Avery Cates: The Shattered Gears

Avery Cates #5.1

by Jeff Somers

Picking up after the conclusion of "The Final Evolution," this short story gives a glimpse of what the future holds for Avery Cates in the grim world that exists in the wake of his epic battle with Cainnic Orel, the Angels, and the dehumanizing avatar technology. As the System has collapsed under the pressure of war and a sort of "anti-singularity," Cates finds himself in unfamiliar environs - but as always, he's a quick learner.Mysterious inhuman figures. An abandoned prison. And The Howler. Cates has his hands full, as usual ... and is starting to get his mojo back.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Post Apocalyptic, Dystopia

30 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 15, 2014

About the author

Jeff Somers (www.jeffreysomers.com) began writing by court order as an attempt to steer his creative impulses away from engineering genetic grotesqueries. He has published nine novels, including the Avery Cates Series of noir-science fiction novels from Orbit Books (www.avery-cates.com) and the Ustari Cycle series of urban fantasy novels. His short story “Ringing the Changes” was selected for inclusion in Best American Mystery Stories 2006, his story “Sift, Almost Invisible, Through” appeared in the anthology Crimes by Moonlight edited by Charlaine Harris, and his story “Three Cups of Tea” appeared in the anthology Hanzai Japan. He also writes about books for Barnes and Noble and About.com and about the craft of writing for Writer’s Digest, which will publish his book on the craft of writing Writing Without Rules in 2018. He lives in Hoboken with his wife, The Duchess, and their cats. He considers pants to always be optional.

Reviews

[Garth Mailman · Rating 2 out of 5]

A dystopian short story finds our protagonist caught in an electronic jail cell. Futuristic Sci-Fi, not my cup of tea.

[Patrick St-Denis · Rating 3 out of 5]

With The Electric Church, The Digital Plague, The Eternal Prison, The Terminal State, and The Final Evolution, Jeff Somers introduced readers to Avery Cates, a far from likeable gunner you can't help but root for. Often down on his luck and not always the sharpest tool in the shed, Cates' first person narrative has been a highlight since the opening chapter of the very first volume.

So when the author emailed me to let me know that there was a new short story picking up some time after the end of the final installment in the series, I was pretty keen to read it! And then the Holidays rolled around and I totally forgot about it. My bad, I know. It wasn't until a few weeks ago, when Somers notified me that another piece of short fiction set in the same universe would be released in June that I remembered the first short story and made a mental note to finally read it. Better late than never, or so they say. . .

If you are a long-time fan of the Hotlist, you may recall that I pimped Somers' series as much as I could every time a new volume came out. And though it's been four years since the last one, it was so much fun to be reunited with Avery Cates, if only for the duration of a short story.

Here's the blurb:

Picking up after the conclusion of "The Final Evolution," this short story gives a glimpse of what the future holds for Avery Cates in the grim world that exists in the wake of his epic battle with Cainnic Orel, the Angels, and the dehumanizing avatar technology. As the System has collapsed under the pressure of war and a sort of "anti-singularity," Cates finds himself in unfamiliar environs - but as always, he's a quick learner.

Mysterious inhuman figures. An abandoned prison. And The Howler. Cates has his hands full, as usual ... and is starting to get his mojo back.

As was the case with every Avery Cates book, the post-apocalyptic worldbuilding is a neat touch giving the series its own flavor. Even more so since this is a piece of short fiction, it remains in the background and doesn't intrude on the tale itself. The reader definitely feels on familiar grounds, that's for sure.

The first person narrative filled with wise cracks and dark humor continues to work incredibly well and doesn't get old, even after several installments. As I mentioned in the past, Avery Cates is a despicable, manipulative, immoral, lousy, and sick fuck. Yet for all his faults and shortcomings, it's well nigh impossible not to root for the poor sod.

You can always count on Cates to somehow find himself in deep trouble, even when he's not looking for it. This little interlude appears to imply that there might be more in store for Avery Cates. If that's the case, it would make this reader quite happy! The Final Evolution seemed to bring the story arc to a close and no other misadventures seemed forthcoming. But now, someone appears to be looking for Cates. Someone set up a trap to capture him. And the answers he's looking for just might be in Moscow. Only Moscow got turned into slag during the war.

So what can Avery Cates do other than go looking for trouble? I foresee fun times ahead, for the readers if not for Cates. Looking foreward to whatever's in store for him!

[Matt Handle · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're an Avery Cates fan, this short story is just a gritty little taste that seems meant to whet your appetite for something bigger. A new novel on the horizon, perhaps? Cates finds himself stuck in a strange prison long after he thought all remnants of the System were destroyed. While the gears may be shattered, there still appears to be just enough juice left to stir up what's left of the old machinery and set Jeff Somers' one-man wrecking crew in motion once again, Roons strapped to his hips and fingers itchy to pull those triggers.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cates is back! The Final Evolution finished in such a great way that I'm a bit torn about more Cates, part of me thinks leaving it on the note it did was perfect.

Slight apprehension about that aside, this is a good short story that sets up more Cates to come, so if Somers has more great Cates tales to tell then count me in.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the setting and plot of this short story. Fascinating location, a nice, little mystery for Cates to solve and some development of his life after the series end. It's not necessary to have read the Avery Cates series but it thickens up the short story nicely.

["Lifson" Kate Glover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wondered where on Earth the story of Avery Cates could possibly go after the end of The Final Evolution - but his was just ace! If you liked the main series - you're going to love this. It's an event in Avery's post-TFE world (avoiding spoilers here!) excellently executed and true to form.

[Faerieninja · Rating 5 out of 5]

As per usual, Somers does not disappoint with Avery Cates. This short story was like a tantalizing carrot dangled in front of a draft horse. So long as that carrot is there, I will follow wherever it leads.

[Peter Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Amazon review -

http://www.amazon.com/review/RB7DKTC7...

[Ray]

How can you not love Avery Cates?
Always in pain, always in a messed up situation. And always makes the best of it...

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Avery is a cockroach surviving the end of the world. I love the blood soaked bastard.