Altered Carbon
2002 • 544 pages

Ratings270

Average rating3.9

15

Pretty good, hard to fault. I struggled with recalling characters and their plot significance; there were many of them, and they influenced Kovacs (the main character) in both significant yet subtle ways, often through small details. Reading through the novel more quickly might have alleviated this issue, but, regardless, I enjoyed my time here.

Fundamentally, it presents an intriguing world and narrative—a blend of cyberpunk, noir and crime mystery.

Our main character has been shipped off-world as Digital Human Freight (DHF) to assist in the investigation of the mysterious death of Laurens Bancroft, an approximately 300-year-old “Meth” with substantial influence over the UN.

However, there are others like him, plotting and scheming. And it's all up to good ol' Takeshi Kovacs to unravel it all if he wants to regain his freedom and save his loved ones. 

Oh, and his consciousness has been downloaded into someone else's body, introducing another layer of conflict for him; where he doesn't know his own body's past, but everyone else does. 

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4/5 for writing, 4.5/5 for story and 3.5/5 for impact.

November 1, 2023Report this review