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The Lightcap
Memory is manipulable . . .
Adaptech made its fortune with the Mind Drive, a product enabling control of electronic devices through thought. Most Metra Corp citizens adopted Mind Drive technology quickly, welcoming it as a more efficient way to interact with everything from computers to coffee machines. Now Adaptech wants to use its own employees to test a new product, an extension of Mind Drive tech known as the Lightcap.
After Adam Redmon is promoted to lead the group of programmers tasked with testing this new device, his strange dreams begin to blur into reality. When a member of his team abruptly disappears, Adam uncovers evidence showing his employers didn't fully disclose the Lightcap's functions and side effects. What he learns puts him directly in the crosshairs of the most powerful people in the Metra Region, people who will stop at nothing to keep their secret safe.
Adaptech made its fortune with the Mind Drive, a product enabling control of electronic devices through thought. Most Metra Corp citizens adopted Mind Drive technology quickly, welcoming it as a more efficient way to interact with everything from computers to coffee machines. Now Adaptech wants to use its own employees to test a new product, an extension of Mind Drive tech known as the Lightcap.
After Adam Redmon is promoted to lead the group of programmers tasked with testing this new device, his strange dreams begin to blur into reality. When a member of his team abruptly disappears, Adam uncovers evidence showing his employers didn't fully disclose the Lightcap's functions and side effects. What he learns puts him directly in the crosshairs of the most powerful people in the Metra Region, people who will stop at nothing to keep their secret safe.
ebook
First published May 28, 2013
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492 people want to read
About the author
Dan Marshall
2 books13 followersDan Marshall lives in Portland, OR, with his girlfriend, dog, and two cats. In his time on Earth he has fronted a rock band, sang high tenor in a barbershop quartet, backpacked through Europe, and roadtripped across America.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 26, 2013
I’ve spent a lot of time since college thinking about what I would say if I ever got in front of an undergrad classroom of writing students, and I think the single most important lecture I could give would be titled, “Everything You’re Going to Write Will Probably Suck Until You’ve Written Your First Million Words.” It’s that Malcolm Gladwell, ten thousand hours thing, only writers measure their work in word output. One million words is about ten novels and some assorted short stories. If you go back and study your favorite authors, you’ll find that a lot of them didn’t hit their strides until about the one million-word mark. Stephen King wrote three novels before Carrie while also writing a ton of stories for men’s magazines. In my opinion, though, he didn’t really hit his stride as an artist until The Stand, which was his seventh published novel, and that happened right around the million-word mark.
Of course, Carrie proves that you can have commercial success before one million words, but that’s different than hitting your stride in terms of mastery of craft. I’m early enough in this process that I can see and feel my own improvement from piece to piece. I’m still learning all the crap they never teach you in school, like how stories need to be structured, how to pace scenes, or how to make characters engaging. You know – the little things that actually make a story enjoyable rather than literary. As a writer, you can learn about these things from books, but you really only learn how to do them through trial and error during that million-word cycle.
I enjoy studying Carrie to see Stephen King when he was still in that learning phase. You can hear his narrative voice getting stronger and see some of his tricks starting to emerge. Early books can be like that, which is why this week I’m recommending The Lightcap by Dan Marshall.
The Lightcap is Marshall’s first novel. He’s a 33-year-old IT support geek, also from Portland, and a lot of his disdain for the cubicle world shines through in this sci-fi story about a guy named Adam who runs a team of superstar tech engineers. In the future, America has been fragmented, privatized, and commercially exploited to death. Just about everyone uses a head-worn device called the Mind Drive to control their electronic devices. Adam and his team become guinea pigs for version 6 of the Mind Drive, code-named Lightcap. I don’t think it’s giving away too much to say that the control aspects of the Lightcap turn out to be bi-directional and that the people who own the technology have some very unpleasant plans – plans that Adam finds himself trying to stop at all costs.
I hope The Lightcap turns out to be Marshall’s version of Carrie. He does a lot of things right and several things wrong. Like Tolkien, Marshall spends an inordinate amount of time on world-building, especially in the book’s first half. Some chapters could be almost entirely dropped without hurting the story at all, but then we would lose the gritty, stale, worn-down depth of this near-future Marshall has painted. His characters are fairly wooden, and there are a couple of deus ex machina moments that might leave you with one eyebrow raised. But maybe this can be forgiven in a sort of first novel trade. You give up some of the mechanics in exchange for some really fun, thought-provoking ideas. Is our government getting bought off by private interests? Maybe. Would we rather think commands than type them with our thumbs on tiny screens? You bet. Marshall does a riveting job with extrapolating the scary and annoying aspects of today into an all-too-plausible and alarming tomorrow. I found the world of The Lightcap intriguing, and I suspect you will, too.
For $3.99 on ebook, give The Lightcap and Dan Marshall a try. I expect we’ll be seeing more and even better things from him on his march to one million words.
-- as reviewed in the Short Shorts column on the Sci-Guys podcast, August 26, 2013
Of course, Carrie proves that you can have commercial success before one million words, but that’s different than hitting your stride in terms of mastery of craft. I’m early enough in this process that I can see and feel my own improvement from piece to piece. I’m still learning all the crap they never teach you in school, like how stories need to be structured, how to pace scenes, or how to make characters engaging. You know – the little things that actually make a story enjoyable rather than literary. As a writer, you can learn about these things from books, but you really only learn how to do them through trial and error during that million-word cycle.
I enjoy studying Carrie to see Stephen King when he was still in that learning phase. You can hear his narrative voice getting stronger and see some of his tricks starting to emerge. Early books can be like that, which is why this week I’m recommending The Lightcap by Dan Marshall.
The Lightcap is Marshall’s first novel. He’s a 33-year-old IT support geek, also from Portland, and a lot of his disdain for the cubicle world shines through in this sci-fi story about a guy named Adam who runs a team of superstar tech engineers. In the future, America has been fragmented, privatized, and commercially exploited to death. Just about everyone uses a head-worn device called the Mind Drive to control their electronic devices. Adam and his team become guinea pigs for version 6 of the Mind Drive, code-named Lightcap. I don’t think it’s giving away too much to say that the control aspects of the Lightcap turn out to be bi-directional and that the people who own the technology have some very unpleasant plans – plans that Adam finds himself trying to stop at all costs.
I hope The Lightcap turns out to be Marshall’s version of Carrie. He does a lot of things right and several things wrong. Like Tolkien, Marshall spends an inordinate amount of time on world-building, especially in the book’s first half. Some chapters could be almost entirely dropped without hurting the story at all, but then we would lose the gritty, stale, worn-down depth of this near-future Marshall has painted. His characters are fairly wooden, and there are a couple of deus ex machina moments that might leave you with one eyebrow raised. But maybe this can be forgiven in a sort of first novel trade. You give up some of the mechanics in exchange for some really fun, thought-provoking ideas. Is our government getting bought off by private interests? Maybe. Would we rather think commands than type them with our thumbs on tiny screens? You bet. Marshall does a riveting job with extrapolating the scary and annoying aspects of today into an all-too-plausible and alarming tomorrow. I found the world of The Lightcap intriguing, and I suspect you will, too.
For $3.99 on ebook, give The Lightcap and Dan Marshall a try. I expect we’ll be seeing more and even better things from him on his march to one million words.
-- as reviewed in the Short Shorts column on the Sci-Guys podcast, August 26, 2013
June 23, 2013
The setting is the near future. Computer keyboards are a thing of the past, even speech recognition is obsolete. A subtle device, worn on the scalp, reads the brain's intentions and interfaces directly with any electronic appliance. Adam has played a major role in developing the device's software and is offered the job of leading a team to develop a new version. Sadly, the corrupt and all-powerful organisation behind the device has a secret ambition to control the world's population.
In this book, Dan Marshall's prophetic vision is both fascinating and frightening. Fascinating because it sketches a fully believable and natural development of today's media and computer technologies; frightening because it shows how gigantic corporations might take advantage of our apathetic attitude towards a crumbling western society.
The story has a slow start with many background details, takes off half way through, and finishes with plenty of action. The characters are well defined and believable. A certain amount of passive writing and 'telling rather than showing' slows the pace.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It's well worth reading, especially if you like your science fiction laced with technical detail and political intrigue.
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest, nonreciprocal review.
In this book, Dan Marshall's prophetic vision is both fascinating and frightening. Fascinating because it sketches a fully believable and natural development of today's media and computer technologies; frightening because it shows how gigantic corporations might take advantage of our apathetic attitude towards a crumbling western society.
The story has a slow start with many background details, takes off half way through, and finishes with plenty of action. The characters are well defined and believable. A certain amount of passive writing and 'telling rather than showing' slows the pace.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It's well worth reading, especially if you like your science fiction laced with technical detail and political intrigue.
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest, nonreciprocal review.
August 28, 2013
With his first novel, The Lightcap, newcomer Dan Marshall establishes himself as a worthy successor of Philip K. Dick, employing real and imagined technology to explore philosophy, psychology, the monotony of office life, and the lengths to which human beings will go in the pursuit of power. His protagonist, Adam Redmon, lives in a society increasingly driven apart and detached by technology supposed to strengthen our connections. When Adam suddenly finds himself with nothing left to lose and no hope of survival, he takes a moral stand for its own sake, demonstrating the difficulty and the courage of taking on the power of a totalitarian government.
The Lightcap promises to make our lives easier and better, but the old adage applies: a computer is only as good as its programmer. Put on a Lightcap if you dare.
Over and over I see the same ridiculous comment that The Lightcap contains too much exposition in the beginning.
It's as if these readers have never heard of introduction, which is a necessary part of every plot structure. Every novel has it. These readers epitomize the view, "Show don't tell." They don't want to be told anything . . . by a writer . . . whose job it is to tell them things. They just want action, action, action, to satisfy their short attention spans. My view is, "Mostly show, sometimes tell."
It's hard for me not to judge harshly the intellects of those readers making these statements. All I can say is that car chases must be their favorite scenes. This novel has action on a slow build. You have to earn the payoff, but reading it does not feel like work so much as a fascinating swim in new water.
Congratulations to Dan Marshall on his sales and good reviews, all deserved. I just wish that even the good reviews weren't so ignorant.
DISCLAIMER: I am this book's editor, but I agreed to take on this project because I loved it.
The Lightcap promises to make our lives easier and better, but the old adage applies: a computer is only as good as its programmer. Put on a Lightcap if you dare.
Over and over I see the same ridiculous comment that The Lightcap contains too much exposition in the beginning.
It's as if these readers have never heard of introduction, which is a necessary part of every plot structure. Every novel has it. These readers epitomize the view, "Show don't tell." They don't want to be told anything . . . by a writer . . . whose job it is to tell them things. They just want action, action, action, to satisfy their short attention spans. My view is, "Mostly show, sometimes tell."
It's hard for me not to judge harshly the intellects of those readers making these statements. All I can say is that car chases must be their favorite scenes. This novel has action on a slow build. You have to earn the payoff, but reading it does not feel like work so much as a fascinating swim in new water.
Congratulations to Dan Marshall on his sales and good reviews, all deserved. I just wish that even the good reviews weren't so ignorant.
DISCLAIMER: I am this book's editor, but I agreed to take on this project because I loved it.
July 21, 2013
An interesting plot, with a few issues.
There's too much exposition — when I first received a copy for review, I was warned there might be formatting issues, as the epub version hadn't yet been vetted, and there were. So, the table of contents was wrong, and it led me straight into the second chapter. Once I'd fixed up the TOC and started again at the beginning, I realized that most of the first chapter was needless detail that I could figure out from context later: like what is a "dome", or even what is the "Mind drive".
Naturally, this background stopped being much of an issue as the book went on, having already been explained, but it would have been easier to get into the story if most of this was omitted, or at least left until the reader needed to know about it.
I had a major issue with the street kid turned programmer, who also turns out to be a katana wielding helicopter pilot. Sorry, just not believable. And on the subject - Adam strapped that katana to his back and hid it under his jacket, then didn't want to sit down in case the lines of the sword showed. Unless you're tall enough for the NBA you wouldn't even get a katana under your jacket, and you certainly couldn't think of sitting down in a subway car while wearing one.
Four stars for the story, -1 for execution.
August 17, 2013
In The Lightcap, first-time author Dan Marshall uses a brilliantly conceived modern science-fiction concept to tell an engaging and entertaining story about authority, abuse of technology, and the power of individuals to affect change. The strength of his concepts leaves me hopeful that Dan will continue to write and further develop his writing style so that his stories and characters fully realize the potential of his ideas.
The shortcoming of this story is Dan's inclination to tell rather than show. I understand the author's inclination to fill the reader in on the historical back-story that lead from present day to the future world of The Lightcap, but honestly, the fictional world is not so far removed from our own, that I (as the reader) need those dots connected for me. A little mystery can be far more compelling than a full summary, and most important details can be derived from context clues in the telling of the story from the perspective of the people living in that world.
I'm excited to see what Dan Marshall does with his future work, and what plans he has in mind for the world of The Lightcap.
The shortcoming of this story is Dan's inclination to tell rather than show. I understand the author's inclination to fill the reader in on the historical back-story that lead from present day to the future world of The Lightcap, but honestly, the fictional world is not so far removed from our own, that I (as the reader) need those dots connected for me. A little mystery can be far more compelling than a full summary, and most important details can be derived from context clues in the telling of the story from the perspective of the people living in that world.
I'm excited to see what Dan Marshall does with his future work, and what plans he has in mind for the world of The Lightcap.
June 11, 2013
I really enjoyed this tight sci-fi thriller. The technology and plot combine to set an atmosphere of unease that evolves as the story progresses. The second half of the book is more action packed and the claustrophobia of the first half gives way to a strong plot resolution.
The ending was clean but left new plot elements open for what I hope is the possibility of a sequel story set in the wider world the the Lightcap's future that is hinted at.
The characters were interesting, the tech was cool, the story was captivating and I was interested all the way throughout.
The ending was clean but left new plot elements open for what I hope is the possibility of a sequel story set in the wider world the the Lightcap's future that is hinted at.
The characters were interesting, the tech was cool, the story was captivating and I was interested all the way throughout.
July 30, 2013
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.
I thought this book had a good plot/concept, and the world introduced in it also seems realistic and believable because of the advancement of technology. The plot was entertaining and interesting. However, there was a little too much exposition, which made the beginning of the book slow paced and a little boring. But, the book became much more fast paced in the second part, and I got really interested in the book at that point. I liked most of the characters as well. Overall, this book was pretty good and interesting.
I thought this book had a good plot/concept, and the world introduced in it also seems realistic and believable because of the advancement of technology. The plot was entertaining and interesting. However, there was a little too much exposition, which made the beginning of the book slow paced and a little boring. But, the book became much more fast paced in the second part, and I got really interested in the book at that point. I liked most of the characters as well. Overall, this book was pretty good and interesting.
June 3, 2013
My main flavor of books is horror, but I decided to dip my toes into the Sci-fi world. I’m glad I did. This book grabs you fast with the speed of the story pulling you quickly into the plot. The author is very creative, borrowing things from today’s world to make the story very scary with the possibilities it holds for our future. I won’t give the plot away, but I will say I am sticking to my button operated objects after reading this book!
May 29, 2013
Great first offering from an up and coming new author. It really keeps you on the edge of your seat! I couldn't put it down. I read it cover to cover! Sci-if fans will love this. It's great for folks who don't normally read sci-if as well (like me). Read this. You'll like it!
July 4, 2013
The concept at the core of this book is a very engaging one, and provokes a number of ethical and philosophical questions. It was interesting enough to keep my attention while travelling, and well written enough for me to finish the book after I got home.
August 22, 2013
Great sci-fi read and opener to a new series.! I enjoyed this book and recommend it to others.
June 14, 2013
The best Science Fiction is plausible, and what really captivated me is how easily Marshall's scenario could play out in this modern world. Think about how easily people hand over their personal information, photos, etc. to social networking sites, with no question to future implications. Sure, right now Facebook's photo recognition software is for benign "facial recognition" to help tag people, but what would happen if it were used for nefarious purposes in the future? Chilling, as is the Tech in The Lightcap.
The entire book is taut, entertaining, and definitely transcends the pitfalls of both Sci-Fi and the first novel.
I cannot wait to read more by this author. This novel is reminiscent of Phil K. Dick, but only superficially, as Marshall has his wits about him, and his sense of humor elevates the dark subject matter, making it palatable to a wider audience. Well written and wonderfully paced.
The entire book is taut, entertaining, and definitely transcends the pitfalls of both Sci-Fi and the first novel.
I cannot wait to read more by this author. This novel is reminiscent of Phil K. Dick, but only superficially, as Marshall has his wits about him, and his sense of humor elevates the dark subject matter, making it palatable to a wider audience. Well written and wonderfully paced.
August 25, 2013
The book only started to get interesting in the second half. The first half was god awful and the progression was as slow as a snail. The story was abysmal and the two stars I am giving to this book is only because I liked the author's writing style.
September 20, 2015
Based on the first two thirds of this book, I would have given it three stars. The setting is believable and the characters are fairly well drawn.
However, something seems to be missing from the third act. There are a lot of holes in the plot and events and coincidences seem to drive the story with little or no explanation. I found myself wondering where the missing pages went. I began to wonder if Dan Marshall grew tired of the book before he was finished writing it. I generally enjoyed what was there, but what seemed to be missing would definitely have given me a better structure from which to suspend my disbelief. Two disappointed stars.
However, something seems to be missing from the third act. There are a lot of holes in the plot and events and coincidences seem to drive the story with little or no explanation. I found myself wondering where the missing pages went. I began to wonder if Dan Marshall grew tired of the book before he was finished writing it. I generally enjoyed what was there, but what seemed to be missing would definitely have given me a better structure from which to suspend my disbelief. Two disappointed stars.
April 14, 2015
The Lightcap is an interesting and fun read from a debut author. The story is set in the future where corporations essentially govern what was the United States. Much of the critique the author directs toward this corporate government and future society can be applied to the present day.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and thought the author did a good job of creating a dystopian, futuristic world.
The biggest fault I can find is with the characters. Some didn't have enough depth like Sera or Dej. The main character, Adam, I found uninteresting. Finally, the antagonist, Lamont, seemed too cartoonish.
I won this through goodreads first reads giveaway.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and thought the author did a good job of creating a dystopian, futuristic world.
The biggest fault I can find is with the characters. Some didn't have enough depth like Sera or Dej. The main character, Adam, I found uninteresting. Finally, the antagonist, Lamont, seemed too cartoonish.
I won this through goodreads first reads giveaway.
December 24, 2015
Couldn't put it down. This was a GREAT effort from a first-time author, and brought up some intriguing new ideas for me to think about. Manages to touch on the role of technology in our lives, economics, and politics... All while setting up a mostly plausible dystopia I can't wait to read more about. I been like the way the last paragraph makes me hungry for more without seeming like it only exists as a setup for the next novel. Highly recommended, and would earn a 5th star if some of the Stephenson-esque tangential detail bits were tightened up.
September 22, 2013
Very interesting book and a good first-book effort. I was really drawn into the world in the beginning. Near the middle I was hoping it was going to turn into Total Recall, but unfortunately, the tension and drama dropped off a bit and decisions and mindsets were a little too quickly set into with not a lot of agonizing. I agree with the other reviewer that Aria's character in the second half became very unbelievable. Overall, it was an enjoyable story and I'm very interested in reading the next installment.
August 7, 2013
A solid debut novel with plenty of action. There were a few places where the explanations of the world felt a bit lengthy and could have been handled more deftly, but overall, it was an easy read with a good premise.
Marshall is working on a sequel. I probably won't read it - the story was fine, but I don't really want more. It reached a satisfying conclusion, and extending it would feel forced. I'd rather see him move onto something else and come out with fresh, new characters in a new world.
Marshall is working on a sequel. I probably won't read it - the story was fine, but I don't really want more. It reached a satisfying conclusion, and extending it would feel forced. I'd rather see him move onto something else and come out with fresh, new characters in a new world.
December 14, 2016
The Lightcap (Paperback) by Dan Marshall
It was an okay read. Several plot holes and also a rather disjointed narrative. The characters were rather flat and I just never really believed in any of them. The plot was rather choppy, and so the story didn't flow well. That said, I did read to the end, so there's that.
It was an okay read. Several plot holes and also a rather disjointed narrative. The characters were rather flat and I just never really believed in any of them. The plot was rather choppy, and so the story didn't flow well. That said, I did read to the end, so there's that.
August 30, 2013
I am not normally a science fiction reader, tending to prefer fantasy, so I was not sure I was going to enjoy this one. However, I was surprised to not only enjoy, but become fully engrossed by the story line. Sci-fi lovers will enjoy, but it makes a great read for those who are new to the genre.
August 14, 2013
Though intriguing, the characters seemed a little flat and predictable, using the technology only to further the plot. I may pick up the next one if the author's playing a longer game, but I wasn't really captivated.
September 19, 2013
Can't recommend it. Some interesting ideas, but not well fleshed out; I found the characters two dimensional.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews