Rating: 
Summary: May well be the WORST book I've ever read
Review: Although Brunner foresees the influence of a national "datanet" and the book sports a sort of hacker/phreaker hero, you can tell the author quickly made the story up as he went along. The plot is so disjointed and utterly contrived, it seems to be the work of an 11 yr old. Throughout, Brunner tries to impart deep social truths which are mostly just half-baked, thoughtless whimsy. I knew I shouldn't have read the whole book - It really was a complete waste of my time.
Rating: 
Summary: Prescient but dated
Review: Although I can certainly understand the appeal of this groudbreaking precambrian cyberpunk novel, the story and language are hopelessly dated to a modern reader. In a way the book reminded me of an Ayn Rand novel; good ideas stuck between pages upon pages of confusing and ridiculous dialog spewed by one-dimensional characters.
Rating: 
Summary: The blueprint for the internet was written 20 years ago
Review: Brunner managed to predict much of what is happening today onthe 'net. In a well-written tale with programmer as protagonist,he manages to create a compelling story of tecnology's impact on society. Those who fear hackers should read this book if only to gain an insight into their possible motivation. The cry of "information wants to be free" is at the center of Brunner's vision of a society made fragile then liberated by computers.
Rating:
Summary: The one true visionary of Cyberspace and The Net
Review: Don't believe the Hype! There are people out there who would have you believe that the concepts of cyberspace, a networked society and sentient computers came out of their writing efforts in the 80s and 90s. Not true! This book, along with Brunner's other titles, really started it all. Or should I say predicted it all... spot on. In fact, Shockwave Rider, published in 1975 predicted the fusion of TV, PSTN, Internet and the banking system into one cyber-mass that he prophetically refers to simply as The Net. Read it and see the future converge into the present before your eyes.
Rating:
Summary: The one true visionary of Cyberspace and The Net
Review: Don't believe the Hype! There are people out there who would have you believe that the concepts of cyberspace, a networked society and sentient computers came out of their writing efforts in the 80s and 90s. Not true! This book along with Brunner's other titles really started it all. Or should I say predicted it all... spot on. In fact, Shockwave rider published in 1975 predicted the fusion of TV, PSTH, Internet and the banking system into one cyber-mass that he prophetically refers to simply as The Net. Read it and see the future converge into the present before your eyes.
Rating: 
Summary: One of my favorite books.
Review: I loved everything except the ease with which the good guys seemed to protect themselves. Other than that, this book was brilliant, and I'm looking forward to reading more of the author's works.
Rating:
Summary: Tomorrow is today
Review: I read this book when it first appeared. I thought then it was so far off the mark I couldn't find anything in it believable, although it was a good story. I picked it up again a few years ago, and found that I was living the lifestyle of the hero. Everything Brunner talks about in this book as the future is true today.The insights in this book make it a must have in my library.
Rating:
Summary: Tomorrow is today
Review: I read this book when it first appeared. I thought then it was so far off the mark I couldn't find anything in it believable, although it was a good story. I picked it up again a few years ago, and found that I was living the lifestyle of the hero. Everything Brunner talks about in this book as the future is true today. The insights in this book make it a must have in my library.
Rating:
Summary: Phenomenal.
Review: I think I was 10 years old when I first read this book. Every summer after that, I would search for it in the library again. Then I would lock myself away from distractions so as to be totally immersed in the science that was not to be fiction for long. With sweaty palms, I would engross myself in the story of a child prodigy whose childhood was stolen from him by a society that only wanted to abuse him - and how he took it all back in spades. Imagine how ecstatic I am that it is still in print, and so many others have discovered and enjoyed it! As someone else mentioned, stick with it, even though the staging method takes some getting used to. Also, keep an unabridged dictionary nearby unless you have a PhD in English. Brunner really pulls out some obscure words, but that's one of the hallmarks of an excellent writer.
Rating:
Summary: Mildly Interesting
Review: I'm going to focus my thoughts on the visionary event that everyone seems to have missed in their reviews of this book. Certainly along with Vinge (True Names), this book predicts the rise of the Internet, but there is another prediction in there that people don't seem to be paying attention to. The Plug-in lifestyle. Corporations as a game, and not a source of all that is good. People leave and change companies and towns as easily as... you and I do today. Remember when switching jobs wasn't regarded as a smart career move and a chance at promotion? It's easy to forget that even as recently as the 80's (ack. It's not recent to me, but it is in certain senses) the corporation was a place to spend life and retire with a pension and a gold watch. Since then, the concept of a pension is foreign to most of us, as is life-long employment. The early 90's took care of that. The 50's and 60's were the time of the "organization man", not one who could or would switch places or jobs easily, and easily meld in with the newest grouping. It's a shallow lifestyle, but how many people do you know that are experienced at it. After Chainsaw Al (among others), how many people owe loyalty to a company? A far-reaching vision. The book is worth reading to see how true it has become in certain senses. Predicting the future is a hit or miss proposition. This book is a solid hit. At least for me - in the Internet/Information Technology industry.
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