What do you think?
Rate this book
Revenant Sun
Imagine a place where improving your mind and body through augmentation is the key to success. this is where Stanley Gabrels is from; a journalist hard wired to the very data stream he posts articles to. A society obsessed only with cutting edge technology, with every bit of information, culture and art at their fingertips, broadcast directly into their brain via Adam, an advanced artificial intelligence designed to oversee its users and streamline life itself. Those who can't afford such improvements live beneath the fury, in forgotten streets that siphon what they can from above to survive. the day after a wanted criminal is killed in those streets, Gabrels begins to experience strange dreams, alarming changes in behavior. As his mind deteriorates, Gabrels begins to realize someone else is inside his mind with him, fighting for control. Can he regain himself from the man inside who is slowly tearing his life apart? Who is responsible for this in a city where your every move is monitored?
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 13, 2015
About the author
Eric Danhoff
13 books5 followersBorn in Chicago, Illinois and writing stories since the age of seven. Fiction, photography and reviews available at ericdanhoff.wordpress.com and below:
@troubled_sleep
@troubled_sleep
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 14, 2020
As a teenager, I read Neuromancer by William Gibson and this (along with his other works) left me with a real appreciation for the Cyberpunk genre and even affected my social life when it led me to run the role playing game Cyberpunk 2020 for groups of friends.
The problem is, it is really hard to write good Cyberpunk as all too often I come into a story expecting great things and end up finding that the setting is used purely as an excuse to justify flying car chases, cyborg battles and oversized weapons but wholly lack a realistic world for them to exist.
I find that the genre has, ever since GIbson, lacked a world-builder like Tolkien is to Fantasy and Lovecraft to horror and so I admit that I fully expected the same here but thankfully, for once, I was mistaken.
This is not a book for action fans,let's get the out there straight away. Don't come into this expecting the aforementioned car chases, gunfights in Zero-G or Cyborgs punching holes through walls, this is more like a mix of Minority Report and Gibson's fantastic short story Johnny Mnemonic (with a bit of Winter Soldier thrown in for good measure).
The story is based in a world not unlike where our own is slowly heading. The inhabitants day-to-day lives are automated through Adam, an AI whom they communicate with via a wetware mental link like a more advanced Alexa or Siri.
In this world we find Stanley, a pretty normal man living a perfectly normal, safe life as a journalist but who starts to experience blackouts and waking to find himself in strange places and unusual, dangerous situations. Slowly, he begins to realise that there is someone else in his head and they are intend of wrestling control of his body from him.
What begins is a journey through the shining world of the future, weaving through a city all too familiar at times both in its reliance on technology but also in the conditions that the different parts of a society exist, all while seeking to understand what is happening to his slowly fracturing mind. With the aid of some unlikely allies, he comes to realise the truth behind both of the voices in his head and the larger implications it has for all of society.
I admit that initially I was a little worried by the slow start of the story and felt this might be one of those books that takes so long to get going that, by the time we get anywhere, the story has ended. Thankfully, before too long the mystery began to unfold and it had its hooks in me good and proper.
A dialogue heavy book with a wide-ranging plethora of characters, it's a testament to both the writing and the narration that I was able to follow the story so easily. Never once did I find myself unsure as to the route the story was taking or whom was involved and throughout all near-12 hours I was confident in my understanding of the characters and their choices.
While I think that this book isn't for everyone, as again I highlight the lack of any grand action sequences, for those who prefer a rich world and deep, engaging story I can't recommend this highly enough.
The problem is, it is really hard to write good Cyberpunk as all too often I come into a story expecting great things and end up finding that the setting is used purely as an excuse to justify flying car chases, cyborg battles and oversized weapons but wholly lack a realistic world for them to exist.
I find that the genre has, ever since GIbson, lacked a world-builder like Tolkien is to Fantasy and Lovecraft to horror and so I admit that I fully expected the same here but thankfully, for once, I was mistaken.
This is not a book for action fans,let's get the out there straight away. Don't come into this expecting the aforementioned car chases, gunfights in Zero-G or Cyborgs punching holes through walls, this is more like a mix of Minority Report and Gibson's fantastic short story Johnny Mnemonic (with a bit of Winter Soldier thrown in for good measure).
The story is based in a world not unlike where our own is slowly heading. The inhabitants day-to-day lives are automated through Adam, an AI whom they communicate with via a wetware mental link like a more advanced Alexa or Siri.
In this world we find Stanley, a pretty normal man living a perfectly normal, safe life as a journalist but who starts to experience blackouts and waking to find himself in strange places and unusual, dangerous situations. Slowly, he begins to realise that there is someone else in his head and they are intend of wrestling control of his body from him.
What begins is a journey through the shining world of the future, weaving through a city all too familiar at times both in its reliance on technology but also in the conditions that the different parts of a society exist, all while seeking to understand what is happening to his slowly fracturing mind. With the aid of some unlikely allies, he comes to realise the truth behind both of the voices in his head and the larger implications it has for all of society.
I admit that initially I was a little worried by the slow start of the story and felt this might be one of those books that takes so long to get going that, by the time we get anywhere, the story has ended. Thankfully, before too long the mystery began to unfold and it had its hooks in me good and proper.
A dialogue heavy book with a wide-ranging plethora of characters, it's a testament to both the writing and the narration that I was able to follow the story so easily. Never once did I find myself unsure as to the route the story was taking or whom was involved and throughout all near-12 hours I was confident in my understanding of the characters and their choices.
While I think that this book isn't for everyone, as again I highlight the lack of any grand action sequences, for those who prefer a rich world and deep, engaging story I can't recommend this highly enough.
June 10, 2020
( Format : Audiobook )
"A blackbird's wings."
Set a century in the future, one man, augmented and successful in his fast paced world, begins to experience strange dreams and feel a sense of madness when a voice starts talking to him in his head. A mysterious message asking him if he is ready to play the game further destabilized him as he struggles to find out what is going on. A complex and confusing cyberworld, this is nevertheless a powerfully visual book and one which will linger in this reader's mind for a long time into the cuture.
Narration is fast, almost too fast at the beginning, but it suits the style of the author. Sean Duregger voices his protagonists and slides through the web of words with a skill electric and he takes the reader with him through this tale of depravity, and selfishness, and the terror of losing one's mind and being. This is not an easy read, it needs concentration, but it is totally consuming.
My thanks to the rights holder of Revenant Sun, who, at my request freely gifted me with a complimentary copy via Audiobook Boom. It is an astonishing piece of science fiction, one which I know I will read again. And recommend to those who enjoy there science fiction to get inside their heads.
"A blackbird's wings."
Set a century in the future, one man, augmented and successful in his fast paced world, begins to experience strange dreams and feel a sense of madness when a voice starts talking to him in his head. A mysterious message asking him if he is ready to play the game further destabilized him as he struggles to find out what is going on. A complex and confusing cyberworld, this is nevertheless a powerfully visual book and one which will linger in this reader's mind for a long time into the cuture.
Narration is fast, almost too fast at the beginning, but it suits the style of the author. Sean Duregger voices his protagonists and slides through the web of words with a skill electric and he takes the reader with him through this tale of depravity, and selfishness, and the terror of losing one's mind and being. This is not an easy read, it needs concentration, but it is totally consuming.
My thanks to the rights holder of Revenant Sun, who, at my request freely gifted me with a complimentary copy via Audiobook Boom. It is an astonishing piece of science fiction, one which I know I will read again. And recommend to those who enjoy there science fiction to get inside their heads.
Read
June 7, 2018Two years later and I still think about the incredible imagery in this book.
May 8, 2021
I enjoyed this book very much! Not only because I'm a sucker for cyberpunk and sci-fi but also because it's very well written and offers an intellectual depth only a few books do nowadays.
In a not-so-distant future, we follow Stanley Gabriels, who is a true nobody at the beginning of the story. Every day of his life in the futuristic mega-city is exactly the same. If not working in an office, he spends his time commuting or watching pointless video streams.
Until one day he discovers, that he has a second personality in his head, a ruthless, cunning guy called Vex. And Stanley has no clue how and when the consciousness of the deceased criminal has been implanted into him.
Things get even more complicated when the super-AI called Adam, who controls everything in the city, announces to change everyone's life for the better... in a way no one wants.
Revenant Sun features a complex story, taking the POV of several characters. But what I definitely loved most about the novel was the world-building and vivid descriptions of the futuristic city.
Although clearly inspired by Gibson, the author manages to create a unique, fascinating world with many interesting aspects. And he isn't scared of taking himself a lot of time to describe it.
However, I would have given this book four stars if I read it myself. My biggest problem was the length. For my taste, it took way too long until the story began and I think the book would profit greatly if shortened by 50-100 pages.
