Ouellette is so keen on biotechnology and electronics systems that the lay reader (who doesn't know his DOS from his elbow) could easily be intimidated by the amount of hard science that's jammed into the adventure. Fortunately, the author has a sure instinct for clarity and an absolute genius for metaphor. Too bad Ouellette doesn't have a similar penchant for original characterization. The major players here are all standard pop-novel types: The good guys are very, very good, and the bad guys-particularly Counterpoint, the chief villain, who likes to prey sexually on little boys-are just plain loathsome. But still, The DEUS Machine is an unremittingly inventive work of near-future fiction, showcasing the best, and hungriest, predators since Jurassic Park.

The back blurb says the author is an advertising executive by profession. It shows.

It's readable, but basically just a somewhat superficial, slick rehash of a lot of science fiction ideas we've seen done better elsewhere.

This one isn't worth the money. ( )