zade reviewed on
Helpful Score: 1
Morgan is absolutely the hottest SF/Fantasy writer (he does both) of the 21st century. His work is consistently politically conscious and dripping with the kind of outrage that infects the reader and spurs action in the here and now. You don't have to agree with all his positions to enjoy the book. In fact, you probably won't, but Morgan will make you think and he'll make your heart ache just as well as he gets your adrenaline going. Yes, all of Morgan's books are ultra-violent, but despite what some reviewers say, the violence is *never* gratuitous. Violence is a part of human existence and Morgan refuses to romanticize or glorify it the way so much of pop culture does. Instead, he presents it in its full sickening, repulsive horror. It's a much more honest approach to violence (and sex) than is common and it's not for the faint of heart, but it's the only approach that would work with Morgan's view of the world and of people.
I've read all of Morgan's novels to date and Altered Carbon remains among my favorites. The Takeshi Kovacs series is well worth every second you spend reading; it's always challenging, never predictable, and completely absorbing. Kovacs makes for an interesting hero (anti-hero?) and Morgan succeeds in getting the reader inside Kovacs's skin (or sleeve, as the case may be--read the book if you don't get the reference). Despite Kovacs's violent and criminal approach to life, he has an iron core of morality that makes him the perfect foil for the corrupt and seemingly all-powerful antagonists he encounters in this book.
You can read the Kovacs series out of order and still enjoy them immensely. Each novel takes the reader to a new world (but with the same eye for right and wrong), so each novel is a very different experience to the previous one. Nonetheless, I'd suggest starting here, with Altered Carbon. It's the world closest to our own and gives the reader the clearest introduction to Kovacs and his values.
Final note: Read Morgan's novels. You'll be well entertained and you'll be a better person for it, too.
I've read all of Morgan's novels to date and Altered Carbon remains among my favorites. The Takeshi Kovacs series is well worth every second you spend reading; it's always challenging, never predictable, and completely absorbing. Kovacs makes for an interesting hero (anti-hero?) and Morgan succeeds in getting the reader inside Kovacs's skin (or sleeve, as the case may be--read the book if you don't get the reference). Despite Kovacs's violent and criminal approach to life, he has an iron core of morality that makes him the perfect foil for the corrupt and seemingly all-powerful antagonists he encounters in this book.
You can read the Kovacs series out of order and still enjoy them immensely. Each novel takes the reader to a new world (but with the same eye for right and wrong), so each novel is a very different experience to the previous one. Nonetheless, I'd suggest starting here, with Altered Carbon. It's the world closest to our own and gives the reader the clearest introduction to Kovacs and his values.
Final note: Read Morgan's novels. You'll be well entertained and you'll be a better person for it, too.
