Influx

By: Daniel Suarez

Narrated by: Jeff Gurner

Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

What if our civilization is more advanced than we know?

The New York Times best-selling author of Daemon - "the cyberthriller against which all others will be measured" (Publishers Weekly) - imagines a world in which decades of technological advances have been suppressed in an effort to prevent disruptive change.

Are smartphones really humanity's most significant innovation since the moon landings? Or can something else explain why the bold visions of the 20th century - fusion power, genetic enhancements, artificial intelligence, cures for common diseases, extended human life, and a host of other world-changing advances - have remained beyond our grasp? Why has the high-tech future that seemed imminent in the 1960s failed to arrive?

Perhaps it did arrive…but only for a select few.

Particle physicist Jon Grady is ecstatic when his team achieves what they've been working toward for years: A device that can reflect gravity. Their research will revolutionize the field of physics - the crowning achievement of a career. Grady expects widespread acclaim for his entire team. The Nobel Prize. Instead, his lab is locked down by a shadowy organization whose mission is to prevent at all costs the social upheaval sudden technological advances bring. This Bureau of Technology Control uses the advanced technologies they have harvested over the decades to fulfill their mission.

They are living in our future.

Presented with the opportunity to join the BTC and improve his own technology in secret, Grady balks, and is instead thrown into a nightmarish high-tech prison built to hold rebellious geniuses like himself. With so many great intellects confined together, can Grady and his fellow prisoners conceive of a way to usher humanity out of its artificial dark age?

And when they do, is it possible to defeat an enemy that wields a technological advantage half a century in the making?

©2014 Daniel Suarez (P)2014 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"You'll hear a lot of reviewers compare Suarez to [Michael] Crichton, including me for his previous book Kill Decision. And Suarez deserved the honor in the truest sense...he had achieved a truly Crichton-level of storytelling. But with Influx, Suarez becomes the master, and Crichton is the one who is honored by the comparison." (Stephen L. Macknik, Scientific American)

"[Influx is] done with the dazzling sophistication, the play of ideas, the hints of a new understanding almost within our grasp that characterize sci-fi in the cybertronic age." (The Wall Street Journal)

“With this terrifying thriller, Suarez provides further support for the proposition that he’s a worthy successor to the late Michael Crichton… Suarez once again mixes science and fiction perfectly.”(Publishers Weekly, starred review)

Gravity (and Anti-Gravity) Always Wins

Would you consider the audio edition of Influx to be better than the print version?

Yes. The production was great, the narrator superb and there were some audio "special effects" that added to my overall enjoyment. Well done.

What other book might you compare Influx to and why?

"Steelheart" by Brandon Sanderson. It is a direct story, with some social commentary. Strong, likeable characters and a mass market style that I enjoy sometimes. I could see his being made into a movie at some point. I view this literary approach as a "beach read" at some level. This is not a criticism. This book was written to be entertaining and Suarez hit the mark.

Have you listened to any of Jeff Gurner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have never listened to him before, but he did a great job. I wouldn't hesitate to listen to him again. Very well done.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not sure its that type of book, though there were some scenes when the lead character is imprisoned that were a bit uncomfortable. Nothing extreme, or salacious and it is needed to set up the remainder of the plot. Parts of the book felt a little bit like YA (Young Adult) to me. This book is written in a fast paced style, where action is more important than emotional impact at some level.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend it. I enjoy reading contemporary Sci Fi and this is a good example of the current genre. It focuses on physics, which I found intriguing to think about (and do a little physics research on the side), so in that way it was thought provoking.

A Must Read SciFi Book!!!

This book was surprisingly good. This is a modern SciFi book with good scientific writing to really explain how these amazing technologies work unlike many other books these days. I couldn’t stop listening to this book once I started it and stayed up way too late listening; it was that good!

Get through the tech

Once you make it past the very technical wording it's an enjoyable book! Great performance!

6-Stars!!!!

Absolutely amazing. Brilliantly written, intense story, with perfect narration.

Enjoyed every moment of this book!

Exciting Story with advanced technologies!

This tale contains explanations of innovative technologies which are in depth and believable. Suarez has a real talent for creating world's based on disruptive tech and throwing his characters into the fray. Really enjoy hearing how it all unfolds.

Great listen with an important message

This book deals with the issues of technological progress, luddism, elitism and personal freedom in one all encompassing story. Enjoy.

Good storyline

Fantasy with just enough plausibility, good narrator look forward to more from both author and narrator

Fantastic Story

Loved it! Great book for you tech people! Looking forward to Daniel Suarez's next book!

good listen

What did you love best about Influx?

interesting ideas

What did you like best about this story?

a little lost in the middle. back and forth for no apparent reason. and over lengthy descriptions of learn new tech.

Which scene was your favorite?

prison AI

Any additional comments?

a must read for scifi fans

Meh. Predictable, sexist. Reader not bad.

Dear Male Writers,
Stop writing narration that assesses the physical attractiveness of Every Female Character at or near the time they are introduced.
Sincerely,
A woman reader who is sick of this shit.

To Readers,
This book was predictable, shallow, and kind of silly. I bought it because I like books with scientist protagonists. I like books where the MC has to solve problems using available info and resources. The MC in this book is supposed to be a genius with a unique way of seeing things, but the problems he encountered were mostly solved for him by other characters, and mostly off screen. Very disappointing.