Review – The Pollutant Speaks by Alex Cochran

An intriguing blend of science fiction and philosophy, specifically language, The Pollutant Speaks wasn’t what I expected. An enormous undertaking stuffed with massive ideas, it’s a considered and left field work of fiction.

On the seven, overpopulated human worlds, people are mentally and physically crushed by the intensity of existence. Space, resources, freedom are all scarce. It’s something Evans knows all too well. Author of an incisive and controversial poem (the eponymous “The Pollutant Speaks), he’s also suffered from the mental illness that the collision between poverty and marketability creates in this hard cyberpunk future. Nothing is owned, everything is controlled and open to purchase, including one’s privacy. When Evans, still struggling from his stint in a mental hospital, finds himself out of funds and about to be sent to a Life Basic institute, things get much worse. A bizarre cult, the Cannots, who have appropriated his poem, decide to kill him for being a traitor to his own words.

It’s not the first convoluted twist on logic within The Pollutant Speaks but it does force Evans to seek an off world escape to Border. A satellite planet built as a training ground for ambassadors, it’s a place designed for those about to met a vast alien Union; to learn their language and customs and, hopefully, help humanity enter the community and, by extension, end people’s suffering. It’s the language that is the central tenant here. A perfect form of communication so multilayered as to be unmistakably clear in intention. Philosophically speaking, it’s an astounding prospect. A language with no deviation of meaning would be free of deception or misinformation and, therefore, would form the root of a better, fairer society. Yet, humanity lacks the innate ability to speak its complexity and only a few, like Evans, can achieve it.

Much of The Pollutant Speaks concerns itself with this idea; of speaking and becoming like the Paraunion. The pursuit of clarity and meaning through unknowable knowledge. Yet, human politics continue in the background. The Cannots growing in popularity despite the contradiction of their own ideology. The desire to break whilst wanting more, to cease production whilst decrying a lack, to quote the poem of an author they want to kill. It’s this strange double standard, cult of the leader, law based politics that lays the social commentary upon which the novel then considers another way. A way which threads analytical philosophy throughout its narrative, quoting some of the greats in a sidelong gaze at what could be.

However, Evans’ own journey, from the Crush to Border and beyond is an interesting one. And, it’s his and his colleagues desire to help free humanity from its own entanglements that keeps the engine of the book humming along. Intriguing concepts on a vast scale are overlaid on the human condition vie for space as language, that root of all thought, takes centre stage.

Well written and cleverly considered, it’s a hard cyberpunk, far future sci-fi that’s seeks to portray both the expansive and the individual within its remit.

Review copy

Published by Bee Orchid Press

Review – SNAFU: Punk’d edited by Amanda J Spedding & Geoff Brown

An anthology of stories working within the “punk” sub-genre, this edition of SNAFU brings together eighteen tales of scifi-horror and no-holds-barred action. From cyberpunk to biopunk to genre blending tales, it’s a solid collection.

With a number of new to me authors (and some not) there’s a mix of work here though all with adrenaline inducing action at its core. King Rat by RPL Johnson delivers a high-octane cyberpunk samurai story of corporate greed in a world built on the ruins of the past. Technological innovation smashes up against the horror of human ignorance and avarice with breathtaking imagery.

Greg Chapman’s Glitch in the System is equally violent and visually disturbing. Trapped inside a never-ending battle, one soldier discovers the truth behind the conflict, a revelation that has terrifying consequences.

Whilst stories such as Battleborg by Mark Renshaw blend sci-fi and magics, others deliver hard noir. Clean up Crew by Alan Baxter is a crime caper gone wrong. When a mercenary crew see an opportunity to get out from under the corporate thumb, the prize turns out to be too good to be true. Ending up fighting for their lives, what was meant to be an easy score turns out to reveal a horrifying reality deep below the facade of progress.

Taking up that theme of all action, Let’s Go To The Mall by Matthew Freeman is a tale of betrayal and survival against the odds. In an abandoned shopping centre, one hacker finds himself up against a horde of abominations hellbent on his destruction. In the end, it’s a battle of attrition with only one winner.

There’s lots more on offer in this anthology, one I’ll be dipping into again. Action, horror and sci-fi adventure, it’s a great collection.

My copy

Published by Cohesion Press

Review – Hel’s Eight by Stark Holborn

Sequel to the outstanding novel Ten Low, author Stark Holborn has returned to the world of Factus with another barnburner in Hel’s Eight. A tale of rebellion and revenge, past and future, violence and forgiveness, it’s nothing short of astounding.

Five years after Ten Low survived events surrounding General Gabriella Ortiz, she is now – once again – living alone on the edge of the barren wastelands of Factus. Still trying to make amends for her previous transgressions and sure that her presence spells doom for those she cares about, Ten has become a recluse. But, what she and Gabriella survived (and how) still requires it’s price to be paid, and the things that exist deep in the desert still have a keen interest.

