Code Zero

In this workmanlike near-future thriller from Elsberg (Blackout), the world is shocked when someone known only as Zero manages to livestream the U.S. president and his family up close using tiny drones, a stunt that terrifies and embarrasses the president. Zero intended to attract attention to his campaign to “destroy the data krakens,” whose technological innovations and conveniences have lured so many people into abandoning any semblance of privacy. British newspaper reporter Cynthia Bonsant joins a team of journalists hoping to uncover Zero’s identity, and is given a special pair of smart glasses to facilitate her efforts. When another team member pursues a man that the glasses identify as a wanted criminal, the criminal fatally shoots him. This tragedy leads Bonsant to investigate the company that made the glasses. The trail eventually leads to a showdown with Zero. The routine characterizations and plot twists aren’t a match for Elsberg’s Orwellian scenario. Readers seeking a more rounded look at how potential future tech might change humanity should check out Rob Hart’s The Warehouse. (Mar.)