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Ray Electromatic Mysteries #0.5
Brisk Money
Raymond Chandler famously hated science fiction, saying “They pay brisk money for this crap?” However, it has recently come to light that Chandler secretly wrote a series of stories and novels starring a robot detective. He then burnt all the manuscripts and went on writing his noir masterpieces. Unknown to Chandler, his housekeeper had managed to save some of these discarded manuscripts from the grate in his study, preserving the tales for future generations.
The first of these stories was recently unearthed by author Adam Christopher. On the topic of how the manuscript made its way from Chandler’s study in California to Christopher’s home in England, Christopher is suspiciously quiet.
At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 23, 2014
13 people are currently reading
318 people want to read
About the author
Adam Christopher
48 books710 followersAdam Christopher is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith and Master of Evil, Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town. He has also written official tie-in novels for the hit CBS television show Elementary and the award-winning Dishonored video game franchise.
Co-creator of the twenty-first-century incarnation of Archie Comics superhero The Shield, Adam has also written for the universes of Doctor Who and World of Warcraft, and is a contributor to the internationally bestselling Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View anniversary anthology series and the all-ages Star Wars Adventures comic.
Adam’s original novels include Made to Kill and The Burning Dark, among many others, and his debut novel Empire State was both a SciFi Now and Financial Times book of the year.
Co-creator of the twenty-first-century incarnation of Archie Comics superhero The Shield, Adam has also written for the universes of Doctor Who and World of Warcraft, and is a contributor to the internationally bestselling Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View anniversary anthology series and the all-ages Star Wars Adventures comic.
Adam’s original novels include Made to Kill and The Burning Dark, among many others, and his debut novel Empire State was both a SciFi Now and Financial Times book of the year.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
February 15, 2017
Rating: 3.5* of five
What a delightful story, and I'm here to tell you the series it kicks off is fun as well.
Some minor lapses from the Hardboiled, eg "cereal packet" instead of "cereal box" and "jobseekers" instead of "Help Wanted", aside, Christopher's Chandler pastiche is a boatload of grins:
I tapped the side of my head that didn’t have a phone receiver pressed against it. My metal finger made a sound against my metal head like an abandoned engagement ring falling into a porcelain basin in a cheap hotel.
I had a very good time.
What a delightful story, and I'm here to tell you the series it kicks off is fun as well.
Some minor lapses from the Hardboiled, eg "cereal packet" instead of "cereal box" and "jobseekers" instead of "Help Wanted", aside, Christopher's Chandler pastiche is a boatload of grins:
I tapped the side of my head that didn’t have a phone receiver pressed against it. My metal finger made a sound against my metal head like an abandoned engagement ring falling into a porcelain basin in a cheap hotel.
I had a very good time.
December 13, 2016
#9 short story read. 4 stars.
Hard-boiled, noir, robot detective story. I've liked the style since I read the The Maltese Falcon many years ago. This story, too has the trench coat, the internal monologue, the bright and cheerful secretary.
Nice reveal of what's actually happening in this short story.
Hard-boiled, noir, robot detective story. I've liked the style since I read the The Maltese Falcon many years ago. This story, too has the trench coat, the internal monologue, the bright and cheerful secretary.
Nice reveal of what's actually happening in this short story.
January 13, 2021
This book is part of the Tor.com original fiction and was released as an ebook. I will say that as I think and type this I do not know the answer but it felt like this prequal book was written in response to details laid down in Made to Kill.
Do not get me wrong this is not a criticism more the fact if you hint at something then there is the drive to explain it and hey if it is is worth a story why not talk about it too. And yes this is a worthy story of how Ray came in to its current situation and employment.
That said I would not say that it is critical to the series or the characters development - that worked perfectly well without it - no this is pure fan service expanding and exploring Ray and his world a little bit more. I will say that having now read two (and working on a third) this is a fun world that Adam Christopher has created and its rich with stories. So now lets see where the next one goes?
Do not get me wrong this is not a criticism more the fact if you hint at something then there is the drive to explain it and hey if it is is worth a story why not talk about it too. And yes this is a worthy story of how Ray came in to its current situation and employment.
That said I would not say that it is critical to the series or the characters development - that worked perfectly well without it - no this is pure fan service expanding and exploring Ray and his world a little bit more. I will say that having now read two (and working on a third) this is a fun world that Adam Christopher has created and its rich with stories. So now lets see where the next one goes?
