Nerdly Book Review:
Gridlinked
January 12, 2010 by Kyle BradyTags: Book, Gridlinked, Neal Asher, Review, SciFi
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Neal Asher is on numerous lists for awards in 2009, but when I picked this up, I had no idea - the cover intrigued me and the description drew me in. Little did I know I was going to read one of the best and most genre-innovative novels that I've seen since the eras of Tolkien, Herbert, and the other greats...
"Gridlinked" is a novel that sits at the intersection of cyberpunk, classic scifi, and action thrillers, with a slight touch of space opera - all to great effect. Technology is described, and is an integral part of the plot, but is not overdone as so often seen in many cyberpunk novels. Similarly, new terms are used without definitions, in the cyberpunk fashion, but not in as confusing a manner as typical. The space opera and scifi elements make appearances throughout with the use of spaceships, some awesome technology, and many of the plot points.
The most important genre of this blend, however, is the action thriller: the novel's pace is fast, but not frantic; clever but not annoying; coy but not opaque. Since the most central character (there are four) is the equivalent of a highly secret service agent, this occasionally feels like a James Bond plot set in both space and the future, but never to its detriment.
It is hard to explain why this novel is so great without reading it, because descriptions of characters, plot, style, tone, and any other characteristics do not do it Neal Asher justice. For any reader that enjoys any part of science fiction, "Gridlinked" is a must-read.
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