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Nexus (Nexus #1)

by Ramez Naam (Goodreads Author)

4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 · rating details · 711 ratings · 146 reviews

Mankind gets an upgrade

In the near future, the experimental nano-drug Nexus can link humans together, mind to mind. There are some who want to improve it. There are some who want to eradicate it. And there are others who just want to exploit it.

When a young scientist is caught improving Nexus, he’s thrust over his head into a world of danger and international espionage – f...more

ebook, 460 pages

Published December 18th 2012 by Angry Robot

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Dec 10, 2012 Frishawn Rasheed rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-2012, best-of-2012-list-pick, favorites, net-galley, how-thrilling

Kade Lane has improved the Nexus technology. He is fully aware that this technology can change the world overnight. He is also becoming aware that the tech that he has created could cost him his life.
This is the first techno-thriller that I have ever come across in the New Adult drama. The main players in this book are Kade and his friends, who are effectually the next great minds in nanotech.

The thing that makes this book such an easy read is the fact that though Kade and his friends are very i...more Kade Lane has improved the Nexus technology. He is fully aware that this technology can change the world overnight. He is also becoming aware that the tech that he has created could cost him his life.
This is the first techno-thriller that I have ever come across in the New Adult drama. The main players in this book are Kade and his friends, who are effectually the next great minds in nanotech.

The thing that makes this book such an easy read is the fact that though Kade and his friends are very intelligent; they approach this new technology with very naive and altruistic ideals. (Cue the creepy spy music, there are people watching.)
Readers are clued into the "eyes" that are following Kade and his friends long before they make themselves plain to the group, which makes readers both curious as to what will happen and protective of the obvious "sitting ducks".
Things just go from bad to worse for Kade after he and his friends become aware of the war that is being fought for control of Nexus 5 between the US government and secret agencies and factions as far away as Shanghai.

One is never quite sure who the good guys are in this and the web of intrigue, lies, secrets and tech just gets more complex as the story goes on.
The writing style is one that very precise; providing you with a very clear snapshot of happenings without unnecessary explanation. This writing style is perfect for the nonstop action and minute to minute plot twists found here.

This book is the perfect blend of "The Matrix" and "War Games" without the flying.This subject matter and questions raised within this story are far more than just entertainment. With technology advancing as such a face pace; the fact is that we as a people are not far from tech like this being a reality.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever sat in from of the glow of their computer screen and wondered "what if"...

This is an unsolicited and honest review.

This review can be found here: http://www.wtfareyoureading.com/2012/...
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Dec 18, 2012 Stuti rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, reviews

This review also appears on my blogAt the End of the Story

It is just so awfully frightening when you happen to realize how closely you can link Science-Fiction and Fantasy. Just exactly how similar they are. The comprehension of this struck me when I was in the shower, taking a much-needed break from Nexus. I managed to link the following before my brain shut down in discord with this new revelation, on the basis of heresy and blasphemy:

Mind Control using Nexus:Vampiric Compulsion
Mind Read:Edwar...more

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Nov 18, 2012 sj rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: egalley, end-of-the-world-challenge, the-motherfucking-future

Originally posted here. 2.75/5 stars on the review rubric, rounding up.

Bluh. I feel like I shouldn't even be calling this a review, because I'm not sure it'll end up being one.

I was way into the idea of this book very early on because of that oh-so-very-intriguing tagline.

Mankind gets an upgrade

I mean...right? Yeah, that totally sounds like my kind of thing, y'know?

AND THE COVER! [swoon] Seriously, that's an amazing cover and contributed to my whole sense of "ZOMG MUST READ THIS NAO!"

The titular...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Ross rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You can find the full review here: http://www.trashmutant.com/book-revie...

Ramez Naam, professional technologist, released his debut Sci-Fi novel, Nexus, this month, published by Angry Robot. Is "Nexus" a masterpiece? Or is it just another book in the seemingly endless stream of mediocre Sci-Fi novels?

Nexus follows Kade Lane, some sort of geeky scientist drug dealer, and his friends as they’re thrown from their fun life of testing the drug “Nexus,” into a worldwide war being waged to gain power...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Boris Limpopo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Naam, Ramez (2013). Nexus. Nottingham: Angry Robots. 2013. ISBN 9780857662927. Pagine 460. 5,47 €

Stiamo parlando di un romanzo di fantascienza, ambientato in un futuro abbastanza prossimo. Ma Ramez Naam non è uno scrittore di fantascienza. O meglio, scrivere di fantascienza non è il suo mestiere primario. Wikipedia lo qualifica come “professional technologist”.

Sul suo sito, Ramez Naam si presenta così:

Ramez Naam is an H.G. Wells Award-winning speaker, writer, and futurist on the impact of the r...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Pete Welter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read Nexus and Kill Decision back to back. Given my non-fiction reading binge, completing two works of fiction is that actually notable for me. Because of their commonalities, I'll review them both at once.

Nexus takes place about 20 years in the future, when the continuing march of technology has made possible a wide array of human modifications. Part of the focuses on what being human is at it's core, as opposed to post-human. The story also projects our the rather contemporary issues of fear...more I read Nexus and Kill Decision back to back. Given my non-fiction reading binge, completing two works of fiction is that actually notable for me. Because of their commonalities, I'll review them both at once.

Nexus takes place about 20 years in the future, when the continuing march of technology has made possible a wide array of human modifications. Part of the focuses on what being human is at it's core, as opposed to post-human. The story also projects our the rather contemporary issues of fear of unknown technologies and our government's increasing tendency erase the lines of our civil liberties. Because the field of human modification is part of the author's research interests, his descriptions of what's possible ring true.

The plot of Kill Decision revolves around another contemporary technology issue, that of drone warfare. In this book, remote controlled and autonomous drones begin a series of mysterious attacks on various targets. Given that Daniel Suarez works in software development for defense industries (and from my personal knowledge of the topic), although this story takes place only a few years in the future, the capabilities are well within the window of what will be possible technically. The story also integrates the concept of swarm intelligence and emergent behavior, which are important examples of complex systems.

I found it intriguing that both books see government much more as a threat than a positive force, and not in a "conspiracy theory" sort of way either. The government is more of an inexorable force, with small number of highly secretive people controlling much of the levers of power. Both books also really focus on the positive vs. the negatives of new technology, Nexus a bit more explicitly. As Kevin Kelly talks about in What Technology Wants, technologies dating back to fire, writing and the printing press have been double-edged, and opposed by many, but that most technology on balance makes life better, especially as we understand it and put cultural, moral and legal boundaries around it. Both with drones and body modifications these books will force you to think more about these issues because they push technology to places where - no matter how comfortable we are with today's tech - we will have some questions about how much is too much.

For that reason alone, I can recommend both of these books. That they are also well-written, fast-paced stories makes them excellent reads and the kind of books that you want to finish in a hurry.(less)

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Mar 27, 2013 Dave rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In a few decades, an ingestable nano material called Nexus can settle in the brain and both read neuronal firing and actuate it.

The material has 'nodes' with short-range wireless capability, allowing them to 1) communicate with each other... and, 2) if you're close enough, communicate with Nexus in other people.

In the second case, it allows you experience what other people are thinking and feeling and even communicate with them. Trippy.

In the first case, it let some smart young hacker/neuroscien...more In a few decades, an ingestable nano material called Nexus can settle in the brain and both read neuronal firing and actuate it.

The material has 'nodes' with short-range wireless capability, allowing them to 1) communicate with each other... and, 2) if you're close enough, communicate with Nexus in other people.

In the second case, it allows you experience what other people are thinking and feeling and even communicate with them. Trippy.

In the first case, it let some smart young hacker/neuroscience students to write an operating system on top of Nexus, letting them more deeply control themselves.

Of course, this is all illegal due to societal fear of trans- and post-humanism. Group minds, slavery, and super intelligent overlords, oh my!

So Kade, one of the Nexus OS creators, gets caught and used by the government to work against a top researcher overseas suspected of not only illegal research in trans-humanism but violent geopolitical acts. The plot essentially follows his series of moral quandaries as he's caught between the violence and fear of the government and the violence and righteous rage of post-humanists. Can he stay neutral? Is peace possible?

At his side is an enhanced government agent tasked with protecting him, who hates the negative consequences of his work and is scared by the transcendent pleasure of deeply understanding other people.

There is lots of "spy stuff" and it basically turns into an action novel at times, including lots of fights, military weapons, and explosions. At the same time there is a strong Buddhist theme, with most of the plot happening in Thailand among monks who have a unique perspective on the moral and practical uses of technology like Kade's.

Overall, it is a page-turner so it gets a 4. However, it often feels like the author (an ex-Microsoft exec) is using the exciting plot as a thin veil over a fairly explicit and self-conscious discussion of moral questions related to technology. Sometimes dialog and internal monologue even asked these questions outright and listed the pros and cons. His previous non-fiction work on these topics was peeking out from between the lines.

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Mar 24, 2013 Ama rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club

I got this book on a lark. Someone on G+ recommended it and having gone on an extensive fantasy bender over the past few months, I was ready for some sci-fi. This book was a fun way to explore some established sci-fi themes: life extension, body modification, intelligence amplification, cloning and the overall moral and ethical implications of developing the technology to make all of this happen.

Though the book was set in a couple of decades into the future, it wasn't that apparent to me by the...more

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Mar 19, 2013 A.R. Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is great intellectual sci-fi, with sex and action enhancements, but if they turn it into a movie they will probably lose the best parts. It is based on very current state-of-the-art neuroscience such as research in mind controlled prosthetics, cochlear implants, and vision restoration. Mix that with the mapping of the functions of the brain, drug culture, and nanotechnology and you have the sci-fi. But there are political and philosophical concepts here as well that are worth thinking about...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Tim Nowotny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After reading a lot of really bad SciFi in the past time (I look at you 2312 and Existence) I really had no high hopes with this book. I even thought about moving away from the genre as a whole.
This book gave me my hope back.
The plot is engaging and simply well crafted and the characters are sufficiently deep. I liked the whole talk about society and what the drug can do to it. At last, I was really surprised when the ending had a few surprises left for me.
Two things brought this book a little...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Nic Brisbourne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nexus is a very enjoyable sci-fi adventure, but more importantly it is an investigation of the potential of the potential of mind and body altering technologies and associated ethical questions.

Ramez pictures a world in which humans have the potential to have brains as powerful as super computers with full web access and to be networked to other similarly powerful minds. He holds out that the ensuing collective consciousness might take the human condition to another level, much as speaking has r...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-and-scifi

No spoilers here. No need to ruin the experience of others in discovering this enjoyable nugget of entertainment!

As a published author (twice!) of non-fiction, and a still aspiring fiction writer, there is nothing wrong with this book (except for a coupla typos!). And there is a lot right.

I am an admitted scifi aficionado. As a former physicist and engineer, I blanche when I read scifi with gigantic holes in logic and inconsistencies in the world framework spun by the authors. Naam has done an e...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Whatisthehumanspirit rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nexus is awesome, near-future sci-fi action that brings decadent artists, geek heroes, augmented soldiers, and angry governments into one, sprawling fray. It's dark but not dystopian, brutal in places but unabashedly optimistic as well, reminding me of Iain Banks.

The central sci-fi concept is an imaginative synthesis of nanotechnology and brain-computer interfaces, but the real beauty is in the uses envisioned for the "drug". The protagonist inventors' aim to enable a future in which humans are...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Kira Franz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Full disclosure: I was an early reader for Ramez Naam. I'll try not to gush. I will likely fail.

The very first time I read a draft of the first chapter of Nexus, I knew it was going to be something special. It was chock full of intriguing ideas that streamed out with the velocity of a Zodiac zipping through a Neal Stephenson novel, and Ramez combined those great ideas with a wicked sense of humor, non-stop cinematic action, and characters you really cared about. How often do you come across suc...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Molly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Deliciously edgy. Hauntingly dark. A rip-roaring roller-coaster of a ride where no one is safe, and no one wins.

I'm not a traditional science fiction fan, but Naam's first novel held me spellbound from the first chapter, eliciting a flurry of ooohs, aahs, grimaces, tears, and sleepless hours along the way. Naam is a lively story teller who creates a richly textured but gloriously flawed world that is dishearteningly similar to our own. He gives life to a memorable cast of characters who are ski...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was lucky enough to be an advance reader of Ramez Naam's first sci-fi novel Nexus -a tightly plotted debut that manages to be cerebral candy at the same time it is as action-packed as any spy thriller. I promise you are in for a treat.

