Marc Horne, Automatic Assassin, 2011.
A cyberpunk space opera about Xolo, a man who replaced his conscience with a machine.
A routine assassination on a synthetic planet gets complicated when Xolo stupidly rescues some kids, gets a bomb in his head (that falls in love with him) and then winds up on the world of kings, brainslaves and electric zombies known as ‘Earth,’ where he is mistaken for a cosmic messiah.
The author of the cult hit ‘Tokyo Zero’ returns to science-fiction territory in an outrageously stylish and hilariously satirical journey to the kind of future we are going to end up in if we are not careful.
“Twisted sci-fi and black comedy, like imagine if Douglas Adams were a violent sociopath” — Moxie Mezcal, author of ‘Concrete Underground’
A routine assassination on a synthetic planet gets complicated when Xolo stupidly rescues some kids, gets a bomb in his head (that falls in love with him) and then winds up on the world of kings, brainslaves and electric zombies known as ‘Earth,’ where he is mistaken for a cosmic messiah.
The author of the cult hit ‘Tokyo Zero’ returns to science-fiction territory in an outrageously stylish and hilariously satirical journey to the kind of future we are going to end up in if we are not careful.
“Twisted sci-fi and black comedy, like imagine if Douglas Adams were a violent sociopath” — Moxie Mezcal, author of ‘Concrete Underground’
Marc Horne has a touch of the 'Beat' about him, a quality that other reviewers have alluded to in their desciption of 'Automatic Assassin' as stock sci-fi adventure meets literary fiction. At times, particularly in the opening chapters, this quirkiness is more than apparent: it seems too deliberate, ill-conceived even - or perhaps no more than the simple consequence of clumsy writing. Yet, as the narrative progresses, the switch between brash colloquy and aesthetic metaphor is a highly effective device for delineating the multiple facets of Xolo - our hero, of sorts.
However, it is more in Horne's cunning for weaving social commentary into his plot that we see a contemporary beat writer at work, through brief, stark observations (on the cold logic of the free market, for instance) and broad sweeping story arcs (the beauty and slavery of Earth, the origin of blackwarps and so on) that add depth and intelligence without ruining the sense of fantasy and adventure.
OK, so there's a zombie apocalypse in there too - think along the lines of The Borg crossed with The Matrix, only twice as disgusting, and you're on the right lines. If I'd known this in advance, I possibly wouldn't have considered reading this book and that would have been to my detriment.
'Automatic Assassin' has everything: black humour, death, un-death, resurrection, philosophy, technology - even a tiny hint of sex. It is a voyage of fun and repulsion, egomania and altruism... and so many other contradictions that you will disembark knowing that you love Xolo whilst never really understanding why. - Debbie McGowan amazon.com
However, it is more in Horne's cunning for weaving social commentary into his plot that we see a contemporary beat writer at work, through brief, stark observations (on the cold logic of the free market, for instance) and broad sweeping story arcs (the beauty and slavery of Earth, the origin of blackwarps and so on) that add depth and intelligence without ruining the sense of fantasy and adventure.
OK, so there's a zombie apocalypse in there too - think along the lines of The Borg crossed with The Matrix, only twice as disgusting, and you're on the right lines. If I'd known this in advance, I possibly wouldn't have considered reading this book and that would have been to my detriment.
'Automatic Assassin' has everything: black humour, death, un-death, resurrection, philosophy, technology - even a tiny hint of sex. It is a voyage of fun and repulsion, egomania and altruism... and so many other contradictions that you will disembark knowing that you love Xolo whilst never really understanding why. - Debbie McGowan amazon.com
Marc Horne, Tokyo Zero: A Novel, CreateSpace, 2007.
One man goes to Tokyo to end the world. It goes fairly well.
As a Japanese cult gets ready to stage a massive attack, they are forced to recruit a secretive young bio-chemist from the West. They hide out on the fringes of Tokyo, taking care of the daily business of preparing for the apocalypse, until the foreigner's secret past starts to come to light and threaten their future dreams.
"Horne writes in a lyrically jarring fashion that never quite releases the tension long enough for you to get your footing. Flashbacks and flashforwards zoom past like hurtling Tokyo trains, leaving you agreeably frazzled. " - TeleRead
As a Japanese cult gets ready to stage a massive attack, they are forced to recruit a secretive young bio-chemist from the West. They hide out on the fringes of Tokyo, taking care of the daily business of preparing for the apocalypse, until the foreigner's secret past starts to come to light and threaten their future dreams.
"Horne writes in a lyrically jarring fashion that never quite releases the tension long enough for you to get your footing. Flashbacks and flashforwards zoom past like hurtling Tokyo trains, leaving you agreeably frazzled. " - TeleRead
Marc Horne, This Unhappy Planet
A con-man, a killer, a visionary, a failed actress and a regular guy try and make it big in California.
It seemed like the perfect time to open a 'Spiritual Fitness Club' down in San Diego, but the disappearance of a Marine accused of War Crimes and a spate of mysterious deaths at a local hospital could end up bringing down the dream.
"The characters are imbued with such depth and shading, they are rendered so completely believable, that you can't help but empathize with them even while laughing at their foibles." (Moxie Mezcal, author of Concrete Underground)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.