Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Hunt for the Troll in Books
Nov 14, 2019
Deciding to pursue the Troll to find out who he really is involves digging into the past and future of Silicon Valley and draws both wanted and unwanted attention. Who is the Troll and what exactly does he want? And more the point, how can he be found?
The narrative for the books runs very much like a somewhat noir detective novel, but without the fedora (although there is a femme fatale and it does rain...) rather than a techo thriller. The main character is very much the sort of person who relishes a new challenge and embraces the search rather more enthusiatically than his work, even though that work involves spending all day in a virtual reality online game.
The plot progresses at pace with interesting characters appearing to cast light and shadows on various aspects of life at the cutting edge of computer technology. There are coincidences that help move the plot along but a lot of the time the reader will be as frustrated as the narrator that the Troll is proving so elusive. There are sub-plots as well and by the end everything has worked itself out to a satisfying conclusion.
It wasn't entirely without flaw for me; I didn't find the narrator particularly sympathetic or easy to identify with as he has a certain selfishness, self-indulgence and lack of empathy but I suppose that is part of his make up as a fundamental part of tech start ups. Some of the other character motivations are a little opaque too.
But these were minor points and didn't detract from what is ultimately an enjoyable and interesting read and definitely shows foresight on where the computer industry is headed right now.
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