Mind Machines

Human++ #1

by Dima Zales, Anna Zaires

With billions in the bank and my own venture capital firm, I’m living the American dream. My only problem? A car accident that leaves my mother with memory problems.

Brainocytes, a new technology that can transform our brains, could be the answer to all of my problems—but I’m not the only one who sees its potential.

Plunged into a criminal underworld darker than anything I could’ve imagined, my life-saving technology might be the death of me.

My name is Mike Cohen, and this is how I became more than human.

Please note: This book was formerly titled Human++.

Genres: Science Fiction, Thriller, Fantasy, Fiction, Romance, Amazon, Ebooks

406 pages, Paperback

First published November 29, 2016

About the author

Dima Zales is a full-time science fiction and fantasy author residing in Palm Coast, Florida. Prior to becoming a writer, he worked in the software development industry in New York as both a programmer and an executive. From high-frequency trading software for big banks to mobile apps for popular magazines, Dima has done it all. In 2013, he left the software industry in order to concentrate on his writing career.

Dima holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from NYU and a dual undergraduate degree in Computer Science / Psychology from Brooklyn College. He also has a number of hobbies and interests, the most unusual of which might be professional-level mentalism. He simulates mind-reading on stage and close-up, and has done shows for corporations, wealthy individuals, and friends.

He is also into healthy eating and fitness, so he should live long enough to finish all the book projects he starts. In fact, he very much hopes to catch the technological advancements that might let him live forever (biologically or otherwise). Aside from that, he also enjoys learning about current and future technologies that might enhance our lives, including artificial intelligence, biofeedback, brain-to-computer interfaces, and brain-enhancing implants.

In addition to his own works, Dima has collaborated on a number of romance novels with his wife, Anna Zaires. The Krinar Chronicles, an erotic science fiction series, has been a bestseller in its categories and has been recognized by the likes of Marie Claire and Woman’s Day. If you like erotic romance with a unique plot, please feel free to check it out, especially since the first book in the series (Close Liaisons) is available for free everywhere. Keep in mind, though, Dima Zales's books are going to be much more PG 13 . . . at least that’s the plan for now.

Anna Zaires is the love of his life and a huge inspiration in every aspect of his writing. She definitely adds her magic touch to anything Dima creates, and the books would not be the same without her. Dima’s fans are strongly encouraged to learn more about Anna and her work at http://www.annazaires.com/

Reviews

[Fabi NEEDS Email Notifications · Rating 4 out of 5]

My inner geek was a happy camper during this story.

🎯Gifted programmers made even smarter by nanotechnology for the brain (brainocites).

🎯A mystery thriller plot.

🎯Fun reveals.

🎯Lots of action including HALO jumps, shootouts, car chases and good ol' fist fights.

🎯Interesting and unique characters.

🎯A side romance (PG).

🎯A good narrator to do it all justice.

Four stars and I'm definitely going to the next one.

[Jammin Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this sci-fi thriller. The basic premise is that scientists have developed these brainocites (nanocites for the brain) that activate dormant parts of the brain. They are mostly using it on Alzheimer's patients, but are also in secret augmenting normal people to make the smart, swifter and more advanced. One of the patients gets kidnapped and her son works with the main scientist to track her down in Russia. Fun look at what science could possibly do.

[Laureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sci-Fi, techno thriller is what I’m calling it. Great technology, and non stop action. The characters are well developed and I really cared about them. Lots of computer science all well explained without going too deep into it. Over the top 007 stuff, but really interesting I couldn’t put it down. Starting book 2 in the series of 3.

[John Loyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also knows as Mind Machines. I'm reading it from the omnibus edition Transcendence, the e-book omnibus edition is Upgrade. Whatever the title, it's great.

Mike Cohen has made a fortune investing, doing a great job of picking the right start up companies. Techno is one of Mike's companies. It is manufacturing Brainocytes, a nano-technology designed to repair damaged brain function. Mike has taken a special interest in this company, because his mother was in an accident that caused her to lose some cognitive abilities. She and several other patients are in Techno's pilot group. Just after entering phase one of the testing all of the test subjects are kidnapped.

