Dreams Of Flesh And Sand

by W.T. Quick, Quick WT

Double En, the most powerful corporation ever created, and its founders, Nakamura and Norton, are two of the most brilliant minds in history. But now they have launched a private war against each other and winner takes all. While Norton is hidden deep inside the heart of the Double En's mainframe, Nakamura is busy hiring the very best in computer warfare -- that's Iceberg Berg, master of security systems. No one can penetrate a barrier he has created, except for one woman, his ex-wife, Icebreaker Calley. No wall has ever been barred to her. Together again, they face the impossible task of separating Norton from his beloved matrix before the man becomes the computer and the computer becomes more powerful than anything humanity has ever seen.

Genres: Cyberpunk, Science Fiction, Fiction

301 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

W.T. (William Thomas) Quick, a native of Indiana, lives in the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco. He is the author of twenty-eight novels, including the seminal cyberpunk cult hit DREAMS OF FLESH AND SAND (in which he invented The Matrix), the best-selling prehistoric thriller THE LAST MAMMOTH, a series of six novels entitled QUEST FOR TOMORROW co-authored with William Shatner, dozens of shorter works of fiction, and several screenplays for film and television.

Quick also writes under the pseudonyms QUENTIN THOMAS, SEAN KIERNAN, AND MARGARET ALLAN

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early cyberpunk that still works very well today.

[Kevin Phyland · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a vaguely retro cyberpunk future, Berg and his ex Calley are hotshot coders, much in demand for corporate security. When the giant Nakamura-Norton (N-N) combine offers Berg a huge contract to invade one of their own metamatrix computers, his suspicions get aroused. Even more so when a separate contract is attempted with Calley for something similar. Something odd is going on at N-N and the reclusive Norton seems to be behind it, because unknown to the general public, Norton died a while back and seems to be existing as an upload in the metamatrix. And Nakamura wants him gone. Berg and Calley join forces to stop this, thinking they know which side is the right one, but when Berg actually enters the meatmatrix he finds that not only is Norton very much sane but he seems to be in control of all the matrixes. W. T. Quick has blended a technothriller with Tron and given us an entertaining ride through the wilds of a computer existence. At the last minute he throws a new player into the game; one that ensures a sequel or two, but overall it’s an OK book.

[Charles Bowser · Rating 5 out of 5]

It'd a good book....often copied.....its part of a series thst ends in the distant future with the 4th book Yesterday's Pawn
Dreams of Flesh And Sand
Dreams of God's and Men
Singualrities
Yesterday's Pawn.
It has some metaphysical stiff in it as Quick was enthralled by Heroe with a Thpusand Loves...bit it's solid cyberpunk.

I would say better than the crap Sterling puts out...more realistic than Gibson, but not as well written as Enigma Variations. I'm temrs of AI personality it's no where near Asher....but has the atmosphere to equal Altered Carbon or amything written by Daniel Keys Moran..

I read this when it came out and I'm sure it has not aged well in temrs of tolerance (givne Quick's politics)

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Has the makings of a good cyberpunk story, but feels a little underdeveloped. Some of the dialogue was... Embarrassing?
The author constantly refers to a character as "the Oriental", and quite honestly feels racist. An equal descriptor is not given to the other characters in the book. I would have wanted to read the other books in the series if it were not for this.

[Dana Cameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, to modern eyes formulaic but important to the genre. It's rather racist, though. I hope that if it was written now-a-days it would be better.

[Desiree · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one wasn't quite as enchanting as other 80's cyberpunk I've read, although it was still pretty decent fun.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book in a used book store where I frequently bought science fiction books and thought I'd give it a go. It was certainly a change from my usual choice but it was interesting.

The book delves into a futuristic world of computers, hacking, and artificial intelligence. No great work of literature but enjoyable nonetheless.

[Steve M.g · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have fond memories of this series.