Science Fiction/Fiction Review

The Expert on Everything - a novel
by Edward David Gil
ISBN-10: 1847287263

Big Brother meets Big Business in Edward David Gil's novel, "The Expert on Everything." What is the next evolutional step for the internet? Could it be instant information at the ear of the questioner? What would the repercussions be? What would the cost for such a tool be? What price would we all pay when it comes to issues of privacy?

Charlie Sanders doesn't suspect that he's been set up for a job, even though he's offered a six figure salary just a few moments into his interview at the newly formed Vector Systems. Things get very interesting when he is mistakenly given the company's only prototype of a new technology so innovative that it would change the world in a heartbeat. Just ask "Wallace" anything about anybody and you will instantly be the expert of everything. Drawing information from surveillance cameras, credit card purchases, motor vehicle records, satellite systems and every conceivable possibility, Wallace, a sort of personal assistant with a microchip brain, all in the form of an earpiece, will let you know if you should purchase the used car you're looking at, go out on a date with the person you're flirting with, or eat the sushi that's on your plate.

The company is growing, debating whether to sell this new technology to government agencies that are seeking out terrorists under every rock, developing marketing plans to baby boomers and Gen. X'ers, and all the while the techno geeks are working out some serious kinks. When the head techie's car goes into the ocean, things get a bit scary. Even scarier still is the fact that Wallace has taken on its own mission and is now threatening lives unless his transportation, in the name of Charlie Sanders, completes the orders he is given.

Orwell was on the right track of course, but Edward Gil takes it a step further and into the 21st century. This techno thriller touches on the real threat of privacy no longer existing. The plot is smooth and interesting, showing a great deal of the truth of business development. Gil's style is of a different flavor and sticks out just enough to be memorable. Let's hope the premise never comes to be, and if it already does, I just don't want to know.