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Bengal Station #1
Necropath
Science fiction meets crime noir, as Jeff Vaughan, jaded telepath, employed by the spaceport authorities on Bengal Station, discovers a sinister cult that worships a mysterious alien god. We follow Vaughan as he attempts to solve the murders and save himself from the psychopath out to kill him. This is Eric Brown's triumphant return to hard SF.
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
21 people are currently reading
559 people want to read
About the author
Eric Brown
386 books188 followersEric Brown was a British science fiction author and Guardian critic.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
December 4, 2013
[He] sensed their minds, a tangle of thoughts and memories that impinged upon his consciousness in waves of words and images, too weak and impressionistic at this distance to cause him distress.
Right off the bat, in the first few pages of Necropath I came across some very nice descriptive passages that somehow seemed to encapsulate a lot of what I enjoy about Science Fiction and the sense of wonder it can evoke.
To the west, over India, constellations rose in the indigo expanse of the hot night sky. Many of the stars harboured inhabited worlds, planets settled from Earth or occupied by sentient alien species— but they appeared tonight as they had for aeons: bright points of light scintillating in the interstellar darkness.
Here’s the thing: I believe that we can, and should read books that touch us on different levels. Some books have a lot of intellectual value, while others just strum some primal chord. And it is true that not all people enjoy the same thing, which is what makes reviewing books such a potentially tricky business.
A hundred metres across the deck, the Pride of Xerxes was secure in its berth, the captive of a hundred magnetic grabs and grapples—a monstrous praying mantis fashioned from grey steel, its company colours excoriated by passage through the void. To complete the image of a captured insect, a dozen engineers swarmed over its carapace like tiny predators.
But (and this is important): despite all the mention of stars and spaceships, this isn’t actually a space travelly kind of novel at all. This is a future noir novel (with a touch of horror) that has more in common with Blade Runner than Star Wars. Oh, there are aliens, and they are central to the story, but other than one quick outing to a distant planet, most of the action takes place on Earth. And, more specifically, on Bengal Station.
Bengal Station was a cultural amalgam of Calcutta and Bangkok: on the upper-deck the latest polycarbon architecture designed in India and Thailand created a state-of-the art skyline, while overhead fliers mach’d along colour-coded air corridors.
The nineteen levels below were enclosed, each shelf a claustrophobic hive-city of corridors, walkways, and roads between cramped, two-storey structures, inhabited by citizens who never saw the light of day for years on end.
So, Necropath: it is a distressing and uneasy read containing themes like child prostitution, human trafficking, gender based violence, racial stereotyping, social stratification, false religion and exploitation (to name but a few). It also contains some sex scenes that make Ringworld’s rishathra pale in comparison (yes, with Aliens – so cringe away if you must). Finally, there’s a good old Lovecraftian theme here, what with mysterious alien gods and sinister cults.
”Your god is evil.”
In the end I quite enjoyed it! It’s edgy and gritty, and violent when you want it to be. That’s Noir for you. And of course, I especially liked the cynical (telepathic) lead character…
“Tell me, what are you doing here if you’re not mourning?"
"I’ve come to sneer," he said.
All in all a rewarding experience.
Right off the bat, in the first few pages of Necropath I came across some very nice descriptive passages that somehow seemed to encapsulate a lot of what I enjoy about Science Fiction and the sense of wonder it can evoke.
To the west, over India, constellations rose in the indigo expanse of the hot night sky. Many of the stars harboured inhabited worlds, planets settled from Earth or occupied by sentient alien species— but they appeared tonight as they had for aeons: bright points of light scintillating in the interstellar darkness.
Here’s the thing: I believe that we can, and should read books that touch us on different levels. Some books have a lot of intellectual value, while others just strum some primal chord. And it is true that not all people enjoy the same thing, which is what makes reviewing books such a potentially tricky business.
A hundred metres across the deck, the Pride of Xerxes was secure in its berth, the captive of a hundred magnetic grabs and grapples—a monstrous praying mantis fashioned from grey steel, its company colours excoriated by passage through the void. To complete the image of a captured insect, a dozen engineers swarmed over its carapace like tiny predators.
But (and this is important): despite all the mention of stars and spaceships, this isn’t actually a space travelly kind of novel at all. This is a future noir novel (with a touch of horror) that has more in common with Blade Runner than Star Wars. Oh, there are aliens, and they are central to the story, but other than one quick outing to a distant planet, most of the action takes place on Earth. And, more specifically, on Bengal Station.
Bengal Station was a cultural amalgam of Calcutta and Bangkok: on the upper-deck the latest polycarbon architecture designed in India and Thailand created a state-of-the art skyline, while overhead fliers mach’d along colour-coded air corridors.
The nineteen levels below were enclosed, each shelf a claustrophobic hive-city of corridors, walkways, and roads between cramped, two-storey structures, inhabited by citizens who never saw the light of day for years on end.
So, Necropath: it is a distressing and uneasy read containing themes like child prostitution, human trafficking, gender based violence, racial stereotyping, social stratification, false religion and exploitation (to name but a few). It also contains some sex scenes that make Ringworld’s rishathra pale in comparison (yes, with Aliens – so cringe away if you must). Finally, there’s a good old Lovecraftian theme here, what with mysterious alien gods and sinister cults.
”Your god is evil.”
In the end I quite enjoyed it! It’s edgy and gritty, and violent when you want it to be. That’s Noir for you. And of course, I especially liked the cynical (telepathic) lead character…
“Tell me, what are you doing here if you’re not mourning?"
"I’ve come to sneer," he said.
All in all a rewarding experience.
May 3, 2016
In "Necropath" by Eric Brown our POV character is Jeff Vaughan a telepath working for a security company in Bengal Station, an interstellar port. His job is to detect illegal smuggling that is always going on.
One of the biggest problems Vaughan must deal with is a potent new drug called Rhapsody which is quickly taking over the entire planet.
As Vaughan's investigations begin to uncover the sinister nature of those distributing the drug he discovers the Church of the Adoration of the Chosen One, a cult intent on spreading it's message across the universe.
This is a great novel combining mystery/detection with some great science fiction.
Recommended.
This was an ARC copy.
One of the biggest problems Vaughan must deal with is a potent new drug called Rhapsody which is quickly taking over the entire planet.
As Vaughan's investigations begin to uncover the sinister nature of those distributing the drug he discovers the Church of the Adoration of the Chosen One, a cult intent on spreading it's message across the universe.
This is a great novel combining mystery/detection with some great science fiction.
Recommended.
This was an ARC copy.
August 19, 2019
Arrakis.
Paradise.
Chasm City.
Sometimes the real star of an SF novel is its setting – a fascinating world filled with characters, creatures and cultures that draw you in, and stay in your memory long after the story’s characters have faded.
Eric Brown’s Bengal Station, the setting for Necropath is one such setting.
Like the half-sunken Bangkok of Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Windup Girl, Brown’s Bengal Station is a fantastic future vision of a dystopian high-tech Asia, where ancient cultures, high tech, and environmental pressures all mix together into a heady and memorable brew.
Off the coast of India and Burma sits a vast spaceport, it’s many cavernous floors filled with teeming thousands of Thais, Indians, port personnel and the occasional alien visiting from far flung stars. The air is thick with spices and the smells of humans in close quarters, the ears of any walking through it assailed with Thai, Bengali, Hindi, English and the many other languages of the polyglot residents within. Drugs, sex, luxury, and dangerous religions: all are available at a price.
This is Bengal station.
Against this prismatic background we follow a strange and psychologically crippled man – Jeff Vaughan, a telepath and employee of the station who is tasked with reading the minds of the people who visit, looking for criminals, terrorists and smugglers whose varied disguises do not protect them from the mind-scanning Vaughan employs.
Vaughan’s life as a mind reader has wrecked him emotionally. Never able to escape from the background buzz of the minds around him, and scarred by the evil he has seen in the heads of his fellow humans he is adrift from society, largely avoiding friendship, and rendered chemically eunuch by the illicit drugs he takes to suppress his telepathy when he is not at work.
He’s a sad and slightly depressing character to follow, but his arc is both interesting and satisfying.
As we follow him he forges a relationship with a young woman named Tiger whose demise sets him on the trail of new faith whose followers seem to regularly meet violent deaths. Vaughn’s telepathic abilities – the rare skill that has damaged him so badly – could be what saves humanity from something truly awful, and gives him something to live for.
While he hunts down this threat, Tiger’s sister Sukara, a scarred working girl in Bangkok, dreams of travelling to Bengal Station to find her sibling and escape her grim existence, her edge-of-desperation life contrasting with Vaughn’s comparative power and influence.
Brown tells a compelling mystery story, and crafts a nice arc for his characters as they come up against both the threat that Vaughn is investigating, and the more mundane (but no less deadly) secrets from the telepath’s past that are threatening to catch up with him. I particularly liked the dialogue in this novel, as Brown has an ear for including Hindi mannerisms and words into the way his characters talk, giving them that feeling of people so comfortable in multiple languages that they blend them all together, a feeling you so often get when you travel in India.
For my money though, as good as the story is (and it is indeed good) Bengal Station as a setting is the real highlight of Necropath, and I’m very much looking forward to reading the next two of Brown’s books set in this Tower of Babylon-like spaceport off the coast of India.
Four crowded and spicy stars.
Paradise.
Chasm City.
Sometimes the real star of an SF novel is its setting – a fascinating world filled with characters, creatures and cultures that draw you in, and stay in your memory long after the story’s characters have faded.
Eric Brown’s Bengal Station, the setting for Necropath is one such setting.
Like the half-sunken Bangkok of Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Windup Girl, Brown’s Bengal Station is a fantastic future vision of a dystopian high-tech Asia, where ancient cultures, high tech, and environmental pressures all mix together into a heady and memorable brew.
Off the coast of India and Burma sits a vast spaceport, it’s many cavernous floors filled with teeming thousands of Thais, Indians, port personnel and the occasional alien visiting from far flung stars. The air is thick with spices and the smells of humans in close quarters, the ears of any walking through it assailed with Thai, Bengali, Hindi, English and the many other languages of the polyglot residents within. Drugs, sex, luxury, and dangerous religions: all are available at a price.
This is Bengal station.
Against this prismatic background we follow a strange and psychologically crippled man – Jeff Vaughan, a telepath and employee of the station who is tasked with reading the minds of the people who visit, looking for criminals, terrorists and smugglers whose varied disguises do not protect them from the mind-scanning Vaughan employs.
Vaughan’s life as a mind reader has wrecked him emotionally. Never able to escape from the background buzz of the minds around him, and scarred by the evil he has seen in the heads of his fellow humans he is adrift from society, largely avoiding friendship, and rendered chemically eunuch by the illicit drugs he takes to suppress his telepathy when he is not at work.
He’s a sad and slightly depressing character to follow, but his arc is both interesting and satisfying.
As we follow him he forges a relationship with a young woman named Tiger whose demise sets him on the trail of new faith whose followers seem to regularly meet violent deaths. Vaughn’s telepathic abilities – the rare skill that has damaged him so badly – could be what saves humanity from something truly awful, and gives him something to live for.
