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Strictly Analog
Alternative cover edition for 9781478354420
Ted Lomax does his best to get by as a private detective in a society where almost nothing is private any more. He lives in a near-future California that has gained independence from the economically collapsed United States and where everyone is constantly linked into the web. Almost everyone. Because of injuries sustained during California’s border war, Ted is locked out of the technological culture that surrounds him. But that’s his edge: his business card reads “Strictly Analog,” and he markets himself as a man able to skirt the technological landscape without leaving a trail. It works nicely for him until he gets the most important case of his life. When his daughter Amy is accused of killing her boyfriend, Ted knows he has to do whatever he can to help her. It won’t be easy. The bullet in the boyfriend’s head matches Amy’s gun. To make matters worse, the dead boyfriend was an agent with California’s secret police. Now Ted has to dig himself out of the hole he’s been buried in since the war. Before long, he’s pulled into a shadow world of underground hackers, high-end programmers, and renegade gear-heads, all of whom seem to have a stake in California’s future. The further he digs into the case, the clearer it becomes that it’s about more than one dead agent. Solving it might save his daughter. And it might get him killed. And it just might open the door to secrets that reach back to the attack that almost killed him eighteen years before. At any rate, Ted Lomax will never be the same.
Ted Lomax does his best to get by as a private detective in a society where almost nothing is private any more. He lives in a near-future California that has gained independence from the economically collapsed United States and where everyone is constantly linked into the web. Almost everyone. Because of injuries sustained during California’s border war, Ted is locked out of the technological culture that surrounds him. But that’s his edge: his business card reads “Strictly Analog,” and he markets himself as a man able to skirt the technological landscape without leaving a trail. It works nicely for him until he gets the most important case of his life. When his daughter Amy is accused of killing her boyfriend, Ted knows he has to do whatever he can to help her. It won’t be easy. The bullet in the boyfriend’s head matches Amy’s gun. To make matters worse, the dead boyfriend was an agent with California’s secret police. Now Ted has to dig himself out of the hole he’s been buried in since the war. Before long, he’s pulled into a shadow world of underground hackers, high-end programmers, and renegade gear-heads, all of whom seem to have a stake in California’s future. The further he digs into the case, the clearer it becomes that it’s about more than one dead agent. Solving it might save his daughter. And it might get him killed. And it just might open the door to secrets that reach back to the attack that almost killed him eighteen years before. At any rate, Ted Lomax will never be the same.
Paperback
First published September 14, 2012
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About the author
Richard Levesque
45 books46 followersRichard Levesque was born near Montreal,Canada and grew up in Southern California.
He began writing while in college, publishing several pieces in college journals while working on his undergraduate degree at Cal Poly Pomona. After finishing his Master's Degree in 1990, he focused more on teaching than writing for a few years, eventually completing his Ph.D. at UC Riverside in 2000. His dissertation was on Hollywood novelists of the 1920s and 1930s.
Since 1999, he has been part of the English Department at Fullerton College and turned again to writing a few years ago. He primarily writes science fiction but continues to have a strong interest in early Hollywood and Los Angeles history and culture and often works those themes into his writing.
When not writing or grading papers, he spends time with his wife and daughter, works on his collection of old science fiction pulps and tries to be better than a mediocre guitar player.
He began writing while in college, publishing several pieces in college journals while working on his undergraduate degree at Cal Poly Pomona. After finishing his Master's Degree in 1990, he focused more on teaching than writing for a few years, eventually completing his Ph.D. at UC Riverside in 2000. His dissertation was on Hollywood novelists of the 1920s and 1930s.
Since 1999, he has been part of the English Department at Fullerton College and turned again to writing a few years ago. He primarily writes science fiction but continues to have a strong interest in early Hollywood and Los Angeles history and culture and often works those themes into his writing.
When not writing or grading papers, he spends time with his wife and daughter, works on his collection of old science fiction pulps and tries to be better than a mediocre guitar player.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
December 17, 2015
My original Strictly Analog audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
Richard Levesque presents a compelling science fiction detective thriller in Strictly Analog, which finds P.I. Ted Lomax on the hunt for answers after his daughter is accused of murdering her boyfriend, an agent for California’s secret police. Injured in the war for California’s independence, Lomax is unable to use the Google Glass-like eye-wear that has proliferated across LA and keeps people connected to the net. As such, he specializes in the rare breed of off-grid detective work, advertising himself as ‘strictly analog.’
Levesque presents a corporate-run California where the gap between social classes has increased even further and the rich trip on a drug that mimics synesthesia, and where everyone is constantly connected. Lomax’s investigation takes him far off his usual beaten path of working cheating spouse cases and into the underbelly of a high-tech conspiracy and the burgeoning technology of transhumanism. The technology on display gives this technothriller a near-future feel and you can easily see the stepping stones to Levesque’s cyberpunk noir world in the here and now, and in the wake of Citizens United a corporate run government seems more than a probable eventuality. The story is kept grounded and rightly focused on the people, with the skewed relations connecting Lomax, his daughter, the dead boyfriend, and Miles, the head of the secret police and one-time war ally with Lomax, is a twisted little construct. The ancillary characters, too, help to reinforce the high tech-driven world, playing off today’s own eBay resellers and augmented big data hackers, while also acting as terrific foils for Lomax and his research.
The story is told through Lomax’s first-person perspective, and the narration by Steven Jay Cohen is suitably world-weary. Lomax is a tired, cynical man and Cohen’s slow and steady performance is a solid match to Levesque’s words. I was initially turned off by Cohen’s somewhat flat, monotone delivery, but adjusted to it well enough and actually found it be surprisingly well suited to the story. Although the narration is on the flat side, it’s actually never boring thanks to the crisp prose and the turns the story takes, and the interest-factor of the technology at play. Cohen perks up occasionally when delivering dialogue, and I caught myself grinning a bit at the energy he brings to the character of Sonny, an on-the-run hardware developer. The production quality is crisp and clean, making Strictly Analog a smooth and easy listen.
Those looking for a fresh mystery story with a dash of science fiction would do well to check this one out, and Lomax has all the makings of a mid-21st Century Columbo. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Levesque brings him back sometime soon for a new case to solve.
[Audiobook provided for review by the audiobookreviewer.com]
Richard Levesque presents a compelling science fiction detective thriller in Strictly Analog, which finds P.I. Ted Lomax on the hunt for answers after his daughter is accused of murdering her boyfriend, an agent for California’s secret police. Injured in the war for California’s independence, Lomax is unable to use the Google Glass-like eye-wear that has proliferated across LA and keeps people connected to the net. As such, he specializes in the rare breed of off-grid detective work, advertising himself as ‘strictly analog.’
Levesque presents a corporate-run California where the gap between social classes has increased even further and the rich trip on a drug that mimics synesthesia, and where everyone is constantly connected. Lomax’s investigation takes him far off his usual beaten path of working cheating spouse cases and into the underbelly of a high-tech conspiracy and the burgeoning technology of transhumanism. The technology on display gives this technothriller a near-future feel and you can easily see the stepping stones to Levesque’s cyberpunk noir world in the here and now, and in the wake of Citizens United a corporate run government seems more than a probable eventuality. The story is kept grounded and rightly focused on the people, with the skewed relations connecting Lomax, his daughter, the dead boyfriend, and Miles, the head of the secret police and one-time war ally with Lomax, is a twisted little construct. The ancillary characters, too, help to reinforce the high tech-driven world, playing off today’s own eBay resellers and augmented big data hackers, while also acting as terrific foils for Lomax and his research.
The story is told through Lomax’s first-person perspective, and the narration by Steven Jay Cohen is suitably world-weary. Lomax is a tired, cynical man and Cohen’s slow and steady performance is a solid match to Levesque’s words. I was initially turned off by Cohen’s somewhat flat, monotone delivery, but adjusted to it well enough and actually found it be surprisingly well suited to the story. Although the narration is on the flat side, it’s actually never boring thanks to the crisp prose and the turns the story takes, and the interest-factor of the technology at play. Cohen perks up occasionally when delivering dialogue, and I caught myself grinning a bit at the energy he brings to the character of Sonny, an on-the-run hardware developer. The production quality is crisp and clean, making Strictly Analog a smooth and easy listen.
Those looking for a fresh mystery story with a dash of science fiction would do well to check this one out, and Lomax has all the makings of a mid-21st Century Columbo. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Levesque brings him back sometime soon for a new case to solve.
[Audiobook provided for review by the audiobookreviewer.com]
December 9, 2014
I received a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars
Listening to the audio version of this book felt like a joyride with Google glasses on trough a foreign landscape of weird colours, smells and sound, mixed together in a mistery of a father who has to save his daughter from a murder charge. It was an intense ride that left me with a bit of a hangover (okay, that wasn't entirely because of the book). Once that subdued though, I was left with a pleasant sensation I experience whenever I finish a good novel.
The main character, Ted Lomax, is damaged and flawed, which makes him very attractive in a way. Besides his flaws, he really is a nice guy with a golden heart, which only adds to the charm. The world he lives in certainly has a dystopian feel to it, although I wouldn't classify it as such for the story doesn't focus on that so much. There is however some level of social critique to be found, which is portrayed in a very subtle way because of the lifestyles of most characters. This way, the reader can decide for himself how much to read between the lines, leaving it open for interpretation without you knowing the author's intentions. Ultimately, art is in the eye of the beholder, and I like it that way.
Steven Jay Cohen did a brilliant job narrating this one. He has a raw voice which is perfect for Ted and adds an extra dimension to his character. From the moment the story started I was drawn in, if only for the sound of his voice. Every intonation and pause was spot on. This, ladies and gentlemen, is how you narrate a book.
Alongside the beautiful writing there's a touch of humour and sarcasm to be found. I couldn't detect any flaws in the story. If there were, I was so caught up in the flow of the narrative that I didn't notice. That's what a good book is about.
Strictly Analog may turn out to be the surprise of the year for me, because I honestly didn't expect to like it so much. I think it is deserving of more attention than it currently gets, and I can do no other than highly recommend this to all of my friends to read.
4.5 stars
Listening to the audio version of this book felt like a joyride with Google glasses on trough a foreign landscape of weird colours, smells and sound, mixed together in a mistery of a father who has to save his daughter from a murder charge. It was an intense ride that left me with a bit of a hangover (okay, that wasn't entirely because of the book). Once that subdued though, I was left with a pleasant sensation I experience whenever I finish a good novel.
The main character, Ted Lomax, is damaged and flawed, which makes him very attractive in a way. Besides his flaws, he really is a nice guy with a golden heart, which only adds to the charm. The world he lives in certainly has a dystopian feel to it, although I wouldn't classify it as such for the story doesn't focus on that so much. There is however some level of social critique to be found, which is portrayed in a very subtle way because of the lifestyles of most characters. This way, the reader can decide for himself how much to read between the lines, leaving it open for interpretation without you knowing the author's intentions. Ultimately, art is in the eye of the beholder, and I like it that way.
Steven Jay Cohen did a brilliant job narrating this one. He has a raw voice which is perfect for Ted and adds an extra dimension to his character. From the moment the story started I was drawn in, if only for the sound of his voice. Every intonation and pause was spot on. This, ladies and gentlemen, is how you narrate a book.
Alongside the beautiful writing there's a touch of humour and sarcasm to be found. I couldn't detect any flaws in the story. If there were, I was so caught up in the flow of the narrative that I didn't notice. That's what a good book is about.
Strictly Analog may turn out to be the surprise of the year for me, because I honestly didn't expect to like it so much. I think it is deserving of more attention than it currently gets, and I can do no other than highly recommend this to all of my friends to read.
April 17, 2023
Contemporary cyberpunk 5/5. William Gibson fans would enjoy it
June 22, 2017
This was a waste of time and I'm surprised I stuck with it until the end. There were so many holes and inconsistencies in the plot. The murder mystery felt like it was on the back burner. I didn't like the narrator much either.
October 21, 2012
This is an awesome book. It seamlessly blends the classic pulp private dick character of Raymond Chandler and the darkly humorous science fiction of Philip K. Dick into a wonderful read.
We are brought into a future where California has rebelled and become its own country and the United States has ceased to exist. Marijuana is legal, tobacco is not. Gasoline is a thing of the past and a corporation is the governor of California. China is the only super power and computers are found on little lenses that the people wear as glasses and control with their fingertips. It is because of this technological advance that Ted Lomax stands out as a private investigator. During the war for independence from the United States he lost the use of one eye, leaving him one of the last people in future Los Angeles that is not plugged in. Thus his clients can trust him to a point, because in a world where everything becomes fodder for public consumption, Lomax can keep a secret. It is not until his daughter is arrested and stands trial for murder that Lomax is forced to reevaluate his abilities and dig deep into the online trenches to help her.
The writing is splendid, the characters are complex and the setting is vivid. I'm surprised this novel was not picked up by an agent, for it is editorially flawless. I finished reading and had to look at the author's credentials. It was no surprise to see that Levesque is a literature professor.
Although this book does not have the subtle depth to mark it as something that will stand out in the literary canon for years to come, it was so well done that I had to give it five stars. It is fun, engaging, interesting, and thought-provoking. The understated love story was a surprise and delight, and the twisting but believable potential futuristic California was wildly imaginative.
I loved this book and would heartily recommend it to anyone.
We are brought into a future where California has rebelled and become its own country and the United States has ceased to exist. Marijuana is legal, tobacco is not. Gasoline is a thing of the past and a corporation is the governor of California. China is the only super power and computers are found on little lenses that the people wear as glasses and control with their fingertips. It is because of this technological advance that Ted Lomax stands out as a private investigator. During the war for independence from the United States he lost the use of one eye, leaving him one of the last people in future Los Angeles that is not plugged in. Thus his clients can trust him to a point, because in a world where everything becomes fodder for public consumption, Lomax can keep a secret. It is not until his daughter is arrested and stands trial for murder that Lomax is forced to reevaluate his abilities and dig deep into the online trenches to help her.
The writing is splendid, the characters are complex and the setting is vivid. I'm surprised this novel was not picked up by an agent, for it is editorially flawless. I finished reading and had to look at the author's credentials. It was no surprise to see that Levesque is a literature professor.
Although this book does not have the subtle depth to mark it as something that will stand out in the literary canon for years to come, it was so well done that I had to give it five stars. It is fun, engaging, interesting, and thought-provoking. The understated love story was a surprise and delight, and the twisting but believable potential futuristic California was wildly imaginative.
I loved this book and would heartily recommend it to anyone.
October 14, 2015
This is a very solid and imaginative read. It's a love child of Raymond Chandler's noir hard-boiled detective story and the Philip K Dick or William Gibson cyberpunk/speculative science fiction genre. It has the best of both worlds, and yet doesn't feel contrived. It's post-apocalyptic in a way that fits the genre, playing on the scarcity of some resources in a world where people take their mind off the problems with prevalent and affordable technology that allows them to enjoy the virtual world. The author created great concepts like the "eyes" (much like Google Glasses), which allow constant interaction with online information; electric cars can be programmed to make whatever drive tone you want them to, from cats purring to reggae; and "mixing" clubs that allow partiers to experience a drug-like synesthesia (tasting colors, feeling sounds). Enter Ted Lomax, a war veteran whose injuries exclude him from using technology, and so he does his private detective job the old-fashioned way: strictly analog, through research at the library, tailing suspects, and using his knowledge of human behavior. His daughter gets framed for murder and he has to figure out who the killer is to save her from exile from the city.
The mystery itself is good - complex, twisting, and revealed at a good pace. There's conflicts with bad cops, untrustworthy dames, and cocky tech-genius outlaws. There's lots of thrills and tension and danger, car chases, and some great seedy worldbuilding. The book is wonderfully atmospheric, gritty and still full of clever humor and insight into the human condition.
I got this audiobook free from the author in exchange for an honest review, and I loved it from start to finish. The narrator is good, but speaks a bit laconically for the story, so I sped it up to 1.25x speed. If you like noir, PIs, and speculative Science Fiction, check this out!
The mystery itself is good - complex, twisting, and revealed at a good pace. There's conflicts with bad cops, untrustworthy dames, and cocky tech-genius outlaws. There's lots of thrills and tension and danger, car chases, and some great seedy worldbuilding. The book is wonderfully atmospheric, gritty and still full of clever humor and insight into the human condition.
I got this audiobook free from the author in exchange for an honest review, and I loved it from start to finish. The narrator is good, but speaks a bit laconically for the story, so I sped it up to 1.25x speed. If you like noir, PIs, and speculative Science Fiction, check this out!
June 14, 2020
This was just an "ok" neo-noir/future-noir novel about future private-eye Ted Lomax, a "strictly analog" PI working in a future California Republic after the dissolution of the United States sometime in the early/mod 21st century, controlled by an all-encompassing mega-corporation, "Cal-Corps". Already the book sounds cartoonishly cliche (and it sort of is). Ted Lomax is a veteran of "the wars", which pitted the California Republic against some vaguely-defined other coalition of former states, that was fought over in Las Vegas/Nevada (already sounds like Fallout?). Also in this world, there's some intonations that although the United States has fallen as a unified preeminent power, countries like China have not, though the exact nature of these relationships are not really fleshed out beyond tourism and investment monies.
Really, the world building is not the focus here, this is primarily a 1:1 graft of any number of neo-noir or classic noir stories into a futuristic environment. Lomax is thrust into the journey when his daughter is falsely accused of murdering her boyfriend, who happens to work for the secret police. Along the way, we meet several of the typical noir archtypes, including two femme-fatale, the brain, crooked-politician/businessperson, the crooked cop, etc.
The trajectory of the story is obvious, but in parts enjoyable, especially the last 3 - 4 hours when Lomax meets up with yet another character, Sonny Ortiz, a former engineer turned big-time digital criminal.
I'd try a sequel book, often first books are not the best. However, I can't call this anywhere near the pinnacle of neo/classic noir stories. It's just something to get you through a dry-spell between the really good stuff. Conditional recommend.
Really, the world building is not the focus here, this is primarily a 1:1 graft of any number of neo-noir or classic noir stories into a futuristic environment. Lomax is thrust into the journey when his daughter is falsely accused of murdering her boyfriend, who happens to work for the secret police. Along the way, we meet several of the typical noir archtypes, including two femme-fatale, the brain, crooked-politician/businessperson, the crooked cop, etc.
The trajectory of the story is obvious, but in parts enjoyable, especially the last 3 - 4 hours when Lomax meets up with yet another character, Sonny Ortiz, a former engineer turned big-time digital criminal.
I'd try a sequel book, often first books are not the best. However, I can't call this anywhere near the pinnacle of neo/classic noir stories. It's just something to get you through a dry-spell between the really good stuff. Conditional recommend.
June 6, 2013
I'm a fan of dystopias, I'm a fan of mysteries, and I'm a fan of using technology in new ways - Strictly Analog hit all of the right buttons for me. I also think that in ten or fifteen or twenty years, this book is going to look frighteningly prescient.
In a dystopian near-future Los Angeles, California has separated from the rest of the United States and become its own (corporate) entity. It's citizens are perpetually logged on, and technology has advanced accordingly. Everyone who can afford them and use them is outfitted with iyz (think Google Glass for inspiration); Ted Lomax, the protagonist, can't use them, since he has only one eye due to a war injury, but in the private detective business that means he can keep secrets. He is, as the title says, Strictly Analog. Then there's a murder, and from there we get a Chandler-influenced hard-boiled mystery, complete with a romance. The romance isn't with the femme fatale, here, but another woman with whom Ted shares an amazing chemistry and a feminist-friendly, actually healthy relationship. Everything about this book, from the mystery to the relationships to the technology (especially the technology) is fantastic, and I highly recommend this book.
However. If you read Robocalypse (you know, the one where the robots become sentient, take over, and try to kill us all?) directly after this, prepare never to sleep ever again. Ever. O.o
In a dystopian near-future Los Angeles, California has separated from the rest of the United States and become its own (corporate) entity. It's citizens are perpetually logged on, and technology has advanced accordingly. Everyone who can afford them and use them is outfitted with iyz (think Google Glass for inspiration); Ted Lomax, the protagonist, can't use them, since he has only one eye due to a war injury, but in the private detective business that means he can keep secrets. He is, as the title says, Strictly Analog. Then there's a murder, and from there we get a Chandler-influenced hard-boiled mystery, complete with a romance. The romance isn't with the femme fatale, here, but another woman with whom Ted shares an amazing chemistry and a feminist-friendly, actually healthy relationship. Everything about this book, from the mystery to the relationships to the technology (especially the technology) is fantastic, and I highly recommend this book.
However. If you read Robocalypse (you know, the one where the robots become sentient, take over, and try to kill us all?) directly after this, prepare never to sleep ever again. Ever. O.o
July 14, 2019
Clever mix of cyberspace and traditional (strictly analog) detective.
The blurb pretty much covers the boring part I'd write here, so I'll skip it.
First good thing: Being reasonably familiar with computers and the trends of personal (really personal) computing, I totally believe Levesque's prediction of the future.
Second good thing: Ted Lomax is likable behind the hard-bitten detective facade. He'd do anything to save his daughter, despite her not having much of a personality.
Third good thing: The love interest, Philly, is not a "throw in a chick for the romance crowd" character. She's unique (boy is she unique), smart, and caring.
Bad things: Um, a couple of typos. Maybe Ted's daughter could be less of a putz. Miles (the villain) might have a little more depth for us to understand his motivations. Strictly for a too-light touch with secondary characters, I'm knocking off one star.
Highly recommended.
The blurb pretty much covers the boring part I'd write here, so I'll skip it.
First good thing: Being reasonably familiar with computers and the trends of personal (really personal) computing, I totally believe Levesque's prediction of the future.
Second good thing: Ted Lomax is likable behind the hard-bitten detective facade. He'd do anything to save his daughter, despite her not having much of a personality.
Third good thing: The love interest, Philly, is not a "throw in a chick for the romance crowd" character. She's unique (boy is she unique), smart, and caring.
Bad things: Um, a couple of typos. Maybe Ted's daughter could be less of a putz. Miles (the villain) might have a little more depth for us to understand his motivations. Strictly for a too-light touch with secondary characters, I'm knocking off one star.
Highly recommended.
January 29, 2019
In a dystopian California, cut off from the rest of the world after a cataclysmic war with the rest of America, Ted Lomax does his best to survive and earn a living. He is a private detective and has turned a disability into an advantage. In this world, almost everyone is connected to each other via 'Eyz', glasses with a super fast internet connection. Of course, the connection is not only with friends and sources of information, the government, the secret police and commerce; much the same as now with our smart phones, but then taken to extremes. Due to a war injury (an important part of the plot), Ted has one glass eye and is unable to use Eyz. So he advertises himself as 'Strictly Analog' and investigates cases in the old fashioned way.
The combination of old fashioned noir genre en dystopian/cyberpunk made for an interesting read and there were enough sub-plots to hold my attention. Recommended.
The combination of old fashioned noir genre en dystopian/cyberpunk made for an interesting read and there were enough sub-plots to hold my attention. Recommended.
November 10, 2021
2nd reading
I have been meaning to reread this book for a long time. Ever since I read it for the first time in 2016 I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. It didn't disappoint. It's still one of the most interesting books I've read about being in a virtual reality. I really enjoy the contrast between how Ted lives and how it is separate from the rest of the world. There are a lot of interesting things that can happen in the virtual world and it can be connected to each person.
1st reading
I really enjoyed this book. The author built a world that was very interesting, every aspect of life was intriguing and very well thought out. I loved experiencing the story with the characters and finding out each aspect of the case with the main character and I only found myself yelling at the main character once for not seeing what was right in front of him.
I have been meaning to reread this book for a long time. Ever since I read it for the first time in 2016 I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. It didn't disappoint. It's still one of the most interesting books I've read about being in a virtual reality. I really enjoy the contrast between how Ted lives and how it is separate from the rest of the world. There are a lot of interesting things that can happen in the virtual world and it can be connected to each person.
1st reading
I really enjoyed this book. The author built a world that was very interesting, every aspect of life was intriguing and very well thought out. I loved experiencing the story with the characters and finding out each aspect of the case with the main character and I only found myself yelling at the main character once for not seeing what was right in front of him.
August 1, 2016
It was a very capable science fiction tale that had overtones of gumshoe noir. There is a damsel, a hard boiled PI with a rough and ready back story, and a femme fatal. It had all the cyberpunk tropes as well, discovered tech, cybernetics and big corporations.
I liked some of the descriptions, but never really got in touch with the protagonist, and with a detective story one has to see through the detectives eyes....or in this case eye and we never really got a lot of fleshing out of the character to do that. Character interactions therefore felt kind of contrived and perfunctory.
The author seemed to concentrate a lot on the race or nationality of incidental characters, whether to illustrate the multi cultural environment of the seceded California, or for some other reason, but I found it distracting.
All in all it was a fun read, but not a great story.
I liked some of the descriptions, but never really got in touch with the protagonist, and with a detective story one has to see through the detectives eyes....or in this case eye and we never really got a lot of fleshing out of the character to do that. Character interactions therefore felt kind of contrived and perfunctory.
The author seemed to concentrate a lot on the race or nationality of incidental characters, whether to illustrate the multi cultural environment of the seceded California, or for some other reason, but I found it distracting.
All in all it was a fun read, but not a great story.
August 13, 2016
It wasn't poorly written. It's a nicely developed plot of a noir-ish detective story set in the future. But I didn't connect with the main character or his quest to save his daughter. He seemed a caricature rather than a fully developed character and I struggled to care at all about his quest and her fate.
September 5, 2016
This is a noir crime story with Google glass -- written in 2012. If this is science fiction, how is it expanding my horizons?
November 14, 2019
Review originally published at: https://www.lomeraniel.com/audiobookr...
Due to missing eye during the last war, Ted Lomax is a strictly analog PI in a digital world. Both eyes are needed in order to use the current technology, leaving Ted out of it. He is nevertheless exploiting this handicap for his work. Not everything is recorded, not everything is seen by the digital eye, and some things can only be investigated and kept secret if one is strictly analog, like Ted. He gets the case of his life when his daughter is accused of murder, and he will have to use his secret contacts and perhaps be changed forever.
I love Richard Levesque’s cyberpunk approach to science-fiction. His characters might not be very complex, but their flaws make them relatable. Also, the stories he weaves are interesting, intriguing, and well written, and this one is no exception. What seemed a simple mishap hid a complex plot full of lies and conspiracies. In this story, nothing is what it seems, and there were several twists that I did not see coming, making for an exciting listen.
Richard Levesque’s writing style includes is very descriptive giving the reader the feeling of watching a movie, making it approachable and enjoyable.
Steven Jay Cohen was spot on in this audiobook. His expressive narration style brought the characters to life in a natural way, without making dialogs sound forced. The narration helped to make the story flow and become memorable.
I think this is one of my favorite Richard Levesque’s books. A must-listen if you are into cyberpunk.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Due to missing eye during the last war, Ted Lomax is a strictly analog PI in a digital world. Both eyes are needed in order to use the current technology, leaving Ted out of it. He is nevertheless exploiting this handicap for his work. Not everything is recorded, not everything is seen by the digital eye, and some things can only be investigated and kept secret if one is strictly analog, like Ted. He gets the case of his life when his daughter is accused of murder, and he will have to use his secret contacts and perhaps be changed forever.
I love Richard Levesque’s cyberpunk approach to science-fiction. His characters might not be very complex, but their flaws make them relatable. Also, the stories he weaves are interesting, intriguing, and well written, and this one is no exception. What seemed a simple mishap hid a complex plot full of lies and conspiracies. In this story, nothing is what it seems, and there were several twists that I did not see coming, making for an exciting listen.
Richard Levesque’s writing style includes is very descriptive giving the reader the feeling of watching a movie, making it approachable and enjoyable.
Steven Jay Cohen was spot on in this audiobook. His expressive narration style brought the characters to life in a natural way, without making dialogs sound forced. The narration helped to make the story flow and become memorable.
I think this is one of my favorite Richard Levesque’s books. A must-listen if you are into cyberpunk.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
August 18, 2017
I like Sci-fi, but the gruff, trenchcoat wearing private-eye genre is not really my thing. Still, I enjoyed this well enough. The world isn't hugely fleshed out, but the parts that matter to our protagonist are, and that's the best way to world build in Sci-fi. What's at stake is clear, and Ted's drive to save his daughter keeps things generally moving forward.
However, I was not particularly satisfied by the investigation, or the logic and turns involved therein. Too many coincidences, too many characters who have long histories with one another suddenly getting all wrapped up together. I'm glad Ted has a backstory and that it's messy, but the convergence of messy backstories is a little silly. Mostly, I was very disappointed by the ending.
The key to the world, and to our protagonists place, is the the technology. Essentially, everyone is wired up with google glasses all the time, except him (thus the title). I liked this, and it factored into every aspect of the story, but I did think the technology was a little too explained sometimes. I don't need to be told that he moved a cursor to the leftmost folder and clicked on it and then looked through the subfolders, blah blah blah. He opened the file labeled CLUE. Done. Still, the glasses, the sad, broken world, and Ted's feelings about it were interesting.
So, a good premise, a clear problem, and an unique world kept me reading, but the hard-boiled detective aspect left me wanting. I'm not convinced that's entirely because this isn't a favored genre. If you like clever, cleanly unravelled mysteries, I don't think this will hold up. If your more concerned with mystery as an engine that drives a plot in a decent Sci-fi world, you're in pretty good hands.
However, I was not particularly satisfied by the investigation, or the logic and turns involved therein. Too many coincidences, too many characters who have long histories with one another suddenly getting all wrapped up together. I'm glad Ted has a backstory and that it's messy, but the convergence of messy backstories is a little silly. Mostly, I was very disappointed by the ending.
The key to the world, and to our protagonists place, is the the technology. Essentially, everyone is wired up with google glasses all the time, except him (thus the title). I liked this, and it factored into every aspect of the story, but I did think the technology was a little too explained sometimes. I don't need to be told that he moved a cursor to the leftmost folder and clicked on it and then looked through the subfolders, blah blah blah. He opened the file labeled CLUE. Done. Still, the glasses, the sad, broken world, and Ted's feelings about it were interesting.
So, a good premise, a clear problem, and an unique world kept me reading, but the hard-boiled detective aspect left me wanting. I'm not convinced that's entirely because this isn't a favored genre. If you like clever, cleanly unravelled mysteries, I don't think this will hold up. If your more concerned with mystery as an engine that drives a plot in a decent Sci-fi world, you're in pretty good hands.
June 22, 2017
Dystopia and a Connected World
California has seceded from a dysfunctional U.S. and is a separate country. Everyone is connected to each other and the secret police in this corporately controlled nation except Ted Lomax, a private investigator who uses "old fashioned" techniques to solve cases. His daughter is accused of murder, so he resorts to a different approach to find the murderer.
This combination of science fiction and private eye (Ted really has only one eye, a result of a military injury) is an interesting one to me since I like both genres. And it may portend a future where privacy is no longer a possibility. The characters in the story are enhanced and have ways to get into an indivicdual's private data.
Mr. Levesque is a good writer, and I enjoyed reading this book.
California has seceded from a dysfunctional U.S. and is a separate country. Everyone is connected to each other and the secret police in this corporately controlled nation except Ted Lomax, a private investigator who uses "old fashioned" techniques to solve cases. His daughter is accused of murder, so he resorts to a different approach to find the murderer.
This combination of science fiction and private eye (Ted really has only one eye, a result of a military injury) is an interesting one to me since I like both genres. And it may portend a future where privacy is no longer a possibility. The characters in the story are enhanced and have ways to get into an indivicdual's private data.
Mr. Levesque is a good writer, and I enjoyed reading this book.
June 24, 2017
A fun detective yarn, but the VR-dive kind of lost me - it seemed like two orders of magnitudes' worth of leap from Iyz and Mixing to an incredibly intuitive UI that can intuit what you're thinking. Plus, wiring a device like the BCI into your brain at an abandoned refinery, well and deep enough for it to be able to give you a virtual body you can feel and control, after only a few hours - by a character who 'til that point had been Strictly Analog - kind of stretches my suspension of disbelief.
On the other hand, I loved the ending - the fact that while everything turned out largely well, it wasn't a complete success that left the protagonist exactly where he'd started off. His daughter was exiled, and has to come back under a false identity, to start a new life, and he's indebted for life to Sonny.
On the other hand, I loved the ending - the fact that while everything turned out largely well, it wasn't a complete success that left the protagonist exactly where he'd started off. His daughter was exiled, and has to come back under a false identity, to start a new life, and he's indebted for life to Sonny.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2019
The first half was significantly weaker than the second. I was able to overlook a romance subplot because I liked reading about the i so much. I'm not entirely satisfied with how it ended, but I'm glad it did end rather than pulling that old cliffhanger schtick. Ultimately, I think I'm going to remember this one two years from now, which is a lot to say about random book deals I get off of Bookbub.
May 26, 2017
Started out great and took a disappointing turn halfway through. If you build the entire premise (and title) of the book on the protagonist not using digital technology, then it won't work if you alter that half way through and give him miracle brain-computer interface.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2022
Ted Lomax is a private detective in a near-future grimly dystopian California. He’s barely scraping by, until a murder catapults him into a deadly world of hidden agendas and deceit. Cool concept, entertaining and decently-written, although I found the end flat.
March 26, 2017
It thin on all fronts. No real character or plot development. Lots of opportunity to explain why things are the way they and missed.
May 31, 2017
A delightful surprise
A well written detective story with just enough sci fi . I can't wait to read more by this author
A well written detective story with just enough sci fi . I can't wait to read more by this author
July 15, 2017
Really enjoyed this book. Will have to check out his other novels and writings.
February 25, 2018
I really dug this noir near future detective novel. It just jumped me into the world and i had to figure some of it out, which i normally hate but it did it in a kind way. lol.
August 7, 2018
Engaging story. No spoilers here, you have to read it.
October 17, 2018
now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
December 4, 2014
Fans of William Gibson, Jonathan Letham, and Richard K. Morgan will enjoy Strictly Analog by Richard Levesque.
What's a private detective to do in a future where nothing is private? That's Ted Lomax's problem. In the new California, a corporation runs the government, electric cars have drive tones, and a new technology keeps everyone constantly connected to the Internet. Almost everyone.
Disabled in California's war for independence, Ted is locked out of the new tech. Living on the fringes of society for years, he's found a way to turn his disability into cash: finding clients who need their info kept off the grid.
But when his daughter is accused of murdering her boyfriend - an agent in California's Secret Police - Ted has to dig himself out of the hole he's been in. To save his daughter, he ventures into a shadow world of underground hackers, high-end programmers, and renegade gear-heads, all of whom seem to have a stake in California's future.
It soon becomes clear it's about more than one dead agent. Solving the case might save his daughter. And it might get him killed. And it just might open the door to secrets surrounding the attack that almost killed him eighteen years before.
One thing's certain, though. Ted Lomax will never be the same.
©2012 Richard Levesque (P)2014 Richard Levesque
My Review
Teds daughter lives with her mother and her stepfather, now she is in trouble, deep trouble. She is accused of killing her Secret Agent boyfriend who works with Stepdad, Stepdad, also a bigwig in the secret police seems of little help, so, of course, she wants her Daddy to help get her out of trouble.
Ted is a private detective who lives in a world where the Internet is accessed by fingers seeming to claw the information from the air around them, to be viewed only through special spectacles. (Somewhat reminiscent Mr. Smiths' special spectacles, used to view and translate the magical golden tablets)!
However, two healthy working eyes are necessary to utilise this visual technology, Ted has only the one good eye, so has to get his information in anyway and anywhere that he can. He decides to work off the grid, I was never quite sure if this was through preference or necessity, but working Strictly Analog make a for a darned good story.
It's complicated, as they say, because the mother, the stepfather and Ted have History, no spoilers here!
Ted, on his quest for information, finds himself on a strange journey where he discovers, amongst other things, the dark secrets of those who prefer real engines that make real noises, and where the purchase of the petrol necessary to fuel these antique machines is, in itself an adventure in black marketeering.
All the while, we are learning more and more of the technology of the future, more and more about some very weird people performing strange high tech procedures.
Strictly Analog is a well written intriguing and strange story, I couldn't immerse myself fully into this strange world, nor did it occupy my thoughts when not listening to it, but it's a darned good story.
I found it really odd though, that a story set in the future could evoke feelings of nostalgia, but it did.
Narration
Another excellent performance by Steven Jay Cohen, he simply gets it right.
There's no doubt that his story telling style did much to create that special "noir" feel of the old time, streetwise, hard boiled detective.
This book was gifted to me in return for this, my honest opinion
What's a private detective to do in a future where nothing is private? That's Ted Lomax's problem. In the new California, a corporation runs the government, electric cars have drive tones, and a new technology keeps everyone constantly connected to the Internet. Almost everyone.
Disabled in California's war for independence, Ted is locked out of the new tech. Living on the fringes of society for years, he's found a way to turn his disability into cash: finding clients who need their info kept off the grid.
But when his daughter is accused of murdering her boyfriend - an agent in California's Secret Police - Ted has to dig himself out of the hole he's been in. To save his daughter, he ventures into a shadow world of underground hackers, high-end programmers, and renegade gear-heads, all of whom seem to have a stake in California's future.
It soon becomes clear it's about more than one dead agent. Solving the case might save his daughter. And it might get him killed. And it just might open the door to secrets surrounding the attack that almost killed him eighteen years before.
One thing's certain, though. Ted Lomax will never be the same.
©2012 Richard Levesque (P)2014 Richard Levesque
My Review
Teds daughter lives with her mother and her stepfather, now she is in trouble, deep trouble. She is accused of killing her Secret Agent boyfriend who works with Stepdad, Stepdad, also a bigwig in the secret police seems of little help, so, of course, she wants her Daddy to help get her out of trouble.
Ted is a private detective who lives in a world where the Internet is accessed by fingers seeming to claw the information from the air around them, to be viewed only through special spectacles. (Somewhat reminiscent Mr. Smiths' special spectacles, used to view and translate the magical golden tablets)!
However, two healthy working eyes are necessary to utilise this visual technology, Ted has only the one good eye, so has to get his information in anyway and anywhere that he can. He decides to work off the grid, I was never quite sure if this was through preference or necessity, but working Strictly Analog make a for a darned good story.
It's complicated, as they say, because the mother, the stepfather and Ted have History, no spoilers here!
Ted, on his quest for information, finds himself on a strange journey where he discovers, amongst other things, the dark secrets of those who prefer real engines that make real noises, and where the purchase of the petrol necessary to fuel these antique machines is, in itself an adventure in black marketeering.
All the while, we are learning more and more of the technology of the future, more and more about some very weird people performing strange high tech procedures.
Strictly Analog is a well written intriguing and strange story, I couldn't immerse myself fully into this strange world, nor did it occupy my thoughts when not listening to it, but it's a darned good story.
I found it really odd though, that a story set in the future could evoke feelings of nostalgia, but it did.
Narration
Another excellent performance by Steven Jay Cohen, he simply gets it right.
There's no doubt that his story telling style did much to create that special "noir" feel of the old time, streetwise, hard boiled detective.
This book was gifted to me in return for this, my honest opinion
January 7, 2013
In Strictly Analog, author Richard Levesque introduces us to a future where California has seceded from a dying America. A corporation has been elected governor (Romney's "Corporations are people, my friend" comment taken to its ultimate extension) and isn't letting go. While some freedoms have been curtailed in the name of national security, the secret police won't bust you for smoking marijuana. Fear of being expelled to the surrounding wasteland keeps the population in check.
Technological innovation is still alive. Everyone has a pair of iyz, eyeglasses that let you seamlessly connect to the internet (You could say that the initial versions are almost here), essential in a near total digital world. Every facet of people's lives can be recorded and shared with their phriends. If you thought Facebook and You Tube were omnipresent in society today, Levesque shows you the next level.
Our guide to this dystopian future is Ted Lomax, private detective. Ted is a veteran of California's war for independence, where he lost an eye. Having lost said eye, he is unable to use iyz, which require both eyes to bring data into focus. Not being connected 24/7 means that Ted is excluded from society's online interactions, persona non grata, but in his business that's a plus. Not being connected means his investigations remain discreet. In a society where almost nothing is private anymore, secrets are priceless.
Ted's daughter has been arrested for the murder of her boyfriend, a member of the secret police. Ted has only a few days to crack the case before she is deported (the death penalty having been abolished). But clearing her name will require him to figure out who her boyfriend was investigating, a state secret in its own right. Analog skills won't be enough to solve this case. Ted will have to get help from hackers and gear-head rebels, provided they don't sell him out to save their own skins.
Levesque, an English teacher in Southern California, has provided us with a well-crafted story with realistic characters we can root for in a hard-boiled landscape. Told in first person POV, Ted is the perfect guide for the reader. His handicap renders him an outsider, much like we are in his world. While Ted lacks the tough as nails, hard-drinking attitude of typical noir fiction from the 50's, his down on his luck demeanor (he doesn't have an office; he lives in a storage facility) and soft cynicism are a perfect match for cyberpunk.
It feels weird for me, a former tech guy who basically had to re-learn creative writing, to critique the work of an English teacher, but I can definitely say Levesque brings the goods. I really enjoyed reading Strictly Analog. It's a story that should appeal to fans of early Gibson or Sterling. And now that our world is much closer to the cyberpunk vision of tomorrow that was forecast decades ago, the story should appeal to contemporary detective fiction fans too. Strictly Analog is highly recommended.
Technological innovation is still alive. Everyone has a pair of iyz, eyeglasses that let you seamlessly connect to the internet (You could say that the initial versions are almost here), essential in a near total digital world. Every facet of people's lives can be recorded and shared with their phriends. If you thought Facebook and You Tube were omnipresent in society today, Levesque shows you the next level.
Our guide to this dystopian future is Ted Lomax, private detective. Ted is a veteran of California's war for independence, where he lost an eye. Having lost said eye, he is unable to use iyz, which require both eyes to bring data into focus. Not being connected 24/7 means that Ted is excluded from society's online interactions, persona non grata, but in his business that's a plus. Not being connected means his investigations remain discreet. In a society where almost nothing is private anymore, secrets are priceless.
Ted's daughter has been arrested for the murder of her boyfriend, a member of the secret police. Ted has only a few days to crack the case before she is deported (the death penalty having been abolished). But clearing her name will require him to figure out who her boyfriend was investigating, a state secret in its own right. Analog skills won't be enough to solve this case. Ted will have to get help from hackers and gear-head rebels, provided they don't sell him out to save their own skins.
Levesque, an English teacher in Southern California, has provided us with a well-crafted story with realistic characters we can root for in a hard-boiled landscape. Told in first person POV, Ted is the perfect guide for the reader. His handicap renders him an outsider, much like we are in his world. While Ted lacks the tough as nails, hard-drinking attitude of typical noir fiction from the 50's, his down on his luck demeanor (he doesn't have an office; he lives in a storage facility) and soft cynicism are a perfect match for cyberpunk.
It feels weird for me, a former tech guy who basically had to re-learn creative writing, to critique the work of an English teacher, but I can definitely say Levesque brings the goods. I really enjoyed reading Strictly Analog. It's a story that should appeal to fans of early Gibson or Sterling. And now that our world is much closer to the cyberpunk vision of tomorrow that was forecast decades ago, the story should appeal to contemporary detective fiction fans too. Strictly Analog is highly recommended.
November 14, 2015
I lsiten to the audible version of the book, narrated by Steven jay Cohen.
This book is part Orwell's 1984, part Scalzi's Lock In (although this book came out before Lock In parts of it remind me of Lock In. I'm sure Lock In and this are not the only ones to have these elements to them anyway) and part... Crichton's Disclosure. Disclosure was the one with the virtual reality file storage system, wasn't it? Maybe a little ready Player One too, in terms of the dystopia where everyone is online all the time. Just without the 80's references.
Set in a world where everyone is connected to the internet semi permanently using something akin to Google Glass. Our hero, Lomax, is a war veteran private eye (aren't all private eyes war veterans?) who doesn't use the eyeware interface and prefer to do things old school. This puts him in a perfect place to investigate certain crimes and events because he looks at things differently and doesn't rely on just the electronic information.
The world it is set in - a post-succession war California, with police that verge on Orwell's thought police - is a great idea and I would be interested to read other stories set here. Levesque works through a lot of the implications and possibilities of this world, while leaving enough space to allow for more stories.
Non of the character or their actions struck me as unbelievable and the story worked pretty much organically other than one or two minor things. And those minor coincidences of story were not so much that I couldn't be just accept them and move on.
Would recommend if you are like detective stories and the possibility of where 'big data' etc is going.
---
Steven Jay Cohen is enjoyable as the narrator. probably a 3.5/5 but bumped to a 4/5 cost I cant do half stars.
The voice he gives for Lomax and the general narration (which is 1st person) suits the story very well. Give is an old time noir detective story feel and provides a world weariness to the character. I don't know if this is intentional or if this is the narrators 'resting' voice. i'll give the benefit of the doubt and say it is intentional. There are a few times the tired/weariness could have gone away as the character, in that moment, should have been showing a little more excitement than was given but generally it was enough.
A variety of small changes to accent and voice also differentiate characters enough to be clear on when who is talking changes.
A few small issues existed in the narration. I felt the gate of it was a little slower than most readers. This is fine as the audible app provides speed control. Occasionally there would be slightly longer pauses mid sentence that were a little off too. Most likely when the narrator was turning the page. Nothing major.
An enjoyable work of narration, I would be happy to listen to other stuff by Seven Jay Cohen.
This book is part Orwell's 1984, part Scalzi's Lock In (although this book came out before Lock In parts of it remind me of Lock In. I'm sure Lock In and this are not the only ones to have these elements to them anyway) and part... Crichton's Disclosure. Disclosure was the one with the virtual reality file storage system, wasn't it? Maybe a little ready Player One too, in terms of the dystopia where everyone is online all the time. Just without the 80's references.
Set in a world where everyone is connected to the internet semi permanently using something akin to Google Glass. Our hero, Lomax, is a war veteran private eye (aren't all private eyes war veterans?) who doesn't use the eyeware interface and prefer to do things old school. This puts him in a perfect place to investigate certain crimes and events because he looks at things differently and doesn't rely on just the electronic information.
The world it is set in - a post-succession war California, with police that verge on Orwell's thought police - is a great idea and I would be interested to read other stories set here. Levesque works through a lot of the implications and possibilities of this world, while leaving enough space to allow for more stories.
Non of the character or their actions struck me as unbelievable and the story worked pretty much organically other than one or two minor things. And those minor coincidences of story were not so much that I couldn't be just accept them and move on.
Would recommend if you are like detective stories and the possibility of where 'big data' etc is going.
---
Steven Jay Cohen is enjoyable as the narrator. probably a 3.5/5 but bumped to a 4/5 cost I cant do half stars.
The voice he gives for Lomax and the general narration (which is 1st person) suits the story very well. Give is an old time noir detective story feel and provides a world weariness to the character. I don't know if this is intentional or if this is the narrators 'resting' voice. i'll give the benefit of the doubt and say it is intentional. There are a few times the tired/weariness could have gone away as the character, in that moment, should have been showing a little more excitement than was given but generally it was enough.
A variety of small changes to accent and voice also differentiate characters enough to be clear on when who is talking changes.
A few small issues existed in the narration. I felt the gate of it was a little slower than most readers. This is fine as the audible app provides speed control. Occasionally there would be slightly longer pauses mid sentence that were a little off too. Most likely when the narrator was turning the page. Nothing major.
An enjoyable work of narration, I would be happy to listen to other stuff by Seven Jay Cohen.
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