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Trojan
Forced to confront the possibility of a contamination of the brilliant Kronos superchip technology, Beverley Laine begins to suspect a plot to ruin her company, Nano Systems. With many lives and millions of pounds at stake, the race is on to solve the mystery of the terrifying Trojan virus.
490 pages, Hardcover
First published June 24, 1991
127 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
James Follett
49 books38 followersJames Follett (not "Follet") was an author and screenwriter, born in 1939 in Tolworth, England.
Follett became a full-time fiction writer in 1976, after resigning from contract work as a technical writer for the British Ministry of Defence. He has wrote over 20 novels, several television scripts (including episodes of the BBC's Blake's 7), and many radio dramas. Follett was one of the 400 most popular British authors, measured by the numbers of books borrowed from public libraries in the UK, having spent 11 years in the public lending right's top two bands of authors.
Follett became a full-time fiction writer in 1976, after resigning from contract work as a technical writer for the British Ministry of Defence. He has wrote over 20 novels, several television scripts (including episodes of the BBC's Blake's 7), and many radio dramas. Follett was one of the 400 most popular British authors, measured by the numbers of books borrowed from public libraries in the UK, having spent 11 years in the public lending right's top two bands of authors.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 19, 2019
An unscrupulous businessman running an international gambling business steals highly-advanced computer chips which will make his business a world-beater, the only problem lies in the determined female managing director who is having none of it. This could almost be a book about industrial espionage... if it weren't for the Martian Invasion.
Considering when it was written, this is a highly entertaining "thriller". It's not badly written and keeps a hold on you. It's fast-paced and there is never a dull moment. Yes the characters are a bit one-dimensional and a bit of a cliche, but it works well.
Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Considering when it was written, this is a highly entertaining "thriller". It's not badly written and keeps a hold on you. It's fast-paced and there is never a dull moment. Yes the characters are a bit one-dimensional and a bit of a cliche, but it works well.
Thoroughly enjoyed it.
September 24, 2020
A wonderfully offbeat thriller. Not so much 'offbeat' in its tone, which is typically earnest and brutal, but in the content. This is a prime example of a solid work-a-day writer throwing everything including the kitchen sink against the wall to see what sticks, and because he's a solid work-a-day writer it generally does and is a lot of fun.
Corporate espionage! Super science! A Bond villian lair! Dashing private detective! Secretary turned action hero! Possession horror! Aliens! Spy satellites! Evil combine harvesters! Fat, slimy Swiss men! A surprisingly long backstory of the bad guy's career in documentary film making!
The book is also interesting now in a time capsule way - now 30 years old it was originally a five-minutes-into-the-future thriller set in 1998. The plot is kicked off in large part by the invention of what is more or less a quantumn computer system, but one that is powered by proteins in a lab-grown organism. It's an interesting idea that I have surprisingly not seen other writers run with. What makes it charming now is that using this incredible quantum power they are able to run devices with ONE GIGABYTE of Random Access Memory, and create tablets that have enough disk space for the complete Oxford English Dictionary AND ALSO the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Parts of the technology predicted were a bit nearer the mark. There's a lengthy description of the capabilities of a tablet (called something else naturally) and how it is able to turn the handwriting of a stylus into text and modify it with a few taps. A lot of the story also revolves around gambling in overseas nations using technology to sidestep the law. This being before the true rise of the internet, the technology Follett imagined being key was satellite broadcasting, but it was a fairly prescient eye on an issue not many people were concerned with at the time.
So why is this fun book only 3 stars? Well, it's interesting. Follett has some great ideas, but ultimately they seem to be all in the service of getting a lot of people with weaponry into the same place so action can happen. He's come up with quite a solid sci-fi premise, but he's first and foremost a thriller writer. The boldest and most interesting implications of the plot get swept aside, and what first appears to be a subplot about highly aggressive corporate espionage soon consumes the book nearly totally.
It is very, very entertaining and quite clever. But ultimately a lot of it falls into typical thriller cliches and the characters are defined enough to be interesting and likable but not quite enough to be engaging. The slightly-rushed climax isn't truly satisfying, and a lot of good ideas are left in the cupboard. Going by the ending a sequel might have been brewing in Follett's mind but doesn't seem to have matured.
Corporate espionage! Super science! A Bond villian lair! Dashing private detective! Secretary turned action hero! Possession horror! Aliens! Spy satellites! Evil combine harvesters! Fat, slimy Swiss men! A surprisingly long backstory of the bad guy's career in documentary film making!
The book is also interesting now in a time capsule way - now 30 years old it was originally a five-minutes-into-the-future thriller set in 1998. The plot is kicked off in large part by the invention of what is more or less a quantumn computer system, but one that is powered by proteins in a lab-grown organism. It's an interesting idea that I have surprisingly not seen other writers run with. What makes it charming now is that using this incredible quantum power they are able to run devices with ONE GIGABYTE of Random Access Memory, and create tablets that have enough disk space for the complete Oxford English Dictionary AND ALSO the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Parts of the technology predicted were a bit nearer the mark. There's a lengthy description of the capabilities of a tablet (called something else naturally) and how it is able to turn the handwriting of a stylus into text and modify it with a few taps. A lot of the story also revolves around gambling in overseas nations using technology to sidestep the law. This being before the true rise of the internet, the technology Follett imagined being key was satellite broadcasting, but it was a fairly prescient eye on an issue not many people were concerned with at the time.
So why is this fun book only 3 stars? Well, it's interesting. Follett has some great ideas, but ultimately they seem to be all in the service of getting a lot of people with weaponry into the same place so action can happen. He's come up with quite a solid sci-fi premise, but he's first and foremost a thriller writer. The boldest and most interesting implications of the plot get swept aside, and what first appears to be a subplot about highly aggressive corporate espionage soon consumes the book nearly totally.
It is very, very entertaining and quite clever. But ultimately a lot of it falls into typical thriller cliches and the characters are defined enough to be interesting and likable but not quite enough to be engaging. The slightly-rushed climax isn't truly satisfying, and a lot of good ideas are left in the cupboard. Going by the ending a sequel might have been brewing in Follett's mind but doesn't seem to have matured.
December 30, 2024
I got a few of James books recently from a friend and loved reliving these stories.
This is a gripping, action-packed thriller that mixes high-stakes espionage with military suspense. Set during the height of the Cold War, the novel revolves around a secret mission to infiltrate a Soviet military facility in the Arctic Circle, where an experimental weapon is being developed. As the story unfolds, a small team of British and American operatives is dispatched to sabotage the weapon before it can be used against the West, leading to a tense race against time.
Follett excels at creating a pulse-pounding atmosphere. The novel is fast-paced, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers on the edge of their seats. His meticulous attention to detail, particularly in the military and technical aspects of the mission, adds realism to the story and makes the action feel grounded in authentic procedures. The tension is constant, with the operatives facing not only the dangerous terrain of the Arctic but also Soviet forces intent on stopping them at all costs.
However, while Trojan is undeniably thrilling, it suffers from some character development issues. The operatives, particularly the protagonist, tend to feel like typical action-movie archetypes rather than fully fleshed-out characters. The personal stakes are underdeveloped, which makes it harder to emotionally invest in their fates. Their motivations often feel secondary to the mission, and their interactions lack the depth that could elevate the story beyond just an action-driven plot.
Additionally, the pacing is relentless, which works in some places but can feel a bit overwhelming at times. The focus on suspense occasionally sidelines character depth and emotional resonance.
Fast-paced, exciting read for fans of Cold War thrillers and military espionage. While it may lack strong character development and seem a little dated and jaded, its relentless action and suspense make it a solid pick for anyone looking for a high-stakes adventure.
This is a gripping, action-packed thriller that mixes high-stakes espionage with military suspense. Set during the height of the Cold War, the novel revolves around a secret mission to infiltrate a Soviet military facility in the Arctic Circle, where an experimental weapon is being developed. As the story unfolds, a small team of British and American operatives is dispatched to sabotage the weapon before it can be used against the West, leading to a tense race against time.
Follett excels at creating a pulse-pounding atmosphere. The novel is fast-paced, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers on the edge of their seats. His meticulous attention to detail, particularly in the military and technical aspects of the mission, adds realism to the story and makes the action feel grounded in authentic procedures. The tension is constant, with the operatives facing not only the dangerous terrain of the Arctic but also Soviet forces intent on stopping them at all costs.
However, while Trojan is undeniably thrilling, it suffers from some character development issues. The operatives, particularly the protagonist, tend to feel like typical action-movie archetypes rather than fully fleshed-out characters. The personal stakes are underdeveloped, which makes it harder to emotionally invest in their fates. Their motivations often feel secondary to the mission, and their interactions lack the depth that could elevate the story beyond just an action-driven plot.
Additionally, the pacing is relentless, which works in some places but can feel a bit overwhelming at times. The focus on suspense occasionally sidelines character depth and emotional resonance.
Fast-paced, exciting read for fans of Cold War thrillers and military espionage. While it may lack strong character development and seem a little dated and jaded, its relentless action and suspense make it a solid pick for anyone looking for a high-stakes adventure.
July 16, 2022
great read!
Great character development; interesting, believable plot; fun thoughts about “alien life forms.” Well written prose, but left some important issues dangling - what happened to the company and is the main character sick at the end of the novel?
Great character development; interesting, believable plot; fun thoughts about “alien life forms.” Well written prose, but left some important issues dangling - what happened to the company and is the main character sick at the end of the novel?
September 28, 2014
I am quite a Follett fan, and was pleasantly surprised to find this hither too unavailable 1991 title available on Kindle having signed up for their Unlimited trial.
It started off in a most fascinating fashion. The end of chapter 10 was most graphic and disturbing, but showing his mastery of the macabre we then see poor Stan, who was indeed "no problem" providing us light relief.
I found the whole thing pretty engaging: Marshall's history was fascinating, as much for the projectors, cameras and evolution of the satellite broadcasting industry as the guy himself, and when things start to go wrong with the casino, I enjoyed that, too. I did find the ending a little slack for Follett's usual, so not quite top billing, but a worthy story with a lot to offer, especially given that it was published over two decades ago.
It started off in a most fascinating fashion. The end of chapter 10 was most graphic and disturbing, but showing his mastery of the macabre we then see poor Stan, who was indeed "no problem" providing us light relief.
I found the whole thing pretty engaging: Marshall's history was fascinating, as much for the projectors, cameras and evolution of the satellite broadcasting industry as the guy himself, and when things start to go wrong with the casino, I enjoyed that, too. I did find the ending a little slack for Follett's usual, so not quite top billing, but a worthy story with a lot to offer, especially given that it was published over two decades ago.
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July 11, 2012Location read: Stellenbosch
December 20, 2013
Perfectly good and readable SF novel. Well written lively characters and plot with satisfactory twists.
For many SF fans this will be a good and enjoyable read, it's just not my style of SF.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews