BOTS

In DiMaria’s debut SF novel, a nanotech-implant corporation faces the possibility of frightening, potentially fatal hacker attacks.

In the future metropolis of New Lucien, the mighty Goaldened corporation was formed by four college friends. They perfected implantable nanotechnology known as “bumps” that aim to alleviate such things as poor vision and geriatric decline, among other things, and generally enhance physical performance. Some protesters complain that such enhancements are degrading humanity, and some resist when the government makes some bumps mandatory. Still, the business prospers. Asymta Tik, a social media influencer and the daughter of one of Goaldened’s founders in the public face of the company, and her body holds the latest and best biotech. But behind the scenes, other Goaldened researchers are suffering from serious, strokelike symptoms. The company leadership can’t ignore the possibility that a malevolent group may be hacking into the tech and targeting top scientists. Even Asymta suffers from cryptic, anomalous thoughts, apparently beamed in from elsewhere (“come to the water, come to the sea, we are onto the trees—the copse are on their way”). Asymta pursues a love affair with co-worker Sydney, who’s also descended from Goaldened’s hierarchy and in danger himself. What is the nature of the conspiracy and who are the attackers? There are all the makings here for a cyberpunk potboiler, but DiMaria manages to evoke a world of tomorrow while avoiding William Gibson–style clichés involving virtual reality plug-ins, neon-noir urban environments, sinister multinationals, or excessive violence. However, it’s hard to tell if this book’s tone is meant to be mildly comical as, for instance, a very old school police detective with zero technological savvy bumbles through a feckless investigation. Until fairly close to the finale, the material is also rather low on thrills. However, it still manages to feel like a modest breath of fresh air in a subgenre that too often feels like reboots of the same operating system.  

An offbeat and refreshingly different cybercrime mystery.