Subject: REVIEW: "Acts of the Apostles", John F. X. Sundman

From: "Rob Slade, doting grandpa of Ryan and Trevor" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 08:10:29 -0800

Acts of the Apostles, John F. X. Sundman
	  Review copyright 2000 Robert M. Slade

Is Gulf War Syndrome the result of a massive experiment in the
nanotechnological modification of human DNA?  The answer, according to
Sundman's book, is a resounding "Wouldn't you like to know?"  The central
thesis of the book is that technology is incompatible with freedom,
although you'll only know this if you read the dust jacket.

Basically, this is your common potboiler-thriller, with technical add-
ons.  Sundman has a fine hand with humorous dialogue, and the plot twists,
where they don't rely on implausible technologies, are nicely kinked.
There are so many megalomaniacs floating around that you'll think you've
wondered into Redmond.  He does, however, tend to telegraph deeply hidden
secrets too long in advance.

It's also a little difficult to keep your confidence in a secret
conspiracy so powerful that it can find you anywhere, and can get into
your residence, hotel room, or domicile within hours of your arrival
anywhere, but can't catch you.

The technology rather spoils what might otherwise be a good story.  This
is despite the fact that the author obviously considers himself a
technical insider.  The book contains many computer industry references,
and the knowledgeable can amuse themselves (for a while) by playing "Spot
the (Real) Company."

Like many another before him, Sundman tries to get a little tougher than
science will allow.  The characters party with 200 proof alcohol, a
substance which does exist but which, because of the chemicals needed to
keep it clear of water, is a bit toxic.  If you are faking a suicide, the
use of a silencer is a bit of a problem: silencers aren't as common as
Saturday night specials, and suicides usually aren't *that* considerate
about ensuring that they don't startle people.

The mistakes in the computer area range from "yes-buts" to howlers.  Yes,
many Web browsers have some kind of Usenet news capability built in, but
most techies will use the more appropriate newsreader.  Hash algorithms
are one-way encryption, since the "address space" of the final code is
much smaller than the possible number of original messages.  A code that
uses a book as a reference is neither encryption nor a hash code, it's a
variation on a one-time pad.  Ken Thompson's proposed trap door relies on
a pretty long lead time, and Ken never did create it, he just made a
speech with a "what-if" scenario.  We also have the ever popular
self-destructing file that will erase itself if anyone copies it or even
looks at it.  (Nobody's ever heard of a write-protect tab?)  This one is a
bit more...  violent than most.

Ultimately, though, this is a book with a Point, and the Point is
confusing.  Any sufficiently advanced technology becomes an entity unto
itself, with aims and goals that are beyond our ken.  Why?  How?  Who
knows.  Sundman seems to believe it, and that should be good enough for
us.

%A   John F. X. (Compton) Sundman [email-masked]
%C   P.O. Box 2641, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568
%D   1999
%G   1-929752-13-X
%I   Rosalita Associates
%O   U$15.00 www.rosalitaassociates.com [email-masked]
%P   359 p.
%T   "Acts of the Apostles"

======================  (quote inserted randomly by Pegasus Mailer)
[email-masked]  [email-masked]  [email-masked] [email-masked]
   ( )  electronic hug       (patent pending, Gillian Dickenscheid)
http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev    or    http://sun.soci.niu.edu/~rslade