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Original Essays | June 17, 2013

Richard Melo: IMG The Outer Sunset

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Note: Richard Melo will be presenting his book at Powell's City of Books on Tuesday, June 25, at 7:30 p.m. Her name was "Waterloo Sunset," and she... Continue »
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7 Local Warehouse Science Fiction and Fantasy- A to Z

Altered Carbon

by

Altered Carbon Cover

ISBN13: 9780345457684
ISBN10: 0345457684
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

 

Staff Pick

This debut novel effortlessly blends the techno-fetish of William Gibson, the hardboiled detective narrative of Dashiell Hammett and the rapid-fire heroic bloodshed of the films of John Woo. If you enjoy such cyberpunk classics as Snow Crash and Neuromancer, Altered Carbon deserves a space on your reading list.
Recommended by Gerry, Powells.com

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In the twenty-fifth century, humankind has spread throughout the galaxy, monitored by the watchful eye of the U.N. While divisions in race, religion, and class still exist, advances in technology have redefined life itself. Now, assuming one can afford the expensive procedure, a person's consciousness can be stored in a cortical stack at the base of the brain and easily downloaded into a new body (or "sleeve") making death nothing more than a minor blip on a screen.Ex-U.N. envoy Takeshi Kovacs has been killed before, but his last death was particularly painful. Dispatched one hundred eighty light-years from home, re-sleeved into a body in Bay City (formerly San Francisco, now with a rusted, dilapidated Golden Gate Bridge), Kovacs is thrown into the dark heart of a shady, far-reaching conspiracy that is vicious even by the standards of a society that treats "existence" as something that can be bought and sold. For Kovacs, the shell that blew a hole in his chest was only the beginning. . . . "Morgan's debut novel, the first in a series, combines noir mystery with ultra-high tech science to create a complex sf thriller. Featuring a hard-nosed antihero with his own sense of personal honor and ethics, this is highly recommended for sf collections."-Library Journal

Review:

"For readers who enjoy their heroes nihilistic and their action raw, Altered Carbon is the must-read book of the year. This is post-millennial storytelling of the highest order: one that raises the bar for future cyberpunk writers." Gerry Donaghy, Powells.com (read the entire Powells.com review)

Review:

"This fast-paced, densely textured, impressive first novel is an intriguing hybrid of William Gibson's Neuromancer and Norman Spinrad's Deus X....Morgan's 25th-century Earth is convincing, while the questions he poses about how much Self is tied to body chemistry and how the rich believe themselves above the law are especially timely." Publishers Weekly

Review:

"The way ahead is quickly littered with...enough juicy future-detail to make any veteran SF scribe jealous. The body count is high, the gadgetry pure genius, the sex scenes deliriously overwrought, and the worn cynicism thoroughly distasteful: a welcome return to cyberpunk's badass roots." Kirkus Reviews

Review:

"This seamless marriage of hardcore cyberpunk and hard-boiled detective tale is an astonishing first novel." London Times

Review:

"An exciting SF/crime hybrid, with an intricate (but always plausible) plot, a powerful noir atmosphere, and enough explosive action to satisfy the most die-hard thriller fan." SF Site

Review:

"Altered Carbon plays out like a film in your head. The landscape and vision are gritty and vivid, recalling Blade Runner." USA Today

Review:

"This far-future hard-boiled detective story is a lovely virtual-reality romp distinguished by a conspiracy whose strands have the potential to generate several successful sequels, which is just what its publicity promises." Regina Schroeder, Booklist

Review:

"An exhilarating and glossy adventure....What makes Altered Carbon a winner is the quality of Morgan?s prose. For every piece of John Woo action there is a stunning piece of reflective description, a compelling sense of place, and abundant 24-karat witticisms." SFX Magazine

Review:

"Morgan's debut novel, the first in a series, combines noir mystery with ultra-high tech science to create a complex sf thriller. Featuring a hard-nosed antihero with his own sense of personal honor and ethics, this is highly recommended for sf collections." Library Journal

Review:

"If you've ever wondered what kind of science fiction Raymond Chandler might have written for a futuristic Philip Marlowe, check out Altered Carbon....[T]he pleasures to be gleaned from such entertainments hardly depend on the exercise of ratiocination. It's been said that not even Chandler could untwist all the kinks in the plot of The Big Sleep." Gerald Jonas, The New York Times Book Review

Review:

"An astonishing piece of work....A wonderful SF idea....Altered Carbon hits the floor running and then starts to accelerate. Intriguing and inventive in equal proportions and refuses to let go until the last page." Peter Hamilton

Synopsis:

A stunning debut sci-fi/noir thriller reminiscent of Blade Runner — and the beginning of a new series featuring a one-of-a-kind anti-hero: ex-UN envoy Takeshi Kovaks.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:
Aveeare, April 22, 2008 (view all comments by Aveeare)
I was bored, needed a book, and picked this up after reading the title. Upon finishing it, my coworker told me her husband had read it and talked about it all the time (so much so that she felt she had a grasp of the world it details). At any rate, reading Altered Carbon was like watching Bladerunner again, and the idea of "sleeving" was really interesting. I'm on his second book, and I heartily recommend that as well.
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Alan Thornsberry, December 10, 2007 (view all comments by Alan Thornsberry)
I work TOO much. I dont have time to read for fun. I know for some, they would never understand that. My wife is one of those people. But for this book I will take a brake. - also, I am a robot.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780345457684
Editor:
Chris Schluep
Publisher:
Del Rey Books
Author:
Morgan, Richard K.
Location:
New York
Subject:
Science fiction
Subject:
Science Fiction - Series
Subject:
Science Fiction - High Tech
Subject:
Science / High Tech
Subject:
Science Fiction and Fantasy-High Tech
Copyright:
2003
Edition Number:
1st American ed.
Edition Description:
Trade paper
Series:
Takeshi Kovacs Novels
Series Volume:
106-1099
Publication Date:
March 4, 2003
Binding:
TRADE PAPER
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
384
Dimensions:
9.28x6.29x.85 in. .83 lbs.
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Related Subjects


Fiction and Poetry » Science Fiction and Fantasy » A to Z
Fiction and Poetry » Science Fiction and Fantasy » Adventure

Altered Carbon Used Trade Paper
0 stars - 0 reviews
$5.50 In Stock
Product details 384 pages Del Rey Books - English 9780345457684 Reviews:
"Staff Pick" by ,

This debut novel effortlessly blends the techno-fetish of William Gibson, the hardboiled detective narrative of Dashiell Hammett and the rapid-fire heroic bloodshed of the films of John Woo. If you enjoy such cyberpunk classics as Snow Crash and Neuromancer, Altered Carbon deserves a space on your reading list.

by Gerry
"Review" by , "For readers who enjoy their heroes nihilistic and their action raw, Altered Carbon is the must-read book of the year. This is post-millennial storytelling of the highest order: one that raises the bar for future cyberpunk writers." (read the entire Powells.com review)
"Review" by , "This fast-paced, densely textured, impressive first novel is an intriguing hybrid of William Gibson's Neuromancer and Norman Spinrad's Deus X....Morgan's 25th-century Earth is convincing, while the questions he poses about how much Self is tied to body chemistry and how the rich believe themselves above the law are especially timely."
"Review" by , "The way ahead is quickly littered with...enough juicy future-detail to make any veteran SF scribe jealous. The body count is high, the gadgetry pure genius, the sex scenes deliriously overwrought, and the worn cynicism thoroughly distasteful: a welcome return to cyberpunk's badass roots."
"Review" by , "This seamless marriage of hardcore cyberpunk and hard-boiled detective tale is an astonishing first novel."
"Review" by , "An exciting SF/crime hybrid, with an intricate (but always plausible) plot, a powerful noir atmosphere, and enough explosive action to satisfy the most die-hard thriller fan."
"Review" by , "Altered Carbon plays out like a film in your head. The landscape and vision are gritty and vivid, recalling Blade Runner."
"Review" by , "This far-future hard-boiled detective story is a lovely virtual-reality romp distinguished by a conspiracy whose strands have the potential to generate several successful sequels, which is just what its publicity promises."
"Review" by , "An exhilarating and glossy adventure....What makes Altered Carbon a winner is the quality of Morgan?s prose. For every piece of John Woo action there is a stunning piece of reflective description, a compelling sense of place, and abundant 24-karat witticisms."
"Review" by , "Morgan's debut novel, the first in a series, combines noir mystery with ultra-high tech science to create a complex sf thriller. Featuring a hard-nosed antihero with his own sense of personal honor and ethics, this is highly recommended for sf collections."
"Review" by , "If you've ever wondered what kind of science fiction Raymond Chandler might have written for a futuristic Philip Marlowe, check out Altered Carbon....[T]he pleasures to be gleaned from such entertainments hardly depend on the exercise of ratiocination. It's been said that not even Chandler could untwist all the kinks in the plot of The Big Sleep."
"Review" by , "An astonishing piece of work....A wonderful SF idea....Altered Carbon hits the floor running and then starts to accelerate. Intriguing and inventive in equal proportions and refuses to let go until the last page."
"Synopsis" by , A stunning debut sci-fi/noir thriller reminiscent of Blade Runner — and the beginning of a new series featuring a one-of-a-kind anti-hero: ex-UN envoy Takeshi Kovaks.
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