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)

Suarez knows how to thrill

Suarez has become one of my favorite authors. When I need something that plays out like a fun, thrilling sci-fi novel, he's tough to beat. Influx delivers in every way.

A futurist's distopian candy store with twists

Suarez has created another plausible future full of dark tech and shining possibilities wrapped in an entertaining story. Enjoyed it even more the second time.

refreshing wonderful marvelous

yes what's a very good book I hope most of you should listen can't wait to see the movie....O. and I have a very big crush on Alexa....lol

Perfect

Great story that never quit. No gruesome violence. Very heartfelt and clever. you must read.

Captivating!

More fantastic storytelling with tech, from Mr. Suarez. Broad thinking, and true to form. Can't wait for his next one!

Engaging But Short

I really wanted more from this story. It seems like there's a great framework here but really not enough time for character development.

Great story and an even better performance.

a great performance by the reader. so many different voices made the story even better.

A great Sci fi

This was my favorite of Suarez’s books so far. It was unique with a great story line and futuristic but believable science. It has the age old story about power and how it corrupts. Extremely well acted and it will be hard to beat when converted to the big screen. With the current level of CGI, we shall just have to see what the future holds.

This is an insanely great book

Thanks for all the super cool totally awesome technology futuristic thinking and wonderful storytelling. I won’t give away any spoilers but there’s a lot of amazing concepts in here that are worthy of Michael Crichtons heir. I have read three of Daniels books in the past six months and love to everyone of them. They’ve changed my own personal writing style which is super awesome so many thanks for that too. I love you man.

Needs to be a movie!!

I really enjoyed this book. The technological aspect and slight sci-fi spin really makes it interesting. Using actual science instead of magical sci-fi plot armor is something I really find makes a Sci-Fi book worth reading.

And Detroit gets destroyed in the book so that's awesome!!