To help locate his mother Mike is injected with her backup Brainocytes. Required to get around the encryption that is there to protect the patients' privacy. For his healthy brain this provides a boost. Cousin Joe who wants to save her as much as Mike does is also on the case. When they get a location it's Mike and Joe that go. The bad guys are pretty hard core, but Joe is ruthless. On the technological side Mike has Ada and Mitya to help him.

I thought the story was going to focus on the technology, but it was just an aid to the plot. This is a rescue mission. Pretty much non stop action.

Fantastic read. The pages fly by. I love the Mike, Ada and Mitya characters. Joe is scary. The technology is fascinating. Great job. Five of five stars.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seeing as it took me quite a while to finish this I don't think I will be reading the next book. On the other hand, it really picked up the pace in the last 30% so who knows. In general, I don't regret reading this, especially because it was for free, and It was almost good. Just got lost in the details a lot and had a reaaaally slow start

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hätte mir vor einigen Jahren mal jemand gesagt, dass ich ein Buch mit dem Thema Nanotechnologie lese, den hätte Ich ausgelacht.

Aber ich muss zugeben, dass es ein geniales Buch ist. So was von spannend, auch wenn ich von dem Thema keine Ahnung hatte.

Zwischenzeitlich hatte ich Angst, dass es zu trocken ist, aber so viel Action hatte ich schon lange nicht mehr in einem Buch.

Die Handlung baute nach und nach aufeinander auf und der Schluss war bombastisch.

Ich bin einfach begeistert.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I can't wait for the next one. I read it so fast because I could not put it down.

[Jessica Juby | jesshidesinbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published on Fantasy Faction...

I’ll confess: I’ve still not made the switch from physical book to ebook. I’m lingering on the border still, but more on the side of print. I only really step into the Kindle realm if there’s an offer on. It was through a notification from the Kindle app on my phone that this title was recommended to me. Encouraged by the description, the positive reviews and the low cost (so low in fact that it was free), I added it to my collection.

Mind Machines is told by protagonist Mike Cohen, who for me, seems a little too whiter than white. A venture capitalist who seems to want for very little, he’s funding his company’s research into Brainocytes.

“Brainocytes are a type of nanocytes designed to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and create the most powerful brain-to-computer interface—BCI—ever made.”

This nanotechnology gets injected into the human body to repair and extend functionality of the brain. This would cause the reversal of medical conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, and enhance human development too, giving those with Brianocytes the edge in every way possible over those who aren’t equipped with them.

Mike not only has a financial investment in this technology, but a personal one too; one of the first human cases to receive the Brainocytes is his mother. Of course, there wouldn’t be much of a story if everything went smoothly. Not long after receiving her dose of Brainocytes, Mike’s mother and the other participants in the study are kidnapped. Luckily, Mike has enough money and the right connections to be able to take matters into his own hands.

Although the use of the Brainocytes initially looks like a great idea, helping to improve the quality of life for people, as we go through the motions and actually see it in action, we’re right alongside Mike as he begins to question the implications that this technology has. He starts to see not only the good that it can be used for, which has motivated its development, but also the bad. These negative impacts that the technology has are never quite fully explored, with Mike possibly hesitant to go down the avenue that leads to the destruction of the Brainocyte research. After all, he’s invested a lot of money into the programme, and he wants what’s best for his mother.

On a recent trip to London, I devoured this throughout tube journeys over a few days. The narrative was light, fast paced and enjoyable. The opening few chapters lightly touch upon a variety of topics such as religion, sexuality, mental health, and physical health, though not in a way that detracts from the story development. It balances crime fiction well with futuristic science fiction elements. There’s also a little romance thrown in for good measure. There are lots of cult references throughout the book, in numerous hat-tips to well-known sci-fi/fantasy films. For me, it was a great read to pick up as a filler on my travels. It was entertaining and fun, but it won’t suit those looking for rich storytelling, deep characters or worldbuilding.

Mind Machines is the first in the Humans++ trilogy, one of several series available from Dima Zales. Although not mentioned on the cover, his wife, Anna Zaires is also credited with collaborating on the novel.

