Looking for a book title - 70's science fiction

May 15, 2005 8:49 PM

Looking for a book title - 70's science fiction. The protagonist was a straight (from cover picture) seeming phone phreak who had an electronic avatar that he discussed everything with. The avatar was his friend and ally. He would use his avatar to destroy the credit of a bad guy and etc. It was a paperback original I think and probably came out in the mid 70's. Any ideas?
posted by ptm to Technology (9 answers total)

Was it John Brunner's The Shockwave Rider?
posted by interrobang at 11:29 PM on May 15, 2005

Was the avatar the soul of his dead brother?
posted by seanyboy at 1:03 AM on May 16, 2005

Mod note: added title to post
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:28 AM on May 16, 2005

Daniel Keyes Moran? Either "The Last Dancer" or "The Long Run". These are late 80's, early 90's, and out of print. They're good reads but apparently didn't sell well enough for him to keep his publishing contract.
posted by beowulf573 at 6:24 AM on May 16, 2005

I believe they've been reissued (link is The Long Run. Great series, highly recommended. Shockwave Rider's great, too. Neither sound, to me, quite like the description.
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 7:10 AM on May 16, 2005

Hardwired, by Walter Jon Williams?
posted by barjo at 10:52 AM on May 16, 2005

Best answer: Michaelmas by Algis Budrys.
I'd bet money on it.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 11:28 AM on May 16, 2005

Fantastic, I've been trolling used book stores for a copy of Emerald Eyes forever.

Thanks.
posted by beowulf573 at 3:11 PM on May 16, 2005

Response by poster: Thank you all, it was Budrys, one of my favorite authors from that period.
posted by ptm at 11:07 PM on May 17, 2005