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Amazon.co.uk Review
Richard Morgan's debut SF thriller Altered Carbon isn't for the faint-hearted. Its noir private-eye investigation races through extreme violence, hideously imaginative torture and many high-tech firefights.
In 2411, death is not forever. Afterward, they can read your personality from an implanted "cortical stack" and upload you into a new body--at a price. Hero Kovacs has worn many bodies on different worlds as a former member of the UN Envoy Corps, programmed killers to a man. Now the incredibly rich Bancroft brings him to Earth to investigate a killing... of Bancroft himself, restored from his digital backup and rejecting the police theory of suicide.
Half the vice-lords of 25th-century San Francisco are soon chasing Kovacs with futuristic surveillance, drugs and weaponry. Virtual-reality interrogation means they can torture you to death, and then start again. There's a bleak slave trade in rented or confiscated bodies--and Kovacs finds his current borrowed face is all too well known to both police and underworld.
Ultraviolent set-pieces follow, sprinkled with philosophical asides such as this reflection on a stungun: "It was the single forgiving phrase in the syntax of weaponry I had strapped around me. The rest were unequivocal sentences of death."
There are some James-Bondian implausibilities, such as Kovacs's final confrontation with the villain he's sworn to kill: rather than shooting and leaving fast, he discusses the plot for 10 pages until... but that would be telling. This is high-tension SF action, hard to put down--though squeamish readers may shut their eyes rather frequently. --David Langford --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
The run-up to the publication of the Altered Carbon paperback has been very busy for Richard. With the sale of his novel to Joel Silver, the producer of The Matrix, interest in this book has doubled. During the period that this story was all over the news Richard's book reached number 1 on the Amazon genrechart. TV:Richard appeared on BBC BREAKFAST to talk about the book and film deal. Features/Articles:Front page of THE DAILY MIRROR in Scotland was plastered with Richard and his film deal. A smaller version of the story ran in theEnglish version. Half page news article with extract in THE GUARDIAN. News article on film deal in THE SUN 7 Days feature piece in THE SUNDAY HERALD. Small piece on the film deal ran in september issue of DREAMWATCH and STARBURST.Interviews:A full interview will run in the September issue of STARBURST. The WH Smith website will run an extract and an interview. An interview with Richard should run in THE SUN on publication on the paperback. Events:Richard'swas interviewed by Ken McLeod on Tuesday 15th October at Waterstones Edinbirgh. Apparently the event went spectacularly and both authors sold many copiesof their books. Attendance was good and they are eager to organise a signingfor the new book, Broken Angels. Richard's appearance at Dead on Deansgate went very well. He managed to fend off the cynicism (mainly from Martina Cole)to hold his own on a panel of crimewriters. He even sold some books afterwards having obviously picked up a few fans. Reviews: Writers NewsDorset Echo
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have read The Steel Remains, the same author's foray into fantasy, and enjoyed it so I figured it was high time to test out the genre which he apparently writes his best work in!
Altered Carbon is the first in a series involving Takeshi Kovacs, a former Envoy, which is a futuristic version of an SAS trooper - designed as a combination of shock troop, spy and assassin. This is a world where people are "resleeved" using their stacks; essentially as long as their stacks are intact at the moment of death, they can be brought back into a free body:
"Poor Death, no match for the mighty altered carbon technologies of data storage and retrieval arrayed against him. Once we lived in terror of his arrival. Now we flirt outrageously with his sombre dignity..."
At the start of the novel Takeshi is resleeved into the body of a former cop and hired by a 'meth' (long-lived humans who retain the same body for centuries through cloning techniques) called Bancroft to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death. From there Takeshi is thrown into a far-reaching mystery that he has to solve before he and those dragged along with him are terminated with Real Death.
One of the reasons I have hesitated in the past about picking up science fiction novels is because I wasn't sure I would find it easy to understand the science element in the book. I am pleased to report that in this book Morgan deals with some extremely interesting scientific concepts, but in every case they are couched in terms that could realistically occur in a near future of our world. Resleeving into new bodies, taking phonecalls in virtual reality, futuristic soldiers that are geared up with neurachem which helps them to respond to combat situations - all of these concepts are written in a manner that is easy to comprehend and very believable.
The story truly grips and does not relinquish that grip until the explosive finale. The pacing is stunning - starting with a bang and only increasing the dizzying speed as each page is turned. And yet this speed of pacing does not detract from the characterisation, which is smooth and very effective. In fact, I was amazed by the skill that Morgan demonstrated in presenting these characters, since their physical attributes were far less important thanks to resleeving - all of his work in developing the characters had to be through dialogue and mannerisms as opposed to merely describing what they looked like (the mark of a lazier author, in my opinion).
When you consider that this was Morgan's first novel, it is truly astonishing what he achieved over the course of five hundred pages. In Takeshi Kovacs we have a genuine anti-hero - a guy who manages to leave a trail of devastation in his wake whatever his good intentions, and who does not mind flouting the law as he does it. The noir thriller within the pages is tautly written and gives great payback. All in all, this was a fantastic accomplishment and a book I most certainly do not regret picking up - in fact, I shall now be seeking out the further adventures of Kovacs in short order. Highly recommended and a great introduction to the sci fi genre.
Altered Carbon is the first in a series involving Takeshi Kovacs, a former Envoy, which is a futuristic version of an SAS trooper - designed as a combination of shock troop, spy and assassin. This is a world where people are "resleeved" using their stacks; essentially as long as their stacks are intact at the moment of death, they can be brought back into a free body:
"Poor Death, no match for the mighty altered carbon technologies of data storage and retrieval arrayed against him. Once we lived in terror of his arrival. Now we flirt outrageously with his sombre dignity..."
At the start of the novel Takeshi is resleeved into the body of a former cop and hired by a 'meth' (long-lived humans who retain the same body for centuries through cloning techniques) called Bancroft to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death. From there Takeshi is thrown into a far-reaching mystery that he has to solve before he and those dragged along with him are terminated with Real Death.
One of the reasons I have hesitated in the past about picking up science fiction novels is because I wasn't sure I would find it easy to understand the science element in the book. I am pleased to report that in this book Morgan deals with some extremely interesting scientific concepts, but in every case they are couched in terms that could realistically occur in a near future of our world. Resleeving into new bodies, taking phonecalls in virtual reality, futuristic soldiers that are geared up with neurachem which helps them to respond to combat situations - all of these concepts are written in a manner that is easy to comprehend and very believable.
The story truly grips and does not relinquish that grip until the explosive finale. The pacing is stunning - starting with a bang and only increasing the dizzying speed as each page is turned. And yet this speed of pacing does not detract from the characterisation, which is smooth and very effective. In fact, I was amazed by the skill that Morgan demonstrated in presenting these characters, since their physical attributes were far less important thanks to resleeving - all of his work in developing the characters had to be through dialogue and mannerisms as opposed to merely describing what they looked like (the mark of a lazier author, in my opinion).
When you consider that this was Morgan's first novel, it is truly astonishing what he achieved over the course of five hundred pages. In Takeshi Kovacs we have a genuine anti-hero - a guy who manages to leave a trail of devastation in his wake whatever his good intentions, and who does not mind flouting the law as he does it. The noir thriller within the pages is tautly written and gives great payback. All in all, this was a fantastic accomplishment and a book I most certainly do not regret picking up - in fact, I shall now be seeking out the further adventures of Kovacs in short order. Highly recommended and a great introduction to the sci fi genre.
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is probably one of the best books I have read in recent years, because it manages to blend a number of my favourite genres into one great tale. As a measure of how well the book has been received, I understand (from an interview with Richard Morgan) that Altered Carbon has been optioned by Hollywood, and has joined the select ranks of books which might make it onto the big screen.
Altered Carbon mixes equal measures of hardcore action, political intrigue and detective story with welcome dashes of wry humour (and even a little porn).
Set in a future where humanity has colonised the galaxy and death is no longer something to be feared, individuals are fitted with ubiquitous 'stacks' which can backup consciousness, allowing that person to be 're-sleeved' (at a cost) in a new body if their own is damaged beyond repair.
The central character, Takeshi Kovacs, is a renegade from the Envoy Corps, an elite branch of troopers who are conditioned to have superior combat skills. Killed while working as a mercenary on the colonised planet of Harlan's World, Kovacs wakes to find that he has been 'needlecast' (digitally freighted) and resleeved by a mysterious 400 year old benefactor called Laurens Bancroft. Kovacs is coerced into investigating Bancrofts recent 'death', which appears to be an open-and-shut suicide, only Bancroft refuses to accept that. We follow Kovacs as his investigations lead him into serious jeopardy, where more is at stake than the superficial death of just one man.
Altered Carbon contains some fantastic sci-fi conventions, most of which have been done before in some form or another, but never quite this slick. Although the book deals with futuristic concepts, it is gritty enough and seemingly 'real' enough, to be very accessible (compared to hardcore space opera 'Revelation Space, for example).
I especially enjoyed reading how the Envoy conditioning and Neurachem worked. You almost get to know these augmentations as well as Kovacs himself, and to me they seemed to be likeable 'characters' in their own right, especially when they are struggling valiantly to keep Kovacs upright and fighting on the 'Panama Rose'....
Although packed with technology, gratuitous sexual references and gore, the story deeply explores what it would be like to be essentially immortal, and to have the benefit of a backed-up existence. Morgan clearly associates immortality with hedonism, and it is interesting to see how the more depraved characters satisfy themsleves, given an unlimited timespan to sate these urges. Religion is also explored - if the mind is so easily transplanted, then what requirement is there for a soul?
These concepts are cleverly juggled in various ways to create some of the storys finest moments and twists.
The author, Richard Morgan, has a knack of creating appealing tidbits of information that, if he was inclined to explore them, could probably fill entire books of their own.
I sincerely hope he continues to explore.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I'm going to keep this review sweet and simple and to-the-point. Richard Morgan, in my eyes, has created an epic visionary blockbuster of a trilogy that should scale the heights of James Cameron's - Avatar.
Altered Carbon, Broken Angels and Woken Furies are fantastic, they deserve to be topping the "Hall-of-Fame". I don't usually write reviews, so it shows how much I enjoyed Richard Morgans: Takeshi Lev Kovacs Series. Me personally, I gave this trilogy a five-out-of-five, simply because it does what any great novel does, keeps me clinging to my seat the whole time.
I was thrown head first into violence and gritty sex. Heart-pumping, sweat-dripping, fist-punching action. I found myself dumb struck by the scope and detail of the books. Read it and encourage others to do the same. You will not be disappointed.
If you like a bit of ethereal music to accompany the atmospheric scenes and action packed adrenaline soaked fight scenes, it would have to be something by:
- Michael McCann - Icarus (The Clinic Scene) - (Altered Carbon)
- Clint Mansell & Sam Hulick - An End, Once and for All (Martian Dreadnought Scene/End) - (Broken Angels)
Those two scenes really stood out for me, simply because I thought they were just phenomenal bits of writing. I remember having those two songs stuck in my head while reading Altered Carbon and Broken Angels, and for me, they went well together. Happy reading :)
Altered Carbon, Broken Angels and Woken Furies are fantastic, they deserve to be topping the "Hall-of-Fame". I don't usually write reviews, so it shows how much I enjoyed Richard Morgans: Takeshi Lev Kovacs Series. Me personally, I gave this trilogy a five-out-of-five, simply because it does what any great novel does, keeps me clinging to my seat the whole time.
I was thrown head first into violence and gritty sex. Heart-pumping, sweat-dripping, fist-punching action. I found myself dumb struck by the scope and detail of the books. Read it and encourage others to do the same. You will not be disappointed.
If you like a bit of ethereal music to accompany the atmospheric scenes and action packed adrenaline soaked fight scenes, it would have to be something by:
- Michael McCann - Icarus (The Clinic Scene) - (Altered Carbon)
- Clint Mansell & Sam Hulick - An End, Once and for All (Martian Dreadnought Scene/End) - (Broken Angels)
Those two scenes really stood out for me, simply because I thought they were just phenomenal bits of writing. I remember having those two songs stuck in my head while reading Altered Carbon and Broken Angels, and for me, they went well together. Happy reading :)
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great seller, great quality.
Wanted this as part of a great series by this author (if you haven't alredy tried him then I'd really recommend them) but couldn't find it through our local library. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Glos Bookworm
Interesting with a lot of plot twists but little characterisation.
The plot is good and moves swiftly from confrontation to confrontation with some violence and some politics and technology played with. Read more
Published 1 month ago by plot hound
SF Noir Par Excellence
Hard-boiled Cyber-Chandler.
Absolutely packed with super-cool ideas and action. It was so much fun that as soon as I hit the last page, I flipped the book over and... Read more
Absolutely packed with super-cool ideas and action. It was so much fun that as soon as I hit the last page, I flipped the book over and... Read more
Published 3 months ago by MoQingbird
Some good, some bad...
On the plus side the technology of sleeving is interesting and the concept of being imortal with the perspective of centuries is interesting. Read more
Published 4 months ago by S. Kemp
Unimpressed
Given the plaudits by other reviewers, I had high hopes for this book. Frankly I was unimpressed and it became a real struggle to finish. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Miketang
A gritty vision of the future
I'll admit to being a fan of Richard Morgan's work, especially the scifi series. He writes with a sense of gritty realism that totally draws the reader in to the world inhabited by... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Hippy Sal
Raymond Chandler for the 21st century
A superb blend of genres, very brave and uncompromising. Good characterisation, good plot -albeit very Chandleresque - not sure how that's a bad thing though - a book with hidden... Read more
Published 6 months ago by wg
Awsome
The best science fiction book I have read in a long time. Lots of action, great tech, well fleshed out characters, believable plot, constant flow without any long drawn out boring... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mr. Russell Scott
One-dimensional, hyper-masculine gritty romp
Richard Morgan's freshman novel lacks the maturity and finesse found in authors of the same genre such fellow Englishmen Iain Banks, John Brunner or Arthur C. Clarke. Read more
Published 7 months ago by M-I-K-E 2theD
Amazing Read
Im a man of few words. If you like Sci-Fi, Investigative Storytelling & Drama, you will love this book. Read more
Published 11 months ago by S. DALY
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