I have read this book several times now, and each time it's better than I remember it from before. It is every bit a worthy successor to "Bladerunner" - intensely bittersweet, evocative, masterfully written, a work of art in words. The plot may SEEM familiar but it's full of twists, turns and revelations that there's no comparing it closely to any other story I know of. The characters are BRILLIANTLY done - by the time you're finished reading it, you'll know how they think and what drives them probably better than you know your co-workers. Their motivations, actions, thoughts, histories, hopes and regrets are perfectly believable, and when they hurt or rejoice, you can't help but feel the same right along with them. Buy this book, it is the ULTIMATE "cyberpunk" book and better than anything even William Gibson or Bruce Sterling could write (and I'm fans of both those authors as well.)