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Metrophage
Welcome to Los Angeles...where anger, hunger and disease run rampant, and life and hope are strictly rationed. This is Jonny's world. He's a street-wise hustler, a black-market dealer in drugs that heal the body and cool the mind. All he cares about is his own survival. Until a strange plague turns L.A. into a city of death--and Jonny is forced to put everything on the line to find the cure. If it can be found on earth...
256 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1988
101 people are currently reading
1718 people want to read
About the author
Richard Kadrey
131 books3,558 followersRichard Kadrey is a writer and freelance musician living in Pittsburgh, best known for his Sandman Slim novels. His work has been nominated for the Locus and BSFA awards. Kadrey's newest books are The Secrets of Insects, released in August 2023; The Dead Take the A Train (with Cassandra Khaw), released in September 2023; The Pale House Devil, released in September 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
September 3, 2020
I admit that I'm something of a fan of cyberpunk. I guess it has something to do with my geeking out over Max Headroom and Neuromancer and all the cheeeeeesy movies of that time period, but for the most part, I was a much BIGGER fan of the post-cyberpunk movement.
Why? Because it moves beyond the punk while keeping all the tech goodies, diving into stories well beyond gangs, drug wars, noir, etc.
Kadrey's 1988 novel happens to be of that type. It's not bad. I love the idea of this kind of thing more in its ideas than its execution, granted, but, like Arnold's version of Total Recall, it's still good fun.
It's mostly about plot. Drug running, a wide variety of inner-city locations, post-government crime cabals, and even intrigue with a moon colony. More than anything, I was reminded of a lite version of Altered Carbon. Between an interesting plague, various factions, freedom fighters, and a poor MC bouncing like a pinball between everything, I was always kept on my toes.
Was this something that rose above a crazy slip-and-slide gangland adventure?
No, not really, but it did give me a flashback feel of the '80s.
Why? Because it moves beyond the punk while keeping all the tech goodies, diving into stories well beyond gangs, drug wars, noir, etc.
Kadrey's 1988 novel happens to be of that type. It's not bad. I love the idea of this kind of thing more in its ideas than its execution, granted, but, like Arnold's version of Total Recall, it's still good fun.
It's mostly about plot. Drug running, a wide variety of inner-city locations, post-government crime cabals, and even intrigue with a moon colony. More than anything, I was reminded of a lite version of Altered Carbon. Between an interesting plague, various factions, freedom fighters, and a poor MC bouncing like a pinball between everything, I was always kept on my toes.
Was this something that rose above a crazy slip-and-slide gangland adventure?
No, not really, but it did give me a flashback feel of the '80s.
September 27, 2020
Technology surrounds us everywhere, as I write this review there are two other laptops in the room, a television, a tablet, and a smart phone. If we leave this room and expand to the whole house you'll find three more TVs, another computer, another tablet, two other smart phones, a Blu-Ray player, a PlayStation 3 and 4, and three iPod's. This is the head-space that we live in now, a world so steeped in technology that it permeates our entire life and will only continue to do so as we relentlessly move forward.
It is an advanced version of our world that Metrophage lives in, a world of virtual reality and pleasure, of instant gratification, of ultra violence, ultra drugs, augmented bodies, and a ruined government. It is a result of this tireless world building that elevates Metrophage beyond that of your average Science Fiction or Cyberpunk novel, but the world building alone cant make up for its short comings.
I do want to stress that Mr. Kadrey has done an exceptional job crafting the world that Metrophage lives in. The governmental climate was very interesting, the history of The Committee and it's war on the drug trade in Los Angeles, the various drug lords, and all of the technology and inventions that Mr. Kadrey brings into the world. The biggest problem that this book has is its characters, outside of the main character, Johnny, no one really has much substance, they all seem to exist just to fill roles in the life of our protagonist.
No one really gets enough time to develop because the plot is always moving, we see some really great outlines that get developed for our characters but they are never really fleshed out enough to make me care about them. In particular I didn't feel anything for the sense of longing that Johnny had over the two women in his life, we hear about the conflict they had with one another and their problems but none of it is explained why. I dont know why Johnny loves Sumi and Ice so much and I dont know why they need to be near one another, and these characterization issues are present among almost everyone in the novel except for the protagonist.
The other problem is a lack of focus, Mr. Kadrey has so many plot threads running that I really dont understand what is going on sometimes. The novel starts out simply enough with Johnny being tasked to bring a drug lord in to the Committee, but then we hear about a group of aliens that have taken over the moon, a revolution to dethrone the Committee and release the death grip it has on Los Angeles, and it isn't until really far into the novel that the main conflict is even introduced. By the time that conflict comes to the forefront so much else is going on that it can be very hard to understand just what is presented in front of you and how it all fits together.
Even as I write this review I'm not entirely sure what actually happened, how different groups fit together, and just how the conflict came to be. These are really glaring issues and the way the book ends gives me no actual resolution, it was just disappointing and made me feel terrible. Don't get me wrong, those kinds of endings can be fantastic, just look at Gone Girl for example. But the difference here is that Metrophage's ending is hollow, it has no real resolution of any kind, nothing was solved, nothing was gained, all that exists at the book's finale is loss seemingly for the sake of loss.
I give this book three stars because the setting is amazing, and the things that fill it are incredible. My writing mentor once told me that a book is like a snow globe, the setting is the glass sphere, the buildings and politics and technology are the buildings, and the people are the statues inside. This snow globe is beautiful to look at but a rapture has happened, and someone has taken all of the people.
It is an advanced version of our world that Metrophage lives in, a world of virtual reality and pleasure, of instant gratification, of ultra violence, ultra drugs, augmented bodies, and a ruined government. It is a result of this tireless world building that elevates Metrophage beyond that of your average Science Fiction or Cyberpunk novel, but the world building alone cant make up for its short comings.
I do want to stress that Mr. Kadrey has done an exceptional job crafting the world that Metrophage lives in. The governmental climate was very interesting, the history of The Committee and it's war on the drug trade in Los Angeles, the various drug lords, and all of the technology and inventions that Mr. Kadrey brings into the world. The biggest problem that this book has is its characters, outside of the main character, Johnny, no one really has much substance, they all seem to exist just to fill roles in the life of our protagonist.
No one really gets enough time to develop because the plot is always moving, we see some really great outlines that get developed for our characters but they are never really fleshed out enough to make me care about them. In particular I didn't feel anything for the sense of longing that Johnny had over the two women in his life, we hear about the conflict they had with one another and their problems but none of it is explained why. I dont know why Johnny loves Sumi and Ice so much and I dont know why they need to be near one another, and these characterization issues are present among almost everyone in the novel except for the protagonist.
The other problem is a lack of focus, Mr. Kadrey has so many plot threads running that I really dont understand what is going on sometimes. The novel starts out simply enough with Johnny being tasked to bring a drug lord in to the Committee, but then we hear about a group of aliens that have taken over the moon, a revolution to dethrone the Committee and release the death grip it has on Los Angeles, and it isn't until really far into the novel that the main conflict is even introduced. By the time that conflict comes to the forefront so much else is going on that it can be very hard to understand just what is presented in front of you and how it all fits together.
Even as I write this review I'm not entirely sure what actually happened, how different groups fit together, and just how the conflict came to be. These are really glaring issues and the way the book ends gives me no actual resolution, it was just disappointing and made me feel terrible. Don't get me wrong, those kinds of endings can be fantastic, just look at Gone Girl for example. But the difference here is that Metrophage's ending is hollow, it has no real resolution of any kind, nothing was solved, nothing was gained, all that exists at the book's finale is loss seemingly for the sake of loss.
I give this book three stars because the setting is amazing, and the things that fill it are incredible. My writing mentor once told me that a book is like a snow globe, the setting is the glass sphere, the buildings and politics and technology are the buildings, and the people are the statues inside. This snow globe is beautiful to look at but a rapture has happened, and someone has taken all of the people.
August 30, 2012
The problem with cyberpunk as a subgenre of science fiction is that there were too few top class writers involved. Apart from William Gibson and Bruce Sterling (and perhaps K.W. Jeter), it would be hard now to name another cyberpunk writer from its heyday, the mid eighties. The influence of the genre - which is considerable - is really the influence of Gibson and Sterling, together with that of the film Bladerunner.
