One Jump Ahead is the recent debut science fiction novel of Mark L. Van Name, published in 2007 and recently out in paperback. It is the winner of the prestigious Compton Crook Award, given yearly by the Baltimore Science Fiction society for best debut novel.
In the distant future, humanity has spread across numerous worlds. Under the loose governance of the Frontier Coalition, vast star-spanning corporations compete for the rights to newly settled worlds and control of the mysterious jump gates that let humanity travel from star to star. Corporate security forces and mercenary troops guard their interests, and take the field when competition gets out of hand. Artificial intelligence is ubiquitous, with automation so advanced that everything from military vehicles to household appliances has some level of intellect, however limited or single-minded.
The book is the story of Jon Moore, a former mercenary soldier turned courier and paramilitary problem-solver. His homeworld is lost, kept under permanent blockade and quarantine due to the dangerous experiments that took place there. Seemingly an ordinary man, Moore is in fact the product of dangerous experiments with human augmentation and nanotechnology forced on him as a child. His body is filled with countless nanomachines that help him survive. He can stretch his senses beyond normal human limits, into the ultrasonic sound frequencies at which the AIs that fill society communicate with each other. After many years serving in mercenary units and seeing countless battles, always keeping his true nature hidden lest he end up dissected in some corporate laboratory, Moore just wants some occasional peace while he tries to figure out a way to see his home again.
Moore finds himself approached by a man named Slake, an executive whose company is bidding for the rights to the newly settled world of Macken and its lucrative jump gates. Slake explains that his daughter has been kidnapped by terrorists who wish to blackmail him, and is desperate for Moore’s help. Moore agrees. As he prepares for his mission, he encounters a decommissioned military assault vehicle and discovers that its AI, which calls itself “Lobo,” is still active. When the local Frontier Coalition officials turn out to need a favor from Moore, he is able to get them to sign Lobo over in return.
With lobo’s help, the rescue goes without a hitch, but soon Moore finds himself pursued by assassins pursuing a price that has been put on his head. Trying to find out who wants him dead and why, Moore is drawn into the deadly intrigues of the corporations competing for Macken. He starts to discover what is really happening on Macken, and the ugly truth about who really hired him, and why. He will need all his skill and all of Lobo’s help in order to do what it takes to survive – and to live with himself afterwards.
One Jump Ahead is a great debut, deftly combining an adventure story with intrigue, mystery, elements of military science fiction, and imaginative ideas. Jon Moore and Lobo are very enjoyable characters that play off each other well, with Moore’s solemn but earnest nature contrasting with the bitter and sardonic Lobo. Despite some dark elements, it is also one of the most plain fun stories I’ve read in a while, with the frontier setting and Moore’s cunning solutions to dealing with the opposition putting me in mind of classic adventure science fiction from the 1950’s and 60’s.
One the book’s most interesting and entertaining aspects is its portrayal of a world where artificial intelligence is everywhere. Virtually every machine has at least some degree of awareness, usually spending their time chattering incessantly with each other about their jobs or gossiping about their owners or users at frequencies humans can’t hear. Moore’s ability to hear and respond to them becomes a key part of the plot – it is hard to keep a secret when your bored house lights or office coffee machine will gladly tell all it knows to anyone within earshot. It is a very strange-sounding premise, but Van Name makes it make sense and exploits it as both a speculative element and a source of humor.
One Jump Ahead is a fine debut for Mark L. Van Name and a great introduction for Jon Moore and Lobo. The follow-up, Slanted Jack, has just become available from Baen Books. I look forward to seeing what van Name does in the future.
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