Nightside City

I've been meaning to give Lawrence Watt-Evans a try for a long time. Last week the stars finally conjoined in such a way that I found myself with a copy of NIGHTSIDE CITY clenched between my fists.One sleepless night later the novel had been devoured.This book stands somewhere inbetween NEUROMANCER and SNOW CRASH, and deserves to be as well-known as both. Lawrence Watt-Evans crafts a riveting tale which is one-half cyberpunk and one-half detective noir, with strong dashes of hard SF sensibility, insightful characterization, and tight plotting thrown into the mix.

This is more than a combination of thriller and "hard"SF. It is a true novel, a major piece of literary SF that should have received the Hugo or the Nebula or both. Unfortunately, the author is known as a creator of fantasy, so this gem has not received the attention it should have. It is a most readable work of art, never leaving a chance for a yawn. But it is also a complex work, which gives away more after a second or third reading.

A planet in terminal orbit, one side searing hot, the other frozen. On the fringe between the two stands Nightside city. In this erie cyberpunk tale, a detective rubs elbows with all sorts of low-lifes in a quest to determine whether Nightside city will soon see the light of day...and who's behind it. Masterfully presented with wonderful descriptions, great dialog, and visionary descriptions of future technology. Evans makes it all come alive.