Provides Examples of the Following Tropes;
- A.I. Is a Crapshoot: Alex at the end sees the whole book a form of experiment, however its more likely VIXAL-4 was just trying to get rid of the only man that could possibly predict what was going on.
- Asshole Victim: Lets face it Hoffmann starts out like this. He's a multi-billionaire hedge fund manager (which most people will just translate as "banker") who comes off cold and uncaring to everybody. He does soften, slightly, as the book advances.
- Be as Unhelpful as Possible: Quarry, but that's just because he's trying to protect the money making algorithm.
- Clueless Chick Magnet: Hoffmann.
- Despair Event Horizon
- Big Fancy House: Hoffmann's house which costs sixty million dollars.
- Everything Is an iPod in the Future: Hoffmann Investment Technologies is described like this. Everything is handled on computers and sleek computer devices; to the point where having anything paper is against company policy.
- Everything Is Online
- Facial Recognition Software: Used as a security measure to get in and out of Hoffmann Investment Technologies. Funnily enough it requires the person to show no emotion.
- Gaslighting: Which slowly makes Hoffmann completely unhinged by the end.
- Inspector Javert
- The Killer Becomes the Killed: The man that broke into Hoffmann's house.
- Never Suicide
- No-Paper Future: Enforced in universe. However, Hoffmann himself collects rare books. And of course all the money in the book is dealt with electronically.
- Not with Them for the Money: Gabriel who is actually getting a bit sick of all the money.
- Piecemeal Funds Transfer: Averted, as you would expect from a book focused around instantaneous trading.
- Ripped from the Headlines: The stock flux at the end of the book actually happened.
- Shout-Out: The story takes place in Geneva, the original home town of Doctor Frankenstein
- Sinister Surveillance: Alex discovers this near the end of the book. Gabriel sees this and gets the wrong idea.
- Spot of Tea: Joked with where Leclerc says he better have tea in an interview with Quarry.
- 20 Minutes into the Past: Set on the 6th of May 2010.
- You Have to Believe Me
