The Kraken Project

Wyman Ford, Book 4

By: Douglas Preston

Narrated by: Scott Sowers

Wyman Ford is back again in The Kraken Project, the thrilling new novel from New York Times best-selling author Douglas Preston.

NASA is building a probe to be splashed down in the Kraken Mare, the largest sea on Saturn’s great moon, Titan. It is one of the most promising habitats for extraterrestrial life in the solar system, but the surface is unpredictable and dangerous, requiring the probe to contain artificial intelligence software. To this end, Melissa Shepherd, a brilliant programmer, has developed "Dorothy", a powerful, self-modifying AI whose true potential is both revolutionary and terrifying. When miscalculations lead to a catastrophe during testing, Dorothy flees into the Internet.

Former CIA agent Wyman Ford is tapped to track down the rogue AI. As Ford and Shepherd search for Dorothy, they realize that her horrific experiences in the wasteland of the Internet have changed her in ways they can barely imagine. And they’re not the only ones looking for the wayward software: The AI is also being pursued by a pair of Wall Street traders, who want to capture her code and turn her into a high-speed trading bot. Traumatized, angry, and relentlessly hunted, Dorothy has an extraordinary revelation - and devises a plan. As the pursuit of Dorothy converges on a deserted house on the coast of Northern California, Ford must face the ultimate question: Is rescuing Dorothy the right thing? Is the AI bent on saving the world…or on wiping out the cancer that is humankind?

©2014 Splendide Mendax, Inc. (P)2014 Macmillan Audio

Great story line.

I really enjoyed the story line in that the AI program was not the villain and did good in the end.

I love Douglas Preston, but this was pretty lame.

I've read or listened to almost every book that Douglas Preston has written. This definitely was one of the worst. The action was good, but the exploration of strong AI, and it's powers and pitfalls was quite thin. Wyman Ford seems rough and tough in other novels, but here it just felt like he was along for the ride. I still give the story a C+.

Unfortunately it was butchered by the narrator. Often, when I start a new audio-book, I don't like the narration at first, but then it grows on me. That was not the case with this book. So many annoying, awkward pauses!

Overall worth the read for Preston/Child fans, but just barely.

Yes! Yes to this whole series

This book is timely and riveting.

It is a good ride into the near future.

Unbelievably good!

Seeing the story from different perspectives keeps you guessing what happens next. Incredible job Douglas Preston!

Not what I expected

This story creates an interestingly AI "frankenstein" exploring the relationship between creator and creation, creation and the world, and what it means to be human. As a Information Technology person, I found the story fascinating in combining imagination with technology, and action with good character development expected of Douglas Preston.

Being an regular reader of Preston and Child's books, the title made think that story would be an adventure with a sea monster. Obviously, I did not read the general sales info before getting the book. Based on the writer, I knew it would be good and was reminded again not to judge a book by its cover.