[Viki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A typical Dima Zales novel. Almost an... earlier version, perhaps? A playing ground? A forerunner? Or just something that might seem different but seems really the same - yes, it may be magic that gave Sasha her abilities, maybe the mind reader is a paranormal species and maybe this is about technology - it changes little in terms of function, plot or character.

Misha even gets the precog. He may not have Her Fury Majesty the Cat but he has a rat (bonus points for originality) that is also prescribed with the entertaining snobbery. He also gains abilities way too quickly and learns to defend himself even thought the associated skill is a litte... well, the reason he can do it seem like stretching his skills a little. If the elements are not from Sasha, they're from the Mind Reader.

Gender is, unfortunately, from the later - Sasha was brilliant (yeah, yeah, she's my favourite) but her romance was just as great and that's kind of ironic since for the last... months/probably more than a year, I've been getting more annoying and impatient with female leads and kept turning to guys - well, a guys in m/m romance =D since having two guys as protagonists seem to help the issue of a female led by the alpha macho male that too many books I read fell into.

I like romance. I'd even say ALL books I read are just subgenres of romance. Oh but here? Total opposite. I'd actually prefer to get rid of the romance plot because it paints Misha as the stereotypical (literature?) guy who thinks with his smaller head and is way too absorbed by his hunt for the female he decided to pursue and I am not really interested. With Sasha, I don't think I would change anything about her and Nero's relationship - and she definitely kept all her independence and my respect, if anything, only grew. I'd prefer Miss Briliant hacker to be just another sidekick and that's just sad.

I am always re-raising the issue of the previous review - Russia. It’s funny or bad that I like Russian stuff (culture, names, references) in my books but because of all the inaccuracy it can actually "damage" my view of the book.

This time, it's not only the culture reference that gets used (like including some name from a fairytale (Baba Yaga) or swear words (chod k chjortu - choď do čerta, po našom =D) that has to be explained (you don't have čert-s in your culture). And despite his mum being Russian, Misha being born in Russia... I just don't feel the love. As in, I feel the opposite. There is one thing at least covering for this issue - the book realized this and admits (Ada tells Misha who has a lot of prejudice toward Russia based on what his parents were through):

"Sure I do. I can trust you, the guy who hasn't visited the motherlands since the early nineties.
... (Misha, later on says:) As a result, I really don't have a clue what’s really going on in Russia, outside of American news, and they definitely put a spin on things."

At least there was some nice Russian words and language bits to cheer me up. The language is one of the aspects that fascinate me the most and it gets me to exercise my multilinguistic muscles and try to know the difference and similarities in different languages. I also kind of learn about how it's different from Slovak - learning Russian from an american novel, you know? =D
For example: Muhomor. It’s called, more similarily, muchomúrka in Czech - we call it muchotrávka (combination of the word mucha “a fly” and tráva “grass”/ otrava ”poision” ) and we also somehow get it like the Russians (no idea why, actually) as The poisonous mushroom, like everyone knows what it is and what it does. I guess it’s a little different here since we are kind of a mushroom collecting and eating nation. To the point I actually really dislike mushrooms yet I’ve collected plenty of mushrooms in my younger years when my grandparents owned a kind of restaurant/hotel thing near an artificial lake and a big forest. It was a game and you could always just go for a morning walk and bring back some for your morning omellete. And even know, mushroom collecting is - I consider it - kind of a normal activity - everyone does it almost and in the right weather, going by any kind of forested space, you can sometimes see people coming out with whole baskets of them. So recognizing mushrooms is kind of a part of what I was taught as a kid, like a cultural memory, because it's presumed you will go at some point to collect mushrooms and will need to know at least some basics.

For example we also have the one that was translated as morning is wiser than evening. Which is said as "ráno mudrejšie večera" - grammatically correct version of it would actually be "ráno je múdrejšie než večer" because the first one says "morning wiser evening" - the rest of the sentence is presumed, I guess.

Or how you should not look a gift horse in the mouth? Ours, as opposed to the Russian version, does actually uses just plain horse but like the russian one, it uses teeth instead of mouth: darovanému koňovi sa na zuby nepozeraj - on gift horse's teeth you should not look (oh my, it sounds like Yoda version 😂😂😂😂 but our word order is really flexible and natural in many versions).

I was also surprised to hear that Russian doesn't have cousins? WHAT – I guess we do have something that be might what it meant: in English, you have a brother and a cousin but we have "brat" for brother and it's "bratrances" for a male cousin, while a girl is "sesternica" from the word "sestra" - "sister". That's how it was explained - Russian add a suffix instead of having a seperate word and you could say cousing is "brat+ranec". It still seems absurd to call it... what, brother once removed? A second-level brother?

That's it for my Russian Language Trivia.

As for the book, it's basicaly the same... everything important as with Sasha or The Mind Reader and you have to try to read at least one of these books to really understand the precise style of the author, which I find more than satisfactory but is, of course, a question of taste.

Recommend.

[Brian Hammons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crouch meets Crichton with a little Jack Reacher and Lisbeth Salander thrown in. Fun read and well written characters. There's a concept about 1/3 the way through about transcendence through technology (a theme repeated in many sci fi books) that goes a step further and connects with current technology in a really cool way. Plus, who wouldn't want a nanotechnology brain boost that you upload through C++ and cool visual apps/icons. I think these concepts make the success of this book *cough 'limitless'.

[Scott Shjefte · Rating 2 out of 5]

All the action was told retrospectively in real-time by the main character. Many barriers were introduced to prevent communication between characters ... which also limited the reader—lots of tech explanations that said nothing repeatedly. Obtained from Amazon for free on June 10, 2020. Reread - lots of violence at ending, less than favorable outcomes considering advanced mental assets.

[Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only got to page 63

It takes a lot for me not to finish a book, and I am not exactly sure why this was so difficult to wade through. It may have had to do with a lack of character development - I kept waiting to learn why I should want to care about this guy.

[Sharon Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very colorful characters and an interesting plot. After a slow start the story becomes very compelling, fast-paced and hard to put down.

[D. Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, but ...

Way too much technical stuff going on
I found myself skipping through many paragraphs just to get past it all. It's a good story though.

[Karin Jäger · Rating 1 out of 5]

Inhalt: Mike/Misha Cohen ist sehr reich und deshalb kann er seine Mutter, deren Gehirn durch einen Unfall beschädigt wurde, in einer experimentellen Studie unterbringen. Eine Injektion mit Brainozyten soll ihre Gehirnfunktion verbessern. Obwohl Mike mit der Studie und dem Wissenschaftler-Team bestens vertraut ist, sorgt er sich, dass bei diesem Eingriff etwas schief gehen könnte. Und tatsächlich passiert etwas. Allerdings in gänzlich unterwarteter Form.

