Review
This novel is about a young man who, in trying to pay off a debt, gets in way over his head.
Zeus (real name Supo) is a resident of present-day Nigeria. His father died recently after running up large debts in online stock trading. Zeus assumed his father's debt, and, as a math genius, is able to do something about it. Along with a few friends around the world, including Dido, a female Ph.D. computer student from California, Zeus comes up with Razor Sharp. It's supposed to be your average stock picking program, until it develops a mind of its own.
A glitch in the program allows it to go into aggressive mode, hacking into more and more computers, looking for processor power. Among them are computers best left alone. Zeus and Dido (who impulsively flies to Nigeria to meet Zeus) find themselves on the run from anonymous people from an unnamed organization, the sort of people who have no problem with killing anyone who gets in their way. Do Zeus and Dido escape? Is there any way to shut off Razor Sharp, or, at least, slow it down? Does Razor Sharp have any other value than in the financial world?
This is a first-rate piece of writing. It's high-tech, it was written by someone who certainly knows their way around present-day Nigeria, it's got action and a bit of romance. Someday, Nigeria will be known for more than just religious violence and spam e-mails. This novel may help. It's worth reading.