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| Plot Summary of Altered Carbon |
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Del Rey, Mar 2003, 13.95, 384 pp.
ISBN: 0345457684
In the twenty-fifth century, former military operative of the Envoy Corps Takeshi Kovacs knows death is part of life so he is not shocked to find he was killed on Harlan's World as a century long sentencing for his criminal activity. However, he admits to a bit of surprise that he awakens not long afterward on Earth because wealthy industrialist Laurens Bancroft has hired Takeshi to investigate the murder of Bancroft. The police claim he committed suicide, but Bancroft sees inconsistencies in the official theory that he blew his head off as he questions why he would do so since he always employs an electronic backup and has clones available just in case.
Having no choice, Takeshi investigates what happened by visiting the ratty underbelly and the hedonistic elite while assimilating and adapting to his new skin. However, as the danger mounts, Takeshi's past life surfaces changing the scope of his assignment from determining who would want the mogul dead to personal survival because the threat of death this time could prove permanently real.
Though a superb blending of a who-done-in inside a vividly descriptive far future galaxy, the key to ALTERED CARBON is the ethics issues cleverly interwoven within the story line. The plot is action filled, the earth and technology of the future seem genuine and real, and the lead protagonist feels like a twenty-fifth century Sam Spade not Buck Rogers. However, it is the cerebral underpinnings that propel the audience to think of current questions on cloning, death, and the widening wealth distribution gap that makes Richard K. Morgan's novel a one sitting gem for fans of both genres.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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"It is the 26th century. Humans have spred themselves far and wide in the galaxy. On Harland's World, Ex- UN Envoy Takeshi Kovacs(like a hyped up Marine shock troups with enhancements) gets a big hole blown through his chest in a shoot-out with police. He wakes up a hundred years and several hundred light-years later on Earth. He has been re-sleeved (given a new body - oh the joys of Digital Human Storage!) and is faced with a choice - help a very old and very powerful citizen find out who had murdered him or be put back into digital storage.
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cracked_acta, Resident Scholar
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"Takeshi Kovacs is brought to Earth by wealthy Laurens Bancroft to prove that Bancroft's first mysterious death was murder and not suicide. To do this, Kovacs must be "resleeved" into the body of a disgraced police officer to be on the case. While investigating, he develops a relationship with the police lieutenant who was involved former "occupant" of his body. To solve the crime, he encounters a number of violent characters, including robot killers in settings ranging from virtual paradises to seedy houses of prostitution. The story ends with low level criminals punished, but the wealthy wrongdoers continue their morally corrupt ways."
Dave Hoon, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Altered Carbon |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 23.3%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 26.7%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30%
Tone of book
- cynical or dry-wit
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- science fiction story
Spying & Investigations
Yes
What is main char. doing?
- finding a killer (criminal)
Story involving clones/duplicates?
- good clones fighting bad clones
Lifeform altered?
Yes
Kind of alteration:
- Given added abilities
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Clones
Yes
If enemy is a group...
- big corporation
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- private investigator
Age:
- 20's-30's
Has magical/special powers?
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- long-lived adults
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Setting
Earth setting:
- medium future 22-24th century
- distant future
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
scientific jargon? (SF only)
- a moderate amount of scientific explanation
How much dialogue?
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Richard K. Morgan Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Dave Hoon
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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