- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Velluminous Press (30 Jan 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1905605021
- ISBN-13: 978-1905605026
- Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 12.7 x 1.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 4,142,064 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Lee is an up-and-coming designer of seductive love dolls, until the day his sexiest creation yet goes murderously wrong. Sent to the crime scene to defuse a delicate situation, Lee finds that the rogue doll has been infiltrated by a mysterious, self-aware entity called Lilith who can't seem to make her mind up whether she's a silky-smooth seductress or a state-of-the-art assassination system. Within hours, Lee's encounter with Lilith has escalated into a life-or-death race with her creators, the shadowy and relentless Elect, and ultimately into a battle for the very stuff of his humanity - a battle in which his best hope of salvation turns out not to be human at all.
From the Author
If you like your SF to be character-driven and to come with a dash of cyberpunk -- if you're interested in near-future themes like AI, cloning, and the impact of this kind of technology on what it means to be human -- then take a look at Better than Real.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
The sharp metallic tang of hemoglobin hit Lee as soon as he opened the bedroom door. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
The sharp metallic tang of hemoglobin hit Lee as soon as he opened the bedroom door. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Huw Lyan Thomas is a superb storyteller along the lines of Orson Scott Card or Robert Heinlein. Clear and easy to read, the story builds upon itself with each chapter. It's not a cold, robotic science fiction, but one where you'll feel you're living alongside the characters in their own world. You'll experience the wonder of their technology, but will also feel their pain and joy. It's one of those books you won't put down until you reach the end.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
9 reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
A fun read, but not without flaws
23 Dec 2007
Better Than Real by Huw Lyan Thomas presents a fast paced story in a coherent and believable near-future world with a great cast of characters, all of whom have at least one quality that makes them engaging or just plain cool. The story is a fast and fairly easy read. It's focused more on characters and plot than technical jargon and minute details. In other words, cyberpunk aficionados may find this book overly simplistic and may enjoy something like Looking Glass by James R. Strickland a lot more. But more casual cyberpunk readers may like this one.
The tale told is certainly not the most original tale, but a story does not need to be original to be enjoyable. I was reminded of some of my favorite anime, manga, comics, etc. as I was reading. The first chapter, for example, evoked thoughts of Elfen Lied in me and that's part of the reason I wanted to check this book out- because it evoked feelings of something else I liked.
The book is not without flaws, however. Sometimes the writing is a tad choppy. Sometimes events, albeit minor ones, just suddenly happen. This is one book that I felt could have benefited from smoother writing with more details. Of course, if you dislike copious details and just want to get to the good parts, check this book out. Even the first chapter starts off in the middle of the action and it was reading that first chapter on Amazon that made want to buy the book and find out what happens next.
Bottom line? If you are a more casual reader and don't mind sometimes choppy writing, this is a fun book to read over a holiday or weekend. If you want deeper, meatier, and more "tech-y" cyberpunk, there are better choices out there, such as James Strickland's Looking Glass. I enjoyed the book personally because I was looking for a more fun and relaxed read for the holidays.
But don't take my word for it. Go ahead and read the excerpt provided here at Amazon and decide for yourself if this is a book you'd like to read.
The tale told is certainly not the most original tale, but a story does not need to be original to be enjoyable. I was reminded of some of my favorite anime, manga, comics, etc. as I was reading. The first chapter, for example, evoked thoughts of Elfen Lied in me and that's part of the reason I wanted to check this book out- because it evoked feelings of something else I liked.
The book is not without flaws, however. Sometimes the writing is a tad choppy. Sometimes events, albeit minor ones, just suddenly happen. This is one book that I felt could have benefited from smoother writing with more details. Of course, if you dislike copious details and just want to get to the good parts, check this book out. Even the first chapter starts off in the middle of the action and it was reading that first chapter on Amazon that made want to buy the book and find out what happens next.
Bottom line? If you are a more casual reader and don't mind sometimes choppy writing, this is a fun book to read over a holiday or weekend. If you want deeper, meatier, and more "tech-y" cyberpunk, there are better choices out there, such as James Strickland's Looking Glass. I enjoyed the book personally because I was looking for a more fun and relaxed read for the holidays.
But don't take my word for it. Go ahead and read the excerpt provided here at Amazon and decide for yourself if this is a book you'd like to read.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Solid sci-fi thrill ride
10 Sep 2008
I'm a sucker for all books about sexy artificial intelligences, so I loved this one from beginning to end. Writing was just a tad rushed at times, but the characterizations are solid, and never gets boring.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
A wonderful read -- someone needs to make this a movie
2 July 2006
This is an absorbing work that I spent a day and a half reading cover to cover. It is written so smoothly and visually that when done you feel as though you have lived in this world (and don't want it to end, which was great because the way the ending is written, it is a complete work unto itself yet leaves the door open for a sequel.) Suspense-filled, with great and memorable characters. The author obviously knows a lot about current and future technology and renders this highly imagined world in a way that makes it scarily real for the reader, and the tone of the book is great throughout, you feel as though Lee is real and a friend and even the most brutal of characters are made human. (I am an attorney and when I have a "client" that means one thing to me but when Stranger, pronounced, Strang-er, has a "client" it means something shudderingly different.)
I greatly recommend this book. If there are any smart film makers out there, they ought to read it. I hope the author is working on a screenplay because this would seriously make a wonderful movie -- it has all the successful elements of box office hits like The Matrix-- it fill your senses, keeps you on the edge of your seat and transports you into another world while connecting you to the characters so that you truly enjoy the ride (and don't want it to end-- I hope the author will do that sequel.)
I greatly recommend this book. If there are any smart film makers out there, they ought to read it. I hope the author is working on a screenplay because this would seriously make a wonderful movie -- it has all the successful elements of box office hits like The Matrix-- it fill your senses, keeps you on the edge of your seat and transports you into another world while connecting you to the characters so that you truly enjoy the ride (and don't want it to end-- I hope the author will do that sequel.)
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