Kadrey's first novel is one of the forgotten cyberpunk also-rans. It is told from the point of view of a drug dealer in decaying Los Angeles, who gets caught up in the events which surround an epidemic of a new virus rather like leprosy which is decimating the city. There are naturally clear parallels with the AIDS scare, at its height at the time of writing, but Kadrey doesn't really have anything of interest to say about contemporary events, something which prevents his novel being first class.
Like many first novels, Metrophage wears its influences on its sleeve, and it is actually quite interesting to catalogue them as you read it. The principal immediate influence is of course William Gibson, and the earlier writers who helped form Gibson are many of them clearly direct influences as well, from William S. Burroughs to Raymond Chandler. The whole coverage of AIDS and especially suspicions that it originated in a laboratory is the one thing without which the novel could not have been written, though earlier plague themed science fiction such as The Andromeda Strain probably plays a part.
Metrophage is not a great novel, but (for the unsqueamish) it is an enjoyable read.
May 8, 2018
The cyberpunk novel, Metrophage, by Richard Kadrey shows the life of Jonny, the cliche bounty hunter street punk that seems to roam every street in a cyberpunk world. He finds himself wrapped up in the affairs of the organization he used to work for, the Committee for Public Health, and finds himself torn from his mundane bounty hunter life to a spiraling adventure.
Despite this being the main focus, it is almost drowned out by a backdrop of gangs and cartels, aliens and drug lords. Even in the early chapters, we hear talk of the alpha rats and the zombies.
This is quite common in cyberpunk literature. Street culture is, of course, as shown by the name, a major part of this genre.
The best way to describe a Metrophage would be, confusing. It tells of so many street cultures, gangs and cartels and alien colonies and past wars. It brings up plot points, only to forget about them.
It is an entertaining read, but the backdrop draws away from the story itself. In cyberpunk, there is a fine line between immersing the reader in your world, and drowning them with so many obscure details that they don’t know who the main character is.
Metrophage leaped off this balance beam with a running start. It explained opso many minute details that I felt to be reading a history book. A badly written history book that doesn’t explain anything’s significance.
Metrophage is a good read, but many times I had to reread a page because I was so focused on what this gang is up to that I forgot what Jonny was doing.
The cyberpunk novel Metrophage by Richard Kadrey tells a great story with plenty of twists and turns, but the story he was trying to tell is drowned out by the world he is trying to weave.
Despite this being the main focus, it is almost drowned out by a backdrop of gangs and cartels, aliens and drug lords. Even in the early chapters, we hear talk of the alpha rats and the zombies.
This is quite common in cyberpunk literature. Street culture is, of course, as shown by the name, a major part of this genre.
The best way to describe a Metrophage would be, confusing. It tells of so many street cultures, gangs and cartels and alien colonies and past wars. It brings up plot points, only to forget about them.
It is an entertaining read, but the backdrop draws away from the story itself. In cyberpunk, there is a fine line between immersing the reader in your world, and drowning them with so many obscure details that they don’t know who the main character is.
Metrophage leaped off this balance beam with a running start. It explained opso many minute details that I felt to be reading a history book. A badly written history book that doesn’t explain anything’s significance.
Metrophage is a good read, but many times I had to reread a page because I was so focused on what this gang is up to that I forgot what Jonny was doing.
The cyberpunk novel Metrophage by Richard Kadrey tells a great story with plenty of twists and turns, but the story he was trying to tell is drowned out by the world he is trying to weave.
September 19, 2013
-Más que propiamente Cyberpunk, noir futurista.-
Género. Ciencia-Ficción.
Lo que nos cuenta. En Los Ángeles, en el futuro, Jonny Qabbala (en otros tiempos conocido como Gordon), es un buscavidas que se dirige hacia el Pozo de Carnaby en busca de Dinero Fácil, otro pequeño delincuente al que considera culpable de la muerte de su casi amigo Raquin, para acabar con él. Un hombrecito llamado Bender Cyrano, que trabaja para el jefe del fallecido Raquin, el señor Conover, le explica que casualmente su empleador quiere que elimine a Dinero Fácil. Tras un tiroteo, Jonny acaba bajo custodia del Comité para el Bienestar Público, organización vigilante paramilitar con atribuciones policiales para la que trabajó en el pasado. El Capitán Brigidio Zamora quiere que Jonny le entregue a Conover, del que se sospecha que tiene algún tipo de trato con Las Ratas de Alfa, especie alienígena con la que la Tierra está teniendo problemas armados.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Ciencia-Ficción.
Lo que nos cuenta. En Los Ángeles, en el futuro, Jonny Qabbala (en otros tiempos conocido como Gordon), es un buscavidas que se dirige hacia el Pozo de Carnaby en busca de Dinero Fácil, otro pequeño delincuente al que considera culpable de la muerte de su casi amigo Raquin, para acabar con él. Un hombrecito llamado Bender Cyrano, que trabaja para el jefe del fallecido Raquin, el señor Conover, le explica que casualmente su empleador quiere que elimine a Dinero Fácil. Tras un tiroteo, Jonny acaba bajo custodia del Comité para el Bienestar Público, organización vigilante paramilitar con atribuciones policiales para la que trabajó en el pasado. El Capitán Brigidio Zamora quiere que Jonny le entregue a Conover, del que se sospecha que tiene algún tipo de trato con Las Ratas de Alfa, especie alienígena con la que la Tierra está teniendo problemas armados.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
August 2, 2013
I've been reading and enjoying Kadrey's Sandman Slim novels recently, but I wasn't familiar with any of his earlier books. To my surprise, this book was sitting on a shelf in my office. I must have bought it years ago with several other New Ace Science Fiction Specials. Published in 1988, Metrophage is set in a hellish 21st century Los Angeles. With Japanese, Mexican and Middle Eastern corporations and oil cartels in control of a drug-addicted, modified populace, nearly every character is thinking about survival and little else. It's a bleak look our future, with an unsettling ending, in that nearly all the characters we might want to care about are dead and Jonny, who's been drifting with the tide, trying to make sense of what's happened around him, has been picked up by another wave and is heading out of town. Kadrey's story got me thinking. Are we almost in his hell?
October 3, 2014
I got a copy of this novel to review through NetGalley. This was a well done and gritty cyberpunk novel. Previously I have read a variety of cyberpunk, mostly books by William Gibson and some of Neal Stephenson's earlier works (Diamond Age and Snow Crash). I didn’t like this book quite as much as those books, but I still thought it was a fun read.
The story is set in future a Los Angeles where everything has pretty much gone to the dogs. Our “hero” (actually more of an anti-hero) is Johnny. He’s hustler that sells drugs to those who need them on the streets. He used to be part of a government organization that loosely enforced the law in Los Angeles, but he gave that up to avoid being burned out by all the stimulants the government feeds their agents.
However Johnny’s past comes back to haunt him when the government hears rumors that Johnny is involved with the Alpha Rats. The whole conspiracy is news to Johnny, but his involvement gets deeper when he one of his friends gets sick with the strange leprosy-like disease that is plaguing the streets. Now Johnny is on a mission to help cure this disease.
This book is full of Kadrey's gritty style, one liners and over the top dialogue. For those who have read and loved his Sandman Slim series, the writing style of this book is similar is a bit less refined.
Johnny is a typical anti-hero. He is mostly out for himself but somehow ends up trying to save humanity through a series of chance encounters and mishaps. He is self-destructive to a fault, but also has a canny ability to survive almost everything. If Johnny has a super power it is survival...and maybe fast talking.
I enjoyed a lot of the side characters as well. They are all quirky and I wish we had gotten to get to know them a bit better. Johnny’s housemates are two woman named Ice and Sumi. Each of them are very intriguing and have their own quirky set of abilities. The strange good guy/bad guy Conovan is another interesting character; he has lived for a very long time due to a life extending drug that is basically rotting his body from the inside out.
The story is a bit of a mish-mash of topics. There is some government conspiracy, potential alien invasion, discussion on drug trafficking, a commentary on the medical community, as well as a dissolute community’s response to plague. The book is fast-paced and honestly a bit crazy at points.
I ended up really enjoying it. It's a very dark story but there are crazy new things around each corner...you just never know what the next page is going to hold. It reminds a bit of Simon Green's The Nightside series from that aspect. You never know what strangely deviant and decadent atrocity you are going to be reading about next.