November 4, 2016
As part of Sci-Fi Month 2016, I'd made plans to read Adam Christopher's Made to Kill, but since this is a short prequel story it made sense to knock this one out of the way first. It's a quick read, roughly 30-odd pages, and provides a nice little introduction for what's ahead as Christopher's series get properly underway. Unfortunately, it's also a bit underwhelming and I'm not quite sure yet just how indispensable a read it may be.
What I did like was the small bit of world building that went into this short story. This is LA, circa 1962. Robots are a thing, and most of them have come and gone. Raymond Electromatic is one of the last ones, and he was built to carry a badge. He's a PI, but since he's been built with 60s era technology, his memory capacity is rather limited, which requires him to upload his memories every day to a 100-pound tape reel and scrub blank the tape already in his head while he recharges. And if this sounds somewhat problematic, well, you ain't no dummy then.
There's a minor mystery at work here, some murder, but mostly Brisk Money feels like a warm-up act for Made To Kill. It's a bit thin on story, with the focus primarily on the characters of Ray and his secretary, Ada. The ending provides a nice little twist, and this story ultimately succeeds for me because I'm even more intrigued by these character dynamics and the promise they show as I prepare to dive into the first book of the LA Trilogy next.
What I did like was the small bit of world building that went into this short story. This is LA, circa 1962. Robots are a thing, and most of them have come and gone. Raymond Electromatic is one of the last ones, and he was built to carry a badge. He's a PI, but since he's been built with 60s era technology, his memory capacity is rather limited, which requires him to upload his memories every day to a 100-pound tape reel and scrub blank the tape already in his head while he recharges. And if this sounds somewhat problematic, well, you ain't no dummy then.
There's a minor mystery at work here, some murder, but mostly Brisk Money feels like a warm-up act for Made To Kill. It's a bit thin on story, with the focus primarily on the characters of Ray and his secretary, Ada. The ending provides a nice little twist, and this story ultimately succeeds for me because I'm even more intrigued by these character dynamics and the promise they show as I prepare to dive into the first book of the LA Trilogy next.
May 6, 2017
I’ve gone about things a bit backwards, because I only read Brisk Money after already having read Made to Kill (and Standard Hollywood Depravity, too). So the twist in this tale was one I already knew. It’s still a fun short story; good set up for the later stories, and a good pastiche of Chandler’s general style — if not quite his flair at coining a phrase. It doesn’t take itself too seriously: honestly, all through it you can feel that the author is having fun. It’s Chandler-esque sci-fi, where Chandler called sci-fi fiction crap, and Christopher takes obvious joy in using the noir setting and bending it to take account of a robot detective.
I can’t promise it’ll blow your mind, but if a noir detective robot story appeals, then I can pretty much guarantee you’re going to have fun. It’s well-structured, too, which is also a delight to me in a short story.
Originally reviewed for breathesbooks.com.
I can’t promise it’ll blow your mind, but if a noir detective robot story appeals, then I can pretty much guarantee you’re going to have fun. It’s well-structured, too, which is also a delight to me in a short story.
Originally reviewed for breathesbooks.com.
September 24, 2014
Cute. Having never read Raymond Chandler I can't say how this matches his style, but the image of the noir detective rings true.
Pop corn for the brain.
Pop corn for the brain.
May 26, 2017
3.5 Stars. You will either love or hate Brisk Money‘s synopsis — luckily I’m in the former camp. Christopher’s confident prose gives readers a feeling of being in safe hands, and happy to ride shotgun with Ray on his journey of self-discovery.
Read full review >>
April 9, 2015
Rainy dark streets. Shady stakeouts. A robot in a trench coat and fedora? Indeed, Christopher captures the feel of Raymond Chandler's noir writing perfectly, but instead of Phillip Marlowe we have the circuitry of Ray the robot. A fun start to Adam Christopher's LA Trilogy. Looking forward to the next in series, Made to Kill.
February 27, 2022
'Brisk Money' (Ray Electromatic Mysteries #0.5) by Adam Christopher.
Rating: 4.0/5.
Disclaimer: This short story is free to read on Tor.com.
Review:
Raymond Chandler famously hated science fiction, saying “They pay brisk money for this crap?”. This noir sci-fi series is Adam Christopher's reply to Raymond Chandler which pays homage to his noir masterpieces.
Although a short story, it took a bit to get going, when it did get going, it was a delight to read. This serves as an origin story for the main character. The story as a whole isn't that great but gives a promising glimpse of things to come in the main series. Liked it! And would definitely read the main series soon.
Rating: 4.0/5.
Disclaimer: This short story is free to read on Tor.com.
Review:
Raymond Chandler famously hated science fiction, saying “They pay brisk money for this crap?”. This noir sci-fi series is Adam Christopher's reply to Raymond Chandler which pays homage to his noir masterpieces.
Although a short story, it took a bit to get going, when it did get going, it was a delight to read. This serves as an origin story for the main character. The story as a whole isn't that great but gives a promising glimpse of things to come in the main series. Liked it! And would definitely read the main series soon.
July 17, 2016
Lorsque vous ne disposez que de peu de temps, quoi de mieux qu'une nouvelle pour vous évader ! dans Brisk Money l'atmosphère est sombre, la logique implacable Ce n'est pas seulement le pouvoir du robot son éventuelle perception des évènements et des conséquences mais aussi sur l'importance de la mémoire ...
Une nouvelle qui fait froid dans le dos sans entrer dans le gore
Une nouvelle qui fait froid dans le dos sans entrer dans le gore
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September 3, 20143.5 stars
Apparently I'm in a Chandler noir rut. :)
Apparently I'm in a Chandler noir rut. :)
October 29, 2018
Review originally published on my blog: https://literaryportals.blogspot.com/...
What Made Me Read It
They had me at robot detective in the 1960's Hollywood. It's also a prequel to the Ray Electromatic Mysteries trilogy.
The Plot
Raymond Electromatic is a licensed private detective in 1960's Hollywood. He's also the last robot in existence. At six feet six inches tall, his memory capacity is limited to 24 hours only though, by which time he needs to upload all his memories from that day's work to bulky external tape reels and wipe clean his own small internal memory tape. Ada is a stationary complex AI, the size of an office. In the guise of Raymond's secretary she's in fact his handler. Ada manages all the cases and fills Raymond in on all the details he needs to do his job.
Everyday at oh-six-hundred hours Raymond wakes up renewed, with no memories of the previous day, and at precisely midnight he shuts down to recharge and backup the daily events. An unexpected power outage causes Raymond to wake up earlier than usual, with a memory fragment that survived the previous wipe and a mysterious package with five thousand dollars and a handgun inside his trench coat. Ada isn't talking so it's up to Raymond to investigate himself.
The Good
"Brisk Money" is a well structured novelette mashup of pulp fiction and classic science fiction. Despite its short length the author balances both genres successfully, with enough mystery and character development to keep us engaged throughout the whole plot.
As a prequel to the Ray Electromatic Mysteries trilogy, the novelette introduces the two main characters, Ray and Ada, and sets up the background for the novels with a final twist that is the basis for the trilogy. Ray is a robot private eye with a Bronx accent and a 24-hours only memory cycle. He's not out to destroy humanity, isn't anguished by existential doubts nor bound by Azimov's 3 laws of robotics. He just wants to do the job he was programmed for, and has enough human mannerisms inherited from his creator's mind template to act like a human, even if he doesn't have the physical ability to express them. Ada is the mastermind AI that manages the office and Raymond's daily routines. Through Raymond's eyes, or personal impressions while interacting with the AI (since she doesn't have a real physical presence), Ada comes across as the typical chain-smoking cheerful and sharp tongued secretary, programmed to make a profit out of the agency.
"Brisk Money" is told in the first person, from the perspective of the main character Raymond while on the case, trying to solve the mystery surrounding himself, Ada and the detective agency he works in. Both characters are fully fleshed out and Raymond's internal monologues, observations and interactions with Ada set up the right tone of a noir detective story, even if you're not familiar with the genre.
Final Rating
5 of 5 stars
"Brisk Money" is a short and well structured novelette with well developed characters, set in atmospheric Hollywood of the 1960's. Recommended for those who enjoy hard-boiled genre and classic robot stories.
What Made Me Read It
They had me at robot detective in the 1960's Hollywood. It's also a prequel to the Ray Electromatic Mysteries trilogy.
The Plot
Raymond Electromatic is a licensed private detective in 1960's Hollywood. He's also the last robot in existence. At six feet six inches tall, his memory capacity is limited to 24 hours only though, by which time he needs to upload all his memories from that day's work to bulky external tape reels and wipe clean his own small internal memory tape. Ada is a stationary complex AI, the size of an office. In the guise of Raymond's secretary she's in fact his handler. Ada manages all the cases and fills Raymond in on all the details he needs to do his job.
Everyday at oh-six-hundred hours Raymond wakes up renewed, with no memories of the previous day, and at precisely midnight he shuts down to recharge and backup the daily events. An unexpected power outage causes Raymond to wake up earlier than usual, with a memory fragment that survived the previous wipe and a mysterious package with five thousand dollars and a handgun inside his trench coat. Ada isn't talking so it's up to Raymond to investigate himself.
The Good
"Brisk Money" is a well structured novelette mashup of pulp fiction and classic science fiction. Despite its short length the author balances both genres successfully, with enough mystery and character development to keep us engaged throughout the whole plot.
As a prequel to the Ray Electromatic Mysteries trilogy, the novelette introduces the two main characters, Ray and Ada, and sets up the background for the novels with a final twist that is the basis for the trilogy. Ray is a robot private eye with a Bronx accent and a 24-hours only memory cycle. He's not out to destroy humanity, isn't anguished by existential doubts nor bound by Azimov's 3 laws of robotics. He just wants to do the job he was programmed for, and has enough human mannerisms inherited from his creator's mind template to act like a human, even if he doesn't have the physical ability to express them. Ada is the mastermind AI that manages the office and Raymond's daily routines. Through Raymond's eyes, or personal impressions while interacting with the AI (since she doesn't have a real physical presence), Ada comes across as the typical chain-smoking cheerful and sharp tongued secretary, programmed to make a profit out of the agency.
"Brisk Money" is told in the first person, from the perspective of the main character Raymond while on the case, trying to solve the mystery surrounding himself, Ada and the detective agency he works in. Both characters are fully fleshed out and Raymond's internal monologues, observations and interactions with Ada set up the right tone of a noir detective story, even if you're not familiar with the genre.
Final Rating
5 of 5 stars
"Brisk Money" is a short and well structured novelette with well developed characters, set in atmospheric Hollywood of the 1960's. Recommended for those who enjoy hard-boiled genre and classic robot stories.
March 7, 2018
Technically the prequel novelette to Made to Kill, Brisk Money follows the early adventures of Ray Electromatic through his tragic origin. Watching him investigate himself and Ada was interesting and fun, but I would NOT recommend reading this before Made to Kill because it gives away a bit too much that is more interesting as a surprise in that work.
August 31, 2019
I only found out about this after reading Made to Kill. It only gave me a little more information, some of the things that happen in this are referenced in Made to Kill but I just read it for peace of mind so I can continue the series and not miss anything important!
If you love noir style America then you may like these books. Spies, espionage anything along those lines.
If you love noir style America then you may like these books. Spies, espionage anything along those lines.
May 7, 2017
Way too short.
I was swept up in the noire feeling and the constant memory hiccups of the protagonist. His struggle to do the right thing against the real force pushing him otherwise made it believable and kept me swiping left.
I was swept up in the noire feeling and the constant memory hiccups of the protagonist. His struggle to do the right thing against the real force pushing him otherwise made it believable and kept me swiping left.
October 27, 2019
3.5 stars rounded up because I'll read more. This was a good short story about how Ray became Ray. Definitely was good to read after the first one and I look forward to reading more. Ray is a unique character, a good series so far.
December 30, 2022
I had read the first book Made to Kill some time ago. Reading this short story was a way to get back into the Ray Electronic world before starting the next story. Great pacing and capturing the feel of a Raymond Chandler style story with a sci-fi feel.
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February 9, 2024This is a series I've had my eye on for a while now. This short story was interesting. I'll look to pick up the first book in the series to continue to see what it's about. It reminds me a little of the Murderbot series, another good one to get into.
July 27, 2017
"just" a novella. But I enjoyed it. Going to the Library to pickup the next book now.
August 2, 2017
Prequel to the series. A robot P.I.! Too cool!! Very entertaining.
August 13, 2017
The start of a profitable business. Is a detective business or a hit for hire?
August 29, 2017
Good little story to get me primed for the first full book. It read a little slow, and I'm hoping the first book doesn't have the same kind of pace. Not a bad first outing though.
October 3, 2017
really enjoyed this a prologue!
October 25, 2018
Loved it!
Cant really say much without giving it away. But man I am so ready to read the rest of this series!
Cant really say much without giving it away. But man I am so ready to read the rest of this series!
March 18, 2021
Without knowing much else of the series this short story really set a tone for me. It's a neat introduction to the setting and the main characters are great.
June 15, 2024
Neither suitably hardboiled, nor witty, nor substantially ethical, this work was mostly a drag.
August 25, 2017
The prequel
to the brilliant series
by Christopher
that combines 50s
noir detective and scifi.
Ray Electromatic
is a robot private detective.
Prowling the seedy
underworld of LA.
Solving cases
with the help of the AI
Ada.
But what is her
Prime Directive?
Does it conflict with Ray's?
to the brilliant series
by Christopher
that combines 50s
noir detective and scifi.
Ray Electromatic
is a robot private detective.
Prowling the seedy
underworld of LA.
Solving cases
with the help of the AI
Ada.
But what is her
Prime Directive?
Does it conflict with Ray's?
October 6, 2014
While looking through the stories at TOR.com, I found this gem. It's a NOIR story set in the 1960s, about a ROBOT DETECTIVE. All those things in caps were enough to grab my interest. As soon as I got started I was hooked.
Ray is a robot. With a Bronx accent. He's also a detective who solves the cases the brains of the operation, Googol, gives him. Seriously, she's totally in control because they're connected to the same mainframe. He's a nice enough chap who's pretty good at his job. Even if his memory only lasts for 24 hours and then resets. All his memories are backed up, so he starts every new day fresh. But when a strange man jumps into his car and makes him drive to a warehouse late at night, he's able to remember this fragment even after the reboot.
It's enough to make him wonder. It's enough to make him investigate.
OMG. This is an amazing story. I loved Ray. He's so cool, and really a great detective. Googol is quite the mastermind, and full of surprises. I loved the twist at the end.
This is a great story. I loved it!
I just found out that this is going to become a trilogy called The LA Trilogy. I'll be sure to check it out, that's for sure.
You can read the story here: http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/07/br...
Ray is a robot. With a Bronx accent. He's also a detective who solves the cases the brains of the operation, Googol, gives him. Seriously, she's totally in control because they're connected to the same mainframe. He's a nice enough chap who's pretty good at his job. Even if his memory only lasts for 24 hours and then resets. All his memories are backed up, so he starts every new day fresh. But when a strange man jumps into his car and makes him drive to a warehouse late at night, he's able to remember this fragment even after the reboot.
It's enough to make him wonder. It's enough to make him investigate.
OMG. This is an amazing story. I loved Ray. He's so cool, and really a great detective. Googol is quite the mastermind, and full of surprises. I loved the twist at the end.
This is a great story. I loved it!
I just found out that this is going to become a trilogy called The LA Trilogy. I'll be sure to check it out, that's for sure.
You can read the story here: http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/07/br...
December 25, 2015
Noir is usually hit or miss with me - I love the genre best when it's not being taken seriously, like in Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, or in the Guy Noir segments of Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion.
Brisk Money falls perfectly into the goofy noir category.
I'm not going to say too much about the plot, because it's best to follow the twists and turns without advance warning. Just know that it involves a robit programmed to be a detective. With a Bronx accent. And a 24 hour memory cycle.
Apparently there's going to be a series based on this short. I'm torn on whether or not I want to read it. On one hand, I enjoyed the story a lot. On the other...it's all post-Brisk Money. The twist has already been twisted. Where can it go from there?
Brisk Money falls perfectly into the goofy noir category.
I'm not going to say too much about the plot, because it's best to follow the twists and turns without advance warning. Just know that it involves a robit programmed to be a detective. With a Bronx accent. And a 24 hour memory cycle.
Apparently there's going to be a series based on this short. I'm torn on whether or not I want to read it. On one hand, I enjoyed the story a lot. On the other...it's all post-Brisk Money. The twist has already been twisted. Where can it go from there?
May 28, 2016
Brisk Money started slowly, then rapidly became fantastic! It combines noir mystery with an interesting scifi edge, but with an old fashioned aesthetic. The story takes place n the 1960s and follows a robot who was designed to be a detective. He keeps having memory issues, and he investigates himself, leading to some chilling discoveries... Christopher balances his genres well, and the story is very satisfying.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews