V. I.: Viral Intelligence

by Don DeBarant

An organism from an alien world has linked with an artificial intelligence. The result: A true computer-bug that hungers for flesh and blood. Now the bugs are loose. The infestation has begun....

Genres: Science Fiction

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 2000

Reviews

[Steve Scanlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storysmith is part human, part Shinnkarien Ox and as his name suggests, he likes to tell stories. Not only does he tell them, he has the knack of making others wax lyrical. Skinshifter is a male Toolie and a friend of Story’s. The pair of them are confidence tricksters and are on their way to Kiskikill, the home of the Insussklik (aka Toolies) where their friends, Mike Blink and Melody, are in need of assistance. There has been a disruption to hyperspace that is affecting Mike’s chances of survival.

I would recommend reading STEELDRIVER before tackling V.I. It is set in the same universe, but a couple of hundred years after the events in the earlier story. In this outing we learn more about the Toolies, their planet and their history along with a closer look at the hyperspace dimension mentioned in the Mike Blink story in STEELDRIVER.

V.I. is jam packed with stories. Almost every second chapter introduces a new character who retells their own story which adds to the entire setting within the novel. These new characters are a weird mob. Among them a security guard turned superhero, a bum turned monstrous garbage disposal unit and an 800-pound cabbie with criminal links.

Once again this was a very enjoyable romp with a sense of fun. I did find the abundance of stories within the novel a little too much after a while. They did help paint the entire picture, but I would have liked the novel to move along a bit more smoothly.

[Matthew Kitchens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a teenager going through an obsession with the Matrix trilogy. It was such a fun read. I read it so quickly and enjoyed it so much that I forgot I was even looking to scratch a Matrix-textured itch. It's definitely underappreciated. I'll read it again as an adult sometime soon and I'm almost certain it'll still hold up.

[Daniel Vogelsong · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of all time. Between my sister & I, our copy of this novel was nearly destroyed with reads and re-reads. V.I. is fantasy at its best, a science fiction set in a far future that's just like today, a tale of superheros and storytellers, love and loss, filled with allegorical tropes yet surprisingly original. Simply finding this book on list & assigning it a rating makes me want to take a day to simply read it again.

[Leo Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced sci-fi compilation story

In truth this book is more like a collection of short stories, each a piece of a larger story. Fun and fast paced with plenty of imagination on display.