There is a ton of over-the-top violence here and it is truly a thing of beauty. There's even a whole cult of people in here who practice "violence as beauty". Not necessarily a book for the faint of heart, but if you have read Kadrey's other books you already know that. There are also some very explicit sex scenes between Johnny and the two women he loves.
Overall this was a crazy and fun read. It’s a very dark and gritty tale and at times has a bit of ADD going on. However I enjoyed all the crazy people and things we meet throughout the story, you really never know what you are going to be reading about from page to page. I also enjoyed all the action. Like the Sandman Slim series this book is not for the faint of heart. It is also not quite as good as other cyberpunk novels out there. While I would recommend reading William Gibson or early Neal Stephenson books first if you want to check out the cyberpunk genre, I would say if you have read those and want more cyberpunk this book is a decent option. It’s crazily creative and definitely entertaining.
The story is set in future a Los Angeles where everything has pretty much gone to the dogs. Our “hero” (actually more of an anti-hero) is Johnny. He’s hustler that sells drugs to those who need them on the streets. He used to be part of a government organization that loosely enforced the law in Los Angeles, but he gave that up to avoid being burned out by all the stimulants the government feeds their agents.
However Johnny’s past comes back to haunt him when the government hears rumors that Johnny is involved with the Alpha Rats. The whole conspiracy is news to Johnny, but his involvement gets deeper when he one of his friends gets sick with the strange leprosy-like disease that is plaguing the streets. Now Johnny is on a mission to help cure this disease.
This book is full of Kadrey's gritty style, one liners and over the top dialogue. For those who have read and loved his Sandman Slim series, the writing style of this book is similar is a bit less refined.
Johnny is a typical anti-hero. He is mostly out for himself but somehow ends up trying to save humanity through a series of chance encounters and mishaps. He is self-destructive to a fault, but also has a canny ability to survive almost everything. If Johnny has a super power it is survival...and maybe fast talking.
I enjoyed a lot of the side characters as well. They are all quirky and I wish we had gotten to get to know them a bit better. Johnny’s housemates are two woman named Ice and Sumi. Each of them are very intriguing and have their own quirky set of abilities. The strange good guy/bad guy Conovan is another interesting character; he has lived for a very long time due to a life extending drug that is basically rotting his body from the inside out.
The story is a bit of a mish-mash of topics. There is some government conspiracy, potential alien invasion, discussion on drug trafficking, a commentary on the medical community, as well as a dissolute community’s response to plague. The book is fast-paced and honestly a bit crazy at points.
I ended up really enjoying it. It's a very dark story but there are crazy new things around each corner...you just never know what the next page is going to hold. It reminds a bit of Simon Green's The Nightside series from that aspect. You never know what strangely deviant and decadent atrocity you are going to be reading about next.
There is a ton of over-the-top violence here and it is truly a thing of beauty. There's even a whole cult of people in here who practice "violence as beauty". Not necessarily a book for the faint of heart, but if you have read Kadrey's other books you already know that. There are also some very explicit sex scenes between Johnny and the two women he loves.
Overall this was a crazy and fun read. It’s a very dark and gritty tale and at times has a bit of ADD going on. However I enjoyed all the crazy people and things we meet throughout the story, you really never know what you are going to be reading about from page to page. I also enjoyed all the action. Like the Sandman Slim series this book is not for the faint of heart. It is also not quite as good as other cyberpunk novels out there. While I would recommend reading William Gibson or early Neal Stephenson books first if you want to check out the cyberpunk genre, I would say if you have read those and want more cyberpunk this book is a decent option. It’s crazily creative and definitely entertaining.
May 22, 2017
I got about halfway through and found myself begrudging the idea of carrying on, so I decided to call it quits. It had some good ideas but ultimately the lack of characters that stuck around long enough to get invested in really hurt its chances of making an impact!
April 18, 2025
Another Ace Science Fiction Special published a while ago by an author who is currently better known for their urban fantasy. Straight cyberpunk with a mysterious storyline; however, the over abundance of characters who didn’t end up contributing to the conclusion made it overly complicated and not as satisfying as it might have been.
October 14, 2018
Cyberpunk is field I never got into decades ago, when it was fresh and pertinent, and now, alas, as an SF sub-genre is seems rather … passé. I did read some cyberpunk, just as I’ve read some steampunk, but it would be fair to say these arts never “spoke to me” -- so I’m probably able to see the wood for the trees with a little more clarity than readers who’re steeped in these genres.
Metrophage struck me as very much a first work from a writer who’d eventually go on to great things. It’s a short(ish) novel that certainly shows much potential, so it’s not surprising that Richard Kadrey went on to hit the NYT best seller list, with at least one novel filmed. I guess everyone needs to start somewhere, and Metrophage is a debut … somewhat shaky, but promising.
Perhaps it’s cyberpunk as a genre that’s tired by now: by 2018, we couldn’t exist without our tech. The only thing we don’t do yet is plug in our brains. That’s about ten more years away, along with the holographic displays you see in the Iron Man films. Metrophage dates from ’88, and at the time was out there on the cutting edge of tech, but … but …
It’s too much punk, not enough cyber. The backgrounding for the anarchistic story is wall to wall grunge, in a thoroughly despoiled Los Angeles. Everything is corroding. Everything stinks, including the people. Everything is trash, including -- yep. Halfway through, the reader is simply tired of grime, filth and “weirdness for the sake of weirdness.”
The anarchistic storyline itself is extremely simple, overlaid by a wealth of embellishment, a world of creativity. If Kadrey had staged his story against less fetid and weird backdrops, I wonder if the plot might have be able to stand on its own, robbed of its ornament. Perhaps it would have been stronger, if the reader were not so put-off by non-stop description of trash! Or perhaps the grunge is actually a major player in the piece, and without it, Metrophage might till be languishing in a desk drawer. Good question.
The book is hampered by fundamentally “iffy” writing, which only time and experience can cure … but which a good editor could have straightened out in 1988, if s/he had wanted to! (Example: I’ve never understood why writers must hammer constantly on a character’s name, stating it scores of times, when there is no other character in the scene. Kadrey will quote “Jonny” four times in a single paragraph, while Jonny is alone. After a while, it’s irritating. (He’s not alone in this habit, nor the worst. A terrible offender was Ernest Hemingway, whose Islands in the Stream makes me want so scream, with its use of “Thomas Hudson,” every single time Tom’s name is quoted throughout 435pp. Take out every unnecessary “Hudson” or “Thomas”, the book would have been 100pp shorter!)
Kadrey’s plot isn’t bad; but it’s a “grasshopper” story, as our Jonny travels from place to place, group to group, (too?) briefly meeting people, leaving them behind, in a kind of quest. Strip away the set dressing, this is what you’re left with: quest fiction, which is fair enough, though the novel is so brief at ~90k words, short shrift is given to each group of characters, leaving the reader dangerously uninvolved.
This has been described as “one of the quintessential 1980s cyberpunk novels,” and this does surprise me. I have to say, William Gibson did the “cyber” part better (Neuromancer, in 1984). Punk is a genre I’ve read, but didn’t keep the paperbacks and honestly can’t recall any of them, after thirty years. In order words, I wasn’t terribly impressed. In fact, the cyberpunk that did make a huge impression on me was Mel Keegan’s Mindspace, which lived on its “cyber,” and didn’t overdo the “punk.”
The last remark I’ll make on Metrophage is, if this is your kind of thing … buy a copy. The freebie epub is such a mess of typos and assorted typesetting gaffes, the sheer volume of errors jeopardizes the “reading experience.” Pay a few bucks, maybe pick it up used (not that Amazon is a great place to shop for used books now. $1.29 for the book, sure; plus $3.99 for shipping. Ouch).
Two stars or three? I’m hovering around 2.5, because Metrophage is inventive, fast paced, and in its day must have been quite visionary. I don’t *not* recommend it, but … know what you’re getting into!
Metrophage struck me as very much a first work from a writer who’d eventually go on to great things. It’s a short(ish) novel that certainly shows much potential, so it’s not surprising that Richard Kadrey went on to hit the NYT best seller list, with at least one novel filmed. I guess everyone needs to start somewhere, and Metrophage is a debut … somewhat shaky, but promising.
