RM: Why terrorists?

[Kris]

One thing I never did get was why the addition of terrorists to the story? Neal could have made the virus writers real bad dudes and had all the same plot points? It seemed completely unneccessary. He didn't even give them much depth of character or even comment on the validity of their motivations. It is also interesting to me that all the other characters just fell into line with the fact they existed and were the bad guys. Maybe terrorists are the new nazi's in stories now?

[Lepton]

It's the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The entire book is a 9/11 revenge fantasy.

[Brian]

Terrorists made it more exciting, did they not? I feel that was the point.

Seems fairly obvious the characters would paint them as bad guys if they:(view spoiler)[
1. Are making explosives in an apartment and blow up said apartment building.
2. Kidnap you/Attempt to rape you/try to ransom you or do this to a friend or member of your family.
3. Try to kill you
4. Blow up tanker truck at a border crossing/Plan to blow something bigger up
5. ARE KNOWN TERRORISTS (hide spoiler)]

I read this as a straight thriller. Here are the bad guys and here are the good guys...go! I felt no need to understand the "validity" of their motivations.

I think a better question would be why T'Rain was in this book...

[Nick]

Brian wrote: "Terrorists made it more exciting, did they not? I feel that was the point.

Seems fairly obvious the characters would paint them as bad guys if they:"

The bad guys were pretty boring and uninteresting. The main characters were interesting but just going through the motions. All-in-all I wasn't happy with the direction of the story shortly after they made it to China. There was nothing exciting (at least to me) about the whole kidnapping/terrorist story. T'Rain was interesting for the most part. I love the impact of external actions on the social microcosm of the game.

I did enjoy the whole literature part about T'Rain with the two dueling authors. That was probably one of the brighter points of the book for me.

[Brian]

I enjoyed the T'Rain portions as well but was there a story there? Or was it just a way for our heroes to interact? The dueling authors pieces are a high point of the novel, though. It was all interesting.

But, personally, I'm just as interested in a straightforward thriller as I am in sci-fi/cyberpunk. Just my nerd/meathead dichotomy I guess.

I think the book would get bogged down (arguably it is already) if he tried to "humanize" the bad guys. Just wasn't that type of book.

I enjoyed all aspects of this book except the epilogue. I had a blast reading it. Especially after the train wreck that was RP1....

[Nick]

Brian wrote: "I think the book would get bogged down (arguably it is already) if he tried to "humanize" the bad guys. Just wasn't that type of book."

I agree but that doesn't mean they have to be totally boring. I mean look at Alan Rickman's character in Die Hard. He was almost as interesting as John McClane. Jones was just flat and unworthy of the main character Zula or Richard as a villian.

[Kris]

My thought was they had plenty of bad guys already the terroists seem extraneous...it just added another nonsensical element to the plot that was already lost....

[Brian]

@Nick While I may quibble with your cross medium comparison I really can't argue the point. Jones WAS just kind of there...

@Kris You say extraneous, I say over the top fun. It really could've been two different books but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

[Kris]

@Brian over the top I like not extra for extras sake but it is good to hear you enjoyed it just a different feel for me...