Alex Fine is a gifted eighteen-year-old with an extraordinary ability to transport himself through the optical passageways of the Internet. While inside the digital web, Alex is capable of downloading databases, manipulating archived data, and traveling to any destination in the world. Alex discovers his powers just as he is ready to enroll in his freshman year at a prestigious West Coast … university, causing an unexpected detour in his plans. In a short period of time, Alex Fine becomes one of the richest people in the world, with virtually limitless power. In a hastily arranged scheme, Alex becomes a digital Robin Hood, as he steals money from a criminal oligarch to fulfill his philanthropic goals. It is the story of a young man who wants to use his powers for good, but makes mistakes en route to discovering the truth behind his supernatural abilities.
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Alex Fayman’s novel, Superhighway, presents a unique concept: that of physical relocation, mental exploration and financial manipulation through internet travel. Passage along these pathways permits the protagonist, brilliant teenager Alex Fine, to visit exotic locales, meet intriguing women, access mass quantities of sensitive bank and international security data, and seriously change the lives of others.
Obviously, the vast potential for indulgence and imaginative fantasy create a wide open landscape for any writer. So my curiosity in reading the novel lay not just in reveling in Mr. Fayman’s speculative ideas; I was also curious to know if he could conjure a story of the human condition and tell a must-read story.
Could he fashion a three dimensional main character, and populate that character’s world with substantive others? Could he tell a fun tale, not just present a cool concept? Could he use science fiction to subtly comment on the times we live in, like so much other good SciFi?
My conclusion to all these questions is a resounding ‘Yes’. Mr Fayman has done just that, but more. He has used an original concept to create a full blown, multifaceted adventure story of rare distinction.
Of course, the concept of virtuality has been presented before, in movies such as Tron, Lawnmower Man and Virtuosity. Likewise, there exist many literary and cinematic works that focus on hacking, the commission of internet crime and use of the world wide web to drive plot and affect far reaching outcomes.
However, Mr. Fayman offers up something special and entertaining, indeed.
Not only is the precept original, but the writing and delivery technique is outstanding. Characterization, dramatic exposition, motivation, moral analytics…all are on full display, with no shortcuts or overblown, bludgeoning, sermon-like commentary. The narrative flows conversationally, with an intellectual underpinning that paints the main character as brilliant and reflects the author’s own extensive knowledge base.
From a technical standpoint, Superhighway is the type of novel casual readers must quickly adjust to. My assessment in this regard rests upon how Mr. Fayman chose to begin the work. As readers, we are plopped into his virtual internet world without fanfare, buffeted by an opening pace alternating between frenetic and explanatory. We are just there.
This technical decision places us in exceedingly unfamiliar territory. In fact, it seems a bit like walking into a crowded, foreign discotheque on full blast, strobe lights a’blazing (an analogy which blew me away later in the novel when a short discotheque scene actually occurred, hearkening back to the opening burst of animated confusion).
Thus from the very start, adjustments are necessary, and to Mr. Fayman’ credit, the distinct sense of uncertainty feels calculated, surely because that is apparently his absolute intention.
It is all a set up for an adventurous thriller one could not foresee at the beginning. Some novels shine more through the telling. Clearly this is one of them.
The introductory chapter maximizes this thoughtfully crafted disorientation through a series of ‘flashes’, quick stutter step imagery, and an uncanny thought pattern which force the reader to decipher context and meaning.
The hero reveals the nature of his predicament and the tremendous strain his internet travel places upon his metabolism. We also receive a highly descriptive picture of his incredible surroundings and the extravagant wealth he has accumulated. All this exposition occurs within the compact feel of a screenplay. Mr. Fayman sets a fine table of appetizers, befitting the ravenous physical hunger constantly felt by our protagonist, Alex Fine.
Subsequent initial chapters present a complete back story of Alex’s upbringing as something of an intellectual prodigy being raised as an orphan. We get a fully developed picture of his longing for a permanent family and the frustration he feels at aborted adoptions. We also learn how he comes to acquire his spectacular ability to travel across the internet landscape.
But the real reading pleasure centers upon his relationship with the orphanage director, Mrs. Jenkins and interactions with his fellow orphans. Mrs. Jenkins is a three dimensional character and the love between she and Alex is poignantly portrayed in an early and a later scene, both which grant real substance to these distinct characters.
Another positive is that as the story unfolds in later, the nature of Alex’s travels become more developed, and more sophisticated. Yet at the same time, they become more ordinary.
Mr. Fayman does a nice job of conveying a since of discovery. He also explains the financial powers bestowed upon Alex in a way that seems plausible despite the freakish nature of the events. Data flow and acquisition are nicely articulated. And once we arrive in several different locales, the story takes off, becoming an exciting tale. Alex meets beautiful women, develops a larcenous nature –counterbalanced by moral conflicts which don’t allow him to descend into absolute corruption– and chooses to steal not from hardworking people, but rather from a powerful underworld crimimal.
No internet network is beyond his purview, including the FBI or the CIA. Unfortunately, Alex’s exploits eventually attract the attention of the very dangerous individuals he victimizes. This creates all the excitement and tension within the novel.
This story has everything a reader seeks in an action adventure novel: sensual encounters, a love story, deadly gunplay, cryptic humor, convincing antagonists and countless dangerous situations.
Descriptions of action sequences are very detailed. Emotional tension is palpable. Alex’s responses are at times ordinary, and at times thrillingly satisfying. Midway through the novel, you realize that Superhighway is also a intricate crime based espionage tale incorporating elements of many international spy tales. It is all done so well that one marvels at the transition, and reads on with customary relish.
The numerous characters are not props or stick figures, they are extremely well portrayed. We get to circle back, revisit the orphanage and Mrs. Jenkins and learn the true circumstances of Alex’s life. Through all this, the action, descriptions, character development and the story arc are high quality.
Superhighway is a full, enriching, quality read. The mixture of science fiction, the bloody action sequences, the intricate detail and all the fleshed out characters is truly exceptional. Mr. Fayman’s knowledge, international flair, pacing and relentless action qualify Superhighway as a thrill ride. In fact, I would consider it an opus, a near masterpiece of mixed genre literature. The author has written something very unique and special, period.