Nexus: Nexus, Book 1

Nexus by Ramez Naam. Wonderful book. If you like high tech with high ideas then you'll inhale this book. The writing while not flashy is very smooth and professional. Surprising given this is his first work of fiction. Characters are well drawn with depth and interest, perhaps they fit a little too closely to type, but they are people worth caring about. The plot has a sense of the inevitabel as it is grounded in the idea that history repeats itself not because of any sort of magic, but because human nature itself does not change. Yet there's still enough freedom that the plot stays interesting throughout and the ending is both satisfying and pragmatic.Nexus is very H. G. Wells. There's a big bold futuristic idea, in this case it's how nanotech will create transhumans and bootstrap nextgen posthumans, and then see how that big idea plays out in the arena of our human capacity for great good and even greater evil. Invisible Man, War of the Worlds, Time Machine, Island of Doctor Moreau, follow this pattern with humans always weighing out as wanting.In Nexus humans are still on probation, but the book radiates with the same sort of optimism you'll find in the psychedelic era writing of Gordon Wasson, Gerald Heard, Aldous Huxley, Alan Watts, John Lilly, and Timothy Leary. There was a hope at the time drugs could open the human mind to a greater understanding that would lead to transcendence. A new way of humans to be with each other.For some, in the right circumstances, this is no doubt true, but these powerful drugs, released in a common culture free of shamans, were abused and trivialized. The psychedelic era ended with a predictable reactionary anti-drug movement firmly in place.Then end game was clear relatively early on, but how it worked its way through a twisty backstabbing path was fun to watch. We have our extremes set against each other.The War on Drugs types who think the way to protect the world is complete control, even while they themselves become completely corrupted in the process. I'll call these the Sith.Then there are the profiteers. They look to exploit any new development for profit without regard to morality or consequences. These are the Merchants.Then there are the utopians who can only see the upside to their favorite development. These are the Hippies.Then there are people who just want to be better. Enhancement is seen as a good thing. These are the Humans.Then there are the elites who want control so they can profit and/or believe they are the only ones who know how the world should be run and everyone else's freedom is a purposeless misguided waste. I'll call these the .01%.So, we have nanotech in Nexus following a similar path to the psychedelic movement, yet nanotech technology has an even greater more tangible promise, along with an even greater more tangible terror.What happens then when you chum the social and political waters with a revolutionary technology like nanotech, that promises vastly enhanced intelligence, a group mind, and the possibility of absolute mind control? How will humans handle it?Nexus doesn't answer that question because it is unanswerable. There will be as many answers as there are humans.The interesting broader implication is that technology will change humans so much they will not be human anymore. If you aren't human then why not just kill and control humans? The implication being only your kind deserves respect. As humans we have this same issue with animals and when we visit people from different cultures. You can imagine when much more powerful aliens visit they will have the same issues. Robots will no doubt have the same issue towards humans in an uncomfortably short time.Why shouldn't the strong crush the weak? Why shouldn't those who are different be treated as other?Nexus casts back thousands of years ago for approaches to the how-we-can-all-get-along problem. It will seem very familiar to Buddhists and early followers of Jesus. Technology both amplifies and destroys. In the end it's about making a personal choice to be better than we are. Not everyone will make that choice, but we should always be aware it is a choice that is constantly being made, regardless of technology, tribe, nationality, or species.

If I could give this book six stars, I would ... it's truly that good. And this is even more incredible considering that this is this author's first real work of fiction.Everything about this book is captivating. The central concept (that of nano-scale bots that, over time, modify, enhance, and upgrade the very structure of your brain until it becomes cybernetic) is, initially, somewhat hard to swallow. Indeed, some of the exposition concerning how this works, how it's possible, etcetera, proves to be the weakest area in the book, and while it's not entirely conveyed as magic, it's more often than not glossed over a little.Ultimately, that doesn't affect the plot, though. Very quickly, you come to accept the concept of the Nexus, how it works and what it does, in a natural, off-hand way. It's at this point that the story really hits its pace and holds it unflinchingly throughout the book, while also seemlessly layering in lengthier dialogue that takes a "debate" format (a la Michael Crichton) in extolling the virtues of the technology while condemning the supposed downsides.As a concept, conflicts about the Nexus upgrade reads like a cross between the classic drug debate and the continual striving to achieve equality for all people. Perhaps it's intentionally that the author subtley likens the Nexus "drug" to other middle-of-the-road controlled substances like marijuanna; indeed, many of the scenes involving regular users of Nexus reads either like a hippie commune or a hangout with pot. But the author handles this more intelligently than that; Nexus is quickly shown as something with far greater potential than simply "a drug" to get high with. It's through the miriad conflicts between characters on each side of the "problem" that the author demonstrates his mastery of concept about a controversial near-future technology.And this is where the story gets even better. After some initial warm-up, lengthier bits of exposition, character introductions, and conflict creations, the plot doubles its pace and doesn't let up. It quickly becomes a globe-trotting, crime-fighting adventure worthy of any cinema-quality production. But this is not to say anything is rushed; even at this stage, there continues to be extensive discussion concerning the nature of Nexus and whether it should be banned or embraced. This is handled so well that any reader can easily find themselves agreeing with either opinion, and potentially being right in their conclusion. Ultimately, a lot of people die in this novel, and so the reader couldn't be faulted for seeing Nexus as a bad thing (again, think of the War on Drugs).As far as characters go, the author handles this superbly as well. You can pretty easily relate to just about any of the people involved in the plot, right down to some of the bad guys and "throw-away" characters that are only present for one chapter. The backgrounds of many of these people are introduced beautifuly and are (maybe other than for ONE of them) largely believable. There is plenty of internal conflict that occurs with the main characters, and this too is realized naturally and in such a way as to make you sympathetic to them, even if they're supposed to be an antagonist.When it comes down to it, this book handles A LOT of near-future concepts effortlessly and naturally. Try cataloging all of them once you finish, and you might be surprised at how many things come up. But more than just being a concept sci-fi, the plot approaches things in such a smooth way as to make the book surprisingly easy and enjoyable to read. Michael Crichton was one of the greatest concept sci-fi writers to live, and his passing was unfortunate, but if you loved his work, you'll probably love this author just as much.

Nexus is the story of nano biotechnologically enhanced players in a world dominated by a few power brokers. I was looking for a fictional representation of nanotechnology and in a limited sense, I guess I found it. However, leaving aside the central idea of the potential impact of bio-engineering on humankind, the book is lamentable. It is poorly written, the characters are one-dimensional and the plot predictable. The only encouragement I drew from reading this novel is that there is a huge gap in the market for someone wanting to write a quality fiction on the topic. Is there anyone up to the challenge? The field is wide open.

What a fantastic series the Nexus Trilogy is! I bought all three in one go which is unusual for me but I figured at 99p each I was getting excellent value for my money if the story turned out to be a good read. A good read it certainly is. Not a quick read, as there is plenty to get your teeth into. The science in it is so believable. In fact, at the end of each book Mr Naam tells you about the science that influenced his trilogy and what scientists around the world have actually achieved so far. That alone is worth the 99p.I have to say I gave this first book, Nexus, a 5 star rating, as I was hooked from the start and it kept my attention right to the end. You really care about the main characters and want to see how successful they are and where they end up.I was so caught up in the trilogy that I went straight from book to book. I was a bit disappointed there were only three but the ending is a good one and it does the trilogy justice.I thoroughly recommend this first book and of course the other two, Crux and Apex.

As a Computer Science undergradate, this subject fascinates me. The ability of computation and interfacing to a brain and between brains is literally my dream. This book highlights the dangers of a world where modification due to technology is abundant and all the socio-political mess that comes with it, including much soul searching and ethical-boundary issues. A highly recommended read for people who enjoy a science fiction novel with plenty of technical goodies ( Hard Sci-fi ) and contains a narrative that literally stops you from putting this book down.If you could touch the mind of others, what could you accomplish? A lover, a colleague, a friend, a relative. To experience raw concepts without the conversion to language as a medium. To relive memories shared of a life a generation ago. To feel and share the emotions another person is going through and be able to comfort them in the most intimate way possible, to let them know your true feelings in utter clarity.Ramez Naam is a supporter for transhumanism, and this book ( this trilogy ) perfectly embodies that goal. The world in Nexus is set in approx 2040 where such technologies could exist that 'enhance the human condition'. This isn't just a fictional novel but a possible extrapolation given today's technological feats and engineering. The author even outlines several research studies and experiments, at the end of the book, which show how technology has already improved people's lives. Electrodes implanted in the brain to help a blind man see ( and even drive! ), Cochlear implants for those who are severely hard of hearing, or those whose cochlea hair cells are severely damaged, who can hear again! Even then, some of these preliminary research experiments were set in the early 2000's, and look how much technology has grown since then.It feels real enough to be a possibility for our immediate future, containing well explained processes for the underlying technologies, including the world's response to these technologies and the 'fear' around their use ( Just look at general public response to ever increasing AIs ). It really leaves you wanting to read more, and gets you excited and also concerned for our future where nano-scale technology may, one day, enable us to directly interface technology with our neurons in our brains. It leaves you asking: What does it mean to be human?

I recently watched the latest Star Wars movie and if it can be blunt I thought it was rubbish, weak plot, poor science, too much co-incidence, but I seem to be in the minority in my opinion. This book is the total opposite of Star Wars, Great story, great science, great action with hard edged believable characters. This book really was the tonic I needed to get me back into believing there are some top Science Fiction writers out there, well done Ramez, I really like your style and am just about to buy the next in the series.

There are some good ideas in this book, but a lot of the writing is very clunky and one dimensional. The action scenes are particularly cringe worthy. Couldn't finish it.