The definitive novel of today's Silicon Valley, After On flash-captures our cultural and technological moment with up-to-the-instant savvy. Matters of privacy and government intrusion, post-Tinder romance, nihilistic terrorism, artificial consciousness, synthetic biology, and much more are tackled with authority and brash playfulness by New York Times bestselling author Rob Reid.
“An extended philosophy seminar run by a dozen insane Cold War
heads-of-station, three millennial COOs and that guy you went to
college with who always had the best weed but never did his
laundry.”—NPR
“An epic cyberthriller peppered with pop-culture references,
metadata, and Silicon Valley in-jokes.”—Kirkus Reviews
“It’s rare to find a book that combines laugh-out-loud humor and
cutting-edge science with profound philosophical speculation. This
is that book.”—Analog
“[Rob Reid] writes in a humorous and sarcastic style while
unveiling a terrifying and frightening scenario that seems all too
real.”—Associated Press
“Enter a near-future Silicon Valley that is hilariously, creepily,
mind-bogglingly fantastic, yet at the same time all too believable.
It might turn out this way. No, really, it might! Along with After
On’s diabolically ingenious plot, there are crazy-plausible web
startups, delicious parodies of social media, and a surprisingly
convincing theory of human consciousness.”—Chris Anderson, head of
TED
“Reading After On is like attending a master class in nearly every
major issue haunting not only the tech industry but society itself.
Only the professor is also a stand-up comic with a perfect ear for
the foibles of Silicon Valley’s most sacred cows. Part AI thriller,
part arch social commentary, and part rollicking farce, After On
will leave you smarter about just about everything the human
species needs to work on if we’re going to outlive our own
creations—and our obsessions with them.”—John Battelle, co-founder,
NewCo, Federated Media, and Wired
“The future is already here—it’s just for those who read
Reid!”—Steve Jurvetson, venture capitalist, Draper Fisher
Jurvetson
“Rob Reid doesn’t write science fiction; he writes future history.
After On is the best account I’ve read of how superintelligence
will arrive and what it will mean for all of us. Hilarious,
frightening, believable, and marvelously constructed—After On has
it all.”—Hugh Howey, New York Times bestselling author of Wool
“After On is smart, hilarious, and properly cynical about our
connected world. The story unfolds in surprising and fiendish ways,
and while you’re laughing you’ll learn enough to confound a wily
MBA, manipulate a board of directors, and maybe even outfox a
superintelligence.”—Ken Fisher, founder and editor in chief, Ars
Technica
“Topics like AI, neuroscience, quantum computing, and gene splicing
are usually both a blessing and a curse: incredibly fascinating
material explained super-boringly. After On manages to be an
exception to the rule, weaving all of those topics into a funny,
delightful story that’s full of surprises.”—Tim Urban, creator,
Wait But Why
“Rips the lid off Silicon Valley! And what lies beneath.”—Stewart
Brand, creator, Whole Earth Catalog
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