Shadowrun 31: Technobabel

Shadowrun Novels #31

by Stephen Kenson

A MEGA-BYTE BLOW-OUT IN 21ST CENTURY BOSTON

He awoke in a body bag, his brain fried, a black hole where his memory should be. If not for the cool carbon-fiber blade concealed in the bones of his arm, he would've been dead for sure. But Michael Bishop - a.k.a. Babel, messiah of the Matrix - is back in the game.

Renraku Computer Systems has defied the accords of the Corporate Court. Now they must decipher the secrets of the otaku - and Babel is the technoshaman reborn for the job. But Netwalking in the shadows of the electron jungle means initiation into deadly megacorporate intrigue - and discovering more about Babel's own team than he fears he should know. As allies become adversaries, Babel breaks through the dreaded black ice security to find a doorway to the future - and signs of a corp war looming on the horizon - one that could destroy the technoworld and beyond... forever.

Genres: Cyberpunk, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Role Playing Games, Urban Fantasy, Gaming

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1998

Reviews

[Seth Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is less to do with a team of Shadowrunners and more to do with the underbelly and maneuvering of the megacorps. Following, Babel, a man that has become a very valuable pawn in a quiet conflict between two of the megacorps, this book focuses more on the different factions within the corps and how they go about getting their way. This book is great for world-building and seeing how the megacorps function and build their schemes within each other, but it's not great if you are looking for a book about a team of shadowrunners on a mission.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't stop buying Kenson Books. I really enjoy reading about talon and his rag-tag bunch of shadowrunners!

[Björn Seidel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first Shadowrun book apart from the big Shadowrun Compendium to play like 20 years back. There is a lot to like about this book.

The worldbuilding is really fantastic and I got to know some very special characters. Babel - the main protagonist has an interesting story and it is slowly revealed to us and him, but all this happens rather slowly. I could have done without the council/megacorp meetups, but they might find their friends too and I get why they are there. There is a lot of deep lore to be found in this book. So the start of the book is great, then I felt like for 150 or so nothing really interesting happens, and then a great Shadowrun happens and crosses over with Babel's story and it culminates in a good ending, only to be followed by some council meeting and bigger world stuff.

Solid book all around. I will look for more straightforward Shadowrun books about runs and without the bigger world. I guess this is a good mix for some, but not for me. I would have liked more action and a couple of Street-level Shadowrunners.

[David Strašák · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually a very nice book from the shadowrun saga. The book is not that action packed, but it is written well and has interesting characters, though unfortunately I feel like the main character is not that central to the story.
This book also builds on existing lore (I for one found references to the Headhunters shadowrun book) of the shadowrunning World and if you play the game, you will learn a little more about Renraku and Fuchi and their leading characters.
Finally this book also introduces the technomancers in an interesting way.
I'm very glad I've read this one :D. Finally a book with tie ins to the game lore!

[Christoph Weber · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story dragged on quite a bit. It took a hundred pages to get going a little bit and the first actian happens around p200, so almost halfway through. Yeah, it's fun enough when the shadowrun actually starts! But that doesn't help it to much overall...

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review here:

https://jamesgenrebooks.blogspot.com/...

It hold up well and makes for a fun read.