Meatspace

by Asa Tait

Eternal life Inside is a digital paradise if you can make rent. Jim Chord can’t.

He already sold off the last of his childhood memories. The love of his life has ghosted him. He has nowhere left to run. When a trillionaire goes missing, Jim has one last shot to track him down and earn a reward that will keep him Inside forever. But the magnate seems to be dead, and that simply doesn’t happen. Not here. Not to someone with money.

The solution to this impossible mystery can only be found on the Outside - the grimy, blood-soaked physical world that Jim had happily forgotten. Now he must face the people and sensations he’d abandoned in a world where nothing is free and death is very real.

Genres: Science Fiction, Cyberpunk, Audiobook

Unknown Binding

First published September 3, 2019

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally misjudged this book based on the cover and the title. Both don’t reflect the awesomeness contained within. Meatspace is a gripping cyberpunk detective murder mystery. Take Blade Runner, Ready Player One, and Hardwired and stick them in a blender and you will get something unique, like Meatspace. The story has a touch of gritty atmosphere, which suits the mystery part of the story really well. I was immediately sucked into this story and it kept me engaged the entire time. I’m really glad I gave this book a chance, despite the title sounding like an adult entertainment film.

Jim Chord has been hired as a sheriff and then warned off of investigating a case too closely. Some of the night club scenes, games, and crazy avatar skins made me think of RPO (which I quite enjoyed). Jim’s story-long hunt for the truth brought to mind Blade Runner. Yet Meatspace is a story in and of it’s own. There were twists and turns that kept me guessing right up to the end. I especially enjoyed those parts where Jim has to experience the real world – physical meatspace – the place where human bodies get the job done. He grew up in the cyberworld so I was amused by how much his body demanded of him. He was not ready for that. And yet he learned the true pleasure of relief from pain or discomfort – like having a full belly or an empty bladder.

The big reveal about the cyberworld was awesome. I didn’t see that coming. It was like that moment in the Matrix when Neo learns what humans really are to the machines. Nicely done. I was a fan of the story long before that reveal but that moment has placed this book in among my favorite cyberpunk novels. 5/5 stars.

The Narration: Christopher Harbour was a great pick for this narration. He had the perfect voice for Jim, being just a touch gravelly. He had unique voices for all the characters and his female voices were believable. I especially liked his old lady voice for Helen and his ruined voice for Whisper. The pacing was perfect and there were no tech issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Asa Tait. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

[Gordon Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

If it were possible to put a label on this novel, I think it would be Surrealistic Fantasy. It takes place in a world so uncertain that the buildings are constantly moving. It is a book about visuals: the beautiful, the grotesque, the gory, the wonderful.

It’s also a mystery. Hard to say whether it’s a murder mystery, because in the unreal and shifting world of this dysfunctional future nothing seems to be permanent: not even death.

The problem with this setup is that the conflict is so nebulous and the setting so shifty that the reader can’t really settle on what to be tense about. Next thing, the author changes the rules and we’re off in another direction. In the end, unfortunately, the author has to tell us what’s going on, because we can’t figure it out for ourselves. This, combined with the endless description of the setting, fills the book with huge amounts of detail peripheral to the plotline, which moves very slowly for the first two-thirds of the novel.

However, once all the explaining is over and the complicated conflict is whittled down to character vs. character, the final action scenes are tense and compelling.

A novel that cries out to be released in a more visual medium.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meatspace draws a lot of what worked with some of the more revered Cyberpunk novels but dodges some of their failings. Both Snow Crash and Neuromancer were thick with world building, a dense sludge of exposition, but the main plots weren't particularly earth-shattering. A lot of flash, but not too much substance.

Meatspace, dare I say it, actually gets it right, and really shows what can be accomplished with the Cyberpunk genre when it isn't forced to have an 80s aesthetic.

The only real problem with the book? None of the characters are really that likeable, and you never really care if they succeed. Thankfully, the overall plot and world pull it all together.

Overall, a decent novel, recommended.

[Lauren Mendez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meat Space is a novel that delves into so many important concepts including human suffering, wealth inequity, death, and the permanence of actions. In this world the wealthy live lives where they can easily alter their appearance and do not have to experience pain or death on the inside. The outside however is filled with pain, death, and everyone who could not afford eternal pleasure. This book is eerie, distressing, and riveting. The main character Jim is by no means a courageous hero, but a fallible man who opens his eyes to the horrible truths that have allowed him to live a life of comfort. I received this book as an ARC from Parliament House and have provided my honest feedback on this novel.

[Rick Castañeda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meatspace is a book about what it means to be human, and what it means to be alive. It’s also a book about oppression, and privilege, showing what a future divide might look like between those who can afford to upload their consciousness to the Inside, versus those who must live in mortal flesh and blood bodies on the Outside. Is this a metaphor for the haves and have-nots of our current time, or a glimpse at our own not-too-future? The book does a great job of exploring the implications of both in a riveting, hard-boiled detective mystery. What will our lives be like when you can truly live your life in a video game? Tait has created an entire world - two, actually - and I can’t stop thinking about it.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I looooooved the concept and about 80% of the execution. Taking into consideration this isn't a final copy, it was really good! I liked the idea that in the future if things ever get that bad, someone might just try to save the world by uploading it. There was plenty of detail and solid storyline, there was just a sense of incompletion during parts of it. Like, I felt the author would describe in detail unimportant things and then skip over something I thought was relevant. I'm not the author though, so maybe this was intentional to keep us guessing! Anyhooooo, I really enjoyed this book once I really got into it, and would recommend to any sci-fi or dystopian fans.

[Tracy Auerbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this creepy dystopian thriller, we get to see the effects of overcrowding and technological dependency on the human race...and it is chilling! Welcome to a world where reality has been replaced by digital interface, and our ‘meat’ is merely a place to store consciousness.

I enjoyed the mood and descriptive nature of the bleak world Tait paints, and found myself invested in Jim Chord’s fate and his evolving view of the world. He manages to be relatable in a world where nobody relates to each other, and human experiences can be broken down to code.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an audiobook to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to The Parliament House for giving me access.

Bodies just being a home to consciousness? Yes please!

This was very different from anything I've read and a bit strange at points. Overall, I enjoyed it and would read more if there ever was any.

[Susan Shafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't but it down! Every time I thought I had it figured out it took another turn .I would think I should have seen that ..but I didn't.What a great read ,one of those book you have to get to the end and when you do your sad it done.

[Kendra Burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is good and the premise is interesting but I just can't get into it.