When Gabi finds Low, she explains that war has come to Factus. The tentative government has allowed tycoon Lutho Xoon to begin buying up land. Far from seeking to build up the desert moon, Lutho is looking for something else; something his mother sought out decades before and which set in motion all manner of madness and change. Though the factions of Factus struggle and strive, it is their freedom they cherish most. And, with Xoon looking to take that away, violence looms large. Caught up in all of this, Low is a signifier for the chaotic possibilities and fractal realities that events present. She has walked the Edge and returned and that makes her more than just dangerous; it makes her valuable.

Told between a past and a present, the story both fills in a past that could see the future and a present that reaches back to things that offer a clarity by which to see ahead. It’s a fascinating ploy. The origins of Factus is wrought perfectly and how it informs Low’s own experience adds to the tension behind her journey. At the same time, the very human struggles clash against the alien and otherness of them. It’s that strangeness that speaks so strongly. The quantum possibilities and potential of all life is an existential consideration that, at the heart of the story, asks so much.

And, yet, conflict is equally a most human trait. In Hel’s Eight, the shadow of the past and those first convicts dumped upon Factus is avenged in the present as Low and her fellows battle to retain their sovereignty. In the cyberwestern wastelands of Factus, tribes and criminal gangs smash against each other as money buys loyalty and greed blinds. A brutal journey to stop a war before it starts, Low is caught making a choice between necessary violence and total mayhem.

Gritty, tough exceptional worldbuilding along with fascinating characters in Low/Hel/Pec, this is a stunning novel. Action packed and explosive, it is also arrestingly written with some truly wonderful prose creating an almost cinematic experience. Much like Factus, Hel’s Eight is, on its surface, a brutal journey of vengeance whilst beneath its shifting sands it is a nuanced and considered look at the human mind and all its potentials.

Highly recommended.

Review copy

Published by Titan Books

Review – Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

Rereleased for its 30th anniversary, with some new material including a foreword by the author, Snow Crash is, without a doubt, a modern, sci-fi classic. That it discussed and expounded upon the themes it did over 30 years ago not only expresses the sharp intellect of Neal Stephenson, but also the influence it had as one of the great cyberpunk novels, ushering in a whole raft of ideas and styles. Clever, insightful and totally engrossing, it’s an exceptional read.

As a freelance hacker in the overpopulated and codified business of computer programming, Hiro Protagonist is, understandably broke. He’s a good guy scraping by, looking after his mum rather than playing the long game his peers pursued and, as such, he’s delivering pizza for the Mafia. It’s a job he loves but nothing lasts long in the fractured near future. America is no more; instead it is a jungle of franchises and mini-states all vying for custom and real estate. After an unfortunate incident, during which he meets the young thrasher Y.T, things get truly weird.

Though living in a storage locker in the real, Hiro is a highly regarded figure in the Metaverse. That comes with its own complications, however. None more so than when his friend is infected with a virtual virus that scrambles his real brain. Along with Y.T and a host of interesting characters, Hiro discovers that the virus – snow crash – is something so deadly, it could change the whole course of humanity. Slowly building up a fascinating picture of the future from the corporatisation of nationality, the domination of franchise mentality and the disparity between rich and poor, the book also details virtual reality. The Metaverse is expertly portrayed and the dual nature of these realities mirrors so much within the book, it’s seamless depiction is prophetic.

As the image clarifies, Hiro and Y.T. both discover parts of a huge puzzle that points to a conglomerate with nefarious intentions. Simply put, a wealthy media mogul, along with a religiously zealous sect, are using the remnants of the federal government to program a neural virus that will change the population drastically and for the worse. The journey involves sword fights, high speed skateboard action, in-depth research into Sumerian culture, an investigation into the Tower of Babel, and consideration of how language, religion and society intersected to form modern culture. It’s a precursor for Neal Stephenson’s work where he is able to marry action-adventure with philosophical investigation into one mesmerising whole.

Exploring the idea that language is a virus which can program changes in both the software and the hardware of the brain, Snow Crash balances it’s metaphysical questions with a healthy dose of explosive action. A vast, sea faring city teaming with viscous and desperate factions, a corporate Mafia and a whole set of mercenary security systems that range from rent-a-cop to fully automated killing machines, Snow Crash is a wild kaleidoscope of ideas brilliantly stitched together to form a vivid platform upon which the story emerges.

I read this book roughly twenty years ago and, now, all this time later, it remains as entertaining and fascinating as it first did. Sharp, insightful commentary along with brilliant characters, Snow Crash is a tour de force.

Review copy

Published by Viking Books/ Penguin Random House

Review – Lonely Nights On High Rooftops by Natchai Stappers

Continuing my exploration of independently published work, I delved into cyberpunk-esque adventure Lonely Nights on High Rooftops. Fast paced and with some interesting commentary on social media, it’s a sharp story with a wicked twist.

