"
Daw, Feb 2004, 6.99, 368 pp.
ISBN 0756400902
The only freelance private detective in the year 2058 has HARV, the world's most advanced artificial intelligent super computer hardwired into his brain. At times Zachary Nixon Johnson does not know when his thoughts end and HARV's begins but he knows it is the computer in his head that is waking him up to take a call from a client at three o'clock in the morning.
Ona Thompson of the famous Thompson quads, genetically engineered to be powerful, invulnerable and unbelievably intelligent, wants Zach at her estates post haste because she has a problem and nobody says no to Ona. When he (and HARV) arrives, they find three live Thompson Quads and one dead one. Since it is widely known that the sisters all hate each other, Zach is hired to find the killer so Ona can be exonerated in the court of public opinion and with the police department of New San Francisco.
John Zakour & Laurence Ganem are an excellent writing team who work in the comic book industry that manifests itself in the storyline reading at times like a graphic novel without the pictures. Between the interactions of HARV and Zach and the Thomson quads, one of who is a super crime fighter and one is believes she is a fairy godmother; readers will find themselves in stitches of laughter. This work of speculative fiction is first class entertainment.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident John Zakour & Lawrence Ganem Scholar
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Overall Review
Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into
dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 10% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%
Tone of book
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- science fiction story
Spying & Investigations
Yes
What is main char. doing?
- finding a killer (criminal)
Lifeform altered?
Yes
Kind of alteration:
- Under control of microchip in brain
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- private investigator
Age:
- 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
Earth setting:
- distant future
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
How much dialogue?
- significantly more dialog than descript
