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Polity Universe (chronological) #2
Shadow of the Scorpion
Some secrets are too hard to bear . . .
Following the human vs prador war, Ian Cormac signs up with Earth Central Security. He’s sent out to restore order on worlds devastated by alien bombardment. But he learns humanity can be far more dangerous – even those closest to him. Amidst the tragic ruins left by wartime atrocities, Cormac discovers in himself the cold capacity for violence. It’s a quality that’ll make him one of Earth’s top agents. Haunted by childhood memories of a sinister scorpion-shaped war drone, and the burden of losses he doesn’t remember, he’ll discover some hard truths. These will set him on a course of vengeance, where he’ll have to use all his hard-won skills just to stay alive. A standalone prequel to Neal Asher’s explosive Agent Cormac series.
Following the human vs prador war, Ian Cormac signs up with Earth Central Security. He’s sent out to restore order on worlds devastated by alien bombardment. But he learns humanity can be far more dangerous – even those closest to him. Amidst the tragic ruins left by wartime atrocities, Cormac discovers in himself the cold capacity for violence. It’s a quality that’ll make him one of Earth’s top agents. Haunted by childhood memories of a sinister scorpion-shaped war drone, and the burden of losses he doesn’t remember, he’ll discover some hard truths. These will set him on a course of vengeance, where he’ll have to use all his hard-won skills just to stay alive. A standalone prequel to Neal Asher’s explosive Agent Cormac series.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
129 people are currently reading
1658 people want to read
About the author
Neal Asher
144 books3,070 followersI’ve been an engineer, barman, skip lorry driver, coalman, boat window manufacturer, contract grass cutter and builder. Now I write science fiction books, and am slowly getting over the feeling that someone is going to find me out, and can call myself a writer without wincing and ducking my head. As professions go, I prefer this one: I don’t have to clock-in, change my clothes after work, nor scrub sensitive parts of my body with detergent. I think I’ll hang around.
Source: http://www.blogger.com/profile/139339...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews
February 9, 2017
This one is easily a better novel than the previous one, but I can't quite tell if that's just because the heavy lifting of the tech and aliens has already been long-established from within Prador Moon.
This one moves well beyond a straight high-tech military porn and delves into the creation of Ian Cormac, of whom later novels are focused, and the reveals he slowly learns about his erased childhood, splitting the novel between his adulthood and his formation pretty equally, while also being embroiled in a techno-political thriller years after the main wars have already been waged.
Human separatists are still an issue, of course, as are the Prador.
More interestingly, for me, is the introduction of the new places and the titles of later books and a hint of their importance for later. It's these things that hook me and make me a fan. A good novel is still a good novel, with a full beginning, middle, and end, but without these juicy tidbits of a far-off adventure, I might have stopped here.
I'm not stopping, suffice to say. :)
I'm really getting into this now. It's no longer a fun and fast-paced pew pew popcorn, but a serious character tale, too. :) Yay!
This one moves well beyond a straight high-tech military porn and delves into the creation of Ian Cormac, of whom later novels are focused, and the reveals he slowly learns about his erased childhood, splitting the novel between his adulthood and his formation pretty equally, while also being embroiled in a techno-political thriller years after the main wars have already been waged.
Human separatists are still an issue, of course, as are the Prador.
More interestingly, for me, is the introduction of the new places and the titles of later books and a hint of their importance for later. It's these things that hook me and make me a fan. A good novel is still a good novel, with a full beginning, middle, and end, but without these juicy tidbits of a far-off adventure, I might have stopped here.
I'm not stopping, suffice to say. :)
I'm really getting into this now. It's no longer a fun and fast-paced pew pew popcorn, but a serious character tale, too. :) Yay!
August 22, 2013
Shadow of the Scorpion isn’t a very big book, compared to other entries in the Polity series. This is a good thing, since all it really sets out to do is reveal that Agent Cormac was a serious bad-ass long before Gridlinked.
She turned and gazed at Cormac for a moment. "It would appear that this soldier is a walking abattoir."
That said, this isn’t criticism, it’s actually a nod to an author who keeps himself in check when that is what is required, or at least as far as page count is concerned. There are some nice action sequences here, but nothing as elaborate as elsewhere in the series. Is it over the top? Yes, to some extent, but since when has this kind of thing not been. It’s military Space Opera at once both streamlined and unapologetic.
Remember – this is a prequel to Gridlinked, even though it was written later. So, is it as good as the other novels in the series? You decide. It doesn’t have the plot depth of some of the other instalments, but it doesn’t need to. It’s a nifty little origin story, is all. Oh, I might as well mention that some of the more explicit action scenes might have you squirming a bit if you’re the sensitive type.
The novel touches briefly on the Prador War, but not to the extent that completists would like. However, if you are interested in that specific aspect of the Polity universe, you’ll at least have something to chew on (no pun intended). I suppose you could easily give this a skip and still die a happy camper if you’re not that into Asher, but I would certainly recommend it to fans of Agent Cormac and all the delightful mayhem that surrounds him. But… read Gridlinked first, it just works better that way.
"Stone Killer" was a description that occurred to him, but it seemed far too dramatic, he felt that maybe he was just becoming accustomed to the life . . . .
She turned and gazed at Cormac for a moment. "It would appear that this soldier is a walking abattoir."
That said, this isn’t criticism, it’s actually a nod to an author who keeps himself in check when that is what is required, or at least as far as page count is concerned. There are some nice action sequences here, but nothing as elaborate as elsewhere in the series. Is it over the top? Yes, to some extent, but since when has this kind of thing not been. It’s military Space Opera at once both streamlined and unapologetic.
Remember – this is a prequel to Gridlinked, even though it was written later. So, is it as good as the other novels in the series? You decide. It doesn’t have the plot depth of some of the other instalments, but it doesn’t need to. It’s a nifty little origin story, is all. Oh, I might as well mention that some of the more explicit action scenes might have you squirming a bit if you’re the sensitive type.
The novel touches briefly on the Prador War, but not to the extent that completists would like. However, if you are interested in that specific aspect of the Polity universe, you’ll at least have something to chew on (no pun intended). I suppose you could easily give this a skip and still die a happy camper if you’re not that into Asher, but I would certainly recommend it to fans of Agent Cormac and all the delightful mayhem that surrounds him. But… read Gridlinked first, it just works better that way.
"Stone Killer" was a description that occurred to him, but it seemed far too dramatic, he felt that maybe he was just becoming accustomed to the life . . . .
November 17, 2018
I’m finding it slightly difficult to review this book. As even though I felt it was a well written story, I struggled to connect with the characters in this world.
I’d read Pardor Moon a while a go and with this being listed as the second in the ‘Polity Universe’ on Goodreads I felt that it would have be a great place to continue.
The book introduces the character Ian Cormac to the series.
I couldn’t put my finger on why I was struggling to full grasp the story, it wasn’t until I started reading a few other reviews and found out that it was a prequel to another series in this universe.
I’ve always felt that book series should always be numbered clearly, just like DVD boxsets.
So I’ve gone straight down the middle for my rating, it was fine - but knew I would have enjoyed it more.
2.5/5.
I’d read Pardor Moon a while a go and with this being listed as the second in the ‘Polity Universe’ on Goodreads I felt that it would have be a great place to continue.
The book introduces the character Ian Cormac to the series.
I couldn’t put my finger on why I was struggling to full grasp the story, it wasn’t until I started reading a few other reviews and found out that it was a prequel to another series in this universe.
I’ve always felt that book series should always be numbered clearly, just like DVD boxsets.
So I’ve gone straight down the middle for my rating, it was fine - but knew I would have enjoyed it more.
2.5/5.
October 30, 2023
This second book (chronologically) of the polity universe introduces the next main character in the following Agent Cormac series. It alternates between flashbacks of when Ian Cormac (that’s Cormac to you) was a little boy and then later in life upon just joining the military. Where Prador Moon was more of a sci-fi action story similar to Starship Troopers, Shadow of the Scorpion plays out more like a spy thriller. I’ll admit, I was a little disappointed that the killer space crabs, the Prador, didn’t play a heavy role here. Instead, it’s all about Cormac getting assigned to infiltrate the separatists, a faction that hates the AI Polity.
The mystery surrounding Cormac’s childhood and the creepy scorpion drone was very interesting for most of the story. It only fell short because the last few chapters lacked the emotional punch they would’ve had if the mystery hadn’t already been revealed. I can partly see why Asher did this, but ultimately it shortchanged his payoff.
Once again, like in Prador Moon, the main character here feels rather robotic and one-dimensional, often not feeling emotions one way or the other. Characters are not a strong point with Asher. What is, is the science of the polity universe and the descriptive action scenes. Asher also likes to touch on philosophical questions regarding AI and the flavor of the novel is the age-old question, what would make a sentient AI human to other humans? What does it take, agency? Empathy? A free will? He broaches the subject in a very human way that will make you think.
Overall, Shadow of the Scorpion was a fun popcorn spy thriller with some killer space crabs. Don’t expect much in the way of characterization or emotional payoffs. This story reads as an origin story for Agent Cormac who has a 5-book series I’ll be diving into next. Hopefully there will be some character development along the way but I’m not discouraged to stop reading the series.
Polity Universe
Prador Moon - 7.5/10
Shadow of the Scorpion - 7.0/10
The Technician - 8.0/10
Agent Cormac
Gridlinked - 7.5/10
The Line of Polity - 8.0/10
Brass Man - 8.5/10
Polity Agent - 9.0/10
Line War - 10/10
The mystery surrounding Cormac’s childhood and the creepy scorpion drone was very interesting for most of the story. It only fell short because the last few chapters lacked the emotional punch they would’ve had if the mystery hadn’t already been revealed. I can partly see why Asher did this, but ultimately it shortchanged his payoff.
Once again, like in Prador Moon, the main character here feels rather robotic and one-dimensional, often not feeling emotions one way or the other. Characters are not a strong point with Asher. What is, is the science of the polity universe and the descriptive action scenes. Asher also likes to touch on philosophical questions regarding AI and the flavor of the novel is the age-old question, what would make a sentient AI human to other humans? What does it take, agency? Empathy? A free will? He broaches the subject in a very human way that will make you think.
Overall, Shadow of the Scorpion was a fun popcorn spy thriller with some killer space crabs. Don’t expect much in the way of characterization or emotional payoffs. This story reads as an origin story for Agent Cormac who has a 5-book series I’ll be diving into next. Hopefully there will be some character development along the way but I’m not discouraged to stop reading the series.
Polity Universe
Prador Moon - 7.5/10
Shadow of the Scorpion - 7.0/10
The Technician - 8.0/10
Agent Cormac
Gridlinked - 7.5/10
The Line of Polity - 8.0/10
Brass Man - 8.5/10
Polity Agent - 9.0/10
Line War - 10/10
September 16, 2018
Prequel to the Ian Cormac series. First half 3 stars with threaded back stories of Cormac as preteen and military soldier...and overly excessive amounts of setting descriptions. Second half 4 stars with copious amounts of ass kickery...and where many loose story threads were sewn. Loved the too few scenes with crab-like Prador and once-human hoopers, both from the author's best novel THE SKINNER, which I recommend reading first along with Ian Cormac books 1 and 2.
November 22, 2021
Wanted to like this more than I did. Didn't dislike it; never considered not finishing it, but it did not grab me the way I'd have hoped. The issue with a prequel is you know that no key characters are in serious jeopardy, so the journey has to be worth it without that suspense. The structure of the book including the flashbacks is such that any other substantial suspense that could have been possible is also absent. The actual narrative was fine, but give the reader something to draw them back besides "may as well finish what I started and see for sure how it ends".
Found the flashbacks to childhood, which honestly weren't very revealing nor exciting came at the most irritating points, when I wanted to get on with the adult story. By the end, it was like the author had bored with structure entirely, and conversations stopped midway through without any clarity that was even happening, then the next sentence events flash forward a little bit, and repeat that sort of thing again soon after. Had me wondering if I missed something, if there was an error in the book, or what. No; two characters just meet, start an important conversation, then apparently wandered away from it to do other things for no reason but that it served to further delay a reveal. That's poor storytelling. Goodness, have one of them at least hear something that needs investigating; something to explain the interruption, or at minimum add line spacing as often occurs elsewhere to indicate a change of scene.
