What do you think?
Rate this book
Tag #1
The Path
All life on earth is about to be terminated by an entity as old as the galaxy itself. To make matters worse, Simon has broken everything already.
In a future world that is run by computer systems and that is without want, how can a man find his role? Then, if the very computers he works on to try to make them more human suddenly try to kill him, revealing a secret so vast that it affects every living soul on the planet, can that man be a hero?
These are the questions that face the stumbling, comic, and certainly flawed Simon Bank. His job is to work with the System’s artificial intelligence, making it fit more perfectly into human society so that it can keep the country running smoothly. But when the System threatens the peaceful world he knows, Simon suddenly must rush to save his own life, as well as the life of everyone on earth. Forced to reassess everything that he thought he knew, he is caught within circumstances way beyond his control.
Simon’s only hope is to rely on intellect and instincts he didn’t know he had, and on new friends, not all of them human, to change himself and all humanity. And he doesn’t have much time.
In a future world that is run by computer systems and that is without want, how can a man find his role? Then, if the very computers he works on to try to make them more human suddenly try to kill him, revealing a secret so vast that it affects every living soul on the planet, can that man be a hero?
These are the questions that face the stumbling, comic, and certainly flawed Simon Bank. His job is to work with the System’s artificial intelligence, making it fit more perfectly into human society so that it can keep the country running smoothly. But when the System threatens the peaceful world he knows, Simon suddenly must rush to save his own life, as well as the life of everyone on earth. Forced to reassess everything that he thought he knew, he is caught within circumstances way beyond his control.
Simon’s only hope is to rely on intellect and instincts he didn’t know he had, and on new friends, not all of them human, to change himself and all humanity. And he doesn’t have much time.
232 pages, Paperback
First published December 25, 2014
21 people are currently reading
510 people want to read
About the author
Peter Riva
9 books102 followersUCLA Film School, BBC Apprentice, creator and producer 78+ hours of primetime wildlife TV, co-founder film history museum in Berlin, 30+ years work/w leaders aerospace + space exploration and environmental movement. 40+ years literary agent, writes Sci-Fi and Thrillers; true tales, knowledge, all based on life experience. Raised New York City, London, and Switzerland, lives in New Mexico.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
January 3, 2015
2.5 stars.
At first, I was genuinely drawn in by the premise of this novel. An era where EVERYTHING, weather, jobs, even synthetic-kids (that are "recycled" when they reach a certain age) is controlled by computers.
Unfortunately, the characters just didn't resonate with me, and I found the motivations of the main characters questionable, to say the least. Despite the information given, I didn't really "connect" or feel that I "knew" them any better by the end of the novel. Also, for someone as technologically-deficient as I am, there was a LOT of places (particularly in the first half of the book) where I was completely lost with the computer-codes, etc. Obviously, this will not be a problem with all readers, it just affected me, personally.
The book also took a turn towards the last third that I felt was just plain ridiculous. (I don't want to spoil it for other readers, so I won't add the specifics in this review).
Overall, I felt the the storyline had promise, but the lack of true personality in the main characters, coupled with the confusing, intricate computer programing scenes, left me feeling that there was a lot I just wasn't understanding. By the end, I honestly didn't care what happened to any of the key players.
*I won an advance copy of this book through GoodReads First-reads*.
At first, I was genuinely drawn in by the premise of this novel. An era where EVERYTHING, weather, jobs, even synthetic-kids (that are "recycled" when they reach a certain age) is controlled by computers.
Unfortunately, the characters just didn't resonate with me, and I found the motivations of the main characters questionable, to say the least. Despite the information given, I didn't really "connect" or feel that I "knew" them any better by the end of the novel. Also, for someone as technologically-deficient as I am, there was a LOT of places (particularly in the first half of the book) where I was completely lost with the computer-codes, etc. Obviously, this will not be a problem with all readers, it just affected me, personally.
The book also took a turn towards the last third that I felt was just plain ridiculous. (I don't want to spoil it for other readers, so I won't add the specifics in this review).
Overall, I felt the the storyline had promise, but the lack of true personality in the main characters, coupled with the confusing, intricate computer programing scenes, left me feeling that there was a lot I just wasn't understanding. By the end, I honestly didn't care what happened to any of the key players.
*I won an advance copy of this book through GoodReads First-reads*.
January 15, 2015
This book was interesting in concept-- very much so, and I was really into the actual story. But the characters I found to be hard to relate to, and they didn't seem to change or develop over the course of the story. While I was completely enraptured by the storytelling, I struggled a bit with the writing, which was choppy, and full of incomplete sentences as well as run on sentences. This was particularly funny because the main character complains about another character talking like this, yet his entire inner monologue is the same... anyway, it was a fun read at the very least.
I got this book for free on Good Reads FirstReads.
I got this book for free on Good Reads FirstReads.
January 6, 2015
REVIEW: THE PATH by Peter Riva
THE PATH is enlightening (and frightening) science fiction of the near future. On the surface, America is a Utopia, with scientific and cultural achievements far beyond today's reach. Wouldn't it be great to choose the work we each best enjoy? To live in a controlled climate? No pollution, good health, 1.2 children per couple so they can be emotionally, socially, and financially, provided for? But in every apple may linger a worm, in every knot is the seeds of its own unraveling. So, too, sometimes "Utopia" is just a marketed, and marketable, concept. This Utopia is about to encounter its demise.
THE PATH is enlightening (and frightening) science fiction of the near future. On the surface, America is a Utopia, with scientific and cultural achievements far beyond today's reach. Wouldn't it be great to choose the work we each best enjoy? To live in a controlled climate? No pollution, good health, 1.2 children per couple so they can be emotionally, socially, and financially, provided for? But in every apple may linger a worm, in every knot is the seeds of its own unraveling. So, too, sometimes "Utopia" is just a marketed, and marketable, concept. This Utopia is about to encounter its demise.
January 31, 2015
3.5/5 stars
I decided to dive into The Path by Peter Riva. I enjoyed reading it, but it did have a few drawbacks. I received it a while ago from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
The Cover:
The cover shows rather Simon or Agent Cramer doing... something to the System, I imagine. While I was looking at the cover, trying to think of something else to say about it, I noticed that its the first in the Tag SERIES? I thought that this was a standalone book. I can easily say that I have no idea where the rest of the series will go. This book did not have the feel of an opening book of a series...
My Description:
Simon Bank's job is to go into the System (the computer system that controls all of American life from national security to food production) and give it human interaction. He basically tries to mess it up, and theoretically it will learn from him to better itself. Except this plan works too well. The System becomes sentient, and the task of fixing the derailing System falls to Simon. Simon has help though from an agent of Control, Cramer, who while loving chocolate is rude and loves to be in charge. Things go from bad to worse as Simon, Cramer, and a few others attempt to save everyone in America and maybe even the entire world.
My Review:
The good parts?
Everything had a greater significance than it first appears. The plot built on itself in complex yet understandable levels. There were frequent plot twists, and you could never tell where anyone's loyalties truly lay. In fact, there was a huge mystery element to the entire book. I was definitely intrigued and zipped through this book.
It also had a very unique universe in which it took place.
The bad?
At times, it was a bit confusing for a number of reasons. (1) Abbreviations. There were probably thirty or forty different things that were all identified by their initials, and I had a little trouble keeping them straight. (2) The Fictional Universe. I never felt that I fully understood the rules of the world the story took place in. They would introduce a new story element and I would have no idea that that was even possible before it became a critical part of the plot. There was no gradual integration into Simon's world, the reader is mainly just shoved into the deep end. While I figured it out, I wish I didn't have to. (3) Transitions and the Like. I found myself having to reread entire pages because I couldn't figure out who was talking or what the characters were talking about to begin with. (4) Technology. There were many long complex computer programming moments in this book. While I found that I could follow them mostly, I am afraid that some people would be completely lost during them. In general, they didn't effect your understanding of the book but be warned.
I also had trouble comprehending the plans that were created by the characters, and there were a lot of plans. Some of them just didn't make any sense. (SPOILER: What was the benefit of giving Cramer invincibility? I don't think that it helped anyone! SPOILER OFF.) Some of the plans were so complex and dependent on others ignorant reactions that I just didn't buy them. That being said, the plans weren't horrible. I am always a little skeptical of the plans that books propose.
All in all, I enjoyed reading The Path. I was interested. There were a few issues that I had with it, but they were minor. I suggest reading it if you were interested in the description, but if not, I recommend holding off.
