"The Quantum Thief" was one of the best debut works of sci fi that i have read in many years. it took me back to when i was a kid reading Robert Heinlein and Frank Herbert...the concepts in this book are so far beyond what i have read in anything else contemporary or classic that it revived the child-like sense of wonder that i enjoy so much. little surprise as Rajaniemi has a PhD in Mathematical Physics...the future world he imagines takes everything we have today and extrapolates it far beyond it's reasonable end to a fantastic world where reality and data are impossible to distinguish. while the science was cool, what is even better is that the fiction was excellent. it is most gratifying to come across a nerd who can turn a great English phrase, even though his native language is Finnish. can't wait to see what Rajaniemi does next...highly recommended for all sci fi lovers, but you will have to be prepared to read through some pretty dense stuff. enjoy!