Nexus takes on the question of what happens in the near future when some young scientists come up with the ultimate nanotech drug - Nexus - a drug that allows people not only to read each other's thoughts and feelings, but reprogram themselves from the inside out...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Miller Sherling rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After his nonfiction debut with _More Than Human_, an eminently readable book about ways that humans have already enhanced--and will soon be able to further enhance--ourselves, I knew that Naam could synthesize his vision and research into a compelling read. It never occurred to me that a he could also produce compelling fiction. _Nexus_ is packed with vivid, sympathetic, and believable characters populating a not-too-distant and entirely plausible future, in a way that raises important ethical...more

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Dec 14, 2012 OpenBookSociety.com rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Sammy

*Beware of possible spoilers*

Synopsis:

Mankind gets an upgrade.

In the near future, the experimental nano-drug Nexus can link humans together, mind to mind. There are some who want to improve it. There are some who want to eradicate it. And there are others who just want to exploit it.

When a young scientist is caught improving Nexus, he’s thrust over his head into a world of danger and international espionage – for there is far more at stake than anyone realizes...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read2012, netgalley, ebooks, sci-fi-fantasy, techie

While this is Ramez Naam's first novel, he is known for his non-fiction such as More Than Human: Embracing the Promise of Biological Enhancement, where he argues that one day we will view genetic modification and other advances as everyday. So it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that this is a rare novel viewing near-future technologies without the usual lens of fear and dystopia.

Instead of science being the enemy, those who would hold it back or use it for evil are the enemy. It does get a bi...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Mikel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Science fiction is filled with brain bending concepts, and is a fantastic template for looking at where humans are going, as well as how we got there. One of the joys of reading science fiction is how easily authors can use its form to spur discussion on a whole variety of interesting topics. But, like any template, it can be used effectively, or it can fall short, particularly if the balance between story and philosophy are out of whack.

Nexus, the first novel from Ramez Naam, is unfortunately o...more Science fiction is filled with brain bending concepts, and is a fantastic template for looking at where humans are going, as well as how we got there. One of the joys of reading science fiction is how easily authors can use its form to spur discussion on a whole variety of interesting topics. But, like any template, it can be used effectively, or it can fall short, particularly if the balance between story and philosophy are out of whack.

Nexus, the first novel from Ramez Naam, is unfortunately off balance. In the future Naam envisions, a new drug has been developed to upgrade the human brain. Now, those who use this drug are wired together much the same way a computer is wired into a network, or even the web. Users can access other people's knowledge and skills instantaneously. The concept is an excellent Sci-Fi idea, and it's bolstered by Naam's own reporting and research in the ways technology is allowing humans to upgrade themselves. He has a fascinating book on the subject, More Than Human, which was a fascinating look at biological enhancement and how that field is developing. It makes sense, then, that he would want to further explore the advantages and traps of how we use science to speed up our evolution.

Unfortunately, Naam is less successful as a storyteller than he is as a futurist. Not content to explore just the ethical and moral implications of Nexus, the drug that allows humans to network their minds, he brings in a government conspiracy plot to drive the action. He also presents portions of the story as "briefings," which felt at times like info dumps. The science at the center of this story is knotty enough, he could have teased out the various threads of how this could be a benefit for society, as well as how it could be misused, for pages. Some sites have listed this as the first of a series, and I would be curious to see more of how Nexus affects and influences society, without the conventional action thriller frame.

Overall, I did enjoy reading Nexus, Naam's a crisp, efficient writer and his characters are certainly interesting, I just felt there was more that could be done here. When I saw the synopsis of this book, and saw the concept, I saw the potential here for Naam to create something more in the vein of what Asimov did with robots (which is not to say I expected this book to become iconic out of the gate, that wouldn't be a fair way to approach it). Setting aside those expectations, Nexus is a quick, entertaining book, but really should have been deeper than it turned out to be. (less)

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Feb 06, 2013 Jaime rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

The next time someone asks me what book I would most like to see turned into a movie, I will quickly reply, "Nexus!".

Part Matrix and part Bourne Identity, Nexus is an action-packed read with an incredible depth of human thought and emotion. As much as I enjoyed the shoot outs, rampant and destructive explosions, and the bone jarring fist fights, I enjoyed more the evolving discussion about humanism, connected society, and the questions a future filled with transhumans and posthumans creates. The...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Dan York rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this exploration of a future that could in fact be closer than we think. I found the ideas plausible enough, and I enjoyed the action/thriller aspects of the book. For those interested in technology, networks, neuroscience and nanotechnology, you'll probably find this a good read.

Really my one major criticism of the book is the final "briefing" at the very end of the book where the author has one of the characters essentially preach about the main messages that were...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Amira Makansi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The tagline for NEXUS is, "Mankind Gets An Upgrade", but frankly, I don't think that does this book justice. Lots of books are about "upgrading" humans, whether through genetic modifications, android additions, or drugs (as is Nexus). The tagline is technically correct: the basic premise of NEXUS is that a drug of the same name has the potential to link human minds together in a kind of Internet-like connectivity. But the idea of "upgrading" mankind is much more subtle in Naam's narrative. Rathe...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Bryan Cacciatore rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nexus is a book that challenges the lines between good and evil. A drug that lets people share their minds with others is on the market, but has been outlawed. A small group of people figure out how to take it and go even further with the drug to make it more permanent. This can lead to furthering humanity or turning people into slaves...all depends on who gets their hands on it.

While it was a slow read, that was definitely not due to the lack of action or twists. There was some predictability,...more

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Feb 23, 2013 ambimb rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ok, I was a little harsh on this book in my updates. It turns out better than expected and I ended up liking how its imagined Emergent Risks Directorate (ERD) parallels our own Dept. of Homeland security and all of the myriad offices and agencies and known and unknown governmental agencies that exist and thrive on paranoia and fear and which flout our laws and constitution and for which our government seems to constantly make exceptions so that theses projects can continue to grow, gain more pow...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Geo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scanned, reviewed

I dug this one. Picked it up on a whim on the last trip to the bookstore, and wasn't disappointed. I also learned a little bit about myself (and what I like in characters and books) during the process of reading this.

I'm going to list the negatives about this book first, since that list isn't too long, and it puts the positives in context. This is a first offering from a new (fiction) author, and it is, I would say, reasonably obvious as you read from the languages constructs, pattern and flow o...more I dug this one. Picked it up on a whim on the last trip to the bookstore, and wasn't disappointed. I also learned a little bit about myself (and what I like in characters and books) during the process of reading this.

I'm going to list the negatives about this book first, since that list isn't too long, and it puts the positives in context. This is a first offering from a new (fiction) author, and it is, I would say, reasonably obvious as you read from the languages constructs, pattern and flow of things. I don't really consider this a negative *per se*, because I actually think that it speaks more to the POTENTIAL of the author down the road more than the value of the current work. In this case, even for a first offering, its really darn good. That can only bode for lots more awesomesauce in the future.

Whether or not that is causal or not, it does mark some things other readers may find jarring or difficult. In general though, it didn't really "harm" my reading experience, nor make it terribly difficult to find the good things that I'll get into in a moment. A couple peripheral characters could have had more detail. Some stilted dialog and parts that were a bit predictable. There were a couple places were the pace felt inconsistent (too slow, mostly).

Probably my only *real* complaint is that the book is set a few decades into the future, with some technology sufficiently advanced in that direction WITHOUT really advancing the rest of society. It felt like today, with more gadgets. But what about the societal impact those gadgets and tech would have had? Not evident. I realize, that is VERY speculative. And quite honestly, you can go nearly *anywhere* with that concept. It can be big changes, or little. But it really felt like there wasn't much consideration for it at all. Maybe the one core tenet of an additional gov't agency (I won't reveal anything, don't worry) was the one area where some attention was paid to that. But given the scale and scope of changes proposed, I would have expected quite a bit more.

