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Full Wire
On Saturday, May 20th, 2186, Jani Joutsen has her immersive implant forcibly removed, and her friend Pierre has his broken, in a seemingly motiveless bar fight during a normal alcohol and drug fuelled evening.
With no connection to the wire, the pair are contacted by a mysterious fugitive criminal offering assistance, but the situation quickly deteriorates, and the three are caught in a race for survival against the police and the black market. Fleeing to a Luddite community, to find the broken scientist who may be able to restore some order to their lives, the increasingly dangerous situation leads Pierre to question his loyalty to his friends, his secretive love for Jani, and whether any of it is actually happening at all…
With no connection to the wire, the pair are contacted by a mysterious fugitive criminal offering assistance, but the situation quickly deteriorates, and the three are caught in a race for survival against the police and the black market. Fleeing to a Luddite community, to find the broken scientist who may be able to restore some order to their lives, the increasingly dangerous situation leads Pierre to question his loyalty to his friends, his secretive love for Jani, and whether any of it is actually happening at all…
236 pages, Paperback
Published January 26, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 13, 2021
I was sent an advance copy of this and I couldn’t put it down.
The author has created an utterly believable future yet which feels familiar, quite a difficult thing to achieve, and filled it with realistic characters who are (mostly) great company to be with. The writing is tight and fast and gorgeously readable, with snappy dialogue and a really fun to read street slang. It’s very dark in places, and sometimes violent, but this never overpowers the narrative and in most cases it furthers the plot. It’s a little weird too but not TOO weird, with some well observed humour sprinkled through it in all the right places, but mostly it’s very serious and gritty, taking place in a neo-noir future of contrasts, for example the climate ravaged landscape and flooded city, juxtaposed with huge modern buildings and ultra high technology.
The plot that the three main characters become embroiled in is complex and very well constructed, the setup was sublime. I was impressed by the way little tidbits of detail were drip fed through the whole book. You really hit the ground running with this novel, which is refreshing because most sci-fi is chock full of exposition and information which I feel can clog things, but because it’s presented in first person you really get a sense that Pierre is addressing a contemporary.
The future London scenes in part one were fantastic and fast paced, full of hi tech and low life, but the second part (which is set mainly on a rural island), was my favourite. It slows things slightly, just enough r for us to catch our breath which I thought was unique and interesting, with some great flashbacks of the city, until the action is ramped back up and doesn’t let go until the dizzying finale.
There are some moments of confusion though, especially the bits where Pierre hears people say things which he remembers from elsewhere, but I think this added to the mystery, and by the end I actually let out a “oh! So that’s why!” I think it’s one of those books that you just have to go with, and trust the author knows what they are doing (they do, evidently.)
I liked the narrator, Pierre. I found him to be trustworthy and easy to listen to. He has a great voice and I never grew bored of him or his story. His journey is transformative and had me gripped from the opening paragraph.
By the end, this novel left me with a few rather deep philosophical questions which I was not expecting.
I finished reading it a week ago and still can’t get it out of my mind. I’ll read it again. It’s that good.
The author has created an utterly believable future yet which feels familiar, quite a difficult thing to achieve, and filled it with realistic characters who are (mostly) great company to be with. The writing is tight and fast and gorgeously readable, with snappy dialogue and a really fun to read street slang. It’s very dark in places, and sometimes violent, but this never overpowers the narrative and in most cases it furthers the plot. It’s a little weird too but not TOO weird, with some well observed humour sprinkled through it in all the right places, but mostly it’s very serious and gritty, taking place in a neo-noir future of contrasts, for example the climate ravaged landscape and flooded city, juxtaposed with huge modern buildings and ultra high technology.
The plot that the three main characters become embroiled in is complex and very well constructed, the setup was sublime. I was impressed by the way little tidbits of detail were drip fed through the whole book. You really hit the ground running with this novel, which is refreshing because most sci-fi is chock full of exposition and information which I feel can clog things, but because it’s presented in first person you really get a sense that Pierre is addressing a contemporary.
The future London scenes in part one were fantastic and fast paced, full of hi tech and low life, but the second part (which is set mainly on a rural island), was my favourite. It slows things slightly, just enough r for us to catch our breath which I thought was unique and interesting, with some great flashbacks of the city, until the action is ramped back up and doesn’t let go until the dizzying finale.
There are some moments of confusion though, especially the bits where Pierre hears people say things which he remembers from elsewhere, but I think this added to the mystery, and by the end I actually let out a “oh! So that’s why!” I think it’s one of those books that you just have to go with, and trust the author knows what they are doing (they do, evidently.)
I liked the narrator, Pierre. I found him to be trustworthy and easy to listen to. He has a great voice and I never grew bored of him or his story. His journey is transformative and had me gripped from the opening paragraph.
By the end, this novel left me with a few rather deep philosophical questions which I was not expecting.
I finished reading it a week ago and still can’t get it out of my mind. I’ll read it again. It’s that good.
February 4, 2022
Maybe I'm crazy or maybe Mcmenemie is, or both, but well, read on, dear traveler...
It's dark and moody. The debut from a writer I remember from a short story competition. He didn't win but his was the most memorable of the lot.
This book's a weird thing. I can imagine Philip K Dick writing something like it, but like some other guy said earlier on, it's Dickian but with better dialog. The conversations seem very authentic. You never find yourself sarcastically going "Oh yeah sure..."
There's a lot happening. It's high concept stuff set in a world reminiscent of Ballard. You know, dystopian scifi yada yada yada it's great and all, but something was nagging me.
And then...
About half way through I had a suspicion that things were not what they seemed, and I don't mean in the sense of reality that comes into question at various points in the story. I mean I began to doubt everything. Then, later on and definitely at the end, it dawned on me that Pierre, and this is going to sound waaaay out there, Pierre, the narrator, is not a person at all, but the representation of a quantum particle. I know, I know it sounds crazy as shit, but once I had this thought, I could not shake it.
Almost everybody in the book, and the world they inhabit, in a way, represents some aspect of quantum theory. Pierre behaves oddly throughout; he's often in two places simultaneously; people don't do what you'd expect them to do; you're never really sure if any of it is happening. The further along this train I went, the more I realised what an outright crazy work of genius this book really is. By the time I'd gotten to the end (which didn't take so long), all sense of my own reality dissolved.
Now I'm not 100% if even I exist. Mind = blown. Thanks a lot J.R.
It's dark and moody. The debut from a writer I remember from a short story competition. He didn't win but his was the most memorable of the lot.
This book's a weird thing. I can imagine Philip K Dick writing something like it, but like some other guy said earlier on, it's Dickian but with better dialog. The conversations seem very authentic. You never find yourself sarcastically going "Oh yeah sure..."
There's a lot happening. It's high concept stuff set in a world reminiscent of Ballard. You know, dystopian scifi yada yada yada it's great and all, but something was nagging me.
And then...
About half way through I had a suspicion that things were not what they seemed, and I don't mean in the sense of reality that comes into question at various points in the story. I mean I began to doubt everything. Then, later on and definitely at the end, it dawned on me that Pierre, and this is going to sound waaaay out there, Pierre, the narrator, is not a person at all, but the representation of a quantum particle. I know, I know it sounds crazy as shit, but once I had this thought, I could not shake it.
Almost everybody in the book, and the world they inhabit, in a way, represents some aspect of quantum theory. Pierre behaves oddly throughout; he's often in two places simultaneously; people don't do what you'd expect them to do; you're never really sure if any of it is happening. The further along this train I went, the more I realised what an outright crazy work of genius this book really is. By the time I'd gotten to the end (which didn't take so long), all sense of my own reality dissolved.
Now I'm not 100% if even I exist. Mind = blown. Thanks a lot J.R.
February 8, 2022
Full Wire is a sci-fi book set in the not-so-distant future that is perfect for fans of Blade Runner (and its book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?) and Minority Report.
The story throws you in at the deep end of a future London where anyone can have bits of themselves replaced but usually as a result of long-term damage caused by immersive implants. This is set against a backdrop of a UK that is half-flooded causing many of its people to migrate to dry areas that are overpopulated. Through this, we follow Pierre and his ‘tonski’ Jani (platonic friend). At first, they’re on a fun night out, next thing we know a fight has broken out, Jani is violated during a bar fight, and they’re running from someone who wants them dead… or do they?
Like many sci-fi writers, McMenemie jumps right into this new world and the reader has to pick up things as they go. This can be a little confusing at first but it doesn’t take long to get into the swing of things. This future world isn’t that much different from our own with the biggest differences being that climate change has impacted the world in a big way and everyone now implants their technology.
At times the writing is quite gra[hic and did leave me in mind of Trainspotting, with the liberal use of different drugs but intertwined with tech. There are a host of unsavoury characters associated with Pierre who’s not really from the rougher corners he flirts with but rather a bit of a rich boy who seems quite unsettled.
Despite all this, as the story progresses, it’s clear that he would do anything to protect Jani and their relationship is much deeper than it appears on the surface. The heart of this story is based in love, so if you’re nervous about sci-fi but you really like a love story, maybe give this one a try?
Verdict: This is a great sci-fi dystopian novel that I could easily see becoming a classic of the genre and if you’re not into sci-fi don’t write it off because it is underpinned by a heartbreaking tale of love and the lengths someone would go to save someone they love.
The story throws you in at the deep end of a future London where anyone can have bits of themselves replaced but usually as a result of long-term damage caused by immersive implants. This is set against a backdrop of a UK that is half-flooded causing many of its people to migrate to dry areas that are overpopulated. Through this, we follow Pierre and his ‘tonski’ Jani (platonic friend). At first, they’re on a fun night out, next thing we know a fight has broken out, Jani is violated during a bar fight, and they’re running from someone who wants them dead… or do they?
Like many sci-fi writers, McMenemie jumps right into this new world and the reader has to pick up things as they go. This can be a little confusing at first but it doesn’t take long to get into the swing of things. This future world isn’t that much different from our own with the biggest differences being that climate change has impacted the world in a big way and everyone now implants their technology.
At times the writing is quite gra[hic and did leave me in mind of Trainspotting, with the liberal use of different drugs but intertwined with tech. There are a host of unsavoury characters associated with Pierre who’s not really from the rougher corners he flirts with but rather a bit of a rich boy who seems quite unsettled.
Despite all this, as the story progresses, it’s clear that he would do anything to protect Jani and their relationship is much deeper than it appears on the surface. The heart of this story is based in love, so if you’re nervous about sci-fi but you really like a love story, maybe give this one a try?
Verdict: This is a great sci-fi dystopian novel that I could easily see becoming a classic of the genre and if you’re not into sci-fi don’t write it off because it is underpinned by a heartbreaking tale of love and the lengths someone would go to save someone they love.
December 27, 2021
This is an extraordinary book. It portrays a future London that’s both gritty and high-tech, placing it solidly in the tradition of Blade Runner and other classics of tech noir. The world of 'Full Wire' feels real and lived-in – even the invented street slang has that ring of authenticity.
The narrator, Pierre, is great company – romantic, well-intentioned and often out of his depth, he’ll do anything for his girlfriend Jani. But the stand-out character of the book is Maclise – a brooding, intense and mysterious figure whose menacing presence remained with me long after I finished the novel.
The book is extremely well-written, with dazzling descriptive passages and startling, futuristic imagery, reminding me at times of Philip K Dick, but with better dialogue. Part road movie, part dystopian thriller, it’s never less than gripping. I got entirely lost in it and finished it in just a couple of days. I highly recommend FULL WIRE, and will be looking out for future books by this author.
The narrator, Pierre, is great company – romantic, well-intentioned and often out of his depth, he’ll do anything for his girlfriend Jani. But the stand-out character of the book is Maclise – a brooding, intense and mysterious figure whose menacing presence remained with me long after I finished the novel.
The book is extremely well-written, with dazzling descriptive passages and startling, futuristic imagery, reminding me at times of Philip K Dick, but with better dialogue. Part road movie, part dystopian thriller, it’s never less than gripping. I got entirely lost in it and finished it in just a couple of days. I highly recommend FULL WIRE, and will be looking out for future books by this author.
June 8, 2022
Quite brilliant dystopian sci-fi in the vein of PK Dick, Gibson etc, but don't be fooled by these comparisons because it's really rather unique. The writing is tight throughout and the story made me think about lots of things I wasn't expecting to be thinking about, such as the execution of Anne Boleyn (who makes several appearances) or the right to assisted suicide. Yes it has some pretty dark moments but on the whole I thought the message was one of love and transcendence.
The future the author has created is extremely plausible, terrifying even, and one which seems meticulously thought out. It seems authentic. I feel quite strongly that this novel has predicted the future more accurately than any other current sci-fi or spec on the market.
I actually received this as a gift from a member of my book club, and despite my never having heard of it or the author before, I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from them.
The future the author has created is extremely plausible, terrifying even, and one which seems meticulously thought out. It seems authentic. I feel quite strongly that this novel has predicted the future more accurately than any other current sci-fi or spec on the market.
I actually received this as a gift from a member of my book club, and despite my never having heard of it or the author before, I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from them.
January 3, 2022
This subtly futuristic slice of dystopian London noir is at once a gripping revenge thriller, an unlikely buddy movie, an aching love story, and a meditation on the limits of technology.
McMenemie paints an utterly plausible picture of a battered near-future city, where the tech has moved on but nothing still quite works. The gritty atmosphere is perfectly complemented by a strong sense of dialogue, a wonderful economical style, unforgettable characters and a string of bravura set pieces. The world's slang is credible and intuitive, and I especially enjoyed the interlude as the characters travel off grid to a beleaguered post-flood eco-community further north.
This is a debut and it's a bloody marvel. It draws you in, grabs you by the throat and breaks your heart. The pages fly by. I'll be looking out for the next book!
McMenemie paints an utterly plausible picture of a battered near-future city, where the tech has moved on but nothing still quite works. The gritty atmosphere is perfectly complemented by a strong sense of dialogue, a wonderful economical style, unforgettable characters and a string of bravura set pieces. The world's slang is credible and intuitive, and I especially enjoyed the interlude as the characters travel off grid to a beleaguered post-flood eco-community further north.
This is a debut and it's a bloody marvel. It draws you in, grabs you by the throat and breaks your heart. The pages fly by. I'll be looking out for the next book!
February 2, 2022
Brilliant and plausible vision of a noir-ish future in the style of the classic sci-fi we all love, but it's not derivative, far from it, and just like those other classics, this book makes you think on many levels.
The writer has a wonderfully economic style, combined with some almost lyrical descriptive passages which are so atmospheric I thought I was going to physically fall into the book.
I heard this was a debut and I'm very impressed. By the end of Chapter 4 it had hooked me completely. I read the rest in a single day. The way the chapters all end on a cliff-hanger is a very effective but difficult thing to pull off consistently, and I just couldn't stop turning the pages.
A fantastic trip, a great story, some thought provoking ideas and an ending that twisted my brain into a knot. What's not to love?
The writer has a wonderfully economic style, combined with some almost lyrical descriptive passages which are so atmospheric I thought I was going to physically fall into the book.
I heard this was a debut and I'm very impressed. By the end of Chapter 4 it had hooked me completely. I read the rest in a single day. The way the chapters all end on a cliff-hanger is a very effective but difficult thing to pull off consistently, and I just couldn't stop turning the pages.
A fantastic trip, a great story, some thought provoking ideas and an ending that twisted my brain into a knot. What's not to love?
February 2, 2022
UNIQUE!
A bit weird to start with and the whole thing is kinda crazy mad, but wow!
Feels like an instant classic. I've never read anything like it. The writing is masterful and poetic, the story is AMAZING and the ideas and execution blew me away.
I LOVE JANI!
She is so sassy and funny. No spoilers though. I see why Pierre loves her.
MACLISE IS THE BEST CHARACTER I'VE READ IN YEARS.
He is really mysterious. I'd like a Maclise based prequel please JR!!
HEARTBREAKING!
By the middle of the book my heart was aching. By the end it was completely broken, and then OMG THAT ENDING!
I recommend Full Wire to anyone who likes Philip K Dick and William Gibson. I think it stands up with those kinds of books admirably.
A bit weird to start with and the whole thing is kinda crazy mad, but wow!
Feels like an instant classic. I've never read anything like it. The writing is masterful and poetic, the story is AMAZING and the ideas and execution blew me away.
I LOVE JANI!
She is so sassy and funny. No spoilers though. I see why Pierre loves her.
MACLISE IS THE BEST CHARACTER I'VE READ IN YEARS.
He is really mysterious. I'd like a Maclise based prequel please JR!!
HEARTBREAKING!
By the middle of the book my heart was aching. By the end it was completely broken, and then OMG THAT ENDING!
I recommend Full Wire to anyone who likes Philip K Dick and William Gibson. I think it stands up with those kinds of books admirably.
January 26, 2022
This took me by surprise. I like sci-fi but this felt different somehow.
It was the kind of book where not everything is spelled out for you, as if the author is meeting the reader halfway intellectually. I had to put in some work to fully appreciate it.
Anne Boleyn is amazing. She’s a kind of VR therapist and is an inspired creation. Turns out (after some Googling) it’s set around the 650 year anniversary of her execution. There are loads of things like this in the book. It’s quite brilliant really.
The ending left me screaming for a sequel, I’m sure that’s the intention.
Would make a great film.
It was the kind of book where not everything is spelled out for you, as if the author is meeting the reader halfway intellectually. I had to put in some work to fully appreciate it.
Anne Boleyn is amazing. She’s a kind of VR therapist and is an inspired creation. Turns out (after some Googling) it’s set around the 650 year anniversary of her execution. There are loads of things like this in the book. It’s quite brilliant really.
The ending left me screaming for a sequel, I’m sure that’s the intention.
Would make a great film.
February 21, 2022
Stunning. Just stunning from start to finish. How in the hell did he do this? I’ve never read anything like it. Film producers take note. You could say it about a lot of novels, but this one really, really, really should be made into a film.
The world building is so realistic I didn’t question it as fiction at all. It felt like I was reading a memoir that had come to us through a time warp. I can’t believe this book isn’t huge. It’s incredible.
The world building is so realistic I didn’t question it as fiction at all. It felt like I was reading a memoir that had come to us through a time warp. I can’t believe this book isn’t huge. It’s incredible.
November 26, 2021
Fast paced, dystopian thriller which has you in this new yet familiar world and makes you want to read more. One of my favourite books to read this year, I really enjoyed the dynamic between Pierre and Jani and the vision of a London in 2186. You can really see it panning out. Quite a dark book too at times, which I think was one of the reasons which had me hooked.
February 1, 2022
This is the first book I've read for about 3 years. I've not been able to connect with anything I've tried. Full Wire however, had me gripped from the first pages. I was able to absorb the surroundings and characters and feel like I was there with them. Thanks for getting me reading again, superb!
February 4, 2022
I read this book in one day instead of doing what I should have been doing because I couldn't stop reading it, and now I don't know what's real any more. Absurdly good Sci-Fi romp across a terrifyingly real futuristic Britain. Also what a cover! Top marks!
February 4, 2022
Excellent dark science fiction novel. Reminded me of a good Christopher Nolan film. If you want your brain twisted, read this book.
February 16, 2022
Xtremely good sci-fi thriller. Edge of the seat stuff.
July 30, 2022
This man has seen the future. An astounding piece of work.
July 27, 2022
In a dystopian London, 2186, advances in organ cloning have led to longer lifespans, substance abuse and body augmentation and Pierre and friend Jani are no exception. Almost the entire population spends their lives submerged in an immersive internet experience via a CLIP and after a drunken night out, Jani finds that her CLIP has been removed and Pierre’s has been damaged. Lost without their connection to the internet, Pierre is contacted by the Ghost, a mysterious fugitive seemingly wanted for murder. Pierre begins to question everything in his life – what is full wire and who can he trust?
This is dystopian sci-fi that’s absolutely not for the faint hearted (and certainly only for adults). Short and snappy, this book has to get to the point extremely quickly and the reader is very suddenly immersed into a futuristic dystopian London, that to be frank I would hate to live in. Almost instantly, it becomes hard to decipher what is reality and what is not as we see the main character immersed and obsessed with Anne Boleyn and the history of the Tudor age alongside organ splicing and growing of new organs! I liked the world building by the author and a lot of the slang felt very realistic, giving a real sense of what the world these characters live in has become.
The main character Pierre is likeable, if maybe a little too lovesick! I found it easy to see the world through his eyes, but there’s a real juxtaposition between his experience and his ‘tonski’ Jani’s. His middle class upbringing puts him in a much safer position in this future London and it’s easy to lose sympathy for him when he’s strung out, or when his problems are put into perspective by hers. I particularly enjoyed the Ghost character (I won’t spoil much about him), but he was fascinating and there was so many moral elements of who to trust throughout the story.
A trippy, mind bending thriller that has elements of Bladerunner throughout. 4 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to Indie Novella and Literally PR for the review copy.
This is dystopian sci-fi that’s absolutely not for the faint hearted (and certainly only for adults). Short and snappy, this book has to get to the point extremely quickly and the reader is very suddenly immersed into a futuristic dystopian London, that to be frank I would hate to live in. Almost instantly, it becomes hard to decipher what is reality and what is not as we see the main character immersed and obsessed with Anne Boleyn and the history of the Tudor age alongside organ splicing and growing of new organs! I liked the world building by the author and a lot of the slang felt very realistic, giving a real sense of what the world these characters live in has become.
The main character Pierre is likeable, if maybe a little too lovesick! I found it easy to see the world through his eyes, but there’s a real juxtaposition between his experience and his ‘tonski’ Jani’s. His middle class upbringing puts him in a much safer position in this future London and it’s easy to lose sympathy for him when he’s strung out, or when his problems are put into perspective by hers. I particularly enjoyed the Ghost character (I won’t spoil much about him), but he was fascinating and there was so many moral elements of who to trust throughout the story.
A trippy, mind bending thriller that has elements of Bladerunner throughout. 4 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to Indie Novella and Literally PR for the review copy.
March 26, 2022
Full Wire is a mind-bending sci-fi thriller that will have you questioning what’s real and what’s not. It’s a tense and thrilling story that plunges you right into an action-packed plot as two close friends are fighting for their survival.
Set in London in the year 2186, the story follows Pierre and Jani who are attacked in what appears to be a motiveless bar fight. With Jani seriously injured after the attack, Pierre is desperate to save her. When they’re contacted by a mysterious criminal fugitive who offers his assistance, the three of them are caught in a race against survival and Pierre soon finds himself questioning who he can trust.
I enjoyed Pierre and Jani’s friendship and the easy banter between them. The flashback to how they met and everything that’s happened between them since was really fun. It’s obvious that Pierre wants something more to happen though and I definitely felt the same way. The whole time I was reading it, I was rooting for them to survive and get together by the end.
I also really enjoyed the futuristic aspects to this story and how much technology has advanced. In this reality, new advances in organ cloning have enabled people to live longer lifespans and a chip implant provides an immersive internet experience that allows people to visit any timeline they want. I thought this was interesting and I wouldn’t be surprised if something similar is invented in the future. However, I was confused at times by the wire and what exactly it is. I did find the plot hard to follow at times, but I’m glad I stuck with it. It’s a thought-provoking and immersive read that science fiction fans are sure to love.
*Thank you to Literally PR and Indie Novella for sending me a copy of this book for review.*
Set in London in the year 2186, the story follows Pierre and Jani who are attacked in what appears to be a motiveless bar fight. With Jani seriously injured after the attack, Pierre is desperate to save her. When they’re contacted by a mysterious criminal fugitive who offers his assistance, the three of them are caught in a race against survival and Pierre soon finds himself questioning who he can trust.
I enjoyed Pierre and Jani’s friendship and the easy banter between them. The flashback to how they met and everything that’s happened between them since was really fun. It’s obvious that Pierre wants something more to happen though and I definitely felt the same way. The whole time I was reading it, I was rooting for them to survive and get together by the end.
I also really enjoyed the futuristic aspects to this story and how much technology has advanced. In this reality, new advances in organ cloning have enabled people to live longer lifespans and a chip implant provides an immersive internet experience that allows people to visit any timeline they want. I thought this was interesting and I wouldn’t be surprised if something similar is invented in the future. However, I was confused at times by the wire and what exactly it is. I did find the plot hard to follow at times, but I’m glad I stuck with it. It’s a thought-provoking and immersive read that science fiction fans are sure to love.
*Thank you to Literally PR and Indie Novella for sending me a copy of this book for review.*
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews