Tedious 
Good plot drowned in psychological introspection and moralizing. What is wrong with writing a linear timeline. Multiple plots and characters is enough to keep track of without interrupting flash backs.
3 X C 3 L L 3 N T !! 
This dark cyberpunk novel is another proof that RICHARD MORGAN is the cutting edge of the genre. In a not so distant future, Mars has been colonized and genetic altered humans have been created, used up and then discarded into the margins of society - with prejudice. Hunting down renegade Thirteens (augmented alpha-males that should only choose between exile to Mars or never leaving their reservation) is Carl Marsalis, another Thirteen with an agenda of his own.
In the backdrop of a dystopic yet all too human society several paradigm shifts away, this roller-coaster ride starts off with a bang and never slows down.
Ever since his first novel (ALTERED CARBON), Richard Morgan has conjured up a rich world full of images, sounds, scents and tastes that, although is science fiction, it never ceases to be recognizably and timelessly human. His imagination has given this future such depth that allows him to move effortlessly back and forth in time between books. I can only compare him to another titan of the genre : FRANK HERBERT of DUNE fame.
The Agricultural revolution domesticating humans? Highly probable. Together with the emergence of religious predisposition and reduced aggressiveness, the [implied] Social Selection favoring docile humans was a good way for societies to consolidate and thrive. As a NeuroBiologist I was very impressed to find his understanding of evolutionary NeuroSciences on the mark.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
Carl Marsalis: dark, gritty and violent protagonist
Morgan certainly has his own style of writing, a style that I absolutely love. I, for some reason, hesitated on reading Thirteen, unsure whether I would like it. I don't think I will ever doubt Morgan again.
Thirteen is an interesting concept, almost like a prelude to the Kovacs novels (which are another 200 years in the future from Thirteen), which doesn't detract from the book. Set a hundred years in the future from today, we see the technologically advanced world and the conundrum of genetic engineering. The first few chapters were action packed right from the beginning as we see Carl, a genetically engineered human called a Thirteen. Then the pace died down as the story shifted, giving more a setup for the plot, which also made the book slightly uninteresting as we did not get to see much of the Thirteens.
Wow does the pace pick back up, leaving you with a gritty, dark and violent hero in Carl Marsalis. You feel the toughness, the scary demeanor of a Thirteen. You feel as though you are living in the world Morgan created, able to imagine a vibrant picture of what Morgan is painting.
Only two slight drawbacks. The first is something found in all of Morgan's books, which is a tendency to be a bit gratuitous with his sex scenes, and sometimes entirely unnecessary. This doesn't bother me too much, because I have come to expect it. The second was towards the end Morgan fell into the trap of a B rate movie, where you get to the end and the killer or bad guy then steps in and explains exactly what happened and how it happened, as though the reader couldn't grasp what was happening. This isn't that bad, and there are a lot of nuances that re above and beyond what was explained, but still. I wish the story would have explained it better than having one character sit down and explain it.
Both issues are minor and don't really take away from how well Morgan writes and the images he paints. Just as Kovacs was a great character and could easily be written into three books, so can the concept of a Thirteen be written into several more books. I hope Morgan does. I whole heartedly recommend this book and author.
5 stars.
Nice change of pace from Morgan
Ruchard Morgan's SF stuff always satisfies, and this one continues to do so. Great stuff dealing with race and class.
reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
The future isn?t what it used to be since Richard K. Morgan arrived on the scene. He unleashed Takeshi Kovacs?private eye, soldier of fortune, and all-purpose antihero?into the body-swapping, hard-boiled, urban jungle of tomorrow in Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, and Woken Furies, winning the Philip K. Dick Award in the process. In Market Forces, he launched corporate gladiator Chris Faulkner into the brave new business of war-for-profit. Now, in Thirteen, Morgan radically reshapes and recharges science fiction yet again, with a new and unforgettable hero in Carl Marsalis: hybrid, hired gun, and a man without a country . . . or a planet.
Marsalis is one of a new breed. Literally. Genetically engineered by the U.S. government to embody the naked aggression and primal survival skills that centuries of civilization have erased from humankind, Thirteens were intended to be the ultimate military fighting force. The project was scuttled, however, when a fearful public branded the supersoldiers dangerous mutants, dooming the Thirteens to forced exile on Earth?s distant, desolate Mars colony. But Marsalis found a way to slip back?and into a lucrative living as a bounty hunter and hit man before a police sting landed him in prison?a fate worse than Mars, and much more dangerous.
Luckily, his ?enhanced? life also seems to be a charmed one. A new chance at freedom beckons, courtesy of the government. All Marsalis has to do is use his superior skills to bring in another fugitive. But this one is no common criminal. He?s another Thirteen?one who?s already shanghaied a space shuttle, butchered its crew, and left a trail of bodies in his wake on a bloody cross-country spree. And like his pursuer, he was bred to fight to the death. Still, there?s no question Marsalis will take the job. Though it will draw him deep into violence, treachery, corruption, and painful confrontation with himself, anything is better than remaining a prisoner. The real question is: can he remain sane?and alive?long enough to succeed?
From the Hardcover edition.
BOOKS OF THE FANTASTIC: The best fantasy and science fiction novels
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based on 67 reviews
