Interface
From his triumphant debut with Snow Crash to the stunning success of his latest novel, Quicksilver, Neal Stephenson has quickly become the voice of a generation. In this now-classic thriller, he and fellow author J. Frederick George tell a shocking tale with an all-too plausible premise. There's no way William A. Cozzano can lose the upcoming presidential election. He's a likable midwestern governor with one insidious advantage--an advantage provided by a shadowy group of backers. A biochip implanted in his head hardwires him to a computerized polling system. The mood of the electorate is channeled directly into his brain. Forget issues. Forget policy. Cozzano is more than the perfect candidate. He's a special effect. "Complex, entertaining, frequently funny."--Publishers Weekly"Qualifies as the sleeper of the year, the rare kind of science-fiction thriller that evokes genuine laughter while simultaneously keeping the level of suspense cranked to the max."-- San Diego Union-Tribune"A Manchurian Candidate for the computer age." --Seattle WeeklyFrom the Trade Paperback edition.
Stats for nerds
8recommend
22mentions
19people
2014–2025years
45% recommend50% neutral5% critical
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- I'll throw out a recommendation for Neal Stephenson, if you're not already familiar. I like all of his stuff, personally, but the books "Zodiac"[0], "Interface"[1], and "The Cobweb"[2] (the latter two co-authored with his uncle) I think would be a slam-dunk for you, based on your list.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiac_(novel)
- Interface is the best Neal Stephenson book.
- As captured in the classic Neal Stephenson and George Jewsbury novel (released under the pen name Stephen Bury) “Interface”.
Democracy hasn’t functioned as it was “intended” for, well, ever. It was never alive to be killed, which makes this useless handwringing.
- You might like the plot of the (pseudonymous Neal Stephenson collaboration novel), "Interface", by Stephen Bury. There's definitely a parallel to what you're describing applied to politics.
- Something similar to this was the core of the Neal Stephenson/George Jewsbury novel Interface (highly recommended read); it's absolutely wild that it's already a real thing.
- Quarantine by Greg Egan: https://www.gregegan.net/QUARANTINE/Quarantine.html
Upon re-reading your question, I don't think this recommendation exactly fits, but, damn, it's a good book anyway and Neal Stephenson doesn't do things by halves: Interface by Neal Stephenson (under a pseudonym and in conjunction with another author also using a pseudonym). This book only becomes more relevant with each presidential campaign: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interface_(novel)
