The Labyrinth Key

Infobox Book |
name = The Labyrinth Key


author = Howard V. Hendrix
cover_artist = Stainislaw Fernandes
country = United States of America
language = English
series = Tetragrammaton Series
genre = Science fiction novel
publisher = Random House, Inc.
release_date = March 2004
media_type = Print (Paperback)
pages = 448 (1st edition, paperback)
isbn = ISBN 0345455967(1st edition, paperback)

"The Labyrinth Key" is a science fiction novel by Howard V. Hendrix first published in 2004.

Plot introduction

The backdrop for this story is an informational arms races between a future United States of America and China. Both countries are attempting to build a quantum computer, which they believe will be the ultimate information weapon, creating and breaking encryption schemes. One of the American investigators, Dr. Jaron L. Kwok, is mysteriously killed while in Hong Kong, and his mathematical understudy Ben Cho is ordered to pick up Kwok's investigation in an attempt to find out why and how he died.

Running parallel to this storyline are the lives of Don Markham (known as Don Strum in Cybernesia)and Lu Mei-lin (also known as Marilyn Lu). Don is computer programmer whose work specializes in the virtual reality world Cybernesia. Lu is a forensic detective who works in Hong Kong. After Kwok's death in she is the leading detective on the case, called to Sha Tin by the Guoanbo, China's version of the CIA and its leader in the race for the quantum computer.

At the time of Kwok's death a holo-cast is disseminated through-out the world, showing the circumstances of the virtual reality world that he had died in. However, his death prompts not only the US and China, but multiple other organizations (from terrorists to secret societies) to go to any lengths for the chance to get binotech, the newest technology that reduplicates itself and stores a huge amount of information in tiny quantities.

Release details

*2004, United States of America, Random House Inc. ISBN 0345455967, Pub date March 2004, Paperback
*2006, United States of America, Random House Inc. ISBN 0345455975, Pub date January 2006, Paperback
*2006, United States of America, Random House Inc. ISBN 0345491025, Pub date January 2006, Electronic

ources, references, external links, quotations

* [http://www.howardvhendrix.com/02_books/03_labyrinth.htm Official page]