In a world dominated by virtual technology, Harlow’s decision to opt out puts him firmly on the margins of society. Closed off and almost reclusive, he works jobs no one wants and keeps himself to himself. Despite that, he finds himself becoming embroiled in a war between a massive corporation and The Path, a church-like cult seeking to redress the balance of tech ownership.

When an AI pops up and begins to access peoples’ Noesis systems – a virtual structure where everything from business to entertainment can be conducted – government officials take note. The self-aware AI, looking for her creator, hones in on The Path and Rose, a rebellious and talented hacker. But, what quickly becomes clear, is that the Government of Technology is having its strings pulled by the ruling corporation NeuraVision; the very company that created and dominates the Noesis sphere.

As The Path goes onto a war footing, seeking to help the AI, Rose ends up in dire straits. And, Harlow, looking to help his neighbour, gets stuck in the middle, way out of his depth and terribly exposed. As a former Government coder, he realises with dawning horror, that the AI was his pet project. So ensues a cat-and-mouse game between the groups to control the social narrative about the AI but also control over Noesis.

At its heart, Lonely Nights On High Rooftops considers how the dominance of social media creates homogeneity around ideas and thoughts; how those that control narrative systems can write what is spread and accepted. Further, it explores how massive companies can exploit and dominate society with little consequences. But, it’s also about two men, Harlow and his nemesis, Christian, the founder of NeuroVision and their battle of wills. The driving factor becomes the war of egos between the two revealing each to be as sociopathic as the other. Yet, whilst there is a nagging sense in the story as to who is the real antagonist, it isn’t until the end that things are revealed.

In a world made grey by climate change solutions, where the virtual is everything, Lonely Nights On High Rooftops explores the hubris of mankind with an explosive story.

Review copy

Independently published

Review – Negalyod: The God Network by Vincent Perriot

Visually stunning, The God Network is an amazing story of vengeance and rebellion. Captured in beautiful colour this graphic novel is truly epic.

A post-apocalyptic landscape that is a mix of the Wild West and cyberpunk tech, Jarri is a dinosaur shepherd living a lonely life in the desert as he tends his herd. When his charges are wiped out by a weather truck gone wrong, Jarri vows to find those responsible. It’s a journey that takes him to the huge cities that float above and dominate the sky; all of it ruled over by the Network.

Jarri soon falls in with a band of rebels determined to free the people from the iron rule of the Above and the Network. Desperate to take back the land and the water, the rebels have a plan to bring down a mysterious tower at the centre of it all. Hell-bent on his revenge, Jarri discovers things he couldn’t have thought possible.

A brilliant dystopian setting, as inventive as it is wonderfully drawn, The God Network is a fascinating book. The thrilling story set against the strange and wild blend of elements makes for a gripping read. Dinosaurs, vast sky cities, bizarre flying machines and an equally diverse cast create something uniquely brilliant.

Review copy

Published by Titan Comics

Review – Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

There’s a time when a novel is so much fun to read, with such great writing and an insanely likeable main character it’s impossible to put down. Mickey7 is that book; it kept me up late on a Sunday and, around my house, that’s a big deal.

Mickey7, the eponymous character of the title, is an Expendable; a person whose physical and mental being have been mapped and downloaded, able to be reprinted should death occur. For Expendables, that’s basically the point. Humanity has spread beyond the solar system, out from an overcrowded Earth to seek new planets. But, creating a colony on another world is difficult and fraught with all manner of dangers. And this is where Expendables come in; they do the dangerous, difficult, deadly work including suicide missions and medical testing.

Obviously, Mickey7 has been reprinted a number of times but it was better than the fate he was facing if he stayed on his home colony planet. Now, on a frozen world far from everything with a leader who hates him, he might be rethinking things, including if he is even himself anymore. Even worse, the place is nothing like they’d assumed and, to top it off, there are things out in the snow.

Slowly unpacking the history of humanities diaspora across the stars and using that history to cleverly illustrate some salient points, Mickey7 is a brilliant piece of science fiction. Exploring the notion of being and the idea of what makes a person themselves, the book raises the other interesting question of what happens if there are multiple copies of the same you. It’s a great conflict against which the larger issue of survival on a hostile, alien planet plays out brilliantly. Added to that, this is all told by a protagonist who is extremely likeable despite the existential crisis: smart, self-aware and in a seriously messed up situation.

From the excellent portrayal of a colonising humanity, the reasons and rules behind Expendables and the harsh realities of a space faring crew, Mickey7 hits the nail on the head every time. A fantastic, eminently readable slice of silence fiction – highly recommended.

Review copy

Published by Rebellion Publishing

Review – Nemesis (1992)

How I never saw this movie before is beyond me. A blend of action thriller wrapped up in cyberpunk near-future sci-fi, Nemesis is (for its time) excellent.

Alex, a type of black-ops cop tasked with hunting down cyborgs, is more than conflicted. Partly cyborg himself and kept on a short leash, his world is incredibly violent and one-sided. He’s told what to do and what to think and there’s little room for much else until an encounter with a freedom fighter plants a seed of doubt deep inside him.

After quitting the force and running wild for a while, Alex is brought back into the fold. His former partner has sold secrets to terrorists amd only he can get close enough to stop her. But, nothing is at all as it seems.

Aside from some slightly off key acting by one character this movie is top notch cyberpunk action. A future full of cybernetic enhancements, the story is one big morally grey plot twist. Alex, played by Olivier Gruner, has to walk a fine line as he tries to work his own way in a world trying to use him; a valuable asset and a ‘shark’ he wants to be more.

With a cast of decent actors, including a Brion James, Thomas Jane and Carl-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Nemisis is a blend of Terminator and Blade Runner. It’s more than the sum of those parts even if it isn’t as good as either.

Nemesis is full of potential; great ideas amd excellent storytelling. It’s a little dated but, regardless, it’s a thrilling and intriguing piece of film.

The BookBeard’s Blog best of 2020

Well. There’s not much to say about 2020 that hasn’t already been said. My year was fitness heavy and homeschool-tastic. In review, it’s been… interesting.

When it comes to what I’ve read, there’s been a lot of horror. Not sure what that says about my mindset but there we go. Topping the weird and creepy novels are two fantastic books: The Breach by M.T. Hill and The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher.

Both are brilliantly written, wonderfully constructed pieces of fiction, peopled with great, believable characters trying to understand incomprehensible, alien things.

The Breach was a crawling, creeping journey that burrowed under my skin and left me with a sense of feverish fright as it navigated something that slipped language and thought. It was a powerful novel, full of strangeness that was both set in yet off kilter with the near-future reality it described.

Equally, The Hollow Places was both grippingly intriguing yet horrifyingly tense, so much so that it wouldn’t let me stop reading. The sense of wonder and terror was palpable and the lead actors were so well drawn it was wholly engrossing.

My best fantasy read goes, without a shadow of a doubt to that powerhouse Joe Abercrombie and his The Trouble with Peace. Set thirty years in the future from the First Law novels this new set of books are just as amazing. Capturing the essence of those first novels yet expanding and improving upon its own history, these are some of the best fantasy novels about. Absolutely cannot wait for the third instalment.

In science-fiction, I dug out a few books that had been sitting on my shelves for a while. Top most was Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill. A stunning and thought provoking post-apocalyptic tale about robots battling in a relentless and unforgiving wasteland, this was a novel that was both gripping and considered in equal measure. Unique and exceptionally readable Sea of Rust hit all the right notes and more.

This year I also read more widely than before – thrillers, philosophy, biographies and more. Strangely and uncharacteristicly I also abandoned a number of books that just weren’t keeping me engaged. This was also true for television and films. In a year when not much new was produced, I found myself falling back on old favourites. However, amidst all that, Futureman stood tall.

A blend of sci-fi, nostalgia, tv tropes and original and intelligent storytelling, Futureman was both funny and thrilling. The characters were excellently played and the story seemed to know what it wanted to achieve. Personally, this series is one I could watch again and that says a lot.

Hopefully, you’ve all read well and had new doors opened to you through the power of good writing. I’ll keep blogging and reading and I hope you do the same.

Review – Altered Carbon Resleeved

I am a big fan of the Takeshi Kovacs novels by Richard Morgan, and a bigger fan of Richard Morgan’s writing in general. Altered Carbon is one of my top cyberpunk/sci-fi reads and when Netflix took the source material and made it into a series, I really enjoyed it. Now, Netflix has taken the universe of Kovacs and expanded it with Resleeved and a second live action series.

Using anime to bring Kovacs to life in Resleeved, we see the Envoy spun up on the planet Latimer where he’s asked to protect a young tattoo artist who is under the control of the Yakuza. It drops him firmly in the middle of an inter-clan war. The artist is the only one who can perform a certain ceremony that sees the head of the clan pass on, in real death, and the successor inked with a marking that will, eventually, end his stack’s ability to upload his data when his time comes to resign his leadership.

The action is non-stop and though the plot is fairly linear, it’s a great look into the extended life of Kovacs. The style of the animation and it’s use of the Yakuza conflict, adds to the cyberpunk layering at play. Grim cyber-ninjas, a power mad leader and a vengeful son make for a heady, violent mix with the Envoy firmly in the eye of the storm. There were a few nods to the source material ( polite yet forceful A.I hotels, anyone?), and a few insights into what Kovacs existence must be like.

In all, Resleeved, was thoroughly entertaining; a welcome, colourful and violent distraction.