Pattern Recognition (Reaction)

      Just a simple plot summary reveals Pattern Recognition to be a fairly original concept; the idea that a character could be simultaneously repulsed by, yet supernaturally gifted at a task so arbitrary as advertising is intriguing. The novel takes this concept even farther; it serves as an overall reflection of our society's tendency to dispatch our heroes as quickly as we create new ones, or perhaps even faster. Cayce Pollard's responsibilities for spotting phenomena before they occur serve as a fascinating backdrop for the main story, which is a bizarrely anarchic and well-constructed commentary on the lightning speed of today's pop culture.