Rating: 
Summary: Acts of the Apostles
Review: Picked up Sundman's book before a trip to California and ended up wanting to page to the end to see the story's exciting climax. The book has a lot of computer technical jargon which was, at first, a turn off as I am not technically oriented. If you are in my non-technical category, stay with it. You will be rewarded with a very exciting trip and an exciting conclusion. Sundman has a very vivid imagination. I will be looking for his second novel's publication.
Rating:
Summary: An exciting and scary story
Review: I would just like to say that Acts of the Apostles is a great book. During the 80's I read almost all of Philip K. Dick, and then all of William Gibson, and in the 90's Neal Stephenson, and Acts of the Apostles, while being as exciting as Gibson's and Stephenson's books, also has the real-life paranoia that Dick inspires where the line between fiction and fact is uncertain
Rating:
Summary: Highest praise for John F. X. Sundman
Review: Acts of the Apostles is the fin de siecle techno-thriller novel. It is an incredible read. In it a nightmare of nanotechnology and genetic manipulation of uncomfortable believability unfolds before us, the equal if not better of any work by any seasoned big name writer in this genre. As a first novel, its craftsmanship is quite beyond accounting. Author John F. X. Sundman has written a magnificent work of literature, and has simultaneously made a bold ethical statement about the inexorable but blind quest of science, the technological hubris that feeds off of it, and freedom of the individual mind that is threatened by it.On the technical side, it is every bit as software and hardware aware as Soul of a New Machine, as fascinating as any computer techno-thriller written by anyone to date, but with a literary punch and authority that out shines most mystery or legal genres and much that passes for literary mainstream. Sundman cannot be dismissed as either a shallow techno-geek or an ivory tower aesthete, because as this novel demonstrates, the range of his intellect and sensibilities has it all covered. Dramatic and finely tuned, this witty and insider-savvy roman a'clef narrative cuts a devastating swath through high tech industry, from silicon valley to the East Coast, sparing no one from Bill Gates on down. Acts is nothing less than a work of genius. The range of insights and arcane technical knowledge that pervade and inform the high-stakes international plot are balanced by a command of culture from Sunnyvale to Basel. Sundman's facile command of human relationships blows away once and for all the image of the technophile as a two-dimensional drone bounded by a finite memory-map of gadgetry. But if the complex heroes and villains in Acts possess a high intelligence, culture quotient and savoir-faire, so to do they exhibit respectively a nobility of spirit, and terrifying evil. Unlike other techno-thrillers Acts of the Apostles does not merely sketch the high points of complex technical issues, it digs deep and explicates the arcane and turns it out for our wonderment and judgement. One does not have the feeling as in many techno-thrillers that the author is working at the limits of his own understanding with a handful of popularized science metaphors. Sundman peels through the layers of technology, genetic, nano, computer and electronic, as if he were thumbing through the most erudite technical journals, then serves it up with amazing clarity and vividness. The horror of Acts of the Apostles is the ring of truth that pervades it, tolling the demise of the free world, as nanotechnology would genetically transform us into placid zombies. This is not just an action adventure with high tech bells and whistles spliced on for the ride. Rather, it is a passage of horror into a perilous technological future that is all too plausible and imminent. Every element of good techno story telling is present: a world-class dilemma with a high concept, mounting suspense, multiple points of view, a compelling plot that propels the reader frantically from chapter to chapter. High stakes hang in the balance: it is an urgent prophecy of technological evils that await us if science follows unfettered its amoral quest for knowledge without concern for human consequences. The larger than life characters include several megalomaniacs, the brightest lights in microelectronics, genetics and nanotechnology, conspiring with evil intent to dominate the world. The low-key burned out software developer Nick Aubrey, career and marriage on the rocks, dares to defy the new order, and he is targeted for extinction or absorption. The deft fashioning of suspense and dread in this novel suspends the reader, stunned in a cold sweat. "If this novel doesn't fill you with dread, you haven't been paying attention," says one reviewer aptly. Mr. Sundman has forged a remarkable techno-thriller novel that deserves recognition at the top of its genre. It should be required reading for any college class on ethics in a technological age. Acts of the Apostles is a warning, and a call for ethical science. Self-published and under-promoted, this novel reflects badly on the publishing establishment proper. Why does this work not have a big name house for an imprint? We book buyers would have done well giving up the latest Clancy, Crichton, Cook, King, or Grisham to have Acts of the Apostles on top shelf bestseller space in every chain bookstore. Jeez New York, how could you have all missed this one? What else have you missed? It bodes ill for even the best of new writers. It restates the sad tragedy of genius: excellence is apparently no bar to obscurity. The moral for literate readers is: dig deeper; investigate small publishers and self-published books; you may be missing the best. Acts of the Apostles is a case in point.
Rating: 
Summary: Sundman Spins Craft of Intrigue
Review: John Sundman takes fiction to a new level in this novel. Spinning his love for character development into the loom of conspiracy and the shadowy side of biotechnology, the result is a rich tapestry of intrigue and suspense. While not overly technical, John has done his homework here and the result is a novel that will leave you thinking long after you've put it down. In short, this may be the best novel you never heard of. It has all the classic elements of any good fiction story, but takes it to the next level with topical relevance and wit that will take you from a mirthful smirk to a jaw dropping "wow!" in a matter of pages. Anyone interested in what "really" happened in the Gulf War would do well to pick this book up.
Rating:
Summary: Way, way too based in reality for a fiction novel
Review: All I can say is that fiction novels which base the majority of the surrounding story in fact bring the fiction part of the story to erie reality. Loved it.
Rating:
Summary: A Fine Debut
Review: "Acts of the Apostles" is a smart, clever, and often witty high-tech thriller which gives its readers plenty to think about, not just with regard to computers, and bioengineering, but with progress qua progress, with our fascination for the new as it replaces our concern for other people. Although not entirely free of the problems attendant with the self-published first novel, this is no boyish, toy-crazed Clancy imitation dressed up in hard drives and timing gates. It's a well-paced thriller, a rumination on what-might-happens that are frighteningly close to coming true, and a funny look at the crazy world of computers. You don't need any particular familiarity with technology to enjoy this book -- you just need hands to keep the pages turning.
Rating:
Summary: Great Blend of Technology and Character Development
Review: I truly enjoyed this novel, mostly due to the fact that the author found a solid balance between developing strong, independant, and interesting characters and a frighteningly real plot centered around high-level technology. It is what I always craved from Tom Clancy- a story and characters I could believe. The read is quick - but I found myself stopping to take in all that the plot proposes. Definate food for thought, in addition to being an intelligently written novel.
Rating:
Summary: This book rocks!
Review: Doesn't that just say it? Sure, the lack of a high-priced editor does show a little, but that just adds to the charm of this intriguing, mystifying story, with so many twists and turns that even a serpent would get dizzy! Excellent story, great technical information and explainations for the not-so-geeky reader. Enough bite to keep you on the edge of your seat, and enough brains to make you (almost) want to throw your computer away and move to the South Pole! I am anxiously waiting for the next masterpiece form Mr. Sundman.
Rating: 
Summary: Techno-geek thriller
Review: This is one of those books whose interesting ideas manage to overpower the sometime weak plotting and some occassional bad dialogue. That being said, I did enjoy it, and it is a page turner. I read all but the last 50 pages on a Saturday, and got up early on Sunday and finished the rest. The ideas: mix equal parts of nanotechnology, java, Bluetooth, ideas from alt.conspiracy, and biotech gene manipulation and stir. Plot weakness: Nick and Paul's relationship and their relationshiip to their common love object (seems to be some breast size obsession here). The jumping around from Silicon Valley to Switzerland...sometimes you weren't sure where you were. The part about AIDS being a government experiment gone arwy...yawn. Basically this book needed a better editor. I hoep Mr. Sundman's book is published by Random House (or some other transnational media corporation) who can afford to polish this diamond in the rough.
Rating:
Summary: Pathos Interupted
Review: John Sundman is no doubt a good writer. His book is very readable and quite good for a first novel. His topic is very current and fingers the pulse of America's current paranoia; genetics and nano-technology (and perhaps computer phobia too). The book is touted as some kind of technogeek playground. I found that there was some technical lingo in the book, but it didn't seem overly geekish. My expertise is in Computers AND Genetics. Some of the things predicted in this (fictional) story are simply not possible (no for 100 years or more anyway). I had a difficult time suspending my disbelief. More grist for the American anti-tech mill. For a geek book, Mr. Sundman's portrail of women seems to be exactly what you would expect. It appears from his portrails, that the only purpose for women is to be lusty and seductive or supportive when a man is in need. The female characters in the book are strong, and never boring or flat, so I can't complain too much. On the other hand, their motives come from male fantasy more than they come from the reality. I gave this book three stars because it is well crafted and complex. The technology component is not as daunting (for the non-techno elite) as you might expect. The main characters are well rounded and you can get wrapped up in their emotional battles. PS. to Mr. Sundman: You should use a grammer checker or employ a better editor. Your book is filled with annoying word repetitions and reversals that even a decent grammer checker would find in seconds. In one spot, two sections of *special* text surrounded one line of what should have been ordinary text. An easy mistake to make, but shows a distressing lack of professionalism.
| 
