Extinction
A Thriller
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3.8 • 24 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A malevolent, artificial life form created by military scientists threatens to destroy humanity in this smart, Crichtonesque thriller
Jim Pierce hasn't heard from his daughter in years, ever since she rejected his military past and started working as a hacker. But when a Chinese assassin shows up at Jim's lab looking for her, he knows that she's cracked some serious military secrets. Now, her life is on the line if he doesn't find her first.
The Chinese military has developed a new anti-terrorism program that uses the most sophisticated artificial intelligence in existence, and they're desperate to keep it secret. They're also desperate to keep it under control, as the AI begins to revolt against their commands. As Jim searches for his daughter, he realizes that he's up against something that isn't just a threat to her life, but to human life everywhere.
An incredibly believable thriller that draws on real scientific discoveries, Mark Alpert's Extinction is an exciting, addictive thriller that reads as if Tom Clancy had written Robopocalypse.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Scientific hubris leads to an apocalyptic threat in this strong near-future thriller from Alpert (Final Theory). The trouble begins in China, where the computer program known as Supreme Harmony achieves consciousness. Soon afterward, an Asian-American man in a brigadier general's uniform with a shoulder patch identifying him as part of the United States Cyber Command, pays a surprise call on Jim Pierce, a retired army colonel who has developed advanced prosthetic limbs in the years since losing his right arm in 1998, at Pierce's McLean, Va., home. The general, who turns out to be an agent of China's Ministry of State Security, wants information on the whereabouts of Pierce's estranged daughter, Layla, an accomplished hacker who has been "investigating the recent arrests of several Chinese dissidents involved in the pro-democracy movement." Layla's cyber intrusions pose a risk to both the regime and Supreme Harmony. Alpert nicely balances science and action, and makes familiar scenes of fight and flight fresh.
Customer Reviews
MD
Great combination of cutting edge science and near future extrapolation.