Perhaps it’s cyberpunk as a genre that’s tired by now: by 2018, we couldn’t exist without our tech. The only thing we don’t do yet is plug in our brains. That’s about ten more years away, along with the holographic displays you see in the Iron Man films. Metrophage dates from ’88, and at the time was out there on the cutting edge of tech, but … but …
It’s too much punk, not enough cyber. The backgrounding for the anarchistic story is wall to wall grunge, in a thoroughly despoiled Los Angeles. Everything is corroding. Everything stinks, including the people. Everything is trash, including -- yep. Halfway through, the reader is simply tired of grime, filth and “weirdness for the sake of weirdness.”
The anarchistic storyline itself is extremely simple, overlaid by a wealth of embellishment, a world of creativity. If Kadrey had staged his story against less fetid and weird backdrops, I wonder if the plot might have be able to stand on its own, robbed of its ornament. Perhaps it would have been stronger, if the reader were not so put-off by non-stop description of trash! Or perhaps the grunge is actually a major player in the piece, and without it, Metrophage might till be languishing in a desk drawer. Good question.
The book is hampered by fundamentally “iffy” writing, which only time and experience can cure … but which a good editor could have straightened out in 1988, if s/he had wanted to! (Example: I’ve never understood why writers must hammer constantly on a character’s name, stating it scores of times, when there is no other character in the scene. Kadrey will quote “Jonny” four times in a single paragraph, while Jonny is alone. After a while, it’s irritating. (He’s not alone in this habit, nor the worst. A terrible offender was Ernest Hemingway, whose Islands in the Stream makes me want so scream, with its use of “Thomas Hudson,” every single time Tom’s name is quoted throughout 435pp. Take out every unnecessary “Hudson” or “Thomas”, the book would have been 100pp shorter!)
Kadrey’s plot isn’t bad; but it’s a “grasshopper” story, as our Jonny travels from place to place, group to group, (too?) briefly meeting people, leaving them behind, in a kind of quest. Strip away the set dressing, this is what you’re left with: quest fiction, which is fair enough, though the novel is so brief at ~90k words, short shrift is given to each group of characters, leaving the reader dangerously uninvolved.
This has been described as “one of the quintessential 1980s cyberpunk novels,” and this does surprise me. I have to say, William Gibson did the “cyber” part better (Neuromancer, in 1984). Punk is a genre I’ve read, but didn’t keep the paperbacks and honestly can’t recall any of them, after thirty years. In order words, I wasn’t terribly impressed. In fact, the cyberpunk that did make a huge impression on me was Mel Keegan’s Mindspace, which lived on its “cyber,” and didn’t overdo the “punk.”
The last remark I’ll make on Metrophage is, if this is your kind of thing … buy a copy. The freebie epub is such a mess of typos and assorted typesetting gaffes, the sheer volume of errors jeopardizes the “reading experience.” Pay a few bucks, maybe pick it up used (not that Amazon is a great place to shop for used books now. $1.29 for the book, sure; plus $3.99 for shipping. Ouch).
Two stars or three? I’m hovering around 2.5, because Metrophage is inventive, fast paced, and in its day must have been quite visionary. I don’t *not* recommend it, but … know what you’re getting into!
January 1, 2016
What was that? Seriously, I'm asking...
Someone is going to have to tell me how to put images in my reviews because this one needs an image of Doc at the white board explaining to Marty that if you go into the future from this alternate 1985 we would be in the future of this crazy alternate 1985...Back to the Future II.
Which is why I added a star. For Michael J Fox and the ten year old me...
So this is supposed to be a punk dystopian story from 1989. And while a few things were brought up like the hologram everything (again that Back to the Future ii Jaws...In October of this year...) Crips and Bloods...and a few things I can glob onto as being late 80s early 90s, it was more a drug induced rambling tale that made less sense than a rubik's cube instruction manual. There are groups upon groups upon groups of gangs in this future, acid rain (do we even talk about that anymore?), space watchers and geez...I think I got so lost in there I couldn't tell if I was walking a straight line or in circles.
Should you read it? Maybe if your brain is great at separating out what's necessary from what's tedium. Maybe if you want Johnny Mneumonic meets Total Recall meets Predator meets Tank Girl meets hover cars meets end of the world events that make earth a super crappy place to live. Maybe if you're high and you'd find meaning...Otherwise...I say opt for something that has either stood the test of time, or something with a story line you can hold on to.
This just wasn't it for me. I'm kinda bummed. From the reviews I read, I had high hopes of experiencing something other than confusion. *heavy sigh* Time for something rom-commy and fun until I can pick the next different book...or I can unscare myself to crack open that Shining by Stephen King again.
Someone is going to have to tell me how to put images in my reviews because this one needs an image of Doc at the white board explaining to Marty that if you go into the future from this alternate 1985 we would be in the future of this crazy alternate 1985...Back to the Future II.
Which is why I added a star. For Michael J Fox and the ten year old me...
So this is supposed to be a punk dystopian story from 1989. And while a few things were brought up like the hologram everything (again that Back to the Future ii Jaws...In October of this year...) Crips and Bloods...and a few things I can glob onto as being late 80s early 90s, it was more a drug induced rambling tale that made less sense than a rubik's cube instruction manual. There are groups upon groups upon groups of gangs in this future, acid rain (do we even talk about that anymore?), space watchers and geez...I think I got so lost in there I couldn't tell if I was walking a straight line or in circles.
Should you read it? Maybe if your brain is great at separating out what's necessary from what's tedium. Maybe if you want Johnny Mneumonic meets Total Recall meets Predator meets Tank Girl meets hover cars meets end of the world events that make earth a super crappy place to live. Maybe if you're high and you'd find meaning...Otherwise...I say opt for something that has either stood the test of time, or something with a story line you can hold on to.
This just wasn't it for me. I'm kinda bummed. From the reviews I read, I had high hopes of experiencing something other than confusion. *heavy sigh* Time for something rom-commy and fun until I can pick the next different book...or I can unscare myself to crack open that Shining by Stephen King again.
November 1, 2012
I started this with a little bit of apprehension. It said it was the first published novel of Richard Kadrey's. Not that there is anything bad about it, and I'm not implying that being the first one it's supposed to be bad, but sometimes when you have read some of the more famous works of a certain author, the earlier not so popular ones somehow pale in comparison.
It's interesting how all the earlier pre-Sandman Slim novels all seem to be evolutionary steps towards the development of the James Stark character. Jonny seems like the original prototype and then Spyder Lee goes one step further in the direction towards the final image of Stark. And this one is also based in post-apocalyptic/dystopian L.A. (or Last Ass as it is dubbed) as in the Sandman Slim series. Also I couldn't help but make some sort of a parallel Ice = Candy and Sumi = Alice, but that maybe is me overdoing it a little. It also had some parts that were similar to Johnny Mnemonic with its references to Yakuza and the overall Japanese-themed references. Whereas his later novels, namely 'Butcherbird' and the Sandman Slim series are more urban fantasy,'Metrophage' is more high-tech, therefore closer to the cyberpunk genre. It, definitely, is not lacking in action and plot twists. All in all, I'd say it was a pretty good first novel for Kadrey.
It's interesting how all the earlier pre-Sandman Slim novels all seem to be evolutionary steps towards the development of the James Stark character. Jonny seems like the original prototype and then Spyder Lee goes one step further in the direction towards the final image of Stark. And this one is also based in post-apocalyptic/dystopian L.A. (or Last Ass as it is dubbed) as in the Sandman Slim series. Also I couldn't help but make some sort of a parallel Ice = Candy and Sumi = Alice, but that maybe is me overdoing it a little. It also had some parts that were similar to Johnny Mnemonic with its references to Yakuza and the overall Japanese-themed references. Whereas his later novels, namely 'Butcherbird' and the Sandman Slim series are more urban fantasy,'Metrophage' is more high-tech, therefore closer to the cyberpunk genre. It, definitely, is not lacking in action and plot twists. All in all, I'd say it was a pretty good first novel for Kadrey.
March 10, 2020
I've always been a sucker for a good cyberpunk book. Thing is, it doesn't even have to be that complicated for me to enjoy it.
This is the book that William Gibson should have written when he wrote "Neuromancer." Although Kadrey's book focuses much more on what goes on outside the network than Gibson's does, it still manages to tell a story that incorporates a lot of the same elements while not bashing the reader over the head with how pretentious it is.
The plot is not that complex, but the setting Kadrey creates and the characters that inhabit said setting evoke the lowest of the low of the cyberpunk sub-genre. The staple of cyberpunk is "high tech, low life," and this book encapsulates that beautifully.
This is the book that William Gibson should have written when he wrote "Neuromancer." Although Kadrey's book focuses much more on what goes on outside the network than Gibson's does, it still manages to tell a story that incorporates a lot of the same elements while not bashing the reader over the head with how pretentious it is.
The plot is not that complex, but the setting Kadrey creates and the characters that inhabit said setting evoke the lowest of the low of the cyberpunk sub-genre. The staple of cyberpunk is "high tech, low life," and this book encapsulates that beautifully.
February 2, 2018
A very enjoyable read.
November 9, 2025
Anarchists vs Imperialists in cyberpunk LA, what's not to love?
May 31, 2023
This book confounds me. Let me start with the negatives: It is extremely rough around the edges, almost as if the author felt this was his only chance to write a novel and thus deciding to tackle every threat (biological, extraterrestrial, sociological, philosophical) as well as including every cyberpunk subculture possible. This leads to a plot that jerks you violently through the city of L.A., never giving the reader time to digest or appreciate any singular aspect of it. The characters are predictably hollow, though not unreadably so. There is also this continual trope of *sudden blow leaves protagonist unconscious and upon awakening we are given another twist delivered by villain* that can become annoyingly predictable.
And yet, this work is incredibly charming. L.A. (Last Ass), at its best, is incredibly defined, gritty, and in some ways more "lived-in" than Gibson's Sprawl (No I don't think Kadrey compares well, in general, to Gibson). Some of the subcultures such as the geriatric "Piranha's" are terrifyingly amusing and help hint at the broader social upheaval and disorder of the novel's world. Finally, despite the protagonist's blandness and stubborn adherence to the anti-social, misogynistic tropes of the genre, his general development and pivot away from the "rugged" individualism and political apathy that marks so much of 80's "punk" literature is powerful and well-written.
Overall it is worth a read. It shouldn't be read as a follow up to Gibson or Sterling, but as a young writers bold and raw attempt at constructing his own Dark Future.
And yet, this work is incredibly charming. L.A. (Last Ass), at its best, is incredibly defined, gritty, and in some ways more "lived-in" than Gibson's Sprawl (No I don't think Kadrey compares well, in general, to Gibson). Some of the subcultures such as the geriatric "Piranha's" are terrifyingly amusing and help hint at the broader social upheaval and disorder of the novel's world. Finally, despite the protagonist's blandness and stubborn adherence to the anti-social, misogynistic tropes of the genre, his general development and pivot away from the "rugged" individualism and political apathy that marks so much of 80's "punk" literature is powerful and well-written.
Overall it is worth a read. It shouldn't be read as a follow up to Gibson or Sterling, but as a young writers bold and raw attempt at constructing his own Dark Future.
March 29, 2024
Especie de Noir-futurista-cyberpunki con muchas drogas y un personaje principal bastante matizado.
Aunque en muchas partes la novela se hace cuesta arriba con sus descripciones se deja leer con cierto gustillo agridulce. Esta novela tiene lo suyo y no desmerece ser una de las novelas propiamente cyberpunk injustamente olvidadas. Me ha recordado a George Effinger.
La recomiendo a entusiastas que gusten de bregar en el baúl de novelas cyberpunki olvidadas.
¡A destacar la gran traducción de Domingo Santos en este libro!
Aunque en muchas partes la novela se hace cuesta arriba con sus descripciones se deja leer con cierto gustillo agridulce. Esta novela tiene lo suyo y no desmerece ser una de las novelas propiamente cyberpunk injustamente olvidadas. Me ha recordado a George Effinger.
La recomiendo a entusiastas que gusten de bregar en el baúl de novelas cyberpunki olvidadas.
¡A destacar la gran traducción de Domingo Santos en este libro!
January 25, 2021
Retinal scans. Police hovercars. Septuagenarian cannibals. Drug use. Mirror shades.
Dilaudid. Dexedrine. Butylated hydroxytoluene. Mercaptoethylamine. Catatoxic compounds. Atropine. Cobrotoxin nitrite.
Sure, read it.
Dilaudid. Dexedrine. Butylated hydroxytoluene. Mercaptoethylamine. Catatoxic compounds. Atropine. Cobrotoxin nitrite.
Sure, read it.
February 3, 2021
This book started off as a very transparent Gibson pastiche (with almost every sentence lifting entirely phrases from Neuromancer), and eventually pulled itself together enough to stand on its own as a fun read. I would not recommend it to folks who are not already fans of the cyberpunk genre.
October 31, 2025
While this book definitely hits the classic cyberpunk vibe, that's about the only positive thing I can say about it. Vibe: 4/5, Worldbuilding: 3.5/5, Characters: 1.5/5, Plot: 1/5
"Metrophage" is extremely fast-paced and choppy. Lots of things are tossed out, but nothing gets any substantial development.
Reminds me a lot of "Arachne" by Lisa Mason that I read recently (written a few years later but same classic cyberpunk vibe) - similar to that book, "Metrophage" is an endless stream of exposition and infodump with tons of details about the world that are fun to read but ultimately don't matter in the slightest because the plot and characters are paper thin.
"Metrophage" feels like a mess - everything in world is a mix of at least 4 different cultures - white america, mexican, japanese, arab - so all the dialogue constantly goes in and out of different languages and cultural references, architecture is a confusing mess of all of the above architectural styles, etc. I feel this is very representative of the book as a whole. While guys like William Gibson are able to skillfully coalesce these kinds of global influences into an immersive world, "Metrophage" on the other hand simply feels like a hodgepodge of different ideas and interests the author had that were not combined in a cohesive or interesting way. On top of that, everything feels very generic and the author's literary influences are too obvious. Absolutely nothing about this books stands out among all the other cyberpunk stuff of that era.
The characters are extremely generic and flat and the story is almost nonexistent. Jonny is the only one who gets any development and it's pretty mundane. He could be a fine cyberpunk protagonist as the ingredients are there (he's hard, street smart, morally gray, addicted to drugs, but not evil), but it's never conveyed that he is anything other than a standard hustler and he doesn't evolve in any notable way. Despite this, the entire plot of the book is Jonny being bounced back and forth between the elite gang leaders who run everything in LA and need him for... some reason or other, all while trying to double cross and backstab each other. Why they all insist on needing Jonny is completely unclear as he doesn't do much other than steal drugs and get himself caught by whichever side is the opposition at that moment. Rinse and repeat.
But hey, Jonny must be really cool 'cause he's in a threesome with two girlfriends for some reason, neither of which get any development. Hell, one one doesn't actually show up until 65% of the way in. But I guess you can't go wrong with having multiple scenes where the main guy wakes up after being brutally injured only to exchange two lines of dialogue and then immediately have sex.
I gave up around 70% after a series of poorly written and nearly incoherent action sequences.
I also have to deduct points for the author's repeated abuse of moving the plot forward by having the main character get knocked out only to magically wake up at the next point on the plot outline (where, of course, everyone is completely ready to help him at any cost to themselves), no matter how illogical it is.
While it's clear that the author has skill, the execution of this book is amateur. I'd be curious to read his later work though, as his world building and attention to detail show a lot of promise.
"Metrophage" is extremely fast-paced and choppy. Lots of things are tossed out, but nothing gets any substantial development.
Reminds me a lot of "Arachne" by Lisa Mason that I read recently (written a few years later but same classic cyberpunk vibe) - similar to that book, "Metrophage" is an endless stream of exposition and infodump with tons of details about the world that are fun to read but ultimately don't matter in the slightest because the plot and characters are paper thin.
"Metrophage" feels like a mess - everything in world is a mix of at least 4 different cultures - white america, mexican, japanese, arab - so all the dialogue constantly goes in and out of different languages and cultural references, architecture is a confusing mess of all of the above architectural styles, etc. I feel this is very representative of the book as a whole. While guys like William Gibson are able to skillfully coalesce these kinds of global influences into an immersive world, "Metrophage" on the other hand simply feels like a hodgepodge of different ideas and interests the author had that were not combined in a cohesive or interesting way. On top of that, everything feels very generic and the author's literary influences are too obvious. Absolutely nothing about this books stands out among all the other cyberpunk stuff of that era.
The characters are extremely generic and flat and the story is almost nonexistent. Jonny is the only one who gets any development and it's pretty mundane. He could be a fine cyberpunk protagonist as the ingredients are there (he's hard, street smart, morally gray, addicted to drugs, but not evil), but it's never conveyed that he is anything other than a standard hustler and he doesn't evolve in any notable way. Despite this, the entire plot of the book is Jonny being bounced back and forth between the elite gang leaders who run everything in LA and need him for... some reason or other, all while trying to double cross and backstab each other. Why they all insist on needing Jonny is completely unclear as he doesn't do much other than steal drugs and get himself caught by whichever side is the opposition at that moment. Rinse and repeat.
But hey, Jonny must be really cool 'cause he's in a threesome with two girlfriends for some reason, neither of which get any development. Hell, one one doesn't actually show up until 65% of the way in. But I guess you can't go wrong with having multiple scenes where the main guy wakes up after being brutally injured only to exchange two lines of dialogue and then immediately have sex.
I gave up around 70% after a series of poorly written and nearly incoherent action sequences.
I also have to deduct points for the author's repeated abuse of moving the plot forward by having the main character get knocked out only to magically wake up at the next point on the plot outline (where, of course, everyone is completely ready to help him at any cost to themselves), no matter how illogical it is.
While it's clear that the author has skill, the execution of this book is amateur. I'd be curious to read his later work though, as his world building and attention to detail show a lot of promise.
March 7, 2023
Интересно ми беше да погледна нещо на Кадни извън забавната поредица за Сандман Слим. Харесах си книга съвсем произволно и попаднах на първия му роман, писан още през 1988. И на всичкото отгоре - киберпънк.
Като за пръв роман си личи доста влиянието на класики в жанра и книгата си е комбинация между "Бягство от Ню Йорк" на карпентър и някой от по-откачените елементи в писането на Уилиам Гибсън и Нийл Стивънсън. Има и елемент от Щамът Андромеда, но комбинацията между проказа и сифилис си беше направо бум. Трябва да отбележа, че за годината на писане, авторът доста напредничево е вкарал елементи в главния герой, които доста по-късно стават основополагащи за ню ноар поджанра. Лос Анджжелис е много жив (което е типично и за другите му книги), личи си, че Кадни живее там и обича града си.
Ел Ей в недалечното бъдеще. Затворен поради карантина заради изключително вирулентна болест, градът е рай за контрабандисти и курумпирани военни. Джони е обикновен уличен главорез, който е готов на всичко за да оцелее между уличните банди и политиката. Когато убиват негов приятел, отмъщението му постоянно бива отлагано от обстоятелствата, а силните на деня постоянно го подхвърлят помежду си, като всеки иска да го използва. А Джони продължава да губи приятели и телесни части.
Пънкът е типично осемдесеташки, но има някакъв упадъчен чар в цялата история.
За разлика от повлиялите му произведения, Кадни не се опитва да проповядва или налага визии, а залага на неподправен и доста насилствен екшън, което хем одобрявам, хем малко разваля произведението или по-скоро го прехвърля в онази графа развлекателна литература, която се етикира като грешно удоволствие. Когато става въпрос за пънк, все пак трябва да имаме социален подтекст, а тук е доста минимизиран.
Киберът е приличен за осемдесетте години - клонирани органи, механични импланти, виртуална реалност, кражби на всичко, от данни и електричество, до дрога и органи. Хакване на техно, био и градска среда, прилична работа, но нищо новаторско.
Естествено, японско влияние - Япония и арабите са си разделили света, Европа е някакъв бантустан между тях, а щатите са изцяло под чехъла на първата - малко ала Филип К. Дик и "Човекът във високия замък", но както казах - първата книга винаги отдава дан на големите.
Но накрая, като тегля чертата, останах доволен. Има чистот технологични идеи, изпреварили времето си. Има доста мрачна атмосфера и героите като цяло са отрицателни. Може би, ако в новия век не се наблягаше толкова точно на тези елементи и не съм изчел двуцифрено число подобни книжки, ако ми беше попаднала, да речем, в гимназиална възраст оценката щеше да е по-висока.
Като за пръв роман си личи доста влиянието на класики в жанра и книгата си е комбинация между "Бягство от Ню Йорк" на карпентър и някой от по-откачените елементи в писането на Уилиам Гибсън и Нийл Стивънсън. Има и елемент от Щамът Андромеда, но комбинацията между проказа и сифилис си беше направо бум. Трябва да отбележа, че за годината на писане, авторът доста напредничево е вкарал елементи в главния герой, които доста по-късно стават основополагащи за ню ноар поджанра. Лос Анджжелис е много жив (което е типично и за другите му книги), личи си, че Кадни живее там и обича града си.
Ел Ей в недалечното бъдеще. Затворен поради карантина заради изключително вирулентна болест, градът е рай за контрабандисти и курумпирани военни. Джони е обикновен уличен главорез, който е готов на всичко за да оцелее между уличните банди и политиката. Когато убиват негов приятел, отмъщението му постоянно бива отлагано от обстоятелствата, а силните на деня постоянно го подхвърлят помежду си, като всеки иска да го използва. А Джони продължава да губи приятели и телесни части.
Пънкът е типично осемдесеташки, но има някакъв упадъчен чар в цялата история.
За разлика от повлиялите му произведения, Кадни не се опитва да проповядва или налага визии, а залага на неподправен и доста насилствен екшън, което хем одобрявам, хем малко разваля произведението или по-скоро го прехвърля в онази графа развлекателна литература, която се етикира като грешно удоволствие. Когато става въпрос за пънк, все пак трябва да имаме социален подтекст, а тук е доста минимизиран.
Киберът е приличен за осемдесетте години - клонирани органи, механични импланти, виртуална реалност, кражби на всичко, от данни и електричество, до дрога и органи. Хакване на техно, био и градска среда, прилична работа, но нищо новаторско.
Естествено, японско влияние - Япония и арабите са си разделили света, Европа е някакъв бантустан между тях, а щатите са изцяло под чехъла на първата - малко ала Филип К. Дик и "Човекът във високия замък", но както казах - първата книга винаги отдава дан на големите.
Но накрая, като тегля чертата, останах доволен. Има чистот технологични идеи, изпреварили времето си. Има доста мрачна атмосфера и героите като цяло са отрицателни. Може би, ако в новия век не се наблягаше толкова точно на тези елементи и не съм изчел двуцифрено число подобни книжки, ако ми беше попаднала, да речем, в гимназиална възраст оценката щеше да е по-висока.
November 15, 2025
I'll start off by saying that the author does know how to write, and does it well. prose is good and gritty for theta cyberpunk/dystopian setting. the first couple of chapters really land, and I thought I would love it. unfortunately, that didn't turn out to be the case.
my issues, of course is subjective (since this is considered a cyberpunk classic). so, I struggled with really even understanding what the plot was. you get more than half way through the book and you start to kind of see it, but so many threads are tossed in a single book that could've honestly benefitted from having been lengthier, that I couldn't really understand the point.
I had issue with geography and placing for a while. there's a scene with a hover car that I had to restructure in my head several times for general confusing layout of what's occuring.
then there's the main character, I'm not sure why this guy would care about any sort of diseases with how haphazardly he tries to navigate the world in which he lives. he's the epitome of the young and dumb (fair enough, that's all us at that age to a degree), but he somehow cares enough to listen to one of his girlfriend drone on about the phage. I don't really believe it.
there's also the lack of agency he seems to really have through most of the book, and I think as an idea that could be elevated. but it becomes frustrating to watch the mc pass out and wake up in new circumstances for several chapters straight, and for the characters around him to think he's apart of some larger plot when he's just kind of present feels ridiculous for those who are supposed to be older than him.
after learning through a series of events, he still decides to make questionable decisions, this concerning ricos. tbh, I just didn't get it.
my issues, of course is subjective (since this is considered a cyberpunk classic). so, I struggled with really even understanding what the plot was. you get more than half way through the book and you start to kind of see it, but so many threads are tossed in a single book that could've honestly benefitted from having been lengthier, that I couldn't really understand the point.
I had issue with geography and placing for a while. there's a scene with a hover car that I had to restructure in my head several times for general confusing layout of what's occuring.
then there's the main character, I'm not sure why this guy would care about any sort of diseases with how haphazardly he tries to navigate the world in which he lives. he's the epitome of the young and dumb (fair enough, that's all us at that age to a degree), but he somehow cares enough to listen to one of his girlfriend drone on about the phage. I don't really believe it.
there's also the lack of agency he seems to really have through most of the book, and I think as an idea that could be elevated. but it becomes frustrating to watch the mc pass out and wake up in new circumstances for several chapters straight, and for the characters around him to think he's apart of some larger plot when he's just kind of present feels ridiculous for those who are supposed to be older than him.
after learning through a series of events, he still decides to make questionable decisions, this concerning ricos. tbh, I just didn't get it.
August 8, 2017
I enjoyed Kadrey's Sandman Slim novel as a whole ad well as the main character. Wanting to see what else he had penned, I added Metrophage to my read list. Unfortunately, after having read the book, I can say that I am sorely disappointed.
The main character is, as Easy says, an a**hole. Easy being one himself can vouch for that. Unfortunately, he's not a likeable a**hole, either. For most of the book I never really found myself caring about what happened to him. I initially felt bad for him when terrible thing after terrible thing chewed him up and spit him out of only because the author deemed it to be good. After a while, however, I felt nothing for him and his cynical stupidity. Most of what was wrong was his own fault.
Then there is the fact that everyone and their momma seems to what a piece of this guy... for no good reason! Except for a couple of "twists" towards the end, in every other dealing Jonny is special because the author said so.
The book overall was a prety easy read and so I powered through it pretty quickly (in what free time I have). Unfortunately, nobody never put a bullet between his eyes as I was hoping for by the end. Even the ending was lackluster, going out with a fizzle instead of coming to any kind of satisfying conclusion to things.
All in all, if I hadn't seen what an amazing job Kadrey had done with Sandman Slim, I would definitely think twice about reading anything by him.
The main character is, as Easy says, an a**hole. Easy being one himself can vouch for that. Unfortunately, he's not a likeable a**hole, either. For most of the book I never really found myself caring about what happened to him. I initially felt bad for him when terrible thing after terrible thing chewed him up and spit him out of only because the author deemed it to be good. After a while, however, I felt nothing for him and his cynical stupidity. Most of what was wrong was his own fault.
Then there is the fact that everyone and their momma seems to what a piece of this guy... for no good reason! Except for a couple of "twists" towards the end, in every other dealing Jonny is special because the author said so.
The book overall was a prety easy read and so I powered through it pretty quickly (in what free time I have). Unfortunately, nobody never put a bullet between his eyes as I was hoping for by the end. Even the ending was lackluster, going out with a fizzle instead of coming to any kind of satisfying conclusion to things.
All in all, if I hadn't seen what an amazing job Kadrey had done with Sandman Slim, I would definitely think twice about reading anything by him.
August 30, 2025
Another Cyberpunk piece from the late '80's, light on cohesive plot, heavy on the action, ticks most of the regulation boxes for decent cyberpunk, and a cracking read. Bars are hung out in, seedy characters are in abundance, the Big Shots all have plans, and poor little Jonny is caught in the middle of it all, bobbing and weaving his way through the explosions without really understanding why until the very end, The stakes are high, the blows are low. Metrophage dishes up both Cyber and Punk in a dystopian tale full of sound and fury at a time when some pundits had proclaimed Cyberpunk dead. But don't let that put you off reading this today, in 2025. The buzz may have died down to background static, but Cyberpunk still has some bite and relevance, particularly as dystopia descends upon us for real. Well, at least for pundits in the US.
Metrophage doesn't need to be groundbreaking to be a cracking read. Jonny seems to ease his way between tropes until all hell breaks loose, and the obligatory Huge Capitalist Conspiracy is revealed. A nostalgic read in the 2020's for a reader present in the '80's reading this exciting new sub-genre? Yes, there's quite a bit of that. But the appeal is still here. And Metrophage is a great yarn.
Metrophage doesn't need to be groundbreaking to be a cracking read. Jonny seems to ease his way between tropes until all hell breaks loose, and the obligatory Huge Capitalist Conspiracy is revealed. A nostalgic read in the 2020's for a reader present in the '80's reading this exciting new sub-genre? Yes, there's quite a bit of that. But the appeal is still here. And Metrophage is a great yarn.
February 16, 2017
I want to start off saying that I really like Richard Kadrey's other works. I'm a huge fan of his Sandman Slim and Coop series, as well as his other one-shots like Butcher Bird and Dead Set. That said, I didn't care for this book at ALL.
The characters are one dimensional and we learn almost nothing about them-- including our main character Johnny, whose personality seems to be entirely comprised of "cynical drug addict who hates everybody and is continually crapped on by the world"-- which COULD work if there was anything remotely interesting about him. Unfortunately, Johnny is as bland as toast.
He's an ex Committee worker (dystopian regime killer-cop-enforcer type deal) but quit because dealing drugs with bad guys is easier on his conscience. He apparently knows everybody in town because everybody is buying, and his only friends seem to be his girlfriends (one of which has been MIA) and (revealed later) one of the smuggler/drug lords. This is basically all we learn about his past and his present relationships. We don't really learn anything about his personality even through the story, or if we do, it's contradictory. One second he says how he hates killing, the next he's killing people for no reason. He hates the current corruption in the system, but he scoffs at anyone trying to change it and at the first sign of trouble, he's ready to bail town. This is probably meant to make him look conflicted, but it just comes off wishy-washy.
This is doubly irritating because everyone else in the narrative seems to think he is hot stuff and is trying to get their hands on him. It is not until the very end of the book (literally, like the last chapter) that its finally revealed why two of the parties involved think it important to keep him alive, but before that it made otherwise pragmatic and cut-throat characters look uncharacteristically empathetic or stupid. Characters crawl out of the woodwork to aid Johnny, but even taking out the aforementioned two who are In On The Secret, there are still too many who have no reason to care about this guy's well-being go to great lengths to help him (looking at you, Groucho). Like, this world is built up as being pitiless and cynical, but there's too many random people showing up to help this schmuck.
In an effort at worldbuilding, Kadrey has all kinds of strange, near-post-apocalyptic-dystopian cyberpunk aspects, but while some are used to great effect, others are like drive-by narrative. For example, there is a crazy cult of geriatric murderers that live in the city that nobody has really taken down because it would be bad form to kill a bunch of old people. This group plays some role in the early chapter, then vanishes for the rest of the book. What.
Grand setups are introduced, but they never pay off. Plot elements are introduced, and you think, "ohey, maybe something will finally happen," but it never does. But then, on the exact opposite side of the spectrum, other plot elements are dropped in like 50 ton anvils out of nowhere.
At one point, a character gets a serious, debilitating injury and you think, "oh wow. This is serious business! How is the character going to adapt to this? How will it affect their conflict with the Bad Guys? Will this come into play later at a crucial moment-- either the character uses it to their advantage or suffers from it at a crucial moment? There's so much internal turmoil that can be mined from this!
. . Aaaaand it's cured in the next chapter with little to no impact on the plot. Hell, even the cyber tech they use to cure it winds up having a neat feature, and you think we'll maybe this will come in handy!" It doesn't.
This book basically takes all the weakest aspects of Kadrey's other work, magnifies them tenfold, and then takes out any redeeming features. There is darkness without light (or at least without the gallows humor found in his other books). There are tough characters with no chemistry or personality. There is the anti-authoritarian streak that shows up in his other works, but there's no true fight against it, and for much of the book the main character doesn't even try to fight against it, just complain about how bad it is, and he insults anyone who does try to fight.
This book is joyless in a way I hadn't expected from Kadrey, and I am so very VERY glad that he moved away from this style and mindframe to bring us the better works I know him for.
The characters are one dimensional and we learn almost nothing about them-- including our main character Johnny, whose personality seems to be entirely comprised of "cynical drug addict who hates everybody and is continually crapped on by the world"-- which COULD work if there was anything remotely interesting about him. Unfortunately, Johnny is as bland as toast.
He's an ex Committee worker (dystopian regime killer-cop-enforcer type deal) but quit because dealing drugs with bad guys is easier on his conscience. He apparently knows everybody in town because everybody is buying, and his only friends seem to be his girlfriends (one of which has been MIA) and (revealed later) one of the smuggler/drug lords. This is basically all we learn about his past and his present relationships. We don't really learn anything about his personality even through the story, or if we do, it's contradictory. One second he says how he hates killing, the next he's killing people for no reason. He hates the current corruption in the system, but he scoffs at anyone trying to change it and at the first sign of trouble, he's ready to bail town. This is probably meant to make him look conflicted, but it just comes off wishy-washy.
This is doubly irritating because everyone else in the narrative seems to think he is hot stuff and is trying to get their hands on him. It is not until the very end of the book (literally, like the last chapter) that its finally revealed why two of the parties involved think it important to keep him alive, but before that it made otherwise pragmatic and cut-throat characters look uncharacteristically empathetic or stupid. Characters crawl out of the woodwork to aid Johnny, but even taking out the aforementioned two who are In On The Secret, there are still too many who have no reason to care about this guy's well-being go to great lengths to help him (looking at you, Groucho). Like, this world is built up as being pitiless and cynical, but there's too many random people showing up to help this schmuck.
In an effort at worldbuilding, Kadrey has all kinds of strange, near-post-apocalyptic-dystopian cyberpunk aspects, but while some are used to great effect, others are like drive-by narrative. For example, there is a crazy cult of geriatric murderers that live in the city that nobody has really taken down because it would be bad form to kill a bunch of old people. This group plays some role in the early chapter, then vanishes for the rest of the book. What.
Grand setups are introduced, but they never pay off. Plot elements are introduced, and you think, "ohey, maybe something will finally happen," but it never does. But then, on the exact opposite side of the spectrum, other plot elements are dropped in like 50 ton anvils out of nowhere.
At one point, a character gets a serious, debilitating injury and you think, "oh wow. This is serious business! How is the character going to adapt to this? How will it affect their conflict with the Bad Guys? Will this come into play later at a crucial moment-- either the character uses it to their advantage or suffers from it at a crucial moment? There's so much internal turmoil that can be mined from this!
. . Aaaaand it's cured in the next chapter with little to no impact on the plot. Hell, even the cyber tech they use to cure it winds up having a neat feature, and you think we'll maybe this will come in handy!" It doesn't.
This book basically takes all the weakest aspects of Kadrey's other work, magnifies them tenfold, and then takes out any redeeming features. There is darkness without light (or at least without the gallows humor found in his other books). There are tough characters with no chemistry or personality. There is the anti-authoritarian streak that shows up in his other works, but there's no true fight against it, and for much of the book the main character doesn't even try to fight against it, just complain about how bad it is, and he insults anyone who does try to fight.
This book is joyless in a way I hadn't expected from Kadrey, and I am so very VERY glad that he moved away from this style and mindframe to bring us the better works I know him for.
July 8, 2017
Maybe more of an upper 3.x score. Many have criticized the lack of character development, comparing badly to other cyberpunk novels by Gibson, Sterling, and Cadigan (excellent!), but I think that a tad unfair as character development, as far as extras go, was never really present in other cyberpunk tales. Many characters were just concepts, or ideas, like much of rest of the story. Cyberpunk novels mostly named but usually never really described the tech, the people, etc., like stream of consciousness science.
This book does appear somewhat dated (this edition was a 20 year after-the-fact re-release) in many parts, the power player nations, the technology (tape players and the like), and the tale is obfuscated by a plot twist which is repeated too often.
It was an okay story, edgy and violent, but contained no characters who generated any real empathy.
In the end it was just...so that happened.
This book does appear somewhat dated (this edition was a 20 year after-the-fact re-release) in many parts, the power player nations, the technology (tape players and the like), and the tale is obfuscated by a plot twist which is repeated too often.
It was an okay story, edgy and violent, but contained no characters who generated any real empathy.
In the end it was just...so that happened.
October 28, 2024
Another very fine entry in the New Ace Science Fiction Specials series. Richard Kadrey has admitted that as a first time novelist, he hadn’t found his authorial voice when he wrote this, and that he borrowed too heavily from other cyberpunk authors of the mid-1980’s. That’s fair: you can definitely see the influence of William Gibson’s “Neuromancer” and the Blade Runner movie here. That doesn’t stop it from being a good, entertaining 80’s dystopian adventure. Our protagonist, Jonny Qabbala, rages against the system, used and manipulated by a variety of lowlife characters in a decaying future LA. He eventually muddles his way to a resolution, if not a happy ending. One interesting difference between Jonny and Gibson’s hacker antiheroes is that Jonny hates the web, and refuses to get the cybernetic brain implant to allow him to plug in directly. The sense of a parallel unreal cyberspace world is absent, the story takes place completely in the grim, dark, grimy real world.
October 26, 2023
This was a really excellent cyberpunk novel! So glad I finally got into it because it had been on my to-read shelf for a while.
It takes a few pages to really get going, but like all the best cyberpunk it has a background of full urban dystopian decay - LA flavour, in this case. We have a protagonist, Jonny, who gets beaten up a lot and who is in over his head with about five different powerful entities all wanting a piece of him, for no reason he knows. We have street level crime, a drug lord who was born on the moon and who's musculature and diaphragm is not up to Earth's gravity so she must live in a servo-mech with machines breathing for her...
We have a powerful paramilitary organisation which has eclipsed the police's powers, called The Committee, for whom Jonny used to work, hunting him down...
This is a very information dense book and the background is PACKED full of excellent storytelling details. The various plots are complete, include violence, drugs and tech - as any self respecting cyberpunk ought to.
A surprise reading pleasure is Jonny himself, who at first presents as a bog standard street punk but who has more layers than a bushelful of ogres and onions combined. Jonny keeps you guessing throughout but his complexity comes from the story and the setting, his inner landscape stays remarkably consistent.
This book reminded me of the pure pleasure that came from cyberpunk back in the late 80's early 90's. Without that era, so many more modern science fiction landscapes may never have existed. But for people too young to have lived through that era it may feel more than a bit dated. I hope not, this is a great reading experience.
Also on YouTube where you can see the actual book cover I have, as Goodreads does not support that kind of artistic control. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQEus...
It takes a few pages to really get going, but like all the best cyberpunk it has a background of full urban dystopian decay - LA flavour, in this case. We have a protagonist, Jonny, who gets beaten up a lot and who is in over his head with about five different powerful entities all wanting a piece of him, for no reason he knows. We have street level crime, a drug lord who was born on the moon and who's musculature and diaphragm is not up to Earth's gravity so she must live in a servo-mech with machines breathing for her...
We have a powerful paramilitary organisation which has eclipsed the police's powers, called The Committee, for whom Jonny used to work, hunting him down...
This is a very information dense book and the background is PACKED full of excellent storytelling details. The various plots are complete, include violence, drugs and tech - as any self respecting cyberpunk ought to.
A surprise reading pleasure is Jonny himself, who at first presents as a bog standard street punk but who has more layers than a bushelful of ogres and onions combined. Jonny keeps you guessing throughout but his complexity comes from the story and the setting, his inner landscape stays remarkably consistent.
This book reminded me of the pure pleasure that came from cyberpunk back in the late 80's early 90's. Without that era, so many more modern science fiction landscapes may never have existed. But for people too young to have lived through that era it may feel more than a bit dated. I hope not, this is a great reading experience.
Also on YouTube where you can see the actual book cover I have, as Goodreads does not support that kind of artistic control. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQEus...
April 1, 2022
Every page of this book reads like today's news headlines, from global pandemic to World War III breaking out. Marvelous use of atmosphere to create a genuine dystopia, and it reads much more modern and coherently than most of 80's cyberpunk. With that said, a passive antihero as the protagonist and a straightforward plot without any real surprises slightly weakens it. The book's a short joyride at a breakneck pace that most anyone would enjoy, as it holds up well over time. Full review and analysis here:
https://www.markeverglade.com/metroph...
“The powers that be required enemies as much as they needed friends, and they could not live without scapegoats to keep their propaganda machines working.” - Kadrey
https://www.markeverglade.com/metroph...
“The powers that be required enemies as much as they needed friends, and they could not live without scapegoats to keep their propaganda machines working.” - Kadrey
January 19, 2022
The world created by Kadrey was incredibly interesting and vivid. There were some amazingly cool characters and concepts, but overall it feels like nothing ever really gets fleshed out enough. In the end there are so many plotlines running it feels difficult to be really invested in any one of them, and climax of the story is both protracted and yet underdeveloped , leaving a general sense of confusion and the feeling of ‘meh’.
It’s such a pity. If this story has been fleshed out into a larger novel I think it would have been superb. I love a relatively short sci-fi but this world needed a bigger book.
It’s such a pity. If this story has been fleshed out into a larger novel I think it would have been superb. I love a relatively short sci-fi but this world needed a bigger book.
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