I can only recommend it if you are enough of a fan of Cormac that you want his origin story, even if it isn't close to being one of Asher's best books. There are spoilers in this story related to the Spatterjay series it seems but they don't seem like major ones; can't be sure though as I've not read those yet. What I would not do is read this before at least reading a few other Cormac books. This would likely be a poor read if one isn't already familiar with and invested in his character. Also, don't go in hoping to learn too much from the war drone's perspective, lest you leave disappointed.
Found the flashbacks to childhood, which honestly weren't very revealing nor exciting came at the most irritating points, when I wanted to get on with the adult story. By the end, it was like the author had bored with structure entirely, and conversations stopped midway through without any clarity that was even happening, then the next sentence events flash forward a little bit, and repeat that sort of thing again soon after. Had me wondering if I missed something, if there was an error in the book, or what. No; two characters just meet, start an important conversation, then apparently wandered away from it to do other things for no reason but that it served to further delay a reveal. That's poor storytelling. Goodness, have one of them at least hear something that needs investigating; something to explain the interruption, or at minimum add line spacing as often occurs elsewhere to indicate a change of scene.
I can only recommend it if you are enough of a fan of Cormac that you want his origin story, even if it isn't close to being one of Asher's best books. There are spoilers in this story related to the Spatterjay series it seems but they don't seem like major ones; can't be sure though as I've not read those yet. What I would not do is read this before at least reading a few other Cormac books. This would likely be a poor read if one isn't already familiar with and invested in his character. Also, don't go in hoping to learn too much from the war drone's perspective, lest you leave disappointed.
July 14, 2018
I enjoyed this second book in the Polity series very much. Lots of interesting technology and good sci-fi action keep the pacing very good. The characters are an interesting mix, especially since multiple different AI’s are included, and some of the interesting aspects of the relationships between people and AI’s are explored. I’m definitely going to read the next one.
February 13, 2010
Fresh from the worldbuilding present in Perdido Street Station, it's not surprising that Shadow of the Scorpion's worldbuilding does not impress me much. This is straight genre fiction—and that is not a bad thing. It appeals to the ardent science fiction fan in me by using standard tropes or settings like artificial intelligences running the society; a "space army" composed of infantry, marine troops, etc.; an alien enemy that is distinctly non-human in both form and thought; and a lone protagonist influenced to lead his life in a certain way by events during his childhood. There's very little unique or original about the mythology of Shadow of the Scorpion. Hence, it's Neal Asher's writing, and what he does with this standard-fare mythology, that makes this book appealing.
Asher takes the concept of memory editing and applies it to the psychological aftermath of war. It makes sense that some soldiers, and even civilians, would choose to remove memories of painful events. Ian Cormac's mother, however, goes further and edits his childhood memories. Asher attempts to deal with the moral consequences of these issues—not always successfully, as we're usually interrupted by the relentless call of the main plot, and not with any degree of subtlety. Even so, and maybe just because I'm fascinated by the concept of memory in general, I still find this part of the book enduring and interesting. Since the editing of Cormac's memories happened when he was a child, it has contributed to the person he has become today, the person who must now decide how to react to the memories that were removed. It's the sort of uber-complicated situation that tends to crop up in sci-fi.
Beyond psychological issues, however, there's plenty of action. In fact, the main plot consists of a manhunt for Cormac's former squad-mate, Carl Thrace. Asher writes action scenes like they're going out of style, which has both advantages and drawbacks. On one hand, they're both detailed and intense. One of the difficulties of writing action scenes for a science fiction story is balancing the technology (and technobabble) with the . . . well, action. It's easy, especially with the level of advanced technology available to Asher in his Polity universe, to succumb to the temptation to press a button and kill all the bad guys. (We see this a lot in Star Trek.) At the same time, an author can't always discard technology altogether so his or her protagonist is forced to use wholly primitive means of survival. Striking the balance is tough, but Asher manages to do so consistently, delivering fresh action filled with firefights, superpowered soldiers, gruesome injuries, and plenty of explosions.
In fact, sometimes it seems like action is the only good part of Shadow of the Scorpion. The more mellow scenes are, by comparison, just so slow and expository. The scenes alone are not bad, but they don't compare in quality to the action wrapped around them. It's as if there are two different stories at war in Shadow of the Scorpion: the intense manhunt for Carl, and Cormac's exploration of his personal history and destiny. Despite being strong individually, the two stories never come together to form a completely whole narrative.
At the end, the former story doesn't deliver the resolution I was expecting. Cormac's confrontation with Carl lacks much in the way of suspense or even creative conflict. And Carl, of course, commits the classic faux pas of talking when he should be shooting. A threatening villain this book does not have.
There's a lot to recommend about Shadow of the Scorpion. This was my first Asher book, and I'll read more of his Polity/Agent Cormac novels now, because this one wasn't bad. It lacks the spark of something more, something sublime enough to make it a great book instead of just a good one. Yet if you're interested in this type of action-oriented science fiction, you can't go wrong here.
Asher takes the concept of memory editing and applies it to the psychological aftermath of war. It makes sense that some soldiers, and even civilians, would choose to remove memories of painful events. Ian Cormac's mother, however, goes further and edits his childhood memories. Asher attempts to deal with the moral consequences of these issues—not always successfully, as we're usually interrupted by the relentless call of the main plot, and not with any degree of subtlety. Even so, and maybe just because I'm fascinated by the concept of memory in general, I still find this part of the book enduring and interesting. Since the editing of Cormac's memories happened when he was a child, it has contributed to the person he has become today, the person who must now decide how to react to the memories that were removed. It's the sort of uber-complicated situation that tends to crop up in sci-fi.
Beyond psychological issues, however, there's plenty of action. In fact, the main plot consists of a manhunt for Cormac's former squad-mate, Carl Thrace. Asher writes action scenes like they're going out of style, which has both advantages and drawbacks. On one hand, they're both detailed and intense. One of the difficulties of writing action scenes for a science fiction story is balancing the technology (and technobabble) with the . . . well, action. It's easy, especially with the level of advanced technology available to Asher in his Polity universe, to succumb to the temptation to press a button and kill all the bad guys. (We see this a lot in Star Trek.) At the same time, an author can't always discard technology altogether so his or her protagonist is forced to use wholly primitive means of survival. Striking the balance is tough, but Asher manages to do so consistently, delivering fresh action filled with firefights, superpowered soldiers, gruesome injuries, and plenty of explosions.
