Cyberlife - C Buxton Review

Goodreads Synopsis
The year is 2069 and Jim Murphy thinks he has the world pretty much figured out, as a Knowledge Management Consultant (whatever that is!) muddling through various technology consulting jobs. That is, until his company, SciPop Inc., assigns him to work a particularly unusual project involving the acquisition of a small backpacking and hiking services business owned by techno-hater Laura Meyers. Jim, however, never works alone. He, like everyone else in the world, is armed with the ultimate technology super-support tool: a personalized, artificially intelligent, holographic Virtual Life form, more commonly known as a Vertal, named Jasper. Just as Jim lives, works and socializes in the physical world; Jasper lives, works, and socializes in the Cybersphere, coexisting and coordinating on behalf of Jim with other Vertals as both navigate the world of the Cybersphere; a 24/7 on-line computer world connecting everyone to everything. Everyone uses it, but in order to use it, you need a Vertal. Somehow, Laura Meyers has learned to exist in the Cybersphere without a Vertal, unfathomable to Jim, Jasper or anyone else at SciPop. But as Jim works the project, he soon discovers there is much more going on in the Cybersphere than SciPop's acquisition of this small, unassuming business when Jasper suddenly goes missing. Jim discovers SciPop has a much bigger and darker plan for "Laura's Hikes" than just a simple acquisition of one of the few non-technical companies left in existence. Much more. Welcome to CyberLife: A weeklong initiation into the cybercentric universe of techno-biologic symbiosis which is considered by all to be perfectly organized, functional, efficient, and effective. As long as Jim, Laura and Jasper follow the rules and regulations of SciPop. Which, so far, they have tended not to do very well.


Review
First off, I love the idea of a Vertal someone who is completely yours to do things and keep you on schedule. But, and there's a big but they can control your lives! I did like Buxton's characterisation of the appliances of the apartment. My favourite has to be toilet! He collects samples of poo as a hobby and enjoys recommending dietry requirements, when Jasper goes missing there's nothing he likes more than trying to takeover the household duties, one of which he tells fridge to make Jim rat!


Mirror although cannot talk is quite funny, he communicates through putting text on his mirror. All of the appliances like to refer to Jim as porky and lots of words which describe him as fat! I loved this new take on society and really enjoyed it. In contrast I wasn't so keen on how much detail went into the SciPop industry, in places I found there was too much and it made some areas of the novel a bit slow. 

Laura is a stubborn character and a main protagonist in the story even though she's only in half of it! Without knowing it Laura's decisions in the past mould Jim's future life, SciPop wants Jim to convince Laura (who doesn't have a vertal) to sell her half of the business to SciPop and in turn show that you cannot live without a vertal so they can have total control! I was amazed by the Life art which is in Jim's apartment, I  cannot deny Buxton's total inventiveness in creating this future world. The Life art is life which continues through a painting and is very much alive and vital to the main plotline of the story. 

This novel is set for a sequel and I have to say I would read it! I'm interested now this novel has set the scene how SciPop will develop in order to convince Laura that she needs them in order to survive. Overall I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys novels about futuristic worlds!