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.ĭavid Becker is then sent by Strathmore on a mission to Seville to find the key to the code while he and Susan try to unravel the mystery at the US end. The cast of major characters include also David Becker, Susan's boyfriend and a polyglot professor of linguistics at the Georgetown University. Working with Strathmore is Susan Fletcher, very clever and very attractive 38 year old head of Cryptography department of the NSA. He is able to throw aside all the moral doubt in the service of protecting innocent American women, children and Wall Street ownership records. 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.Įnter 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.

The plot is just about the only saving grace of the novel, and the factor that earns it its only star above one.Ī 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. 'Digital Fortress' is a thriller and thus I'd better start with a bit of plot. It's the debut novel of Dan Brown that has been re-issued due to the phenomenal popularity of the The Da Vinci Code and it is a blatant, mercenary and seemingly successful attempt to discount that popularity and generate some more revenue from a an earlier effort. But even a 'genre' book needs to have a modicum of quality. Writing quality is often perceived to be less important for 'genre' books, where plots and settings play a more important part. Writing is even worse than in 'The Da Vinci Code', though!

The action moves quickly and although the story is not wonderfully innovative, it is diverting enough to provide some mild entertainment for somebody who is in dire need of this and can suspend critical faculties.

Summary: A computer-cryptography thriller in alternating US and Spanish settings.

Digital fortress by dan brown