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God Head Trilogy #1
State of Mind
Your thoughts are not your own...
In the not too distant future, freedom is a just a word that you willingly trade for a dozen donuts, based on the dubious promise that you can eat what you want and never gain weight. You can also take drugs will no ill effects or call a friend while surfing the web without a phone or computer. All this and more will be yours following the simple installation of a P-Chip in your brain.
After botching the arrest of the governor's son in Los Angeles, Commander Jake Travissi is banned from law enforcement. The workaholic homicide cop spirals into depression... until he is given a rare second chance. The price? Volunteer for chip implantation and join Homeland Security's experimental Enhanced Unit.
The grisly assassination of a prominent Nobel Laureate brings the newly formed Unit on the scene to investigate. But as the body count rises, Jake begins to realize that his actions, and even his thoughts, are not his own. Fighting to regain control of his own State of Mind, Jake finds himself embroiled in a global conspiracy to enslave the human race.
In the not too distant future, freedom is a just a word that you willingly trade for a dozen donuts, based on the dubious promise that you can eat what you want and never gain weight. You can also take drugs will no ill effects or call a friend while surfing the web without a phone or computer. All this and more will be yours following the simple installation of a P-Chip in your brain.
After botching the arrest of the governor's son in Los Angeles, Commander Jake Travissi is banned from law enforcement. The workaholic homicide cop spirals into depression... until he is given a rare second chance. The price? Volunteer for chip implantation and join Homeland Security's experimental Enhanced Unit.
The grisly assassination of a prominent Nobel Laureate brings the newly formed Unit on the scene to investigate. But as the body count rises, Jake begins to realize that his actions, and even his thoughts, are not his own. Fighting to regain control of his own State of Mind, Jake finds himself embroiled in a global conspiracy to enslave the human race.
389 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
7 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
Sven Michael Davison
6 books15 followersSven Michael Davison has written nine books including the award-winning dystopian cyber-punk “God Head Trilogy.” His other works include "7 in 7: A Globe-Hopping Memoir of Disaster and Discovery," highlighting his travels to all seven continents and the life lessons he learned. He is currently polishing his new "Trilogy of Fate" and a reboot of an older title.
Sven is also the host of the YouTube channel "Author/Author" a show that features interviews with the authors listed at the end of this bio. He also argues with his doppelgänger about every aspect of writing on the same channel under the banner of "Back & Forth." New content for "Author/Author" and "Back & Forth" are posted weekly.
Sven worked in the entertainment industry for over twenty-five years and currently lives in Carlsbad, CA with his wife and son. He writes when he can and works when he must.
Sven is also the host of the YouTube channel "Author/Author" a show that features interviews with the authors listed at the end of this bio. He also argues with his doppelgänger about every aspect of writing on the same channel under the banner of "Back & Forth." New content for "Author/Author" and "Back & Forth" are posted weekly.
Sven worked in the entertainment industry for over twenty-five years and currently lives in Carlsbad, CA with his wife and son. He writes when he can and works when he must.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 3, 2011
Freedom. Freedom is a luxury many do not have even today. What would you do to be or remain free? In Sven’s “State of Mind” you will be forced to ask yourself questions about your freedom as Jake is implanted with the P-chip. I just don’t see me offering myself up for a P-chip, not in this world or a future one.
Cyberpunk is not one of those genres that I gravitate to and will still probably do so only on rare occasions. The action alone was the driving force that kept me enthralled in Jake’s situation. Davison really can tell a fabulous futuristic story that I’m sure will not only rattle you, but also bring your fears to life. His detailed descriptions throughout “State of Mind” give you the feeling that you’re in a movie theater, watching the action unfold on the big screen.
While the novel didn’t progress at a fast pace and details seemed to be released a lot slower than I prefer, the story was still very enjoyable.
Overall, the idea of a chip that can be implanted into anyone was enough to freak me out. Furthermore, knowing that the population could be controlled only added to that fear. Sven has told a brilliantly descriptive tale that I will not soon forget. I find myself looking forward to what he has up his sleeve in regards to future works. “State of Mind” would appeal to readers that enjoy gnawing on science fiction, cyberpunk and dystopian novels, as well as suspense or thriller novels. You're missing out if you haven’t had a chance to check out Sven’s thought-provoking work.
Cyberpunk is not one of those genres that I gravitate to and will still probably do so only on rare occasions. The action alone was the driving force that kept me enthralled in Jake’s situation. Davison really can tell a fabulous futuristic story that I’m sure will not only rattle you, but also bring your fears to life. His detailed descriptions throughout “State of Mind” give you the feeling that you’re in a movie theater, watching the action unfold on the big screen.
While the novel didn’t progress at a fast pace and details seemed to be released a lot slower than I prefer, the story was still very enjoyable.
Overall, the idea of a chip that can be implanted into anyone was enough to freak me out. Furthermore, knowing that the population could be controlled only added to that fear. Sven has told a brilliantly descriptive tale that I will not soon forget. I find myself looking forward to what he has up his sleeve in regards to future works. “State of Mind” would appeal to readers that enjoy gnawing on science fiction, cyberpunk and dystopian novels, as well as suspense or thriller novels. You're missing out if you haven’t had a chance to check out Sven’s thought-provoking work.
May 3, 2011
If you could look and feel the way you wanted, be able to eat and do what you wanted, all by implanting a small micro-chip into the base of your head, would you? Smoke all you want, eat all you want, and be able to control how your body responds, would you?
State of Mind by Sven Michael Davison takes place in the near future, 2030. At this time, so much of our world is run by computers, including people. Jake Travissi is an LA police officer who has been implanted with the revolutionary new P-Chip as part of an elite unit of Homeland Security. With his new chip and newly enhanced partners, Jake takes on the scum of the Jihad Brotherhood... or does he?
This book is, to me, a combination of the futuristic technology of J.D. Robb and the governmental scariness of George Orwell. Remember how closely the government of 1984 watched you? At least during that time your private thoughts were your own. Now think of 1984 hopped up on technology, only this time your thoughts, and sometimes your actions, are not even your own.
I enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and interesting, and well written. The plot was well thought out and the technology was shown in a plausible way.
There were some minor technical issues, but this was an uncorrected proof, so they were expected. In addition, there was a relationship between Marta (an HLS agent) and Jake that I do not feel was fully explained. Overall, though, a good read.
State of Mind by Sven Michael Davison takes place in the near future, 2030. At this time, so much of our world is run by computers, including people. Jake Travissi is an LA police officer who has been implanted with the revolutionary new P-Chip as part of an elite unit of Homeland Security. With his new chip and newly enhanced partners, Jake takes on the scum of the Jihad Brotherhood... or does he?
This book is, to me, a combination of the futuristic technology of J.D. Robb and the governmental scariness of George Orwell. Remember how closely the government of 1984 watched you? At least during that time your private thoughts were your own. Now think of 1984 hopped up on technology, only this time your thoughts, and sometimes your actions, are not even your own.
I enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and interesting, and well written. The plot was well thought out and the technology was shown in a plausible way.
There were some minor technical issues, but this was an uncorrected proof, so they were expected. In addition, there was a relationship between Marta (an HLS agent) and Jake that I do not feel was fully explained. Overall, though, a good read.
November 24, 2011
Good concept and good plot twists, but I was annoyed by the 3 typos and grammatical errors I found while reading. Poor proofreading by the publisher. You're vs. your was used incorrectly for example.
Read
February 1, 2021The author was kind enough to send me this book for review a while ago, and it was an interesting novel. The protagonist of the story is Jake Travissi, a workaholic homicide policeman in Los Angeles. He was expelled from the force prior to the beginning of the story for using excessive force while arresting a child pornographer who was also the governor's son. He has been reinstated now, because he has agreed to participate in a pilot program to implant the P-Chip in law enforcement personnel. The program is run by Homeland Security, and the story goes "spooky" pretty quickly.
