Excellent thriller, with some parts that feel a bit William Gibson’ish. But the author has his own style, utilizing today’s fast paced cutaways, but unlike the populist press, he finishes each chapter before he cuts. Ronco has been a senior executive in lots of technology firms with a deep cross discipline knowledge. But you won’t need his depth of knowledge to really enjoy this book. I really liked it and read it in basically two sittings. This is a good coast to coast plane ride book. You may not be able to put it down. I found his scenario on stock market disarray very prescient!
Dan Ronco spent several decades working as a computer programmer and consultant before turning to writing fiction. Unholy Domain is his second novel. It is a sequel to his debut, Peacemaker, and the middle of a planned trilogy. The book is quite accessible on its own, however; I have never read Peacemaker but had no problem getting into Unholy Domain.
In 2012, the “Peacemaker” computer virus was let loose on the Internet, causing over one million deaths as the world’s infrastructure fell into chaos. Over the next decade, the devastation caused by Peacemaker and the tightening restrictions on technology imposed by frightened governments has brought about an economic depression that has left society on the brink of collapse. Millions have turned to a militant new religious movement, the Church of Natural Humans, which condemns advanced technology – and especially any blurring of the line between man and machine – as a temptation of the Devil that will destroy humanity. Its secret paramilitary wing, the Army of God, wages a bloody underground war against the propagation of new technology. In the background lurks a secretive and power-hungry group called the Domain, flooding the black market with illegal new technologies for their own mysterious ends.
The main character is David Brown, a college student and the son of the late Ray Brown, the man notorious for unleashing Peacemaker on the world. He receives a time-delayed message from his father, written ten years ago, in which his father tells him that some other unknown party is responsible for Peacemaker. Intrigued by the possibility that his father might be innocent, David sets out to learn as much about him as he can in the hope of finding something that will clear his father’s name.
It will be a hazardous journey. David is feared and hated by many for his heritage. The Army of God thinks that David can lead them to their hated enemies, the Domain. And those responsible for Peacemaker are moving again, hoping to finish what they started a decade ago.
Unholy Domain is an enjoyable book that straddles the border between science fiction and techno-thriller, and should appeal to fans of both. Its speculative elements appealed to me as a science fiction fan, but it is very near-future setting makes it more accessible than most science fiction.
The story is interesting and fast-paced, alternating between David’s search for knowledge and the machinations and struggles between the Domain and the Church of Natural Humans, until the different characters’ paths start colliding towards the end. I found all of the different strands of the story interesting; I did not, while reading a chapter focused on one plot thread, find myself wishing it would end soon so that I could go back to one that was more interesting. That is sometimes a problem with novels that jump between different subplots and perspectives, but Unholy Domain avoids it.
Ronco does action well, and the fights and shootouts that often come up in the story have a nicely balanced feel, giving enough description to make things vivid but still maintaining a very fast pace.
Plot wise, my only complaint is that the book ends somewhat abruptly, which is a common difficulty with the middle of trilogies. The climax is very quick, and the book concludes very shortly afterwards. I found this somewhat frustrating, though it speaks well of the skill with which the buildup is done.
I quite liked some of the characters, especially the antagonists. Adam Jordan, leader of the Church of Natural Humans, initially appears to be a somewhat generic evil religious fanatic, but is revealed to be a more interesting character as the story progresses. While thoroughly villainous, he has considerably more humanity than is usually seen in this sort of character. The leadership of the Domain is also done well, and given more depth through small touches- something as simple as showing a villain’s family can be surprisingly effective in making them seem more real.
I would recommend Unholy Domain to both science fiction readers and fans of contemporary thrillers. I liked it a lot, and look forward to seeing what Dan Ronco does next.
John Markley is a newspaper reporter and freelance writer from Illinois, and has been addicted to science fiction since elementary school. His other interests include history, science, video games, and martial arts. He maintains the blog Vast and Cool and Unsympathetic.
In the year 2022, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cultic religious fanaticism have gotten out of hand. The world is still recovering from a deadly computer virus that killed many thousands of people 10 years ago. Since then, a religious cult sprang into existence with a zealous purpose of getting rid of all advanced technology. From this landscape, Unholy Domain comes forth.
