Rating: 
Summary: Definitely Not Like DUHbya
Review: Based on the opinions written here they seem to have been written by those who read the book during the notorious presidential election of last year. I suppose that could be an impetus to read the book, but everything we have seen thus far and now know about the current president's agenda definitely does *not* point to some kind of chip in his brain that makes him unusually senstive to what the "people" want. For those who are terminally apathetic about politics, all you need to do is check on DUHbya's policies. Here are the highlights....drilling in the Alaskan reserve to accomodate his oil baron buds out of control, unchecked greed, completely dissing the Kyoto Pact, weakening existing legislation to protect endangered species, and let's not forget the ever popular a little arsenic in the water supply does a body good! But I digress. (PS: I'm *not* a Democrat) Bury/Stephenson's Interface plotline does border on the watered down sci fi thriller side, however, it is an interesting book nonetheless. The protagonist is a likeable politician if such a creature exists, however, personally speaking, I have grown accustomed to the usual, run of the mill, spineless special interest purchased zombie otherwise known as our illustrious elected (and I use the word loosely) "leaders" and so Correnza just holds no credible appeal to me whatsoever. I guess the author was apparently under the impression that using a pseudonym would give this particular novel wider appeal among the general public, but I dunno...you'll have to ask those who aren't fans of Stephenson's sci fi.
Rating: 
Summary: Not pure Stephenson, true--but a fantastic read nonetheless
Review: Having devoured Neal Stephenson's entire canon, I turned to Interface desperate for more...and I was not disappointed. While not nearly as good as Snow Crash or the undefeatable Cryptonomicon, I would consider this a better read than The Diamond Age, Zodiac, or, lord help us all, The Big U (which, incidentally, was almost inexpressibly disappointing). The author(s) compile all of the most terrifying elements of political campaigning into one monstrously capable character, toss in some day-after-tomorrow science, and ground it all in a base of likeable, human characters. If the other (out of print) Bury books are half as good, I won't stop until I've hunted them both down.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad for a book half-written by Neil Stephenson.
Review: Hey, this is a good book. A great read, even. I'm telling you right now: pick up a copy if you like Neil Stephenson. Why? Because it was written, if only in part, by Neil Stephenson. It's easy to tell that Stephenson wasn't totally involved; while much of the prose is taut and exciting, not to mention technologically astute, it lacks the sheer level of unbridled hilarity that Stephenson brings to his work, trading a cackle for a knowing smirk. That aside, "Interface" is an extremely amusing book -- but one that's also quite plausible in today's world of politicians who seem to come prepackaged with sound bites and blow-dried hairdos. Indeed, some politicians' behavior would seem to suggest that they've been given precisely the same treatment as "Interface"'s William Cozzano. The book's ending is quite spectacular and, one could say, entirely out of place -- a symptom which is, unfortunately, all to typical of Stephenson's books. But Stephenson has always preferred to go out with a bang rather than a whimper, and this book is no exception.
Rating:
Summary: Much better than Neal Stephenson
Review: I actually enoyed this (and The Cobweb) much better than books written under Stephenson's own name! I guess I'm not a big fan of his hip, cooler-than-thou, Gen-X style and prefer this tight, well plotted and believable thriller. I gave this book to a friend of mine who worked in DC and has worked since on many campains and he loved it. The insider view of elections and politics is plausible and compelling. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: not the best, but still entertaining
Review: I didn't think I would like this book. I had put it on my wishlist and bought it once in a frenzy of ... well, buying things off my wishlist.
I didn't know what it was about, but I saw that Neal Stephenson was associated with it, and that was good enough for me. After the first 10 pages or so, I really found myself enjoying it. The only complaints I had about it were that it was written in a style that didn't feel write - something about it felt rushed or just that the person writing didn't have the right touch - it was a bit off. That and I felt that it used the word "teflon" way too often. It almost has the feel that the author was like "Whoa! Have you heard of this teflon stuff? Its FANSTASTIC! I'm gonna try to mention it every chance I get."
I at first thought that perhaps this book was written around the time that teflon was invented and he was just trying to cash in on the wave of the future - "my book is vaguely forward thinking because I use words like 'teflon' frequently - more stuff should be made of it."
But this book was published in '94 and I can recall Teflon having been around for a bit by then.
Maybe it was part of a bet with a friend - see how many mentions of it he could make past the editors - ideally in poorly thought out allusions.
Rating: 
Summary: After the election of 2000, you must read this book!
Review: I finished Interface exactly one week before Inauguration 2001. After living through the maelstrom of the election season, I didn't really think I would want to read about a Presidential race, but I couldn't resist a book that I had just discovered was really by Neal Stephenson. Interface was, of course, one of those books you just can't put down. But it was also eerily possible, scary enough to have me comparing the book's candidates to the real ones who are finally vacating my television. The behind the scenes politics that are so far over the heads of the average Joe in this book are startling. At the same time, Cozzano, the main candidate, is really a great guy. Imagine that, a great guy running for President! In addition to the timeliness of the novel, Bury/Stephenson's characterization is excellent. I compare his character development to a satellite shot of the earth from the moon - just the big blue marble - that eventually takes us so close to the characters that we see them on a molecular level. Often times, he starts with the molecular view and zooms the reader out to the really big picture. This is all done with humor and feeling (not sappiness) and an impeccable eye for detail. Read this book - you will enjoy it!
Rating:
Summary: Still prescient, Ten Years Later
Review: I first came across the book back in 1994. As a satire of the political process, it seemed entirely relavent than. Now, it reads like history.
In the story, elections are controlled by a shadowy "Network" of multi-billionaires who operate through campaign media mogul "Cy" Ogle. He plants a computer chip in the head of a popular Illinois Governor who has suffered a stroke. Communicating through this technology, Ogle controls what his candidate says, which thanks to sophisticated polling techniques, is always just what voters want to hear.
Issues? An economic plan? Who needs 'em? Ogle just consults a polling device attached to a volunteer from a target demographic (given hilarious names like "Economic Roadkill" and "Mall-Hopping Corporate Concubine.")
This is not to be mistaken for a thorough political analysis, but the novel is a good,brisk read, even for those who, like me, are not always huge fans of science fiction.
Rating: 
Summary: Conspiracy lovers take notice!
Review: I just read "Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential" (by James More and Wayne Slater); the entire time I was thinking "man, this is just like that book I once read called "Interface" (minus the neuralsynaptic interface of course; or I should say, "I hope"). I'm seriously thinking of sending this book to Karl Rove. As the man in charge of manipulating public opinion in favor of Bush, at the bare minimum I think he'd really get a kick out of this book. I'm sure he'd salivate at the prospect of being able to control Bush directly vs. having to laugh at all his jokes and hang out at family BBQ's. For those who haven't read Interface, I would advise you to avoid unless you meet one of two tests: 1. You're a psycho maniac for Neal Stephenson (which I was, and remained after this book and up until I read Quicksilver). He co-authored this with his uncle. 2. You're holed up on a deserted island with two things: a printed version of this book, and for some reason, a printed version of this review for guidance. The writing is mediocre, the storyline is relatively interesting (although a bit un-realistic)...evil guys create a neural interface that they use to stream public opinion input in real-time (instead of benefitting society and making a ton of money in the process)...um. That's really just about it. No noteworthy twists and a relatively predictable outcome.
Rating:
Summary: Conspiracy lovers take notice!
Review: I just read "Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential" (by James More and Wayne Slater); the entire time I was thinking "man, this is just like that book I once read called "Interface" (minus the neuralsynaptic interface of course; or I should say, "I hope"). I'm seriously thinking of sending this book to Karl Rove. As the man in charge of manipulating public opinion in favor of Bush, at the bare minimum I think he'd really get a kick out of this book. I'm sure he'd salivate at the prospect of being able to control Bush directly vs. having to laugh at all his jokes and hang out at family BBQ's. For those who haven't read Interface, I would advise you to avoid unless you meet one of two tests: 1. You're a psycho maniac for Neal Stephenson (which I was, and remained after this book and up until I read Quicksilver). He co-authored this with his uncle. 2. You're holed up on a deserted island with two things: a printed version of this book, and for some reason, a printed version of this review for guidance. The writing is mediocre, the storyline is relatively interesting (although a bit un-realistic)...evil guys create a neural interface that they use to stream public opinion input in real-time (instead of benefitting society and making a ton of money in the process)...um. That's really just about it. No noteworthy twists and a relatively predictable outcome.
Rating:
Summary: Great Yarn
Review: I took too long to get to this one. Great story w/3D characters, wonderful rhythm, and a snide black political comedy to boot. If you're sick of the vile vermin that infect our political system you'll love this book. Don't let its putative status as a "Sci Fi" thriller mislead you. This is political fiction at its best.
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