The Fear Index

By: Robert Harris

Narrated by: Christian Rodska

Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

At the nexus of high finance and sophisticated computer programming, a terrifying future may be unfolding even now.

Dr. Alex Hoffmann’s name is carefully guarded from the general public, but within the secretive inner circles of the ultrarich, he is a legend. He has developed a revolutionary form of artificial intelligence that predicts movements in the financial markets with uncanny accuracy. His hedge fund, based in Geneva, makes billions. But one morning before dawn, a sinister intruder breaches the elaborate security of his lakeside mansion, and so begins a waking nightmare of paranoia and violence as Hoffmann attempts, with increasing desperation, to discover who is trying to destroy him.

Fiendishly smart and suspenseful, The Fear Index gives us a searing glimpse into an all-too-recognizable world of greed and panic. It is a novel that forces us to confront the question of what it means to be human—and it is Robert Harris’s most spellbinding and audacious novel to date.

©2012 Robert Harris (P)2012 Random House

Critic reviews

"Unputdownable.... Harris has achieved the impossible, or at least the improbable: an explanation of the extravagantly esoteric nature of hedge funds, which normal people can understand.... I gorged myself, devouring his dystopian vision of free markets enslaved by a sinister artificial intelligence in one breakneck sitting.” ( The Daily Telegraph)

“Reminiscent of everyone from Michael Crichton to Ian Fleming, Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock.” ( Financial Times)

“A virtuoso specimen.... Inventively exploiting current anxieties about algorithmic trading to update the Frankenstein story, The Fear Index is both cutting edge and keenly conscious of its literary predecessors.... A tour de force.” ( The Sunday Times, London)

Fusion of sci fi and action story

Fascinating exploration of the blending of networked computers and artificial intelligence. Thought provoking and well worth the read if you like to consider future outcomes.

Financial Cyber Debacle

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The lack of closure in it's finale.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Most interesting was the initial believability of the plot, which starts out strong then stumbles to its conclusion. Least interesting was the character development, most of which is shallow at best.

What does Christian Rodska bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A very good choice for this particular book, he has a rich sounding voice that is apt for this particular book.

Did The Fear Index inspire you to do anything?

Go back to non fiction for a while!

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed the Fear Index for more than 50% of it but I felt it could have been better. Perhaps I would have liked it more if I had better knowledge of the subject matter, not that it was discussed in great detail.

Familiar plot

Any additional comments?

Plot seemed very predictable - the M5 from Star Trek, HAL from 2001, WAR GAMES, and any number of other stories where artificial intelligence eventually runs amok. Other Robert Harris books that I have read were outstanding but I was underwhelmed with this one. The narration by Christian Rodska was acceptable, although his performance in this was very much inferior to the one he had in Winston Churchill's the Second World War.

interesting concept

I first learned about this book when I heard the author interviewed on NPR. It sounded interesting so I decided to give it a shot. It was really a present day story. The financial services/stock markets environment, which I work in, throw in Charles Darwin and his "Survival of the Fittest" and a dash of Space Odyssey and Hal and you have the making of a god yarn. I enjoyed it and I'll look to see if any other books by this author catch my eye.

Disappointing novel from a talented author

I've loved several of Robert Harris's books and I'm a techie nerd, so I expected to love this book. Disappointing from the first chapter, I hung on, hoping it would get better. It did not. The protagonist is referenced as brilliant and a clear, fast thinker--frustrated because no one around him can keep up with the speed of his mind. You would not know it from the plot. The "culprit" is clear nearly from the start and the ending is completely nonsensical. There wasn't a single character in the novel with whom I connected with as a reader. What did stand out: the narration, descriptions of Geneva, little pieces of CERN history, and a mini-education on hedge funds.

Underdeveloped principal character.

Very unsatisfying ending. Abruptly ended without addressing main character's motivation at the end. Unlikely brilliant main character would have been so easily fooled.

Unsatisfying ending

Seemed author ran out of ideas how to finish story. Borrowed from lawn mower man. Well narrated. .

Worth listening to.

This is worth listening to. I did need to follow it closer than I do some books, but I felt it ws worth the listen. It passed the time well!

Exciting Financial Thriller

Hard to tell you why I liked this so much without being a plot-spoiler. Very well written, perhaps a bit long, but also very well researched. I've done a little corporate finance work in Switzerland on a far lower level that the hedge funds this book describes but the backgrounds, the understanding of financial technology, and the details of expense account life in and around Geneva are dead perfect.

The characters are well rounded for this type of rona-a-clef and the narrator is perfect for the really good writing. You will learn something about derivatives training as well as being intrigued. (At least I did.)

Its ok, but nothing to write home about

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Robert Harris is a great writer and he is talented. The idea behind this book is just not that great...that's pretty much it.

What was most disappointing about Robert Harris’s story?

The story was just weak and really didn't have enough a foundation to carry it along. The fact that he was able to get so much out of a bland premise is a testament to his skill as a writer nonetheless.

Which character – as performed by Christian Rodska – was your favorite?

Both Hoffman and Inspector LeClaire were my favorite characters as performed by Christian Rodska. He was amazing! His unique and diverse voicing for each character really helped to make this somewhat weak story, more tolerable. He gets 5 stars!

Was The Fear Index worth the listening time?

Sure. It was entertaining at some level and not a complete disappointment.