Lexicon was recommended by a white haired Neal Stephenson fan at an airport bookstore after being queried for a new Science Fiction read. Tightly constructed, Lexicon is actually a thriller bolstered by fast paced action writing tempered with just enough social/media commentary and academic hypertext to feel like more than just popcorn fluff without getting bogged down by theory. Centering around the student of a Hogwarts-esque school (if Hogwarts specialized in a nefarious mind control curriculum for blossoming con artists), the story cross-cuts between a mysterious amnesiac, and an enigmatic bounty hunter. The prose is better than expected and often emotionally resonant in ways that contributes to our understanding of the characters within the framework of an unexpected romance or coming of age. Meanwhile, the premise hovers just in the background - context at large - degrading communication in the the age of mass media and how the widespread dissemination of personal information is used as a performative, manipulative, semiotic attack on self agency. The ties between the two are tenuous, as the heady stuff is to the plot, but overall a fun, cohesive enough, ride