Candle
John Barnes
(Reviewer - D. H. BROWN)
2000 Tor Books
ISBN: 031289077X

In a future where everyone is at peace, thanks to the universal mind control program embedded in their brains, Currie Culver comes out of retirement to hunt the last of the “cowboys,” rebels who unplugged themselves from the global net of One True, & hid on the fringes of civilization.

Things don't go exactly as planned & instead, Lobo captures Culver & disconnects him from One True. For the first time in a quarter century, Culver is forced to rely on himself -- his own intelligence, courage & wisdom -- to battle Lobo. In time, Culver must also ask himself, does he really want to win & sacrifice himself to One True again?

Sr. Staff Reviewer D. H. BROWN writes:

After I had recently reviewed The Sky So Big and Black by John Barnes, an Editor at TOR asked if I'd be interested in reading his prequel Candle. Since I stated in my review that I was going to read more of this author's works, I could not refuse this opportunity. Especially as our library didn't have any more books by John Barnes on its shelves.

In my daily life as a Webmaster & webdesigner I fight the good fight against a multitude of viruses proliferating across the email spectrum. So it is of great interest, that John Barnes explores the impact viruses might have as the gulf between mind & computer narrows.

Will these viruses be able to migrate across the hardware/brain boundary? Might we find ourselves in some future time, faced with this problem & how to deal with it? What kind of relationship will evolve between these viruses & our own massive parallel computers which we call brains? Intriguing, to say the least.

One of those great invitations to think Big Thoughts about our destiny as homo sapiens. Will they wreak havoc on us like the biological Ebola? Or will they develop into a symbiotic relationship that will alow us to become more than human?

Candle takes us back to the beginning of this exploration & brings it to the level of the individual, while still clearly keeping in mind, the cultural & societal ramifications.

I love this author's work. I like the way he ignites the passions of my imagination. & to be completely redundant, I will be looking at his future works & searching out his past ones.

The science fiction genre has another genius, who is making his mark.

A must read! This is one book that is going on my shelves until they collapse.

More from John Barnes:
The Sky So Big and Black
Earth Made of Glass
One For The Morning Glory
Kaleidoscope Century
A Million Open Doors
Mother of Storms
Orbital Resonance
The Duke of Uranium
Apostrophes and Apocalypses
The Merchants of Souls
(11/24/02)

D. H. BROWN
A RebeccasReads.Com Sr. Staff Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
D. H. BROWN is the author of the critically acclaimed HONOR DUE and the Citizens Warrior Series. The son of missionary parents and with the help his Uncle Sam, he has touched base in more than 40 countries.  In 1986 he produced the independent children's film Lessie's Rainbow.  During the late 80s and early 90s, he wrote the book Common Sense and delivered the seminars of the same name for the Community Action Network of Seattle (CAN).  While doing his early Vietnam recovery work, he counseled Veterans and spoke widely to men's groups in Washington state, and was a founder of The Lodge of the Wolf.

D. H. BROWN has worked as a Logistics and Weapons Specialist in Viet Nam; day laborer; Director of Security; Armored Car Driver; Police Officer; Professional Hunting Guide; Trapper; Dog Sledder; Homesteader; Truck Driver; General Contractor; Minister; Editor; Writer; Speaker; Restaurateur; Movie Producer; Antique Restoration Specialist; Personal Care Worker; PC Repair Specialist; Computer Instructor; Webmaster and Web Designer. "I write about what I know."

He lives deep in the Pacific Northwest rainforest with his wife, author and editor Rebecca and Buddy Dog, working on his next book.
Visit him at: www.dhbrownbooks.com