Book Review:
I’ve read all of Morgan’s Kovacs series and, while I was always entertained, I’ve had a number of problems with the novels. Morgan created a really cool universe, with all the body swapping and whatnot (read the books), but the thread of extreme nihilism and the lack of humanity in the character of Kovacs (namely his relentless anger) would always leave me worn out by the end of a book. Thirteen (I’m not using the weird number letter/pseudo 1337 speak title anymore) is a stand-alone novel set in an entirely different universe from the Kovacs books and I think it’s, by far, Morgan’s best so far. He’s always been great at world-building and that continues here. Meanwhile, Morgan cuts down on some of his own cliches (only one incredibly graphic sex scene! and the lead character doesn’t badly injure his arm yet still manage to use it at the critical moment) and creates a far more believable, and likable, main character in Carl Marsalis, a genetic post-human (or in the context of the novel perhaps he could be called a pre-human) who is hardwired for aggression and bad-assness. The books plot isn’t really all that important and I felt it took a couple of twists because it was supposed to, rather than because they were necessary to the narrative, but overall it was a pretty good book. However as bad ass future super agents go, Asher’s Cormac still beats any of Morgan’s creations. So if you’re looking for cyber-punkish/noir-esque/bloody sci-fi, check it out.
I ‘m marooned in Hanover for the next month so expect a lot of book and movie reviews since I have absolutely nothing else to do. Either that or be on the look out for my suicide note because of a boredom-related death, whatever.
