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This is a book review. I'm posting it here and also cross-posting to my ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
marrax journal.
Carl Marsalis has a problem. A spot of R&R in Miami, on the way back to London after finishing up a contract in South America, has landed him in a State prison accused of intent to procure an abortion.
Sevgi Ertekin also has a problem. She's nursing a hangover, and is investigating a crashed spaceship from which there was one survivor - and that survivor has launched a one-man killing crusade across what used to be the USA.
The survivor is a variant thirteen, a genetically-engineered male designed to be the ultimate soldier. When the program was shut down its former participants were forced to register themselves and spend the rest of their lives either working in the harsh conditions of the Martian colony or an internment camp on Earth. And Carl Marsalis, a thirteen himself, and an experienced hunter of rogue thirteens, is handily placed to help Sevgi Ertekin solve her problem.
So begins a chase across three continents as Ertekin and Marsalis attempt to catch up with the elusive killer. Along the way, their relationship grows, as does the resentment of those around them. Part of it is down to Marsalis himself: thirteens are hardly welcome outside their camps, and amongst his own kind, Marsalis is seen as a Judas figure for his chosen career. As they continue their investigation, it becomes clear that the killings are more than just random, and that someone with power has brought this man back from Mars to order, with the purpose of carrying out a sinister plan.
Black Man is a typical Richard Morgan novel, and fans of his work will quickly and easily slip into the roles played by Maralis and Ertekin. Marsalis, the alpha male, comfortable dishing out extreme violence left, right, and centre, and Ertekin, the woman with a past that hints at a possible future attraction to her charge. And so it goes on, with sporadic sex mixed in with gratuitous ultra-violence, right up until the end.
What's new, though, is the attempts made at generating some more character depth, and more background. At nearly 550 pages, Black Man is by far Morgan's longest novel. In essence, he has one novel to paint as much of a picture about his protaganist, Carl Marsalis, and the world he inhabits, early 22nd-century Earth, as he did in three Takeshi Kovacs novels. This can lead to some overlong passages of soul-searching, before it's back to the merry-go-round of slaying. Overall, though, most of the additional bulk helps to add to the atmosphere. The insights into the human psyche, and the take on discrimination from a new angle, are generally well thought out and put the actions of the characters into perspective. You don't find yourself thinking, at any time, that "X wouldn't really have done that!" It's maybe not as disturbing as Market Forces, but some of the ideas still get inside your skull and make you think.
All in all, it's a good, solid read, and mostly enjoyable. Morgan fans will take it in their stride. If you've not read anything by him before, I'd recommend starting with Altered Carbon and Market Forces first.
Next reviews: The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K.Rowling.
[Poll #1023875]
Regardless of the result, any new reviews I write will always be posted tomarrax.
marrax journal.Carl Marsalis has a problem. A spot of R&R in Miami, on the way back to London after finishing up a contract in South America, has landed him in a State prison accused of intent to procure an abortion.
Sevgi Ertekin also has a problem. She's nursing a hangover, and is investigating a crashed spaceship from which there was one survivor - and that survivor has launched a one-man killing crusade across what used to be the USA.
The survivor is a variant thirteen, a genetically-engineered male designed to be the ultimate soldier. When the program was shut down its former participants were forced to register themselves and spend the rest of their lives either working in the harsh conditions of the Martian colony or an internment camp on Earth. And Carl Marsalis, a thirteen himself, and an experienced hunter of rogue thirteens, is handily placed to help Sevgi Ertekin solve her problem.
So begins a chase across three continents as Ertekin and Marsalis attempt to catch up with the elusive killer. Along the way, their relationship grows, as does the resentment of those around them. Part of it is down to Marsalis himself: thirteens are hardly welcome outside their camps, and amongst his own kind, Marsalis is seen as a Judas figure for his chosen career. As they continue their investigation, it becomes clear that the killings are more than just random, and that someone with power has brought this man back from Mars to order, with the purpose of carrying out a sinister plan.
Black Man is a typical Richard Morgan novel, and fans of his work will quickly and easily slip into the roles played by Maralis and Ertekin. Marsalis, the alpha male, comfortable dishing out extreme violence left, right, and centre, and Ertekin, the woman with a past that hints at a possible future attraction to her charge. And so it goes on, with sporadic sex mixed in with gratuitous ultra-violence, right up until the end.
What's new, though, is the attempts made at generating some more character depth, and more background. At nearly 550 pages, Black Man is by far Morgan's longest novel. In essence, he has one novel to paint as much of a picture about his protaganist, Carl Marsalis, and the world he inhabits, early 22nd-century Earth, as he did in three Takeshi Kovacs novels. This can lead to some overlong passages of soul-searching, before it's back to the merry-go-round of slaying. Overall, though, most of the additional bulk helps to add to the atmosphere. The insights into the human psyche, and the take on discrimination from a new angle, are generally well thought out and put the actions of the characters into perspective. You don't find yourself thinking, at any time, that "X wouldn't really have done that!" It's maybe not as disturbing as Market Forces, but some of the ideas still get inside your skull and make you think.
All in all, it's a good, solid read, and mostly enjoyable. Morgan fans will take it in their stride. If you've not read anything by him before, I'd recommend starting with Altered Carbon and Market Forces first.
Next reviews: The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K.Rowling.
[Poll #1023875]
Regardless of the result, any new reviews I write will always be posted to
marrax.
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Morgan's been on my "must try to read some of" list for ages now. So really must try to read some of...
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