Book Review: Unholy Domain by Dan Ronco

There are a plethora of sci-fi books that haveare run by a shady organization known simply as The
explored what the Earth would be like after theDomain.
apocalypse, and generally the apocalypse in question isThe opposing force are the fanatical Army of God,
a nuclear war, or some sort of plague.the paramilitary wing of The Church of Natural
Unholy Domain takes this genre in a new and veryHumans. Their leader Adam Jordan is on the outside a
thought provoking direction. One only has to spend acharismatic speaker, but is also a man with a single
couple of minutes researching the history and growthminded hatred for technology and those who would
of the Internet to realize how in the space of just ause it.
few years it was woven itself into the very fabric ofOur hero in Unholy Domain is David Brown, a young
our world. We have near instantaneous communicationstudent who has the dubious honor of being the son of
via email, we have access to enormous repositoriesthe man accused of unleashing the deadly virus.
of information, it has become a part of our day to dayWhen David receives a message sent 10 years
life. I could not live without it!previously from his father he begins to have doubts
Unfortunately there is a potential dark side to theabout his fathers guilt and decides to investigate for
technology. Increasingly it is also the backbone used byhimself. David is walking a tightrope, he has enemies in
basic infrastructures, power generation, transportation,high places, neither The Domain, nor the Army of God
law enforcement, and a lot more. There have alreadyare enamored by his presence, for different reasons,
been rumblings in the press about what might happenthough one does become his unseen temporary
if hackers gained control of a power generating plant,protector with an ulterior motive in mind.
or other basic service.This is a fast paced techno thriller which I can pretty
In Unholy Domain Dan Ronco takes us to a worldmuch guarantee you will not want to put down, I know
where a decade previously (2010) a virus hadI didn't! Set close enough in the future (2020) that most
decimated the Internet. Because of the disruption toof the 'props' are believable, it paints a dark picture of
basic services over a million people died. What wouldone potential future scenario for mankind.
the world look like under these circumstances?This is a book that is worth searching out, I liked the
Dan Ronco takes us to a world that has become astyle of writing a great deal. Each chapter begins with
fractured society, the technos and the religious zealots.some quotes, some old and real, other from books yet
In the aftermath of the disaster the government hasto be written. A very cute touch. You don't have to be
regulated technology, stifling innovation, this has resulteda hard core Sci-Fi fan for this one, just a lover of a
in an economic situation rivaling the great depression.great story.
Without advancing technology the world has not justYou can pick up your own copy of Unholy Domain
stagnated it has regressed to an earlier time.from Amazon, he also has a web site with additional
Technology has become an underground industry, ainformation.
black market more lucrative than drugs. The technos