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Mind Over Matter
Acts of the Apostles
As American-led forces assemble in Saudi Arabia for the largest military operation since Normandy, computer designer Todd Griffith discovers a secret function burried within the Kali chip. That night he is shot. Five years later, burnt-out Silicon Valley software engineer Nick Aubrey boards a "red-eye" flight to Boston and winds up seated next to a very disturbed man who claims to know the secret of Gulf War Syndrome. Over Utah Nick's chance companion meets a dramatic demise, and the police accuse Nick of murder. Soon the police are the least of Nick's worries. On the run from the CIA and paranoid cybermilitias, tracked down by billionaire venture capitalists and exotic foreign beauties, Nick must solve the Gulf War enigma or spend the rest of his life on the lam. All clues lead to a pharmaceutical laboratory in Basel Switzerland, where scientists are working on submicrosopic machines to rearrange human DNA. But Nick can't find the solution without Todd's help, and Todd's been in a coma for nearly half a dozen years.
360 pages, Paperback
First published November 17, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 2, 2009
Writing a novel is hard work.
April 25, 2014
The author provided a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
(Note: Acts of the Apostles is part of a three book “set” which includes Cheap Complex Devices and The Pains. It isn’t quite right to use the word “series” or “trilogy”, since the relationship between the books is more mathematical/logical in nature. This review covers the first book only. When I’ve completed my reading of the “set”, I’ll post a link here to my review of the books as a group.)
Acts of the Apostles takes the reader into the multiple worlds of computer design, corporate espionage, and the megalomaniacal mind-spaces of those with too many brains and too much power. The action takes place in the computer design world that orbits around the MIT area of Eastern Massachusetts, the biological/pharmaceutical corporations of Switzerland, and the pyschosexy world of California’s Silicon Valley. It’s not too much of a stretch to imagine these characters and events as the offspring of Oedipa Maas, Pierce Inverarity, and the mysterious Yoyodyne Company, but whereas Pynchon’s tale o’post-war-paranoia reads like a fantasy story, Sundman’s characters and events seem not only possible, but probable, and given the implications of meshing the digital with the biological, truly something to fear.
Our protagonist, software engineer Nick Aubrey, finds himself caught up in all kinds of weird shit with murder, double crosses, femmes fatales, and a quintessential mono-megalo-maniac-millionaire named Monty who tools around the hills of Silicon Valley in his well-worn sedan, gathering apostles and planning his future as the ultimate second coming of god. Quite a lot to pack into a novel, but Sundman skillfully weaves these worlds and competing predators into a convincing narrative with good pacing and a page-turning drive towards conclusions you don’t see coming.
Beyond the foreground story, there is a lot going on in the book, with both serious and tongue-in-cheek commentary on the nature – paranoid and otherwise – of chip designers, lab researchers, techno-executives, and the ego-driven visionaries that occupy the world of digital technology and its steady progress towards convergence with human biology via DNA. Pynchon’s early-60’s world was focused on foreign military threats to the US, but Sundman’s 80’s-90’s world explores the reality of the internal battles within the US where corporation goes after corporation, and instead of generals, the combatants are corporate execs in a perpetual pissing match to show who has the biggest dick, power and influence-wise. Patriotism is replaced by the personal pursuit of power and control.
Another element well-captured, intentionally I think, is the very real antagonistic attitude held by East Coast people towards California. To many North-easterners, California is just a weird, drug-addled commune-cum-frat-house, and the people who live there are not to be taken seriously. Having lived for decades on both coasts, I can say that Sundman’s characters typify these attitudes quite well.
Acts of the Apostles is a well-written book, well-structured in form and content, and worth a serious read. I’m looking forward to reading the other two parts of the set to see where Sundman goes with this melding of logic and literature.
(Note: Acts of the Apostles is part of a three book “set” which includes Cheap Complex Devices and The Pains. It isn’t quite right to use the word “series” or “trilogy”, since the relationship between the books is more mathematical/logical in nature. This review covers the first book only. When I’ve completed my reading of the “set”, I’ll post a link here to my review of the books as a group.)
Acts of the Apostles takes the reader into the multiple worlds of computer design, corporate espionage, and the megalomaniacal mind-spaces of those with too many brains and too much power. The action takes place in the computer design world that orbits around the MIT area of Eastern Massachusetts, the biological/pharmaceutical corporations of Switzerland, and the pyschosexy world of California’s Silicon Valley. It’s not too much of a stretch to imagine these characters and events as the offspring of Oedipa Maas, Pierce Inverarity, and the mysterious Yoyodyne Company, but whereas Pynchon’s tale o’post-war-paranoia reads like a fantasy story, Sundman’s characters and events seem not only possible, but probable, and given the implications of meshing the digital with the biological, truly something to fear.
Our protagonist, software engineer Nick Aubrey, finds himself caught up in all kinds of weird shit with murder, double crosses, femmes fatales, and a quintessential mono-megalo-maniac-millionaire named Monty who tools around the hills of Silicon Valley in his well-worn sedan, gathering apostles and planning his future as the ultimate second coming of god. Quite a lot to pack into a novel, but Sundman skillfully weaves these worlds and competing predators into a convincing narrative with good pacing and a page-turning drive towards conclusions you don’t see coming.
Beyond the foreground story, there is a lot going on in the book, with both serious and tongue-in-cheek commentary on the nature – paranoid and otherwise – of chip designers, lab researchers, techno-executives, and the ego-driven visionaries that occupy the world of digital technology and its steady progress towards convergence with human biology via DNA. Pynchon’s early-60’s world was focused on foreign military threats to the US, but Sundman’s 80’s-90’s world explores the reality of the internal battles within the US where corporation goes after corporation, and instead of generals, the combatants are corporate execs in a perpetual pissing match to show who has the biggest dick, power and influence-wise. Patriotism is replaced by the personal pursuit of power and control.
Another element well-captured, intentionally I think, is the very real antagonistic attitude held by East Coast people towards California. To many North-easterners, California is just a weird, drug-addled commune-cum-frat-house, and the people who live there are not to be taken seriously. Having lived for decades on both coasts, I can say that Sundman’s characters typify these attitudes quite well.
Acts of the Apostles is a well-written book, well-structured in form and content, and worth a serious read. I’m looking forward to reading the other two parts of the set to see where Sundman goes with this melding of logic and literature.
July 27, 2010
Am currently rereading John Sundman's bravura first novel, more than ten years after reading it the first time. On the surface, it is a compulsively page-turning, highly assured thriller, scarier and more propulsive than most. A software developer whose marriage and career are in the toilet must clear himself of a crime he didn't commit. To clear himself, he must penetrate and expose a deadly global conspiracy - all the while staying barely a step ahead of the police, the people who are expertly framing him, and those bent on killing him.
As a techno-themed conspiracy thriller, it works. You can't wait to find out what happens next.
But just beneath the surface, "Acts of the Apostles" is more than a page-turner. It is a dark meditation on futurism, and specifically on the implicit moral quandaries of nano- and biotechnology. We know what greed is. We know what people do on Wall Street. What would the most powerful people in the world do, if they could reprogram DNA? (Are they already doing it?)
Many potboiler authors invoke conspiracy theories to sell books (Dan Brown leaps to mind). And there are also many serious authors who mistrust technology—a mistrust going back to the Romantic Poets. But Sundman is a different kind of writer, and he knows whereof he writes (among other things, before becoming an author, he was a programmer and a director of technology for Sun Microsystems). Imagine if Dan Brown not only could write better (and create more three-dimensional characters) but was also a deeply committed Catholic. Imagine if, in spite of his religiosity, he had still created the plot behind The Da Vinci Code. _That_ would be interesting.
Sundman knows code. He knows hardware. He knows politics at big computer companies. He also knows his Saint Thomas Aquinas, his Nietsche, his Middle East politics, and much more. This book was written during the lead-up to the Millennium, and like The Matrix (also created then), it has the anxiety of that time. But it also maps remarkably well to our time, with its existential threats, and its threats to democracy from within and without.
Acts is not a perfect novel but it's a damn good one, and I'm enjoying it every bit as much today as I did when I was a wide-eyed geek who thought HTML would set us all free. Highly recommended.
As a techno-themed conspiracy thriller, it works. You can't wait to find out what happens next.
But just beneath the surface, "Acts of the Apostles" is more than a page-turner. It is a dark meditation on futurism, and specifically on the implicit moral quandaries of nano- and biotechnology. We know what greed is. We know what people do on Wall Street. What would the most powerful people in the world do, if they could reprogram DNA? (Are they already doing it?)
Many potboiler authors invoke conspiracy theories to sell books (Dan Brown leaps to mind). And there are also many serious authors who mistrust technology—a mistrust going back to the Romantic Poets. But Sundman is a different kind of writer, and he knows whereof he writes (among other things, before becoming an author, he was a programmer and a director of technology for Sun Microsystems). Imagine if Dan Brown not only could write better (and create more three-dimensional characters) but was also a deeply committed Catholic. Imagine if, in spite of his religiosity, he had still created the plot behind The Da Vinci Code. _That_ would be interesting.
Sundman knows code. He knows hardware. He knows politics at big computer companies. He also knows his Saint Thomas Aquinas, his Nietsche, his Middle East politics, and much more. This book was written during the lead-up to the Millennium, and like The Matrix (also created then), it has the anxiety of that time. But it also maps remarkably well to our time, with its existential threats, and its threats to democracy from within and without.
Acts is not a perfect novel but it's a damn good one, and I'm enjoying it every bit as much today as I did when I was a wide-eyed geek who thought HTML would set us all free. Highly recommended.
November 3, 2010
This is a long novel, with plenty of twists and turns. The intricate nature of the plot and some of the subject material of this book resemble The Bourne Identity, Tom Clancy's works or Stieg Larsson's Millenium trilogy. So if you're a fan of corporate and international espionage, techno-bio thrillers with a sci-fi feel, apocalypse, races-against-the-clock, quirky-but-fun characters, this is for you.
The plot kept me reading - where was it going, how was it going to be resolved. Some of the characters were obvious, but remained believable. There were a couple of glaring plot devices eg deus ex machina, towards the end, and the end itself felt very rushed, almost as it the author had gotten the whole drama of his chest, and wanted to call it a day. This jerked around suspension of disbelief - but it was so late in the book as to make no difference.
Why I wouldn't give it more stars is because the version I read is an older one. The author has just signed (congratulations) a contract with Underland Press, and a good editor will smooth out the rough edges and pull out some unnecessary scenes (and hopefully insist on a few new ones towards the end of the book). The foreign language use in the book is often incorrect, and this needs attention in the upcoming hard/soft editions. However, I don't think these caveats should put you off reading the book.
Other reviews mention the 'techie' nature of the book. I'm neither a scientist nor a computer geek, and the few instances of hard-core heavy-duty bioscience/computerspeak aren't enough to label this book 'just-for-the-nerds'. I rather admired the author for the research he had undertaken and the ease with which he pulled the various disciplines together.
There's minimal use of coarse language and violence, the latter is not described ad nausaeum, which I appreciate.
The bottom line: if this book had been written by a better-known author, more people would be reading it. Go ahead and buy a copy - you'll be entertained.
The plot kept me reading - where was it going, how was it going to be resolved. Some of the characters were obvious, but remained believable. There were a couple of glaring plot devices eg deus ex machina, towards the end, and the end itself felt very rushed, almost as it the author had gotten the whole drama of his chest, and wanted to call it a day. This jerked around suspension of disbelief - but it was so late in the book as to make no difference.
Why I wouldn't give it more stars is because the version I read is an older one. The author has just signed (congratulations) a contract with Underland Press, and a good editor will smooth out the rough edges and pull out some unnecessary scenes (and hopefully insist on a few new ones towards the end of the book). The foreign language use in the book is often incorrect, and this needs attention in the upcoming hard/soft editions. However, I don't think these caveats should put you off reading the book.
Other reviews mention the 'techie' nature of the book. I'm neither a scientist nor a computer geek, and the few instances of hard-core heavy-duty bioscience/computerspeak aren't enough to label this book 'just-for-the-nerds'. I rather admired the author for the research he had undertaken and the ease with which he pulled the various disciplines together.
There's minimal use of coarse language and violence, the latter is not described ad nausaeum, which I appreciate.
The bottom line: if this book had been written by a better-known author, more people would be reading it. Go ahead and buy a copy - you'll be entertained.
December 6, 2014
IC Design. Zappa. Genetic engineering. World domination. Bay area hipsters. Biological warfare conspiracies. This book has _everything_.
The novel tells the story of a software engineer called Nick, who finds himself in the middle of a major conspiracy that, on a personal level, cost Nick his marriage, the life of a friend and his job. As the plot unfolds, Nick slowly discovers that there is no less at stake than humanities' free will. Charged with murder and hunted by police, militant conspiracists and pharmaceutical company black-ops, Nick tries to uncover what is behind the schemes of his former employer and, well, simply stay alive.
Besides being incredibly entertaining, the science behind the story seems well recherched and will not make your inner nerd cringe.
From biotechnology to chip design and especially to unix system security and silicon valley history - John really seems to know first hand what he is writing about. Probably also the military stuff, but I can't tell.
The only minor annoyance is that the german/swiss german parts of conversations are a little clumsy. But that's probably irrelevant for most readers.
My favourite character in this novel is Todd - the Zappa loving IC designer who drums polyrythms while debugging chips. Pity he gets shot in the head in the first chapter. Would love to hear more of him; especially what it was like beeing hooked up to the fellow's brain mesh.
The novel tells the story of a software engineer called Nick, who finds himself in the middle of a major conspiracy that, on a personal level, cost Nick his marriage, the life of a friend and his job. As the plot unfolds, Nick slowly discovers that there is no less at stake than humanities' free will. Charged with murder and hunted by police, militant conspiracists and pharmaceutical company black-ops, Nick tries to uncover what is behind the schemes of his former employer and, well, simply stay alive.
Besides being incredibly entertaining, the science behind the story seems well recherched and will not make your inner nerd cringe.
From biotechnology to chip design and especially to unix system security and silicon valley history - John really seems to know first hand what he is writing about. Probably also the military stuff, but I can't tell.
The only minor annoyance is that the german/swiss german parts of conversations are a little clumsy. But that's probably irrelevant for most readers.
My favourite character in this novel is Todd - the Zappa loving IC designer who drums polyrythms while debugging chips. Pity he gets shot in the head in the first chapter. Would love to hear more of him; especially what it was like beeing hooked up to the fellow's brain mesh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2008
John is a friend, so this review is biased.
That being said, his writing here...the idea, the story, the characters...are right on. If you have been involved in technology, and especially if you were involved in technology in the early 90s and know DEC, you'll recognize the setting and scenes. This was a technology still capable of discovery, no web 2.0 market strategy saturation, no glass-eyed cynicism.
John makes cyberpunk approachable for the average geek. He brings his own experiences in the Peace Corps, in the technology industry, and as an alchemist (ok, one of these is false) to the story, and crafts a tale that works well on many levels.
This is one of my favorite near-future cyberpunk books. If you don't own it and you want a copy, www.wetmachine.com is a good place to start.
That being said, his writing here...the idea, the story, the characters...are right on. If you have been involved in technology, and especially if you were involved in technology in the early 90s and know DEC, you'll recognize the setting and scenes. This was a technology still capable of discovery, no web 2.0 market strategy saturation, no glass-eyed cynicism.
John makes cyberpunk approachable for the average geek. He brings his own experiences in the Peace Corps, in the technology industry, and as an alchemist (ok, one of these is false) to the story, and crafts a tale that works well on many levels.
This is one of my favorite near-future cyberpunk books. If you don't own it and you want a copy, www.wetmachine.com is a good place to start.
December 31, 2024
What a great piece of sprawling late nineties hacker fiction. A half dirty, lingo-filled romp with a human touch. This is also very early indie fiction which makes me happy.
August 12, 2014
After reviewing John Sundman's Biodigital, I promised to report back after reading Acts of the Apostles which shares about 60% of its text.
It's very unusual for a lay reader to have access to two versions of a book in this way. Biodigital is partly the result of the sort of editorial work that goes on behind the scenes of publishing, and to read Acts is to become aware of sausage making that is usually invisible.
The bottom line is that Biodigital is a much better book. You won't miss anything if you skip Acts. While there's a lot of tightening here and there, there are two big changes which lead me to urge you to set aside Acts.
The first is Gordon Biersch, which has been removed from the book. Gordon Biersch opened in 1988 on Emerson Street in Palo Alto, California. I remember when it opened, it was a revelation. The beer was pretty good, and the food was designed to go with the beer. Today, this sort of place has a name: "gastro-pub", but back in 1988, that word didn't exist, at least in the vocabulary of grad students like me. Yuppies flocked to the place and by the time Sundman was writing Acts, it signified everything good and bad about Silicon Valley. But since then, Gordon Biersch has gone all Vegas. No really, the founders were bought out by money from Las Vegas. Today, there's a Gordon Biersch gastropub in 34 places where restaurants are allowed to brew beer, including 4 in Taiwan. It's owned by the same company that owns "Rock Bottom" brewpubs.
In Biodigital, the events that occurred at Gordon Biersch have been moved a mile or so southeast to Antonio's Nut House. Antonio's is still around. Like everything else in the area, it's changed, but it's not like Silicon Valley changed into Las Vegas. It's like Sun Microsystems changed into Google. I went and had a beer there when I was visiting earlier this month. I took pictures. Google maps has a walk-through view.
The other big change is the book's depiction of Bartlett Aubrey. Bartlett, the estranged wife of hero Nick Aubrey, is supposed to be a brilliant molecular biologist, but in Acts, she mostly has big breasts. It's not a realistic portrait at all, more of an adolescent fantasy character. In Biodigital, references to Bartlett's breasts are cut by 50%, and I swear that's not why I thought the character was a lot smarter than in Acts.
So, support your local author. Or your local beer bar. Better yet, do both at the same time
It's very unusual for a lay reader to have access to two versions of a book in this way. Biodigital is partly the result of the sort of editorial work that goes on behind the scenes of publishing, and to read Acts is to become aware of sausage making that is usually invisible.
The bottom line is that Biodigital is a much better book. You won't miss anything if you skip Acts. While there's a lot of tightening here and there, there are two big changes which lead me to urge you to set aside Acts.
The first is Gordon Biersch, which has been removed from the book. Gordon Biersch opened in 1988 on Emerson Street in Palo Alto, California. I remember when it opened, it was a revelation. The beer was pretty good, and the food was designed to go with the beer. Today, this sort of place has a name: "gastro-pub", but back in 1988, that word didn't exist, at least in the vocabulary of grad students like me. Yuppies flocked to the place and by the time Sundman was writing Acts, it signified everything good and bad about Silicon Valley. But since then, Gordon Biersch has gone all Vegas. No really, the founders were bought out by money from Las Vegas. Today, there's a Gordon Biersch gastropub in 34 places where restaurants are allowed to brew beer, including 4 in Taiwan. It's owned by the same company that owns "Rock Bottom" brewpubs.
In Biodigital, the events that occurred at Gordon Biersch have been moved a mile or so southeast to Antonio's Nut House. Antonio's is still around. Like everything else in the area, it's changed, but it's not like Silicon Valley changed into Las Vegas. It's like Sun Microsystems changed into Google. I went and had a beer there when I was visiting earlier this month. I took pictures. Google maps has a walk-through view.
The other big change is the book's depiction of Bartlett Aubrey. Bartlett, the estranged wife of hero Nick Aubrey, is supposed to be a brilliant molecular biologist, but in Acts, she mostly has big breasts. It's not a realistic portrait at all, more of an adolescent fantasy character. In Biodigital, references to Bartlett's breasts are cut by 50%, and I swear that's not why I thought the character was a lot smarter than in Acts.
So, support your local author. Or your local beer bar. Better yet, do both at the same time
July 14, 2011
Acts of the Apostles stands out as an inside look into the possibilities of combining advanced computer programming, conspiracy theories and the future of nanotechnology. Mr. Sundman coaxes the story with characters you really care about, even though they make some pretty bad decisions. At one point I had to put the book down I was so mad at them. While that may sound bad for the book, it really is a testament to how engaged I was with their lives. The main character is a computer programmer struggling to discover his priorities between a beautiful wife and his need to be successful in his career. She tells him not to take a job with a Silicon Valley tycoon, but he chooses to learn his lessons the hard way and in turn puts himself and all his friends in grave danger when this megalomaniac tycoon’s plan unfolds. Sundman has some great plot twists and suspense that make this an thrilling read, despite its size, and the potential for mayhem in his antagonist creates an epic scope for the series.
I didn’t give it a 5 star review because I felt the end battle was a little unclear, and did not live up to my expectations. There were some scenes that dragged a little, but I wouldn’t necessarily say that they did not advance the story. This is a large book, so it could just be that I wanted the plot to move quicker. Sundman puts his characters in some very dramatic conflict, and it could be that I was getting impatient to see them overcome their struggles. Overall though, I give it a 4 star because I really enjoyed the story, the characters, and how he made the technology and conspiracies seem real and plausible for our future – an eerie future indeed and one that will get me to read the rest of the books in the series.
I didn’t give it a 5 star review because I felt the end battle was a little unclear, and did not live up to my expectations. There were some scenes that dragged a little, but I wouldn’t necessarily say that they did not advance the story. This is a large book, so it could just be that I wanted the plot to move quicker. Sundman puts his characters in some very dramatic conflict, and it could be that I was getting impatient to see them overcome their struggles. Overall though, I give it a 4 star because I really enjoyed the story, the characters, and how he made the technology and conspiracies seem real and plausible for our future – an eerie future indeed and one that will get me to read the rest of the books in the series.
October 23, 2010
I thoroughly enjoyed this, and anyone who enjoys thrillers/crime stories with a tech edge will find it worth the read. This will also sate your nanopunk and biopunk cravings nicely. There are some very enjoyable characters, although it is the mystery, the why and how, that kept me hooked. This is definitely a book worth adding to your cyberpunk collection, particularly if you enjoyed Neal Stephenson's Diamond Age.
The pacing is quite good, and there are a few pay-offs for people who Pay Attention. You will find this hard to put down. It would also make for a great highschool English Literature class wanting to discuss modern day ethics - there are plenty of juicy ethical questions raised in this story. Any Lit teacher worth their salt could find much of interest to discuss with their students here.
Sundman handles the technical elements deftly and manages to write in such a way that they do not seem horribly dated years later.
I read the ebook version, which formatted very nicely on my iRiver iStory - a few words (maybe 25 instances in the book) lacked spaces between them, but otherwise very clearly laid out.
I want to add a half star to this rating. The main reason this isn't four stars is that I felt the final showdown section of the story could have done with a little more fleshing out. The pacing was okay, but... I was really hoping for more information about a few characters that got side-lined in the end. It was 4 stars for the beginning and middle, 3 for the last 1/5 of the novel. Still very good overall. I definitely recommend it.
The pacing is quite good, and there are a few pay-offs for people who Pay Attention. You will find this hard to put down. It would also make for a great highschool English Literature class wanting to discuss modern day ethics - there are plenty of juicy ethical questions raised in this story. Any Lit teacher worth their salt could find much of interest to discuss with their students here.
Sundman handles the technical elements deftly and manages to write in such a way that they do not seem horribly dated years later.
I read the ebook version, which formatted very nicely on my iRiver iStory - a few words (maybe 25 instances in the book) lacked spaces between them, but otherwise very clearly laid out.
I want to add a half star to this rating. The main reason this isn't four stars is that I felt the final showdown section of the story could have done with a little more fleshing out. The pacing was okay, but... I was really hoping for more information about a few characters that got side-lined in the end. It was 4 stars for the beginning and middle, 3 for the last 1/5 of the novel. Still very good overall. I definitely recommend it.
December 13, 2013
About Acts of the Apostles by John F.X. Sundman: Be nice to yourself. Read this book. I would send a copy of this book to every sentient individual I know if I could.
Is it a techno-thriller? Yes. Or is it science fiction (with solid Science in every nanothought)? Yes. Is it a page-turning, midnight-oil-burning, international-conspiracy mystery? Yes. Or is it a brilliant satire that will terrify you with the recognition of how annihilatingly destructive our own inventiveness may prove to be? Yes. It's also Literature, with a capital L.
Acts is a winner of the Writer's Digest National Self Published Book Award. On Slashdot.org, "Hemos" wrote that it's "what Tom Clancy would write if he were smart." The book also has been compared very favorably to works by William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, and even George Orwell. I would argue that not one of those comparisons does justice to John Sundman.
Yes, I know the author (and not "only online"). He's a very decent human being. But I have no financial interest in flogging this book. It's just that (a) I don't understand why Big Publishing hasn't beaten down his door yet (don't go there, John!); and (b) I want people who like books that are profoundly engaging and stimulating to know about Acts of the Apostles.
Yes. Buy this book.
Is it a techno-thriller? Yes. Or is it science fiction (with solid Science in every nanothought)? Yes. Is it a page-turning, midnight-oil-burning, international-conspiracy mystery? Yes. Or is it a brilliant satire that will terrify you with the recognition of how annihilatingly destructive our own inventiveness may prove to be? Yes. It's also Literature, with a capital L.
Acts is a winner of the Writer's Digest National Self Published Book Award. On Slashdot.org, "Hemos" wrote that it's "what Tom Clancy would write if he were smart." The book also has been compared very favorably to works by William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, and even George Orwell. I would argue that not one of those comparisons does justice to John Sundman.
Yes, I know the author (and not "only online"). He's a very decent human being. But I have no financial interest in flogging this book. It's just that (a) I don't understand why Big Publishing hasn't beaten down his door yet (don't go there, John!); and (b) I want people who like books that are profoundly engaging and stimulating to know about Acts of the Apostles.
Yes. Buy this book.
October 28, 2015
I think this is a top quality science fiction novel, which should be mentioned between Neuromancer and Snowcrash.
I read this after reading Martian breathlessly(in two days) and... I finished ActsOfApostles in one day :)
Solid characters with solid problems/doubts made this book a lot more believable(and scarry).
I'm not so much into biology or nano machines, but the concept and the depth of things happening in this book was so interesting that it never bore me. On the contrary I liked those parts as much as I liked the cognitive virus concept in Snowcrash. I believe both are mind opening concepts.
Time and time I found myself wondering "OK, it was almost impossible back then in 1990s but now...
I also liked the book giving very good referances from real culture like Twelve O'clock High, Subutai or As We May Think(by Vannevar Bush)
I hope he finds more time (from rescuing people in pijamas(come on ;) and write more.
I read this after reading Martian breathlessly(in two days) and... I finished ActsOfApostles in one day :)
Solid characters with solid problems/doubts made this book a lot more believable(and scarry).
I'm not so much into biology or nano machines, but the concept and the depth of things happening in this book was so interesting that it never bore me. On the contrary I liked those parts as much as I liked the cognitive virus concept in Snowcrash. I believe both are mind opening concepts.
Time and time I found myself wondering "OK, it was almost impossible back then in 1990s but now...
I also liked the book giving very good referances from real culture like Twelve O'clock High, Subutai or As We May Think(by Vannevar Bush)
I hope he finds more time (from rescuing people in pijamas(come on ;) and write more.
January 12, 2024
Acts of the Apostles is an amazingly prescient, heart-racing, bio-digital cyberpunk thriller, and so much more. It strikes a balance with deep technology descriptions and excellent character development–not to mention top-notch writing. Think Philip K. Dick and Neal Stephenson but a sense that these things are indeed possible, and soon.
If you're a fan of extraordinary stories and excellent writing, and who isn't, this book is for you.
If you're a fan of extraordinary stories and excellent writing, and who isn't, this book is for you.
November 24, 2015
This is certainly not "my kind of book." It's a classic SciFi thriller. But it was hard to put down. And interesting that I'm writing this the morning of an announcement that scientists have made a modification to mosquitoes that makes it impossible for them to transmit Malaria. This modification will propagate through all Anopheles mosquitoes. So, the world of the Acts of the Apostles has come to pass.
I won't say that Sundman knows his computers, because every review says that. (Though he does.) He also knows his biology, though it's about 15 years old at this point. And he certainly knows his Zappa. It was a bit strange to read science fiction set 20-25 years in the past (the book takes place roughly between 1990 and 1995); I occasionally felt like shouting "But you're describing 1990 technology. We couldn't do that then." But that sort of shouting is irrelevant.
Definitely worth reading. And not something you'll find in your local bookstore.
I won't say that Sundman knows his computers, because every review says that. (Though he does.) He also knows his biology, though it's about 15 years old at this point. And he certainly knows his Zappa. It was a bit strange to read science fiction set 20-25 years in the past (the book takes place roughly between 1990 and 1995); I occasionally felt like shouting "But you're describing 1990 technology. We couldn't do that then." But that sort of shouting is irrelevant.
Definitely worth reading. And not something you'll find in your local bookstore.
March 10, 2016
Acts of the Apostles is a fast-paced, intelligent, suspenseful, frightening novel that explores deeply the high stakes of ethics in science. Bouncing from Boston to Basel to Silicon Valley, the action brings together a diverse slate of characters who wield their tortured brilliance through a web of conspiracy, unimaginable wealth, megalomania, and blurred lines between biology and technology. Their various diatribes on the ethics and philosophy of science and technology somehow brings to mind Atlas Shrugged, but unlike Rand’s soulless monsters, Sundman’s creations are (mostly) feeling human beings. The author’s knowledge of nanotechnology, genetics, Senegalese streetscapes, and construction sites is staggering, but not once did I find myself skimming over the technical parts. Written in the late 90’s, Acts of the Apostles hints at many of the dilemmas our leaders are faced with in 2016.
January 5, 2011
Acts of the Apostles will be remembered as the first great thriller of the era of synthetic biology. Written during the height of the 90's Silicon Valley boom, Acts blends together different arenas of new technology, both silicon and carbon-based, with high finance, humor, and the usual thriller quotas of violence, mystery, and sex. The technological ideas are detailed, wide-ranging, and largely plausible; by themselves they'd be worth the price of admission. And yet there's a good novel attached: the writing is taut, the characters interesting, and the story moves to create an entire package that is infectious and fun. If you love the potential of what biological engineering will do, or simply want a technothriller in a new mold, Acts of the Apostles delivers.
March 11, 2012
A smart book with lots of hidden jokes and references if you're a geek... it does show its age a bit, and some of the renamed references are pretty thinly veiled (espresso / Java), but all in all I had a lot of fun reading it.
What it reminded me of was reading William Gibson's books again, or reading Cryptonomicon: you think "I've seen this before" and then it dawns on you that this book was written way before any of the contents was common-place. Viewed in that context I have to applaud Sundman for his vision.
What it reminded me of was reading William Gibson's books again, or reading Cryptonomicon: you think "I've seen this before" and then it dawns on you that this book was written way before any of the contents was common-place. Viewed in that context I have to applaud Sundman for his vision.
February 16, 2010
There is plenty in this book for many types of readers: a thriller, a sci-fi fantasy, a mind-jerking philosophical challenge, a peek at the gene-splicing future. (I should admit I'm a colleague of the author.) I found a lot of standard elements in the book, but always tweaked and twisted enough to throw me off-balance and keep me wondering what would happen next. You can't take anything for granted while reading it.
November 24, 2010
A good, fun read. After a somewhat complicated start, this one will draw you in and keep you interested.
I read it as an ebook; I'm not sure if it is available in print. It reads well as etext, which seems a bit fitting given the subject (though it feels a little dated, set in the mid-90s). There were a few annoying artifacts which I am pretty sure are the fruit of using Smashwords, not poor editing. But overall, it was well laid-out and flowed well in iBooks.
I read it as an ebook; I'm not sure if it is available in print. It reads well as etext, which seems a bit fitting given the subject (though it feels a little dated, set in the mid-90s). There were a few annoying artifacts which I am pretty sure are the fruit of using Smashwords, not poor editing. But overall, it was well laid-out and flowed well in iBooks.
August 12, 2014
This is the first book in the Mind Over Matter series (a 3 book series). An amazing read it is! Kind of a cross between William Gibson's Neuromancer and George Orwell's 1984. The plot is solid and the characters are interesting as well. For me, it was a major page turner. Very highly recommended!
April 24, 2010
Well written cyber novel...one that gets technology & computers (as well as wall street) right. I find myself re-reading it for the sheer entertainment value...
August 17, 2013
Read like Gibson, Stephenson, Crichton, Lincoln&Child, Richard K. Morgan...A great book. Gotta find more by this guy.
Read
February 5, 2013I'm going to hold off reviewing the individual work until I've read the trilogy.
March 12, 2024
Spoiler alert – this review gives away plot points!
Sundmannʼs bio-infomatic thriller, first published in 1999, features realistic characters with plausible motives as it explores the intersection of sex, greed, and nanotechnology. The good guys – including Nick Aubry, our self-doubting hero – have discovered the machinations of an evil genius named Montaigne Meekman, who developed AIDS to motivate scientists to study the immune system. Once it has been figured out, Meekmanʼs minions, aka The Apostles, invent a “machine that would be able to change any one DNA sequence into any other DNA sequence. With this capability the age of the new alchemy would truly begin.”
Turns out itʼs not the deep state we should worry about, but the deep corporations who hire brainiacs to engineer “designer diseases.” Meekman’s Machiavellian goal, he boasts, is to remove the human sense of autonomy, which after all is illusory anyway. With free will gone, it will be possible to harness the brains of experts to work together in lockstep.
Anyone who figures out whatʼs really going on is summarily offed by the "Apostles," his acolytes. The first victim is murdered in the opening 20 pages – or so it seems; later it turns out he survives, albeit in a vegetative state. The real twist comes when we learn still later that the decision to render him merely comatose was all part of the master plan.
The Apostles hunt down subsequent victims across continents, from Palo Alto to Zurich. This allows our sharp-eared author to give examples of comical English as spoken by foreigners. Thus one of the novel’s Swiss characters, when conversing with an American scientist he wishes to impress, comes out with gems like: “How is it that I can be helping you?” and “In what capacity he may work I am not remembering” – sentences that would never cross the lips of a native speaker.
The final chapters turn to a quartet of heroic misfits led by Nick Aubry, whose charisma is such that he can even convert a suspicious cop into a loyal friend. Together, this gang of four pools their own minds to decode messages hidden in Frank Zappa’s “Uncle Meat” album. The good guys thwart the baddies, so Meekman ultimately does not inherit the earth.
At least not this time. The happy end looks to be at best temporary, as a truth spoken early on is borne out, namely, that no individual heroics can stop “the Walmartification of once-beautiful downtowns …; the strengthening of multinational conglomerates relative to poor people, human rights workers and small countries; the end of privacy, the eclipse of democracy, and realistic mayhem in video games.”
Later we read a scientistʼs rueful self-indictment: “This scientific curiosity that we celebrate, this ‘noble quest to understand our universe,’ … It’s a lie. It’s just a fancy name for lust. And for pride. There is no limit to the depravity that mankind will commit in the name of ‘progress.’ And why? Because we feel like it. That’s it. No other reason. Because we feel like it. It amuses us.”
Care to bet on whether this lust can be reined in by thoughtful appeals for moderation or the issuance of reasonable regulations we can all agree on?
In any case, make space on your bookshelf for Act of the Apostles – next to 1984.
Sundmannʼs bio-infomatic thriller, first published in 1999, features realistic characters with plausible motives as it explores the intersection of sex, greed, and nanotechnology. The good guys – including Nick Aubry, our self-doubting hero – have discovered the machinations of an evil genius named Montaigne Meekman, who developed AIDS to motivate scientists to study the immune system. Once it has been figured out, Meekmanʼs minions, aka The Apostles, invent a “machine that would be able to change any one DNA sequence into any other DNA sequence. With this capability the age of the new alchemy would truly begin.”
Turns out itʼs not the deep state we should worry about, but the deep corporations who hire brainiacs to engineer “designer diseases.” Meekman’s Machiavellian goal, he boasts, is to remove the human sense of autonomy, which after all is illusory anyway. With free will gone, it will be possible to harness the brains of experts to work together in lockstep.
Anyone who figures out whatʼs really going on is summarily offed by the "Apostles," his acolytes. The first victim is murdered in the opening 20 pages – or so it seems; later it turns out he survives, albeit in a vegetative state. The real twist comes when we learn still later that the decision to render him merely comatose was all part of the master plan.
The Apostles hunt down subsequent victims across continents, from Palo Alto to Zurich. This allows our sharp-eared author to give examples of comical English as spoken by foreigners. Thus one of the novel’s Swiss characters, when conversing with an American scientist he wishes to impress, comes out with gems like: “How is it that I can be helping you?” and “In what capacity he may work I am not remembering” – sentences that would never cross the lips of a native speaker.
The final chapters turn to a quartet of heroic misfits led by Nick Aubry, whose charisma is such that he can even convert a suspicious cop into a loyal friend. Together, this gang of four pools their own minds to decode messages hidden in Frank Zappa’s “Uncle Meat” album. The good guys thwart the baddies, so Meekman ultimately does not inherit the earth.
At least not this time. The happy end looks to be at best temporary, as a truth spoken early on is borne out, namely, that no individual heroics can stop “the Walmartification of once-beautiful downtowns …; the strengthening of multinational conglomerates relative to poor people, human rights workers and small countries; the end of privacy, the eclipse of democracy, and realistic mayhem in video games.”
Later we read a scientistʼs rueful self-indictment: “This scientific curiosity that we celebrate, this ‘noble quest to understand our universe,’ … It’s a lie. It’s just a fancy name for lust. And for pride. There is no limit to the depravity that mankind will commit in the name of ‘progress.’ And why? Because we feel like it. That’s it. No other reason. Because we feel like it. It amuses us.”
Care to bet on whether this lust can be reined in by thoughtful appeals for moderation or the issuance of reasonable regulations we can all agree on?
In any case, make space on your bookshelf for Act of the Apostles – next to 1984.
January 6, 2024
Being a part of the New Testament, the Acts of the Apostles is such a wonderful book.
With a mixture of historical genre with pure religion, the Acts of the Apostles bring us to the journey of the Apostles after the death of Jesus Christ and tell us about the story of the early church at the early time of Christianity. It is not just a pure religious book, it's truly a history, travelogue and memoir!
With a mixture of historical genre with pure religion, the Acts of the Apostles bring us to the journey of the Apostles after the death of Jesus Christ and tell us about the story of the early church at the early time of Christianity. It is not just a pure religious book, it's truly a history, travelogue and memoir!
March 4, 2017
A futuristic thriller, very exciting and intelligent. Inspired by the latest scientific and technological advancements, Acts of the Apostles is engaging and thought provoking. I enjoyed it very much and would recommend to all.
October 15, 2012
Todd Griffith is a hardware guy developing the Kali chip which is severely off schedule. Arrogant or not, Todd's never been late before and he blames it on his new junior partner, Pavel the Weirdo. Rather than working around his design flaws like Casey, his previous partner, Pavel follows the specs precisely and thereby placing the burden on Todd to troubleshoot and fix. On this particular evening, Todd is going after the most elusive bug and when he triumphantly figures it out he realizes that Pavel has been purposely introducing flaws. He calls their boss, Monty Meekman, who says he'll catch the next flight from California to Massachusetts and asks him not to discuss this with anyone. During the night Todd is shot in the back of the head, leaving him in a coma...
My review here: http://mostlyfiction.com/spy-thriller...
My review here: http://mostlyfiction.com/spy-thriller...
February 7, 2016
Read this science fiction novel already 15 years ago and somehow had it better in memory than it turned out this time.
This is a thriller about the convergence of digital hardware , bio-engineering and nano-machines. Deep conspiracies play the main characters like toys and somehow AIDS and gulf war syndrome all get explained in this context too.
What is truly surprising is that in 1999, when this written, the author foresaw the total use of the internet for privacy invasion and spying already. There are some pretty awesome passages in the book that could been written in the last 12 months.
Nevertheless, the books is a jumbled mess and not too well written. An editor would have had a crucial role to clean this up and make it more fluid and rational.
This is a thriller about the convergence of digital hardware , bio-engineering and nano-machines. Deep conspiracies play the main characters like toys and somehow AIDS and gulf war syndrome all get explained in this context too.
What is truly surprising is that in 1999, when this written, the author foresaw the total use of the internet for privacy invasion and spying already. There are some pretty awesome passages in the book that could been written in the last 12 months.
Nevertheless, the books is a jumbled mess and not too well written. An editor would have had a crucial role to clean this up and make it more fluid and rational.
December 20, 2009
surprisingly good "what if Bill Gates was evil" novel.
June 12, 2012
Decent tech thriller. Drags a bit in the middle.
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