I'm giving it five stars anyway because I listened to the audiobook version and it was simply BRILLIANT.
Narrator Sean Duregger, did a fantastic job, and listening to him made up for the parts which were too long.
I recommend this book to sci-fi and cyberpunk fans. But even more, I recommend going for the audio version. It's an experience you don't want to miss!
In a not-so-distant future, we follow Stanley Gabriels, who is a true nobody at the beginning of the story. Every day of his life in the futuristic mega-city is exactly the same. If not working in an office, he spends his time commuting or watching pointless video streams.
Until one day he discovers, that he has a second personality in his head, a ruthless, cunning guy called Vex. And Stanley has no clue how and when the consciousness of the deceased criminal has been implanted into him.
Things get even more complicated when the super-AI called Adam, who controls everything in the city, announces to change everyone's life for the better... in a way no one wants.
Revenant Sun features a complex story, taking the POV of several characters. But what I definitely loved most about the novel was the world-building and vivid descriptions of the futuristic city.
Although clearly inspired by Gibson, the author manages to create a unique, fascinating world with many interesting aspects. And he isn't scared of taking himself a lot of time to describe it.
However, I would have given this book four stars if I read it myself. My biggest problem was the length. For my taste, it took way too long until the story began and I think the book would profit greatly if shortened by 50-100 pages.
I'm giving it five stars anyway because I listened to the audiobook version and it was simply BRILLIANT.
Narrator Sean Duregger, did a fantastic job, and listening to him made up for the parts which were too long.
I recommend this book to sci-fi and cyberpunk fans. But even more, I recommend going for the audio version. It's an experience you don't want to miss!
May 5, 2022
Ich habe das Buch zu zwei Drittel gelesen und musste dann aufgeben. Weder die Weltbeschreibung, noch das Drehbuch hatten mich bis dahin überzeugt. Der sehr lange Roman leidet meiner Ansicht darunter, dass zu lange kein Zusammenhang zwischen den verschiedenen Charakteren, aus deren Perspektive erzählt wird, hergestellt wird. Letztlich reiht sich Szene an Szene, ohne dass der Leser einen wirklichen Fortgang der Handlung feststellt.
Der Roman spielt wohl um die 200 Jahre in der Zukunft. Kriege und Umweltzerstörung haben den Planeten unbewohnbar gemacht. Der Rest der Menschheit lebt in wenigen Mega-Cities, die Handlung spielt in einer, die in Nevada liegt. Die Cities stehen auf Stelzen - die Reichen leben oben, die Armen unten in den Slums. Die Reichen verbessern ihre Körper durch zahllose mechanische Protesten und Bio-Upgrades. Zusätzlich haben sie einen Chip im Gehirn, der sie mit dem Datenstrom verbindet und mit Adam, einer AI, die alles steuert.
Aus meiner Sicht hat der Autor hier alle auffindbaren Konzepte in einen Topf geworfen, um seine Welt interessant zu machen. Weniger wäre mehr gewesen.
Die Handlung zu beschreiben, fällt mir schwer. Hierzu empfehle ich, die anderen Rezensionen zu lesen. Ich konnte mit ihr, wie gesagt, nichts anfangen.
Der Schreibstil ist einigermaßen variabel und passt sich den Szenen an. Deshalb gibt es von mir zwei Sterne.
Der Roman spielt wohl um die 200 Jahre in der Zukunft. Kriege und Umweltzerstörung haben den Planeten unbewohnbar gemacht. Der Rest der Menschheit lebt in wenigen Mega-Cities, die Handlung spielt in einer, die in Nevada liegt. Die Cities stehen auf Stelzen - die Reichen leben oben, die Armen unten in den Slums. Die Reichen verbessern ihre Körper durch zahllose mechanische Protesten und Bio-Upgrades. Zusätzlich haben sie einen Chip im Gehirn, der sie mit dem Datenstrom verbindet und mit Adam, einer AI, die alles steuert.
Aus meiner Sicht hat der Autor hier alle auffindbaren Konzepte in einen Topf geworfen, um seine Welt interessant zu machen. Weniger wäre mehr gewesen.
Die Handlung zu beschreiben, fällt mir schwer. Hierzu empfehle ich, die anderen Rezensionen zu lesen. Ich konnte mit ihr, wie gesagt, nichts anfangen.
Der Schreibstil ist einigermaßen variabel und passt sich den Szenen an. Deshalb gibt es von mir zwei Sterne.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews