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Altered Carbon

(Gollancz)

By Richard Morgan

(58)

| Paperback | 9780575081123

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Book Description

Four hundred years from now mankind is strung out across a region of interstellar space inherited from an ancient civilization discovered on Mars. The colonies are linked together by the occasional sublight colony ship voyages and hyperspatial data-casting. Human consciousness is digitally freightedContinue

Four hundred years from now mankind is strung out across a region of interstellar space inherited from an ancient civilization discovered on Mars. The colonies are linked together by the occasional sublight colony ship voyages and hyperspatial data-casting. Human consciousness is digitally freighted between the stars and downloaded into bodies as a matter of course. But some things never change. So when ex-envoy, now-convict Takeshi Kovacs has his consciousness and skills downloaded into the body of a nicotine-addicted ex-thug and presented with a catch-22 offer, he really shouldnt be surprised. Contracted by a billionaire to discover who murdered his last body, Kovacs is drawn into a terrifying conspiracy that stretches across known space and to the very top of society. For a first-time SF writer to be so surely in command of narrative and technology, so brilliant at world-building, so able to write such readable and enjoyable SF adventure, is simply extraordinary.

Critics

  • Big in SF

    Death: what is it good for? Not much, if these three novels are anything to go by. Bodies are discarded like last season's fashion accessories in Altered Carbon (Gollancz, £10.99), Richard Morgan's homage to old-school cyberpunk. Takeshi Kovacs is an ... (read full critics)

    guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

  • Altered Carbon

    I predict Altered Carbon will be hoovering up rewards this year like a coke addict on holiday in Columbia. This is a first novel so exciting, so addictive and so bone-crunchingly in your face that it beggars the need for such virtual reality as it oc ... (read full critics)

    infinityplus published on Tue, 31 Aug 2010

4 Reviews

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  • 3 people find this helpful

    I used to read sci-fi all the time. And then something somewhere slipped - my sense of adventure, my technological interest (its hard when you work in the field to get excited by it) and the lack of decent sci-fi on supermarket bookshelves (I have a mortgage now, no excuses).

    I was leant this ... (continue)

    I used to read sci-fi all the time. And then something somewhere slipped - my sense of adventure, my technological interest (its hard when you work in the field to get excited by it) and the lack of decent sci-fi on supermarket bookshelves (I have a mortgage now, no excuses).

    I was leant this book in an experiment - a challenge to myself to read something I would not normally pick up and something to inject some fun into reading. The unknown - how i felt years ago before the Da Vinci code ruined my opinion of humanity.

    This book delivered that in spades - the story is cracking from start to finish, a real page turner despite some of the heavy prose, full of twists and turns. Essentially this is old fashioned "hard boiled" detective noir pasted into a rich tapestry of future technology. Even the writing style is straight from the 20th C, but with stunningly depicted future backdrops.

    The real cleverness of the book is its ability to introduce technological advances with a brief mention or underhanded description - just like passing comment on that mundane coffe table. It makes you feel like you're their - you even feel like you've been dragged across the universe with Kovacs the central character at the beggining of the book, such is the power of the descriptions.

    All I can say is this book has whetted my appetite for more - more Richard Morgan and more Takeshi Kovacs.

    An excellent (and surprising) novel....

    Is this helpful?

    Kieran Delaney said on Apr 19, 2008 | Add your feedback

  • I had a hard time getting into this one, and I have to admit I wasn't always so sure what was going on, but in the end I enjoyed it. I haven't found much sci-fi lately that I've liked so this was a nice surprise.

    Is this helpful?

    Deanna Kyre said on Aug 17, 2008 | Add your feedback

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