Wyrm [Anglais] [Poche]

In 1999 Michael Arcangelo, a computer-virus hunter, is called in by an old friend to debug a computer designed to learn chess and defeat human grandmasters. He finds a "worm" that exhibits all the signs of intelligence and sentience and that invades the Internet. Interweaving mythology, virtual reality, role-playing games, chess strategy, and artificial intelligence with a theory of a Group Overmind Daemon susceptible to religious symbolism, first-timer Fabi pits a group of computer programmers and hackers against a formidable opponent who may fulfill end-of-the-world prophesies as the millennium approaches. Although the narrative flow is often broken by explanations of technical terminology and concepts, this work is imaginative and solidly conceived. Recommended for sf collections.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

The year is 1999. Michael Arcangelo's business is detecting and eliminating viruses, worms, and other computer-nasties from corporate files and operating systems. While attempting to cleanse a cutting-edge chess-playing program, he encounters a worm-- ``Wyrm''--that not only eats other viruses, but reconfigures other programs for greater speed and efficiency! He also meets Al Meade (she's in the same line of business), and the two strike immediate sparks. Further investigation shows that flexible Wyrm might well be intelligent and even self-aware. Problem? Well, the ubiquitous Wyrm has reorganized the entire computer net as a single massively parallel processor; worse, it's apparently planning a millennial apocalypse in which it will not only kill itself but take with it most of the human race by firing off nuclear missiles! The only way to attack Wyrm is through a vast virtual-reality role-playing game designed by computer genius Roger Dworkin--and Roger turns up dead. . . . Will any of this make sense to non-nerds? Let's just say that it helps if you can decode sentences like ``And the frobnule gives us full wizard privileges,'' and if you know your MUDs from your MOOs. A huge, ambitious roller-coaster of a debut, overstuffed with computer hackese, that tries--not always successfully--to meld the latest speculations in artificial intelligence with computer games, Monty Python, mythology, Lewis Carroll, and whatnot. Grab those wizard privileges and beware of hostile frobnules. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

As the new millennium approaches, cults, sects, and crackpot prophets flood the worldwide media. But for Michael Arcangelo none of their catastrophe theories are more frightening than the Goodknight virus. Michael suspects it is the work of a mysterious programming genius, who designed it to create a computer role-playing game so real it can kill. Now Michael and his team of techno-wizards must descend into a harrowing and convoluted world of reality and fantasy. But what they discover is even worse than they could have ever imagined. For the so-called game is already out of hand, the virus has taken over the Internet, harnessing the power of the millennial frenzy already sweeping the world. And if they don't find and defeat the twisted mastermind responsible, humanity will wake from its worst nightmare to find the end of the world is truly here.

In this stunning cautionary tale, a team of technical wizards tracks a mysterious computer virus to an elusive genius. As the millennium draws near, the virus hunters realize that the brilliant villain has control of the World Wide Web--and his deadly bug has the power to bring everyone's prophecies to fruition.

"Impossible to put down."
--The Press, Philadelphia

"Wyrm is a hugely enjoyable book. All hackers should have this book; so should anyone interested in artificial intelligence, the Internet, computer viruses, role-playing games, mythology, science fiction, Lewis Carroll, or Monty Python. Anyone not in this group has my sympathies."
--Charles Sheffield, author of Tomorrow and Tomorrow

"A plot so wicked and intricate it should be illegal...Very, very cool."
--Sci-Fi Universe

"The real thing, [a] straight-bracing science fiction of ideas...[that] has the feel and delivers the jolt of a good fantasy quest."
--The Orlando Sentinel