What do you think?
Rate this book
Fox Meridian #6
The Ghost in the Doll
Fox has undergone a pretty big change in her life. For one thing, her batteries need charging each night, but her confidence has taken a hit too. When you’re questioning the choices you’ve made, a good way to start is at the beginning. Fox returns to Topeka where people are dying due to faulty implanted organs.
Meanwhile, Yuriko Fukui has been looking into a potential case of corporate espionage concerning one of MarTech’s subsidiaries, BioTek Microtechnologies. Someone has beaten them to market with the world’s first bioroid, an artificially manufactured, biological entity. The ‘Ghost Dolls’ are strange beings: beautiful women with plastic skin and far beyond the technology their manufacturers are thought to possess. Yuriko quickly finds herself at odds with her brother, the leader of the most powerful yakuza organisation in Japan.
When Fox joins Yuriko on the case, they soon uncover the truth behind the Ghost Dolls, and it’s something far more horrific than the selling of corporate secrets.
Meanwhile, Yuriko Fukui has been looking into a potential case of corporate espionage concerning one of MarTech’s subsidiaries, BioTek Microtechnologies. Someone has beaten them to market with the world’s first bioroid, an artificially manufactured, biological entity. The ‘Ghost Dolls’ are strange beings: beautiful women with plastic skin and far beyond the technology their manufacturers are thought to possess. Yuriko quickly finds herself at odds with her brother, the leader of the most powerful yakuza organisation in Japan.
When Fox joins Yuriko on the case, they soon uncover the truth behind the Ghost Dolls, and it’s something far more horrific than the selling of corporate secrets.
207 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 22, 2016
About the author
Niall Teasdale
74 books294 followersI was born in the vicinity of Hadrian's Wall so perhaps a bit of history rubbed off. Ancient history obviously, and border history, right on the edge of the Empire. I always preferred the Dark Ages anyway; there’s so much more room for imagination when people aren’t writing down every last detail. So my idea of a good fantasy novel involved dirt and leather, not shining plate armour and Hollywood-medieval manners. The same applies to my sci-fi, really; I prefer gritty over shiny.
Oddly, then, one of the first fantasy novels I remember reading was The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper (later made into a terrible juvenile movie). These days we would call Cooper’s series Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy and looking back on it, it influenced me a lot. It has that mix of modern day life, hidden history, and magic which failed to hit popular culture until the early days of Buffy and Anne Rice. Of course, Cooper’s characters spend their time around places I could actually visit in Cornwall, and South East England, and mid-Wales. In fact, when I went to university in Aberystwyth, it was partially because some of Cooper’s books were set a few miles to the north around Tywyn.
I got into writing through roleplaying, however, so my early work was related to the kind of roleplaying game I was interested in. I wrote “high fantasy” when I was playing Dungeons & Dragons. I wrote a lot of superhero fiction when I was playing City of Heroes. I still loved the idea of a modern world with magic in it and I’ve been trying to write a novel based on this for a long time. As with any form of expression, practice is the key and I can look back on all the aborted attempts at books, and the more successful short stories, as steps along the path to the Thaumatology Series.
As of 2015, I have thrown in my lot with writing. After thirty years of being a computer programmer I am making enough money to quit the day job and write full time. Dreams, occasionally, come true. My favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, Susan Cooper, and (recently) Kim Harrison. Kim’s Hollows books were what finally spurred me to publish something, even if the trail to here came by way of Susan, back in school, several decades ago.
Oddly, then, one of the first fantasy novels I remember reading was The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper (later made into a terrible juvenile movie). These days we would call Cooper’s series Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy and looking back on it, it influenced me a lot. It has that mix of modern day life, hidden history, and magic which failed to hit popular culture until the early days of Buffy and Anne Rice. Of course, Cooper’s characters spend their time around places I could actually visit in Cornwall, and South East England, and mid-Wales. In fact, when I went to university in Aberystwyth, it was partially because some of Cooper’s books were set a few miles to the north around Tywyn.
I got into writing through roleplaying, however, so my early work was related to the kind of roleplaying game I was interested in. I wrote “high fantasy” when I was playing Dungeons & Dragons. I wrote a lot of superhero fiction when I was playing City of Heroes. I still loved the idea of a modern world with magic in it and I’ve been trying to write a novel based on this for a long time. As with any form of expression, practice is the key and I can look back on all the aborted attempts at books, and the more successful short stories, as steps along the path to the Thaumatology Series.
As of 2015, I have thrown in my lot with writing. After thirty years of being a computer programmer I am making enough money to quit the day job and write full time. Dreams, occasionally, come true. My favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, Susan Cooper, and (recently) Kim Harrison. Kim’s Hollows books were what finally spurred me to publish something, even if the trail to here came by way of Susan, back in school, several decades ago.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 14, 2017
This may be my favorite Fox Meridian novel thus far.
Fox has had some changes. No longer a human of flesh and blood, but an Infomorph in a Gynoid body, she has to come to terms with her new life. No longer quite sure of the direction her life should take, she takes some time off at her parents. Now Fox has to slowly rebuild her confidence and re-find her place in the world.
Yeah I really liked this novel. I though that Teasdale may have 'jumped the proverbial shark' in the last novel by making her an Infomorph, but thus far I like it. A bit different and a bit weird, but Fox is still Fox and her book remain fun.
Fox has had some changes. No longer a human of flesh and blood, but an Infomorph in a Gynoid body, she has to come to terms with her new life. No longer quite sure of the direction her life should take, she takes some time off at her parents. Now Fox has to slowly rebuild her confidence and re-find her place in the world.
Yeah I really liked this novel. I though that Teasdale may have 'jumped the proverbial shark' in the last novel by making her an Infomorph, but thus far I like it. A bit different and a bit weird, but Fox is still Fox and her book remain fun.
August 29, 2016
Fox is back on Earth after having her mind turned into an Informorph and a robotic frame. She's spends a little time in introspection trying to decide how her new circumstances affect her sense of self before launching herself into solving crimes. Overall, it's a decent read: fun, a little action, and poses some interesting moral dilemmas concerning artificial life (not just AIs) and their future in society and the legal code.
My biggest beef with the book is more an issue I have with the author: the male characters are weak and reek hyper-feminists view of men. The male characters are either a sex toy, a piggy bank, or a bad guy, and a moronic bad guy at that. It's getting really, really old.
The other problem is Fox is now a near carbon copy of Aneka Jensen: organic intelligence shoved into an artificial body, carries a hand cannon, and goes after bad guys with little effort since her artificial body can take remarkable amounts of damage.
My biggest beef with the book is more an issue I have with the author: the male characters are weak and reek hyper-feminists view of men. The male characters are either a sex toy, a piggy bank, or a bad guy, and a moronic bad guy at that. It's getting really, really old.
The other problem is Fox is now a near carbon copy of Aneka Jensen: organic intelligence shoved into an artificial body, carries a hand cannon, and goes after bad guys with little effort since her artificial body can take remarkable amounts of damage.
September 1, 2016
Starting with what I don't like: The cover repels me more than attract to this book. And the parallels with Aneka start to become overwhelming. The cast starts to get too big Okay, and the part of Vali gets smaller and smaller, which I think he doesn't deserve.
Why did I give four stars? Because this series started rather boring police procedure and gets better with every book. The first part - Fox meeting her parents after her big change - was great. The two mysteries she solved were well thought out, and with enough foreshadowing so you could guess whodunit, but would not be sure until the end.
I also like the insight into Japanese culture.
The book hooked me and I finished it in just three days. I enjoyed it, and that justifies the four stars.
Why did I give four stars? Because this series started rather boring police procedure and gets better with every book. The first part - Fox meeting her parents after her big change - was great. The two mysteries she solved were well thought out, and with enough foreshadowing so you could guess whodunit, but would not be sure until the end.
I also like the insight into Japanese culture.
The book hooked me and I finished it in just three days. I enjoyed it, and that justifies the four stars.
October 3, 2016
At first I was concerned that after the events in book 5, Fox was going to become a retread of Aneka Jansen, complete with the on-board AI companion. While Fox and Aneka can be basically swapped out at this point, I appreciate the difference in settings more.
In The Ghost in the Doll, we get to see how the changes made to Fox affects her friends and loved ones, and also how society at large reacts to her new condition. This was something that we didn't get to see in the Aneka Jansen series, as the world Aneka originally existed in was long gone by the start of the first book.
In The Ghost in the Doll, we get to see how the changes made to Fox affects her friends and loved ones, and also how society at large reacts to her new condition. This was something that we didn't get to see in the Aneka Jansen series, as the world Aneka originally existed in was long gone by the start of the first book.
August 23, 2016
Great as usual!
Absolutely love these books. Couldn't put it down! I'm not going into much about the story because as it's book 6 you should have read the other 5 and I don't want to give anything away. If you have read the other 5 please do so!
Absolutely love these books. Couldn't put it down! I'm not going into much about the story because as it's book 6 you should have read the other 5 and I don't want to give anything away. If you have read the other 5 please do so!
September 1, 2016
Good book
I was very interested in reading about how Fox adapted to her new form and this book didn't disappoint in discussing some of the issues while also allowing us to see the old Fox as well.
I was very interested in reading about how Fox adapted to her new form and this book didn't disappoint in discussing some of the issues while also allowing us to see the old Fox as well.
September 2, 2016
I enjoyed this one. Even though this is a very close cousin
to his Aneka Jansen books and Really fox is just a slightly different
version of Aneka i can over look it all. I just enjoy reading his work!!
to his Aneka Jansen books and Really fox is just a slightly different
version of Aneka i can over look it all. I just enjoy reading his work!!
September 5, 2016
This story a continuation of the previous book is as usual another amazing read.
I am looking forward to the next instalment.
I am looking forward to the next instalment.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews