Cumulus

Cumulus could easily have been a five-star book. What prevented it? Graham Chandler, the most interesting character, needed to be more fully developed. We're told that his primary goal is power. We learn, at the last, that the hunger for power wasn't always what drove him. What changed? As it is, he isn't much more than your standard evil villain. The character who failed to convince me of his good intentions was O'Livier. I don't believe that you can in any way justify selling cocaine in order to finance good deeds. Some backstory and character development might have helped, but he didn't come across as a real human being. Last, the book was a good idea that the author didn't take time to develop fully. That left me feeling that the whole thing was a bit sketchy.

About the highest compliment I can pay a book is that I wanted it to be longer. I enjoyed the characters, style, and plot of Cumulus enough that it fell into the category of "page turner" for me. I liked the author's willingness to weave real social issues into the book and his acknowledgment that there just aren't simple answers.The only aspect of the book I felt a little "eh" about was how one of the central organizations he portrays could actually end up as part of the solution (I won't spoil it by naming it). But working out the details of that conundrum would have required either another chapter, or two (more, More, MORE!), or possibly a very different setup, which could have robbed the story of one of its more interesting angles. I appreciated being intelligently engaged regardless.I've signed up for Mr. Peper's newsletter and look forward to reading previous work and future projects.

Eliot Peper has deftly weaved together the Oakland area, technology, and a thriller into one book: Cumulus. It was a great read and living in Oakland it was nice to know the local knowledge was authentic without being overbearing in the minutia. The characters are relatable and help the story move. It never once felt like I was waiting to move on from a chapter. Every concept Peper introduced contributed to the story. His ability to make guesses about a plausible future with tech and society helps make Cumulus an enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book and I look forward to more from Peper.

In his near-future thriller Cumulus, Eliot Peper sets his plot in his hometown Oakland around a passionate and talented young analog photographer, the founder and CEO of a tech giant and a frustrated intelligence agent.If that doesn’t sound intriguing enough, the fact that Eliot Peper is one of the most talented writers of techno-thrillers today, should rush you to grab this book. Haunting startup stories with political intrigues are his specialty and playground, and Cumulus is yet another confirmation of that. Just a warning before you start reading it: you might get addicted!Bernard Jan

I couldn't put it down. This usually only happens with Neal Stephenson books, which this one reminds me of. He creates a compelling image of a world just a bit ahead of our own, and tells an exciting story in that world. Some characters are a little hard to believe at first, but as long as you're willing to suspend disbelief, you'll enjoy it. Far geekier than a summer blockbuster flic, and much more action packed than most sci-fi novels.

Fast moving & exciting, this book was a quick but satisfying read. I love stories about technology and what the future holds for us. Combine that with subterfuge and lots of action, and that describes this book to a “T.” I’m definitely going to be reading more by this author.

I picked up Cumulus on a Tuesday and finished by Wednesday afternoon. Fast paced, entertaining, personal, and deeply insightful for anyone interested in what our near future is going to look like. It’s a near future Science fiction where about 80% of the “Fiction” is going to happen in the next 5-10 years. Not just for techies, the book also shows tremendous heart in connecting meaningfully unique characters. The Author is clearly deeply passionate about life in the San Francisco Bay area and the technology discovered/empowered in Silicon Valley. If you enjoyed Eagle eye or Minority report, this book is for you.

I absolutely loved this book! It's rare - maybe a first - for me to read a financial thriller with the detailed twists of real life of an entrepreneur. This is definitely a novel for entrepreneurs and people who are interested in financial thrillers. The strong female characters were a nice change, and the author's knowledge of startups and business helps create a very real-sounding plot and story details. On a trip to the beach with my wife, I read it "cover-to-cover" on my Kindle on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Next up are his Uncommon Series.

If I could give this book a review of 10 stars, I would.Since I can't do that, I write this:Buy this book and read it. Now, before it becomes a blockbuster movie.It's brilliant.As an indie writer myself, I know I will follow Mr. Peper's work. I have a lot to learn (and enjoy) from reading his books.

I think I heard about the book via the Reason Roundtable podcast and I read the whole book in one day - I couldn't put it down!The story is very fast paced and although the surveillance of characters is a bit spooky, it doesn't seem that far fetched.A really fun read, highly recommended!

Having purchased this based on passing a thread on a message board with William Gibson giving it the thumbs up, I am hugely glad that I did so.Just shy of 200 pages long the book runs at a brisk pace and whilst it may lack some character development it exceeds at painting a picture of a possible future whereby technology peers into every nook and cranny of our lives and is a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands.Really enjoyed and will recommend to others and look forward to seeing what Eliot comes up with next!

Poor, even for a YA novel. Magic disguised as technology, feeble plot, 1-dimensional characters - it's just bad.

Software might be eating the world, but is that a good thing? A scary vision of how things might look in the near future as Silicon Valley optimism collides with the real world.