Black Man by Richard Morgan: The Best SF Novel of 2007?

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Black Man by Richard Morgan: The Best SF Novel of 2007?

#1 Werthead

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Posted 18 March 2007 - 03:26 PM

Richard Morgan's latest novel, Black Man, is an precursor of sorts to his Takeshi Kovacs trilogy, set 400 years before those novels in a United States torn apart by religious, political and sociological strife. It is simultaneously a mystery novel, a high-octane action story and a deep examination of character and motive. It is incendiary stuff that will no doubt deeply offend a lot of people (particularly those on the extreme right living in the southern United States), but it is also brilliantly written, deeply compelling and at times tremendously emotionally affecting. It is one of the most intense books I've read in a long time. It also by far the best thing that Morgan has ever done (and his earlier books weren't exactly poor either).

The book has been renamed (with good reason) Thirteen for the US market, where it will be published at the end of June (it's out in the UK in May). A more in-depth review of the book can be found at my blog.

Unless Peter F. Hamilton really pulls out all the stops for The Dreaming Void or Ian MacDonald makes Brasyl the worldbeater it could be, we already have the Best SF Novel of the Year. And it's only March!

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#2 Falco

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Posted 18 March 2007 - 05:24 PM

Awesome. I love Morgan's Kovacs work, although I felt 'Market Forces' crammed the allegory down my throat and was thus pretty weak.

I'll keep a lookout the next time I'm in a bookstore.

#3 vaiski

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Posted 18 March 2007 - 07:49 PM

Excellent, thanks Werthead. I'll put in a pre-order.

#4 Werthead

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Posted 18 March 2007 - 07:53 PM

Remember it's not out yet. End of May in the UK, end of June in the USA.

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#5 pat5150

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Posted 19 March 2007 - 02:24 AM

Hmmm, will have to check this one out...

Thanks for the review!

Patrick
www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

#6 Binder of Demons

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Posted 19 March 2007 - 11:54 AM

Cheers for that Werthead.

Big fan of the Kovacs novels, and I've been looking forward to this for a while. Glad to see it's something worth waiting for.

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#7 Abyss

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Posted 19 March 2007 - 02:29 PM

BIG fan of RM.
Pre-ordered.

- Abyss, pleased to see we're getting the original title in Canada.

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#8 cervantor

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Posted 19 March 2007 - 03:51 PM

Very nice review. It's one of my most anticipated books for 2007, so your review only reinforces that

Robert

#9 spiralx

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Posted 19 March 2007 - 05:03 PM

Nice, looking forward to it, have loved all of his stuff. Well, apart from Market Forces obviously

#10 caladanbrood

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Posted 19 March 2007 - 05:03 PM

I've been looking forward to this for almost as long as I've been looking forward to Reaper's Gale... Morgan is a superb writer, and I hope this is as good as you say:)

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#11 Sir Thursday

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Posted 19 March 2007 - 06:43 PM

Yeah, this is on my list of things to get as well...quite a busy buying period coming up, methinks.

Sir Thursday

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#12 pat5150

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Posted 20 March 2007 - 12:23 AM

I'll have to check with Gollancz to see if they're interested in a little giveaway!

Patrick
www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

#13 Guest_senseichow_*

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Posted 20 March 2007 - 08:08 PM

For anyone interested there's a good interview with Richard Morgan at the UK SF Book News Network (they gotta shorten that name, seriously).

Check it out here.

#14 Abyss

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Posted 20 March 2007 - 08:38 PM

senseichow;170564 said:

For anyone interested there's a good interview with Richard Morgan...
Check it out here.

"...what I'm writing now is my first dip in the fantasy pool (working title Land Fit for Heroes, publication some time in 2008 if I make my deadline), which is a new area and requires a corresponding level of close attention.

The plan is to carry over the noir sensibility of the Kovacs novels into a fantasy setting, and brew up some old style sword and sorcery alongside, but in practice that's not quite as simple as it sounds ... Whatever I turn in, I want it to be the best fiction I know how to write, delivered at the highest possible level of focus."

- Abyss, sold.

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#15 Glass

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Posted 21 March 2007 - 03:11 AM

I can't wait for Thirteen, and the fantasy Morgan is working on should be great fun as well!

#16 drinksinbars

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Posted 21 March 2007 - 09:59 AM

i am wetting myself in anticipation of this book, more so now than ever. great review mate:) it was meant to be out her ages ago and i had it on preorder but they keep pushing the bloody date back:(

hopefully may will come soon, cause so much is happening around themn i really think its gonna be the greatest month ever:)

#17 polishgenius

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Posted 21 March 2007 - 08:40 PM

I should read his previous books, never got round to it for some reason.

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#18 cervantor

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Posted 02 April 2007 - 02:42 PM

Hey all. Just posted an interview that I did with Richard K. Morgan. I personally think it?s one of the better interviews that I?ve had a chance to do so far and Richard has some really interesting things to say, so if you?re interested, you can the read full interview that I did with him HERE. As always, thanks and much love & respect...

Robert