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Code Flicker
Subdermal chips that transmit medical code directly to a person’s brain was big pharma’s greatest development, promising a world free from addiction.
It didn’t work out that way.
Jacob Quince is a hacker, a “code flicker,” barely getting by selling illegal medical code on the streets and in the clubs. He just got off probation and wants something more in life but sees no way out. Then, an offer from a mysterious man known only as Johnson gives him a chance.
It seems simple enough. He and his friends have to devise a plan to break into one of the largest pharmatech megacorporations in the world and steal their latest experimental subdermal chip and code.
But nothing is ever that easy.
Full of action and strong character development, Code Flicker offers a near future, transhuman, high tech low life world perfect for cyberpunk and technothriller fans alike.
It didn’t work out that way.
Jacob Quince is a hacker, a “code flicker,” barely getting by selling illegal medical code on the streets and in the clubs. He just got off probation and wants something more in life but sees no way out. Then, an offer from a mysterious man known only as Johnson gives him a chance.
It seems simple enough. He and his friends have to devise a plan to break into one of the largest pharmatech megacorporations in the world and steal their latest experimental subdermal chip and code.
But nothing is ever that easy.
Full of action and strong character development, Code Flicker offers a near future, transhuman, high tech low life world perfect for cyberpunk and technothriller fans alike.
- GenresCyberpunk
250 pages, ebook
First published March 12, 2020
32 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Marlin Seigman
5 books6 followersI live in Texas with my wife, kids, and Border Collie. My wife's cats live here too.
At various times I've worked in a lawnmower shop, managed a bakery, painted signs for money, canvased for an environmental advocacy group, and worked sales in the vitamin industry. Along the way, I found the time to get a degree in English Literature and Philosophy and become a teacher.
Find out how to get free fiction on my website www.marlinseigman.com
At various times I've worked in a lawnmower shop, managed a bakery, painted signs for money, canvased for an environmental advocacy group, and worked sales in the vitamin industry. Along the way, I found the time to get a degree in English Literature and Philosophy and become a teacher.
Find out how to get free fiction on my website www.marlinseigman.com
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 21, 2020
This is a solid cyberpunk novel certain to please all fans of the genre. With universal subdermal chips through which giant pharmatech corporations deliver medical code (which has replaced chemical drugs), not to mention shady 'code flickers' (the drug dealers of the age), this book really explores the possible consequences of technological advancement.
The story centres around an ill-fated code flicker, Jacob Quince, and his friends operating out of a nostalgic old-tech store called 'Retro Media'. Retro Media is one of my favourite aspects of this story, as is the attention paid to corporate power and organised crime, which I feel are dealt with exceptionally well.
A few too many Nicolas Cage references (there's even a 'Church of Cage' in this world) and some characters in need of a little more development cost 'Code Flicker' the full 5 stars. But I would still 100% recommend this to any Sci-Fi/Cyberpunk readers out there. A great book.
The story centres around an ill-fated code flicker, Jacob Quince, and his friends operating out of a nostalgic old-tech store called 'Retro Media'. Retro Media is one of my favourite aspects of this story, as is the attention paid to corporate power and organised crime, which I feel are dealt with exceptionally well.
A few too many Nicolas Cage references (there's even a 'Church of Cage' in this world) and some characters in need of a little more development cost 'Code Flicker' the full 5 stars. But I would still 100% recommend this to any Sci-Fi/Cyberpunk readers out there. A great book.
August 6, 2020
Received as a review copy, this an honest review. It was marketed by powerful pharma companies, subdermal technologies that allowed medical code to be transferred directly into the brain. It was suppose to make life better but nothing is as promised, especially when Code Flickers' such as Jacob can fuel a personal addiction at the right price. Set in a realistic future, brimming with a thoughtful narrative that is relevant in the present day. Highly recommended.
July 7, 2020
Code Flicker is really good. The story centers around Jacob Quince, a code developer who lost his job by developing code without authorization, including a code that enabled neural implants to generate illicit substances. After doing time the last thing he wanted was to get another corporate job.
Keeping with cyberpunk tradition, corporations are empowered to the point where committing a crime against them is unthinkable, and in this case you would even lose the right to vote. Jacob is dragged back into the corporate world of competing factions when he’s targeted by two men to steal new tech from his former employer. The book then proceeds through a variety of action sequences one might find in Shadowrun as Jacob organizes a team to make runs, with romantic sub-plots occurring in brief moments. The cyber elements are clearly rendered throughout,
"A figured (formed)…a being of data streams flowing and coalescing into the shape of muscle and sinew…"
As a musician, my favorite scenes are those comparing code flicking to writing music:
"His awareness floated in code and white noise. He was everywhere and nowhere at once. The sensation was like losing a feeling and remembering it at the same time…When he found the groove in each part of the code, he began to manipulate it, slowing it down, coaxing harmony from noise."
Code Flicker is a cyberpunk technothriller with heavy use of dialogue and action sequences that go beyond gunfights to entering the world of data. The book is well edited and a worthy read for anyone who enjoys the genre.
Keeping with cyberpunk tradition, corporations are empowered to the point where committing a crime against them is unthinkable, and in this case you would even lose the right to vote. Jacob is dragged back into the corporate world of competing factions when he’s targeted by two men to steal new tech from his former employer. The book then proceeds through a variety of action sequences one might find in Shadowrun as Jacob organizes a team to make runs, with romantic sub-plots occurring in brief moments. The cyber elements are clearly rendered throughout,
"A figured (formed)…a being of data streams flowing and coalescing into the shape of muscle and sinew…"
As a musician, my favorite scenes are those comparing code flicking to writing music:
"His awareness floated in code and white noise. He was everywhere and nowhere at once. The sensation was like losing a feeling and remembering it at the same time…When he found the groove in each part of the code, he began to manipulate it, slowing it down, coaxing harmony from noise."
Code Flicker is a cyberpunk technothriller with heavy use of dialogue and action sequences that go beyond gunfights to entering the world of data. The book is well edited and a worthy read for anyone who enjoys the genre.
July 10, 2022
Cyberpunk is my favorite genre. And yet it's very difficult to find cyberpunk books that are original and the authors bold enough to walk away from omnipresent cyberpunk tropes and create something new.
Marlin Seigman was so bold and created a unique story in a unique world. You won't find katana-wielding cyber girls, ramen or rainy neon streets in Code Flicker, instead plenty of original ideas. However, even though the book is different, it still clearly falls into the cyberpunk genre.
The story circles around Jacob and his friends, a group of young hackers who take on the job of their lifetime and soon find themselves in a conspiracy that easily could end deadly for all of them...
The book follows the classic themes of a heist story, which are very well executed. First and foremost, the book wants to entertain and that it does really well. It's a page-turner I flew through very quickly and while many works of the genre can be preachy, the socio-economic topics in Code Flicker are subtle and more part of the world-building than the actual plot. This is something I appreciate very much, as I don't like it when authors transport a message by hitting the reader with a sledgehammer on the head.
Jacob and the other characters are well fleshed out, believable and likable. They are a group of people I'd happily hang out with.
The world-building is excellent. Seigman creates a very realistic cyberpunk future that could become reality any day. While we have typical genre tropes such as mega-corporations and low-life individuals, he also brings in some very fresh ideas.
What I liked most is the idea of everyone wearing a chip with a barcode tattoo on their skin. Instead of taking medication, specific code is induced into the body over the barcode. What sounds fantastic at first, turns quickly into an easy way to consume all kinds of narcotics. So-called Code Flickers create new variants of code that people can then consume for various reactions in their bodies.
Another idea I loved was that there's the Church of Nicolas Cage. Yes, really. For some reason, people have come to believe that the mediocre actor is some kind of enlightened guru or messiah and a cult formed after his death which then became a religious movement. I think that's a hilarious idea, and even though it sounds crazy at first, the author makes it plausible and believable.
This book gets my highest recommendation and I recommend it to all lovers of cyberpunk and realistic science fiction. Give this underrated book some attention and well-deserved love. You won't regret it!
I already have picked up book 2 and can't wait to see how the story continues.
Marlin Seigman was so bold and created a unique story in a unique world. You won't find katana-wielding cyber girls, ramen or rainy neon streets in Code Flicker, instead plenty of original ideas. However, even though the book is different, it still clearly falls into the cyberpunk genre.
The story circles around Jacob and his friends, a group of young hackers who take on the job of their lifetime and soon find themselves in a conspiracy that easily could end deadly for all of them...
The book follows the classic themes of a heist story, which are very well executed. First and foremost, the book wants to entertain and that it does really well. It's a page-turner I flew through very quickly and while many works of the genre can be preachy, the socio-economic topics in Code Flicker are subtle and more part of the world-building than the actual plot. This is something I appreciate very much, as I don't like it when authors transport a message by hitting the reader with a sledgehammer on the head.
Jacob and the other characters are well fleshed out, believable and likable. They are a group of people I'd happily hang out with.
The world-building is excellent. Seigman creates a very realistic cyberpunk future that could become reality any day. While we have typical genre tropes such as mega-corporations and low-life individuals, he also brings in some very fresh ideas.
What I liked most is the idea of everyone wearing a chip with a barcode tattoo on their skin. Instead of taking medication, specific code is induced into the body over the barcode. What sounds fantastic at first, turns quickly into an easy way to consume all kinds of narcotics. So-called Code Flickers create new variants of code that people can then consume for various reactions in their bodies.
Another idea I loved was that there's the Church of Nicolas Cage. Yes, really. For some reason, people have come to believe that the mediocre actor is some kind of enlightened guru or messiah and a cult formed after his death which then became a religious movement. I think that's a hilarious idea, and even though it sounds crazy at first, the author makes it plausible and believable.
This book gets my highest recommendation and I recommend it to all lovers of cyberpunk and realistic science fiction. Give this underrated book some attention and well-deserved love. You won't regret it!
I already have picked up book 2 and can't wait to see how the story continues.
June 19, 2021
Pretty Cool Concept
Gone were the days where administering drugs into your body requires a needle. Not anymore. Imagine implanting a subdermal chip in your body and sending a neural code to the chip, tricking the brain into releasing chemicals naturally found inside the human body. Endorphine, no problem. Morphine, no problem. Pretty cool concept.
When we think of church today, we think of attending a mass, preaching to God, and taking pointers about life. But here, going to church means watching movies starring Nicolas Cage. I can see that happening. Perhaps after a post-apocalyptic event, the only thing that survived was a collection of Nicolas Cage movies. So bring on the wisdom, Mr. Cage. I'm just saying it could happen. :)
Overall, I love the concept of it, turning facts into fiction. It's a two-book series, just finished book 1, reading book 2 now.
Gone were the days where administering drugs into your body requires a needle. Not anymore. Imagine implanting a subdermal chip in your body and sending a neural code to the chip, tricking the brain into releasing chemicals naturally found inside the human body. Endorphine, no problem. Morphine, no problem. Pretty cool concept.
When we think of church today, we think of attending a mass, preaching to God, and taking pointers about life. But here, going to church means watching movies starring Nicolas Cage. I can see that happening. Perhaps after a post-apocalyptic event, the only thing that survived was a collection of Nicolas Cage movies. So bring on the wisdom, Mr. Cage. I'm just saying it could happen. :)
Overall, I love the concept of it, turning facts into fiction. It's a two-book series, just finished book 1, reading book 2 now.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews