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I found Altered Carbon on the $5.00 rack of a B. Dalton about 6 months ago while on a business trip. I had just finished Mona Lisa Overdrive for the 3rd time and was in the mood to stay within genre. The book description sounded interesting and the price was right. After the first 5 pages, I knew I had found something. The protagonist, Takeshi Kovacs, in this case is basically a "Gun for Hire" type who is unwittingly thrust into the middle of a fairly insidious conspiracy. While the general plot is well trod, the paths that Richard Morgan takes to tell his story is reminded me of the first time I ever rode a rollercoaster with more than one loop on it. You can feel something big coming and at every turn, the anticipation is there and you are just waiting for the "big hit". How is it different? This story is set in a future as technical and bleak as anything PKD or William Gibson have ever scripted. Morgan introduces us the concept of people being "Sleeved". Mankind has spead across the galaxy and he addresse the fact that normal travel would takes centuries to move from earth to pretty much anywhere by creating the technology of what can best be described as "Personality Transfer". Technology and AI theory have advanced to the point that, for a substantial fee, your consciousness can be downloaded into a storage facility and transferred to a new body, or "sleeve". For the super-rich, this technology, combined with the advances in cloning, have created a new class know derisively as "Meths" which is short for "Methusala". The protagonist is moved from job to job via this technology, but because he is not among the super-wealthy, he is sleeved into a different body for each job. What is truly appeciated is that Morgan hasn't created a "Superman" who never has any issues and who never makes any mistakes. Kovacs is the result of years of governement training and operations in the private sector. He is VERY human. From his disorientation in the new sleeve, personal arguments of who his real self is, musings about the soul, and his anger and need for vengeance on those who has caused the most pain in his life - he is a person many of us can related to. This man is the epitome of what an anti-hero is - he is ruthless, vengeful, and at times, out of control, but his underlying humanity is what comes shining through - please note - I did not say "kindness" or "goodness". Kovacs is the guy you want fighting for your cause - not as a friend. If you want a book to devour in a single sitting, or one you can easily kock out in a weekend - this is the book for you.Read full review
Same detective style as Asimov's "Caves of steel" with more combat action and a tint of cyberpunk craze. Made me think of the manga "Cobra: Space Adventures"! It's an excellent first novel, which I nearly read in 1 sitting - the other books by this author are worth buying, especially if you are a good sci-fi fan...
