When I picked up Rainbows End, I had never heard of Vernor Vinge, and that was really a tragedy. If you haven't heard of him, visit Wikipedia to find out more about this Nebula Award-winning author.

Now, it's tough for me to classify this one. It's a great book - the characters are very realistic and entertaining. And Vinge does a particularly good job revealing the inherent strife between characters, particularly within families. Small secrets and miscommunications expand into tremendous problems in a way that's both realistic and interesting. Additionally, the story's modern themes are well-connected to the present - everything presented in Rainbows End feels very possible. A large part of this is in the telling - Vinge gives precise, in-depth details to immerse us in this world.

Now, if there's a shortcoming, it's that the details might sometimes be a bit too much, and that the characters may not be quite as fun as they could be. But I feel the story itself makes up for this.

Now, if themes of the electronic singularity interest you, also check out Otherland by Tad Williams.