Now that they are in power, there are no more checks and balances. The Conglomerates, and their mysterious party chairman, have taken over everythi...
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reviews
May 08, 2009
Clay
rated it: 
Sometimes, you just have to wonder. Thomas Nevins’ “The Age of the Conglomerates” (Ballantine, $14, 294 pages) is clearly the work of a young author trying to find his way – and it’s hard to figure out why the editors at Ballantine felt it deserved to be published.
The construction is awkward (the exposition at the start removes any sense of mystery), the characters flat (heroes and villains go through their paces by rote) and the plotting confused (a character who supposedly has Alzhei More...
The construction is awkward (the exposition at the start removes any sense of mystery), the characters flat (heroes and villains go through their paces by rote) and the plotting confused (a character who supposedly has Alzhei More...
Aug 07, 2011
Michael
rated it: 
The story is based on a scary concept that’s way too close to becoming our reality. In this book the conglomerates have taken over society and the government. Thus the elderly were sent off to a segregated area in the west to live the remaining years of their lives outside of society because they were deemed unworthy and too expensive to care for. The undesirables (lost children) were shunned by society and forced to live underground. This story fits the premise that government sets up syste
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Nov 07, 2008
Jlelliott
rated it:
A near-future controlled by rampant corporations is not too hard to envision, but the dystopian prognostication of The Age of Conglomerates manages to be deeply unsatisfying. The economy has crashed dramatically, leaving the wealthy political party called “the Conglomerates” in de facto control of the government. Rather than enforce laissez-faire industry regulation and start lucrative wars to fill the coffers of their businesses the Conglomerates decide to become involved in social services, pr
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Jun 19, 2008
Kat
rated it:
When I first opened The Age of Conglomerates and read the Prologue, I was a bit worried. The premise, the banks failing and big business taking over and cleaning house, seemed a bit pedantic. The descriptions sets up a tone that isn't really reflected in the rest of the book, thankfully, but if there wasn't information about the society he's crafting that's vital in that prologue, I'd say skip it. It should have just been weaved into the book, but as it's not, you have to wade through the first
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Jul 14, 2009
I could not finish this, and I finish nearly every book I start. It's incredibly bad, Dan-Brown-bad, only-book-on-the-airplane-and-I'm-reading-the-Skymall-catalog bad. It appears to be a mainstream attempt at science fiction (pardon me, at A Novel Of the Future), but it exhibits the worst cliches of the genre.[return][return]http://books.kenficara.com/2008/05/the_age_of_the_conglomerates_t.html
Oct 28, 2009
The collapse of the US economic system leads to the greedy Conglomerate takeover. It ostracizes the Coots to the western deserts & the Dyscards 1st to the NYC subways & then to other areas. The book centers on Dr Christine Salter, the head of Genetic Development, & her family. I often like futuristic things, not so much this one.
Jun 07, 2009
Steven
rated it:
Corporations are in charge of the government, put old people in concentration camps and legitimize disowning imperfect children. This turns out to not be a perfect society.
I got the distinct impression while reading this that it wouldn't have been published if the writer wasn't in the publishing industry. The plots were contrived. The mind hopping PoV was awkward. The characters were flat. The ideas were interesting (if not original) when info-dumped for the first time, but thei More...
I got the distinct impression while reading this that it wouldn't have been published if the writer wasn't in the publishing industry. The plots were contrived. The mind hopping PoV was awkward. The characters were flat. The ideas were interesting (if not original) when info-dumped for the first time, but thei More...
Jan 04, 2012
Well, I think I really am going to go with my aforementioned New Years Resolution of not finishing crappy books. I can already tell from the prologue to this book it's going to be a clunky, preachy, boring ride. A ride... not worth taking.
Oct 16, 2011
Du
rated it:
This was fun, a bit disjointed in the storyline and storytelling, but it worked well. It made for really good reading on a train. Pace was good and the distopia was worth reading.
Oct 15, 2011
Aviva
rated it: 
When I read this book, I couldn't help but see it as the counterpoint to Ecotopia. An engaging, frightening look at a possible future for our country.
Nov 27, 2009
Rayrumtum
rated it:
A chilling novel about the world 40 years from now. Sort of in the spirit of 1984 but not as well written.
Mar 31, 2010
Tom
rated it:
If you are interested in the dystopian novel after 9/11, or life in post Corporate America give this book a try, please? If you are afraid of how you're going to be treated when you are no longer economically viable, or if you wonder what society will do to the kids that are different, loud, or just plain teenagers, this book might be worth a look?
Oct 21, 2008
Matt
rated it:
An interesting fictional take on an Orwellian America of 40 years in the future, when Conglomerates have taken over the government. The book occasionally lacks the imagination to see the evolution of technologies, but the book is a pretty quick and entertaining read.
Dec 02, 2008
Jennifer
rated it: 
It was an ok read. The first half was more interesting than the last half. I felt like the author decided it was time to end so he wrapped up all the loose ends and that was it. Little disappointing.
Sep 27, 2008
Peter
rated it:
Reads like a low-budget, low-quality sci-fi movie. Surprisingly unimaginative given the cover reviews and the breaks in the narrative action to try and sweep you up in the dystopia being depicted.
Feb 09, 2012
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