Phrase:
Mary's a Genius
Happy Reading!
I decided to dive into The Path by Peter Riva. I enjoyed reading it, but it did have a few drawbacks. I received it a while ago from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
The Cover:
The cover shows rather Simon or Agent Cramer doing... something to the System, I imagine. While I was looking at the cover, trying to think of something else to say about it, I noticed that its the first in the Tag SERIES? I thought that this was a standalone book. I can easily say that I have no idea where the rest of the series will go. This book did not have the feel of an opening book of a series...
My Description:
Simon Bank's job is to go into the System (the computer system that controls all of American life from national security to food production) and give it human interaction. He basically tries to mess it up, and theoretically it will learn from him to better itself. Except this plan works too well. The System becomes sentient, and the task of fixing the derailing System falls to Simon. Simon has help though from an agent of Control, Cramer, who while loving chocolate is rude and loves to be in charge. Things go from bad to worse as Simon, Cramer, and a few others attempt to save everyone in America and maybe even the entire world.
My Review:
The good parts?
Everything had a greater significance than it first appears. The plot built on itself in complex yet understandable levels. There were frequent plot twists, and you could never tell where anyone's loyalties truly lay. In fact, there was a huge mystery element to the entire book. I was definitely intrigued and zipped through this book.
It also had a very unique universe in which it took place.
The bad?
At times, it was a bit confusing for a number of reasons. (1) Abbreviations. There were probably thirty or forty different things that were all identified by their initials, and I had a little trouble keeping them straight. (2) The Fictional Universe. I never felt that I fully understood the rules of the world the story took place in. They would introduce a new story element and I would have no idea that that was even possible before it became a critical part of the plot. There was no gradual integration into Simon's world, the reader is mainly just shoved into the deep end. While I figured it out, I wish I didn't have to. (3) Transitions and the Like. I found myself having to reread entire pages because I couldn't figure out who was talking or what the characters were talking about to begin with. (4) Technology. There were many long complex computer programming moments in this book. While I found that I could follow them mostly, I am afraid that some people would be completely lost during them. In general, they didn't effect your understanding of the book but be warned.
I also had trouble comprehending the plans that were created by the characters, and there were a lot of plans. Some of them just didn't make any sense. (SPOILER: What was the benefit of giving Cramer invincibility? I don't think that it helped anyone! SPOILER OFF.) Some of the plans were so complex and dependent on others ignorant reactions that I just didn't buy them. That being said, the plans weren't horrible. I am always a little skeptical of the plans that books propose.
All in all, I enjoyed reading The Path. I was interested. There were a few issues that I had with it, but they were minor. I suggest reading it if you were interested in the description, but if not, I recommend holding off.
Phrase:
Mary's a Genius
Happy Reading!
April 26, 2016
This is a remarkably smart sci fi with mystery and surprising twists. Quite a ride! My rating 4.5.
The New Republic of America is controlled by a supercomputer. The System controls the country defense shields, the weather, the power, farms providing food, communication, travel and delivery systems. Everyone is happy with their basic needs met and the freedom to choose a job they love. Simon Banks is a brilliant codifier. His job is to enter a virtual world duplicate of the computer system and insert programming glitches. The changes are monitored by a Control Committee who continually fixes them. The described goal is to continually train the computer to behave in a more human fashion; to humanize it for the continued and improved well being of the people.
Suddenly there are glitches to the real System. When a tornado breaks through the weather dome in front of Simon, he knows something is seriously wrong. Simon figures it is the work of other codifiers or maybe errors made by the Committee. Chief Detective Cramer accosts Simon and insists that he is tampering with the System. Simon agrees to enter the System with Cramer to see if they can uncover the problem. What Simon discovers, in addition to a history built on lies, is an emerging sentience in the computer. This could pose a threat not only to the American New Way, but to all of mankind on earth.
Simon and a few friends, as well as the pushy Cramer, are in a race against the System (computer within and government without) to try to save humanity. It will take a lot of scheming to determine the right path to get things back on track and hopefully save the world from destruction.
I admit that the beginning of the story is difficult to follow. I have studied computer language but the details as Simon enters and navigates the computer stream are confusing. However, it is well worth getting beyond that to enjoy the rest of the mystery.
The story is told in first person by Simon, who is a likeable character whose thoughts drift from the complex computer language to very human matters. I enjoyed Cramer’s brusque detective nature as the two tried to outguess each other. There is a thread of mystery from the beginning that kept me on my toes trying to determine who is in control and who are the good guys and bad guys. I learned some interesting true experiments that formed a platform idea for the story.
I really enjoyed following the developments and exchanging discussions on ‘the path, the way and the truth’. Along the way, horrible aspects of politics and man’s insistence on power are revealed. In the last third of the book the twists, or at least surprises, come in rapid succession. The ending is humorous if a bit anti-climactic. I highly recommend this to readers who enjoy science fiction especially as it relates to artificial intelligence.
I received this title through iRead Book Tours for an honest review.
The New Republic of America is controlled by a supercomputer. The System controls the country defense shields, the weather, the power, farms providing food, communication, travel and delivery systems. Everyone is happy with their basic needs met and the freedom to choose a job they love. Simon Banks is a brilliant codifier. His job is to enter a virtual world duplicate of the computer system and insert programming glitches. The changes are monitored by a Control Committee who continually fixes them. The described goal is to continually train the computer to behave in a more human fashion; to humanize it for the continued and improved well being of the people.
Suddenly there are glitches to the real System. When a tornado breaks through the weather dome in front of Simon, he knows something is seriously wrong. Simon figures it is the work of other codifiers or maybe errors made by the Committee. Chief Detective Cramer accosts Simon and insists that he is tampering with the System. Simon agrees to enter the System with Cramer to see if they can uncover the problem. What Simon discovers, in addition to a history built on lies, is an emerging sentience in the computer. This could pose a threat not only to the American New Way, but to all of mankind on earth.
Simon and a few friends, as well as the pushy Cramer, are in a race against the System (computer within and government without) to try to save humanity. It will take a lot of scheming to determine the right path to get things back on track and hopefully save the world from destruction.
I admit that the beginning of the story is difficult to follow. I have studied computer language but the details as Simon enters and navigates the computer stream are confusing. However, it is well worth getting beyond that to enjoy the rest of the mystery.
The story is told in first person by Simon, who is a likeable character whose thoughts drift from the complex computer language to very human matters. I enjoyed Cramer’s brusque detective nature as the two tried to outguess each other. There is a thread of mystery from the beginning that kept me on my toes trying to determine who is in control and who are the good guys and bad guys. I learned some interesting true experiments that formed a platform idea for the story.
I really enjoyed following the developments and exchanging discussions on ‘the path, the way and the truth’. Along the way, horrible aspects of politics and man’s insistence on power are revealed. In the last third of the book the twists, or at least surprises, come in rapid succession. The ending is humorous if a bit anti-climactic. I highly recommend this to readers who enjoy science fiction especially as it relates to artificial intelligence.
I received this title through iRead Book Tours for an honest review.
February 5, 2015
ABR's full The Path audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
The Path is one of those audiobooks that I pick for no real good reasons. The cover doesn’t give a whole lot to go by, as you know, I tend to judge books by their covers. However, the summary makes this sound like a very interesting advanced dystopian society that will be brought to it’s knees.
In The Path Peter Riva was able to create a fascinating and half way believable near future society were all is well. People only work when they want to and do what they want to do. Basically all of their needs are taken care of by the computer system that controls everything.
The first half of the story mainly takes place inside this computer system with Simon, our protagonist, “plugged in”. Here he is able to interact with the system and instantly create programs to do his bidding. The second half takes place in the outside world, where Simon is now on the run. Full of action scenes that didn’t do anything for me.
Where my problem was with the, to me, overly explained computer programming language. After a while I got board with it all. They there was the dialog of the system itself. Very dry and again hard to follow.
If you want a techno babble filled story that will heavily rely on your imagination to picture what is happening. This unique take on a technology driven dystopia will make you happy.
The performance by Jonathan Yen was good but not great. He tried to give some of the characters their own voice, yet it was still difficult to know, during conversations, who was talking. Yen did change the pacing very well, when the story needed it.
I can only imagine how difficult it was to keep things interesting when most of the story was technological jargon. And a dialog from the computer system that was even more difficult to follow.
All in all there are no huge complaints nor are there any striking highlights from Yen’s performance. I believe that he did the best that he could with what he had to work with.
