Bug Park Hardcover

A man lies sleeping in a hotel. Something the size of a cockroach moves silently toward him across the sheets. Leaping forward, it stings him behind the ear, and he dies in seconds. Set in near-future Washington State, the latest hard SF novel from Hogan (The Immortality Option) features industrial espionage, miniaturized robots, virtual reality and remote-control murder. The plot centers on the Heber family: Eric, a somewhat naive scientific genius; his bright 15-year-old son, Kevin; and Eric's distant second wife, Vanessa. Not satisfied with the clumsy body suits required by conventional VR technology, Eric has left his former employer and founded his own firm. There he has pioneered a radical new VR technique called Direct Neural Coupling. Now, however, Eric's sociopathic former boss and the gold-digging Vanessa are seeking to gain control of Eric's invention at any cost. Together they plot to murder Eric and steal his patents. Opposing them are Kevin, his friend, Taki, and Taki's many Japanese-American relatives, a beautiful young lawyer and a small army of miniature robots. For the most part, this is a routine suspense novel. Character development is thin, and there are problems with the Japanese-Americans, who, although positively drawn, are too often stereotyped. The miniaturized robots are nicely done, however, as are the descriptions of Kevin and others controlling them with VR technology. Although Hogan breaks no new ground here, he once again demonstrates his veteran mastery of the hard SF subgenre. (Apr.)