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Edward Maret: A Novel of the Future
The Count of Monte Cristo meets Robocop!If you love tortured heroes in impossible situations facing long odds with little chance of success...but who know how to rise to a challenge and who never give up, then you will love Edward Maret!
>>>A futuristic space opera that is both epic and philosophicalEdward Maret is a happy man. He is young rich, carefree and engaged to be married, but Edward Maret has enemies. His cousin Philip wants his money. Vincent FitzMichael wants his fiancee, and Jason Deseret, a man with a dangerous secret, fears that Edward Maret can destroy him.
>>>A new life beyond recognitionSix years later, the cyborg corps is humanity's first line of defense against the alien Kliya, and cyborg AX-17 is one of the swift, skilled and deadly. His memories stolen from him, his face and body mutilated beyond recognition, cyborg A-17 has no choice but to obey the orders of his human masters, until AX-17 is unexpectedly set free, and Edward Maret returns, to seek revenge.
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>>>A futuristic space opera that is both epic and philosophicalEdward Maret is a happy man. He is young rich, carefree and engaged to be married, but Edward Maret has enemies. His cousin Philip wants his money. Vincent FitzMichael wants his fiancee, and Jason Deseret, a man with a dangerous secret, fears that Edward Maret can destroy him.
>>>A new life beyond recognitionSix years later, the cyborg corps is humanity's first line of defense against the alien Kliya, and cyborg AX-17 is one of the swift, skilled and deadly. His memories stolen from him, his face and body mutilated beyond recognition, cyborg A-17 has no choice but to obey the orders of his human masters, until AX-17 is unexpectedly set free, and Edward Maret returns, to seek revenge.
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279 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2001
47 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Robert I. Katz
40 books24 followersRobert I. Katz attended Columbia College and Northwestern University Medical School, and is on the faculty of the State University of New York at Stony Brook. His first novel, Edward Maret was published by Willowgate in 2001 and won the ASA Literary Prize that year.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 26, 2017
Robert Katz's EDWARD MARET touches all the bases: cyborgs, aliens, cyberspace, Thomas Aquinas, DNA, trips across the galaxy, political intrigue, betrayal, love, and more. And Katz serves it up in a snappily written, evocative style, plangent with memorable images, details, and metaphor. Katz is an author to watch; meanwhile, enjoy his debut novel.
November 18, 2024
I enjoyed this book. It has echoes of The Count of Monte Christo, but also is a sci-fi story about genetic engineering (a subject which has long fascinated me), and the basic human struggles of a tortured hero who doesn’t give up. That is the heart of this wonderful and fascinating story. I finished it in a day, grabbing every spare chance to read. The characterizations are deep and raw. That’s what held me: Maret’s conflict is palpable as he struggles against terrible injustice, starts to succeed, and then realizes that his vengeance will cause suffering to innocent people. This conflict is unusual in stories of good guys against evil. Again, it’s what kept me reading. It’s a marvelous book and a great read!
November 28, 2025
***** A Unique Tale
Starting out with the overweight teenager Edward and his familial issues, then meeting Joanna who quickly becomes special to him, it seems like an ordinary story of the growth of a typical love relationship. But soon, it becomes far from that. Things begin to happen. Things, such as the non-empathetic Cyborg AX-17 presence, where those in charge obviously don’t care about humans.
Amidst marriage issues, jealousy, possessiveness, remembrance of former love, and complexities of life, the reader is also exposed to the idea of the new enemies of the state, thrilled at their full takeover, and how to actually feel horror.
A packed and well-told story, I definitely recommend it!
Starting out with the overweight teenager Edward and his familial issues, then meeting Joanna who quickly becomes special to him, it seems like an ordinary story of the growth of a typical love relationship. But soon, it becomes far from that. Things begin to happen. Things, such as the non-empathetic Cyborg AX-17 presence, where those in charge obviously don’t care about humans.
Amidst marriage issues, jealousy, possessiveness, remembrance of former love, and complexities of life, the reader is also exposed to the idea of the new enemies of the state, thrilled at their full takeover, and how to actually feel horror.
A packed and well-told story, I definitely recommend it!
August 29, 2024
Dark like Batman's nightmares
I keep wanting to picture Bruce Wayne turned into a cyborg with a brain wipe. The story is dark, with lost loves and little hope. Lots of lead up and a long simmer before revenge is acted on. But at least a semi happy ending so I can sleep at night. And in the middle, how do you deal with the possibility of living forever in a virtual world? It's a complicated story.
I keep wanting to picture Bruce Wayne turned into a cyborg with a brain wipe. The story is dark, with lost loves and little hope. Lots of lead up and a long simmer before revenge is acted on. But at least a semi happy ending so I can sleep at night. And in the middle, how do you deal with the possibility of living forever in a virtual world? It's a complicated story.
September 25, 2019
intriguing humanity and cyborgs
This is one book that had me reading at every chance I had.
The main character going through so much, not doing spoiler though you must read for yourself.
Definitely an author that I will follow. I plan to read the rest of his writings.
This is one book that had me reading at every chance I had.
The main character going through so much, not doing spoiler though you must read for yourself.
Definitely an author that I will follow. I plan to read the rest of his writings.
September 2, 2020
Great read!
Loved the book and the parallels to Monte Cristo. It also brought up thoughtful questions about how we’re living life now and where we’re going. I was surprised at how touching the story became as it progressed. Yay for Edward!
Loved the book and the parallels to Monte Cristo. It also brought up thoughtful questions about how we’re living life now and where we’re going. I was surprised at how touching the story became as it progressed. Yay for Edward!
August 14, 2019
Interesting
Found it to be entertaining. Peaked my interest and couldn’t put it down till I was finished. Would recommend it.
Found it to be entertaining. Peaked my interest and couldn’t put it down till I was finished. Would recommend it.
April 13, 2020
Epic
Intricate and well told. Could be a story of revenge but it is much more.
Action and phylisophy seemlessly merged.
Intricate and well told. Could be a story of revenge but it is much more.
Action and phylisophy seemlessly merged.
April 18, 2020
It's good but vague
It's a really good involved story but I felt it was vague in some areas that could've used a little more fleshing out.
It's a really good involved story but I felt it was vague in some areas that could've used a little more fleshing out.
September 11, 2020
4.5
This was a remarkably well done storyline. Although I knew it would be one of redemption, I enjoyed the writing. Only it’s predictability kept it from being a 5.
This was a remarkably well done storyline. Although I knew it would be one of redemption, I enjoyed the writing. Only it’s predictability kept it from being a 5.
September 22, 2013
In this futuristic retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, Edward Maret is a happy man. He is engaged to a women he loves and destined to inherit a bountiful estate. Little does he know that he has enemies who are prepared to betray him because they covet what he has. Denounced as a revolutionary and condemned by a corrupt judge, Edward is turned into a mindless cyborg and sent to kill any who threaten his world. When he is eventually freed from the mind control, his first thought is of revenge…
At the heart of the original novel is the story of how betrayal and an obsession with revenge can make even the nicest of people become cruel. I think this book did a great job preserving that message and even brought it to the forefront by sharing with us Edward’s introspection after he is betrayed. This deeper understanding of Edward made it a little easier to empathize with him, as did the fact that what happens to him in this book seems far more terrible than what happened to him in the original. He still becomes an unlikeable, cruel person but it’s easier to understand where that’s coming from.
The plot was a bit disappointing. A book could easily be as complex as the original without being as long by writing more concisely and eliminating the many digressions. This book does both of those things, but also loses the complexity. It seems like Edward’s enemies largely self-destruct. His plots are far less elegantly intricate and even when he does do something interesting, it’s often mentioned in passing. On the other hand, the world building was very good. A fascinating and believable universe was created and every detail of that universe enhanced the story. Over all, I thought this was a very unique and well executed modernization of this classic.
This review first published on Doing Dewey.
At the heart of the original novel is the story of how betrayal and an obsession with revenge can make even the nicest of people become cruel. I think this book did a great job preserving that message and even brought it to the forefront by sharing with us Edward’s introspection after he is betrayed. This deeper understanding of Edward made it a little easier to empathize with him, as did the fact that what happens to him in this book seems far more terrible than what happened to him in the original. He still becomes an unlikeable, cruel person but it’s easier to understand where that’s coming from.
The plot was a bit disappointing. A book could easily be as complex as the original without being as long by writing more concisely and eliminating the many digressions. This book does both of those things, but also loses the complexity. It seems like Edward’s enemies largely self-destruct. His plots are far less elegantly intricate and even when he does do something interesting, it’s often mentioned in passing. On the other hand, the world building was very good. A fascinating and believable universe was created and every detail of that universe enhanced the story. Over all, I thought this was a very unique and well executed modernization of this classic.
This review first published on Doing Dewey.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews