Wonder

April 15, 2011

The spontaneous awakening of Webmind, an artificial consciousness that pervades all of cyberspace, causes consternation among government officials, who seek help from known hackers to bring the construct down. Webmind, however, has other ideas, fueled by its own desire to survive, its knowledge of current technology and social networking, and its friendship with Caitlin Decter, a once-blind teenage math genius now able to see through the auspices of her AI friend. The third volume in Sawyer's trilogy (WWW: Wake; WWW: Watch) is a thought-provoking and often humorous look at future technology, calculating both its advantages and its disadvantages with regard to the human response. VERDICT Entertaining and insightful, with pokes at social media and a clear look at many sides of a timely issue, this story should attract technophiles and general sf fans alike.

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