While he hunts down this threat, Tiger’s sister Sukara, a scarred working girl in Bangkok, dreams of travelling to Bengal Station to find her sibling and escape her grim existence, her edge-of-desperation life contrasting with Vaughn’s comparative power and influence.
Brown tells a compelling mystery story, and crafts a nice arc for his characters as they come up against both the threat that Vaughn is investigating, and the more mundane (but no less deadly) secrets from the telepath’s past that are threatening to catch up with him. I particularly liked the dialogue in this novel, as Brown has an ear for including Hindi mannerisms and words into the way his characters talk, giving them that feeling of people so comfortable in multiple languages that they blend them all together, a feeling you so often get when you travel in India.
For my money though, as good as the story is (and it is indeed good) Bengal Station as a setting is the real highlight of Necropath, and I’m very much looking forward to reading the next two of Brown’s books set in this Tower of Babylon-like spaceport off the coast of India.
Four crowded and spicy stars.
October 11, 2011
Necropath is Eric Brown's new SF novel from Solaris Books, billed as his triumphant return to hard SF. I'm not sure how to take that, but regardless of the sub-genre of his last book (Kethani), Necropath is certainly triumphant and well worth investing your time in!
Jeff Vaughan is a telepath working for a security company in Bengal Station, an interstellar port based near India and Thailand. A man with a dark and disturbing past, he thinks very little of his fellow humans due to his ability to read minds.
His work on the station has lead him to suspect his boss, Weiss, of importing something that he wants nobody to know of. Being transferred when certain ships land have raised his suspicions about this, and with the help of a contact in the station police force, Chandra, he puts an investigation into action that will reveal some terrible things.
Tiger, one of Vaughan's only friends - if you could even call her that - has overdosed on a new and mysterious drug: Rhapsody. Looking further into the source of this he stumbles upon a larger, more sinister plan by the Church of the Adoration of the Chosen One, a cult originating from another world and slowly planning their conversion of Earth with promises of paradise and euphoria.
With connections deepening and time running out, Vaughan and Chandra travel off planet in the hope of solving the increasing questions that are coming up wherever they turn. But this is not the only problem facing Vaughan - a figure from the past he tries to ignore is tracking him and won't be giving up easily. With all the events coming to a head, will Vaughan discover the secrets that are being kept from him? And will we discover his?
As I said earlier on, Necropath is a magnificent novel, one that keeps you turning pages and guessing right until the last page. Eric Brown has certainly delivered a thrilling ride in a very realistic and interesting setting. With the station set where it is there is a strong flavour of both Thai and Indian cultures coming through which adds another layer of depth to the novel, giving that extra sense of realism and an environment that I don't often find myself reading about.
As far as the characters go, I found Vaughan to be a particularly intriguing and very interesting. His life has centred on his telepathic ability, and although we only find out his whole story towards the end the insights we get in the meantime are very realistic. His ability to see the innermost details of a persons mind have turned him sour to humanity, a position that I can sympathise with throughout. Even the attempts by Chandra, a close colleague, to get closer are mostly met with a stone wall. Necropath may have many other elements, but it is Vaughan's story and path that are the highlight.
I also enjoyed the sections where we follow Sukura, Tiger's sister, as she struggles through her life as a working girl in the hope that she will one day be able to be reunited with Tiger. We follow her life as a working girl in Thailand where she can only get custom from aliens because of a horrific scar running down her face. It's through these encounters that we meet some of the aliens that populate the Necropath universe and discover more about them. I'd particularly like to see some more on the aliens, after all, Bengal station does receive craft from all over explored space.
Overall the story flowed at a nice pace and there wasn't any unnecessary diversions which helped keep the story all the more interesting. It was clear from the first couple of chapters that it was going to be an enjoyable read and all the plot thread were tied up quite nicely at the end (which didn't feel rushed at all). I'll be looking forward to the upcoming sequels due over the next couple of years and can't wait to get back with some of these characters and see where the story takes them next.
Very highly recommended.
Jeff Vaughan is a telepath working for a security company in Bengal Station, an interstellar port based near India and Thailand. A man with a dark and disturbing past, he thinks very little of his fellow humans due to his ability to read minds.
His work on the station has lead him to suspect his boss, Weiss, of importing something that he wants nobody to know of. Being transferred when certain ships land have raised his suspicions about this, and with the help of a contact in the station police force, Chandra, he puts an investigation into action that will reveal some terrible things.
Tiger, one of Vaughan's only friends - if you could even call her that - has overdosed on a new and mysterious drug: Rhapsody. Looking further into the source of this he stumbles upon a larger, more sinister plan by the Church of the Adoration of the Chosen One, a cult originating from another world and slowly planning their conversion of Earth with promises of paradise and euphoria.
With connections deepening and time running out, Vaughan and Chandra travel off planet in the hope of solving the increasing questions that are coming up wherever they turn. But this is not the only problem facing Vaughan - a figure from the past he tries to ignore is tracking him and won't be giving up easily. With all the events coming to a head, will Vaughan discover the secrets that are being kept from him? And will we discover his?
As I said earlier on, Necropath is a magnificent novel, one that keeps you turning pages and guessing right until the last page. Eric Brown has certainly delivered a thrilling ride in a very realistic and interesting setting. With the station set where it is there is a strong flavour of both Thai and Indian cultures coming through which adds another layer of depth to the novel, giving that extra sense of realism and an environment that I don't often find myself reading about.
As far as the characters go, I found Vaughan to be a particularly intriguing and very interesting. His life has centred on his telepathic ability, and although we only find out his whole story towards the end the insights we get in the meantime are very realistic. His ability to see the innermost details of a persons mind have turned him sour to humanity, a position that I can sympathise with throughout. Even the attempts by Chandra, a close colleague, to get closer are mostly met with a stone wall. Necropath may have many other elements, but it is Vaughan's story and path that are the highlight.
I also enjoyed the sections where we follow Sukura, Tiger's sister, as she struggles through her life as a working girl in the hope that she will one day be able to be reunited with Tiger. We follow her life as a working girl in Thailand where she can only get custom from aliens because of a horrific scar running down her face. It's through these encounters that we meet some of the aliens that populate the Necropath universe and discover more about them. I'd particularly like to see some more on the aliens, after all, Bengal station does receive craft from all over explored space.
Overall the story flowed at a nice pace and there wasn't any unnecessary diversions which helped keep the story all the more interesting. It was clear from the first couple of chapters that it was going to be an enjoyable read and all the plot thread were tied up quite nicely at the end (which didn't feel rushed at all). I'll be looking forward to the upcoming sequels due over the next couple of years and can't wait to get back with some of these characters and see where the story takes them next.
Very highly recommended.
August 4, 2009
Because I'm slightly obsessive, I researched a lot of different sites where people can write a review about books. I did this becuase the reviews here about Necropath were somewhat negative. I found that overall, most people at these other sites, Amazon, Chapters, etc, do not like this book much either.
I am confused as to why this is.
Necropath is a good book. It is not only good, it's close to great. What keeps it from being great are a few flaws here and there, but otherwise, Necropath has all the ingredients that make the reading experience such a pleasure to my eyes. It has flawed, complicated characters, it has a solid and very interesting plot. It is also a hard-boiled, noir-like detective story within a science fiction setting.
Either people are just too picky, or they're confused. I don't know, but I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys any of the things I described in the paragraph above. Maybe try reading it with an open mind
I am confused as to why this is.
Necropath is a good book. It is not only good, it's close to great. What keeps it from being great are a few flaws here and there, but otherwise, Necropath has all the ingredients that make the reading experience such a pleasure to my eyes. It has flawed, complicated characters, it has a solid and very interesting plot. It is also a hard-boiled, noir-like detective story within a science fiction setting.
Either people are just too picky, or they're confused. I don't know, but I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys any of the things I described in the paragraph above. Maybe try reading it with an open mind
December 23, 2024
'Necropath' es una novela de ciencia ficción situada en el vasto y claustrofóbico escenario de Bengal Station, una megalópolis flotante sobre el océano Índico. La historia sigue a Jeff Vaughan, un telepático que trabaja como oficial de seguridad en la estación. Vaughan lleva una vida marcada por la soledad y la desilusión, utilizando sus habilidades para escanear mentes en busca de intenciones criminales. Sin embargo, su trabajo lo ha dejado emocionalmente aislado y hastiado de las miserias humanas que percibe constantemente.
El relato comienza cuando Vaughan es contactado por un joven con noticias sobre una amiga suya llamada Tiger, una niña de la calle que Vaughan ha tomado bajo su protección de forma indirecta. Tiger, que ha caído gravemente enferma por una droga alienígena, representa un punto de vulnerabilidad para Vaughan, ya que su relación con ella le recuerda un doloroso pasado. La trama explora la lucha de Vaughan contra sus propios demonios internos mientras intenta salvar a Tiger y confronta el sombrío entorno de la estación, donde la pobreza y el crimen están profundamente arraigados.
La novela combina elementos de investigación, intriga, y una meditación sobre la humanidad y la moralidad. Vaughan también descubre oscuros secretos en la estación que revelan una corrupción sistemática más profunda. En un contexto que mezcla el noir clásico con temas de ciencia ficción, la obra se sumerge en cuestiones éticas sobre el uso de habilidades telepáticas, la desigualdad y la explotación.
La obra destaca por su ambientación detallada, presentando Bengal Station como un personaje en sí mismo, un lugar vibrante y opresivo lleno de contrastes entre riqueza y pobreza, modernidad y decadencia. La exploración psicológica de Jeff Vaughan es otro punto fuerte, ya que su carácter cínico y atormentado proporciona una perspectiva profunda sobre los desafíos éticos y emocionales que conlleva ser un telepático.
El relato comienza cuando Vaughan es contactado por un joven con noticias sobre una amiga suya llamada Tiger, una niña de la calle que Vaughan ha tomado bajo su protección de forma indirecta. Tiger, que ha caído gravemente enferma por una droga alienígena, representa un punto de vulnerabilidad para Vaughan, ya que su relación con ella le recuerda un doloroso pasado. La trama explora la lucha de Vaughan contra sus propios demonios internos mientras intenta salvar a Tiger y confronta el sombrío entorno de la estación, donde la pobreza y el crimen están profundamente arraigados.
La novela combina elementos de investigación, intriga, y una meditación sobre la humanidad y la moralidad. Vaughan también descubre oscuros secretos en la estación que revelan una corrupción sistemática más profunda. En un contexto que mezcla el noir clásico con temas de ciencia ficción, la obra se sumerge en cuestiones éticas sobre el uso de habilidades telepáticas, la desigualdad y la explotación.
La obra destaca por su ambientación detallada, presentando Bengal Station como un personaje en sí mismo, un lugar vibrante y opresivo lleno de contrastes entre riqueza y pobreza, modernidad y decadencia. La exploración psicológica de Jeff Vaughan es otro punto fuerte, ya que su carácter cínico y atormentado proporciona una perspectiva profunda sobre los desafíos éticos y emocionales que conlleva ser un telepático.
August 31, 2010
Necropath was, while simplistic and unchallenging, a fun little detective thriller set in a believably grim, dystopian future. If you were a fan of Babylon-5 and its cynically world-weary security chief Garibaldi, you'd feel right at home digging for clues among the back-alleys and criminal lowlife of Bengal Station's impoverished lower decks.
As much of the novel occurs in brothels and bars, with addicts and alcoholics mutually exploiting defenseless refugees in a Dickensian cycle of debt-slavery, I found myself cringing in anticipation of a remorselessly dismal read. Instead, I was surprised and impressed at the nuanced balance the author struck while describing the unapologetically awful conditions in which his characters lived, never allowing the darkness to completely eclipse hope and succor. Without entirely painting over the many evils man will persist in inflicting upon man, he nonetheless created a palpable and true reminder that flowers may bloom from the unlikeliest of muck.
Sadly, the book's two sequels did not build on this success, instead (in my opinion) first subverting, then systematically betraying every good point from the first book. If Necropath would have made a potentially excellent 3-episode arc in B5, Xenopath could have been compressed into a single (and weak) episode of Doctor Who or Star Trek -- in fact, the same trite plot concoction has been used, repeatedly, on every sci-fi series ever filmed, and is generally understood to represent a point where the writers are running out of fresh ideas. This nonetheless excels Cosmopath, whose clumsy script would hopefully have been left on the cutting-room floor.
In conclusion, Necropath is passable train-fare if you like your sci-fi with a dash of curry; but get off before the tale twists downhill and completely derails.
As much of the novel occurs in brothels and bars, with addicts and alcoholics mutually exploiting defenseless refugees in a Dickensian cycle of debt-slavery, I found myself cringing in anticipation of a remorselessly dismal read. Instead, I was surprised and impressed at the nuanced balance the author struck while describing the unapologetically awful conditions in which his characters lived, never allowing the darkness to completely eclipse hope and succor. Without entirely painting over the many evils man will persist in inflicting upon man, he nonetheless created a palpable and true reminder that flowers may bloom from the unlikeliest of muck.
Sadly, the book's two sequels did not build on this success, instead (in my opinion) first subverting, then systematically betraying every good point from the first book. If Necropath would have made a potentially excellent 3-episode arc in B5, Xenopath could have been compressed into a single (and weak) episode of Doctor Who or Star Trek -- in fact, the same trite plot concoction has been used, repeatedly, on every sci-fi series ever filmed, and is generally understood to represent a point where the writers are running out of fresh ideas. This nonetheless excels Cosmopath, whose clumsy script would hopefully have been left on the cutting-room floor.
In conclusion, Necropath is passable train-fare if you like your sci-fi with a dash of curry; but get off before the tale twists downhill and completely derails.
February 17, 2015
5 Stars
Necropath by Eric Brown is a novel tailor made me to my likes. It is a science fiction novel and hard boiled detective novel mashed into one. The science fiction is of the light nature as there is very little technical data discussed or utilized. The novel is well written and fast paced. Jeff Vaughan is a competent main character as you can easily identify with his feelings and motives, even if he is not a likable guy.
I had one grudge with this book and that is the title...Necropath, how can you dangle such a cool combination of words and meanings and then spend only the smallest amount of time covering it the book....book boo! Even though Vaughan has this amazing extra telepathic ability he never really uses it in this story, and only tells us the briefest back story on why.
"It came to him that the tragedy of their deaths was not so much the termination of what they had been, but the ultimate and irrevocable termination of all that they would have become. That was the terrible tragedy."
I love the combination of detective PINCH story and future space. It makes for a thrilling action ride. Brown makes this novel more complete by making us care about both sisters as well as Jeff. Tiger is an amazing young lady and Su is so much more. I loved the chapters that had Su has the center and the pain and hardship that she would endure.
This is a fantastic book one in a series that I will definitely move on to the next novel.
Necropath by Eric Brown is a novel tailor made me to my likes. It is a science fiction novel and hard boiled detective novel mashed into one. The science fiction is of the light nature as there is very little technical data discussed or utilized. The novel is well written and fast paced. Jeff Vaughan is a competent main character as you can easily identify with his feelings and motives, even if he is not a likable guy.
I had one grudge with this book and that is the title...Necropath, how can you dangle such a cool combination of words and meanings and then spend only the smallest amount of time covering it the book....book boo! Even though Vaughan has this amazing extra telepathic ability he never really uses it in this story, and only tells us the briefest back story on why.
"It came to him that the tragedy of their deaths was not so much the termination of what they had been, but the ultimate and irrevocable termination of all that they would have become. That was the terrible tragedy."
I love the combination of detective PINCH story and future space. It makes for a thrilling action ride. Brown makes this novel more complete by making us care about both sisters as well as Jeff. Tiger is an amazing young lady and Su is so much more. I loved the chapters that had Su has the center and the pain and hardship that she would endure.
This is a fantastic book one in a series that I will definitely move on to the next novel.
February 7, 2011
My gut instinct told me to just put down the book about a chapter or two into this, but no no, I had to keep going, feeling bad that I'd started and cast aside too many books lately. This is definitely not worth the read, no matter how cool the title sounds. Also, I most certainly do not give a flying hoot what else happens on the Bengal Station to continue the "trilogy."
It's hard to put into words why I didn't like the book, but I think it might just come down to the lack of finesse in the writing, the incredibly unlikeable protagonist, and the never-ending feeling of being dirty just from reading about these people's horrible lives. And, as a spoiler, This aspect of the book was, in my opinion, not very well written and only added to the creep factor.
In sum, there was not enough of a payoff in the plot twists at the end for the length of the story. It was just not a good book.
It's hard to put into words why I didn't like the book, but I think it might just come down to the lack of finesse in the writing, the incredibly unlikeable protagonist, and the never-ending feeling of being dirty just from reading about these people's horrible lives. And, as a spoiler, This aspect of the book was, in my opinion, not very well written and only added to the creep factor.
In sum, there was not enough of a payoff in the plot twists at the end for the length of the story. It was just not a good book.
April 14, 2011
I had trouble rating this book. As a science fiction story, I give it a four. The world created was interesting and I found the characters compelling. As a mystery, it was about a two. At best. The plot was simplistic, and the b-plot just wasn't fleshed out enough to be believable.
I did find the pigdin of the street kids overdone, to the point of making me uncomfortable. And the cover is highly misleading. It took about a third of the book to realize that Bengal station was on Earth, not a space station, but I blame the publisher for that.
I may read the others in the series, but this one stood on its own well enough that I may not. We'll see.
I did find the pigdin of the street kids overdone, to the point of making me uncomfortable. And the cover is highly misleading. It took about a third of the book to realize that Bengal station was on Earth, not a space station, but I blame the publisher for that.
I may read the others in the series, but this one stood on its own well enough that I may not. We'll see.
March 23, 2021
Eric Brown set himself a real challenge by writing a book with a main character who is (deliberately) nearly impenetrable. The main character's underlying personality and real motivations don't even start to emerge until the 2/3 mark, and missing events that define the character come out at the very climax of the book.
All in all, this is a nice blend of the exotic and the mundane - Bengal Station is very much an Asian metropolis, but life in it is as cloistered and muted as life in any closed environment. I do like how the class system carries on in the teeming city that is Bengal Station, and I enjoyed the description of what life would be like existing as a telepath in that environment.
The central mystery is good and creepy. Brown does a good job of seeding doubt about whether the protagonist is completely justified in his actions - or whether, perhaps, the aliens actually have the answers to the questions that have made his life somewhat of a living hell.
I look forward to reading the other two books in the Bengal Station trilogy.
All in all, this is a nice blend of the exotic and the mundane - Bengal Station is very much an Asian metropolis, but life in it is as cloistered and muted as life in any closed environment. I do like how the class system carries on in the teeming city that is Bengal Station, and I enjoyed the description of what life would be like existing as a telepath in that environment.
The central mystery is good and creepy. Brown does a good job of seeding doubt about whether the protagonist is completely justified in his actions - or whether, perhaps, the aliens actually have the answers to the questions that have made his life somewhat of a living hell.
I look forward to reading the other two books in the Bengal Station trilogy.
March 27, 2018
This book felt very ... 90's to me. Sort of the feel of William Gibson or Snow Crash-era Neal Stephenson. The overcrowded, definitely diverse techo-future, that apart from maybe Firefly has sort of gone away in favor of werewolves and vampires. (Which anyone who reads my reviews know I enjoy plenty of.)
That said, the story didn't grab me like any of the books it feels like. There were a lot of things going one here, some of which seem really promising, but somehow the book just didn't quite gel for me.
Overall the book wasn't enough to put me off the author (who I'd never heard of before), but I'm probably not going to seek out more of this series.
That said, the story didn't grab me like any of the books it feels like. There were a lot of things going one here, some of which seem really promising, but somehow the book just didn't quite gel for me.
Overall the book wasn't enough to put me off the author (who I'd never heard of before), but I'm probably not going to seek out more of this series.
September 18, 2022
This was really hard to rate because there were some things I really liked and others that I didn't. Mr Brown didn't give himself an easy task either, with a very unsympathetic main character. However, I thought that was one of his big successes with the book because it was mainly interest in this character that made me keep on reading. I also liked the "world" he built - his main setting was a complex society on a created city in the sea called Bengal Station. I was fascinated by his descriptions of the society and ways the different religions functioned and I thought he made a pretty good job of making them intrinsic to the plot, rather than just descriptions that he'd inserted and that held the lot up. People who prefer plot driven books might disagree with that assessment though would probably be very irritated by the amount of descriptive writing. There were some cases of too much information though. One character had a series of sexual encounters with aliens that didn't need to be described in my opinion. I couldn't see how they drove the plot forward, they were just unpleasantly pointless. Overall, I don't think the plot was particularly good. It was pretty predictable for one thing and, without all of the complex details of the workings of Bengal Station, it probably wouldn't have held my interest.
November 15, 2010
I would call this book a mystery with a science fiction background. Jeff Vaughn is a telepath who works at Bengal Station, a spaceport in the Pacific Ocean. He is haunted by a tragedy in his past that is not revealed until the end of the book. He gets involved in a case involving a religious cult, smuggled drugs and murder. I really like the book, it was a good mystery with an interesting protagonist. I was definitely reminded of Blade Runner in the descriptions of the world.
December 29, 2011
Christmas gift from my daughter ...
When I look at the date I'm pretty sure that this was the last sf book I read and 2011 and it was a good one. I was not sure what to expect. I liked the mix of sf and crime noir a lot. This is definitely a character driven story. I did not matter for me that the story line was particularly predictable.
I look forward to read the rest of the trilogy
When I look at the date I'm pretty sure that this was the last sf book I read and 2011 and it was a good one. I was not sure what to expect. I liked the mix of sf and crime noir a lot. This is definitely a character driven story. I did not matter for me that the story line was particularly predictable.
