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Digital Fortress

by Dan Brown

3.34 · rating details · 73,291 ratings · 3,103 reviews

When the NSA's invincible code-breaking machine encounters a mysterious code it cannot break, the agency calls its head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, a brilliant, beautiful mathematician. What she uncovers sends shock waves through the corridors of power. The NSA is being held hostage--not by guns or bombs -- but by a code so complex that if released would cripple ...more

Mass Market Paperback, 525 pages

Published November 4th 2008 by St. Martin's Press (first published January 1st 1998)

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Dec 18, 2007

Seizure Romero rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: zzzzznrk, shite, fiction

There's a reason why everyone talks about The DaVinci Code and not about this book. I have no idea what that reason would be, because I thought Angels & Demons was mediocre so I never bothered to read the The DaVinci Code. Anyway, I was bored and a copy of this was sitting at the library for a quarter and I thought "WTF, mate, I'll give it a go."

The first page of chapter 1 starts with Susan Fletcher waking from a romantic dream to the ringing of the telephone:

"...moreThere's a reason why everyone talks about The DaVinci Code and not about this book. I have no idea what that reason would be, because I thought Angels & Demons was mediocre so I never bothered to read the The DaVinci Code. Anyway, I was bored and a copy of this was sitting at the library for a quarter and I thought "WTF, mate, I'll give it a go."

The first page of chapter 1 starts with Susan Fletcher waking from a romantic dream to the ringing of the telephone:

"Susan, it's David. Did I wake you?"
She smiled, rolling over in bed. "I was just dreaming of you. Come over and play."
He laughed. "It's still dark out."
"Mmm." She moaned sensuously. "Then definitely come over and play. We can sleep in before we head north."

That is not a transcription typo, or the manifestation of my unfocused rage. It really does read '"Mmm." She moaned sensuously.' Please feel free to vomit if you need to; I'll wait.

David then proceeds to postpone their plans to celebrate their six-month engagement due to something hush-hush, like maybe his being a big homo. C'mon, what sort of man is going to pass up some sweet, sweet lovin' before disappearing on a mystery mission? The kind who likes other men, that's what kind. A handful of pages later, it becomes clear that Dan Brown has read too many Clive Cussler novels as we're treated to a description of David Becker:

"Becker was dark--a rugged, youthful thirty-five with sharp green eyes and a wit to match. His strong jaw and taut features reminded Susan of carved marble. Over six feet tall, Becker moved across a squash court faster than any of his colleagues could comprehend. After soundly beating his opponent, he would cool off by dousing his head in a drinking fountain and soaking his tuft of thick, black hair. Then, still dripping, he'd treat his opponent to a fruit shake and a bagel."

Is it just me or does this read like Dan Brown was typing this with one hand? Why does Mr. Stud have the same initials as the author? Why would anyone want a sharp green wit? And is 'fruit shake' some sort of code for gay sex? Is that why he is still dripping?

So then, after all this ran through my immature little mind, I remembered I had other books to read--books that didn't suck horrifically within the first ten pages. Yay for other books!

Oh, and I sold it to a used book shop for a dollar, so it was worth the quarter. Yay for used book shops!(less)

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Oct 12, 2007

Lydia rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: partiallyread, partially-read

When I first read the DaVinci Code a couple of years back, I admit that it wasn't all that bad (at least for the first two-thirds or so), but in light of its content I found it significantly overrated... Upon reading this book, however, I am outright insulted that this man's success is inspiring documentaries on the History Channel...

I had the unfortunate luck to inherit this along with a box of other (and thankfully much more redeeming) books when a good friend of mine was leaving J...moreWhen I first read the DaVinci Code a couple of years back, I admit that it wasn't all that bad (at least for the first two-thirds or so), but in light of its content I found it significantly overrated... Upon reading this book, however, I am outright insulted that this man's success is inspiring documentaries on the History Channel...

I had the unfortunate luck to inherit this along with a box of other (and thankfully much more redeeming) books when a good friend of mine was leaving Japan. After getting about ten pages into it, I found myself almost in tears laughing at the downright, blatant lack of knowledge that Dan Brown has regarding central themes to his novel, namely languages, national intelligence, and... intelligence in the traditional sense. Brown's affected knowledge of, well, /anything/ in this so-called book is almost as equal in transparency as is the pretentious description of the lead male character:

"David Becker. The only man she’d ever loved. The youngest full professor at Georgetown University and a brilliant foreign-language specialist, he was practically a celebrity in the world of academia. Born with an eidetic memory and a love of languages, he’d mastered six Asian dialects as well as Spanish, French, and Italian."

Wow, Dan Brown outdoes himself. Not only has he managed to create an over-the-top Professor Superman in tennis shorts (complete with a sexy uber-genius side-chick to fawn over him), Brown has also successfully condensed all the languages of an entire continent into one, vast, super language called Asian, of which said Professor can speak... six dialects!

"His university lectures on etymology and linguistics were standing-room only, and he invariably stayed late to answer a barrage of questions. He spoke with authority and enthusiasm, apparently oblivious to the adoring gazes of his star-struck coeds. Becker was dark—a rugged, youthful thirty-five with sharp green eyes and a wit to match. His strong jaw and taut features reminded Susan of carved marble. Over six feet tall, Becker moved across a squash court faster than..."

Puke. I rate this book a one, despite not even having had the will to get through the first quarter of it, as my brain was threatening to stuff itself down my throat and asphyxiate me if I continued to subject it to such garbage.

And before you get all indignant on me, know this: Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be put out of my way to knock a book so hard. I would simply toss it aside like all the other trash pulp fiction out there in the airport bookstores and never think of it again. But yet, America, you are snatching up millions of copies of this man's books, singing his praises, and casting A-list stars in big-screen productions of his non-original, factually inaccurate trash. Please, stop it. You're scaring me.(less)

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Jul 25, 2008

Hendrata rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: nobody

I learned that Dan Brown is a bad writer and I will never read any of his other books. I also am upset at my friend for recommending me this book.
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In short, the book is a bad novel, and a very bad novel if you know anything about math / cryptography.
Not only the technical errors were appalling, but the writing style itself is mediocre.

WARNING: spoiler here.

There is a scene where the heads of NSA along with some of the smartest people on Earth were try

...more

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Sep 28, 2007

Lissa rated it

· review of another edition

Oh Dan Brown, how I love to hate you. It seems a universal truth that when you have run out of all of the books to read that you’ve brought with you, it is impossible to find decent reading material wherever you are. In my case, I ran out of book in Ethiopia. And, unlike Tanzania and Nairobi, I was unable to find any reasonable English language bookstore. I suppose this is because unlike Tanzania and Nairobi, English is not an official language of the country. As I don’t read, nor speak, Ahmraic...moreOh Dan Brown, how I love to hate you. It seems a universal truth that when you have run out of all of the books to read that you’ve brought with you, it is impossible to find decent reading material wherever you are. In my case, I ran out of book in Ethiopia. And, unlike Tanzania and Nairobi, I was unable to find any reasonable English language bookstore. I suppose this is because unlike Tanzania and Nairobi, English is not an official language of the country. As I don’t read, nor speak, Ahmraic, I was stuck with the selection of books found at the Hilton and Sheraton Hotels.

The situation was dire, I tell you. DIRE. My choices included a fine selection of literature aimed at the people here working with developmental organizations. There are also the requisite Ethiopia picture books to be toted home as souvenirs, and some dry travel writing about exploring the Blue Nile. Please note that I actually greatly enjoy the travel writing genre, so for me to say that it is dry, it is very very dry. There were also multiple copies of Rich Dad, Poor Dad and several books on how to trap a man. In the novel category, there were simply rack upon rack of Dan Brown books (plus one battered copy of Black Beauty – not sure where that came from …).

Shamefully, I’ve actually read most of his books. I read Angels and Demons because someone recommended it to me. Though I found his writing to be extraordinarily poor, I found the story to be engaging enough to overlook that fact. I didn’t guess the ending, and it posited some fascinating ideas about history. I read The DaVinici Code because everyone was reading it and because I liked Angels and Demons. The DaVinici Code was written equally poorly, but I noticed a lot of similarities in the plots of the two novels. But it was still an entertaining read so I figured I’d forgive it. Then, on my way to Costa Rica, I realized that I didn’t bring enough books with me for the plan ride. I went to the bookstore in beautiful Charlotte, North Carolina and picked up Deception Point, yet another Dan Brown masterpiece. The plot of this book was “The DaVinci Code Goes Arctic”. That’s when I realized that Dan Brown came up with one good plot and he’s just recycling it over and over again.

Even so, faced with the prospect of Rich Dad, Poor Dad or He’s Just Not In To You, I picked up Digital Fortress. I do think his writing is getting better, but I had the ending of the book figured out within the first ten pages. I didn’t even have to read the ending first to know what was going to happen. Maybe I’ll register Digital Fortress on bookcrossing and send it out into the world.
(less)

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Dec 09, 2008

Claus rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: audio-books, 1-star

It is truely mind-boggling how Dan Brown can get away with putting so many factual errors about cryptography and computers into a single book. Doesn't he have anybody proofread his manuscripts? It is also surprising that a so highly praised writer can write so badly.

In "Digital Fortress" we enter a universe where:

* A 64-bit code requires 64 characters to type. (Fact: 64 bits can be easily typed with 16 characters or less.)

* Public Key Cryptography requires...more

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Sep 07, 2007

Dan rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: beach read

Shelves: thrillers

Here’s the problem: Digital Fortress has a good plot, but it’s filled with weak characters. I really liked the plot. A disgruntled NSA employee develops an unbreakable encryption program (the Digital Fortress) and threatens to give both the encryption program and the key (which is buried in the program) away on the Internet. If the bad guys gain access to the key, they will be able to communicate without fear of the NSA decrypting their messages. This throws the NSA into a panic – as it should...more

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Dec 04, 2008

Philip Pangrac rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: do-not-want

"Jesus Christ, let's try the kanji."

I had taken two years of Japanese class before reading this book, yet my mind mercifully blocked out that quote as I read it. Else my brain probably would have shut down in disgust at the fact that this book was published.

Did Not Do the Research does not adequately describe this (or any other Brown) book.

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Feb 17, 2009

Samuel rated it

· review of another edition

What would happen if every nation and person in the would, with a computer, could access every top secret file of the government? This is what Susan Fletcher and David Becker have to prevent in Digital Fortress by Dan Brown. With a lot of action and suspense Digital Fortress is a book for anyone who likes action.

Dan Brown wrote many other action novels. I have read all of them and this novel is just as good of a read as the rest. This novel is written in the same style as all the oth...moreWhat would happen if every nation and person in the would, with a computer, could access every top secret file of the government? This is what Susan Fletcher and David Becker have to prevent in Digital Fortress by Dan Brown. With a lot of action and suspense Digital Fortress is a book for anyone who likes action.

Dan Brown wrote many other action novels. I have read all of them and this novel is just as good of a read as the rest. This novel is written in the same style as all the others. Leaving in the suspense in all his books, Dan Brown makes all his novels an exiting read.

The United States government has just bought a huge computer that can unscramble any code called TRANSLTR. A top secret government agency called National Security Agency, NSA, has purchased this computer to prevent terrorist from sending coded messages to other terrorist inside or out of the United States. Thinking the people of the US may considerTRANSLTR a breech of privacy, the government never told any one about the device.

Susan Fletcher is the head Cryptographer at the NSA Crypto facility. David Becker is a foreign-language specialist Georgetown University. Commander Greg Strathmore is in charge of the facility. There also are three other Cryptographers and many engineers who work on TRANSLTR in the facility.

Susan Fletcher head Cryptographer notices a code that TRANSLTR has been working on for Eighteen hours, and most files take less than one hour. A few days latter a strange address sends them an email. Sending the email, let the NSA figure up a way to shut down Digital Fortress. The virus that will shut downTRANSLTER and expose the main government data bank to any one with Internet access. Exposing the data bank, will put the nation at risk of attack and total chaos of the citizens.

The NSA sends in David Becker to receive the ring that has the code to shut down Digital Fortress. In the mean time, Susan Fletcher is trying to convince the head boss of the whole operation that there is a problem. David is nearly shot to death, and Susan is nearly blown to bits. Will the two succeed?

I would recommend this book to anyone. This book has got a lot of action, and is a story that leaves you wandering, what if. However, if you have a little bit of a soft stomach this novel will leave you wanting to turn away at times. This book is for any one who likes to left on the edge of there seat for the whole story, till the end.(less)

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Sep 24, 2011

Michelle rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, adult-fiction

You know how some days you just feel like eating candy? And then more candy, maybe topped off with ice cream, cookies, cake? Some days that is okay. Until you get to about eight o'clock at night, and your body has reached a point that is beyond satiation. And then you think to yourself, just one last cookie. Your stomach is telling you don't do it. It's gurgling and protesting the hours of abuse it has already taken, but you keep thinking about how good that cookie is going to taste. So you do i...moreYou know how some days you just feel like eating candy? And then more candy, maybe topped off with ice cream, cookies, cake? Some days that is okay. Until you get to about eight o'clock at night, and your body has reached a point that is beyond satiation. And then you think to yourself, just one last cookie. Your stomach is telling you don't do it. It's gurgling and protesting the hours of abuse it has already taken, but you keep thinking about how good that cookie is going to taste. So you do it. You eat it, and you find yourself regretting it almost immediately. You realize, in the end, that it didn't taste that good. In fact, you realized it was far too much, and you wish you could take it back because now, well now you have a full blown case of the stomach aches. And you completely regret your gluttonous behavior.

That is what Digital Fortress feels like...gluttony for your brain. It was strangely addicting, completely entertaining, but had no substance whatsoever. And I think my brain is probably a little dumber for having read it. Maybe it was because I had just read Brown's Deception Point, and the last thing I needed to do was chase it with more mind numbing ridiculousness. Maybe it was because this is Brown's freshman go...his first novel. And I should give it one star. I know I should. But because it was entertaining, I had to give the guy some credit.

However, when you set up a main character to be a genius...and I quote, "His eyes fell the length of her sleder torso - to her white blouse with the bra barely visible beneath, to her knee-length khaki skirt, and finally to her legs...Susan Fletcher's legs. Hard to imagine they support a 170 IQ, he mused." I'm not going to parse the whole thing. I'm willing to accept that stock thrillers such as this are rife with hackneyed descriptions of people, in particular women, such as Brown's "sexy" depiction of Fletcher. I don't read these books because I'm expecting F. Scott Fitzgerald. I read them because they are entertaining, period. BUT...notice that Fletcher has an IQ of 170. 1.7.0!!! Is that even possible? I don't know.

The point is that she's this genius decoder, right? Super smart and totally able to decode some of the most complicated cipher. And yet there are very extremely completely obvious "ciphers" right in front of her face that she does not get. Really? I'm no genius. But I got them right away. So I thought that really wasn't so great. And you are this completely smart and perfectly beautiful woman, and you know when all these various men are totally into you. But the crazy one, who is so obviously into you, you don't see? Even when it's in front of your face all the time? It reminded me too much of that one Patricia Cornwell novel with this one Kay Scarpetta character who is supposed to be a genius as well. But she does some really ill advised...STUPID...things. Um, not sure I understand how someone is a genius and then suddenly isn't a genius. So that was annoying.

I also think Brown cleaned up his act when it comes to sex after this novel. This bordered on a Harelquin Romance extravaganza! The feminist in me screams out in protest at such garbage. I'm all for chemistry and attraction. But I revolt at silly depictions of the perfect woman and the perfect man falling in love. They are both just sooooooooo attractive and sooooooooo smart. And they have the most perfect jobs and perfect lives. Ugh! There wasn't anything really graphic. It just felt cliche and empty.

And finally, the climax. It just went on and on and on. Oh dear me, just get to the point already. It was no longer exciting when all the brainiacs in the NSA couldn't solve the freaking mystery which was right in front of their faces! And the whole thing was going to blow up, and of course the perfect couple can save the day in the end. Because they are perfect and that is what they do!!! I just couldn't suspend my disbelief anymore, so there were some serious sighs. Some eye rolling. Some straight out laughs. It was far too melodramatic.

Now to be fair to Brown, I have now read all of his books, and I've obviously enjoyed them, mostly. And I think now that he's written a few thrillers, that his writing has improved. He's no longer focused on sexual liasons between characters. And while his stories are completely unbelievable, they are also entertaining. The guy isn't proclaiming that he's the next Hemingway, after all. He's selling a product. I just think that from now on, I'll take my gluttony in smaller doses. (less)

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Jan 24, 2012

Kyle Gunning rated it

· review of another edition

After reading Dan Browns Da Vinci Code and being completely immersed and engrossed into every chapter, I was a bit dissapointed reading Dan Browns Digital Fortress. It starts out when the NSA code breaking machine (called TRANSLTER) finds a new and complex code, named Digital Fortress, that it cannot break. Commander Trevor Strathmore calls in Susan Fletcher, their head cryptographer to help crack it. She discovers that it was written by Ensei Tankado, a former NSA employee who was displea...more
After reading Dan Browns Da Vinci Code and being completely immersed and engrossed into every chapter, I was a bit dissapointed reading Dan Browns Digital Fortress. It starts out when the NSA code breaking machine (called TRANSLTER) finds a new and complex code, named Digital Fortress, that it cannot break. Commander Trevor Strathmore calls in Susan Fletcher, their head cryptographer to help crack it. She discovers that it was written by Ensei Tankado, a former NSA employee who was displeased with the NSA invading the privacy of peoples lives. Tankado intends to auction the code's algorithm on his website and have his partner, "NDAKOTA", release it to the general public if he was to die. Pretty much holding the NSA hostage, the agency is determined to stop Digital Fortress from becoming a threat to national security. But what they don't know is Digital Fortress is not what it seems..
Being a fan of Dan Browns works and having an interest in computers, I thought Digital Fortress would be the match for me. Although, I found that it did not live up the the expectations I thought it would uphold. Unlike 'Da Vinci Code', Digital Fortress' plot was very predictable and weak. I felt the characters were very underdeveloped, and that the story could have been so much better had Brown put more effort into character development. On the brightside, I found some parts to be very thrilling and on edge, and it was also very apparent that Brown put a lot of effort into researching computer code and algorithms.
I cannot say that I recommend this book to many people, but it was not a horrible book. People who are fans of Browns work will be slightly dissapointed, but will find it tolerable. People who are also interested in Computers and computer code will find the various references to algorithms and special codes very intriguing, but anyone who isn't very tech savvy will find it very confusing.
Though Digital Fortress did not live up to my expectations, I will continue to read his novels as I know his others are better, this book was just a minor virus in the computer system. (less)

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Oct 27, 2008

Neal P rated it

· review of another edition

Digital Fortress is a mysterious, intriguing book by Dan Brown. Dan Brown is a widely known author, who has written The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. This book is about a woman named Susan Fletcher, who works for the National Security Agency (NSA). After five years of work, the NSA invented the TRANSLTR, which could break any code known to man. TRANSLTR is faced with a code that it cannot break, and when the NSA calls it head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, she uncovers that the NSA is bei...moreDigital Fortress is a mysterious, intriguing book by Dan Brown. Dan Brown is a widely known author, who has written The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. This book is about a woman named Susan Fletcher, who works for the National Security Agency (NSA). After five years of work, the NSA invented the TRANSLTR, which could break any code known to man. TRANSLTR is faced with a code that it cannot break, and when the NSA calls it head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, she uncovers that the NSA is being held hostage by a code that could cripple the U.S. intelligence. Fletcher has to find out how to break the code, while her fiancé, David Becker, is in Seville, Spain to find the man who created this code and get the pass key to break the code.
Digital Fortress was one of the most fascinating novels I have read. This book had three or four different stories going on at the same time, which alternate by chapter. As you finish each chapter, the reader is always “hungry for more.” All the stories come together at the end, so you are not completely satisfied until the book is finished. Mystery books are without doubt my favorite books, but I love mystery with some kind of twist. Near the end when Fletcher is trying to break the code, Brown adds in a little science and history. He includes the isotopes of the element uranium and the system of codes that Julius Caesar used.
Yet there were a few things I thought about this book that could have been improved. Having four different stories going on and then combining them at the end is a great idea, but with the fine details Dan Brown puts into each sentence it can hard to understand everything. The other thing that was a little upsetting was the end. Finding the password that would kill the virus took a series of complicated steps, but the password ended up being the number 3. I would’ve liked to see something a little more complex.
Even though Digital Fortress had some bad points, it was an exciting novel that I enjoyed. Any reader who loves mysteries would love this book. Alone this book is enjoyable, but the science and the history that are mixed into the plot makes this book a techno-thriller. Even if you are not a mystery fan, it is guaranteed that this book would be fascinating to read.
(less)

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Sep 20, 2009

Benjamin Duffy rated it

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If the roundly reviled The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons are examples of Dan Brown at his most polished, you can only imagine how bad he was during his early career.

Actually, you can imagine, or you can read Digital Fortress and find out for yourself. But I don't recommend it. Where the Langdon books spill their secrets two acts too soon to anyone with a basic knowledge of French, or of Latin roots, Digital Fortress boasts a simplistic play on words that crumbles, fortune cooki...more

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Mar 10, 2009

Preeti rated it

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Have you heard of the NSA? I think these days, a lot of people know the NSA but apparently, there was a point in time when no one knew what the NSA was. Oh, NSA = National Security Agency. I've been there. Well, not there exactly, cuz it was after 9/11 = mad security. I was at the Cryptology Museum right next door.

Anywho, this Dan Brown thriller, post Da Vinci Code fame, follows much the same style and basic plot structure as Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code. You can almos...more

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Feb 25, 2009

E7san rated it

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هل أنت مبرمج ؟
إذاً ، لا تفوت قراءة هذه الرواية :)
عامة الناس سوف يستمتعون بقراءتها ، وأنتَ وحدك من سوف يفهم ما وراء سطورها
وشيفراتها ، سوف تشعر بأنها تعنيك أنتَ وحدكـ .

أذهلتني هذه الرواية ، عشتُها لحظةً بلحظة ، حرفاً بحرف ، كنتُ أستيقظ باكرًا لأبدأ قراءتها حتَّى تتعب عيناي ، مختلفةً هذه الحكاية عن كل ما قرأتُه وسوف أقرأه !.

سؤالين يتبادران إلى ذهني الآن ، أولهما / ما هو تخصص دان براون ؟ التاريخ ؟ علم الأديان ؟ أم البرمجة :)

السؤال الآخر / لماذا...more

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Jul 01, 2008

Ricardo rated it

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Recommends it for: code breaking fans

Digital Fortress was written by Dan Brown in 1998, before coming up with his best-seller The Da Vince Code. Digital Fortress sets the action in two places: the NSA headquarters in the United States and Seville, in Spain. The plot is smart and has to do with code breaking. However, the entire novel is predictable. Chapters are very short and show no character development. Childish at times, the author does not make an attempt at approaching the central issue realistically. Also, Brown either did ...more

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Feb 16, 2008

Caela Harrison rated it

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Reading Dan Brown books is a bit like watching porn. Mildly enjoyable at the time, but not really something you'd like your friends or family to know about.

Digital Fortress starts as it means to go on, with two-dimensional characters in a whirlwind of mystery and action. The cast never evolves beyond cardboard cut-out level, but the plot does pick up through various levels of incredulity and intrigue to a climax that ends up shallow and disappointing, leaving the reader feeling cheap...more

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Nov 29, 2008

Breakwall rated it

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Dan Brown CAN actually write. Angels and Demons was inventive, well-paced and exciting. The DaVinci Code was really just Angels and Demons repackaged, but it was still a good summer read.

This book, however, is complete crap. I have read it so you don't have to. Avoid at all costs.

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Apr 26, 2007

Rosey rated it

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Definitely a fast-paced book that was breathtaking at times which took me into the world of of cyberism and national intelligence. What I love about this book was that the heroine, Susan, was a female. Not only that, but she was one of the important asset to breaking the code.

As we may know or realize (or not), our government has many top secret infos and files with top-of-the-line technologies, firewalls, and so on. Imagine when someone was blackmailing the agency and was on the ve...more

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Mar 06, 2009

Gina rated it

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*Taken from my LiveJournal Entry* SPOILERS BELOW!!!

Guess what I found out, though...

Zero-Divide One of Hugh's very old and not-so-well known video games is actually the premise for one of Dan Brown's books... I'm serious! As I was paging through the character / storyline booklet provided with the game, I kept thinking, "Wow! This story sounds really familiar!" The more I read, the more I realized that Dan Brown seemed to have lifted the whole plot line...more*Taken from my LiveJournal Entry* SPOILERS BELOW!!!

Guess what I found out, though...

Zero-Divide One of Hugh's very old and not-so-well known video games is actually the premise for one of Dan Brown's books... I'm serious! As I was paging through the character / storyline booklet provided with the game, I kept thinking, "Wow! This story sounds really familiar!" The more I read, the more I realized that Dan Brown seemed to have lifted the whole plot line from the game! I'm not even kidding...

Chris, I'm calling you out, here... you've read Brown's book Digital Fortress. Tell me this plotline isn't a complete rip:

ZERO DIVIDE STORY:

Zero Divide takes place in the near future. One day, a mysterious data library known as "XTAL TOWER" surfaced on the Internet. Collected within this library were every nation of the world's most important national security secrets. The hackers who accomplished this feat threatened to release these secrets to the public in a matter of days. The world was stunned that these supposedly impossible to access secrets were acquired by these brilliant hackers. The military and economic balances of the entire world could be destroyed...

Hours later, each of the world's countries received an invitation from a being known only as "XTAL". The invitation stated that before the XTAL TOWER library was made public, each nation would be given a chance to fight against the library's security units, as well as each other. "If any challenger can defeat every other unit within the alotted time, and find their way to the location of the host, then they can stop the secrets from being released and destroy the XTAL TOWER..."

(Thank you, by the way, to CheatSearch.com for actually having this online!)

And if that's not enough, two characters from the book, Tokugen Numataka and Ensei Tankado, are names he created from the actual creators of the game!!! So seriously... I'm calling you, and every other person who has read this book out... TELL ME!!! Is this not a complete rip or what? I mean, yeah, I know Brown's been accused of stealing stuff in the past, but geez... a video game???

Strange... ya know, I admire Dan Brown's story-telling capability. I bet he can hear any story and somehow make it his. It's a very cool talent to possess... but to outright call ideas that aren't yours original... it's just not right. I think he owes the creators of Zero-Divide an apology. I say this tongue-in-cheek, but really... how many other times has this happened? *Shakes head*
(less)

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Mar 01, 2009

Jason_W. rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 7th-grade-ir-book-rick

The book Digital Fortress is about a person named Sarah and her boyfriend David. Sarah is part of a agency named National Securtiy Agency. They have a machine named TRANSLTR and it breaks codes. Then someone creates a code that can take away the American's information that is top secret and not even TRANSLTR can break it. Sarah and David goes out to find out how to stop this code and stop it.

I can connect this to the world where people rely on technolgy alot. People in the world use ...more

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Feb 01, 2012

Stefan rated it

· review of another edition

Based upon how very little I'd heard about Dan Brown's two non-Robert Langdon books, I went into this one with very low expectations. However, Digital Fortress is a fairly well-written and entertaining novel. The main storyline is based upon a hush-hush operation within the NSA to obtain and or destroy the only existing copies of a pass-key that, if made public, could enable the use of an encryption program that would create coded messages that would be entirely unbreakable thereby rendering the...more

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Jan 27, 2012

C.S. Lune rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: action

dear reader,

I am undecided as to really liking Dan Brown, or considering his writing a bluff. He writes with such eloquence and determination, that I feel the situations, settings, and whatnot are not just pure fantasy. That whatever he writes down really exist. However, I'm not so naive, he must be tweaking some of the truth to his own benefit. But this aside, I will continue with the review.

Dan Brown has a kind of magic for making his plot fast-paced, exciting, unnervin...more

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Jan 19, 2012

Frank rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: No one.

Ahh, Dan Brown. Either you love him and hate him.

And I hate him. I really really do. I read a single book and had problems with it and found out that it's true of most of his books.

Digital Fortress sounded like it might be a cool technology thriller. And it is, at times. But much of the work doesn't stand up if you ever worked in the field. He has these illustrious ideas of what secret hidden areas of the government would look like. Super cool futuristic sci fi images...moreAhh, Dan Brown. Either you love him and hate him.

And I hate him. I really really do. I read a single book and had problems with it and found out that it's true of most of his books.

Digital Fortress sounded like it might be a cool technology thriller. And it is, at times. But much of the work doesn't stand up if you ever worked in the field. He has these illustrious ideas of what secret hidden areas of the government would look like. Super cool futuristic sci fi images.

It's not true. Server farms are dull as crap, and processing power isn't sexy to anyone but a nerd, but when you try to make it sexy, people might respond but it turns off "the nerd". I understand people who rage over the incorrect parts of the Da Vinci Code, because it's the same in this book, if you know the topic you find the writer to have no experience with it. Just jargon and hypothesis which has no basis in reality.

But the true problem of Dan Brown is he writes pop fiction. And not pop fiction for people who like books, but pop fiction for people who don't like books, and want to feel smart for reading. If you ever delved into a 400 page tome, excited for the experience and a chance to explore a new world, skip this book. It's not for "Readers" it's for "book clubs".

That is the problem but the indicators for it are everywhere. Chapters are 2-3 pages. When a good writer just has made a solid connection to the current chapter and starts drawing the reader into the mindset, Dan Brown's are over. Like that person? Time for someone new.

The biggest sin though is the beginning of the book starts with interesting descriptions decent sized chapters, but by the end, you get two page synopsis of stuff that's happening. Chases are hard to follow because the writer feels the need to use flowery language to describe the locations it is happening in rather than the chase itself, and when the reader is just trying to be in the moment of the character being chased, 2 pages later, you're back out of the the chase, 4 more pages (2 different chapters) , you back in the chase. It's extremely disorienting, and completely ruins anything positive about the book.

Overall this is a book that I prefer not to remember, but sadly it's poor quality sticks in my brain more than it really should. (less)

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Jan 18, 2012

Kyle Croft rated it

· review of another edition

Digital Fortress by Dan Brown is a very insightful book I enjoyed very much. It was about a woman named Susan Fletcher, who a top coder at the NSA. The NSA is the National Security Agency and they intercept and read e-mails they think could be dangerous to national security. They use a machine called TRANSLTR, which is the fastest computer in the world and can break a code in minutes. Trevor Strathmore is a commander in the NSA and saw the making of TRANSLTR, which is his pride and joy. Another ...more

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Dec 14, 2011

Ogwen rated it

· review of another edition

Digital Fortress is a fast-paced suspense that takes us into the inner workings of the NSA (National Security Agency) and begs to answer the question: "Who will guard the guards?" Susan Fletcher has worked for the NSA for more than 10 years. Her job is to find and decode any and all transmissions posing any type of security, intelligence or terrorist threats, on a specialized computer and program that as far as the rest of the world knows, does not exist. One Saturday she is called int...more

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Dec 08, 2011

Pio Ibrahim rated it

· review of another edition

I'm a big fan of the Davinci Code and Angels and Demons whom i only knew existed as movies until 3 weeks ago when my friends and I were returning from a school trip. They told me they were all books by the same author Dan Brown, so i went and checked his work out. To my luck I actually found a book that manages to discuss my favorite topic, Computers. This book has taken my knowledge of computers, codes and programming. Brown is truly an amazing person his books are a maze, so deep and mind twis...more

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Dec 04, 2011

Karina rated it

· review of another edition

After reading Dan Brown's other exceptional novels, namely, the Davinci Code and Angels and Demons, I decided to read another one of his books hoping it would be just as exciting as his others. Digital Fortress starts off when the National Security Agency, NSA, discovers an unbreakable code that is programmed to release the United States' topmost secrets. The NSA calls upon Susan Fletcher, the beautiful head cryptographer, for help but, the fight for her country leads to betrayal and Susan finds...more

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Nov 08, 2011

Deyaa صبري rated it

· review of another edition

أول رواية أقرأها لدان براون وذلك بعد مشاهدتي لفيلم "ملائكة وشياطين"

وياله من اختلاف بين اسلوب الفيلم وعرضه واسلوب الرواية
توقعت ما هو أكثر ولكني وجدت الأكثر ولكن في جوانب أخرى

الرواية رواية تعتمد -كعادة دان براون- على المعلومات المسرودة بطريقة تبادلية
فهي سرد لأحداث على لسان أحد الشخصيات وتتبدل الأحداث بين شخصيتين رئيسيتين
ولكنه -كالعادة أيضا- يخفي العديدمن المعلومات كنوع من التشويق
ولكنه ماهر جدا في اخفاء المعلومات بحيث لا تشعر بفقدانها وانما ...more

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Oct 27, 2011

Ismail Elshareef rated it

· review of another edition

Similar to "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels and Demons," this book has well-developed characters, an unspeakable conspiracy, an academic hero, a hideous assassin, a mad authoritative figure and the inspiration that makes you want to learn more about the subject matter. The flow of Dan Brown's writing in incredibly engaging and undeniably riveting. It will be hard to put down this book before the very last page is read.
The book is not 100% sound from the technical perspect...more

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Oct 22, 2011

Ken rated it

· review of another edition

DIGITAL FORTRESS is a novel about computers and The Internet which is now terribly dated (it's set in the late 1990's), and comes across as quaint, or even, 'campy'. At one point near the end of the novel, one of the characters needs access to The Internet, and he is all but ecstatic to find that he has, "the best Netscape has to offer". Also, Dan Brown's writing is nothing to write home about, however he is better than James Patterson(with or without his collaborators), but not by muc...more

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About Dan Brown

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Dan Brown is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code.
Brown is interested in cryptography, codes, and keys. Currently his novels have been translated into many languages.
Although many see Da...more

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