multinationals, and mysterious players more powerful still, all want a piece of the action -- and they're willing to kill, even wage war, to get it. Now Jack is entangled shifting web of deceit and intrigue in which no one, not even his closest friends, can be trusted. For Earth's cloak-and-dagger business practices are writ large in the heavens...and hostile takeovers are just as common across light years as they are across boardroom tables.
371 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
September 10, 2016
Eric S. Nylund has inspired me to believe that teleportation will someday be possible. Though, perhaps, it might destroy the earth. You win some, you lose some.
November 15, 2016
When I want real, thought provoking, mind-blowing sci fi, I always know I can trust Eric Nylund. In Signal to Noise Nylund once again gives his readers complex characters, mind-boggling science that hurts your head a little if you think about it for too long, and a fast-paced adventure ride.
Jack Potter is a relatable protagonist (apart from the fact that he's a super genius at encryption and code) who cracks a signal that leads him straight to an alien race with questionable intentions. At home, things aren't much better for Jack: The American government has pegged him as a spy, his dubious uncle has installed some temperamental new hardware into Jack's brain, and his best friends begin keeping dangerous secrets from him.
Nylund creates a very engaging future world where business is the universal language, and anyone lacking savvy gets left behind. The ending seemed a little abrupt for my taste and I would have appreciated a little more backstory on Isabel and Zero - but hopefully we'll get more in the sequel. If you're a fan of inventive, imaginative science fiction, I highly suggest this book.
Jack Potter is a relatable protagonist (apart from the fact that he's a super genius at encryption and code) who cracks a signal that leads him straight to an alien race with questionable intentions. At home, things aren't much better for Jack: The American government has pegged him as a spy, his dubious uncle has installed some temperamental new hardware into Jack's brain, and his best friends begin keeping dangerous secrets from him.
Nylund creates a very engaging future world where business is the universal language, and anyone lacking savvy gets left behind. The ending seemed a little abrupt for my taste and I would have appreciated a little more backstory on Isabel and Zero - but hopefully we'll get more in the sequel. If you're a fan of inventive, imaginative science fiction, I highly suggest this book.
December 5, 2017
This is the first book I have ever read by this author. Reading the back page revealed that this guy has degrees in science - and this shows, because some parts of this book are very technical, so this book is not really for a casual layman or someone who has never read sci fi before.
Nonetheless, I really enjoyed it. It has a good story about a future Earth and presents some good thoughts for us to chew on. Enjoying this book makes me curious about this author's other work - and that in itself speaks about the quality of the book.
Nonetheless, I really enjoyed it. It has a good story about a future Earth and presents some good thoughts for us to chew on. Enjoying this book makes me curious about this author's other work - and that in itself speaks about the quality of the book.
September 3, 2007
I was really trying to read something more edifying by Rushdie, but got irritated and bored and treated myself to cyberpunk plus apocalypse. It would've been like a roller coaster ride, but there were no slow spots. Cutthroat math geeks and unscrupulous aliens in a dystopic American future - breathless in its fall and ruthless as the protagonist's adversaries. He was supposed to be ruthless too, but kept calling himself a normal guy. Hmmm. But who needs a believable character when the ride is so fun? (July 12, 2004)
December 29, 2018
Started a little slow but the middle was pretty interesting and it certainly goes nuts by the end. This is quite a bit after reading so a lot has slipped right out of my brain but I remember being interested to follow where the sequel goes.
Reading Notes:
Reading Notes:
December 28, 2022
I've wanted to read this for a long time. Eric Nylunds Halo books were some of the first books that got me into reading, and also uniquely impressed upon me the difference between good writing and bad writing as the ones not written by Nylund were just terrible while his were spectacular. As such I always wanted to check out his original work and it did not disappoint. A rip roaring cyberpunk adventure that might be the most inventive work in the genre outside of the progenerative Neuromancer. I love a book that really builds up and goes places and this does that. The very end left a little to be desired, but perhaps it's improved by the sequel.
November 20, 2021
A lot of the time sci-fi books written by authours with higher science degrees are heavy on the sci and light on the fi. Not to say that they aren’t good books, but they lack that certain finer nuance that comes from someone who isn’t a scientist first and an authour second
I found myself wavering between three and four stars for this book but ultimately went with four because while the book sometimes did get overly mathematical and theoretical the story itself was excellent and I really enjoyed the ending
I found myself wavering between three and four stars for this book but ultimately went with four because while the book sometimes did get overly mathematical and theoretical the story itself was excellent and I really enjoyed the ending
August 21, 2022
Science fiction series - a fascinating example of a hard science fiction novel. High tech electronics, alien invasions, secret messages and alternate reality (some times hard to tell from reality) make this a great read. Jack Potter is a computer whiz that thinks he is always one step ahead of everyone. This does not turn out well for anybody, except him, and especially our planet.
Canadian references - two mentions of Canadian geography.
Canadian references - two mentions of Canadian geography.
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May 23, 2017An imaginative extrapolation of today's virtual realities, communication internet and nanotech sciences with a splash of alien politics. It was mostly entertaining, action filled and incredible. In the sense that it was so incredible that I scarcely believed even half of it was possible.
October 30, 2017
This is an interesting cyberpunk story, but I got lost when they started talking math and metaphors. Still, I liked the descriptions of the different virtual worlds and how they interpreted the hacking or navigation of information.
November 18, 2017
Well-written, intelligent, pessimistic, and unpleasant. Overall: passable. Would not recommend.
November 22, 2017
Awesomely imaginative. Quick-hitting, sci-fi thriller.
May 31, 2018
Absolutely fascinating read. Still plan to reread and enjoy thoroughly...
December 18, 2021
The science is good. The protagonist keeps making blunders, which eventually lead to the destruction of earth. Hard to suspend disbelief in the story line.
May 16, 2022
Obviously this book is set up for the sequel so we'll see where it goes.
June 6, 2022
Written in the late 90s, it holds up surprisingly well in 2022.
May 20, 2015
This book wasn't too bad. It's a novel about a dystopian future world where Jack Potter is a cryptographer at a university ... and then things go downhill. It starts with his place being broken into and rapidly degenerates into his encountering aliens who are intent upon trading technologies with he and his best friends. The science is pretty hard in this novel. The author has a couple of science degrees and it shows. I frankly didn't understand a fifth of what I read. But what I did understand was scary. Jack gets some technology that will enable him to cure cancer, to delay aging, that will be a miracle drug, and he and his friends set up a corporation to start producing this. All the while, he's being pursued by the NSO, the government agents who want him dead. Simultaneously, China plays a role, as they apparently want into his head too, as his "uncle," who is a spy for them, does brain surgery on Jack and puts in an implant that partially blinds him. All the time, the people can interact via "bubbles," or VR-type environments set up in various locations. Meanwhile, one of Jack's friends screws him over with the company and takes control, all the while while this alien is becoming more and more demanding. It seems that Jack has even gotten in contact with other aliens, has given up their location to the original alien, only to find that these newer aliens have been eradicated. So, killer aliens. Ultimately, the aliens come for Earth, while Jack's former friend aligns herself with the evil NSO. One of Jack's last pieces of technology he gets from the aliens allows for travel virtually anywhere in the universe, so he sets up camp on the moon, gets a few allies from earth, and watches as the planet is essentially blown up. That is worth an extra star in my book. Heh. Of course, there's a sequel and I guess I'll have to read it now. It's not exactly cyberpunk, although there are elements in it, and it's not exactly hard SF, although there are elements of that too. It's a pretty good book and comes reasonably recommended.
March 4, 2015
Through most of Eric S. Nylund's "Signal to Noise," the biggest issue I had with it was that the main character, Jack, is an idiot. I'm not talking about just a slow guy. I'm talking about a guy who seems to be incapable of understanding some of the main characteristics of his milieu (his forte, his arena, his bailiwick, etc.). Here's a guy whose profession is encryption and who does side jobs for the NSA-equivalent organization of his universe. Yet, from day one, he's constantly neglecting computer security (and human security, too). Of course, I figured that this character flaw would enable some nice character growth as the novel progressed. Nope. If anything, his idiocy gets worse. Even more heinous, after using something that's supposed to make him better at what he is, he gets even worse. OK. Fine. I was still very happy with the book. It's fast-paced, well-written, and interesting. But, in the last 30 pages or so, the book collapses. Yes, it's the first of two books. But, with what happens at the end of it, I basically have to throw up my hands and say "why bother?" (I wish I could say more, but it would be a major spoiler). So, I'm docking the book one star from where I would have originally rated it and am giving it an OK 3 stars out of 5.
The novels in Eric S. Nylund's "Signal" series are:
1. Signal to Noise
2. A Signal Shattered
The novels in Eric S. Nylund's "Signal" series are:
1. Signal to Noise
2. A Signal Shattered
October 30, 2023
Eric Nylund puts the science in fiction, and for that, he is easily one of my favorite writers.
🌐🌋🌉
A "Signal to Noise," the first of a duology, is set in a cyberpunk dystopian future where the landscape of Earth has been altered by earthquakes, rising sea levels, hostile businesses wrestling governments and the gen pop to submission, and VR "bubble" technology, that allows the ruthless few savvy enough to attain such tech the ability to tap into their subconscious and communicate through metaphors -- or be virtually manipulated by others'. Jack Potter is a paranoid computer cryptographer who steals a colleagues discovery, a signal hidden in background radiation... a message from an alien civilization. But this first contact quickly turns from trading knowledge, to dealing with government espionage and assassination attempts and multinational business corruption. Jack's world is flipped upside down, and he can't even trust his friends, let alone the alien that now has it's eyes on Jack...and Earth.
🧬🛰⏳️
Fast paced, intriguing characters, and vivid world-building, Nylund uses his B.S. in Chemistry and Masters in Theoretical Physics to paint a fascinating and haunting story that will keep you engrossed till the very last page. Luckily for all, there's a stellar sequel...
🌐🌋🌉
A "Signal to Noise," the first of a duology, is set in a cyberpunk dystopian future where the landscape of Earth has been altered by earthquakes, rising sea levels, hostile businesses wrestling governments and the gen pop to submission, and VR "bubble" technology, that allows the ruthless few savvy enough to attain such tech the ability to tap into their subconscious and communicate through metaphors -- or be virtually manipulated by others'. Jack Potter is a paranoid computer cryptographer who steals a colleagues discovery, a signal hidden in background radiation... a message from an alien civilization. But this first contact quickly turns from trading knowledge, to dealing with government espionage and assassination attempts and multinational business corruption. Jack's world is flipped upside down, and he can't even trust his friends, let alone the alien that now has it's eyes on Jack...and Earth.
🧬🛰⏳️
Fast paced, intriguing characters, and vivid world-building, Nylund uses his B.S. in Chemistry and Masters in Theoretical Physics to paint a fascinating and haunting story that will keep you engrossed till the very last page. Luckily for all, there's a stellar sequel...
November 23, 2014
Part 2 of one of my favorite duologies ever. Packed full of interesting and amazing high-science-fiction concepts, in addition to horrifying and suspenseful situations. I read it regularly.
Caveats: It can be very depressing to read if you let yourself remember that the entire human race has been reduced to less than 10 live adult humans.
I didn't like that the Asian monk delivered many of the critical insights in the book. Sure, all the main characters contributed, but I'm skeptical of so much tactical and technical wisdom coming from Zen koans.
The alien merchant Wheeler is an amazing villain, one of those terrifying I've ever encountered. It bothers me that his business axioms come so close to matching those of real human plutocrats.
November 15, 2014
What a weird book. It kinda reminds me of Snow Crash for having such an unordinary story. I feel like Nylund tried to mix too many interesting concepts into one book, and it backfired. If some of the themes had been explored in a different story, it would make this one more focused, clearer and enticing. I also disliked the main character from the very beginning (too insecure, paranoid and deceiving), which decreased the appeal of the book and led to long periods where I just didn't pick it up. Nevertheless, I applaud the author for his interesting ideas in Sci-Fi.
July 28, 2011
A very interesting read. Some similarities to concepts in Neuromancer, although I found this "version" much better and more compelling. I thought the way the technology was explained was fascinating, and the way that unbelievably complex or impossible activities (by our current standards) were described as almost trivial. One of the most spectacular climaxes I've seen in a sci-fi story. I'll definitely be picking up the sequel.
January 6, 2016
I really enjoyed these two books (Signal to Noise, and A Signal Shattered). They were well written, engaging and explored concepts that were novel and unique. From an author known for writing Halo novels (I think), I likely wouldn't have picked these up if I'd have known that, and I would have missed some truly fantastic writing. Great books!
January 7, 2013
Man, I've been reading a lot of terrible books lately. I have *got* to get a library card. (Moving is hard, people.)
Once again there were some interesting concepts, but the way the tech was executed was implausible and annoying, and the characters were so unsympathetic and unrelatable I began to wonder if the author had met a human before.
Once again there were some interesting concepts, but the way the tech was executed was implausible and annoying, and the characters were so unsympathetic and unrelatable I began to wonder if the author had met a human before.
February 9, 2010
Fast-paced. Starts out like a typical cyberpunk novel, but quickly veers off in other directions. Gives lots of glimpses of an interesting world, but rushes through to an unsatisfying conclusion. A quick, fun read.
August 23, 2010
I have enjoyed Mr. Nylunds book all along. Although this one requires a sense if not an intelligence inherent in science buffs. The intense amount of computer lingo and Quantum lingo is overwhelming at best. Despite all that I enjoyed the premise of the story.
September 27, 2018
This was a heck of a ride. From a break-in to aliens, it was a thrill of a read. All information is valuable and has a requirement of equal or greater value to obtain. What can you offer?
March 31, 2008
A crazy fun ride.
October 29, 2008
Need a higher degree in math to know what the formula is in the front of the book, but some really interesting concepts and ideas about bubble theory and other physics.
October 4, 2010
Takes the gritty cynicism of cyberpunk and blends it with the starry-eyed, gosh-check-out-humanity of straight SF in a matrix of five-way politico-corporate intrigue. I liked it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews