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The Infinity Program: A Novel
In this “fantastic and captivating” science fiction tale, the limits of mankind’s ambition and greed are pushed into dangerous territory (The Librarian Fatale).
Jon Graeme and Harry Sale are unlikely friends. Harry is a world-class programmer whose abrasive personality alienates co-workers. In contrast, Jon is an easy-going technical writer. Sharing a love of nature, they set out together before separating for solo excursions—Jon goes hiking while Harry goes fly fishing. But neither man realized how far Harry’s expedition was about to go . . .
Days later, Jon finds Harry unconscious on the floor of a cave. What Jon doesn’t know is that Harry fell into an underground cavern where he came into contact with an alien quantum computer. Obsessed with his discovery, Harry drops his regular work to focus on inventing new operating language to access the alien system—until his experiment crashes his office supercomputer and he is fired. But when Jon convinces the company to give Harry a second chance, he has no idea of the havoc Harry is about to unleash . . .
Jon Graeme and Harry Sale are unlikely friends. Harry is a world-class programmer whose abrasive personality alienates co-workers. In contrast, Jon is an easy-going technical writer. Sharing a love of nature, they set out together before separating for solo excursions—Jon goes hiking while Harry goes fly fishing. But neither man realized how far Harry’s expedition was about to go . . .
Days later, Jon finds Harry unconscious on the floor of a cave. What Jon doesn’t know is that Harry fell into an underground cavern where he came into contact with an alien quantum computer. Obsessed with his discovery, Harry drops his regular work to focus on inventing new operating language to access the alien system—until his experiment crashes his office supercomputer and he is fired. But when Jon convinces the company to give Harry a second chance, he has no idea of the havoc Harry is about to unleash . . .
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 23, 2014
54 people want to read
About the author
Richard H. Hardy
1 book48 followersRichard H. Hardy was born in Glasgow, Scotland, during a week of relentless bombing raids just before the close of World War II. The day he was born an incendiary bomb fell on the church across the street from where he lived, so he is fond of saying that he entered the world with a big adrenaline rush.
His family later moved to England and then on to America.
After college Richard bounced through a series of temporary jobs as he traveled around the country, wanting nothing more than to write fiction. A job driving a library van allowed him free time to write several short stories and work on a novel.
He and his wife moved to New Hampshire, where he took an entry level job at a software company. He was soon promoted to the technical writing department and ended up producing over 500,000 words of online documentation. After a few years he was promoted to the programming department and ended up as the Senior EDI Programmer, creating EDI maps and writing UNIX scripts and troubleshooting on AIX systems throughout the U.S. and Canada.
After he retired, he started writing fiction again. The Infinity Program is his first published novel.
His family later moved to England and then on to America.
After college Richard bounced through a series of temporary jobs as he traveled around the country, wanting nothing more than to write fiction. A job driving a library van allowed him free time to write several short stories and work on a novel.
He and his wife moved to New Hampshire, where he took an entry level job at a software company. He was soon promoted to the technical writing department and ended up producing over 500,000 words of online documentation. After a few years he was promoted to the programming department and ended up as the Senior EDI Programmer, creating EDI maps and writing UNIX scripts and troubleshooting on AIX systems throughout the U.S. and Canada.
After he retired, he started writing fiction again. The Infinity Program is his first published novel.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 29, 2014
What I liked:
The story was intriguing. I love the idea of using science and technology (an ancient alien one at that ) to fix our environmental problems. Some of the world incidents were kind of funny. I found the characters interesting. Jon I felt was the most fleshed out. While I don't get why he became such good friends with Harry, he was definitely a loyal friend. And I find that honorable. Harry was very mysterious, would have loved to know a little more about him. Lettie was a little harder to connect with. There was an element of romance between Jon and Lettie, but I was happy the author did not focus on it too much. A lot of it was relayed in flashbacks. The ending was brilliant! I did NOT see it coming! :)
What I didn't like:
There was a lot that went over my head because of the technical jargon used throughout the story. Since I know next to nothing about hyper-computers and its technology, I often found myself skipping over it. At times, it felt like the story moved slowly before something major and interesting happened. Lettie's character was the only one that I could not connect with. It seemed like she was there but played no major role in the story. She was the token female character. There were quite a few typos and grammar mistakes throughout the books, more than I would have like to see in a book.
The story was intriguing. I love the idea of using science and technology (an ancient alien one at that ) to fix our environmental problems. Some of the world incidents were kind of funny. I found the characters interesting. Jon I felt was the most fleshed out. While I don't get why he became such good friends with Harry, he was definitely a loyal friend. And I find that honorable. Harry was very mysterious, would have loved to know a little more about him. Lettie was a little harder to connect with. There was an element of romance between Jon and Lettie, but I was happy the author did not focus on it too much. A lot of it was relayed in flashbacks. The ending was brilliant! I did NOT see it coming! :)
What I didn't like:
There was a lot that went over my head because of the technical jargon used throughout the story. Since I know next to nothing about hyper-computers and its technology, I often found myself skipping over it. At times, it felt like the story moved slowly before something major and interesting happened. Lettie's character was the only one that I could not connect with. It seemed like she was there but played no major role in the story. She was the token female character. There were quite a few typos and grammar mistakes throughout the books, more than I would have like to see in a book.
September 24, 2014
There are so many different computer programs and games that this is not that hard to fathom. The author did a great job of creating a world perfect for our computer filled world. There are computers in everything. If an outside source, aliens, gets control of our everyday needs then the world as we know it would change. This is definitely a nice book to read if you know about computers or like to read about aliens. There was a great balance and I felt as though I could understand all the computer "lingo". Harry has no idea what he is unleashing. Will he be able to fix what he has done, or is it too late? I liked that Jon and Harry were friends, but not best friends. They were believable as coworkers. The ending was good. I also thought that the book was paced pretty good. I am giving this book a 4/5. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions are my own.
- See more at: http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/2...
- See more at: http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/2...
June 30, 2014
The Infinity Program is a technological thriller with twists, turns, and a lot of computer programmer speak. Harry, a world-class computer programmer, and Jon, a lowly technical writer, form an unlikely friendship that is sent into chaos after a seemingly harmless camping trip.
For my full review, head over to Lady in Read: http://ladyinread.com/2014/06/30/chal...
For my full review, head over to Lady in Read: http://ladyinread.com/2014/06/30/chal...
February 12, 2022
3.5 stars. Pretty good sci-fi. Started small and built up to an unbelievable conclusion. I enjoyed it for the most part but unfortunately am not as optimistic as Mr.Hardy about the human ability to accept and adapt. Also very heavy into computer jargon but neither unreachable nor condescending. Nice easy quick read.
April 2, 2014
If you like science fiction that explores science, computer programming, and advance alien life, you might want to give The Infinity Program by Richard H. Hardy a try. Overall and in spite of a few flaws, I found this book a fun read.
My Responses:
Jon Graeme is a likable and naïve protagonist. A few times, I wanted to shake him and tell him to “wake up and smell the coffee,” but his other qualities outweighed his innocent acceptance of everything Harry Sale did and suggested.
I found the plot engaging if at times slow paced. Until close to the end, I wasn’t sure which way things were going to fall. This book reminded me of early science fiction stories.
I’m not a programming techie, so much of the program jargon and intricacies were over my head; however, Hardy did an excellent job of making the details accessible for a layperson. If you love the programming world, like hyper computers and hypercomputation, you might enjoy this book. I know next to nothing about these things, and I was pulled into the story. So, it works for the layperson too.
Issues and Weaknesses:
I have some significant issues with the book.
1) The relationship between Jon and Harry is interesting. However, Harry’s character wasn’t developed enough; unfortunately he’s too much of a stereotype for my tastes. Because of Harry’s unpleasant personality, I didn’t understand why Jon developed this unlikely friendship. This is the basis of the story, and I wanted Harry fleshed out.
