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Book Review of The Kraken Project (Wyman Ford, Bk 4)

The Kraken Project (Wyman Ford, Bk 4)
kuligowskiandrewt avatar reviewed on + 569 more book reviews


Douglas Preston has written 4 novels featuring former spy / former monk Wyman Ford. Each involves some science-fiction threat that is a lot closer to potential reality than we might want to think. And each involves the potentially unsettling reality that some aspect of the "threat" has not been vanquished by the last page.

The Kraken Project involves an artificial intelligence that is developed for an unmanned space mission to one of Jupiter's moon an artificial intelligence that escapes its governmental surroundings and enters the Internet. Toss in such varied elements as a software developer with a checkered youth, a rogue trader who lacks the traditional morality stereotypically associated with such individuals (i.e. "no scruples whatsoever" instead of "very very little"), an independent developer of toy robotics, a despotic Arizona sheriff, and a President up for re-election, along with associates of each, and you have "The Kraken Project".

I didn't enjoy "The Kraken Project" as much as the earlier books in this series. However, considering how much I loved the first 3 books, it would be almost impossible to maintain that sort of literary pace. That doesn't mean this wasn't an excellent book, simply that it wasn't "as" excellent as the earlier books in the series.

RATING: 4 1/2 stars, rounded up to 5 stars when 1/2 stars are not allowed.