If you want to make your mark on the modern world—for better or for worse—your best bet is to harness the power of technology. Take Herod Sayle in Stormbreaker for example: The guy is a parallel universe version Steve Jobs, creating the most innovative computer on the planet but doing it for evil. Like his predecessors before him—Goldfinger, Dr. Evil, and maybe Mr. Burns—he makes the mistake of wasting his genius on the wrong side. His inevitable fall ends up teaching us about the potential dangers that technological advances pose to the modern world.
Questions About Technology and Modernization
- Is the Stormbreaker computer as revolutionary as Sayle claims? Why or why not? How can you tell?
- In what ways is technology used for evil in the novel? How about for good?
- Does MI6 use technology for good or for evil? Explain your answer.