The Footprints of God by Greg Iles Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Footprints of God
Book Review: Great Techno-thriller
Summary: 4 Stars
After reading this book I am sure I will be reading other books by Iles. Very imaginative story ala Michael Chrichton. It also had similarites to the DaVinci Code. Some thought provoking themes are brought up in this book. Book Review: A Poor Imitation of Michael Crichton!
Summary: 2 Stars
Iles tries to imitate Michael Crichton with bits of Dan Brown's Digital Fortress in this book. Unfortunately this book does not make it. The NSA is backing a project called Trinity which is to develop a super quantum computer that is controlled by a brainscan of a human mind. Two of the individuals involved with the project want it halted and one dies in an apparent stroke which was actually induced by the NSA bad guys (why does the NSA always have to be portrayed as the bad guys in these books?). David Tennant is the other individual and he gets away by stopping an unstoppable hitman and then persuades his psychiatrist to run with him, even though she thinks he is mentally unstable.
The plot really gets out of hand with Tennant having visions of being Jesus, being portrayed to the Secret Service as the next Oswald and escaping the entire Washington DC police and SWAT units and ultimately getting out the country with a false passport, going to Israel and then persuading the head of the Moussad to help him. As crazy as it sounds the end is literally unbelievable that would even make a James Bond fan cringe.
The author has written some great tense books (24 Hours, Sleep No More) so I just chalk this one up to an experiment gone awry.
Book Review: Maybe he should have called it "Contrived Footprints in White Sands"
Summary: 2 Stars
For those who have never read "new age" mystic like Deepak Chopra or L.Ron Hubbard, or views on the merging of the eastern mystics with christianity, this might seem like a new book. But to most SF (speculative fiction) fans, we've seen this done too many times.
It wouldn't turn a head at the Nebula Awards or even make it as a serial in Fantasy. It's been done so much better by people like Philip K. Dick, Isaac Asimov or Alfred Bester.
OK, what's wrong with it. Stop me if you've heard this one. Well the premise is from Fail Safe or maybe Dr. Strangelove. The out of control super-computer, with the mind of a maniacal would be world dictator. And the US military is out to blow it up before it can saturate the planet with nuclear explosions. But guess what? The computer is on to them...Oh My...Lions tigers and bears OH MY...we're not in Kansas any longer.
(Where are the singing Munckins when you need them!)
Whose going to straighten all this out???? Well, Dr.Tennant, that's who...doh ti dah, dotid di dot ti dahhhhh...able to leap all religions in a single bound, more powerful that quantum mechanics...look up in the sky, it's SUPER DOC! or is it DOC the Christ, Jesus, this was ridiculous at some points.
There is a fine line between profound and unfounded, and Iles has done a great job of tripping over the line. I have read other Iles books, notably "24", and found them interesting and well written. But why do I think if this manuscript was submitted under a nom de plume, it would have been laughed at. Probably because it was past plausibility.
Characterization belongs in a cartoon...mean evil general who beats his daughter, daughter who grows up meaner than daddy, frightened Indian neurologist, stylish eccentric englishman, persevering psychiatrist (and jewish to boot), noble palestinians and mosad (israeli) agents. Our hero is more resolute than James Bond, tougher than Jackie Chan, a better shot than a trained sniper, able to survive on land, air and on the sea....oh and don't forget the crazy billionaire computer genius who wants to have himself downloaded into the mega-computer so that he can live for eternity.
One word, UGH.
Book Review: Footprints of Greg Iles
Summary: 4 Stars
As usual Greg word-smiths a real page turner. I was let down by the supposed god explanation toward the end. It was an attempt to roll Taosim (Dowism) and Agnosticism (google the Jefferson Bible)up into one. I hoped it would end with something better, BUT the book is a good book and has a pretty good ending, in spite of what I think.
Read and enjoy just don't expect any revelations about God
Book Review: Wow! Simply excellent!
Summary: 5 Stars
I found this book a fantastic read! While I probably can be guilty of skimming a couple of pages here and there to get to the next twist in the storyline, I can assure you it wasn't because I was bored. Its a fantastic story and I can honestly claim that I haven't read anything like it! Exciting and intriguing - it's storyline drove me to read, read, read.