- Hardcover: 426 pages
- Publisher: Tor Books (Aug 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0765307359
- ISBN-13: 978-0765307354
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.7 x 3.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 999,548 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Gridlinked (Ian Cormac)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Gridlinked is the talented Neal Asher's first full-length SF novel, an accomplished rapid-action thriller crammed with high technology, obsessed characters, and the glittering boys' toys of advanced weaponry.
Cormac is a legendary Earth Central Security agent, the James Bond of a wealthy future where "runcible" transmitters allow interstellar travel in an eye blink. Unfortunately Cormac is nearly burnt out, "gridlinked" to the AI net so long that his humanity has drained away. He has to take the cold turkey cure and shake his addiction to instant online access, even while investigating the unique runcible disaster that's wiped out the entire human colony on planet Samarkand in a 30 megaton explosion ...
Hot on Cormac's heels is vengeful terrorist Pelter, backed up by his unstoppable, psychotic android killer "Mr Crane" and a goon squad of mercenaries. Other trouble has been brewing since 27 years earlier, when Cormac was humanity's ambassador to a vast, incomprehensible alien that called itself Dragon. Deep beneath Samarkand's surface there are buried mysteries, fiercely guarded. And is it true that Cormac's enigmatic boss is an immortal who's lived half a millennium and was born in the 20th century?
Asher's galaxy is full of colour and sleaze, and his story rattles along at speed. There are surprises, double-crosses, elaborate lies to be seen through, astonishing escapes from certain death, and last-minute reversals. Though the ultimate fates of the lesser villains seem mildly anticlimactic, the true bad guy is dealt with in spectacular style. Sequels are hinted. Fast-moving, edge-of-the-seat entertainment. --David Langford --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
Widescreen, action-packed science-fiction drama by a notable talent.
--This text refers to the
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
My first Neal Asher novel (and his too, I subsequently found). It was a good read - full of nice ideas, good tech, good settings and nice plot twists (though I did guess some bits in advance of reading them). It got me involved in the characters to the extent that I cared if they lived or died, even causing a stir of emotion when one or the other occured. It even made my me laugh out loud a couple of times (at genuine humour, rather than in ridicule)
I liked the settings of the novel, and the future that Asher describes; I like the hero, Cormac, and his companions the Sparkind soldiers, the golem androids, and his shuriken; I liked the lead villain Pelter and HIS companions, Mr Crane, Stanton and the mercenaries; Hell, I even liked the runcible AI's.
But did I like Dragon or The Maker? No way - I found them a bit "unbelieveable", even in this future context, and a bit too "comic book". And did I like the ending of the book? Even more "no way". In fact, did I even understand the ending of the book?
I read the last few pages again and again to try to figure it out. When I started reading the sequel "The Line Of Polity" I had to read the end of "Gridlinked" yet again, because I still didn't get what happened with the Dracomen! And I'm happy (I guess) to read other reviewers here who were equally confused.
Well, I think it's with some dismay that I find Dragon and a Dracoman in "The Line Of Polity", but hey, onwards and upwards and lets see how the plot develops.
I liked the settings of the novel, and the future that Asher describes; I like the hero, Cormac, and his companions the Sparkind soldiers, the golem androids, and his shuriken; I liked the lead villain Pelter and HIS companions, Mr Crane, Stanton and the mercenaries; Hell, I even liked the runcible AI's.
But did I like Dragon or The Maker? No way - I found them a bit "unbelieveable", even in this future context, and a bit too "comic book". And did I like the ending of the book? Even more "no way". In fact, did I even understand the ending of the book?
I read the last few pages again and again to try to figure it out. When I started reading the sequel "The Line Of Polity" I had to read the end of "Gridlinked" yet again, because I still didn't get what happened with the Dracomen! And I'm happy (I guess) to read other reviewers here who were equally confused.
Well, I think it's with some dismay that I find Dragon and a Dracoman in "The Line Of Polity", but hey, onwards and upwards and lets see how the plot develops.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I really enjoyed this book from the start even though I thought the ending was a little too obvious. I'm looking forward to the next in the series (on order) and will "make do" with another of his books - "The Skinner" which I have only just started.
Some of the other reviewers have said that Asher's writing falls short of the mark, but I found the book fine and it stands on my shelf next to Iain M Banks and Peter F Hamilton, and just one shelf up from Elizabeth Moon.
Some of the other reviewers have said that Asher's writing falls short of the mark, but I found the book fine and it stands on my shelf next to Iain M Banks and Peter F Hamilton, and just one shelf up from Elizabeth Moon.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In Asher’s glittering future galaxy, Earth is at the centre of a ‘Polity’ of AI-governed worlds, connected by various ‘runcibles’ (portals which instantly transport matter to another portal elsewhere in the galaxy) so called because the interface adopts the shape of a reflective spoon.
Asher’s ‘Polity’, which is in effect a benign AI dictatorship, is seen in the novel as a safe, happy place to live, although the ‘quotation’ chapter prefaces gradually make us aware that AIs are capable of the manipulation of data and have, in effect, rewritten history to suit their own purposes. No system is perfect, as Asher subtly and cleverly points out.
Outside the Polity are other human-colonised worlds which have been supplying Separatists with arms and explosives. Ian Cormac a ‘gridlinked’ ECS (Earth Central Security) Agent, has infiltrated a Separatist cell and is forced to kill Angelina Pelter when his cover is blown, leaving her vain and psychopathic brother Arian vowing vengeance.
Asher’s ‘Polity’, which is in effect a benign AI dictatorship, is seen in the novel as a safe, happy place to live, although the ‘quotation’ chapter prefaces gradually make us aware that AIs are capable of the manipulation of data and have, in effect, rewritten history to suit their own purposes. No system is perfect, as Asher subtly and cleverly points out.
Outside the Polity are other human-colonised worlds which have been supplying Separatists with arms and explosives. Ian Cormac a ‘gridlinked’ ECS (Earth Central Security) Agent, has infiltrated a Separatist cell and is forced to kill Angelina Pelter when his cover is blown, leaving her vain and psychopathic brother Arian vowing vengeance.
Meanwhile, on the planet Samarkand the unthinkable has happened. A runcible has exploded, destroying most of the AI controlling it and ten thousand people.
Cormac is recalled and advised by Horace Blegg (a strange Japanese and apparently immortal human) to relinquish the augments and AI links which he has been relying on for the last thirty years; to regain his human responses and investigate the disaster.
It’s an extraordinarily impressive debut novel, one of those you wish was longer. Most novels of 500+ pages tend to be inflated with extraneous fluff. This however, is dense, tight and wastes not a word.
Asher handles the multi-character viewpoint well and makes excellent use of pre-chapter ‘quotations’ from publications of the future which tell their own story and shed some light on the background to the action.
It seems clear however that the story will have to continue in another novel, since several questions are left unanswered.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
High-Octane SF
Asher kicks off his Polity series in rollicking style with this opening story. Take a deep breath, because within a few pages we are assaulted by wormhole technology, godlike AIs,... Read more
Published 4 months ago by David Ford
great read
my first Neal Asher book. What a great read this was and has lead me to read the rest of the Agent Cormac Books
Published 12 months ago by D. Batiste
Immersive world's and great storytelling
A pleasant surprise, well written and well paced. Fully realised worlds and technology that allow for an immersive read. Comparisons to 007 are incorrect, this is so much better.
Published 14 months ago by Craddmeister
Gridlinked the start
A good strong story and typical of Asher. A cast of fascinating chacters made more interesting by how they are changed and influenced by the nature of their environment, some good... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Malcolm Roy Ash
A pointless read
I read this some time ago, but it still sticks in my memory as one of the worst books that I have ever read... Read more
Published 17 months ago by NW
Jolly good jape
This was my introduction to Neal Asher - it was on sale in an actual bookshop for 99p - I guess as an intro kinda thing. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Garscadden
Failed to meet low expectations
It's news to me that I have standards for trashy-no-brainer reading material and Gridlinked by Neal Asher does not meet those expectations. Read more
Published on 25 May 2010 by M. Hubbard
Excellent Read, Excellent SF
The best science fiction balances the speculative elements against the need for a good, page-turning read. This is one of the best. Read more
Published on 16 April 2010 by S. J. Horgan
Excellent Book, Great Recommendation Amazon
Excellent book. Great starter for the series. Amazon recommended it and I loved it. I'm on the second in the series now.
Published on 17 Dec 2009 by Caleb Young
Good space opera for the quiet evenings
Neil Asher's Ian Cormac in a grand space opera setting. Enjoyed the book, have now finished the whole saga of Ian Cormac and I'm glad I did.
Lots of memorable characters ... Read more
Lots of memorable characters ... Read more
Published on 12 Oct 2009 by Dr. Stephen Culshaw
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