by Magda D. Healey

Created on: August 22, 2008

This article is an experiment: most of the other submissions here refer exculsively, or mostly to the Brown top-seller Da Vinci Code. He did produce other books, and in all honesty what applies to one of them, applies to all. I do think, however, that using one of his less known products alows for a more, let's say, dispassionate look at his writing.

Despite hints from some people to the contrary, I am not a terrible book snob. I read crime, fantasy, s-f, thrillers and chick-lit quite frequently and historical romances from time to time.

But even a `genre` book needs to have a modicum of quality. Sadly, Dan Brown productions don't. Let's take `Digital Fortress`, his debut. As the 'Da Vinci Code', it is a thriller and as with the 'Da Vinci Code', the plot and the knowledge and context surrounding the plot are just about the only saving grace of the novel. In `Digital Fortress` it is cryptology and cyber-terrorism, in 'Da Vinci Code' it's the preposterous alternative-Christianity tale, but the plot always involves some kind of conspiracy that threatens the status quo.

A code is created: an unbreakable algorithm that would enable everybody (including of course all the world's baddies bent on destruction of any of the pillars of the USA's civilisation) to effectively encrypt and thus once and for all hide their electronic communications from the prying eyes of the authorities. The code is named 'Digital Fortress' and its creator threatens to unleash it unless the National Security Agency admits that it is in possession of a powerful parallel computer that enables it (without anybody but NSA knowing) to decode all other, currently used encryption algorithms.

Enter Commander Strathmore, a deputy director of operations of NSA, patriotic, committed, efficient, no-nonsense, passionate about homeland security and with no scruples in the name of the common good, able to throw aside all the moral doubt in the service of protecting innocent American women, children and Wall Street ownership records. Working with Strathmore is Susan Fletcher, very clever and very attractive 38 year old head of Cryptography department of the NSA. The cast of major characters include also David Becker, Susan`s boyfriend and a polyglot professor of linguistics at the Georgetown University.

Unfortunately, persuasion, bribery or violence towards the code`s creator are out of question as he`s dead, struck by a heart attack in the prologue of the novel. David Becker is then sent by Strathmore on a mission

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