In fact, sometimes it seems like action is the only good part of Shadow of the Scorpion. The more mellow scenes are, by comparison, just so slow and expository. The scenes alone are not bad, but they don't compare in quality to the action wrapped around them. It's as if there are two different stories at war in Shadow of the Scorpion: the intense manhunt for Carl, and Cormac's exploration of his personal history and destiny. Despite being strong individually, the two stories never come together to form a completely whole narrative.
At the end, the former story doesn't deliver the resolution I was expecting. Cormac's confrontation with Carl lacks much in the way of suspense or even creative conflict. And Carl, of course, commits the classic faux pas of talking when he should be shooting. A threatening villain this book does not have.
There's a lot to recommend about Shadow of the Scorpion. This was my first Asher book, and I'll read more of his Polity/Agent Cormac novels now, because this one wasn't bad. It lacks the spark of something more, something sublime enough to make it a great book instead of just a good one. Yet if you're interested in this type of action-oriented science fiction, you can't go wrong here.
July 16, 2018
Predictable and hard to read.
January 19, 2018
4.5 rounded up. I cannot convey my love for Neal Asher adequately using mere words. All six Cormac books, the three Spatterjays, and this being the third standalone Polity novel I've read and I'm always entertained. While this offers nothing new other than Cormac family tree stuff, the pacing is relentless, the action is epic, and as always there is a shitload going on. Dont start here if you're new to Asher but definitely pick it up if you enjoy his other books.
I think one of the things I appreciate most about his writing is the effort he puts into all the different characters. There are so many classifications/categories of humans, different alien spicies, multitudes of AIs, drones, haimans... I love it. And they're all unique, they each feel different, and to me that helps because with the complexities of his storylines it helps to remember who's who and why everyone is doing what they do.
To me Asher is the epitome of fun, in terms of my reading life.
I think one of the things I appreciate most about his writing is the effort he puts into all the different characters. There are so many classifications/categories of humans, different alien spicies, multitudes of AIs, drones, haimans... I love it. And they're all unique, they each feel different, and to me that helps because with the complexities of his storylines it helps to remember who's who and why everyone is doing what they do.
To me Asher is the epitome of fun, in terms of my reading life.
April 22, 2024
Après la guerre contre les pradors, Ian Cormac s’enrôle auprès de Earth Central Security, mais son travail d’agent éveille en lui des troubles et traumatismes enfouis de son enfance … et un chemin vers la vengeance.
Très heureux de retrouver Ian Cormac, le héros de la série du même nom, dans une nouvelle standalone pleine d’action, avec toujours les ingrédients qui font mouche chez Asher. Un livre qui s’attache un peu plus sur la partie “humaine” et sentimentale, et qui en fait un de ces meilleurs !
Très heureux de retrouver Ian Cormac, le héros de la série du même nom, dans une nouvelle standalone pleine d’action, avec toujours les ingrédients qui font mouche chez Asher. Un livre qui s’attache un peu plus sur la partie “humaine” et sentimentale, et qui en fait un de ces meilleurs !
October 20, 2019
Having enjoyed Ian Cormac in Gridlinked and later in Brass Man, I thought I really ought to get my act together and read the entire Ian Cormac series in order. This starts with Shadow of the Scorpion in which Cormac, an 8-year-old with a dysfunctional family begins to notice that this scorpion-shaped war drone keeps showing up where it isn't supposed to and it has something to tell him.
Or does it? This book does two things really nicely:
1. Tells us the story of how Ian Cormac came to join ECS and how he came to be the person he is.
2. Explores the angles of memory editing in a striking way. I won't post spoilers, except to say that it can play havoc with your narrator's time flow.
Really, really enjoyable story if you like the latest style of sci-fi out of Britain in the mode of Iain Banks, Alistair Reynolds, and Peter F. Hamilton. All four (including Neal Asher) write about space-based societies with strong cultural boundaries and war and soldiers and spies. They remind me of John Le Carre, but in space.
Update:
Less impactful the second time around because I remembered the memory tricks, but I enjoyed it at a different level.
Or does it? This book does two things really nicely:
1. Tells us the story of how Ian Cormac came to join ECS and how he came to be the person he is.
2. Explores the angles of memory editing in a striking way. I won't post spoilers, except to say that it can play havoc with your narrator's time flow.
Really, really enjoyable story if you like the latest style of sci-fi out of Britain in the mode of Iain Banks, Alistair Reynolds, and Peter F. Hamilton. All four (including Neal Asher) write about space-based societies with strong cultural boundaries and war and soldiers and spies. They remind me of John Le Carre, but in space.
Update:
Less impactful the second time around because I remembered the memory tricks, but I enjoyed it at a different level.
December 21, 2015
This book reads very much like the prequel it is. There are many flashbacks into childhood and it reads very much as a character creation story. While I didn't think it was the best book I've ever read for these purposes, it did serve to intrigue me and I look forward to starting the main series for Cormac.
July 10, 2021
As a stand alone book, it's a decent action story. Kept wondering where is this going? As a prequel, it has my interest. I need to read more Neal Asher to form a better opinion.
July 16, 2025
I went into this book excited for a sci-fi adventure. I guess that's what I got, but it wasn't the kind of sci-fi I was hoping for. That's on me.
Misguided expectations or not, "Shadow of the Scorpion" would have been tough to get through anyway. A lot of my writer friends complain that reading is no longer fun for them because they are constantly rewriting every book they read. I normally don't have this problem; I can recognize and appreciate good writing, but I can survive sub-par writing and still enjoy a book most of the time. Not so with this novel. I constantly found myself editing confusing sentences, scrapping unnecessary details, and rewriting clunky and awkward sections. I also was often frustrated by the over-explaining that Asher felt obliged to include. He tended to "tell" not "show" which resulted in a distance between myself and the characters.
In regards to plot, I don't have much problem with the story. It's not what I was hoping for, but that doesn't make it bad. I will say, the twist was fairly predictable. It's one thing to include a few clues so that when your reader gets to the twist or to some unexpected information, it doesn't feel like the writer is going against established rules, but one should either include only a few clues or do a quick reveal. If the author hints at something throughout the whole book then takes multiple chapters to do the big reveal, the reader will have figured it out by the time she gets there.
I also felt that Asher threw so many gadgets and so much sci-fi "stuff" (for lack of a better word at this moment) into the world that it began to feel that nothing was impossible for our hero and for the plot to move along. In sci-fi, as in fantasy and magical realism, the rules of the world need to be established. Include too many gadgets, too much magic, and the stakes get lowered. Who cares what kind of peril the hero is in when he can magic his way out of it? I will say, Asher wasn't quite as bad as that, but I had a hard time keeping up with all the sci-fi talk.
On a positive note, Asher tried something a little daring with the ending, and I think it worked. Splitting up the last chapter into two different events that, chronologically, happen one after the other, yet writing them simultaneously, was a dangerous decision that I wasn't at first convinced would pay off. I do think Asher could have simply written the scenes in totality and then switched the order of them for a similar and slightly less jarring effect, but I liked it in the end.
The world that Asher has created is another plus. If the writing were better, I'd be tempted to dive further into the universe of the Polity, but I don't think I could stomach another of his earlier novels (I've heard his writing gets better in later novels). He created a cool world, and if you don't care about writing quality, I'd say check it out. "Shadow of the Scorpion" gives some good background to what I'm assuming is a fast-paced series, but, sadly, one that I'll likely never fully enjoy.
If you've read this far and are still considering reading the novel but are concerned about content, I will tell you that if "Shadow of the Scorpion" were a movie, it would be R-rated. There's a fair amount of language, a lot of *gore, and two sex scenes that, while brief, are plenty graphic and vulgar.
*Asher could've learned a thing or two from Benjamin Percy's "Thrill Me." One piece of advice from Percy that has stuck with me is his explanation of "ob skene," a Greek term meaning "off stage." In Greek dramas, deaths and other scenes that were thought to be too graphic for an audience were "performed" off stage, leaving the extent of the gore and violence up to the imagination of the viewer. Percy recommends a similar strategy in writing. Rather than outlining every gory detail, leave things up to the imagination of your reader. You will make a bigger impact, and your writing will be more enjoyable when relieved of too much 'blood and guts.' "The Shadow of the Scorpion" could have done with a violence cull.
So I'm giving the novel 2 stars for the world, mainly. And I'm keeping the book for the stunning cover art. Kudos to Bob Eggleton.
Misguided expectations or not, "Shadow of the Scorpion" would have been tough to get through anyway. A lot of my writer friends complain that reading is no longer fun for them because they are constantly rewriting every book they read. I normally don't have this problem; I can recognize and appreciate good writing, but I can survive sub-par writing and still enjoy a book most of the time. Not so with this novel. I constantly found myself editing confusing sentences, scrapping unnecessary details, and rewriting clunky and awkward sections. I also was often frustrated by the over-explaining that Asher felt obliged to include. He tended to "tell" not "show" which resulted in a distance between myself and the characters.
In regards to plot, I don't have much problem with the story. It's not what I was hoping for, but that doesn't make it bad. I will say, the twist was fairly predictable. It's one thing to include a few clues so that when your reader gets to the twist or to some unexpected information, it doesn't feel like the writer is going against established rules, but one should either include only a few clues or do a quick reveal. If the author hints at something throughout the whole book then takes multiple chapters to do the big reveal, the reader will have figured it out by the time she gets there.
I also felt that Asher threw so many gadgets and so much sci-fi "stuff" (for lack of a better word at this moment) into the world that it began to feel that nothing was impossible for our hero and for the plot to move along. In sci-fi, as in fantasy and magical realism, the rules of the world need to be established. Include too many gadgets, too much magic, and the stakes get lowered. Who cares what kind of peril the hero is in when he can magic his way out of it? I will say, Asher wasn't quite as bad as that, but I had a hard time keeping up with all the sci-fi talk.
On a positive note, Asher tried something a little daring with the ending, and I think it worked. Splitting up the last chapter into two different events that, chronologically, happen one after the other, yet writing them simultaneously, was a dangerous decision that I wasn't at first convinced would pay off. I do think Asher could have simply written the scenes in totality and then switched the order of them for a similar and slightly less jarring effect, but I liked it in the end.
The world that Asher has created is another plus. If the writing were better, I'd be tempted to dive further into the universe of the Polity, but I don't think I could stomach another of his earlier novels (I've heard his writing gets better in later novels). He created a cool world, and if you don't care about writing quality, I'd say check it out. "Shadow of the Scorpion" gives some good background to what I'm assuming is a fast-paced series, but, sadly, one that I'll likely never fully enjoy.
If you've read this far and are still considering reading the novel but are concerned about content, I will tell you that if "Shadow of the Scorpion" were a movie, it would be R-rated. There's a fair amount of language, a lot of *gore, and two sex scenes that, while brief, are plenty graphic and vulgar.
*Asher could've learned a thing or two from Benjamin Percy's "Thrill Me." One piece of advice from Percy that has stuck with me is his explanation of "ob skene," a Greek term meaning "off stage." In Greek dramas, deaths and other scenes that were thought to be too graphic for an audience were "performed" off stage, leaving the extent of the gore and violence up to the imagination of the viewer. Percy recommends a similar strategy in writing. Rather than outlining every gory detail, leave things up to the imagination of your reader. You will make a bigger impact, and your writing will be more enjoyable when relieved of too much 'blood and guts.' "The Shadow of the Scorpion" could have done with a violence cull.
So I'm giving the novel 2 stars for the world, mainly. And I'm keeping the book for the stunning cover art. Kudos to Bob Eggleton.
March 23, 2022
Just okay. It had flashbacks which I'm not fond of but I understand why they are included here.
I felt the story was too grim, graphic and brutal. Usually that doesn't bother me too much but here it didn't seem to be off set by any lightness in the story or wonderful use of language. The story lacked a certain concreteness also. The time line and the players were both unclear. There are other books with this character I guess and this is a back story written later I assume.
There was an overwhelming use of sci fi gadgetry. It seemed like the author had to throw in every futuristic idea he had ever heard of or considered and it really didn't contribute much to the actual story. There was also some save the earth preaching which, while an important topic, just seemed shoehorned in here obligatorily.
The hero was a bit unlikable he had an uncaring attitude that grated on me.
Will I try this author again? Maybe. I'd like to see how I like this character when he is being explained to me.
I felt the story was too grim, graphic and brutal. Usually that doesn't bother me too much but here it didn't seem to be off set by any lightness in the story or wonderful use of language. The story lacked a certain concreteness also. The time line and the players were both unclear. There are other books with this character I guess and this is a back story written later I assume.
There was an overwhelming use of sci fi gadgetry. It seemed like the author had to throw in every futuristic idea he had ever heard of or considered and it really didn't contribute much to the actual story. There was also some save the earth preaching which, while an important topic, just seemed shoehorned in here obligatorily.
The hero was a bit unlikable he had an uncaring attitude that grated on me.
Will I try this author again? Maybe. I'd like to see how I like this character when he is being explained to me.
September 19, 2018
Ah yes, the Polity universe. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this series, back with Prador Moon, and I didn't do much research outside of finding out how many books there were and what the general consensus was. And, for the most part, I liked it. At least enough to give further books in the series a try. Why I early on surmised they weren't meant to be highbrow literature, it was definitely an entertaining read. And sometimes that's all I ask for.
Then I read Gridlinked and it didn't hit the same spot at all. Too long, filled to the brim with stuff I just couldn't care about and a main character that was about as interesting as paper pulp. To anyone not working in the paper industry, at least. There was still something there, something that made it appealing and I can't deny that Neal Asher is a perfectly competent author, odd spelling mistake, strange sentences and the unnecessarily complicated word aside. But minor issues I had with the first book I read came back in spade and clearly identified this as one of his earlier works, before he had sanded all those rough edges.
I stayed the course, finished that book and decided, based partly on my own opinion and partly on the opinion of others that things got better, to continue. And now here I am, having read Shadow of the Scorpion.
And Shadow of the Scorpion was... pretty good. If you're in this for some kind of highbrow literature that expands the mind, you best go elsewhere. Neal Asher writes for the common man, infusing his action adventure with a whole slew of sci-fi-concepts. Such as androids, AIs, advanced weaponry, space travel and a society that's ruled by reality and logic, no mushy feelings involved here! But at its core it's still a pretty standard action novel, the "Casino Royale of Ian Cormac" if you will. There's spies and traitors, a threat to the galactic peace and lots of undercover work where you're not quite sure who's who!
And of course death.
And a whole lot of preaching about how stupid us "contemporary" people are and how we go about things. Why, if Neal Asher was in charge, things would be... okay, going off on a tangent.
As you can tell, I still have a bit of an issue with some of Asher's future society but that's good. I enjoy reading works that challenge my perceptions and where I can come out of the book and say "Nope, I'm still right. But thanks for trying." But unlike Gridlinked, where things were laid out in a way that suggested that "Duh, of course this is the better way!" Here it's more open to suggesting that things might not be so rosy in the Polity after all, that while quality of life is generally good, they've also given up a lot to have the "good life". Ian Cormac himself does a LOT of soul searching in this book and not only about how he fits into this world but also how he perceives it. If I had read this before I read Gridlinked, I might actually have cared more about the dull, personality-deprived Ian Cormac of that book.
It also gives a lot more depth to the relationships Ian Cormac forms along the way, even if they tend to be pretty shallow. And there was, yet again, a strange obsession with sex but this time WAY more detailed than it was in Gridlinked. But I still cared a lot more, at least to the point when the inevitable happened, I felt something. Something I can't quite say about Gridlinked.
And when I say inevitable, I do mean it. Everything in this book was clearly laid out from start to finish that it was hard to even act surprised when somebody "suddenly" died or when he was betrayed. Hell, I saw the ending coming a mile a way and Neal Asher just so obviously hammered home some points that if you've read Gridlinked, you knew exactly where things would end up. The part following Cormac as an adult was so very run of the mill that I kept thinking "Wow, I wish he'd go back and follow young Cormac around a lot more."
Cause the book is divided up between adult and young Cormac and we get a very good idea of how Cormac ended up where he was at the beginning of Gridlinked. His personality is so much clearer now and while that whole "gridlinked"-thing is still a bit of a mystery to me, at least I can tell that something had changed. And the mystery revolving around Cormac's youth and the titular scorpion was genuinely interesting, if a bit predictable.
It also established the universe a bit more firmly in my mind than Gridlinked ever managed. That book was a mess of concepts introduced at a flying pace and much of it didn't seem important. Here, with Gridlinked and Prador Moon already established in my mind, the technology and lore flowed much better. It was, perhaps, the wrong way around to do things, I admit, perhaps I should've read it in the order suggested by other people but I do have thing for reading in chronological order (though I realize I skipped this book before).
In general, then, I found this book to be a great read. Luckily I had a lot of time on buses and park benches this last week and when I decided to read, it was a hard one to put down. Despite being a step ahead almost constantly, the writing was solid enough and the story compelling enough to have me continue reading. After all, I don't expect you to reinvent the wheel every time. Just give mer a perfectly good wheel that will serve me for now and I'm happy. Mostly.
Then I read Gridlinked and it didn't hit the same spot at all. Too long, filled to the brim with stuff I just couldn't care about and a main character that was about as interesting as paper pulp. To anyone not working in the paper industry, at least. There was still something there, something that made it appealing and I can't deny that Neal Asher is a perfectly competent author, odd spelling mistake, strange sentences and the unnecessarily complicated word aside. But minor issues I had with the first book I read came back in spade and clearly identified this as one of his earlier works, before he had sanded all those rough edges.
I stayed the course, finished that book and decided, based partly on my own opinion and partly on the opinion of others that things got better, to continue. And now here I am, having read Shadow of the Scorpion.