Bewertung: Ich hatte bereits ein Buch des Autors gelesen, welches ich "interessant, aber zu detailreich" gefunden hatte. Und in der vorliegenden Geschichte gab es nun dermaßen viele Details, dass ich sie im 5. Kapitel abgebrochen habe. Der Anfang gefiel mir bereits nicht: ein Traum, und dagegen habe ich grundsätzlich etwas. Meist wirkt auf mich so ein Traum in einem Roman wie ein Füllsel. Hier meinte der Autor vermutlich, dass er am Anfang einen Knaller/Action bräuchte, weil sich die drei folgenden Kapitel fast ereignislos darstellen. Es wird viel erzählt von Mike, von seiner Familie und von einzelnen Figuren im Projekt und wie Mike zu ihnen steht. Mir war das alles zu ausführlich, zu weitschweifig und es hat mich bald nicht mehr interessiert. Ich entwickelte eine Abneigung, diesen Roman zu lesen, und musste mich mehrmals überwinden, weiterzulesen, bis ich ins 5. Kapitel kam, wo dann endlich etwas geschieht: Mike wird niedergeschlagen und es kommt zu einer Verfolgungsjagd. Ich hatte gelesen, dass die Geschichte schwer in Fahrt kommt, dann aber durchaus noch spannend wird - für mich leider nicht: Die Spannung wird aufgerieben in den Details, die kein Mensch braucht. Ich fand es beispielsweise geradezu absurd unrealistisch, dass Mike, als er eins auf die Nase bekommt und eigentlich hinter dem Angreifer hinterher will, überlegt, ob er sich wie in Boxer nach dem KO fühlt. "Ich entscheide jetzt und hier, ich würde jeden Beruf, sogar Politiker, dem eines Boxers vorziehen." denkt er, als er sich sortiert, um den Angreifer verfolgen zu können. Kurz danach läuft er auf seiner Jagd durch ein Treppenhaus und erzählt dem Leser, dass sein T-Shirt voller Blut ist (ok), dass er als Kind häufig Nasenbluten hatte (okee), dass er am MIT wegen der trockenen Heizungsluft häufig Nasenbluten hatte (???), dass er am MIT von seinem Mitbewohner wegen seines "großen Zinkens" immer aufgezogen wurde und sein Conter darauf der mit der Nase eines Mannes und dessen Johannes gewesen ist - da stimmt doch was nicht mit Mikes Gedankengang oder der Erzählweise des Autors, wenn man sich dermaßen weit vom Gegenstand der Situation (eine Verfolgung) entfernt. Als Mike sich dann ins Auto setzt und sein elektronischer Fahr-Assistent schlimmer als jeder Beifahrer Mikes Fahrkünste kommentiert, war ich raus. Ich fand das Null lustig und erneut zu tiefst unrealistisch, dass man bei einer Hetzjagd die Nerven hätte, sich mit einem Blechdeppen zu unterhalten. Daher habe ich das Buch endgültig abgebrochen. Weil ich mir überhaupt nicht vorstellen kann, wie ich die beiden weiteren Bände dieser Trilogie schaffen sollte, gebe ich diesem Roman 1 Stern.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

The protagonist is given a Glock semiautomatic handgun, and says it it illegal in most US states. It's not.
The character refers a couple times to taking the safety off. Glocks do not have safeties (they have a trigger mechanism integrated into the trigger that requires the trigger to be pulled to minimize risk of accidental disharge, but not a safety that you switch off).
Worst of all the character is shooting gunmen in the arms and legs during active gun battles.
OK, so the character has some brain enhancements that show him where the bullet will hit if he presses the trigger, and steady his hand. And perhaps this is a good explanation if you have never fired a gun. But --
(1) bullets do not necessarily go exactly to the same spot every time
(2) People are moving! I don't care what enhancements you have, during an active gun battle aiming for arms and legs will get you and people on your team killed. Period. Unless people are standing perfectly still, you need to aim for center mass.
It's no small thing because it takes you out of the story every time and is such childish writing.
Why, who knows. It's not like there aren't other characters in the book killing people. And we'd understand why the hero is aiming for center mass rather than arms and legs, if the reader has any sense about guns.
Otherwise, the story is just OK, at most a 3 star book, similar, better stories are out there. One point deduction for the unrealistic gunplay. Please, authors of the world, do a little research about guns if you are going to have gun battles in your story.

[Ziggy Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
Soft 4 stars! Yes, I enjoyed the heck out of this book but I'm just not ready to sell the house and camp out at Zales' publisher waiting on the next books. All kidding aside, 'Mind Machines' was a really pleasant surprise!

Review:
I will openly confess that I have not had a lot of luck with books that feature AI or intelligence enhancements technologies gone wrong - what hasn't happened here .... yet - but 'Mind Machines' was really enjoyable. Yes, you have to basically abandon any logic or even a sense of proper procedures in terms of human testing (after working briefly in the pharmaceautical industry, this was all strictly fantasy), but needs must etc.

And sure, the techno-babble in a book like this is always a bit of a drag, but otherwise, the plot stays on course. I've seen some other folks complain a bit about the details about guns or even Russian stereotypes as well, but honestly, I don't know enough about either to let those bits bother me. It all seemed kosher (oops) to me.

Zales creates an atmosphere that where the tension is truly spell-binding and the characterizations well-managed. It's not a hugely challenging read but it was fun and by the end of it, I was really pulling for Misha and his mom. Plus, fantasizing about Ana isn't that bad of a hobby either.

Best compliment I can give I think is that I'd like to continue on with the series so.... I'll do that!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adult contemporary science fiction, leaning heavily toward soft sci-fi (story-driven, minimal technical detail). This is the first in the Mind Dimensions series, featuring a billionaire protagonist who finds himself entangled in a quest to save his mother while uncovering unusual abilities and shady tech. There is also a small romance plot which was sweet enough but it definitely took a backseat.

The novel is short, punchy, and easy to get through — a genuine page-turner. The central plotline is strong enough to carry the book, and the pacing keeps things entertaining.

The science fiction elements are more of a backdrop than a focus, with little real explanation or world-building to anchor the technology. The characters feel serviceable rather than fleshed out; you get a sense of them, but not much depth - perhaps something that is remedied in the later novels.
Quirky side characters help inject personality, from Wilbert the lab rat, to *the Russian cousin*, who brings humour, energy and chaos-incarnate whenever he’s on the page.
I also enjoyed and the whole „ family first“ ethos that was woven throughout the book - both biological and found .

Overall an enjoyable, fast read with a good hook, though it leans more on its story momentum than on robust sci-fi substance.

A solid 4 stars for sheer readability, even if it doesn’t demand much thought or leave a lasting mark. Likely not a series I’ll rush to continue, but entertaining in the moment.

[Amie's Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

MIND MACHINES obviously used to be called something else. It was called something like "People Plus Plus" which is a terrible name. I much prefer the new title; Mind Machines."

The technology talked about in this book is already in development and I hope it becomes widely available in my lifetime.

Imagine
... Being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. You know it is a death sentence. BUT, HOLD ON, you just heard that the hospital closest to you has started using brainocites. Amazing. One injection and they go to work inside your brain, not only eliminating the tumor, but also boosting your intelligence and your energy levels.

Wouldn't that be amazing? No more people would need to die of cancer or other diseases, no more losing the person you love to the confusion of Alzheimer's Disease, no more people dying on the surgical table. There is NO DOUBT that these tiny robots are a modern miracle.

The problem is humans and humanity, or the lack thereof. New inventions often get appropriated by either the US Government, or by foreign powers who want to twist the miracle and to use it for nefarious purposes.

I loved this audiobook. The narrator had a great voice and was easily understandable. The pacing was as close to perfect as a person can get.

I rate this audiobook as 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sci-Fi Thriller with Brains, Action, and Romance

The author's technology background comes through in our protagonist, Mike Cohen, and his friends and allies. The book is an interesting blend of technology and action. Mike finances technology companies and has a special interest in Techno which is developing Brainocytes. He hopes that will cure his mother's brain problems induced by a severe car accident. We open with his mother and other patients getting kidnapped as soon as they receive their first dose of Brainocytes to start the clinical trials.

What ensues is a wild romp through Russia (where Mike was born) as Mike and his close friends and family set off to rescue Mom and the other hostages. Mike gets his own dose of Brainocytes and we get a first-person perspective of his evolution in a transhuman. There's even a budding romance, if Mike lives through the adventure, with Ada whose is a brilliant software developer at Techno.

The author includes many references to well-known Sci-Fi entertainment. There's even a rat named Mr. Spock who is an important character in the story. My homage to that is to say that the story brings to mind the Borg and the Hive (with better motives).

This was a great read. I could only put it down when I was too tired to keep reading.

[Dorothea Müller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eine Mischung aus Thriller und Science Fiction. Inspirierende Charaktere und passen alle irgendwie sehr gut zusammen. Vor allem da sie alle etwas verrückt und außergewöhnlich sind und dann doch wieder genauso wie man es von ihnen erwartet. Sie passen allen perfekt zusammen und zu dieser Geschichte. Sehr verlockender Verlauf der Geschichte, man wird ohne es zu merken in ein Loch gezogen. Voller Spannung verfolgt man die Geschichte und merkt kaum, wie die Zeit vorbeigeht. Lebendige Geschichte, die einem etwas Angst macht und mit vielen Fachausdrücken um sich schmeißt, dass man manchmal sich fragt, ob man in einem Fachbuch ist. Trotzdem ist man in dem Bann des Buches und kommt nicht so leicht wieder raus. Mike ist die Hauptfigur und sorgt neben den Erklärungen, dass man versteht, um was es geht auch für lockere Atmosphäre. Dann ist das Buch beendet und für mich war es eine wunderbare Geschichte, die zu Ende ist und doch gibt es zwei weitere Bänder. Ich bin gespannt, ob die mich auch überzeugen werden.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3,5) A fun read about a tech bro developing nanotech to cure illness. His mom's part of the trial, because she has Alzheimer's. Then the test subjects are kidnapped and he tries to find them, together with his girlfriend, techbro friend and criminal cousin. The nanotech is an interesting concept, the tech bro is not the worst person (I mean, he's insanely rich and privileged, but he is trying to cure illness and cares about his test subjects, so he's not insufferable) and there is some discussion about the future and how technology would change society. They experiment on rats with this technology, but in a way that brings humans and rats closer together, which I kind of liked (although I still object to animal testing). One of the most important characters in the book is a rat.

[Mark Lucas-Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind Machines

This is fast paced sci-fi techno thriller written with an obvious knowledge of the workings of the science behind it. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It doesn’t pander to the reader’s probable lack of knowledge regarding nanotechnology and the possible medical benefits yet neither is it too esoteric.
It is also a neutral examination of the ethics of nanotechnology, that doesn’t promulgate nor denigrate the ways it can be applied and utilised, cleverly integrated into said thriller.
My favourite secondary character has to be a former white lab rat called Mr Spock.

[Ian M. Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back to the future?

Another interesting glimpse into a possible from Mr. Zima Dales. This is the second series I've tried from this author and although I'm not enjoying it quite as much as the other I AM enjoying it. Again, it is well written, with no discernible errors (which can really bring one out of a story) and with colourful characters.

I'm looking forward to the second one.

Recommended.

[Thomas Steffen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than human?

This book runs fast and gives a lot of detail. The protagonist grapples with his circumstances and how he can makes changes. The emotions he exhibits seem to parallel how technology can be seen...good or evil, and all of the variations. The author comes from tech but he grasps the human part of the equation. This foreshadows more thought provoking action in the following books. It's a solid read on its own, but I am interested in the sequels.

[emma ♖ · Rating 2 out of 5]

i didn't really like this book even though i found the premise of it enticing. The writing just isn't the best in my opinion (but that could also be the translations fault) and the main character/narrator is horribly arrogant without any redeeming qualities. the side-romance was also uninteresting and i didn't feel any chemistry. the main character, mike reminded me of james from the cherub series but just not as cool. but hey, at least it was free.
reading time: 2.42h

[Georgia Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if WiFi could literally solve world peace...

Nanocytes to cure neurological disabilities are prob!ematic only when greed rears its ugly head. This action packed adventure is packed with geniuses, billionaires, Fantastic inspiration for future tech, and romantic hopes. It is often violent but offers a view of Russian life most have no way to see otherwise. Looking forward to more sci-fi techno thrillers of this type.

[Pete Ffrench · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot seems a lot like a Mission Impossible with rich people playing with their toys and a psycho cousin leading them. I thought it was going to be more like a book I read years ago called Mind Riders where people controlled avatars with their minds and the name brainocytes just annoyed me for some reason, too clumsy. The action part and the mind integration into cell networks etc worked well. Good story and plenty of descriptive writing with aptly written characters.

[Claire Tanner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Completely invested for the second half. The first half was necessary but at the time I felt way out of my depth with the sci fi detail about the hospital procedures.
The twists and turns were fun and exciting.
Some of it just felt a bit too..... Unreal. Like premonitions that were so real the character didn't know what was true, the father big reveal that seemed to take all of 2 pages, and not involving authorities.

[Tim kaskes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Innovative, exciting, enjoyable

Innovative, exciting, funny and I really well-written book, love all the technology and all the explanations, hope our future does find us with this kind of technology and information! Really enjoyed this book from page 1 until the last page look forward to the next book great time!