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Cowboy Angels (GOLLANCZ S.F.) [Hardcover]

Paul McAuley
3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

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Book Description

20 Sep 2007 GOLLANCZ S.F.

America, 1984 - not our version of America, but an America that calls itself the Real, an America in which the invention of Turing Gates has allowed it access to sheaves of alternate histories. For ten years, in the name of democracy, the Real has been waging clandestine wars and fomenting revolution, freeing versions of America from communist or fascist rule, and extending its influence across a wide variety of alternate realities.

But the human and political costs have proven too high, and new President Jimmy Carter has called an end to war, and is bringing troops and secret agents home.

Adam Stone is called out of retirement when his former comrade, Tom Waverly, begins to murder different versions of the same person, mathematician Eileen Barrie. Aided by Waverly's daughter, Linda, Adam hunts for his old friend across different sheaves, but when they finally catch up with Waverly, they discover that they have stumbled into the middle of an audicious conspiracy that plans to exploite a new property of the Turing Gates: it will change not only the history of the Real, but that of every other sheaf, including our own.

COWBOY ANGELS combines the high-octane action and convoluted plots of the TV series 24 in a satirical, multi-layered alternate reality thriller.


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Product details

  • Hardcover: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Gollancz (20 Sep 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0575079347
  • ISBN-13: 978-0575079342
  • Product Dimensions: 3.4 x 16.3 x 24.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,489,944 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

A thriller that manages to combine high concept SF with cracking pace. More twists, turns and surprises than you could possibly hope for. (Steve Robinson DEATHRAY 2007 PREVIEW )

"If you like to think as you read, you're going to love this book. I've always said that SF and the spy thriller are very much close bedfellows and "Cowboy Angels" is proving this. If you like to see both genres together, this book is a good place to start. " (Geoff Willmetts SF CROWSNEST )

Hard-hitting and brutal, the novel is a gripping, page- turning thriller that is also a timely reminder of the dangers of imperialism. (Eric Brown THE GUARDIAN )

A brainy, inventive, gung-ho techno thriller. Paul McAuley is an excellent writer, though his liberal outrage at what he sees as American imperialism is a bit predictable. I preferred his inventive Fairyland, just reissued in paperback in the Gollancz Future Classics series, but this one is highly recommended. (Andrew McKie THE TELEGRAPH )

A spy-fi yarn that feels like Ian Fleming writing a 'Sliders' episode. Will give readers a visceral Boy's Own kick. (Dave Bradley SFX )

"McAuley provokes spycraft convincingly and proceedings eventually become extremely complex. A very professionally crafted adventure." (Gary Dalkin DEATHRAY )

Cowboy Angels is nothing if not compelling. A relatively gung-ho thriller. (Jon Jordan EDGE )

Breakneck pacing and narrative fluency - he juggles plot twists here to a quite awe-inspiring extent. (Roz Kaveney TIME OUT )

Book Description

A multi-layered high-octane thriller that will leave you gasping for more!

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Unsurprisingly Brilliant 5 Aug 2010
Format:Paperback
Britain's best short story writer makes an intricate, intelligent, fun and thought-provoking novel? No surprise there. I agree with another reviewer that this is solid 4-star science fiction, but that's in a world where 5 stars are reserved for the very best the genre has to offer, such as The Stars My Destination (S.F. Masterworks)and The Fifth Head of Cerberus (S.F. Masterworks). I rate Cowboy Angels with 5 stars because it's excellent, and it has been grossly under-rated in other reviews.

If you like science fiction, you will enjoy all of Paul McAuley's work. If you're new to Paul McAuley, his most brilliant novel, Fairyland, is easily 5-star by the aforementioned measure. Also, I'd recommend getting hold of some of his short fiction, because it truly is amazingly good. Free examples can be found on his website: http://www.omegacom.demon.co.uk. Decide for yourself, and if you like it as much as I do, I'd recommend keeping an eye out for him in Interzone.

Judging from the broad spectrum of these reviews, people either love or hate this stuff. My advice is to give him a chance and decide for yourself. Start with Fairyland, which deservedly won the Arthur C. Clarke award. The Quiet War (Gollancz) is another great one, as is his latest novel, Gardens of the Sun (Gollancz). I hope you like them as much as I did.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Undermarked elsewhere 25 Oct 2009
By Spinoza
Format:Paperback
Really this would rate a solid 4 stars - it is a highly readable SF techno-thriller that zaps along and plays with some interesting ideas about time travel and alternate realities- but I've given it 5 to balance out the other very harsh undermarked reviews.

It is not meant to be Stephen Baxter, and for whjat it is I found it hard to put down. A well written, taut and energetic SF thriller that builds very fluently from efficient actioner to mind bending SF. Yes, its characters are not the most three dimensional, but this was never going to be Proust, and most of them are meant to be tough guys, after all. A very enjoyable read.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Not so bad 31 Jan 2008
Format:Paperback
I would disagree with the previous reviewer, but I am new to alternative histories and didn't have high expectations. I think the book is focussing on the story, which is interesting enough to keep you hooked, instead of going into detailed descriptions of alternate worlds. Fine with me - I don't need to know what pebbles look like in Communist America. The characters, although not too engaging, are not dislikeable and there is a good build-up towards the end. If you're new to alternate histories and like puzzle-hunt, twisty, conspiracy theory type storeis, not a bad choice.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars A mushy novel
A nice piece of world-building, based on the conceit that, if it was discovered in the 1960s that there are parallel worlds to be accessed, the CIA would be running dirty tricks... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Mr. T. O. Womack
4.0 out of 5 stars A newish slant on the intergalactic CIA
A well written intelligent thriller, the protagonist is rather under characterised but Tom Waverley who carries the plot is horribly convincing
Published on 17 Jun 2009 by Ange
2.0 out of 5 stars A weak SF/thriller crossover novel
In the Real, a version of 60s USA, Turing gates are discovered, which give passage to alternate realities in groups called 'sheaves' which are different but stem from a pivotal... Read more
Published on 21 Feb 2009 by A. J. Poulter
3.0 out of 5 stars Not Paul's best
To be honest with you not Paul at his best, the plot is poor, the characters undeveloped with a story that should perhaps have been kept to a novella which would have allowed a... Read more
Published on 16 Sep 2008 by Gareth Wilson - Falcata Times Blog
2.0 out of 5 stars Unpleasantly militaristic
I used to be a big fan of Paul McAuley, going back to his excellent Fairyland, and continuing through his hot 'n' steamy Secret of Life to Whole Wide World, but IMO he started to... Read more
Published on 19 Aug 2008 by F. H. Riley
1.0 out of 5 stars Kept waiting on something happening
The premise for this book is quite familiar. Like Kieth Laumer's Worlds of the Imperium, a version of the US has accessed it's alternate timestreams and intervened to create a... Read more
Published on 20 Jan 2008 by Robert
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