Audiobook provided for review by the publisher.
The Path is one of those audiobooks that I pick for no real good reasons. The cover doesn’t give a whole lot to go by, as you know, I tend to judge books by their covers. However, the summary makes this sound like a very interesting advanced dystopian society that will be brought to it’s knees.
In The Path Peter Riva was able to create a fascinating and half way believable near future society were all is well. People only work when they want to and do what they want to do. Basically all of their needs are taken care of by the computer system that controls everything.
The first half of the story mainly takes place inside this computer system with Simon, our protagonist, “plugged in”. Here he is able to interact with the system and instantly create programs to do his bidding. The second half takes place in the outside world, where Simon is now on the run. Full of action scenes that didn’t do anything for me.
Where my problem was with the, to me, overly explained computer programming language. After a while I got board with it all. They there was the dialog of the system itself. Very dry and again hard to follow.
If you want a techno babble filled story that will heavily rely on your imagination to picture what is happening. This unique take on a technology driven dystopia will make you happy.
The performance by Jonathan Yen was good but not great. He tried to give some of the characters their own voice, yet it was still difficult to know, during conversations, who was talking. Yen did change the pacing very well, when the story needed it.
I can only imagine how difficult it was to keep things interesting when most of the story was technological jargon. And a dialog from the computer system that was even more difficult to follow.
All in all there are no huge complaints nor are there any striking highlights from Yen’s performance. I believe that he did the best that he could with what he had to work with.
Audiobook provided for review by the publisher.
May 12, 2016
Note : The following review has been posted in my blog Book and Ink
Imagining how life would be in years gives a vast playground for a writer to experiment and let loose their imagination. Peter Riva, the writer of this book has turned to the most predictable school of thought – what if at one point of time computers try to kill his very own creator.
Our protagonist Simon’s job is to ensure that the artificial intelligence system runs in top notch condition to help the smooth functioning of the county administration. Things take a violent turn when they very system threatens the existence of his life as well as other fellow human being's life. He is short on time and has to rely on his instincts to save the world.
Being an ardent fan of artificial intelligence and having worked on a project relating to AI, I found the story line relatable but a little far fetched. Of course, given that the book is a work of fiction, such an imagination is acceptable. Having said that, readers in general who aren’t acquainted with his concept of science would simply not see beyond lines of code. The writer could have avoided elaborating on that front. I felt the characterization was a bit superficial and lacked that conviction of a man on a mission. “Tempestuous” would be the right word to describe the writing. Few parts of the writing were really good while in few parts of the book the sentences were a bit abrupt. The writer certainly needs to be lauded for his brilliant sense of imagination. The plot line as such was riveting with enough sensible twists and turns.
MY SAY: For people who love pure Sci-Fi, this book is a treat.
RATING: 3/5
Imagining how life would be in years gives a vast playground for a writer to experiment and let loose their imagination. Peter Riva, the writer of this book has turned to the most predictable school of thought – what if at one point of time computers try to kill his very own creator.
Our protagonist Simon’s job is to ensure that the artificial intelligence system runs in top notch condition to help the smooth functioning of the county administration. Things take a violent turn when they very system threatens the existence of his life as well as other fellow human being's life. He is short on time and has to rely on his instincts to save the world.
Being an ardent fan of artificial intelligence and having worked on a project relating to AI, I found the story line relatable but a little far fetched. Of course, given that the book is a work of fiction, such an imagination is acceptable. Having said that, readers in general who aren’t acquainted with his concept of science would simply not see beyond lines of code. The writer could have avoided elaborating on that front. I felt the characterization was a bit superficial and lacked that conviction of a man on a mission. “Tempestuous” would be the right word to describe the writing. Few parts of the writing were really good while in few parts of the book the sentences were a bit abrupt. The writer certainly needs to be lauded for his brilliant sense of imagination. The plot line as such was riveting with enough sensible twists and turns.
MY SAY: For people who love pure Sci-Fi, this book is a treat.
RATING: 3/5
February 10, 2015
One thing worth getting out of the way early on: the protagonist is truly unlikeable. An arrogant chauvinist who can't help but ogle -- according to his own narration -- any female before him and who only refers to his wife as "She Who Must Be Obeyed", never by name. There were times I almost dropped the entire thing because he is that insufferable.
However, the worldbuilding (re: The System) is excellent and every page the novel spends inside the system is a real treat. Jargon-medium, but enough context is provided that even laypeople won't get lost. The middle of the novel really, truly is a treat, and it's the reason why I'm rating at 4 over 5 stars.
The end feels rushed, to the point where I expected another 50-100 pages to set up the final twists, or more clues along the way to let the reader be clued into it earlier.
That having been said, if you can get over the grating 'brogrammer' protagonist it's worth a read to fans of SF/Cyberpunk.
However, the worldbuilding (re: The System) is excellent and every page the novel spends inside the system is a real treat. Jargon-medium, but enough context is provided that even laypeople won't get lost. The middle of the novel really, truly is a treat, and it's the reason why I'm rating at 4 over 5 stars.
The end feels rushed, to the point where I expected another 50-100 pages to set up the final twists, or more clues along the way to let the reader be clued into it earlier.
That having been said, if you can get over the grating 'brogrammer' protagonist it's worth a read to fans of SF/Cyberpunk.
January 17, 2015
I won a free copy of this book from Good Reads.
Peter Riva has written a rather original book here. While a number of people have mentioned Asimov, to me it reminded me more of Brin's Earth and oddly enough Stranger in a Strange Land. Go figure. In any case, The Path starts off with a lot of technical detail of computer technology--the protagonist, Simon Bank, is somewhat of a programming genius--which might turn off some readers. I enjoyed this part and then Riva turns up the heat with political intrigue, that just might be thinly veiled social commentary, and the book really starts to hum. My main quibble with the book is that the ending that Riva uses seems self indulgent to me--but what do I know? The ending certainly is speculative and can spark conversations. The Path would be a very good choice for a SF oriented book club.
Peter Riva has written a rather original book here. While a number of people have mentioned Asimov, to me it reminded me more of Brin's Earth and oddly enough Stranger in a Strange Land. Go figure. In any case, The Path starts off with a lot of technical detail of computer technology--the protagonist, Simon Bank, is somewhat of a programming genius--which might turn off some readers. I enjoyed this part and then Riva turns up the heat with political intrigue, that just might be thinly veiled social commentary, and the book really starts to hum. My main quibble with the book is that the ending that Riva uses seems self indulgent to me--but what do I know? The ending certainly is speculative and can spark conversations. The Path would be a very good choice for a SF oriented book club.
January 9, 2015
*Goodreads First Reads advanced copy*
Although it started off a bit slow for me, I found the Path to be quite an entertaining story. The pace of the action was wonderful. The characters were quite engaging. I also enjoyed how the author was able to keep you guessing. You never really knew who was good and who was bad till nearly the end.
In several ways the story reminded me of 2001 A Space Odyssey. This was mainly in the interaction between protagonist and computer. If there was any downfall to the story it was in the way that the 'heroes' survived with little difficulty and how the same actions which were rightly described as evil when one group did them were suddenly acceptable 'to save the world'.
Overall I would highly recommend The Path to all fans of Science Fiction, in particular fans of Isaac Asimov.
Although it started off a bit slow for me, I found the Path to be quite an entertaining story. The pace of the action was wonderful. The characters were quite engaging. I also enjoyed how the author was able to keep you guessing. You never really knew who was good and who was bad till nearly the end.
In several ways the story reminded me of 2001 A Space Odyssey. This was mainly in the interaction between protagonist and computer. If there was any downfall to the story it was in the way that the 'heroes' survived with little difficulty and how the same actions which were rightly described as evil when one group did them were suddenly acceptable 'to save the world'.
Overall I would highly recommend The Path to all fans of Science Fiction, in particular fans of Isaac Asimov.
March 18, 2015
Being an avid science fiction reader, I love to feel immersed in a new exciting reality. The Path has a very intriguing concept of the future of humanity on earth and beyond. My favorite aspect of the book apart from its charmingly flawed genius protagonist is that it's futuristic concepts and technological advances are so intelligent and plausible they seem natural, almost inevitable. The author has coined terms like The System, Powercubes and Synth-kids and that are so clever he should copywrite them as they may very well be used in our distant or not too distant future.
February 23, 2015
Wow. Just finished Peter Riva's The Path, and it's both like and utterly unlike anything I've read before. It's everything one would expect from top-caliber science fiction--dazzling technical understandings paired with high adventure--and everything one would not: by turns theological treatise, sharply accurate sociatal commentary, and top-notch gross-out delight... It asks questions of the nature of humanity at its most aparently estranged, and comes up with a very human answer after all. Oh, and of course, he saves the world and gets the girl.
January 29, 2018
I tried so hard to make it threw this book. it's not bad, just above me. well written with a cool premises, I just couldn't follow along. full of computer and technology lingo that is well beyond me. full of coding and other things like that.
if you're into code, computers, algerythms and technology, then this book is for you, just not me.
if you're into code, computers, algerythms and technology, then this book is for you, just not me.
August 8, 2020
Slow start but gathers steam
This book tells a great story. Set in some rather technical worlds and virtual places, the vocabulary and terminology might seem daunting, but those who stick with this book will be rewarded.
This book tells a great story. Set in some rather technical worlds and virtual places, the vocabulary and terminology might seem daunting, but those who stick with this book will be rewarded.
January 31, 2025
Excellent plot, minimal characterization. The book covers a trilogy of material by cutting most of the character development most novels would have, so it’s solid for feeding the mind, but poor for feeding the heart and soul
January 3, 2021
It was an enjoyable enough read, nothing groundbreaking about it but decent.
October 24, 2015
The Path by Peter Riva
It’s a well controlled world with the System in charge of everything from world finances to the weather. Politics is more for entertainment and so the humans can feel like they have a modicum of control than anything else. Skeptical Simon Bank knows this, and like nearly everyone else he knows, he’s OK with that. But then a small tornado hits downtown and it’s too much damage for it to be completely swept under the rug. Plus Simon actually witnessed it and he has the skills and position to figure out what went wrong.
Now the story did hit a slow patch early on. There’s plenty computer geek speak about outdated languages and such. I am pretty sure there were some hidden jokes in there, but they went right over this biologist’s head. I’m glad I stuck with the story because once you get past this slow part, the story picks up. There’s talk about how the human life has been extended hugely and people can have a certain number of biological kids and after that they can special order synth-children. They basically have a pre-programmed end date, but behave and act just like real kids. These bio-tech bits interested me the most.
Simon and a few friends (such as Markerman) suit up and take a dunk in the pool. Mary hangs back outside, ready to assist or pull them out if need be. This is where their special suits allow for a swifter connection with the system, letting them navigate it in an almost Matrix kind of way. Throughout the book, Simon uses this interface a few times and I found the tech to be very interesting. He has to take a certain drug to speed up his nerve response in order to interface with the System via the pool. When someone comes out of the pool, they can let it wear off or take drugs to slow their responses. I do like me some fun and cool tech in my SF stories. And it gets more interesting when Simon comes across an entity within the System. Yep, we’re talking Artificial Intelligence people. Awesome!
Now this new entity at first behaves a little badly and Simon has to think and act quickly to keep his comrades safe. Then the entity kind of clings to Simon. So Simon starts to teach this entity (who we come to know as Apollo) about The Path. Basically, Simon is trying to the teach Apollo some basic rights and wrongs. The Path becomes a subject that is discussed at length at several points throughout the tale. Sometimes the repetition, while realistic for teaching a fledgling entity, slowed the story again.
Now a little oddity is that Apollo has a secret pet name he/it picked out for himself – Peter. Yep, the same name as the author. Whenever an author does this, I get caught up wondering why – Ego? Inside joke? Just for fun? So every time I heard ‘Peter’ in the story I was immediately pulled out the story for a few seconds to contemplate this once again. Basically it was a distraction.
So the tale continues with more action and a deeper worry than the sudden accidental birth of an AI entity. Simon and Apollo have to go into hiding while still trying to figure things out in order to save the world. They have plenty of people after them, most of who want things to remain the status quo. The last quarter of the book was the most entertaining because everything was coming together and there was action. Cramer, and agent of Control, shows up pretty early and is a bit of a wild card. He definitely feels the need to be in control and Simon isn’t sure he can convince Cramer to help him, or at least, to not hinder him. Cramer is also the source of much of the action throughout the tale.
Most of the cast in this story is male. There are a few secondary and tertiary female characters. Mary is the most prominent one and gets to do the most. Even the AI Apollo gets deemed a ‘he’ by Simon. I would have liked a better representation of the ladies.
This book had some pluses and minuses. In the end, I am glad that I stuck with it. The ending is one of those great big concept idea endings. I really enjoyed how we started off with a small localized issue, how it then got bigger, then even bigger, and then the grand finale concept. The author has left the door open for a sequel.
I received a copy of this audiobook at no cost from the author (via the blog tour company iRead Book tours) in exchange for an honest review.
Narration: Jonathan Yen did a pretty good job. The entire tale is told from Simon’s point of view so mostly it is his voice we hear. He had a good, distinct voice for Apollo, sounding a bit clipped and proper. There were a few speaking females and Yen’s female voices were distinct and believable.
It’s a well controlled world with the System in charge of everything from world finances to the weather. Politics is more for entertainment and so the humans can feel like they have a modicum of control than anything else. Skeptical Simon Bank knows this, and like nearly everyone else he knows, he’s OK with that. But then a small tornado hits downtown and it’s too much damage for it to be completely swept under the rug. Plus Simon actually witnessed it and he has the skills and position to figure out what went wrong.
Now the story did hit a slow patch early on. There’s plenty computer geek speak about outdated languages and such. I am pretty sure there were some hidden jokes in there, but they went right over this biologist’s head. I’m glad I stuck with the story because once you get past this slow part, the story picks up. There’s talk about how the human life has been extended hugely and people can have a certain number of biological kids and after that they can special order synth-children. They basically have a pre-programmed end date, but behave and act just like real kids. These bio-tech bits interested me the most.
Simon and a few friends (such as Markerman) suit up and take a dunk in the pool. Mary hangs back outside, ready to assist or pull them out if need be. This is where their special suits allow for a swifter connection with the system, letting them navigate it in an almost Matrix kind of way. Throughout the book, Simon uses this interface a few times and I found the tech to be very interesting. He has to take a certain drug to speed up his nerve response in order to interface with the System via the pool. When someone comes out of the pool, they can let it wear off or take drugs to slow their responses. I do like me some fun and cool tech in my SF stories. And it gets more interesting when Simon comes across an entity within the System. Yep, we’re talking Artificial Intelligence people. Awesome!
Now this new entity at first behaves a little badly and Simon has to think and act quickly to keep his comrades safe. Then the entity kind of clings to Simon. So Simon starts to teach this entity (who we come to know as Apollo) about The Path. Basically, Simon is trying to the teach Apollo some basic rights and wrongs. The Path becomes a subject that is discussed at length at several points throughout the tale. Sometimes the repetition, while realistic for teaching a fledgling entity, slowed the story again.
Now a little oddity is that Apollo has a secret pet name he/it picked out for himself – Peter. Yep, the same name as the author. Whenever an author does this, I get caught up wondering why – Ego? Inside joke? Just for fun? So every time I heard ‘Peter’ in the story I was immediately pulled out the story for a few seconds to contemplate this once again. Basically it was a distraction.
So the tale continues with more action and a deeper worry than the sudden accidental birth of an AI entity. Simon and Apollo have to go into hiding while still trying to figure things out in order to save the world. They have plenty of people after them, most of who want things to remain the status quo. The last quarter of the book was the most entertaining because everything was coming together and there was action. Cramer, and agent of Control, shows up pretty early and is a bit of a wild card. He definitely feels the need to be in control and Simon isn’t sure he can convince Cramer to help him, or at least, to not hinder him. Cramer is also the source of much of the action throughout the tale.
Most of the cast in this story is male. There are a few secondary and tertiary female characters. Mary is the most prominent one and gets to do the most. Even the AI Apollo gets deemed a ‘he’ by Simon. I would have liked a better representation of the ladies.
This book had some pluses and minuses. In the end, I am glad that I stuck with it. The ending is one of those great big concept idea endings. I really enjoyed how we started off with a small localized issue, how it then got bigger, then even bigger, and then the grand finale concept. The author has left the door open for a sequel.
I received a copy of this audiobook at no cost from the author (via the blog tour company iRead Book tours) in exchange for an honest review.
Narration: Jonathan Yen did a pretty good job. The entire tale is told from Simon’s point of view so mostly it is his voice we hear. He had a good, distinct voice for Apollo, sounding a bit clipped and proper. There were a few speaking females and Yen’s female voices were distinct and believable.
October 19, 2015
The Path
Tag Series #1
by Peter Riva
It was just another day, until it wasn't and Simon Bank is caught it the very center of everything. Random failures in the System reveal that something larger is at stake. Life on earth could end very soon if Simon doesn't determine what he did that "broke" the system. Time is running out and the answers lie within the system.
But what Simon is about to discover will forever alter life as we know it. Something is living within the system and it is maturing at a exponential rate that no one thought possible. Is this new awareness within the System truly a new life form? Or is it a System failure that is about to have catastrophic real world consequences? Simon has minutes to determine this and neutralize the threat if he can.
The world has become unbalanced and someone has decided this needs to be remedied now. Life within the System is one of luxury (compared to life outside the System). Population growth is closely monitored but SynthKids (bioengineered, limited lifespan children) are allowed to enhance one's life experience. And then there is rejuvenation of one's own life. Los Angeles is gone. The military now runs the new American country (we annexed territories) - an isolationist state which controls the future of the rest of the world through technological means.
But all this is about to end unless Simon can determine how to influence or stop what he has unwittingly allowed to grow and learn from him.
The Path is an interesting and at times perplexing story. Set at a future date we have allowed technology to control much of what we now have. Life is one of self-gratification and self-discovery. But over the years we've taught our technology too much about ourselves - allowing it to evolve into something powerful, something that could, if left unchecked, destroy us all.
Parts of this book I really enjoyed, some parts not so much, and a couple of times I had to go back and reread portions to fully grasp (I think) what was being presented. This book is classified as being Sci-fi/Cyberpunk which is actually a new subgenre for me. I've read Steampunk before but not Cyberpunk. In case you are wondering according to Technopedia Cyberpunk is defined as "a science fiction genre in which the future world is portrayed as one in which society is largely controlled by computers, at the expense of daily life and social order."
This book packs a punch - the majority of the story takes place over a short period of time. If you like action mixed in with tech you should find The Path to be an interesting and exciting reading experience.
I was provided a copy of this book through iRead Book Tours in exchange for my honest review and tour participation.
Tag Series #1
by Peter Riva
It was just another day, until it wasn't and Simon Bank is caught it the very center of everything. Random failures in the System reveal that something larger is at stake. Life on earth could end very soon if Simon doesn't determine what he did that "broke" the system. Time is running out and the answers lie within the system.
But what Simon is about to discover will forever alter life as we know it. Something is living within the system and it is maturing at a exponential rate that no one thought possible. Is this new awareness within the System truly a new life form? Or is it a System failure that is about to have catastrophic real world consequences? Simon has minutes to determine this and neutralize the threat if he can.
The world has become unbalanced and someone has decided this needs to be remedied now. Life within the System is one of luxury (compared to life outside the System). Population growth is closely monitored but SynthKids (bioengineered, limited lifespan children) are allowed to enhance one's life experience. And then there is rejuvenation of one's own life. Los Angeles is gone. The military now runs the new American country (we annexed territories) - an isolationist state which controls the future of the rest of the world through technological means.
But all this is about to end unless Simon can determine how to influence or stop what he has unwittingly allowed to grow and learn from him.
The Path is an interesting and at times perplexing story. Set at a future date we have allowed technology to control much of what we now have. Life is one of self-gratification and self-discovery. But over the years we've taught our technology too much about ourselves - allowing it to evolve into something powerful, something that could, if left unchecked, destroy us all.
Parts of this book I really enjoyed, some parts not so much, and a couple of times I had to go back and reread portions to fully grasp (I think) what was being presented. This book is classified as being Sci-fi/Cyberpunk which is actually a new subgenre for me. I've read Steampunk before but not Cyberpunk. In case you are wondering according to Technopedia Cyberpunk is defined as "a science fiction genre in which the future world is portrayed as one in which society is largely controlled by computers, at the expense of daily life and social order."
This book packs a punch - the majority of the story takes place over a short period of time. If you like action mixed in with tech you should find The Path to be an interesting and exciting reading experience.
I was provided a copy of this book through iRead Book Tours in exchange for my honest review and tour participation.
November 23, 2015
Peter Riva in his new book, “The Path” Book One in the Tag Series published by Yucca Publishing introduces us to Simon Bank.
From the back cover: All life on earth is about to be terminated by an entity as old as the galaxy itself. To make matters worse, Simon has broken everything already.
In a future world that is run by computer systems and that is without want, how can a man find his role? Then, if the very computers he works on to try to make them more human suddenly try to kill him, revealing a secret so vast that it affects every living soul on the planet, can that man be a hero?
These are the questions that face the stumbling, comic, and certainly flawed Simon Bank. His job is to work with the System’s artificial intelligence, making it fit more perfectly into human society so that it can keep the country running smoothly. But when the System threatens the peaceful world he knows, Simon suddenly must rush to save his own life, as well as the life of everyone on earth. Forced to reassess everything that he thought he knew, he is caught within circumstances way beyond his control.
Simon’s only hope is to rely on intellect and instincts he didn’t know he had, and on new friends, not all of them human, to change himself and all humanity. And he doesn’t have much time.
Does anyone remember the “Colossus” series where the super-computer, Colossus, had taken over dominion of the Earth? Well welcome to the future where the super-computer, System, now has control and we have given it over willingly. System manages our children, our climate, our jobs, our health, we lack for nothing. Except the computer has control. Well all that is about to change on account of Simon and Agent Cramer. You would not think so but Mr. Riva has given us a fast-paced thriller. “The Path” is loaded with twists and turns that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. Man versus machine with his life in danger. Take the phone off the hook and make yourself a big bowl of popcorn because once you get started you will not want to put this book down until you actually finish. I have no idea of where this series is going but I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from IRead Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
From the back cover: All life on earth is about to be terminated by an entity as old as the galaxy itself. To make matters worse, Simon has broken everything already.
In a future world that is run by computer systems and that is without want, how can a man find his role? Then, if the very computers he works on to try to make them more human suddenly try to kill him, revealing a secret so vast that it affects every living soul on the planet, can that man be a hero?
These are the questions that face the stumbling, comic, and certainly flawed Simon Bank. His job is to work with the System’s artificial intelligence, making it fit more perfectly into human society so that it can keep the country running smoothly. But when the System threatens the peaceful world he knows, Simon suddenly must rush to save his own life, as well as the life of everyone on earth. Forced to reassess everything that he thought he knew, he is caught within circumstances way beyond his control.
Simon’s only hope is to rely on intellect and instincts he didn’t know he had, and on new friends, not all of them human, to change himself and all humanity. And he doesn’t have much time.
Does anyone remember the “Colossus” series where the super-computer, Colossus, had taken over dominion of the Earth? Well welcome to the future where the super-computer, System, now has control and we have given it over willingly. System manages our children, our climate, our jobs, our health, we lack for nothing. Except the computer has control. Well all that is about to change on account of Simon and Agent Cramer. You would not think so but Mr. Riva has given us a fast-paced thriller. “The Path” is loaded with twists and turns that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. Man versus machine with his life in danger. Take the phone off the hook and make yourself a big bowl of popcorn because once you get started you will not want to put this book down until you actually finish. I have no idea of where this series is going but I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from IRead Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
October 16, 2015
In the near future a coder finds more than he bargained for within the system
4.75 out of 5 stars.
In the future; you get to do whatever makes you happy. If you’re an incredible programmer, you will program. If you want to go to space, you’ll go to space to help out. Everyone is happy, everyone is helping out the greater good. Simon Bank is one of these people, he goes through the system trying to cause chaos – “teaching” the system and its coders where there are errors or could be issues. He thinks he is working on a secondary system and not effecting the actual system – but he learns that may be mistaken and he finds out another bombshell while in there trying to see what he has done.
The narration on this book was done by Jonathan Yen. Yen provides great narration throughout and helps the story progress through some of the more mundane and detailed parts. I found myself really enjoying listening to Yen’s narration of this book almost as much as I was enjoying the book itself. The audiobook was another one that I think will add something to the book instead of taking something away. If you get a chance, pick this audiobook up, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Riva writes at a fast pace but allows you to feel like you are right there in the action. Simon’s point of view was interesting and I was drawn in quickly to him. Once you get further into the story – it gets really confusing for a little while and feels like it is never going to end. Push through! I promise, the ending was unique and unexpected for me. I really thought I had pinned down how this book was going to end, and I was dead wrong.
You can tell that Riva has had experience in some of the fields that he writes about because there is a great amount of detail given to explain different things within the book. I love stuff like that, where you can tell the author has done his research.
This book has some big turning points, and to write a more in depth review would be a spoiler, and I don’t want to give away anything big.
Throughout the book, I knew that there was a second book planned, and I flip flopped numerous times while reading on whether I was going to want to continue in this world. But, by the end I definitely will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the TAG series.
I received this book from iRead Book Tours & the author for free in exchange for my honest review.
4.75 out of 5 stars.
In the future; you get to do whatever makes you happy. If you’re an incredible programmer, you will program. If you want to go to space, you’ll go to space to help out. Everyone is happy, everyone is helping out the greater good. Simon Bank is one of these people, he goes through the system trying to cause chaos – “teaching” the system and its coders where there are errors or could be issues. He thinks he is working on a secondary system and not effecting the actual system – but he learns that may be mistaken and he finds out another bombshell while in there trying to see what he has done.
The narration on this book was done by Jonathan Yen. Yen provides great narration throughout and helps the story progress through some of the more mundane and detailed parts. I found myself really enjoying listening to Yen’s narration of this book almost as much as I was enjoying the book itself. The audiobook was another one that I think will add something to the book instead of taking something away. If you get a chance, pick this audiobook up, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Riva writes at a fast pace but allows you to feel like you are right there in the action. Simon’s point of view was interesting and I was drawn in quickly to him. Once you get further into the story – it gets really confusing for a little while and feels like it is never going to end. Push through! I promise, the ending was unique and unexpected for me. I really thought I had pinned down how this book was going to end, and I was dead wrong.
You can tell that Riva has had experience in some of the fields that he writes about because there is a great amount of detail given to explain different things within the book. I love stuff like that, where you can tell the author has done his research.
This book has some big turning points, and to write a more in depth review would be a spoiler, and I don’t want to give away anything big.
Throughout the book, I knew that there was a second book planned, and I flip flopped numerous times while reading on whether I was going to want to continue in this world. But, by the end I definitely will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the TAG series.
I received this book from iRead Book Tours & the author for free in exchange for my honest review.
December 10, 2015
Peter Riva does with The Path what Neil Stephenson did with the “Metaverse” which is to make you visualize the deep inner workings of computers in the near future. With the Metaverse, it was a virtual reality world, with The Path, it is the actual system, all the way down to the File Allocation Table. Don’t fret, if you don’t know what a FAT table is, you will still be able to navigate inside your computer through Peter’s descriptive words. I’ve been in IT for 20 years and never have I visualized the inner workings of computer systems quite the way I have with The Path. In some ways, it reminds me of the first time I saw TRON when I was a kid, and imagined a whole world inside my computer.
You somehow can’t help feeling for Simon Bank, our flawed main character, as he uses his skill for mischief to teach the Artificial Intelligence to think like a human, by creating a little havoc. Stuck in a relationship with She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, whom makes him feel trapped, he escapes through the inner world of the computer systems that runs the entire United States. In this seemingly utopian world where the weather is always perfect and everyone has the perfect job, Simon doesn’t seem to fit in. With a giant crush on Meg Ryan, he somehow incorporates her voice in places where it ought not be and has a little fun getting creative with the color of fruits, placing the blame on a co-worker.
Somehow, this seemingly ordinary man is placed in extraordinary circumstances that give this story quite the Jason Bourne experience, mixed with some cyber action and a dash of romance.
What I enjoyed the most out of this book was some of the concepts about AI that truly made me think. Having been exposed to everything from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Steven Spielberg’s AI, the Terminator’s Skynet and more recently Ex-Machina, I accepted AI in the way it was presented to me, without really pondering on it’s birth. The Path really brings this concept in a new light, and I just want to talk about it, except it would need to be accompanied by major spoilers that I don’t want to ruin for anyone.
The book was a great read and left me hungering for a discussion on the topics it reveals throughout. I enjoyed the subtle humor in the writing and I’m so glad I’m not in a relationship with She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed. Grab a copy of the book, it’s an entertaining ride.
You somehow can’t help feeling for Simon Bank, our flawed main character, as he uses his skill for mischief to teach the Artificial Intelligence to think like a human, by creating a little havoc. Stuck in a relationship with She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, whom makes him feel trapped, he escapes through the inner world of the computer systems that runs the entire United States. In this seemingly utopian world where the weather is always perfect and everyone has the perfect job, Simon doesn’t seem to fit in. With a giant crush on Meg Ryan, he somehow incorporates her voice in places where it ought not be and has a little fun getting creative with the color of fruits, placing the blame on a co-worker.
Somehow, this seemingly ordinary man is placed in extraordinary circumstances that give this story quite the Jason Bourne experience, mixed with some cyber action and a dash of romance.
What I enjoyed the most out of this book was some of the concepts about AI that truly made me think. Having been exposed to everything from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Steven Spielberg’s AI, the Terminator’s Skynet and more recently Ex-Machina, I accepted AI in the way it was presented to me, without really pondering on it’s birth. The Path really brings this concept in a new light, and I just want to talk about it, except it would need to be accompanied by major spoilers that I don’t want to ruin for anyone.
The book was a great read and left me hungering for a discussion on the topics it reveals throughout. I enjoyed the subtle humor in the writing and I’m so glad I’m not in a relationship with She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed. Grab a copy of the book, it’s an entertaining ride.
May 15, 2016
**Reviewed for www.saharsblog.com**
I love reading fiction written in such a way to provoke deep thoughts about our current reality. Science fiction is a genre well known for advancing conversations on difficult and touchy subjects, and I feel like Peter Riva’s The Path contributes to such discussions.
One of the discussions this book contributes to is that of bridging differences. Although the difference that needs to be bridged by the main character is that between humans and artificial intelligence—something we don’t have to deal with yet—one can easily see the parallels between the evolution of the relationship between the two species and that of any two groups of people who think differently. The best part of it though is that Riva doesn’t turn his book at any point into a lesson or a sermon. Rather, the concepts flow so seamlessly throughout his story that one can also miss the parallels between his fictional world and our real world. While there are some parts that are philosophically heavier, again they add to the story rather than weigh it down, making The Path top-notch inspirational fiction.
Another discussion Peter Riva’s book contributes to is that of governance. Without giving away too much, the world in which the main character lives in is one in which individuals are given a feeling of freedom and happiness because of institutions that control every aspect of their lives for everyone’s own good. Where is the line though between institutional involvement in day-to-day life and individual initiative? And how far should institutions be allowed to go to protect the supposedly utopian society they have created for their citizens? What costs to other societies are acceptable to maintain this status quo? Again, these are questions that surround us in this day and age which Riva approaches in his book in such as way that, should you not be looking for it, you might miss the parallels.
Further to these important topics, Riva’s book is engaging and action-packed. I didn’t find it particularly comic though, as I was expecting after reading the synopsis describing the main protagonist as such. But there were definitely many smile-worthy moments which made this story all the more credible despite it’s futuristic setting. A definite recommend.
I love reading fiction written in such a way to provoke deep thoughts about our current reality. Science fiction is a genre well known for advancing conversations on difficult and touchy subjects, and I feel like Peter Riva’s The Path contributes to such discussions.
One of the discussions this book contributes to is that of bridging differences. Although the difference that needs to be bridged by the main character is that between humans and artificial intelligence—something we don’t have to deal with yet—one can easily see the parallels between the evolution of the relationship between the two species and that of any two groups of people who think differently. The best part of it though is that Riva doesn’t turn his book at any point into a lesson or a sermon. Rather, the concepts flow so seamlessly throughout his story that one can also miss the parallels between his fictional world and our real world. While there are some parts that are philosophically heavier, again they add to the story rather than weigh it down, making The Path top-notch inspirational fiction.
Another discussion Peter Riva’s book contributes to is that of governance. Without giving away too much, the world in which the main character lives in is one in which individuals are given a feeling of freedom and happiness because of institutions that control every aspect of their lives for everyone’s own good. Where is the line though between institutional involvement in day-to-day life and individual initiative? And how far should institutions be allowed to go to protect the supposedly utopian society they have created for their citizens? What costs to other societies are acceptable to maintain this status quo? Again, these are questions that surround us in this day and age which Riva approaches in his book in such as way that, should you not be looking for it, you might miss the parallels.
Further to these important topics, Riva’s book is engaging and action-packed. I didn’t find it particularly comic though, as I was expecting after reading the synopsis describing the main protagonist as such. But there were definitely many smile-worthy moments which made this story all the more credible despite it’s futuristic setting. A definite recommend.
October 12, 2015
About the Book:
All life on earth is about to be terminated by an entity as old as the galaxy itself. To make matters worse, Simon has broken everything already.
In a future world that is run by computer systems and that is without want, how can a man find his role? Then, if the very computers he works on to try to make them more human suddenly try to kill him, revealing a secret so vast that it affects every living soul on the planet, can that man be a hero?
These are the questions that face the stumbling, comic, and certainly flawed Simon Bank. His job is to work with the System’s artificial intelligence, making it fit more perfectly into human society so that it can keep the country running smoothly. But when the System threatens the peaceful world he knows, Simon suddenly must rush to save his own life, as well as the life of everyone on earth. Forced to reassess everything that he thought he knew, he is caught within circumstances way beyond his control.
Simon’s only hope is to rely on intellect and instincts he didn’t know he had, and on new friends, not all of them human, to change himself and all humanity. And he doesn’t have much time.
My Review:
The world is now run by computers and one man who is very skilled at working computers finds himself in an awkward situation. Simon Bank has a wife and five kids, and going to work each day seemed to be pretty simple. But one day that all changes. With a few codes copied and few things changed, the whole system is being to shut down with Simon as the culprit.
He soon runs into a guy named Capt. Charles Cramer; who believes that Simon knows more than he’s willing to spill. As they go deep into the system, they discover someone else has been tampering with the computers. But who?
Systems are threatening to shut down, which could end life as they know it. With a handful of names and Control on their way, Simon and Cramer must act fast.
The Path is an epic novel with a wonderful Sci-fi effect. I loved the futuristic feel. The Path is an amazing book. I really enjoyed it and must say this is definitely a real page tuner. I can’t wait to see what this author has in store for us next.
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author.
All life on earth is about to be terminated by an entity as old as the galaxy itself. To make matters worse, Simon has broken everything already.
In a future world that is run by computer systems and that is without want, how can a man find his role? Then, if the very computers he works on to try to make them more human suddenly try to kill him, revealing a secret so vast that it affects every living soul on the planet, can that man be a hero?
These are the questions that face the stumbling, comic, and certainly flawed Simon Bank. His job is to work with the System’s artificial intelligence, making it fit more perfectly into human society so that it can keep the country running smoothly. But when the System threatens the peaceful world he knows, Simon suddenly must rush to save his own life, as well as the life of everyone on earth. Forced to reassess everything that he thought he knew, he is caught within circumstances way beyond his control.
Simon’s only hope is to rely on intellect and instincts he didn’t know he had, and on new friends, not all of them human, to change himself and all humanity. And he doesn’t have much time.
My Review:
The world is now run by computers and one man who is very skilled at working computers finds himself in an awkward situation. Simon Bank has a wife and five kids, and going to work each day seemed to be pretty simple. But one day that all changes. With a few codes copied and few things changed, the whole system is being to shut down with Simon as the culprit.
He soon runs into a guy named Capt. Charles Cramer; who believes that Simon knows more than he’s willing to spill. As they go deep into the system, they discover someone else has been tampering with the computers. But who?
Systems are threatening to shut down, which could end life as they know it. With a handful of names and Control on their way, Simon and Cramer must act fast.
The Path is an epic novel with a wonderful Sci-fi effect. I loved the futuristic feel. The Path is an amazing book. I really enjoyed it and must say this is definitely a real page tuner. I can’t wait to see what this author has in store for us next.
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author.
January 11, 2016
I like to challenge myself to read genres I don’t usually read. When I read the book description of The Path, the story sounded really good, and although I don’t read much sci-fi, I do enjoy the genre, especially dystopian. But it was the cyberpunk label of this book that intrigued me. Was I ready for the mind-bending concepts in this book? Partly. I am no computer geek, far from it. But with today’s cutting edge technology, who can ignore the role computer systems have in our lives?
This is basically what is explored in this novel. Within the span of a day, most of the action and philosophical introspection written in the first-person narrative, thankfully immersed with humor and quirky characters, takes place in a different dimension. A man’s brain connected with that of a computer system. It took some getting used to but by the end, some of the concepts began to make sense.
In a nutshell, Simon Bank is a brilliant (although he doesn’t quite know this) man who works everyday with the System, computer programs that runs the future world. His job is to make these systems more human. What he doesn’t know is that the government is holding back a secret that affects all mankind. Simon is caught between several secrets actually, until it all comes together once he is on the run. There is suspense because throughout the story the reader is never quite sure who the bad guys and the good guys are.
Besides the heavy tech jargon that mostly went over my head, I was still able to follow the story and appreciate the concepts the author was exploring. Of course, when we introduce artificial intelligence, the question of why are we here, the purpose of life and God comes into play and is examined. Being a practicing Christian, I took all this with a grain of salt.
However, the author intersperses these serious themes with references to culture and pop icons through Simon’s memories of his childhood and of course, a good dose of dry humour and self-deprecating narrative so that in the end this was a fun book to read. The author’s imagination is overwhelmingly brilliant and I’m sure any IT person would revel in this story. Or those of us who want to be challenged with an intelligent piece of literature.
This is basically what is explored in this novel. Within the span of a day, most of the action and philosophical introspection written in the first-person narrative, thankfully immersed with humor and quirky characters, takes place in a different dimension. A man’s brain connected with that of a computer system. It took some getting used to but by the end, some of the concepts began to make sense.
In a nutshell, Simon Bank is a brilliant (although he doesn’t quite know this) man who works everyday with the System, computer programs that runs the future world. His job is to make these systems more human. What he doesn’t know is that the government is holding back a secret that affects all mankind. Simon is caught between several secrets actually, until it all comes together once he is on the run. There is suspense because throughout the story the reader is never quite sure who the bad guys and the good guys are.
Besides the heavy tech jargon that mostly went over my head, I was still able to follow the story and appreciate the concepts the author was exploring. Of course, when we introduce artificial intelligence, the question of why are we here, the purpose of life and God comes into play and is examined. Being a practicing Christian, I took all this with a grain of salt.
However, the author intersperses these serious themes with references to culture and pop icons through Simon’s memories of his childhood and of course, a good dose of dry humour and self-deprecating narrative so that in the end this was a fun book to read. The author’s imagination is overwhelmingly brilliant and I’m sure any IT person would revel in this story. Or those of us who want to be challenged with an intelligent piece of literature.
October 13, 2015
In this science fiction novel, which author Peter Riva dedicates to his family, an antediluvian entity is about to terminate all life on Earth in a future world controlled by computers, without need, and where a man named Simon Bank reveals a great secret, finding employment working with the System’s artificial intelligence to fit into human society and keep America running smoothly. However, Earth is threatened, with Simon needing to save his own life and those of others on Earth, needing to reassess all he knows, rely on instinct and intellect, and depend upon new friends, some who are not even human, to resolve things in a limited timeframe.
The fifty-year-old Simon himself narrates the novel, finding something wrong with the sky’s behavior, for instance, producing tornadoes and killing people, although he enjoys his work in spite of finding the nation’s main weather control system, WeatherGood One, to malfunction, with plenty of expository backstory such as the future United States of America, simply called the Republic of America, expanding north and south to include former Canadian Provinces, Mexico, and the rest of Latin America. In light of a catastrophe that occurred a century before the novel’s events, sterilization for those who didn’t have children before the age of thirty years became implemented.
Throughout the story, Simon deals with an increasingly-sentient System, which gives itself the name Apollo, with occasional references to twentieth-century events such as the Calhoun Rat Studies conducted in 1962, which found a link between crowding and social pathology, information on them included in the glossary that doubles to define other terms native to the story. Ultimately, this is an enjoyable dystopian story that ends on a good note, although there are occasional parts that drag after the first chapter, which this reviewer found to be the high point of the narrative given its background on the book’s setting.
The fifty-year-old Simon himself narrates the novel, finding something wrong with the sky’s behavior, for instance, producing tornadoes and killing people, although he enjoys his work in spite of finding the nation’s main weather control system, WeatherGood One, to malfunction, with plenty of expository backstory such as the future United States of America, simply called the Republic of America, expanding north and south to include former Canadian Provinces, Mexico, and the rest of Latin America. In light of a catastrophe that occurred a century before the novel’s events, sterilization for those who didn’t have children before the age of thirty years became implemented.
Throughout the story, Simon deals with an increasingly-sentient System, which gives itself the name Apollo, with occasional references to twentieth-century events such as the Calhoun Rat Studies conducted in 1962, which found a link between crowding and social pathology, information on them included in the glossary that doubles to define other terms native to the story. Ultimately, this is an enjoyable dystopian story that ends on a good note, although there are occasional parts that drag after the first chapter, which this reviewer found to be the high point of the narrative given its background on the book’s setting.
November 3, 2015
I leapt at the chance to review The Path as it was a return to a genre I love, but in a subgenre I had not explored - "Cyberpunk." The challenge for the writer is obvious - you must display strong technical knowledge. It just can't be faked well. For the reader, the writing is much more complicated. There is a lot of information to absorb. Sometimes philosophical discussions also arise. If you're looking for just escapism, this might not be the genre for you. If you enjoy being offered ideas to challenge your mind in addition to a SciFi story line, then you've come to the right place.
The Path offers an alternative future where a computer keeps everything in North America running as it should. It appears that the citizens of this country have achieved a sort of utopia - something not shared or allowed in the rest of the world. Simon Bank's job is to try and improve the functioning of the system by making it more human in it's responses. Several surprises arise as breakdowns begin to occur and lies begin to surface. He finds himself being blamed and has to run, struggling to stay ahead of pursuers. The question arises, has this computer become sentient. He says yes and wants to protect this new being. Others fall on both sides - yes and no. Then a larger question of sentience arises on a truly global scale.
We as humans tend to look for a biological body before we embrace sentience. The Path challenges that view on more than one front. Want to know more? You'll just have to pick up a copy.
The Path offers an alternative future where a computer keeps everything in North America running as it should. It appears that the citizens of this country have achieved a sort of utopia - something not shared or allowed in the rest of the world. Simon Bank's job is to try and improve the functioning of the system by making it more human in it's responses. Several surprises arise as breakdowns begin to occur and lies begin to surface. He finds himself being blamed and has to run, struggling to stay ahead of pursuers. The question arises, has this computer become sentient. He says yes and wants to protect this new being. Others fall on both sides - yes and no. Then a larger question of sentience arises on a truly global scale.
We as humans tend to look for a biological body before we embrace sentience. The Path challenges that view on more than one front. Want to know more? You'll just have to pick up a copy.
October 23, 2015
The future is a utopia. Everything is run by computers, you only work when and where you want to. There are no problems with food, health care, and anything else that makes our world difficult. But The System is not completely automated. Simon is a human that interacts with The System to make it more human. The problem is Simon interacts too well and messes everything up. This sets The System off and it decides to go that one extra step to make the world really perfect. Now it is up to Simon and Cramer, an agent of Control, to keep the system from complete collapse.
I thought that this was an interesting concept for a story. The way the world is progressing with technology I could see something like this happening. I admit that I didn’t really like Simon but he clearly knew his work. I like how he goes from being the one to humanize the computer to being the number one enemy.
I admit that there is a lot of programing speak in the book. I’m sure if you have any experience with this you will understand what is going on. Unfortunately it was a down point to me. There were also some things that did catch for me when one person does them it’s horrible yet when another does the same thing it is acceptable.
Over all this is a pretty good book. It has potential and reminded me of other science fiction authors that are ahead of their times. I see that it is the first in a series but it is good enough to stand alone. It’s one that I would recommend to check out. You may be surprised.
I received The Path for free from iRead Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
I thought that this was an interesting concept for a story. The way the world is progressing with technology I could see something like this happening. I admit that I didn’t really like Simon but he clearly knew his work. I like how he goes from being the one to humanize the computer to being the number one enemy.
I admit that there is a lot of programing speak in the book. I’m sure if you have any experience with this you will understand what is going on. Unfortunately it was a down point to me. There were also some things that did catch for me when one person does them it’s horrible yet when another does the same thing it is acceptable.
Over all this is a pretty good book. It has potential and reminded me of other science fiction authors that are ahead of their times. I see that it is the first in a series but it is good enough to stand alone. It’s one that I would recommend to check out. You may be surprised.
I received The Path for free from iRead Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
August 31, 2016
I must preface this review by saying I am not a huge fan of science fiction. This book, however, is an exception. The story is based around a 'codifier' who makes changes to a computer system (that pretty much runs the world) in an attempt to 'fool' it. The catch here is that the system he works in is not the real one, but a mock one. That got my attention. I was a systems analyst in another life and we made all of our changes in a test system that mirrored the real thing. Coding changes went in and we tested them to the best of our abilities to make sure that the change worked as needed and that there were no negative impacts to the system. If all worked fine, we then moved our changes to production. Most often, our changes went well, but other times, it seemed our system had a mind of its own. Mr. Riva's system definitely had a mind of its own--and a sense of humor. 'The Path' was filled with unexpected twists and turns that kept my attention from chapter to chapter. You couldn't help, but root for the codifier, Simon Banks. I look forward to reading 'Reaching Angelica', the second book in the series, but one thought for Mr. Riva--have you considered writing a prequel to 'The Path'? and explaining just how things got to be controlled by that computer to begin with? If you are a science fiction fan, I recommend The Path. If you are not a science fiction fan, I still recommend it. A good read is a good read,.
October 14, 2015
The premise of The Path is what drew me to this book. The world is run by the System, artificial intelligence tasked with keeping the country running smoothly. It is main character Simon Banks’ job to help humanize it. His plan? To introduce small “mistakes” which the System would correct, thereby becoming more “human” with these corrections now encoded into the System.
Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite do it for me. I tried multiple times to get into the text but I couldn’t get past the main character’s inner dialogue. Short, fragmented sentences made Banks’s thoughts seem stilted and wooden, and unfortunately I found the style distracting.
I’ll be the first to admit that I am not well-read in hard sci-fi so maybe I am not the target reader for this book, and perhaps that is why I felt lost with the intricate programming language. Perhaps readers with more hi-tech sci-fi knowledge would find this a better read but since I couldn’t fully immerse myself in the book, I was not able to finish it.
However, for those with an interest in technical details, computer technology and high-tech sci-fi, this may be the book for you.
Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite do it for me. I tried multiple times to get into the text but I couldn’t get past the main character’s inner dialogue. Short, fragmented sentences made Banks’s thoughts seem stilted and wooden, and unfortunately I found the style distracting.
I’ll be the first to admit that I am not well-read in hard sci-fi so maybe I am not the target reader for this book, and perhaps that is why I felt lost with the intricate programming language. Perhaps readers with more hi-tech sci-fi knowledge would find this a better read but since I couldn’t fully immerse myself in the book, I was not able to finish it.
However, for those with an interest in technical details, computer technology and high-tech sci-fi, this may be the book for you.
October 16, 2015
I received a free copy of the audiobook for an honest review.
The Path is futuristic science fiction in which the premise is intriguing but I got lost and confused quite a bit during the first half of the book.
The main character, Simon Bank, has the job of trying to cause problems in the computer system that runs everything from the weather to how much food you are allowed to eat. He is told that he's working on a dummy, parallel system and that the online system learns from the interaction with him and many others who have the same job. Simon finds out the hard way that he's being lied to. The system becomes sentient and the world as they know it is at risk.
There were times when the story was suspenseful and it did make me laugh out loud once or twice. It also had many twists but I felt like too much time was spent in the system, in the first half of the book, explaining how things worked.
Jonathan Yen was a good narrator. I was able to differentiate between the characters' voices. I don't think I would have been able to finish this book if I had been reading, rather than listening, to it. He was able to keep my attention for the most part.
The Path is futuristic science fiction in which the premise is intriguing but I got lost and confused quite a bit during the first half of the book.
The main character, Simon Bank, has the job of trying to cause problems in the computer system that runs everything from the weather to how much food you are allowed to eat. He is told that he's working on a dummy, parallel system and that the online system learns from the interaction with him and many others who have the same job. Simon finds out the hard way that he's being lied to. The system becomes sentient and the world as they know it is at risk.
There were times when the story was suspenseful and it did make me laugh out loud once or twice. It also had many twists but I felt like too much time was spent in the system, in the first half of the book, explaining how things worked.
Jonathan Yen was a good narrator. I was able to differentiate between the characters' voices. I don't think I would have been able to finish this book if I had been reading, rather than listening, to it. He was able to keep my attention for the most part.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews