Cyber Way

by Alan Dean Foster

The New York Times–bestselling author creates “a fascinating amalgam of sf/detective fiction and Native American lore” (Library Journal).

A wealthy industrialist and folk art collector is murdered in his home and left beneath where a painting had been hanging. But theft is not the motive. The artwork—a Navajo sandpainting—has been completed pulverized. And no blood was found at the scene.

Assigned to the case is bulldog detective Vernon Moody—sent to Arizona to investigate. It’s an unfamiliar environment for the born-and-bred dry air, altitude, and a booming economy spurred by high-tech manufacturing on the reservations. Still ancient superstitions linger, suggesting a motive for the crime. There is magic in traditional sandpaintings—a power that, when paired with technology, could unleash forces beyond human control . . .

Praise for Alan Dean Foster

“A master storyteller.” —SF Site

“One of the most consistently and fertile writers of science fiction and fantasy.” —The Times (London)
 

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction Fantasy, Cyberpunk, Urban Fantasy

322 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 1990

About the author

Bestselling science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster was born in New York City in 1946, but raised mainly in California. He received a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 1968, and a M.F.A. in 1969. Foster lives in Arizona with his wife, but he enjoys traveling because it gives him opportunities to meet new people and explore new places and cultures. This interest is carried over to his writing, but with a twist: the new places encountered in his books are likely to be on another planet, and the people may belong to an alien race.

Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.

Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good sf/mystery incorporating some interesting bits of Native mythology and cave painting with a bit of cyberpunk within a decent murder mystery framework. The action shifts from Tampa to a Navajo reservation in Arizona, and Foster describes the settings quite convincingly. The detective protagonist isn't too likable at first, but shows interesting development, and he is paired with a temporary partner to good effect. The book has a very good contrast of mysticism and technology.

[Derek]

Decent SF mystery, with the usual strange anachronisms found in so much near-future SF.

Detective Vernon Moody must investigate the death of an art collector, and the trail leads to the Navaho reservation in Arizona. Along the way, he learns more than he wants to know of Navaho religious practice in general, and sandpaintings specifically. I have no idea if this treads on any cultural toes, but I imagine there must have been cries of "cultural appropriation". I think Foster treats it respectfully, and I don't have a problem with it, but then I'm not Navaho.

The one anachronism that was particularly hard to understand was that a book written in 1990 (when we already had car-phones, massive though they were) couldn't envision hand-held mobile phones. The police are equipped with hand-held computers, but whenever they want to connect to the Web, they have to find a phone! It's not a show-stopper, but it keeps pulling you out of the novel. Another one was almost ignorable, but simple enough to extrapolate that a careful author could have avoided it: the police bring in a consultant, and her hand-held computer is much more capable than theirs. She tells them that it has ten gigabytes of memory! A simple application of Moore's law would have told him that it would take until about now to get 10GB of memory into a handheld device (we're actually a little ahead of the Moore's Law prediction, but not far), but we haven't arrived at his future yet. It's (smartly) never stated exactly when this is set, but I think he really should have gone at least into the Terabyte range!

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Inoffensive but really not much to recommend to another reader. The premise as written on the book jacket is certainly there, but the author is more interested in telling a fast-moving action story against that backdrop than exploring the implications or building it out into a larger world. Characters are interesting but thin sketches, ideas are fun but not deeply explored. A quick read that will be memorable for the setting and not much else.

[mitchell dwyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alan Dean Foster’s Cyber Way is set in some unimaginable future where people carry little computers in their pockets, from which they can access enormous databases of knowledge. Some people can afford faster, more powerful models with “20 gigabytes” of memory, while others, like Tampa detective Vernon Moody, do the best they can with more affordable tech. It’s a strange world to imagine, but this is science fiction. In 1990.

Moody’s investigation of a wealthy art collector’s murder takes him to Arizona, where he’s connected to Navaho detective Paul Ooljee. A Navaho sand painting is at the center of a mystery whose solution requires solid police work and some understanding of Navaho mysticism.

Moody is practical, with both feet solidly on real-world ground. Ooljee is no less a detective, but even as a non-believer, he knows and respects his people’s lore enough to be a competent and valuable foil.

Foster’s story presents a reasonable case for the intersection of technology, art, and (possibly) religion. It’s kind of a mind-blowing speculation, one that could have opened up one of those brilliant science-fiction stories causing you to rethink your existence in the universe, but the writer doesn’t seem interested in going there. Instead, he merely tells a really good story in front of this brilliant concept. I'm reluctant to complain about it, but it keeps Cyber Way from being truly great.

I’ll take excellent, well-written escapist fare just about any day, and this novel is certainly that.

[Scott Holstad · Rating 1 out of 5]

I kind of liked this book, wanted to like it more, thought it was interesting, but ultimately couldn't finish it because the main protagonist, Moody, was so damn unlikeable. My God, he was sarcastic, snarky, bitchy, etc., ALL of the time, and it got damn old, particularly when he was a repeated asshole to his polite temporary Native American partner, Ooljee. Moody is sent from his beloved Tampa out to Arizona to help investigate a murder that might have originated regarding Indian artwork and the second he steps off the plane into the heat he starts griping. And never stops. At some point, you come to expect that virtually everything he says he'll say with a griping, bitchy tone just to offend the likeable Ooljee. What a dick! I hated him. I got as far as page 156 and gave up, even though the book was intriguing and I wanted to find out what ultimately happens. The aggravation of Moody's moods wasn't worth finishing the book. Foster really ticked me off for writing such an annoying character into the main protagonist's role in this book. It is such overkill. You'd think Foster could have eased off the pedal at times, but no, it's non-stop bitchiness. I've never hated a character as much as I hate Moody. I can't recommend this book to anyone and the only reason I'm even giving it two whole stars is because the premise is so original. Otherwise I would have given it one star. Loser character, loser book.

[Kevin Phyland · Rating 4 out of 5]

When two people are murdered in Florida during the theft of a Navaho (sic) sandpainting local detective Moody is assigned to the case and reluctantly heads to Navaho country to investigate. Joining Amerind officer Ooljee they stumble on some hidden meaning in the painting going back as far as the Anasazi, who mysteriously vanished in the twelfth century. When coupled with computer analysis they trigger what could only be a hidden program in the paint, conjuring entities and energies from somewhere else. They realize that the killer must also have stumbled onto the awesome power of this program and head into the Reservation to track him down. But the killer has plans which may involve destroying the Earth itself through sheer ignorance. Alan Dean Foster has given us a very entertaining mystery which neatly explains the Ways (ceremonies) of the Navaho and the Anasazi. You’ll enjoy this one!

[Tim Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Considering when it was written this book shows some foresight! Also I like the mystic/sci-fi blend of Navajo's and aliens. But - whilst the writing is good - it's Alan Dean Foster after all - it lacks the sparkle of many of his other books, and the murder mystery segment of the book is a bit of a let down. Kudos for making a fat man with a habit of being rude the hero though, and the smartest person in the book (openly acknowledged in the text) a woman. It's often true - but not so often said!

[Samuel Lubell · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this book from 1990 Foster has his characters use portable computers called pocket spinners hooked into the web and also function as phones. That’s right, his police characters are using Internet smartphones. And this in 1990, when the real life web was still in the planning stages. The book itself was just okay with the combination of technology and mysticism.

[Lbaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1990, this book is an interesting read.
It incorporates Navaho sand paintings as an integral part of the plot, which is quite fascinating.
It is not much of a mystery, although there is a murder (or more), the plot is more sci-fi.
I have read at least one other book by Alan Dean Foster which I enjoyed, and think that I will keep an eye out for more.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intersting SciFi book having to do with Navajo sand paintings. I re-read this last week. Probably also read it when it came out in paper back.

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book in a ‘mystery bag’ of used books from my favorite book shop. It was an interesting mystery written decades ago in the now approximate-ish present.

The ways technology was advanced and how society operates in the story versus reality are generally interesting when reading a near future setting in a book written a few decades ago.

I really liked the setting largely on a reservation, and how the reader is introduced to that part of the setting by a main character from elsewhere who needs to understand what is going on was done well.

I am not familiar with the history of Sand Paintings but the writing resonated (accurately or inaccurately) with what little I do know on that and general Native American topics and history and generally felt as though it had been well researched. It does also make me want to dig in and find out how much was made up and how much was researched, which is a good result.

All in all I enjoyed the trip the book took me on and the unexpected but foreshadowed cans of worms that were opened in the story.

[Shane Noble · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the near-future, a wealthy art collector is murdered and one of his pieces is destroyed. Nothing else is and no money is stolen. Dun dun dun.

The book follows the detective assigned to the case and follows him to the Navajo reservation in Arizona. Not gonna lie, I was a little worried at first that the Native Americans would be treated as 2D stereotypes. But, I was pleasantly surprised to find them to be treated quite respectfully.

The prose is solid if not outstanding and the story is intriguing. It's a short read and a solid one, it not really a must-read.

[Linda Judd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cyber Way I finished this borrowed book today. It's sci-fi with a twist. I kept seeing Pokemon characters in the telling of the 'monster' attack parts. I like sci-fi that has well written characters. To me this seemed like an edition for a TV series and not a book. I think that children who like sci-fi would find it fun.

[SteveRv · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting concept and I liked the book in a general manner but too much of the writing focused on the southwestern setting and culture but added no value to the plot. I ended up skimming large sections of the book to get to fragmented sections that actually drove the plot line. I have to wonder if the writer is worktop a publisher defined timeline.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very long-winded descriptions and seems to wander all over without going anywhere. Would have been better as a shorter book.

And yet for all it's long-windedness, it fails to actually explore the concept it brings to the table.

Not a book I'll be tempted to re-read in a few years.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't feel like it was worth the time I spent. It meanders from mystery to sci-fi to fantasy and back again, and the ending is sappy and lacks fulfilment. Odd since I like a lot of his other stuff.

[Bobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing could be off putting, some of the similes just made me laugh at how bad they were. There was a few times I wanted to give up on the book but I had to finish because there were some real intriguing concepts and the author has one heck of an imagination.

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

an intriguing blend of Navajo mythology and computers.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I normally am a Foster fanatic but this book did not do it for me. Not badly written or a bad story, I am just not into the cyberpunk scene. Recommended

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always nice when an author uses a real culture and language after properly researching them.

[Cuauhtemoc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe this is the first time I read a book by Alan Dean Foster. It did not disappoint. Cyber Way is a book about a mysterious message in a Navajo sandpainting. It is a SciFi police investigation. It deals with cultural shock, ancient Navajo and Hopi cultures, Indian reservations, Indigenous Original People Mythology, parallel universes/aliens?
The pace of the book is a little slow at the beginning; however, it delivers at the end. Well written and entertaining until the end. Having been written in 1989 (published 1990), this book has aged well (although I do not recall a clear time in which this story develops, a timeline I mean).

[Jonathan Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great near-future sci-fi from the recent past. I love Foster's use of spinning webs as the way information gets manipulated by computers. I picked this book up after reading the first three Tony Hillerman books, and Joe Leaphorn's explanations of the culture and practices of the Diné came in handy while reading Cyber Way. If you liked Dark Winds and Stranger Things, give this a try.

[Ike · Rating 4 out of 5]

One word = otherworldly

[Bill White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting combination of near-future tech and American Indian culture: sand paintings, Navaho code talkers, spirits, etc. Enjoyable.

[John Abbott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this quite a while ago. I found the cover while looking at a couple of other Alan Dean Foster books. I remember that I liked the book very much. I am probably due for a re-reading of it, in which I might change my mind.

[Mike S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an imaginative story where you learn some interesting things about the Navajo native Americans. Foster comes up with very imaginative story lines and really great characters. This book is no exception. It was a little slow paced but still worth reading.

[Portobellord · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting idea about the mixture of technology and tradition.

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

So so story I couldn't really get onto

[Ron Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Chandrashekhar Datey]

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