Daemon

By: Daniel Suarez

Narrated by: Jeff Gurner

Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Daniel Suarez's New York Times best-selling debut high-tech thriller is “so frightening even the government has taken note” (Entertainment Weekly).

Daemons: computer programs that silently run in the background, waiting for a specific event or time to execute. They power almost every service. They make our networked world possible. But they also make it vulnerable....

When the obituary of legendary computer game architect Matthew Sobol appears online, a previously dormant daemon activates, initiating a chain of events that begins to unravel our interconnected world. This daemon reads news headlines, recruits human followers, and orders assassinations. With Sobol’s secrets buried with him, and as new layers of his daemon are unleashed, it’s up to Detective Peter Sebeck to stop a self-replicating virtual killer before it achieves its ultimate purpose - one that goes far beyond anything Sebeck could have imagined....

©2009 Daniel Suarez (P)2009 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“A riveting debut.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“This thrill-a-nanosecond novel is certainly faithful to the techno-traditions of Michael Crichton and should delight not only readers of the 'science gone awry' genre, but general adventure readers as well.” (Booklist)

“Suarez's not-just-for-gamers debut is a stunner.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Good Read

Good read. May reread soon. Good plot. No pictures. Read this book Book this read

Good but not as great as some of the reviews

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Character development is poor. Nobody to really identify with.

Would you be willing to try another book from Daniel Suarez? Why or why not?

Possibly. The author can contrive a complex story plot.

Which scene was your favorite?

No favorite scene really stands out.

Do you think Daemon needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

n/a

Any additional comments?

What I love about a good book is the feeling of really knowing and loving the main characters to the point where I feel sad that the book ended. With Daemon, it's really just about the plot. I'm going to listen to book 2 in order to see what happens, but I'd be fine just skipping to the end as well. I like the book, and the reader is very good. However, the characters are like a late night sci fi flick on tv with second rate actors. I'm looking forward to going back to finish the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. I miss Roland, Edie, Jake, and Susanna. There is no one to miss in Daemon.

I think we need the Daemon now..

I have read this wonderful book 3 times over the past year. I enjoy the story line and people with in. I have told my friends about Daemon, and a few have bought it. Their glad they picked up the book. To say I'm crazy about wanting this to happen in real life, but I feel the change would be good. I will read it again soon..

Gotta get the next one! Great oration.

The oration was awesome, I will have to look for more from Suarez. looking forward to Freedom.

So Good!

I have absolutely loved every Daniel Suarez book that I have read. With that being said, this has been my favorite so far!

Great

Great!!! Book is intense and well thought out. The real world becomes a video game.

So glad I stuck with it

What made the experience of listening to Daemon the most enjoyable?

to be honest at 1st I strongly considered returning the book audible within the 1st hour. Wow I'm so glad I stuck with it into a terrific book. At 1st the narrator annoyed me slightly which may have been my problem at 1st. Honestly the narrator grew on me so much so when I finished this book and what I'll call part 2 freedom I downloaded a book narrated by the same narrator just because I enjoyed his performance. The author Daniel did a very good job developing the characters. The good guys, the bad guys. By the end the bad guys, seem like the good guys.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Had to see what happened next

What about Jeff Gurner’s performance did you like?

slow for me at 1st but grew on me to the point were I very much enjoyed it

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

.

Computer Happens

What made the experience of listening to Daemon the most enjoyable?

The story was fast paced and told brilliantly. Plus it was a very new story. What happens when a "pure" autonomous being takes over that doesn't care about you, but cares about the species? That's what Daniel Suarez was throwing in your face. This book set up Freedom nicely.

What did you like best about this story?

Tech heavy and it made the government as dirty as it is.

Which character – as performed by Jeff Gurner – was your favorite?

Honestly I think I enjoyed the computer system the most. It was creepy yet angelic if you can believe that.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I think I killed about 3 hours in one sitting and could have easily put away another couple hours.

Leaves you wanting more...

Slow but creative build-up to a disappointing, abrupt ending. Be prepared to purchase the sequel. I did enjoy the journey into the computer realm and into the minds of each character. The author did a great job crafting the story, making it real and plausible. I thought the narrator did a fantastic job. There is a fairly vulgar chapter early on that some females may not enjoy.

Almost loses a star for the ending

This is just what I look for in an audiobook: fun, fast, a bit silly, and great for a commute. The only thing that isn't over-the-top in the book is the technology; Suarez really knows his stuff. He keeps everything as plausible as could be given a nearly unthinkable premise. If you are a fan of someone like William Gibson, but could stand to listen to something that doesn't take itself quite so seriously, you really should give this a chance. The production is really great as well. The actors do a great job, as well as the engineers. But be warned -- if you like this, you HAVE to listen to the sequel. I haven't felt this sense of longing at an ending since the Sopranos.