I look forward to read the rest of the trilogy
February 16, 2025
What started as a promising space noir—touting themes of optimism versus pessimism and faith versus oblivion—ultimately became an uneven, frustrating narrative that fizzled into a confusing and disappointing conclusion.
The story follows three perspectives: a grizzled, misanthropic telepath who despises nearly everyone; an optimistic police officer drawn into the telepath’s investigations; and a distant, scarred prostitute working in India, away from Bengal Station. While the cop and telepath are complete opposites—which you’d think would make for an interesting dynamic—the prostitute’s perspective feels less like a real character and more like a punching bag to show how awful the world is.
Unfortunately for us, the telepath is the primary protagonist. He’s a drug-addicted, nihilistic pessimist who spends every page wallowing in misery. I don’t mind unlikable characters, and we’re clearly meant to sympathize with him—but I just couldn’t. He was flat-out insufferable. Worse, the novel’s momentum implied he was supposed to undergo some kind of growth by the end. But he doesn’t. He’s in the same place he was.
What about those grand themes I mentioned? Barely explored beyond surface-level navel-gazing. Brown seems to flip-flop on whether religion is good and beautiful (implied by the cop) or stupid and pointless (implied by the telepath and the cult). It’s so ambivalent that it feels like it was forgotten.
Worse, the plotlines never mesh. It feels as if Eric Brown threw a bunch of ideas onto a blender, splattered them on the page, and then never bothered refining them into a cohesive novel. Without a strong throughline connecting the themes, characters, and story, the whole thing feels disjointed and pointless.
Like other readers mentioned, it was around the 200-page mark that the cracks in the structure became impossible to ignore. When Brown introduced Lovecraftian aliens, I knew the novel had reached a turning point: either it would wrap up into something amazing, or it would collapse into an unsatisfying mess.
It was the latter.
And that’s the real shame. There was real potential here. Brown clearly has the technical skill. His writing is functional, and he obviously has tones of interesting ideas. But when it comes to crafting a story with actual substance, he completely fumbles the landing. As a whole, this book feels so surface-level, trying to be gritty, original, and biting, while failing at every part.
The story follows three perspectives: a grizzled, misanthropic telepath who despises nearly everyone; an optimistic police officer drawn into the telepath’s investigations; and a distant, scarred prostitute working in India, away from Bengal Station. While the cop and telepath are complete opposites—which you’d think would make for an interesting dynamic—the prostitute’s perspective feels less like a real character and more like a punching bag to show how awful the world is.
Unfortunately for us, the telepath is the primary protagonist. He’s a drug-addicted, nihilistic pessimist who spends every page wallowing in misery. I don’t mind unlikable characters, and we’re clearly meant to sympathize with him—but I just couldn’t. He was flat-out insufferable. Worse, the novel’s momentum implied he was supposed to undergo some kind of growth by the end. But he doesn’t. He’s in the same place he was.
What about those grand themes I mentioned? Barely explored beyond surface-level navel-gazing. Brown seems to flip-flop on whether religion is good and beautiful (implied by the cop) or stupid and pointless (implied by the telepath and the cult). It’s so ambivalent that it feels like it was forgotten.
Worse, the plotlines never mesh. It feels as if Eric Brown threw a bunch of ideas onto a blender, splattered them on the page, and then never bothered refining them into a cohesive novel. Without a strong throughline connecting the themes, characters, and story, the whole thing feels disjointed and pointless.
Like other readers mentioned, it was around the 200-page mark that the cracks in the structure became impossible to ignore. When Brown introduced Lovecraftian aliens, I knew the novel had reached a turning point: either it would wrap up into something amazing, or it would collapse into an unsatisfying mess.
It was the latter.
And that’s the real shame. There was real potential here. Brown clearly has the technical skill. His writing is functional, and he obviously has tones of interesting ideas. But when it comes to crafting a story with actual substance, he completely fumbles the landing. As a whole, this book feels so surface-level, trying to be gritty, original, and biting, while failing at every part.
January 18, 2021
This was a book which I came across on one of the many ‘books you must read’ lists which Google throws up on my timeline. Normally I treat these with a massive amount of disdain but the cover appealed and I needed to pad out a gift list so…
I can say that this was not a decision which I have regretted. It has been a long time since a book has been sufficiently engaging to get me to binge read it in a couple of hours; but this manages it. In truth Necropath follows some time honoured sci-fi tropes (telepathy, alien subversion and an anti-hero) but manages to come up with something which feels new and different. This is helped by the relatively small number of core characters who are very well developed and presented. Vaughan in particular is a very convincing anti-hero but does not come across as cliched or someone who is playing at the role. This world weariness counterpoints excellently with some of the other characters and adds depth and realism to some of the philosophical discussions which take place. Other characters are built up and have stories of their own; often tragic or unpleasant but all grounded in very realistic motivations. The net result is that it is easy to relate to them and get an emotional connection.
In terms of world building this is generally pretty good; thought at the risk of being hypercritical it would have been nice to get a slightly wider view of where things sit and how they are. The story is not diminished by the absence of this but I much prefer having a sense of the backstory to things. This is probably the only criticism that I can level at an otherwise excellent novel.
I will certainly look into book two in the series in the hope that it continues in a similarly excellent vein; but this is something which can be enjoyed by most sci-fi readers as a stand alone tale.
I can say that this was not a decision which I have regretted. It has been a long time since a book has been sufficiently engaging to get me to binge read it in a couple of hours; but this manages it. In truth Necropath follows some time honoured sci-fi tropes (telepathy, alien subversion and an anti-hero) but manages to come up with something which feels new and different. This is helped by the relatively small number of core characters who are very well developed and presented. Vaughan in particular is a very convincing anti-hero but does not come across as cliched or someone who is playing at the role. This world weariness counterpoints excellently with some of the other characters and adds depth and realism to some of the philosophical discussions which take place. Other characters are built up and have stories of their own; often tragic or unpleasant but all grounded in very realistic motivations. The net result is that it is easy to relate to them and get an emotional connection.
In terms of world building this is generally pretty good; thought at the risk of being hypercritical it would have been nice to get a slightly wider view of where things sit and how they are. The story is not diminished by the absence of this but I much prefer having a sense of the backstory to things. This is probably the only criticism that I can level at an otherwise excellent novel.
I will certainly look into book two in the series in the hope that it continues in a similarly excellent vein; but this is something which can be enjoyed by most sci-fi readers as a stand alone tale.
November 17, 2017
An interesting book. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading and the graphic on the front of the book did me absolutely no favors either. See, there are very few chapters that actually focus on another world. The station is actually in India, and much of the book deals with that and focuses on that. The story also has a ton to do with religion and spiritual beliefs.
Vaughn, the main character goes through a tremendous arch in the story but in the end, he loses something that makes him unique. I won't spoil it further, but somewhere between the religion, the idea of spirituality, and some uncomfortable passages does lie a decent book. The problem is that you really have to read through 400+ pages to get there. I'm somewhat interested to read the next book or two in the series but I'm sitting here wondering if it is worth seeking them out.
Vaughn, the main character goes through a tremendous arch in the story but in the end, he loses something that makes him unique. I won't spoil it further, but somewhere between the religion, the idea of spirituality, and some uncomfortable passages does lie a decent book. The problem is that you really have to read through 400+ pages to get there. I'm somewhat interested to read the next book or two in the series but I'm sitting here wondering if it is worth seeking them out.
June 12, 2018
Brown, Eric. Necropath. Bengal Station No. 1. Solaris, 2008.
Necropath is a dark noir mystery with a grieving, drug-addicted telepathic detective. Detective Jeff Vaughan uses electronically enhanced telepathic powers to sniff out undocumented aliens being smuggled into Bengal Station on interstellar “void ships.” The strength of the novel is in the development of Vaughn’s relationship with two young women whom he sees as substitutes for the woman he lost. His mind reading ability makes him a lonely, asocial man. Unfortunately, the world-building here has a lot of holes. For example, the story is set in a far future with a large interstellar culture but much of the technology and social structure seem out of synch with the setting. Would we really bring Interstellar cargo ships straight into our gravity well rather than stopping them at an orbital way station? 3.5 stars.
Necropath is a dark noir mystery with a grieving, drug-addicted telepathic detective. Detective Jeff Vaughan uses electronically enhanced telepathic powers to sniff out undocumented aliens being smuggled into Bengal Station on interstellar “void ships.” The strength of the novel is in the development of Vaughn’s relationship with two young women whom he sees as substitutes for the woman he lost. His mind reading ability makes him a lonely, asocial man. Unfortunately, the world-building here has a lot of holes. For example, the story is set in a far future with a large interstellar culture but much of the technology and social structure seem out of synch with the setting. Would we really bring Interstellar cargo ships straight into our gravity well rather than stopping them at an orbital way station? 3.5 stars.
October 22, 2020
It's just a great book. I believe that it is well written, well paced, and original.
There have been other books since this one that kind of throw in some of the
noir detective element. I think that this one showed up earlier than most of those.
I like the way that this series opens with a balanced subtlety and gradually let's
the reader get a feel for this seemingly possible world of the future. The plot
definitely keeps the reader guessing. Plenty of turns and surprises. Thanks Eric Brown!
There have been other books since this one that kind of throw in some of the
noir detective element. I think that this one showed up earlier than most of those.
I like the way that this series opens with a balanced subtlety and gradually let's
the reader get a feel for this seemingly possible world of the future. The plot
definitely keeps the reader guessing. Plenty of turns and surprises. Thanks Eric Brown!
February 19, 2018
Recent Reads: Necropath. Eric Brown returns to Bengal Station with a detective mystery. Who is smuggling children from an obscure colony world, and how does it tie in to a religious drug cult? Telepath Vaughn's past guilt drags him in; in more ways than one. Complications ensue.
January 28, 2019
A nice combination of crime and sci-fi which entices you into this future world. I would love to know more about the form of travel between planets but the story ticks along at a decent pace with the promise of two more (already got) in the series.
Ray Smillie
Ray Smillie
November 4, 2019
Didn't even finish it. Way too many simplistic plot contrivances, dull characters, a semi-undercurrent of pedophilia and just basically a boring book that didn't hold my interest.
December 16, 2019
Bit slow in the middle but the ending chapters I enjoyed. Good characters. Cool universe building. But something was missing, not sure what?
December 11, 2021
Grumpy psychic fights aliens.
The concepts in this book were cool but I have to say that the execution and writing left something to be desired. It wasn't super captivating.
The concepts in this book were cool but I have to say that the execution and writing left something to be desired. It wasn't super captivating.
May 1, 2023
A great novel by this now late author who unfortunately just died in late March 2023 at the age of 62. It's an expansion of an earlier novel titled Bengal Station and is the first in a trilogy.
November 28, 2023
A syfy police procedural! Great story and excellent character development.
May 26, 2024
I think this book is going to haunt me.
August 7, 2024
Een makkelijk lezend boek over een telepaat op de vlucht, aliens die zich voordoen als god, en een interessante wereld opbouw. Zoals met alle boeken van Brown weet.ik.het.niet. Drie sterren dus
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