2) Lettie Olsen, Jon’s love interest, is a heart-thumping beauty, who is so attractive she makes men nervous. Really? It’s the 21st century. Let’s move beyond the stereotype. Lettie is a male fantasy, not a real woman. As a female reader, I was disappointed. She isn’t developed, has little personality, and is a ball of insecurity mixed with an acquiescent streak. This book deserves a smart, secure, witty woman, who is personable. Any woman, beautiful or otherwise, who has made it in a male dominated world, is strong and self-confident.
3) Most of Jon and Lettie’s love story is told in flashbacks. We rarely get a scene in real time. He thinks about the dinner they had together or the meeting they had. What this does is distance Lettie. She is an object. Because she isn’t on stage speaking and acting, we have a watered down version of how the romance bloomed. If their relationship had unfolded for the reader to see and experience, the book would have been stronger and the romance element more satisfying and believable. As it stands, this sub-plot could be removed from the story without changing the book in any substantial way.
4) This complaint should have been taken care of by the publisher. The text needs a substantive/developmental edit. There are unnecessary words, repetition such as Jon’s full name repeated and repeated, meanderings, stereotyped characters, as well as composition and grammar mistakes. With a good edit, this would probably be a novella.
If you decide to read it, be prepared. These are deal breakers for many people.
In spite of these flaws, I found The Infinity Program a fun, light read.
My Responses:
Jon Graeme is a likable and naïve protagonist. A few times, I wanted to shake him and tell him to “wake up and smell the coffee,” but his other qualities outweighed his innocent acceptance of everything Harry Sale did and suggested.
I found the plot engaging if at times slow paced. Until close to the end, I wasn’t sure which way things were going to fall. This book reminded me of early science fiction stories.
I’m not a programming techie, so much of the program jargon and intricacies were over my head; however, Hardy did an excellent job of making the details accessible for a layperson. If you love the programming world, like hyper computers and hypercomputation, you might enjoy this book. I know next to nothing about these things, and I was pulled into the story. So, it works for the layperson too.
Issues and Weaknesses:
I have some significant issues with the book.
1) The relationship between Jon and Harry is interesting. However, Harry’s character wasn’t developed enough; unfortunately he’s too much of a stereotype for my tastes. Because of Harry’s unpleasant personality, I didn’t understand why Jon developed this unlikely friendship. This is the basis of the story, and I wanted Harry fleshed out.
2) Lettie Olsen, Jon’s love interest, is a heart-thumping beauty, who is so attractive she makes men nervous. Really? It’s the 21st century. Let’s move beyond the stereotype. Lettie is a male fantasy, not a real woman. As a female reader, I was disappointed. She isn’t developed, has little personality, and is a ball of insecurity mixed with an acquiescent streak. This book deserves a smart, secure, witty woman, who is personable. Any woman, beautiful or otherwise, who has made it in a male dominated world, is strong and self-confident.
3) Most of Jon and Lettie’s love story is told in flashbacks. We rarely get a scene in real time. He thinks about the dinner they had together or the meeting they had. What this does is distance Lettie. She is an object. Because she isn’t on stage speaking and acting, we have a watered down version of how the romance bloomed. If their relationship had unfolded for the reader to see and experience, the book would have been stronger and the romance element more satisfying and believable. As it stands, this sub-plot could be removed from the story without changing the book in any substantial way.
4) This complaint should have been taken care of by the publisher. The text needs a substantive/developmental edit. There are unnecessary words, repetition such as Jon’s full name repeated and repeated, meanderings, stereotyped characters, as well as composition and grammar mistakes. With a good edit, this would probably be a novella.
If you decide to read it, be prepared. These are deal breakers for many people.
In spite of these flaws, I found The Infinity Program a fun, light read.
July 10, 2014
The Infinity Program by Richard H. Hardy is a recommended light science fiction novel with a major focus on office politics.
Jon Graeme is a newly hired technical writer whose boss sends him to get information from eccentric, curmudgeon-like programmer Harry Sale. His boss was under the assumption that Jon would fail to acquire what he needed, but instead Jon ends up befriending Harry. After a brief friendship the two go off on a fishing/hiking adventure together. While Jon hikes up the mountain, Harry stays behind to fish. Harry ends up falling into a mysterious hole in a cave. When Jon returns three days later, he finds Harry unconscious on the cave floor. When they get back to work, Harry begins programming 24/7 like a man possessed. In the cave Harry encountered an alien technology and he suddenly has an idea for a new programming language.
Rather than being a focused science fiction novel, it really is quite light on the sci-fi and heavy on the office politics. In fact, the whole scheme of office politics seemed a bit dated by today's standards. Currently, there are many avenues of recourse through Human Resources in place at large companies to handle cases of sexual harassment at work, an unreasonable request from a boss, etc. While it succeeded in creating tension and a protagonist, the office politics part of the novel felt like it was written 20 years ago. Even the set up of the company seemed old school.
Also it was odd to only have one female character, even in the world of programmers. The female character we get is Lettie, who seems more a fantasy than a real woman. It seems that some men retire and know they have a book to write. Then they make their female characters that stuff of dreams/porn rather than a real person. It would be refreshing to see some strong, confident women as characters involved in the actual plot rather than simple as a love interest.
This is a simple, predictable plot, told in a simple, uncomplicated style. There is not a whole lot of character development. The world of programming is not presented in an intricate, detailed manner so anyone should be able to follow the plot without confusion or extra knowledge. There are some grammatical errors and other problems with the writing that you should be forewarned about before you read The Infinity Program.
For all its faults, I have to say that there was something charming about the uncomplicated amateur feel to the writing. Once my expectations were lowered, as far as any major plot twists or character development, I actually enjoyed the book.
Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the author and Premier Virtual Author Book Tours for review purposes.
Jon Graeme is a newly hired technical writer whose boss sends him to get information from eccentric, curmudgeon-like programmer Harry Sale. His boss was under the assumption that Jon would fail to acquire what he needed, but instead Jon ends up befriending Harry. After a brief friendship the two go off on a fishing/hiking adventure together. While Jon hikes up the mountain, Harry stays behind to fish. Harry ends up falling into a mysterious hole in a cave. When Jon returns three days later, he finds Harry unconscious on the cave floor. When they get back to work, Harry begins programming 24/7 like a man possessed. In the cave Harry encountered an alien technology and he suddenly has an idea for a new programming language.
Rather than being a focused science fiction novel, it really is quite light on the sci-fi and heavy on the office politics. In fact, the whole scheme of office politics seemed a bit dated by today's standards. Currently, there are many avenues of recourse through Human Resources in place at large companies to handle cases of sexual harassment at work, an unreasonable request from a boss, etc. While it succeeded in creating tension and a protagonist, the office politics part of the novel felt like it was written 20 years ago. Even the set up of the company seemed old school.
Also it was odd to only have one female character, even in the world of programmers. The female character we get is Lettie, who seems more a fantasy than a real woman. It seems that some men retire and know they have a book to write. Then they make their female characters that stuff of dreams/porn rather than a real person. It would be refreshing to see some strong, confident women as characters involved in the actual plot rather than simple as a love interest.
This is a simple, predictable plot, told in a simple, uncomplicated style. There is not a whole lot of character development. The world of programming is not presented in an intricate, detailed manner so anyone should be able to follow the plot without confusion or extra knowledge. There are some grammatical errors and other problems with the writing that you should be forewarned about before you read The Infinity Program.
For all its faults, I have to say that there was something charming about the uncomplicated amateur feel to the writing. Once my expectations were lowered, as far as any major plot twists or character development, I actually enjoyed the book.
Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the author and Premier Virtual Author Book Tours for review purposes.
May 14, 2019
Nothing very special, but then I've never found these whole buried technology stories much. The romance was a little stilted and I don't recall being overly impressed with the ending, an average story with nothing leaping out as bad, but littel innovation.
May 26, 2019
Pretty good.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews