Broken Angels

Broken Angels is the story of a combat zone. If you think that the carnage described with-in it is some type of ridiculous distortion (as some reviewers seem to think) of real life in war, then you may need to read up on your military non-fiction. Try Dispatches, by Herr or for something closer to our current era check out Black Hawk Down, by Bowden. These are not Sci-Fi but display a lack of humanity in war that rivals anything in Broken Angels. Do not make the mistake of thinking Broken Angels is glamorizing war. It merely shows it for what it is and always will be- young and old, men and women, solders and civilians dying for no other reason than the whims of the ruling class, for profit and power. Finally, for any reviewer opining on how Morgan's writing is so violent and sexual; let me remind you that shows like 24 and Desperate Housewives are not about math and baking cookies. Whether you realize it or not, sex and violence are just as popular in the Blue states as in the Red. What I'm getting at is, at least in Broken Angels the writing is somewhat erudite with some form of intelligent dialogue on the nature of war, and the violence illustrated in the book makes you sick and angry (as it should). The stuff on television has no such qualms. Its only purpose is to get you to tune in next week.

Broken Angels is the story of a combat zone. If you think that the carnage described with in it is some type of ridiculous distortion (as some reviewers seem to think) of real life in war, then you may need to read up on your military non-fiction. Try Dispatches, by Herr or for something closer to our current era check out Black Hawk Down, by Bowden. These are not Sci-Fi but display a lack of humanity in war that rivals anything in Broken Angels. Do not make the mistake of thinking Broken Angels is glamorizing war. It merely shows it for what it is and always will be- young and old, men and women, solders and civilians dying for no other reason than the whims of the ruling class, for profit and power. Finally, for any reviewer opining on how Morgans writing is so violent and sexual; let me remind you that shows like 24 and Desperate Housewives are not about math and baking cookies. Whether you realize it or not, sex and violence are just as popular in the Blue states as in the Red. What I'm getting at is, at least in Broken Angels the writing is somewhat erudite with some form of intelligent dialogue on the nature of war, and the violence illustrated in the book makes you sick and angry (as it should). The stuff on television has no such qualms. Its only purpose is to get you to tune in next week.

Morgan came out of nowhere in 2002 with _Altered Carbon_, the first novel about Takeshi Kovacs, overstressed, dangerously empathic diplomat/soldier trying to stay alive (more or less) four centuries into a future in which the mind lives in a bit of metal housed at the top of the spine and can be re-installed in any convenient "sleeve." This time out, a disgusted Kovacs is recruited by a deserter from the other side to set up an expedition to check out a major find left by the long-disappeared Martians -- who are the only reason humans are out in space to begin with. It's a quest tale, and a very good one, but the real pleasure, for me, is in the author's masterful portrayal and development of the characters. You don't necessarily have to like Kovacs, and you certainly wouldn't feel comfortable around him, but after two excellent novels, you would probably begin to understand him. There's some great quotable passages here, too, about the nature of war, and government, and loyalty, and the human situation in the universe. If _Broken Angels_ doesn't win the Hugo or the Nebula, or both, there is no justice. But, then, Kovacs knows that already.

Some background:I have been reading SF (or whatever it's called these days) since the mid 1960s. I was an early fan of Phillip K. Dick (before Hollywood discovered him) and am also a fan of Neil Stephenson and others who explore future utopias/dystopias from a human perspective. Yes, these books are usually written from a relatively young male perspective, but let's face it, the women in this field that could create believable characters are mostly writing about faeries, vampires, dragons and Gaea. I've just spent a disappointing couple of hours with Laurell Hamilton, and wish I could wash my mind out with detergent. Feel free to cite the one or two exceptions when you flame me. They're mostly out of print right now.I stumbled upon Morgan's first book and have read both of them (Altered Carbon and Broken Angels) within the last week. They're really good on the things that count:First, the characterization is generally very good, although not excellent -- call it 2.75 dimensional. To those complaining about the inclusion of love interests and episodes, well, get over it. Most post pubescent humans have some kind of sexuality as part of their every day life and those that don't or don't have any interest in the subject are an unusual and small minority.Second, the plot line is multithreaded and well paced. Writing is generally skilful (although sometimes the descriptions of some events or things could use some more clarity).Third, the philosophical content and sketching out of future reality generally passes the laugh test (i.e. the society in which the books are set is not an improbable, absurd or ideological rendering of reality) and is interesting and thought provoking.Conclusion: Well worth buying, reading and re-reading. If this guy really is a new writer (and not writing under a pseudonym), I expect very good things from him in future novels.

_Altered Carbon_ wasn't a fluke. Richard K. Morgan is one _helluva_ writer.This book has been available in the UK for the better part of a year, and having been thoroughly impressed with Morgan's first book, I've been eagerly awaiting the US release of his second. I am _so_ not disappointed.You'll recognize the backdrop; it's the same corporate-controlled dystopian future we've seen in pretty much every cyber-nano-crypto-geno-neuro-psycho-techno-noir SF novel since Phil Dick founded cyberpunk and forgot to insist on receiving credit for it.But Morgan isn't just recycling familiar themes here, any more than Beethoven imitated Bach by using some of the same notes. Morgan has his own outlook, his own themes, and his own voice.If you've read the introductory plot summaries elsewhere on this page, you already know everything I could tell you without spoiling things. Suffice it to say that Takeshi Kovacs is back and in excellent form. Here, he's initially serving with Carrera's Wedge, deployed on Sanction IV against an uprising led by one Joshua Kemp, when he's approached with -- and accepts -- a surprising offer._Broken Angels_ not only has a fine plot of its own but fills in some more of the backstory for _Altered Carbon_. Nor is it a rehash of its hardboiled-PI predecessor; this one's military SF, more along the lines of _The Forever War_, with which it shares some abstract themes and narrative flavor.That narrative flavor alone makes the book worth reading. Morgan is such a powerful writer that even if you get bored with the action (not likely), you can enjoy yourself by just sitting back and watching the prose crackle. (But don't look away for even a single paragraph; you'll miss something.)In short, _Broken Angels_ will appeal to readers who liked _Altered Carbon_ but who don't expect Morgan to keep rewriting the same book over and over. _Very_ well done, and it belongs on the very shortest shortlist of good recent SF.