Altered Carbon was the first book, written back in 2002, of UK sci-fi writer Richard K. Morgan. Now that I've read it, I know for sure I'm coming back for more of his novels. It may be very early to claim, as some critics have made, that we're in front of the new Philip K. Dick. Only time will tell. But I'd dare to say that maybe the truth won't eventually be very far from that assertion.Altered Carbon presents us the story of U.N. Envoy Takeshi Kovacs, who is hired against his own will by one rich and powerful man to find the truth behind his own suicide. Yes, you got it right. The same person who presumably shot himself in the head, will later hire our antihero, claiming he couldn't have ever possibly killed himself. And that's not because that's something not plausible, but because this, remember, sci-fi noir novel is set on the twenty-fifth century, a time when technology has completely turned around the meaning of life and death. Now, the mind of the people (the people who can afford it, that is) can be transferred from one body, or sleeve, into another, technology providing. People relationships, travelling, or, as I've said before, dying, have not the same meaning anymore. And Richard K. Morgan presents us that future in a way that is rather difficult not to think it could perfectly be the approaching reality we're headed to.
Morgan's prose is elegant, dynamic, and in no means thick or hard to follow. The plot is brilliantly fast-paced, although a bit complex at times, which forced me to revisit some previous paragraphs to refresh mi memories of who was that character or what happened on that place. But in the end it all makes sense, and if the reader doesn't feel cheated at the resolution of this kind of story, then the writer has definitely done a good work.
Also, the characters are excellently-crafted, and it's very easy to dive deep with them into the story. I spent the whole of the book wishing the good guys the best outcome possible and hoping for the bad guys to find a death that doesn't have them coming back eventually. I'll read the already published sequel, but I certainly wouldn't want it to throw dirt over the memory I already got of this book. Anyway, I have enough faith in Morgan's skills as a writer now to go grab the second book as soon as I'm able to.
I can find too many reasons to recommend this book to everyone who likes sci-fi, or noir detective novels. And one of them is that the possible future created by Morgan feels perfectly real, maybe because he throws all kind of bits of information here and there for the sake of the reader, but in no way he turns the reader away from the story he's trying to tell.
And he also is consequent. In a world where death doesn't mean the same anymore, there are consequences, both physical and moral. Well, Morgan points them to us, getting to show enough troublesome insights to arise an infinity of ethical questions. Once again, of course, never disrupting the pace of the plot.
The only not-insane bad point I've read someone making about this book is that it's maybe a bit too long. To say the truth, I really didn't feel so. To me the story starts with a good rhythm, it soon builds up momentum, and it ends just when it needs to do it. There are maybe a few pages, just before the climax, that I read with a little more effort, because the plot had already been almost fully revealed. But, in the end, I enjoyed those pages too. So then again, I should thank good old finn5fel for another one of his recommendations.
Thanked you've been, pal.
12 comments:
I'm glad you enjoyed the book, Hal! I thought it was a great mixture of crime noir, sci-fi, action, and mystery, with great ideas such as the self-managing hotel, the sex-enhancing drugs or the whole concept of the sleeves.
There are two more Kovacs books out, Broken Angels y Woken Furies, but I still haven't read them. We'll have to get to it soon!
I liked the book, as you said, neat mixture of noir genre and sci-fi, with very interesting improvements regarding new concepts as the proper "sleve". But, altogether, I belive it´s too long and it happens that you lose a bit the plot and sometimes you need to go back and forth. I would have reduce the book by some 100 pages. But yeah, I agree, nice reading, very good sci-fi and we´ll see if he becomes the new Phillip K. Dick.
I have to thank finn5fel for his reccommendation and for the actual book, as it was a gift. ;)
You're welcome, Jorge. And I've got something planned that's gonna blow you away, hehehehe.
Regarding the length of Altered Carbon, I won't go as far as saying there's 100 pages that we could do without, but I'll admit that the last part of the book was a bit slower than what had come before.
Yep Jorge, my copy of the book was also a gift. Guess by who. ;)
About the length of it, I tend to agree with Fel. To me the novel ends just when it should, neither before, nor after. But the rhythm of the last 150 pages is somewhat erratic. There's sort of a climax and a resolution, then a new exposition which lasts around 50 pages, and then again a new last bigger climax. Satisfying in the end, but kinda weird.
To read a new exposition when I was expecting a dynamic resolution almost made me put the book aside for a few days. Glad I didn't. :)
We'll have to get to those sequels soon indeed, Fel.
And I agree that there are a lot of incredible intelligent ideas that Morgan has thrown to the table. The whole concept of the cortical stacks and the sleeves, the concept of the Meths, the sleeve (not body) enhancer implants, like internal clocks or recording devices... The list goes on forever. :)
What really amazes me is how you can remember facts like those from something you've probably read some sixty books ago. :O
PS.- I almost choke when I recognized the european monument that appears on the book, and then later I read the dictator's name. FF. Figures. ;)
Yeah, that´s a good part of the book, the monument...hehehe That was a quite a surprise! :)
I did read it many books ago, but some details just stuck, I don't know why. The monument you mention, however, I had completely forgotten until you guys brought it up. Selective memory? Maybe so :P
Por cierto Fel, ¿cuántos libros/TPBs llevas ya este año? Ya sé que podría contar basándome en tus posts Reading List, pero es que estoy vaguete. Vaaaa...
Pues ahora mismo estoy leyendo Jingo, libro de Discworld que da en ser el número 55 en lo que va de año. COn respecto a los TPBs, el domingo pasado releí Aphrodite IX, que fue el número 45.
Y Reading List: November coming soon!
Pues sí, que ya va tocando este mes a retirada.
O sea, que a finales de año cumplirás con tu media de 60 libros aprox. Lo hagas como lo hagas, siempre acabas rondando ese número. Con The Stand o sin él. ;)
Sí, es verdad. Los libros más largos compensan por los más cortos, supongo. Aunque cuando esté en España por Navidades no podré leer tanto. Malditos humanos que interfieren con mis lecturas...
Pues sí. Malditas relaciones sociales... ;)
Me alegra decir que yo he aumentado mi ritmo de lectura considerablemente, y voy camino de superar mi propio record de libros leidos en un año. El cual no voy a decir aquí ahora, porque es vergonzosamente bajo con respecto a la competencia que hay.
Pero estoy orgulloso. Hasta hace bien poco llevaba ritmo de no llegar ni siquiera a diez libros leídos. :(
Bien hecho!
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