(Found) Cyberpunk-ish novel I cannot find- but want a copy of due to its stunning prescience.

[lharvey619]

Cyberpunk style Book. I read it mid 1980s. I want to say its "The long run" "the Run" "the Chase" <-- something like that. Google/amazon search is failing me.

Protagonist is a hacker/vigilante on the "web", and on the Run. The "UN Vesper" (oddly) French cybernetic peacekeeper force super agent/hunter is tracking him down, and is getting close.

Has a "deck" he carries around, like an 80s walkman [ or maybe- you know; a smartphone]. Its his interface/filter to the web [4/5G/wifi in it]. Has an utterly illegal homemade "AI" in it named "JonnyJonny" that assists him in web searches[google/amazon], is his [avatar] presence and "filter" [Firewall] within the web, and generally helps out like a loyal ally in the virtual world [predictive algorithm]... and is revealed to have developed quite the mind of its own during the story.

Near escape after near escape in a wild ride up a space elevator, and off to the moon. Protagonist in dire straights, releases JonnyJonny unlimited to the web, telling him to "trash the place" [Rogue AI fleeing to the deep web- shutting off all the cameras and unlocking all the doors on his way out] as he makes his escape/finishes his cyberlink upgrade... which somehow wraps up the whole story.

I really want this book back. In my memory of it- it is a stunning prediction of modern day life and internet technology (ok, maybe no "juiced up" slicksteel cyborg police force).. literally written in a time before there even was any handheld internet devices even dreamed of yet. AS I recall the timeline, it was talking about smartphones and mifi hotspots and personal firewalls and human-internet interfaces loooong before any of that even existed [even, uh- the internet]

1980s was a long time ago, my memories may be a little shaky on it. But if its 50% as close to accurate as I remember it, I want a copy of it. Its a piece of prophecy.

 

[Fogged_Creation]

Could it be "On the Run" by any chance? On the Run: Dickson, Gordon R.: 9780441631612: Amazon.com: Books

If not, do try to specify perhaps when exactly you read the book, if you know the author's name by any chance, or to know for sure what the title of the book was, also describing the cover of the book can help identify if it really is the book you were describing when you search it

 

[lharvey619]

Sorry, On the Run isnt it.

Time read: I would guess 1986
Author: no idea
Title: (dangit- something like "The Run" is insistent in these old mind cobwebs- but pop culture has ruined internet search)


Cover Art: (memory is a funny thing, it will be interesting seeing the original pic compared to this description) Looking down on the earth from a "space elevator/Arcology", miles up in the air. A Pink flying car with door open, man in black clothes jumping into void, some flying police car in distance approaching

I did a image search of "Space Elevator cover art" and searched 10 pages.. nothing. But I took one of those images and hand drew in some remembered details:

As crude as it is, thats pretty close. How many more years until google reverse image search is good enough for such kids crayon reproductions?

 

[lharvey619]

[FOUND]

The Long Run. Daniel Keys Moran

The Long Run (The Continuing Time, #2)

Apparently part of a whole series (continuing time-?), that I wasn't even aware of.

now for the painful part, seeing how flawed 30 year old memories are:
Cover art of actual book:

Ah well.. I kinda think my mental image memory of it was cooler.

After reading the preview from the website to make sure this was it, it listed a great bit of the prescience I originally talked about-
The girlfriend was asking why he worked so hard at being a WebSurfer- which he insisted on being called a Player.

A 2020 notion that was nailed back in 1989: [paraphrasing] "having all the data in the world at my fingertips is not the Truth. Data and Truth are not the same. But within the vast seas of all that data, the Truth can be found. THAT is why I work so hard at it"

 

[PaulMmn]

[FOUND]

The Long Run. Daniel Keys Moran

The Long Run (The Continuing Time, #2)

Apparently part of a whole series (continuing time-?), that I wasn't even aware of.

now for the painful part, seeing how flawed 30 year old memories are:
Cover art of actual book:

Ah well.. I kinda think my mental image memory of it was cooler.

After reading the preview from the website to make sure this was it, it listed a great bit of the prescience I originally talked about-
The girlfriend was asking why he worked so hard at being a WebSurfer- which he insisted on being called a Player.

A 2020 notion that was nailed back in 1989: [paraphrasing] "having all the data in the world at my fingertips is not the Truth. Data and Truth are not the same. But within the vast seas of all that data, the Truth can be found. THAT is why I work so hard at it"

This is a tribute to the author's ability to paint a picture in your mind, that enhanced the cover picture!

 

[Parson]

Ha! ..... Years ago we made a stab at a book club on this site and that was the book we read, but the space elevator completely convinced me it was something else.

 

[lharvey619]

Pretty sure it was a space elevator, and not an arcology, from the storyline.

It was his race to get off-world, while being in hot pursuit by the terrifyingly smart and cybernetically enhanced PeaceKeeper. As I recall he literally had to jump for it mid transit to get away.

But again, maybe thats 30 years of nostalgia prettying things up a bit.

 

[BAYLOR]

Pretty sure it was a space elevator, and not an arcology, from the storyline.

It was his race to get off-world, while being in hot pursuit by the terrifyingly smart and cybernetically enhanced PeaceKeeper. As I recall he literally had to jump for it mid transit to get away.

But again, maybe thats 30 years of nostalgia prettying things up a bit.

Of interest

Of further interest check out Thought not in the Cyberpunk category

The Veils of Azlaroc by Fred Saberhagen
The Humanoids by Jack Williamson