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Acts of the Apostles/Cheap Complex Devices
First of all, I'm not going to be doing another review of Acts, as I've already done that once. It is worth noting, however, that this is the first time both CCD and Acts have been brought together in an omnibus edition. I've got two different copies of Acts, but greatly enjoyed reading the two together again. Why? Because they fit together like two sides of the same coin -- or better yet, like Walther Matthau and Jack Lemmon.
Cheap Complex Devices's backdrop is that of being (supposedly) machine-written. (The foreword and descriptors of the book itself are greatly entertaining. It's that kind of writing that flows over into Acts.) While the scene may (or may not) have not even the slightest passing resemblance to reality, it's still something that grips your mind. You believe that the "Hofstader Prize for Machine Written Narration" could exist, and that the Society for Analytical Engines sounds pretty reasonable. Heck, it sounds at least as reasonable as the ACM.
BTW, if you can't be bothered to read Acts of the Apostles, take my advice and do it. I believe my standing quote on the book is that it's what Tom Clancy would write if he wasn't dumb. Essentially, it's a great techno-thriller, except the technology is something that a geek would appreciate -- but it's also written well enough that non-geeks will enjoy it. The hero of that book makes an apperance in CCD as one of the heroes in one of the automata written texts.
The actual text of the stories in CCD are just as amusing as the commentary about them, although oddly enough I think I actually like the commentary more then the stories. "Bees" is a commentary on what it means to be human, albiet with a peculiar focus on Gatorade. And the Bonehead Computer - well, just doing a little Googling for it.
I'm not sure what else to say about these books, other then read 'em. If you liked Naked Lunch, or any sort of thrillers, or thought GEB was an amazing work, or just like to read, these books will thrill ya.
To get them, John has a website to purchase CCD. He takes Paypal or checks in the mail. You can buy them in PDF or have dead tree versions sent, or both. Whatever -- you do what want. One caveat though: "Final 'truth in advertising' note: the version of CCD on my website is 87.9842% the same as the final book form (the book is better). I'll reconcile them soon. " (note from John)
Enjoy.
Although Sundman writes well and creates some interesting scenes, I found that Acts didn't really gel. The plot developed more slowly than I expected, and there was too much exposition and discussion. Although he obviously knows a lot about computers, his attempt at plausible biotechnology wasn't convincing.
MILD SPOILER:
Bad guys demonstrate a nanomachine that can activate single genes. Sundman thinks that if you activated a growth hormone gene along one side of a mouse, that side would grow, in a matter of minutes!
END SPOILER
The bad guys' evil plot, when it's finally revealed (more by authorial fiat than anything else, IIRC) is a good (if implausible) premise for a thriller, but it is all left too late in the book. With the wide-ranging plot strands and technical detail, it could have been a biocomputing equivalent of Cryptonomicon, but I was a bit disappointed.
On the plus side, there are LOTS of ideas and plot strands in the book. The portrayal of the ways of computer developers is interesting and engaging. In particular, a lot of the book revolves around the actions of what seems to be a thinly disguised version of Sun Microsystems (Sundman worked for them) and their computer language 'espresso', so it might be especially entertaining if you know the company well.
I wouldn't particularly recommend Acts, but I would like to read his future books.