David Brown is the college-age son of, supposedly deceased, Ray Brown, who was accused of releasing the virus that wreaked worldly havoc. As the furor between the extremists builds again, David is caught in the middle, not wanting to be involved, even though is has hacking and AI talents like his father, and ashamed of his name because of his father. Then he receives a post-dated message from his father which turns his world upside-down.
As David looks for secrets to his father’s past, he finds danger close on his heels. Someone does not want him to find out the truth.
Unholy Domain is a fast-paced thriller about what could happen if technology gets too smart and cultists overreact to technology. It was a good, quick read with lots of action, intrigue and a little romance.
Posted by Grasshopper at Tuesday, September 02, 2008
A decade after a lethal computer virus called PeaceMaker roared across the internet leaving hundreds of thousands of people dead, a war is raging between science and religion, the world wallows in a global depression, and the United States government is paralyzed, unable to intervene. The secretive and powerful Domain is poised to take humankind to the next level of evolution through artificial intelligence, and the fanatical Church of Natural Humans has marshaled their forces to stop them. David Brown, the son of PeaceMaker’s creator, believes that his father was set up to take the fall for the catastrophe, and was murdered to keep him quiet. Determined to clear his father’s name and avenge his killers, David stumbles into the war between the rival factions. Hunted by both sides, he unravels his father’s secrets and discovers a genetic capability within himself that may change the path of human evolution. This fast-paced, techno thriller depicts a world of violent extremes, where religious terrorists and visionaries of technology fight for supreme power.
Reviewer: Sabrina Sumsion Review Posted on: 2008-08-28 14:04:11
Rated: Thumbs Way Up!
How do you survive in a society that has been completely torn apart by the attack of a computer virus? What if you are the son of the man blamed for the deaths of millions?
In Unholy Domain, the sequel to PeaceMaker, David Brown is the son of the supposed creator of the computer virus that wiped out computers, lives and the world economy in the year 2012. David doesn’t believe his father would have done such a horrible thing but he doesn’t know for sure. There is evidence showing the guilt of his father but he simply can’t accept it as truth and get on with his life.
Society has split a decade after the virus destroyed civilization. There are those who abhor technology and actively seek to kill those who develop it. There are others who are making millions on the technology black market. As Dan searches for answers and a way to clear his father’s name, he becomes a target for both sides.
Unholy Domain is a fast paced thriller that fans will enjoy. Even though it is a sequel, it is easily understandable as a stand alone book as well. Just to warn you though, if you read Unholy Domain, you will want to read PeaceMaker as well!
Unholy Domain is a sequel to Dan Ronco’s previous book Peacekeeper, but you don’t have to have read that to read this. I hadn’t and it all made sense. If I had to sum up Unholy Domain in a soundbite I would probably say Tom Clancy meets William Gibson.
In 2022 and the world is sinking into a massive depression. After the death and chaos caused by the Peacemaker virus in 2012, the US government enacted heavy restrictions on advanced technology. The effect was to stifle growth and the countries infrastructure is slowly collapsing.
The Church of Natural Humans is pursuing a relentless crusade against Technos and using their Army of God are prepared to go to any lengths to defeat Satan. On the other side of things a shadowy technological group called the Domain are using organized crime to distribute illegal advanced technology including robots with sophisticated AI.
And right in the middle is David Brown, the son of the man blamed for creating the Peacemaker virus. David has inherited his fathers talent for coding, but he also has a unique ability to interface his mind directly with computers. All three groups come crashing together as the world reaches a crossroads and the path of the future is decided.
Dan Ronco’s writing style is sparse. Descriptions aren’t allowed to get in the way of the plot which hurtles along at breakneck speed. Characters get enough description to make them distinctive and anything relating to the plot is describe, some scenes in vivid detail, but he doesn’t waste words.
The view point jumps from character to character as the story unfolds and even minor players are fleshed out so you get a sense of their motivations. Ronco does a particularly good job of presenting the major players as rounded individual. No one in this scenario thinks they are doing evil and ironicaly one of the characters who is really only in it for herself is the most genuinely religious.
In some ways it is actually the central protagonist who comes off the worst in this. While the war for the future rages around him, he stumbles from person to person without much direction. And while people keep talking about the darkness in him, we really don’t actually see any sign of it in this book. In some ways he is only the hero because the other characters are more unpleasant than he is.
This is definitely an action thriller with science fiction overtones, but Ronco is addressing some big themes in this book. Ones that are already starting to impact our society. The devastating effect of the Peacemaker virus is chillingly believable for example.
In some ways this book is about a clash of religions. On the one hand we have traditional religious fanaticism as represented by the Church of Natural Humans who are a cult in all the ways we expect (nutty religious leader who takes advantage of his followers and so on). On the other hand though the Domain are every bit as fanatical in their world saving and every bit as irrational in their belief that they have all the answers to the world’s ills.
Another theme that Ronco returns to throughout the novel is the future of humans. What is the next step in human evolution? Could it be the “technological human” some sort of hybrid of human and machine? Or do we end up supplanted by sophisticated AIs? There’s a lot of material to chew on in this book.
If I have any criticisms its that the book obviously left a lot unfinished to allow for a third novel. I’m not opposed to reading book series, but I do prefer each book to feel complete and this one felt more like a set up for the next.
But the bottom line is it’s a good read. I finished the book in just two days. Which might not seem particularly amazing until you consider that I have a full time job, a wife, two kids and a home as well as this website taking up my time. Unholy Domain really does have that “can’t put down” feel to it though. The fast pace of the story kept me thinking just one more chapter.
Eoghann Irving is amongst other things the creator and Editor of Solar Flare. He has a life long interest in all forms of science fiction and fantasy and a pressing need to share this interest with anyone who will listen. Find out more at his personal website eoghann.com..
Over the years, a surprising number of excellent science fiction characters have appeared on television. A memorable character requires good writing, superb acting and a little charisma. Usually, several memorable characters may be found on a good television series, one that meets the test of time. Often it takes several years to really buy into a character, because great characters are complex, developing or revealing themselves over several seasons. A critical mass of good writers is also essential; one good writer can’t carry a show year after year.
In any case, I’d like to describe a few characters that stand out in my mind. I enjoyed them when I first saw them, and I still enjoy them in reruns. Let me add that many fine characters, such as Captains Kirk and Picard, G’Kar, Boomer, Mal, Tasha, Crichton, Scotty and others didn’t make the list. They’re good, but I had to cut somewhere. My favorites are listed below as I thought about them; it’s not a ranking.
Admiral William Adama of Battlestar Galactica is a tough, honorable, natural leader. Capable of making mistakes, big ones, but also brilliant at times. A rough exterior hides his need to give and receive love, compassion and tenderness. Just looking at the man, you know he’s SOMEBODY. When he speaks in that low, rumbling voice, everyone pays attention. He’s the kind of guy I would follow into battle.
Well, maybe not battle.
Wouldn’t you like having Star Trek’s Dr. Leonard McCoy as your doctor? I know I would. This guy knows his stuff, he’s decent and loyal, and he has a great sense of humor. The friendly name calling between McCoy and Spock made the show both unique and realistic. I’ve always enjoyed mocking out my friends … although I haven’t seen any of them for a while. Sometimes McCoy’s conversation got into a rut (“He’s/she’s dead, Jim.”), but things would pick up as soon as he spotted pointy ears.
Then there’s Cylon Number Six, also from Battlestar Galactica. Blonde, slender but shapely, and legs that don’t quit. I’m beginning to drool already. Talk about an electric presence! When any version of Six turns up, you know there’s going to be plenty of action. Doesn’t matter if she’s making love or beating the stuffing out of someone, you can’t leave the room, even when your wife is shouting that dinner’s getting cold.
Is there anyone who doesn’t know the pointy-eared, super logical Vulcan named Spock? He was unique, complex and fascinating when he was introduced four decades ago, and guess what, he’s still interesting. An old friend, someone who doesn’t disappoint. There is still that struggle between human emotions and Vulcan logic, that sharp wit and that strong loyalty to friends. I understand that he will be in the Star Trek movie coming out next year. What an amazing career.
Battlestar’s Gaius Baltar is one of the most complex characters ever to appear in science fiction. He’s basically a villain, but you get the feeling he’s a pretty decent, if weak, character down deep. A genius, a womanizer, a leader, a manipulator — they all apply to Baltar. He’s almost always on the wrong side of an issue, but you can’t help rooting for his good side to emerge. And those scenes with Six will melt your socks!
If Baltar were an all-powerful alien, he’d be Q. Star Trek TNG’s favorite villain, Q always presents Picard and the other Star Trek leaders with a fascinating problem to investigate. He’s self-centered, mischievous, and arrogant, but always amusing. You just have to smile when Q makes an appearance.
Captain Elizabeth Lockley was only on Babylon 5 for a year, but she really made an impression. Tough, smart, vulnerable, and very hot, she quickly established herself as the leader of B5. The woman dominates her scenes, too. Somehow, no matter who is talking, my eyes are on her.
And finally, there is Lando Molari, the Ambassador to B5 from the Centauri. Lando began the series as a lightweight villain, but gradually evolved into an honorable, brave man willing to sacrifice his happiness for the survival of his people. His relationship with G’Kar, the Narn Ambassador, gradually grew over the life of the series from mutual contempt to respect to a tragic friendship.
Okay, that’s my list. I have noticed that these great sci-fi characters become almost like friends over the years. That’s when you know a character was something special.
Check out SFSIGNAL to see the characters others have selected.
If you are a serious reader of science fiction, you have probably noticed the smugness of so-called mainline or literary readers. You know the type — they don’t consider SF real literature. Among many deficiencies, they think SF is peopled with cardboard characters. This attitude irritated me until I realized there are differences.
Literary fiction is character driven. The characters resemble real people in realistic places. Literary fiction reveals character or develops character through a cumulative awareness that builds over the story or through a sudden personal awakening, usually near the conclusion of the novel. Literary fiction explores human complexity and strives to develop a deep understanding of the uniqueness of one or more main characters.
Much of science fiction, on the other hand is idea driven, let’s call it the big idea. For example the big idea in Unholy Domain is to explore what it means to be human. The main characters serve the big idea. They may be well-rounded, but they must fit into the idea of the story. While the literary character may spend pages dwelling on the relationship with his father, the SF character will spend little if any time dissecting that relationship. The focus is on the big idea and the plot must keep moving along.
Science fiction come in many subgenres — cyberpunk, romance, post-apocalyptic, space opera, near future, soft and hard — to name a few. All SF is a mix of setting, plot and character, but SF places more emphasis on setting and plot than does traditional literary fiction. The SF writer has more to deal with than the traditional writer, and can’t put all her marbles in the character basket.
That doesn’t mean that SF characters aren’t well-developed. They can be, but within and supporting the framework of the story. David Louis Edelman has an excellent article on Building Character(s) in DeepGenre and provides a useful list of factors to consider. Read the comments, too.
Dan Ronco’s Unholy Domain comes along just when most people are becoming fully aware that the world’s new dependence on the internet leaves all of us vulnerable to a completely new kind of terrorist threat that was never envisioned by the net’s creators. All it takes to cripple economies, kill power grids, shut down sophisticated weapons systems and, ultimately, to kill people is one person with the will and the skills to hack into the right computers around the world. If that thought makes you nervous, you probably should stay away from Unholy Domain.
Unholy Domain is Ronco’s follow-up to his PeaceMaker in which he described how a computer super-virus was used to destroy economies around the world, causing the deaths of so many people in the process, that things might never be the same again. The U.S. government now fears out-of-control technological advances and, in self-defense, is severely limiting the release of new high-tech products. Complicating the situation are two groups, one completely in opposition to the introduction of new technology (the Church of Natural Humans), and a second one intent on selling new technology on the black market to the highest bidder (the Technos), that are literally at war with each other.
Caught between the government and the warring factions is one David Brown, son of the now deceased Ray Brown, the man blamed for creating the virus that devastated the world ten years earlier. David, hoping to prove that his father is innocent of the crime, begins his own investigation into what happened a decade earlier and quickly draws the attention of both the Technos and the leadership of the Church of Natural Humans. In order to safeguard their plans for the future, the Technos want to eliminate David as soon as possible. The religious fanatics, on the other hand, want to keep him alive long enough to follow him to the headquarters of the Technos in order to destroy that bunch once and, hopefully, for all.
When Unholy Domain shifts from set-up of the intriguingly dangerous mess that David creates for himself and anyone who tries to help him in his investigation, it becomes a rollercoaster ride of pitched battles between fanatic warrior armies, assassinations, murders, kidnappings, torture and wild lovemaking, not necessarily in that order. There is enough science in the book to satisfy science fiction fans and enough action to keep thriller fans more than happy.
