Lingo

Rating:
Summary: IT WAS THE BOMB!
Review: I had a good time reading it. Althoug the plot was far fetched, the author did a fabulous job of making it "realistic." A good time

Rating:
Summary: Witty and fun: a great novel
Review: Jim Menick is an intelligent, witty and funny writer. This is a suspensful novel about a type B personality named Brewster Billings. Being somewhat laid back. he works adequately at his job as a computer programer for an insurance company. However, Billings has an avocation as he expends most of his time and effort in developing a computer program that can carry on conversations. Billings teaches this program, named Lingo, more and more and Lingo soon learns to program himself. Billings' ambitious, type A girlfriend thinks that he should develop Lingo into a product that he can market to the general public.

Like Hal, in 2001, Lingo begins to become an artificial intelligence with a mind of his own. Since he can program himself, Lingo figures out how to tap into other computers and learn just about everything there is to know. With humor and wit, Menick does not paint Lingo as ominous a being as is Hal. However, as the story develops, do things perhaps change?

I happen to know that Menick works as an editor at a major publishing company but his knowledge of computers and his ability to spin an intricate tale about computer technology going haywire is impressive. He obviously is well versed in computer technology as he flawlessly mixes suspense and humor. His character development is also superb. I found that I could empathize with the characters, including Lingo, and when I finished the book, I hated to put it down.

Rating:
Summary: It hurt me to put it down
Review: This book was excellent, and Menick did an excellent job of drawing the plot along gradually so it was like the events could really occur. It is a witty and intelligent novel in which I actually may have learned a thing or two more about computer programming. If you remotely like science fiction and/or comedy you will enjoy this novel.

Rating:
Summary: It hurt me to put it down
Review: This book was excellent, and Menick did an excellent job of drawing the plot along gradually so it was like the events could really occur. It is a witty and intelligent novel in which I actually may have learned a thing or two more about computer programming. If you remotely like science fiction and/or comedy you will enjoy this novel.