The P-Chip is supposed to be the best thing since buttered bread, I guess. If you have a P-Chip installed in the back of your brain, you can use it to directly link to the web to access any kind of information you might need. The law enforcement people in the program are also able to use it to access, what else?, law enforcement databases worldwide, to help them identify and capture criminals, terrorists, and drug dealers.
One of the inventors of the P-Chip is gunned down while speaking at a conference, and Jake's team's first assignment is to find out who, besides the killer, is involved. The government has been implanting P-chips in prisoners for a while now, for testing purposes, and because it turns out that people with a P-chip can actually be controlled through the chip. So far, the chip has been successful in turning hardened criminals into law-abiding citizens again. However, the technology that allows the chip to be controlled from the outside has some potential for abuse, and it turns out that Jake's team is being controlled by a group of hackers called the God Heads. The God Heads are manipulating the investigation by planting false memories in the chipped policemen.
There are a ton of plot twists, betrayals, plots and counterplots in this novel. One of the things I thought was an odd flaw in the novel actually turned out to be part of a plot device in the end. The only problem is that as a reader, I ended up as confused about what really went on in the story as the God Head controlled P-chippers. When every action in the book could have been a planted memory, rather than a real event, the whole thing takes on a "then I woke up" aura.
It's an interesting read from the standpoint of the possible and probable use and misuse of near-future technology.
The P-Chip is supposed to be the best thing since buttered bread, I guess. If you have a P-Chip installed in the back of your brain, you can use it to directly link to the web to access any kind of information you might need. The law enforcement people in the program are also able to use it to access, what else?, law enforcement databases worldwide, to help them identify and capture criminals, terrorists, and drug dealers.
One of the inventors of the P-Chip is gunned down while speaking at a conference, and Jake's team's first assignment is to find out who, besides the killer, is involved. The government has been implanting P-chips in prisoners for a while now, for testing purposes, and because it turns out that people with a P-chip can actually be controlled through the chip. So far, the chip has been successful in turning hardened criminals into law-abiding citizens again. However, the technology that allows the chip to be controlled from the outside has some potential for abuse, and it turns out that Jake's team is being controlled by a group of hackers called the God Heads. The God Heads are manipulating the investigation by planting false memories in the chipped policemen.
There are a ton of plot twists, betrayals, plots and counterplots in this novel. One of the things I thought was an odd flaw in the novel actually turned out to be part of a plot device in the end. The only problem is that as a reader, I ended up as confused about what really went on in the story as the God Head controlled P-chippers. When every action in the book could have been a planted memory, rather than a real event, the whole thing takes on a "then I woke up" aura.
It's an interesting read from the standpoint of the possible and probable use and misuse of near-future technology.
November 6, 2017
A riveting and chilling read. Sadly, I expect it'll turn out to be prophetic.
February 14, 2011
Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:
"What's the worst identity theft possible?" That's the question that Sven M. Davison presents in his new cyberpunk thriller State of Mind. This edgy futuristic techno-thriller will lead you through a bleak new world where nothing is as it seems and you can no longer trust even your own mind. Brutally realistic, chillingly plausible, this novel is manages to be both thought evoking and highly entertaining A must read!
While the subject matter may be dense for those of us technologically impaired, it managed to capture the true question that we should all be asking ourselves: How much freedom are we willing to give up in the name of convenience? Truly, with technology becoming ever more dominant in our lives, this novel shows a chillingly plausible outcome of a time when humans are willing to merge themselves with technology simply for the luxury and convenience it can provide. The disconnect from effort, morals and even ethics was staggering as the world seems to collapse in on itself with the mass public acting as nothing more then mere cattle. And as always there is a shadow government looming in the wings to take control of the country and even the world as it seems the desire for total control and power is something that will never fall out of favor.
The world Davison created, while plausible was also quite vast. The minute attention to detail was highly enjoyable and helped to keep those of us who are ignorant of all things technology up to speed. There are lots of complex threads and plot line surging through the book to keep readers on their toes as nothing is ever as simple as it appears. In fact, you come to find that you can't even trust the characters' own thoughts or memories. This added a dizzying aspect that made this novel more engrossing on a psychological level, something I was more able to sink my teeth into. There was also a wonderful cinematographic feeling to the novel as it was approached much like a film. You could literally see the different scenes playing out against a canvas in your mind, which is always something that I love. Somehow, it always makes the book seem more volatile and dynamic.
The broad cast of characters were wonderfully created and brought to life. Jake, the main character of the novel, is extremely interesting with a very deeply ingrained code of ethics. While not the typical hero, there is a still a more deeply ingrained sense of right and wrong within him then any of the others. In fact, I found him utterly engrossing as we follow his rise back into the ranks of the LAPD only to be turned into a poorly controlled puppet and finally disgraced by those who sought to use him. The inner struggle shows the strength of his will as he fights for control of not only his body, but his mind. Likewise, Koren and Parks, the two other members of the P-Chipped 'Enhanced Unit', are just as wonderfully captured. However, unlike Jake, these two men are marionettes to their God Head controllers unable to decipher fact from fiction and unaware even that they are being manipulated. While good men at heart, these two lack the more ingrained convictions and set a nice contrast to Jake's struggle.
The broad scope of this novel was also quite intriguing. The conspiracies run deep as facts are slowly leaked into the plot. Conflicting moments are flashed by the readers and while at first this seemed a little odd, if not confusing, these moments come to show just how strong the manipulative hold on the P-Chipped officers, or Pin Heads, really is. The memory distortion adds to the suspense as every moment and experience can be called into question. This adds mystery to the true motives and agendas of those key personnel we meet, and still we manage to be surprised by the sheer amount of sleeper agents that pop up throughout. There is also a great since of action about the story as the facade of the P-Chip begins to crumble under Jake's will and morality.
Really, my only problem with this novel was the shifting point of views. It's not that I didn't enjoy seeing into the various characters because honestly that's what made this novel so enjoyable for me, but how it was done. Shifts are a bit random, especially at the beginning making and this makes it hard to get acquainted with the characters. In fact, I felt a little overwhelmed at the beginning with all of the set up and with the added confusion of so many characters and then trying to sort out the jumble of thoughts...well, it slowed me down a bit. However, perseverance paid off because the characters slowly came into focus and the shifts became much smoother as the plot progressed.
Overall, this was a wonderful read that I really enjoyed. Eerie in it's theme, this complex novel is filled with action and suspense and I highly recommend it to any fan techno-thrillers or science fiction. I would definitely love to see a follow up to this novel and look forward to reading more by this wonderful author!
"What's the worst identity theft possible?" That's the question that Sven M. Davison presents in his new cyberpunk thriller State of Mind. This edgy futuristic techno-thriller will lead you through a bleak new world where nothing is as it seems and you can no longer trust even your own mind. Brutally realistic, chillingly plausible, this novel is manages to be both thought evoking and highly entertaining A must read!
While the subject matter may be dense for those of us technologically impaired, it managed to capture the true question that we should all be asking ourselves: How much freedom are we willing to give up in the name of convenience? Truly, with technology becoming ever more dominant in our lives, this novel shows a chillingly plausible outcome of a time when humans are willing to merge themselves with technology simply for the luxury and convenience it can provide. The disconnect from effort, morals and even ethics was staggering as the world seems to collapse in on itself with the mass public acting as nothing more then mere cattle. And as always there is a shadow government looming in the wings to take control of the country and even the world as it seems the desire for total control and power is something that will never fall out of favor.
The world Davison created, while plausible was also quite vast. The minute attention to detail was highly enjoyable and helped to keep those of us who are ignorant of all things technology up to speed. There are lots of complex threads and plot line surging through the book to keep readers on their toes as nothing is ever as simple as it appears. In fact, you come to find that you can't even trust the characters' own thoughts or memories. This added a dizzying aspect that made this novel more engrossing on a psychological level, something I was more able to sink my teeth into. There was also a wonderful cinematographic feeling to the novel as it was approached much like a film. You could literally see the different scenes playing out against a canvas in your mind, which is always something that I love. Somehow, it always makes the book seem more volatile and dynamic.
The broad cast of characters were wonderfully created and brought to life. Jake, the main character of the novel, is extremely interesting with a very deeply ingrained code of ethics. While not the typical hero, there is a still a more deeply ingrained sense of right and wrong within him then any of the others. In fact, I found him utterly engrossing as we follow his rise back into the ranks of the LAPD only to be turned into a poorly controlled puppet and finally disgraced by those who sought to use him. The inner struggle shows the strength of his will as he fights for control of not only his body, but his mind. Likewise, Koren and Parks, the two other members of the P-Chipped 'Enhanced Unit', are just as wonderfully captured. However, unlike Jake, these two men are marionettes to their God Head controllers unable to decipher fact from fiction and unaware even that they are being manipulated. While good men at heart, these two lack the more ingrained convictions and set a nice contrast to Jake's struggle.
The broad scope of this novel was also quite intriguing. The conspiracies run deep as facts are slowly leaked into the plot. Conflicting moments are flashed by the readers and while at first this seemed a little odd, if not confusing, these moments come to show just how strong the manipulative hold on the P-Chipped officers, or Pin Heads, really is. The memory distortion adds to the suspense as every moment and experience can be called into question. This adds mystery to the true motives and agendas of those key personnel we meet, and still we manage to be surprised by the sheer amount of sleeper agents that pop up throughout. There is also a great since of action about the story as the facade of the P-Chip begins to crumble under Jake's will and morality.
Really, my only problem with this novel was the shifting point of views. It's not that I didn't enjoy seeing into the various characters because honestly that's what made this novel so enjoyable for me, but how it was done. Shifts are a bit random, especially at the beginning making and this makes it hard to get acquainted with the characters. In fact, I felt a little overwhelmed at the beginning with all of the set up and with the added confusion of so many characters and then trying to sort out the jumble of thoughts...well, it slowed me down a bit. However, perseverance paid off because the characters slowly came into focus and the shifts became much smoother as the plot progressed.
Overall, this was a wonderful read that I really enjoyed. Eerie in it's theme, this complex novel is filled with action and suspense and I highly recommend it to any fan techno-thrillers or science fiction. I would definitely love to see a follow up to this novel and look forward to reading more by this wonderful author!
October 16, 2011
This book is set in 2030 Los Angeles. It is about government mind control, and one man's attempts to fight back.
Jake Travissi was thrown off the police force for upsetting the wrong people. He is let back on the force after he is implanted with a P-Chip. It lets a person do practically anything with their mind; access the Web, see things through the eyes of another P-Chip recipient, record video on to a computer hard drive and talk to other P-Chip recipients telepathically. A person can even regulate their metabolism so that they can eat and drink whatever they want and not gain weight. Jake is part of a three-man squad working for Homeland Security.
Their first case is to investigate the very public murder of Dr. Veloso, a co-creator of the P-Chip. The shooter's eyes, teeth and fingerprints have been removed, making identification nearly impossible. While Jake is there, he has split-second flashes of his hands destroying the evidence. On another raid, taking out an alleged terrorist cell, Jake has more flashes of he and his colleagues doing very illegal things. He also hears voices in his head, which are the God Heads.
Sandoval, the Director of Homeland Security, who commands the three-man squad (the Enhanced Unit), also runs a super-secret squad of P-Chip hackers. It is possible to take a person "offline," to shut down their higher brain functions, controlling them to do or say whatever you want, then plant false memories to make up for it. Jake begins to push back against the God Heads, killing one of them. In retaliation, Jake is kept offline for several weeks, and controlled to resign from the Enhanced Unit. He is constantly filled with feelings of depression and suicide by the God Heads. He is also turned into something of a donut addict, becoming a fat, lazy parody of a cop. Sandoval's intention in pushing the skyrocketing popularity of P-Chips is to become one of the elite who actually rule the world, while everyone else is kept happy in some artificial P-Chip world. With help from Dr. Morris, the P-Chip's other co-creator, Jake is able to do a lot more pushing back against Sandoval and the God Heads.
