Market Forces

Market Forces - By Richard Morgan

Throw Mad Max, Wall Street, and Evolutionary Market Theory into a blender, and what you get? Morgan’s third novel, Market Forces. This one’s set-up was the hardest to swallow of the three, but amazingly, by mid-book he’s got you believing everything and feeling for the tragic main character. I suppose that’s the mark of a truly gifted writer.

Ok, the premise is this:
40 years into the future, most nation-state governments are simply puppets of multinational investment houses. There are two distinct and completely separated parts of society the wealthy elite who work for, or own, the investment firms; and the “unwashed masses” living in abject poverty and rampant crime. These firms, who’s bottom line is the accumulation of capital and wealth for their partners, deal in “Conflict Investment”. Conflict investment is the financial backing of dictators, rebels, and governments in exchange for goods, favors, or usually a percentage of the country’s GDP. Here’s an example: They invest in a particular rebel uprising by giving money and guns in exchange for the booty when the current government is overthrown. Or conversely, they can play the other side, backing a dictator against threatening rebels in exchange for a cut of the GDP.

Far fetched, yes, but not altogether crazy when you understand “investing” at an international level. What IS far-fetched is how the various houses compete for investment contracts. Teams of drivers battle it out, “Mad Max” style on the abandoned interstates to see who gets the contract. These battles have evolved into the spectator sport of choice for the rest of society, and are almost always fatal for the losing drivers.

Like I said, I was skeptical that I could finish this one since I’ll put down any book that doesn’t pass a believability “smell test”. However, Morgan’s writing had me feeling pretty deeply for the main character (ironic that his name is Chris too), and the market evolution angle is well thought out. Give it a chance and you won’t be disappointed.

Broken Angels

Broken Angels - By Richard Morgan
Broken Angels is Morgan’s second novel, and a sort of prequel to Altered Carbon. This book takes place several years prior, and finds Kovaks (the lead character in Altered Carbon) as a member of the elite military forces. Again, the implications of being able to change physical “sleeves” plays a huge role in the story, as well as the fact that you can be “broadcast” like a radio signal to an awaiting sleeve at some location across the galaxy.

While not as intriguing as Altered Carbon, and more in the cast of the classic Hammer’s Slammers series, Broken Angels is worth a read. If nothing else than another, deeper, glimpse into the dark future laid out in Altered Carbon.

Altered Carbon

Altered Carbon - By Richard Morgan

OK, this one’s WAY out there, but it’s the best book I’ve read in several years. Imagine the future about 200+ years from now when, if you can finance it, your entire mental being (your self awareness, thoughts, memories etc.) can be imprinted into a silicon chip. This chip can be placed into a socket located at the base of the skull of a so-equipped body. Therefore, you are now able to switch bodies (“sleeves” as they are now called) easily when they become damaged, don’t have the physical capabilities you need, or even just boring. Since your entire “self” is now data, the ultra rich can not only afford multiple sleeves, but can periodically create “backups” of themselves to be re-imprinted in a new sleeve if a catastrophic event happens. True physical death becomes irrelevant for the elite class of society.

Wrap the above description with a dark noir narrative crime story and you get “Altered Carbon”. I highly recommend it.

Nine Things You Simply Must Do

Nine Things You Simply Must Do: To Succeed in Love and Life - Henry Cloud

Yep, you guessed it... I'm back on the self help book tour again. Recent upheavals at the workplace have stretched me out physically and mentally again. I happened to spot this new title on the shelves while visiting the library (which I do just about every week).

Lance Armstrong's War

Lance Armstrong's War: One Man's Battle Against Fate, Fame, Love, Death, Scandal, and a Few Other Rivals on the Road to the Tour de France - by Daniel Coyle

The latest book to come out on Armstrong. I've read just about everything else on him, and this one's the best. It's even better than Armstrong's own books.

The book follows the entire 2004 TdF campaign, from winter training to post-podium musings. Where most of the other LA books have portrayed him as either the Next Coming or the spawn of Satan, this one takes the middle ground, and let's ther reader form their own opinion. It's a great read, and VERY well written.