This one, despite the terrifying glimpse of a future set only a few years from now that it offers, is fun.
Posted by Aaaron M. Wilson on the Soulless Machine Review.
Unholy Domain by Dan Ronco was the second novel that I read while I was in Puerto Vallarta, to read the review of the first, click here: DARWIN’S PARADOX by Nina Munteanu.
Imagine a world several years after a computer virus called Peacemaker destroyed nearly all internet connections in the world and infected almost all computers. In this world, Peacemaker is indirectly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people due to loss of remote control of utilities, phones, satellites, hospitals; everything that we take for granted stopped working.
In the aftermath, the government has taken control of all technology related R&D; and in the wake of this take over, two opposing forces have arisen: the Technos, who push the envelope, creating new and illegal technologies, which are sold on the black market by the mob; and the Church of Natural Humans, a terrorist-like sect of Christianity that believes all machines, smart-technologies, are spawns of the devil.
In this world, your name is David Brown. You’re smart. You’re good looking and women flock to you. You’re not wealthy, but you don’t want for money. You have everything going for you, except that you are the son of the man who created and unleashed Peacemaker.
Unholy Domain is an action packed coming of age story in which David Brown must uncover hidden secrets about his father, secrets that others have killed to keep, secrets that if uncovered could change everything. In his search, David will go up against the Church of Natural Humans, the Techos, and an intelligent internet program that threatens to suck his consciousness out of his body and into the World Wide Web forever.
Ronco’s writing is clear and detailed. I read every word. The plot is fast. A worthy comparison of Ronco’s style would be: Michael Crichton’s action, William Gibson’s attention to technical detail, and Elmore Leonard’s tough guy attitude. This combination finds a unique and entertaining mix in Ronco’s fiction, creating a book that I couldn’t put down long enough to enjoy the beaches of Puerto Vallarta.
I highly recommend Unholy Domain to anyone interested in the future of human consciousness, technology, and the evolution of the human machine.
To learn more about my novels, check out my Amazon Blog.
The futuristic world of Cyber Technology is spawning a new genre that falls somewhere between creative imagination and scientific probability. And possibly, imminent projection. It’s the impending element that is the rather scary part. Is Unholy Domain science fiction, a thriller of sorts? Or is it a quite feasible and likely glimpse into a very near future? Unlike the imaginative sci-fi of the Star Wars and Trekkie generation where we were thrust light years ahead of our time, Unholy Domain almost screams “Look around you!”
It’s 2012. A deadly computer virus renders identity theft, electronic spying and cyber fraud mere child’s play. This bug, known as Peace Maker, literally sends the world spiraling into chaos with a shut down of communications, energy, and product distribution. What’s compelling about this calamity is its very possible authenticity. It could happen tomorrow! Look around you!
Fast forward ten years. It’s 2022. Society, itself, is in decay. The Great Depression of the Thirties pales in comparison. Once in control, the Technos and their ensuing alternative intelligence capabilities have roused the ire of religious fundamentalists. The Technos, their controlled robots, and the Natural Humans of the Army of God meet head on in the age-old battle of good versus evil, of God against Lucifer! But there is a yet new dilemma. Has evil become the only power? Is evil only fighting for a more intense degree of itself? Is this the ultimate jihad?
True to books of this genre, Unholy Domain does have an enigmatic ending which leaves the reader free to draw their own conclusions as to the validity of this futuristic world. The goal of a writer is to leave the reader pondering their story, the whys and wherefores of it, and the personal impact it invokes. Unholy Domain succeeds in doing that. By all means . . . look around you!
Susan Haley, Author
**Susan Haley is the published author of two books, several articles on networking, an award-winning poet, and the copy editor and book reviewer for Pepper Tree Press Publishing. She is a columnist for “The Florida Writer” the official magazine of the Florida Writers Association, and serves as Facilitator for the Sarasota County Chapter. The audio version of her novel “RAINY DAY PEOPLE” was recently awarded runner-up Finalist in the 2008 Indie Excellence National Book Awards. She also contributes a variety of editorials and excerpts of her work to various E-zines, newsletters, and local papers. Susan can be contacted at shaley1112@verizon.net.
To learn more about Dan Ronco and his novels, check out his Amazon Blog.
