Altered Carbon

I didn't realise that this was a debut novel until i finished it and started reading reviews. That made this book pretty impressive, as i thoroughly enjoyed. The author tells a noir tale in a science fiction setting where mankind has figured how to cheat death by “sleeving” one's consciousness into bodies, real or synthetic. As long as you can accept that premise without trying to find flaws with that idea, this will be the “magic” of this book - where it truly shines - the world-building.

Throughout the story, we get glimpses of this world (or worlds as the case may be) that's being unfolded slowly. How humanity has spread, how humanity's brutality and cruelty has reared itself again and again. How advanced mankind has become, yet doing the same things to each other as we're doing now. I found that the most interesting bit is not the thought-provoking idea of “resleeving”, but rather the implications surrounding it. The author injects that throughout the story; showing you the practical applications of such a technology, and at the same time shines a little light on the morality of it.

The protagonist is an anti-hero that I readily got into and liked, a specially trained war veteran thrust into the midst of a conspiracy, and then determined that he didn't like it. It paints a gritty noir setting, complete with violence and sexual themes, but in sometimes rather imaginative futuristic flair.

If i have to dislike something, I guess there parts in the book that feels like it could be trimmed or cut as it detracts from the main plot. But I didn't mind because I really enjoy good world-building. Another less satisfactory bit is how the story was wrapped up. It's not that it left loose ends - i don't think it did - it's just that the last chapter and the epilogue felt rather rushed. After all the careful plot building and conspiracy unraveling, I guess it could've been better.

On the whole, this was a very enjoyable book for me and sent me into thought-provoking discussions of the ideas in this book.