Directive 51 (A Novel of Daybreak)

By John Barnes

Book Overview

View our feature on John Barnes s "Directive 51." The first book in a new post-apocalyptic trilogy from "a master of the genre" Heather O'Grainne is the Assistant Secretary in the Office of Future Threat Assessment, investigating rumors surrounding something called "Daybreak." The group is diverse and radical, and its members have only one thing in common-their hatred for the "Big System" and their desire to take it down. Now, seemingly random events simultaneously occurring around the world are in fact connected as part of Daybreak's plan to destroy modern civilization-a plan that will eliminate America's top government personnel, leaving the nation no choice but to implement its emergency contingency program...Directive 51."

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 044101822X
• ISBN13: 9780441018222
• Release Date: April 2010
• Publisher: Ace
• Length: 496 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.5" x 6.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

Hang on to Your Hat for this Wild Ride in Eco-Terrorism

Government cover-ups, eco terrorism, nano-technologies, blind obedience to mass destruction; what if it was all true? //Directive 51// reveals in vast fictional detail the terrifying possibility. John Barnes makes it conceivable with his knowledge of interior government strategies and terroristic mentality. He portrays relatable, unaware Americans, the deeply diminished mental thinking of terrorists. and our nation's current process for dealing with heightened government threats with political savvy. Barnes's ability to intricately weave a complex storyline with multiple characters adds credence to the plausibility of something this devastating happening to our country and our government. While admittedly, he dispels the likelihood, he aptly plants the seed of doubt and allows the reader to become engrossed in this terrifying story. Impressive attention to details and his inside knowledge of government workings, Barnes brings this tale to modern-day life with uncanny realism. Named "the thinking person's technothriller" //Directive 51// does not disappoint. This will be a book to read many times over to capture all the nuances missed the first time through. Review by M. Chris Johnson

Read it for the ideas

John Barnes' novels have a tendency to tackle big ideas. It's hard enough to tackle one big idea in a novel (e.g., Vernor Vinge's "zones of thought" in A Fire Upon The Deep, or the nature of reality in Greg Egan's "Permutation City"), but Directive 51 takes on three: how the Internet can amplify emergent behavior to a level never before seen in civilization, even developing self-reinforcing mechanisms (this is a variant of the Meme War idea in some of his earlier books); a new take on the perils of technology (there are some very scary "what ifs" here); and an interesting take on continuity of American government and the fragility (or ultimate stability) of our Constitution. He does a fine job in teeing up these ideas and exploring them, but it seems almost too much for a single book, with the result (as other reviewers have noticed) that the characters lose out. I found that there were only a few whom I actually cared about (hint: they were not the Daybreakers), yet they got insufficient page count to really flesh them out. If this book is the first of several, then it may come off better as an introduction to the subsequent novels than standalone. Despite the flaws, I found it an enjoyable (albeit scary) read precisely because of the ideas.

When a plane carrying the Vice President vanishes, Heather discovers a larger plot

DIRECTIVE 51 is the first book in a new post-apocalyptic trilogy by John Barnes and tells of one Heather, who was a cop before she was recruited by the U.S. Government and is brought on board on a new Future Threat Assessment taskforce. When a plane carrying the Vice President vanishes, Heather discovers a larger plot may indicate world destruction in this tense science fiction thriller, perfect for any lending library.