Sunday, February 13, 2011

Deep State-Walter John Williams

Deep State
Walter John Williams
Orbit, Feb 7 2011, $13.99
ISBN: 9780316098045

To publicize the latest James Bond film Stunrunner, which takes place predominantly in Turkey, the producer hires the Great Big Idea firm to create an augmented reality game (ARG) tied to the movie. Leading the ARG development is Dagmar Shaw, who detests that the host nation has been taken over by the military; she has nightmares over what she once did for the military oligopoly junta.

As Dagmar, her boss Lincoln and the crew (local nationals and Americans) prepare for the final event, she meets the leader General Bozbeyli and inadvertently insults him. She realizes the junta now has targeted them in spite of the terrific publicity received by the country and subsequently them by the Bond tie-in. On the lam while hosting the last ARG, the team makes it to Cyprus where the American government recruits them to use their skills to undercut the junta who possess High Zap; a weapon developed by Lincoln years ago capable of destabilizing the internet.

Although over the top of Mount Ararat, readers will appreciate this exhilarating faster than the speed of light thriller. The key to the exciting plot is in spite of the action, Dagmar and Lincoln come across as real caring people who made major mistakes with who has gained access to their programs. Fans will enjoy Deep State as Walter John Williams reminds readers that today’s strange bedfellows is tomorrow’s enemy (just ask Cheney and Hussein)

Harriet Klausner

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