'Amped' by Daniel H. Wilson explores a society where some individuals are technologically enhanced, leading to a divide between the amped and nonamped or Pures. The plot follows Owen, a schoolteacher with a neural implant that gives him special abilities, as he navigates the challenges and dangers of being an amped individual in a society filled with suspicion and bigotry. The story delves into themes of fear, discrimination, and the consequences of advanced technology on humanity, all while offering a fast-paced and superficial yet enjoyable read.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for 'Amped' include themes of discrimination, violence against marginalized groups, mental health struggles, and suicide.
From The Publisher:
Technology makes them superhuman. But mere mortals want them kept in their place. The New York Times bestselling author of Robopocalypse creates a stunning, near-future world where technology and humanity clash in surprising ways. The result? The perfect summer blockbuster.
As he did in Robopocalypse, Daniel Wilson masterfully envisions a frightening near-future world. In Amped, people are implanted with a device that makes them capable of superhuman feats. The powerful technology has profound consequences for society, and soon a set of laws is passed that restricts the abilities-and rights-of "amplified" humans. On the day that the Supreme Court passes the first of these laws, twenty-nine-year-old Owen Gray joins the ranks of a new persecuted underclass known as "amps." Owen is forced to go on the run, desperate to reach an outpost in Oklahoma where, it is rumored, a group of the most enhanced amps may be about to change the world-or destroy it.
Once again, Daniel H. Wilson's background as a scientist serves him well in this technologically savvy thriller that delivers first-rate entertainment, as Wilson takes the "what if" question in entirely unexpected directions. Fans of Robopocalypse are sure to be delighted, and legions of new fans will want to get "amped" this summer.
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1 comment(s)
In
Amped, Wilson explores the line between humanity and technology. As he says in the beginning of the book his narrator, Owen Gray, says that we are our tools, and that is probably true. From sharpened rocks to pacemakers, technology makes a difference in our individual lives as well as our position on the planet. Owen Gray is an "amp", an individual with a brain implant that his father installed to cure Owen's epilepsy at a young age. Many other amps have medical purposes, but some allow people to just be smarter. Wilson begins his narrative with a judgment from the Supreme Court saying students with these implants are not protected under the 14th amendment and have no right to an education. This sets off a series of events in which "reggies", people without implants, and amps are set against each other. Reggies are being urged on by Senator Joseph Vaughn, who wants to preserve the country for "Pure" humans. Thrown into the mix are Zeniths, members of the army who were implanted with amps that basically made them supersoldiers. The whole book leads up to the question of whether amps and reggies will go to war.
The book is reminiscent of Jim Crow, apartheid, and the current rise of the American Christian right. Owen's father tells him an amp doesn't make someone good or bad; a person has that inside and the amp allows him or her to leverage their internal abilities. Or something, I don't even know. I found the action a bit uneven, with several twists and double crosses that seemed pointless. There was a lot to work with with the different kinds of amps and advanced prosthetics, and I felt Wilson didn't really explore it as fully as he could have. And the romance? Don't even get me started. This book is a perfect example of why there are good and bad romance novels. Shakin' it off....I thought the ideas here were great, but the execution not what it could have been.
What can you read after
Amped?
About the Author:
DANIEL H. WILSON is the author of the "New York Times" bestseller "Robopocalypse" and the nonfiction titles "How to Survive a Robot Uprising," "Where's My Jetpack?," "How to Build a Robot Army," "The Mad Scientist Hall of Fame," and "Bro-Jitsu: The Martial Art of Sibling Smackdown."
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