Freedom™

Government and revolutions fascinate me--how do you set up a government that creates and enforces laws, defends itself against attack, and yet enables its own overthrow when it becomes tyrannical or otherwise no longer able to govern appropriately? In Freedom, Daniel Suarez tackles this issue through technology: a deceased gamemaker leaves behind a social revolution through his gaming technology, and it begins to change the world. As with any change, resistance arises, and can become deadly.

The technology is amazing but plausible, and I had fun thinking about how I would accomplish some of the innovations, and how people would react to those. Understanding how easily we as a people can be (and are) manipulated is terrifying. As the digital age progresses and people are increasingly wired in, everyone should at least understand what could be possible.

The characters tend to be absolute--all-good or all-bad--and I've got to admit that I don't think democracy is a good ideal. Too many stupid and incompetent people in the world could spoil everything, as indeed they've proven adept at doing. I'd rather smart and capable people had more say in government, though it's apparent that they're mostly not interested in public office!

This book is the sequel to Suarez's Daemon--be sure to read that first.