And Shadow of the Scorpion was... pretty good. If you're in this for some kind of highbrow literature that expands the mind, you best go elsewhere. Neal Asher writes for the common man, infusing his action adventure with a whole slew of sci-fi-concepts. Such as androids, AIs, advanced weaponry, space travel and a society that's ruled by reality and logic, no mushy feelings involved here! But at its core it's still a pretty standard action novel, the "Casino Royale of Ian Cormac" if you will. There's spies and traitors, a threat to the galactic peace and lots of undercover work where you're not quite sure who's who!
And of course death.
And a whole lot of preaching about how stupid us "contemporary" people are and how we go about things. Why, if Neal Asher was in charge, things would be... okay, going off on a tangent.
As you can tell, I still have a bit of an issue with some of Asher's future society but that's good. I enjoy reading works that challenge my perceptions and where I can come out of the book and say "Nope, I'm still right. But thanks for trying." But unlike Gridlinked, where things were laid out in a way that suggested that "Duh, of course this is the better way!" Here it's more open to suggesting that things might not be so rosy in the Polity after all, that while quality of life is generally good, they've also given up a lot to have the "good life". Ian Cormac himself does a LOT of soul searching in this book and not only about how he fits into this world but also how he perceives it. If I had read this before I read Gridlinked, I might actually have cared more about the dull, personality-deprived Ian Cormac of that book.
It also gives a lot more depth to the relationships Ian Cormac forms along the way, even if they tend to be pretty shallow. And there was, yet again, a strange obsession with sex but this time WAY more detailed than it was in Gridlinked. But I still cared a lot more, at least to the point when the inevitable happened, I felt something. Something I can't quite say about Gridlinked.
And when I say inevitable, I do mean it. Everything in this book was clearly laid out from start to finish that it was hard to even act surprised when somebody "suddenly" died or when he was betrayed. Hell, I saw the ending coming a mile a way and Neal Asher just so obviously hammered home some points that if you've read Gridlinked, you knew exactly where things would end up. The part following Cormac as an adult was so very run of the mill that I kept thinking "Wow, I wish he'd go back and follow young Cormac around a lot more."
Cause the book is divided up between adult and young Cormac and we get a very good idea of how Cormac ended up where he was at the beginning of Gridlinked. His personality is so much clearer now and while that whole "gridlinked"-thing is still a bit of a mystery to me, at least I can tell that something had changed. And the mystery revolving around Cormac's youth and the titular scorpion was genuinely interesting, if a bit predictable.
It also established the universe a bit more firmly in my mind than Gridlinked ever managed. That book was a mess of concepts introduced at a flying pace and much of it didn't seem important. Here, with Gridlinked and Prador Moon already established in my mind, the technology and lore flowed much better. It was, perhaps, the wrong way around to do things, I admit, perhaps I should've read it in the order suggested by other people but I do have thing for reading in chronological order (though I realize I skipped this book before).
In general, then, I found this book to be a great read. Luckily I had a lot of time on buses and park benches this last week and when I decided to read, it was a hard one to put down. Despite being a step ahead almost constantly, the writing was solid enough and the story compelling enough to have me continue reading. After all, I don't expect you to reinvent the wheel every time. Just give mer a perfectly good wheel that will serve me for now and I'm happy. Mostly.
August 20, 2023
Asher's weakest so far, despite being a solid Sci-Fi. So much slog and so much wasted potential. I had to go through 13 chapters just to get to the interesting and actually useful part AKA the ending...
June 18, 2021
3★
This was an okay-ish thriller set on a planet and serves as an introduction to Cormac, so no massive ship battles here or intellectually melting confrontation between god like AIs either.
This was an okay-ish thriller set on a planet and serves as an introduction to Cormac, so no massive ship battles here or intellectually melting confrontation between god like AIs either.
November 1, 2019
Surprisingly well made. Listened through swiftly on Storytel.
February 18, 2015
The best thing about airplane trips is nearly uninterrupted reading, which, for a book like this, is a sheer delight.
This book is listed on Goodreads as Polity #3, but I think it could also be listed as Cormac #1, because we get to see Agent Cormac's formative years. A blending of events, the winding down of the Prador War and Cormac's background information all nicely packaged into one strong book.
I'm usually not a fan of back and forth timelines, where the characters bounce between the past and the present, but I thought Asher did a good job of integrating the timelines and events through the use of younger Cormac's deleted memory cards. That was a deft bit of writing to bring everything together cohesively.
My main complaint with the plot perhaps resided in the conclusion. Without giving away any spoilers, the book followed younger Cormac as he grows into adulthood, as well as the somewhat older Cormac as he trains as a grunt and, later, a Sparkind. As events come to fruition, the nemesis hunted down, and the big reveal at the end, it all rather felt abbreviated, almost too short - rushed perhaps, after the multi-generational build-up. I hit the end and wondered where the rest of the story was.
This is the fifth Asher book I've read, and I haven't been disappointed yet. Recommended.
This book is listed on Goodreads as Polity #3, but I think it could also be listed as Cormac #1, because we get to see Agent Cormac's formative years. A blending of events, the winding down of the Prador War and Cormac's background information all nicely packaged into one strong book.
I'm usually not a fan of back and forth timelines, where the characters bounce between the past and the present, but I thought Asher did a good job of integrating the timelines and events through the use of younger Cormac's deleted memory cards. That was a deft bit of writing to bring everything together cohesively.
My main complaint with the plot perhaps resided in the conclusion. Without giving away any spoilers, the book followed younger Cormac as he grows into adulthood, as well as the somewhat older Cormac as he trains as a grunt and, later, a Sparkind. As events come to fruition, the nemesis hunted down, and the big reveal at the end, it all rather felt abbreviated, almost too short - rushed perhaps, after the multi-generational build-up. I hit the end and wondered where the rest of the story was.
This is the fifth Asher book I've read, and I haven't been disappointed yet. Recommended.
March 21, 2015
4+ stars
This is a prequel of the Agent Cormac series and follows Ian Cormac through two time periods - his childhood during the war with the aliens and his youth when he joined the Earth Central Security.
The war is over, but there are alien stragglers left behind who are still lethal. Their technology is attracting the separatists determined to use it against the Polity. Cormac shows certain skills which involve him with the intelligence operations and hunt for the traitor. Through these events and the memories of his childhood we learn of his connection with the scorpion war drone Amistad (he was in Dark Intelligence as a warden of planet Masada). Asher is also laying the groundwork for Cormac's own series. This is, basically, Cormac's origin story.
The most fascinating part of these books for me is artificial intelligence. The various drones, Golems (androids) and AIs all have a distinct personality. The author asks the question are they so different from us just because their brains are made of circuits and ours of flesh? If they feel, if they suffer, are they less then us? Cormac's personal bias towards the Golems and his experiences with his comrades and Amistad serve this author's goal.
And, how cool is Cormac's special Shuriken?
Highly entertaining, fun romp through the space and Polity. Also, highly addictive. Also, highly recommended.
This is a prequel of the Agent Cormac series and follows Ian Cormac through two time periods - his childhood during the war with the aliens and his youth when he joined the Earth Central Security.
The war is over, but there are alien stragglers left behind who are still lethal. Their technology is attracting the separatists determined to use it against the Polity. Cormac shows certain skills which involve him with the intelligence operations and hunt for the traitor. Through these events and the memories of his childhood we learn of his connection with the scorpion war drone Amistad (he was in Dark Intelligence as a warden of planet Masada). Asher is also laying the groundwork for Cormac's own series. This is, basically, Cormac's origin story.
The most fascinating part of these books for me is artificial intelligence. The various drones, Golems (androids) and AIs all have a distinct personality. The author asks the question are they so different from us just because their brains are made of circuits and ours of flesh? If they feel, if they suffer, are they less then us? Cormac's personal bias towards the Golems and his experiences with his comrades and Amistad serve this author's goal.
And, how cool is Cormac's special Shuriken?
Highly entertaining, fun romp through the space and Polity. Also, highly addictive. Also, highly recommended.
September 19, 2012
The story centers round Ian Cormac, showing his beginnings as a soldier, promoted to the Sparkind and later as an ECS agent. Interspersed with this are flashbacks to his childhood, relating the details of his mother and brother's tales during the Prador war and how he has no memories of his father or how he died in that war.
Another installment in Asher's Polity Universe, this tale gives us some of the background to Ian Cormac's early life, his joining ECS and how he acquires that lethal Tenkian weapon of his. It also introduces the war drone Amistad, who we meet later in The Technician. Yes, I read them in the wrong order but it doesn't really matter as this is really about Ian Cormac.
Not a blockbuster of a novel but a decent read for fans of the Polity and Ian Cormac.
Another installment in Asher's Polity Universe, this tale gives us some of the background to Ian Cormac's early life, his joining ECS and how he acquires that lethal Tenkian weapon of his. It also introduces the war drone Amistad, who we meet later in The Technician. Yes, I read them in the wrong order but it doesn't really matter as this is really about Ian Cormac.
Not a blockbuster of a novel but a decent read for fans of the Polity and Ian Cormac.
July 29, 2012
After having seen comparisons to Alastair Reynolds and Richard Morgan on here, I thought I'd give Neal Asher a go. First thing I have to say is the comparisons are wrong on many levels.
Asher's writing in this books lacks any depth whatsoever, and reads more like a book written by a child. He feels the need to explain some things that are patently obvious given their context, but leaves other things (the words he seems proud to have invented or appropriated) unexplained. His repeated use of a nonsense word to explain a technology he clearly doesn't have the imagination or knowledge to think through also grates.
On the strength of this book, I shall be avoiding Asher like the plague from now on. Still, lesson learned.
Asher's writing in this books lacks any depth whatsoever, and reads more like a book written by a child. He feels the need to explain some things that are patently obvious given their context, but leaves other things (the words he seems proud to have invented or appropriated) unexplained. His repeated use of a nonsense word to explain a technology he clearly doesn't have the imagination or knowledge to think through also grates.
On the strength of this book, I shall be avoiding Asher like the plague from now on. Still, lesson learned.
October 16, 2023
Po mnoha letech si dávám celého Ashera znovu, tentokrát ne tak, jak u nás vycházel, ale v doporučeném chronologickém pořadí, ať je nějaká změna :)
A ke knize samotné: tak jako je Pradorský Měsíc úvod do celého Světa Řádu, je Stín Škorpiona vlastně prequel k následující sérii s agentem ZBU Cormacem. Není to určitě to nejlepší, co Asher napsal, ale čte se to pěkně, taková tříhvězdičková záležitost. Navíc, pokud chcete vědět, jak se stal Cormac tím, čím je, nikde jinde to nenajdete.
A ke knize samotné: tak jako je Pradorský Měsíc úvod do celého Světa Řádu, je Stín Škorpiona vlastně prequel k následující sérii s agentem ZBU Cormacem. Není to určitě to nejlepší, co Asher napsal, ale čte se to pěkně, taková tříhvězdičková záležitost. Navíc, pokud chcete vědět, jak se stal Cormac tím, čím je, nikde jinde to nenajdete.
September 17, 2013
This is only my second Asher book so I'm not that knowledgable on Polity stuff. What I can say is that I loved it! I enjoyed the world and the characters very much and thought it a very engaging story. The action is awesome and I like the fact that he's not afraid to get quite gruesome in detail. Very taken with Cormacs character and liked reading about his young life in parallel to current events. The scorpion drone is amazingly cool and scary, I want one!!! Having previously read Prador Moon, I was rather wishing for more Jebel Krong but I can see my timeline needs some work here! Generally, I feel I shall become a convert and look forward to my next adventure.
March 30, 2009
Prequel/last book in the Cormac saga offers all that you expect in a Polity novel; a fast and satisfying read, however it does not offer anything essentially new for Polity "veteran reader" and it is quite predictable in some ways.
The novel rounds Ian Cormac's character well showing his beginning as soldier and later ECS agent with childhood flashbacks.
It could also serve as a great introduction to the 5 book "main" Cormac saga and I think that newcomers to Mr. Asher's work would enjoy it greatly
March 20, 2025
Always love this universe, peak sci-fi concepts and action packed scenes and thrillers
October 11, 2011
A great look at the early life of Ian Cormac. Not only does this book focus on him, it also contains war drones, the Prador and separatists. As another bonus it's also a great jumping on point for the Polity universe - a definite must-read for sci-fi fans.
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