(Review) Cyberlife by W. H. Buxton

Summery from Goodreads:

"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."

4.7/5 stars

        I am a huge fan of science fiction and futuristic novels. Cyberlife is one of my favorite science fictions novels of the past year. It presented an entirely new perspective to a futuristic world I've never envisioned or read about without being totally unrealistic. 

      The writing in this novel was superb and adequate. While a little overly descriptive, the writing style was perfectly fitted to the type of world the novel was presenting and describing. Similarly, I really enjoyed both the personalities and characters in the story. I became attached and intrigued by the appliance attitudes (particularly, I believe, because they developed that way almost independently) and really enjoyed the realistic attitudes of the Physicals and Vertals.

     I would definitely say this novel is a must read for the science fiction and futuristic novel fan. The literary and idealistic components of the novels were fantastic and appealing. I hope to keep up with W. H. Buxton's future works in the future!