Interface

By: Neal Stephenson, J. Frederick George

Narrated by: Oliver Wyman

Length: 25 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

From his triumphant debut with Snow Crash to the stunning success of his latest novel, Quicksilver, Neal Stephenson has quickly become the voice of a generation.

In this now-classic thriller, he and fellow author J. Frederick George tell a shocking tale with an all-too plausible premise. There's no way William A. Cozzano can lose the upcoming presidential election. He's a likable midwestern governor with one insidious advantage - an advantage provided by a shadowy group of backers. A biochip implanted in his head hardwires him to a computerized polling system. The mood of the electorate is channeled directly into his brain. Forget issues. Forget policy. Cozzano is more than the perfect candidate. He's a special effect.

©2005 Neal Stephenson & J. Frederick George (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Nominee - Best Thriller/Suspense Audiobook, 2011

"As he deftly conveys the authors' chilling dramatization of the national political process, Wyman's voice sounds fresh and contemporary but seasoned with enough maturity to render him a believable newscaster. The authors' and narrator's storytelling skills mesh perfectly in a thriller of the sort that keeps one sitting in the driveway long after arriving home." ( AudioFile)

Long, convoluted plot

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had quite a number of characters and agendas. The author did a great job of reminding me of each character when I hadn't heard about him/her in awhile. The story became more compelling as it progressed. I would even use the word "amazing"to describe my feeling about how Stephenson managed to funnel all these players into one big story.

A bit to real

The authors nailed the last campaign and presented an interesting alternative way it could have gone. A little scary even. I enjoyed the story but it seemed like it was written in the 90's, given the technology level presented, but then dusted off and updated for the current political climate. Regardless, it worked pretty well.
Can't say enough for the narrator. There are a lot of diverse characters in this story, gender, race, class, nationalities, etc.. He manages to bring them all to life and keep the story moving.

Compelling and non-stop

The authors explore the logic of big ideas and what happens when they run into the real world is bot entertaining and informative. It’s a cautionary tale and a fun listen.

Audible, please do your research

Please note, this is not a full review!!! I am a Neal Stephenson fan, and I just began listening to this book this morning on the way to work. I don't believe the issue I'm writing about will ruin the book for me, but it is a pretty annoying failure on the part of Audible, the producer of the audible version of this book.

To the point, the initial character, Cozzano, is from a place in Central Illinois named Tuscola. I grew up in Central Illinois, and know of what I speak.

In the Audible production, narrator Oliver Wyman pronounces "Tuscola" as "TOOS - ca - la". The proper pronunciation is "tuss - KO - la" (with a long oh sound).

In preparing for this production, all it would have taken is a quick call to the Tuscola, IL city hall to ensure that the audio experience was satisfying. As an audio experience, this mispronunciation makes me cringe a little each time I hear it. Audible, please do your research before releasing an audio book.

As I said, this small issue will not prevent me from continuing to read the book, but it is an example of sloppy production. Otherwise, Mr. Wyman has, so far, done a wonderful job narrating, and do not necessarily hold this issue against him (unless, of course, it was his responsibility to ensure proper pronunciations). Wyman's voice is easily listened to and understandable, enhancing the audio experience thus far.

I am excited to continue listening to this book, and once completed, I promise to write a proper review.

wonderful!

I loved the story and plot twists. Neal is a genius! His depth makes the story 100x more fascinating.

Not his best, but still really good.

i have liked everything i have ever read by Neal Stephenson so i thought I would try some of his earlier works. I was not disappointed. While this isn't his best it is still really good.

Superlative Listening Experience

Any additional comments?

Initially this book appeared to go into an inordinate level of detail over what appeared, at first blush, to be the merely trivial and unimportant. Thus the movement of the storyline appeared almost frustratingly slow. Then, as I adjusted to its pace I began to realise that the author was providing this detail for very clever reasons as he slowly unfurled what was to become and immensely complex, rich and rewarding tale. In the end, it was an exquisitely well-crafted and absorbing book and I could not speak highly enough of the narrator. He narrated the background story line beautifully and, almost as importantly, delivered magnificent characterisations, moving effortlessly between the voices of the very different characters as be bought them all to life. A very enjoyable work from masters of their crafts.

Brilliant!

I love Neal Stephenson and this may be his best book I have listened to.
It is not be so convoluted like Cryptonomicon and Baroque trilogy (loved all of these tremendously) and may have some parallels with the Diamond age.
For me this is the essence of all I love about N.Stephenson's books

Great timing, ballanced ... Great!

Meh.

It was alright, but it was much too long for a payoff that left a lot to be desired.

I enjoyed this story

Technology, politics, shadowy historic organizations, mind control, murder, intrigue. Solid plot and premise that never gets old. The question is always how sneaky they’re going to be about it.