132,585
edits
Changes
no edit summary
{{infoboxinfobox1
|title=Influx
|author=Daniel Suarez
|publisher=Sphere
|date=February 2015
|website=http://thedaemon.com/
|video=
|summary=When Jon Grady invents a mirror that can reflect gravity he has only the best in mind for society, but elements of the US Government disagree. Rather than being lorded he is locked up in an advanced prison with no hope of escape. Join him in this thrilling techno adventure that has chilling warnings about our own world.
|cover=0751557951
|aznuk=0751557951
|aznus=0751557951
}}
When physicist Jon Grady invents a mirror that reflects gravity he imagines a world that will have cheaper energy and the ability to travel through space. However, unbeknownst to him there is a shadowy government organisation whose job is to quash any technological advancements they believe society is not yet ready for. Therefore, rather than finding himself on stage receiving a Nobel Prize, Grady is thrown into an advanced prison with seemingly no means of escape.
Despite the foundations that the shadowy government agency are built upon being grey, their actions are anything but. There is a streak of darkness in 'Influx' that raises it from a competent techno-thriller into the realms of a real page turner. A futuristic prison full of geniuses sound like a great idea and good fun, but Suarez does not play it for laughs. Instead, Grady and his fellow inmates are all housed separately from one another with only a cruel AI for companionship. The struggle that Grady has to go through parallels that of ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' and just like in that classic, you feel his later vengeance is just.
By adding much -needed grit to his writing style, Suarez leaves the reader unsure what is going to happen next. Events do not always unfold as you would imagine and the characters that you believe will be key towards the end may not even make it that far. This all combines to create a tension that only the best thrillers are able to achieve. Throw in several intelligent and interesting science fiction ideas into the mix and you have one of the best near -future thrillers I have read in a long time – perhaps since ''Jurassic Park''?
Sammy recommendation
There is some great edgy science fiction being released at the moment, why not try out [[Afterparty by Daryl Gregory]] or [[Sand by Hugh Howey]] to find out for yourself? You could also try some earlier work from Suarez : [[Daemon by Daniel Suarez|Daemon]] and [[Freedom by Daniel Suarez|Freedom]].
{{toptentext|list=Top Ten Thrillers of 2015}}