Ok, on to the good. The concept/premise of the book is just awesome. In the epilogue, the author goes into some amount of detail about how far away from some of those speculations we are. And I believe him. NOT far. The author IS a technologist, and can speak with no small amount of authority about some or even many of these topics. And that kind of speculation will always grab my attention.

Characters felt real, development was good. Progression and pace were generally spot on. The slow spots I mentioned above were all areas where combat situations were described, and the level of detail was admirable. Yeah, sure... the level of detail hyped up the "gore" level a bit, but I'm an adult, not squeamish, and that stuff doesn't bug me to read about. I was able to translate what was happening in words on the page very easily into very well defined pictures of complex interactions between the actors involved. And that, my friends, is no small task.

What did I learn about myself? I'm a sucker for characters with traumatic pasts. There are several in this book, and details were not spared. It humanizes things in a way that makes me feel a real emotional tie to the struggles of the characters. The language and descriptions may be somewhat contrived, but the emotional impact is not lost on me at all. And that is a large part of why I read books. I *want* that escape into someone else's world. I *want* to feel emotions about things I may not otherwise ever experience. I *want* to see things through someone else's eyes, with a vastly different background than my own. That mission was accomplished, no question.

The second thing on the list is that I can forgive an awful lot of mediocre/raw writing if the themes involved are really compelling to me. I get so caught up in the ideas the story presents that I can really easily forget or forgive the linguistic faux pas' (speaking of, how exactly does one pluralize faux pas?). Stories about cool tech. Stories about geeks. Stories about progressive, forward thinking, Buddhist hyperintelligent programmer geeks who develop cool tech and have awesome social agendas and tortured pasts? *drool*

So write on, Mr. Naam! I will be looking forward to your future work.

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Mar 14, 2013 Jill Bonham rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Contains mild spoilers. Fascinating book. I didn't like how it started--almost kept me from continuing on but I'm glad I did. Looking back, I felt like the opening scene cheapened what turned out to be a very interesting read. Being a pharmacist, I found the idea of taking a drug with such results to be really neat idea. All the moral and social implications are very insightful as well. I did have trouble keeping track of all the people and names, and I hated how so many people died at the end-I...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Jenae Ramos rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, mind-blown, chick-lit, should-be-a-movie

Hardcore fans of the dystopian genre, READ THIS BOOK. (You'll thank me later.)

Seriously, I truly hope that this book will turn into a movie (but only if Naam will be an executive producer).

First, I loved how the book intrigued me. I liked thinking about the possibilities of linking humans' minds together, of human evolution through nanotechnology, and of the politics involved. I like to think that I've read a good number of dystopian novels, not all but many, and this was different and refresh...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Rickb rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read books. Constantly. I rarely take the time to write about them. This one deserves it.

You may not have heard of this guy, Ramez Naam.

You will.

Take Neal Stephenson's ability to spin a yarn able to keep the reader spellbound, anxious to turn the page, horrified at the very idea of putting it down...then strip away Stephenson's need to add in so very much unnecessary verbosity.

You get Ramez Naam.

This book will suck you in from the beginning and won't let go of you until you are wrung out, ti...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Kahlil rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nexus is the best kind of speculative sci-fi exploring the impact of nano drugs both on the intensely personal level of the individual and on humankind and culture at large. The story isn't shy about having such a broad scope and the writing and characters consistently deliver on it.

Both the action and the science are tightly crafted and come at you in a fast paced style befitting the augmentations powering the soldiers, scientists, and bureaucrats we follow in Naam's near future world. The sett...more

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About Ramez Naam

Ramez Naam was born in Cairo, Egypt, and came to the US at the age of 3. He's a computer scientist who spent 13 years at Microsoft, leading teams working on email, web browsing, search, and artificial intelligence. He holds almost 20 patents in those areas.

Ramez is the winner of the 2005 H.G. Wells Award for his non-fiction book More Than Human: Embracing the Promise of Biological Enhancement. He'...more

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Books by Ramez Naam

More Than Human: Embracing the Promise of Biological Enhancement

The Infinite Resource: The Power of Ideas on a Finite Planet

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Quotes from Nexus

“We think of ourselves as individuals, but all that we have accomplished, and all that we will accomplish, is the result of groups of humans cooperating. Those groups are organisms in their own rights.” — 1 person liked it

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