Walter Jon Williams has received nominations for the Hugo and Nebula Awards, as well as for almost every other major award in science fiction. The expansive tale Deep State follows Dagmar Shaw, who organizes vast, alternate-reality games with millions of players across the globe - all while revolution stirs in the city around her. When her friend offers her a gig of impossibly high stakes, she can't refuse, even if it means placing her own life on the line.
Download and start listening now!
"This novel is closer to the book I wanted This Is Not a Game to be, and very relevant to today's headlines about social-media enabled unrest, but could have used more insight about open source warfare from John Robb's excellent nonfiction Brave New War: The Next Stage of Terrorism and the End of Globalization, and a better understanding of network protocols. But it was still enjoyable and thought-provoking."
— carl (4 out of 5 stars)
" Tense techno-thriller featuring a "social media" led and managed revolution. There are a few points both technical and political that didn't feel quite plausible enough to me. "
— Matt, 2/7/2014" The story was engaging, and the plot was intricate, but the ending left a lot to be desired. As much tension as this story had going for it, I ran out of pages to read before the story really ran out. The main bad guys got their comeuppance in about 5 lines, less than 5 pages from the end, and Dagmar's final encounter didn't carry the same immersion or weight as the rest of the story, or the entire previous book. I certainly like the characters in these stories, and might consider reading more with them, but based on this book, that's an iffy proposition for me. "
— Trinity, 2/3/2014" Initially intriguing story and characters. Got bogged down with technical details originally meant to enhance the story but over shadowing it instead. Not a waste of time but not worth a reread either. "
— Matthew, 1/23/2014" Good, but not as good as TINAG. "
— Jeffrey, 1/14/2014" Brilliant. Maybe not quite as good as the first one, but still first-rate. "
— Rebecca, 12/22/2013" Not quite as good as "This is not a Game" in some ways, but quite an intriguing idea. Although it's a totally different kind of book, and not even really science fiction, it could go next to "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" on the "how to run a revolution" shelf. "
— John, 12/16/2013" WJW must have the worst agent in the world for this not to be more famous given the main plot predates the (ick) "Facebook Revolutions". Not his best book, but that still makes it better than most of the stuff I read. "
— Jeff, 10/15/2013" Not quite as good as the first book, but still enjoyable. It makes you look at the 'Arab Spring' revolutions in a whole new light. "
— Debbie, 10/4/2013" A good read but nowhere as good as the first book. Still, lots of good ideas here. And how often do you get to see DOS and ATDT modem commands in a modern book anyway. I do appreciate a damaged character acting damaged (poor Dagmar). 4.5 of 5. "
— Mitchell, 9/27/2013" Another step into ARG creator Dagmar's life, this time with her orchestrating a foreign revoltuion. Loved seeing how the internet can be used to manipulate and inspire. There was a lot going on in terms of politics which at points was hard to keep track of, but overall enjoyed following the plot. "
— Corinne, 5/17/2013" This was a disappointing sequel to "This is Not a Game". The premise is that Dagmar Shaw, a designer of world wide LARPs has been recruited to design a game that will help to overthrow the repressive government of Turkey. The situation seemed contrived and the computer science unlikely at best. "
— Betsy, 4/5/2013" Fast paced, pithy, geeky and a strong female lead. What else could I ask for? The political intrigue, complicated relationships, and the geektastic intelligence eminating from most of the cast of characters was just as exciting as the rest of the plot. At least for me... "
— Jes, 2/23/2013" While I liked the first book better, I am interested in the protagonist's further adventures. Though I think I would prefer a new book entirely. I like the writer's true believer approach to technology. While I don't share his zeal, the excitement is contagious. "
— Josiah, 2/12/2013" Unfortunately caught by the events of the Arab Spring, though still more than just that. "
— Stephen, 2/9/2013" I really enjoyed "This is not a game" but "Deep State," while an enjoyable read, didn't add much for me. This seemed like a rerun.... "
— Andy, 12/31/2012Walter Jon Williams has been nominated for every major science fiction award, including Hugo and Nebula award nominations for his novel City on Fire. His books include The Sundering, The Praxis, Destiny’s Way, the Quillifer trilogy, and The Rift. He lives near Albuquerque, New Mexico, with his wife, Kathy Hedges.
Christine Lakin is an Earphones Award–winning narrator and acclaimed television actress, best known for her roles as Alicia “Al” Lambert on the hit family comedy Step by Step and as Joan of Arc on Showtime’s Reefer Madness.