Review: "Interface" by Neal Stephenson

Neal Stephenson is an excellent postcyberpunk author, and I reccomend that you read "Snow Crash" by him if you want to see his best work. Nevertherless, this book is an excellent book. The basic plot is thus: a US presidential candidate has a stroke just befor announcing his candidacy. A secretive business organization that owns a large section of the American national debt (which the incumbent president is planning to ignore) wants to take control of the presidency. The organization suddenly invests billions of dollars into brain-implants that could fix the candidate, William A. Cozzano. They do, but along the way, they discover an even better thing: a way to link Cozzano directly to a computerized polling system. The mood of the electorate is wired directly into his brain.

The characters are interesting, being much more than stereotypes, and the writing is brilliant. What really makes it shine is the plot: well conceived and then executed with excellence. I also laughed out loud at several points at the satirization of the American electoral system. In short: I reccomend this book for anyone who likes near-future Sci-Fi or political satire.

Score: 9/10