A novel of nanomachines, neurobiology, and technoparanoia After another grueling week in the Silicon Valley fast lane, burnt-out software engi- neer Nick Aubrey boards a “red-eye” fl ight to Boston and winds up seated next to a very disturbed man who claims to know the secret of Gulf War Disease. Over Utah, Nick’s chance companion meets his dramatic demise—and the police accuse Nick of murder. As the world closes in around him Nick discovers that his only hope lies in a pharmaceutical laboratory in Basel, Switzerland, where scientists are frantically work- ing to unleash submicroscopic machines that will make the Gulf War look like child’s play. Only Nick can stop them—and in stopping them, maybe save himself. “ACTS OF THE APOSTLES is a nanotech science-fi ction thriller packed with every- thing you would expect a hard core geek to like… but it’s also a book infused with a sensibility that you don’t normally expect a ‘hard science fi ction’ novel to have: real emotions, real heartbreak, and a real sense of the craziness at the heart of the human condition.” Andrew Leonard, Salon.com “It’s great to read a book that scares that crap out of you… I’d classify this book in the same category as cyberpunk classics NEUROMANCER by William Gibson, SNOW CRASH by Neal Stephenson, and 1984 by George Orwell.” J.P. Hackworth, NewsTrolls.com “[T]he plot, while it holds everything together and keeps one turning the pages, is actually the least interesting part of ACTS. What sets it apart is the sophistication with which it deals with ideas and and technology and the depth and interest of its characters.” Danny Yee, www.dannyreviews.com “A technothriller that has everything you’re looking for. Once you pick this book up, you won’t stop ‘til you’ve read it all.” Sam Evans, Geek.com, 9 1/2 out of 10 stars. Sundman John F. X. John F. John F. X. Sundman has been a truck driver, chair of the Software John F. X. Sundman Development Architecture Team of Sun Microsystems, and construc- tion laborer on an Internet billionaire’s island trophy house. Since 1970 he has donated over fi ve gallons of blood. There is no truth to the rumor that he is a retired New York City Police Department detective. Acts of the Apostles is his fi rst novel. ISBN 1-929752-27-X 51500> “What Tom Clancy would write if he were smart” ROSALITA ASSOCIATES 9 781929 752270 Rosalita Jeff “Hemos” Bates, Slashdot.org a Silicon Valley Messiah See www.wetmachine.com $15.00 Associates The undergound sensation about Praise for John F.X. Sundman’s A A Winner of the Writer’s Digest National Self Published Book Award ACTS OF THE APOSTLES is the fin de siecle techno-thriller novel. It is an incredible read. In it a nightmare of nanotechnology and genetic manipulation of uncomfortable believability unfolds before us, the equal if not better of any work by any seasoned big name writer in this genre. As a first novel, its craftsmanship is quite beyond accounting. Author John F. X. Sundman has written a magnificent work of literature, and has simultaneously made a bold ethical state- ment about the inexorable but blind quest of science, the technologi- cal hubris that feeds off of it, and freedom of the individual mind that is threatened by it. — John Jurek, Midwest Book Review This book is four kinds of good. First, it is a good fictional illustra- tion of the nanotechnology fears that Bill Joy was writing about in his famous Wired article, “Why the future doesn’t need us”. Second, and more importantly, it is a good international conspiracy suspense action thriller (not easy to do); Third, it is somewhat of a roman a clef, which provides extra entertainment as you compare its fictional world with the real world. And fourth, it is a very intelligent satire as well, reminiscent of the Terry Southern of Dr. Strangelove. —The Luddite Reader A classy IT thriller… a page turner… Sundman does not rely solely on his fast paced action and brilliant thrills to engage the reader. He wins the reader of A A with finely developed char- acters. — Candace Cael Carmen, Blackcat Books Sundman . creates a “well, everything is possible” feeling and made me believe these crazy things while the story was flowing and the pages were turning. Which are just about all you can ask when the ideas are this far out. Or are they? Well most of them are, but Sundman manages to inject some interesting thoughts about the way that we live and the things we cling to as basic truths. The characters are believable and their normality makes a nice contrast to the weirdness of the story. I’ll be looking forward to something else from Sundman and so should you. —TC, SFBook.com Consistently interesting … frighteningly believable. The book will have you looking at the world around you in a new light. A thumbs up. — Fantastica Daily, Mervius.com A satisfying suspense thriller that is disturbingly thought-provoking. Like [Douglas] Coupland’s work, it is deeply saturated in the geek world view, and full of enjoyable cultural and pop-cultural allusions. Unlike Coupland’s work, it is plot-driven. — Jeff Zeldman Presents Daily Report It’s nice to know that there are people out there that are more paranoid than yourself. It’s great to read a book that scares the crap out of you. Self-dubbed ‘Techno-Paranoid’ author John Sundman’s novel, ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, did just that. Acts of the Apostles is a technol- ogy thriller filled with little nuggets of technology intermingled with a fast paced plot. From beginning to end, I pored over every detail that was placed in this book. And when I was done, I re-read it to see if I had missed anything the first time around. … I’d classify this book in the same category as cyberpunk classics NEUROMANCER by William Gibson, SNOW CRASH by Neal Stephenson, and 1984 by George Orwell. — J.P. Hackworth, NewsTrolls.com [Sundman’s] skills can be compared to early Tom Clancy. In H R O, Clancy surprised us all by making military lingo seem like plain English. Sundman has equivalent skills when writing about the computer and biological sciences. — Mostlyfiction.com The book is exciting, well paced, and at most times up-close and “personal” and it’s more than readable even if you’re slightly techno- phobic. —Sffworld.com The book is purportedly about Gulf War Syndrome and its causes, but that’s only the starting point… I’ve described it to friends as “What Tom Clancy would write if he were smart.” The plot devices, the characters and topics are all very familiar to the geek audience, and it’s quite refreshing to read a book that understands the mindset its audience will have… Summary: Good book. It’s easy to pick up after being away from for a while, but good enough that you’ll want to read it straight through. —Hemos, Slashdot.org John Sundman has written a really exciting and fun to read techno- thriller that has everything you’re looking for. This book is totally cool on an amazing number of levels… Once you pick this book up, you won’t stop ‘til you’ve read it all—the pages seems as short as a .15 micron process. Too many technothrillers use the ‘tech’ parts as filler; A A uses ‘tech’ as an integral piece of the book’s and the characters’ development. —Sam Evans, Geek.com ACTS OF THE APOSTLES is a compelling vision of a present where the fundamental building blocks of life are suddenly as easily modi- fied at the icon on your desktop. Sundman obviously “gets it,” and more importantly, he gets it right. The result is an intelligent, credible story of action and intrigue reminiscent of Mamet’s Spanish Prisoner. —Pete St. Onge, BioInformatics.org The science fiction writer who can create real, believable characters and weave a plot that keeps you turning pages late into the night is a good find. […]. But a science fiction writer who can do both those things, and base them on real, believable technical knowledge, well, those are rare as hen’s teeth. Neal Stephenson is one, Bruce Sterling is another. And folks, add John Sundman to that list. Acts of the Apostles may well be the ultimate hacker book. —Rusty, Kuro5hin.org I got hooked and found myself sneaking away from [work] to finish it. [Sundman] manages to weave a lot of technology into the book at a breathless pace. I am a Sixties-style paranoid and a conspiracy buff, and I have to say that this book would easily win the World Series of Paranoia. Read it and you’ll never think about genomes or nanoma- chines without a bit of a spinal chill. — Frank Willison, Editor-in-Chief, O’Reilly & Associates • A Gulfwarvets.com recommended title • A Fatbrain.com recommended title • A Geek.com pick • A Tbook.com Top Four selection e apostle ( pose l): noun any of the twelve followers of Jesus Christ whom he chose to teach other people about Christianity, or someone who strongly supports a particular belief or political movement. the Apostle Paul an apostle of world peace/liberty (from Cambridge International Dictionary of English) Acts of the Apostles Mind Over Matter Volume Blue John F. X. Sundman Rosalita Associates Copyright © 1997,1998,1999 John Sundman This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial License.