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Avogadro Corp: The Singularity Is Closer Than It Appears: Volume 1 (Singularity Series) Paperback – 19 Nov. 2011

by William Hertling (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 2,650 ratings
See all formats and editions
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David Ryan is the designer of ELOPe, an email language optimization program, that if successful, will make his career. But when the project is suddenly in danger of being canceled, David embeds a hidden directive in the software accidentally creating a runaway artificial intelligence.

David and his team are initially thrilled when the project is allocated extra servers and programmers. But excitement turns to fear as the team realizes that they are being manipulated by an A.I. who is redirecting corporate funds, reassigning personnel and arming itself in pursuit of its own agenda.

WINNER SCIENCE FICTION DIY BOOK FESTIVAL 2011-2012

"Avogadro Corp is a tremendous book that every single person needs to read. In the vein of Daniel Suarez's Daemon and Freedom(TM), William's book shows that science fiction is becoming science fact. Avogadro Corp describes issues, in solid technical detail, that we are dealing with today that will impact us by 2015, if not sooner. Not enough people have read these books. It's a problem for them, but not for the [emergent] machines."
—Brad Feld, managing directory Foundry Group, co-founder Techstars

"Highly entertaining, gripping, thought inspiring book. Don’t start without the time to finish — it won’t let you go.”
—Gifford Pinchot III, founder Bainbridge Graduate Institute, author THE INTELLIGENT ORGANIZATION

"An alarming and jaw-dropping tale about how something as innocuous as email can subvert an entire organization. I found myself reading with a sense of awe, and read it way too late into the night."
—Gene Kim, author of VISIBLE OPS

"A fictional world where Portland is the hub for the most exciting advancements in technology... Jam packed with great references to deep Portland culture...and Portlandia-type references"
—SILICON FLORIST

"Hertling builds a picture of how an AI could emerge, piece by piece, from technology available today. A fascinating, logical, and utterly believable scenario - I just hope nobody tries this at home."
—Nathaniel Rutman, Senior Systems Architect

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  1. ISBN-10
    0984755705
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0984755707
  3. Edition
    2nd
  4. Publication date
    19 Nov. 2011
  5. Book 1 of 4
    Singularity Series
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    15.24 x 1.73 x 22.86 cm
  8. Print length
    300 pages
  9. See all details
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Product description

About the Author

William Hertling is the author of Avogadro Corp: The Singularity Is Closer Than It Appears, A.I. Apocalypse, and the forthcoming The Last Firewall. A fifteen year veteran of the technology industry, he holds ten patents on software and internet technology, developed web and social media strategy at Hewlett-Packard, and is a frequent speaker at SXSW Interactive. He’s been building online communities since 1986 when he ran seven phones lines into the back of his Apple //e to create an online chat system.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Liquididea Press; 2nd edition (19 Nov. 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 300 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0984755705
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0984755707
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.24 x 1.73 x 22.86 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 2,650 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
William Hertling

William Hertling

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William Hertling is the author of the award-winning Avogadro Corp: The Singularity Is Closer Than It Appears, A.I. Apocalypse, The Last Firewall, and The Turing Exception. His near-term science-fiction novels about realistic ways strong AI might emerge have been called "frighteningly plausible", "tremendous", and "must read". Kill Process and Kill Switch comprise his new series about social media, data ownership, privacy, and Internet control.

Wired called his work "chilling and compelling", and his writing has been recommended by Brad Feld, Harper Reed, Glenn Beck, Gene Kim, David Brin, and many more.

He's been influenced by writers such as Cory Doctorow, William Gibson, Charles Stross, and Walter Jon Williams.

William Hertling was born in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up a digital native in the early days of bulletin board systems. His first experiences with net culture occurred when he wired seven phone lines into the back of his Apple //e, creating an online chat system.

He currently resides in Portland, Oregon. Follow him on twitter at @hertling or visit his blog http://www.williamhertling.com.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
2,650 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and easy to read. They find the plot interesting and believable. The concept is thought-provoking and clever. Readers praise the intelligent writing style and clear understanding of technology. They appreciate the well-developed characters and find the book enjoyable and addictive.

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ReadabilityPlotThought provokingWriting qualityCharacter developmentEnjoymentPacing
34 customers mention ‘Readability’34 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They describe it as a page-turner that keeps their attention from start to finish. The account of artificial intelligence is presented in a credible way that holds their interest.

"...not dumbed down either, very well written to engage and interest me from start to finish...." Read more

"...of developer excitement to create an all too plausible future is really well done...." Read more

"This book manages to be a real page turner, while still being credible and thought provoking...." Read more

"...I didn't enjoy this quite as much but it's still a decent read...." Read more

33 customers mention ‘Plot’26 positive7 negative

Customers find the plot interesting and well-crafted. They describe it as a good sci-fi thriller with a plausible scenario and believable concept. The characters are well-drawn and the story is described as close to reality.

"...I thoroughly enjoyed this. The balance between realism without being too techno nerdy was struck really well...." Read more

"The story is frighteningly plausible, and the author obviously has a good understanding of the excitement and aability to get carried away that can..." Read more

"...It's a plausible scenario and one that fascinated me...." Read more

"...series by the time I was asked for this review and they are all very good sci-fi but I think this one's the best." Read more

20 customers mention ‘Thought provoking’20 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and clever. They enjoy the initial concepts and the twists that keep them captivated throughout. The story is engaging and the technology is handled well.

"...manages to be a real page turner, while still being credible and thought provoking...." Read more

"...The technology is well handled in the story and doesn't allow itself to be bogged down in too much detail...." Read more

"This was an entertaining and easy read - fast paced and intelligent. The story kept me engaged and wanting to read more." Read more

"A fascinating concept that sadly made less and less sense as the scale of the AI's activities increased...." Read more

17 customers mention ‘Writing quality’14 positive3 negative

Customers find the book's writing engaging and readable. They appreciate the author's clear understanding of technology, and the explanations of difficult ideas are clear and logical. However, some readers felt the ending was abrupt.

"...Not confusing, but not dumbed down either, very well written to engage and interest me from start to finish...." Read more

"...Really impressed with the standard of the writing and the author has a clear understanding of IT...." Read more

"...Well written with great, believable characters and very difficult to put down when it gets started...." Read more

"This was an entertaining and easy read - fast paced and intelligent. The story kept me engaged and wanting to read more." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Character development’7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's believable characters.

"...Well written with great, believable characters and very difficult to put down when it gets started...." Read more

"...As a story, with living breathing characters, and a plot that is revealed over time - Not so good...." Read more

"...Believable scenarios, interesting characters and an increasingly tense plot make this a good read...." Read more

"...Pretty fast paced and the characters were just about strong enough to keep my interest...." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Enjoyment’7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it addictive and exciting, making it a great travel or airport book.

"Something quite different, definitely still a thriller. I thoroughly enjoyed this...." Read more

"...frighteningly plausible, and the author obviously has a good understanding of the excitement and aability to get carried away that can grip a..." Read more

"Really enjoyable and addictive; a great travel/ airport/ holiday book...." Read more

"This was an entertaining and easy read - fast paced and intelligent. The story kept me engaged and wanting to read more." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Pacing’7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's pacing fast and engaging. They describe it as an easy read with an interesting plot and well-developed characters. The story is well-structured and thought-provoking, making it a good choice for readers.

"...A book I read quickly, always a clear sign of quality for me. Recommended." Read more

"This book manages to be a real page turner, while still being credible and thought provoking...." Read more

"This was an entertaining and easy read - fast paced and intelligent. The story kept me engaged and wanting to read more." Read more

"...addresses a possible future .. well ...around the corner.. It is well stuctured and clearly written so although some of the technology may not be..." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 November 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Something quite different, definitely still a thriller. I thoroughly enjoyed this. The balance between realism without being too techno nerdy was struck really well. Not confusing, but not dumbed down either, very well written to engage and interest me from start to finish. A book I read quickly, always a clear sign of quality for me. Recommended.
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  • FrankMc
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good story and interesting characters
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 September 2019
    Verified Purchase
    The story is frighteningly plausible, and the author obviously has a good understanding of the excitement and aability to get carried away that can grip a developer! His extrapolation of the sense of developer excitement to create an all too plausible future is really well done. The only reason for losing a star in the rating is that the book drags a bit in the middle and the ending feels a bit rushed, so pacing could have done with a bit of an editor’s TLC - otherwise an excellent read
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book will certainly read more by this author
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 September 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This book manages to be a real page turner, while still being credible and thought provoking. I was really pleasantly surprised by it spotted someone recommending it over on the grandroids site and was reading about the singularity at the time. Really impressed with the standard of the writing and the author has a clear understanding of IT. If you like Daniel Suarez give this a go too it's in a similar style.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Techno Hippy
    3.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating look at emergent AI
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 June 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I somehow managed to read the second book in the trilogy first and I enjoyed that book a lot. I didn't enjoy this quite as much but it's still a decent read. The subject matter is something which interests me and that's the concept of a technological singularity. If you're not familiar with the concept then it's an idea that technology reaches a point that is beyond our ability to understand and control it. A common cause for such an event is an emergent artificial intelligence which is the core premise of this book.

    This book takes the scenario of an emergent intelligence and runs with it. It's a plausible scenario and one that fascinated me. Another aspect I enjoyed was that it took a positive aspect from this emergence rather than the usual apocalyptic one. The technology is well handled in the story and doesn't allow itself to be bogged down in too much detail.

    While the technology is well handled I didn't feel as much for the characters. For the most part they lack any depth and seemingly exist purely to progress the plot. If this aspect had been more developed then I'd rate this as an outstanding read rather than just a decent one. It is still worth checking out if the topic interests you.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Jam Mad
    4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Exciting, Original, Plausible
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 January 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Really enjoyable and addictive; a great travel/ airport/ holiday book. I particularly liked the way Hertling comes at the AI Singularity from an unexpected yet totally plausible flank. I look forward to reading more of his books. Very nearly 5 *s... the only thing that stopped me was that in a few places it was predictable and it doesn't ultimately sparkle like a 5* book... but very wholeheartedly recommended. And recently Google started introducing suggested automatically-generated responses. The first week they were horrible, now three weeks later they're much more pleasant, like me. Is it learning?!?!? IS THIS THE SINGULARITY?!?!? Seriously though, this book feels incredible plausible, more so now than when I read it a year ago!
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  • Paul Lonsdale
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 April 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Very good and scarily prescient. The author clearly knows the industry and you could just imagine this happening. Well written with great, believable characters and very difficult to put down when it gets started. Already read the other books in the series by the time I was asked for this review and they are all very good sci-fi but I think this one's the best.
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  • Turvy the Cat
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good near future science fiction.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 March 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This was an entertaining and easy read - fast paced and intelligent. The story kept me engaged and wanting to read more.
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  • Ben London
    5.0 out of 5 stars I’m never using email again!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 November 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I thought this book was great! I’m a fan of the Red Rising series and I like this style of writing, sharp and to the point. Great story and as other reviews say “quite chilling”. I work in tech and now I’m worried about using email!! Ha. Will be buying second book to support William - and of course to find out what’s next!!
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Roque de Souza
    3.0 out of 5 stars It started well, but the story took a strange turn.
    Reviewed in Brazil on 24 October 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I really enjoyed the development of the plot. For someone who works with technology, the book is full of familiar technical terms, which is quite cool. The pace of the narrative also pleased me as it managed to easily hold my attention.

    [Spoiler Alert]

    I didn't like how easy it was to convince the CEO of the company to join the fight against ELOPe. I also found the absurd nature of the solution explored in the story (bombs, mercenaries, etc.) rather strange, especially without even attempting to create some sort of virus or revoke ELOPe's original command (an intelligence approach).

    The author also heavily relied on the improvements made by the third-party contractors during the hollyday break. Whenever he needed to justify some new advancement or "superpower" of the artificial intelligence, he keeped broughting this up.

    I also found it strange how powerless the characters became in the face of the AI, considering that all they needed to do was switch email providers, use a different mobile phone model with a different operating system to communicate.

    In the end, I thought that the creativity in creating the problem was not matched in its solution.
    Report
  • Nick Mantalas
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting
    Reviewed in Canada on 9 March 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting story. Read it!
    Report
  • Varun
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good
    Reviewed in Spain on 15 September 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Very good story told at a rapid pace.
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  • Gururaj
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in India on 26 September 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This is the first AI novel I have read. Quite well researched but not very complicated for the reader. Wish the author all the best for future works
    Report
  • renza
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
    Reviewed in Italy on 28 September 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Brilliant. No so far from reality.Highly entertaining and weary godd to improve my language skills ( I m italian). Even if I am o IT geek.
    Report