This one is very plausible, it's more than a little spooky and it's really good. How long will it be before a cell phone, or Web browser, can be miniaturized enough to fit inside a human brain?
Jake Travissi was thrown off the police force for upsetting the wrong people. He is let back on the force after he is implanted with a P-Chip. It lets a person do practically anything with their mind; access the Web, see things through the eyes of another P-Chip recipient, record video on to a computer hard drive and talk to other P-Chip recipients telepathically. A person can even regulate their metabolism so that they can eat and drink whatever they want and not gain weight. Jake is part of a three-man squad working for Homeland Security.
Their first case is to investigate the very public murder of Dr. Veloso, a co-creator of the P-Chip. The shooter's eyes, teeth and fingerprints have been removed, making identification nearly impossible. While Jake is there, he has split-second flashes of his hands destroying the evidence. On another raid, taking out an alleged terrorist cell, Jake has more flashes of he and his colleagues doing very illegal things. He also hears voices in his head, which are the God Heads.
Sandoval, the Director of Homeland Security, who commands the three-man squad (the Enhanced Unit), also runs a super-secret squad of P-Chip hackers. It is possible to take a person "offline," to shut down their higher brain functions, controlling them to do or say whatever you want, then plant false memories to make up for it. Jake begins to push back against the God Heads, killing one of them. In retaliation, Jake is kept offline for several weeks, and controlled to resign from the Enhanced Unit. He is constantly filled with feelings of depression and suicide by the God Heads. He is also turned into something of a donut addict, becoming a fat, lazy parody of a cop. Sandoval's intention in pushing the skyrocketing popularity of P-Chips is to become one of the elite who actually rule the world, while everyone else is kept happy in some artificial P-Chip world. With help from Dr. Morris, the P-Chip's other co-creator, Jake is able to do a lot more pushing back against Sandoval and the God Heads.
This one is very plausible, it's more than a little spooky and it's really good. How long will it be before a cell phone, or Web browser, can be miniaturized enough to fit inside a human brain?
January 27, 2011
In order to save his career Detective Travissi sign on the lead the Enhanced Unit for Homeland Security. The implantation of the P-Chip allows his to access information in a way that previously has only been dreamed of. Crimes that would've taken months, if not years, to solve are now taken care of in a couple of days. Sounds fantastic, until Jake starts experiencing some pretty vivid and horrific images. As he continues his work for Homeland Security, he realizes these may not be random images and he discovers a conspiracy that goes deeper than he (or the reader) could've possible imagined.
This book takes place in 2030. Since that is less that twenty years away, a number of the characters were alive in our current time period. As a result there are a number of references to current pop culture (ex: Lady Gaga's Poker Face is referred to a cheesy oldie). I found these references a little silly and unnecessary. I also found that they took away from the futuristic setting the novel takes place in. Thankfully, however, as the plot thickens these references seem to stop and it becomes much easier to get lost in the story.
The story centres around Jake Travissi, a man that fulfils all the characteristics of an everyday man turned hero. Though he's not perfect you find yourself rooting for him and hoping he discovers the truth in time. His fellow agents – Parks and Koren are also excellent characters, relate-able and engaging. Alternatively, the “bad guys” don't have as much depth as the aforementioned characters so they feel interchangeable and dispensable. It would've been nice if a little more time had been spent developing them and their motives.
Though a long time science fiction fan, this is really one of my first experiences in the cyberpunk genre and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are quite of few turns and surprises. Make sure you're paying attention because it would be easy to miss some important clues. The depiction of our future, though extreme, strikes a few familiar cords. The eerie world, in which technology rules, seems to fit with the current way our society is heading. It makes you question how much faith we put in technology and how much we're willing to give up our free will and decision making power to “the machine”.
This book takes place in 2030. Since that is less that twenty years away, a number of the characters were alive in our current time period. As a result there are a number of references to current pop culture (ex: Lady Gaga's Poker Face is referred to a cheesy oldie). I found these references a little silly and unnecessary. I also found that they took away from the futuristic setting the novel takes place in. Thankfully, however, as the plot thickens these references seem to stop and it becomes much easier to get lost in the story.
The story centres around Jake Travissi, a man that fulfils all the characteristics of an everyday man turned hero. Though he's not perfect you find yourself rooting for him and hoping he discovers the truth in time. His fellow agents – Parks and Koren are also excellent characters, relate-able and engaging. Alternatively, the “bad guys” don't have as much depth as the aforementioned characters so they feel interchangeable and dispensable. It would've been nice if a little more time had been spent developing them and their motives.
Though a long time science fiction fan, this is really one of my first experiences in the cyberpunk genre and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are quite of few turns and surprises. Make sure you're paying attention because it would be easy to miss some important clues. The depiction of our future, though extreme, strikes a few familiar cords. The eerie world, in which technology rules, seems to fit with the current way our society is heading. It makes you question how much faith we put in technology and how much we're willing to give up our free will and decision making power to “the machine”.
May 20, 2011
Right off the bat I’m telling you that this novel is not my usual cup of tea. Yeah, I’ll watch the occasional futuristic cop action/drama movie, but read a novel about the same thing? Nah, I don’t think so. Yet here I am reviewing one.
The idea of the installation of a Personal Chip directly attached to the human brain was fascinating to me. Imagine the possibilities of having the world and all its knowledge within seconds of thinking it. Imagine how amazing life could be. The P-Chip could control my emotions, adjust my metabolism so I could eat what I want and never gain a pound. It could make me sleep less, do more. Then imagine having someone hack into my brain to make me do things like murder or arm wrestle giants without my knowledge. It gave me the creeps and totally made me want to read State of Mind.
There are some crazy twists and turns in this novel and the ending? One word…WOW. I totally blew me away. There are plenty of shocking, hanging on the edge of my seat moments. My favorite part of the novel came close to the end with the mother of all twists. I’m pretty sure I knew exactly how Jake felt, heck I didn’t see it coming either.
I really enjoyed the cast of characters. Most notable for me are Jake, the Jackhammer, our hero and overall bad ass; Parks, he idolizes Jake and whose humor is his greatest asset; Marta Padilla, the ice queen with a secret sweet spot for Jake; and Lakshmi, Jake’s faithful dog.
Overall, I really enjoyed State of Mind. Mr. Davison took the care to describe the future in a way that was very easy to visualize. I loved how some things never go out of style like a Camaro. I loved that you can’t really break the human spirit no matter how many God Heads you have controlling you. Jake was a fighter through and through. There is a lot more in store for him and frankly, I can’t wait to read it.
As someone who doesn’t normally read (or even like) this genre, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I liked the fast-paced action, the undertones of good vs. evil. I liked the conspiracy of it all, how the US is not the powerhouse of old. This is definitely the kind of story that made me think and keep thinking long after I put the book down.
The idea of the installation of a Personal Chip directly attached to the human brain was fascinating to me. Imagine the possibilities of having the world and all its knowledge within seconds of thinking it. Imagine how amazing life could be. The P-Chip could control my emotions, adjust my metabolism so I could eat what I want and never gain a pound. It could make me sleep less, do more. Then imagine having someone hack into my brain to make me do things like murder or arm wrestle giants without my knowledge. It gave me the creeps and totally made me want to read State of Mind.
There are some crazy twists and turns in this novel and the ending? One word…WOW. I totally blew me away. There are plenty of shocking, hanging on the edge of my seat moments. My favorite part of the novel came close to the end with the mother of all twists. I’m pretty sure I knew exactly how Jake felt, heck I didn’t see it coming either.
I really enjoyed the cast of characters. Most notable for me are Jake, the Jackhammer, our hero and overall bad ass; Parks, he idolizes Jake and whose humor is his greatest asset; Marta Padilla, the ice queen with a secret sweet spot for Jake; and Lakshmi, Jake’s faithful dog.
Overall, I really enjoyed State of Mind. Mr. Davison took the care to describe the future in a way that was very easy to visualize. I loved how some things never go out of style like a Camaro. I loved that you can’t really break the human spirit no matter how many God Heads you have controlling you. Jake was a fighter through and through. There is a lot more in store for him and frankly, I can’t wait to read it.
As someone who doesn’t normally read (or even like) this genre, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I liked the fast-paced action, the undertones of good vs. evil. I liked the conspiracy of it all, how the US is not the powerhouse of old. This is definitely the kind of story that made me think and keep thinking long after I put the book down.
October 18, 2014
I've read State of Mind, State of Union, and have started State of Being. Here is why I like this book and the series so far:
1. Although there are some parallels between the plot and Ghost in the Shell (of which I'm a fan), there are enough differences to give this a read. The series starts off before most of the world becomes integrated with brain chips. Also, it has a different take on enhanced cops - .
2. There really is a war for all of our minds even without being chipped. Don't believe me? Start reading up - many media outlets have been controlled for some time now. Mr. Davison clearly knows this. The manipulation that goes on in State of Mind and later in State of Union is disturbing, believable, and written well. I have to wonder how many influential people justify the choices they make similarly as the godheads (manipulators of chipped people).
3. From my understanding of anyone who has every been depressed or who has had trouble moving on from something terrible, I know people get to a point where they think the same debilitating thoughts repeatedly, to the point that it becomes automatic and really tough to control. I do hope friends and family of those who've dealt with depression or grief see the similarities, and that it helps them understand the struggle these conditions present.
Yes, there are some grammatical issues, typos, and different versions of the name "Gabrielle". I have bigger things to worry about.
January 15, 2011
In some ways, this book is hard to read as it is meant to appeal to cyberpunk lovers. Thus, it is not a frivolous kind of book. You really have to pay attention to what is going because some scenes are really fragmented, and it’s hard to keep track of what is going on.
The whole story has a frenetic pace which adds nicely to the ultra-realistic feel as the Jake’s ability to figure out reality starts to fall to pieces. The pace also matches the building anxiety throughout the story.
Some of the book’s ‘hacking’ descriptions are a bit hand-wavey since it doesn’t go into great detail of how the software works, and the way it describes the way the people on the Jake’s side exploit loopholes seems rather implausible. This bothered me somewhat especially because this is more of a hard sci-fi book than many of the other books I've been reviewing lately.
I do think that the story/plot is pretty interesting, and it's a good look at the bad stuff that could happen with a chip implanted in the mind despite all the cool stuff that it could achieve.
The whole story has a frenetic pace which adds nicely to the ultra-realistic feel as the Jake’s ability to figure out reality starts to fall to pieces. The pace also matches the building anxiety throughout the story.
Some of the book’s ‘hacking’ descriptions are a bit hand-wavey since it doesn’t go into great detail of how the software works, and the way it describes the way the people on the Jake’s side exploit loopholes seems rather implausible. This bothered me somewhat especially because this is more of a hard sci-fi book than many of the other books I've been reviewing lately.
I do think that the story/plot is pretty interesting, and it's a good look at the bad stuff that could happen with a chip implanted in the mind despite all the cool stuff that it could achieve.
September 6, 2011
It's 2030 and disgraced ex-cop Jake Travissi is given another chance to catch bad guys, this time with Homeland Security. All that's asked is that he install p-chip in his brain, essentially turning himself into a human computer. The problem is that all computers can be hacked. State of Mind started out very strong but lost steam about halfway through, with Jake becomes a peripheral character for a good chunk of the book. Davison's future is startling in its plausibility but on the whole, I liked the concept of the book better than the execution.
September 3, 2011
Some of the best new cyberpunk I've read!
Read
July 20, 2012It was ok.
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