This second book in Effinger’s Marid Audran trilogy never quite achieves the same level as When Gravity Fails, its predecessor. It still has the excellent Chandleresque noir detective juxtaposed with the alternative cyberpunk North Arfrican setting and these elements are just as engaging as previously but this time Audran, the main protagonist, is no longer scraping around for his next meal or pill but, having been effectively adopted by Friedlander Bey, a local crime lord and power broker, he lacks for nothing except friends and freedom of choice. This, for me, results in a read that is both less compelling and less edgy, two of the brightest qualities of the previous volume.
As Friedlander Bey’s inside man in the local police force, Audran is both an enforcer for the local crime lord and a cop, a combination that has all his friends turning their backs on him. To make matters worse he finds himself investigating a series of strange murders that might just lead back to his new employer; possibly not the best way to ensure his own continued good health, but sometimes even a man like Audran just has to do what’s right.
Effinger once again creates a wonderfully dark North African underworld suffused with sleazy nightclubs and even sleazier denizens chipping exotic personalities and popping a colourful selection of futuristic drugs. This is a different brand of cyberpunk to the likes of Gibson’s Neuromancer; not so frenetic in its pacing nor so full of technobabble. The close first person perspective ties the reader intimately into Audran’s thoughts firmly in the spirit of classic noir crime thrillers. Unfortunately the plot never quite lives up to the quality of that beautifully crafted setting; it meanders in a mostly meaningless way and seems to almost accidentally stumble into the final climax before petering out to a somewhat disappointing ending.
This is still a good book and worth reading for the atmospheric setting alone and, though not as good as the first in the trilogy, it was still good enough for me to continue with the final book.
3/5 stars
As Friedlander Bey’s inside man in the local police force, Audran is both an enforcer for the local crime lord and a cop, a combination that has all his friends turning their backs on him. To make matters worse he finds himself investigating a series of strange murders that might just lead back to his new employer; possibly not the best way to ensure his own continued good health, but sometimes even a man like Audran just has to do what’s right.
Effinger once again creates a wonderfully dark North African underworld suffused with sleazy nightclubs and even sleazier denizens chipping exotic personalities and popping a colourful selection of futuristic drugs. This is a different brand of cyberpunk to the likes of Gibson’s Neuromancer; not so frenetic in its pacing nor so full of technobabble. The close first person perspective ties the reader intimately into Audran’s thoughts firmly in the spirit of classic noir crime thrillers. Unfortunately the plot never quite lives up to the quality of that beautifully crafted setting; it meanders in a mostly meaningless way and seems to almost accidentally stumble into the final climax before petering out to a somewhat disappointing ending.
This is still a good book and worth reading for the atmospheric setting alone and, though not as good as the first in the trilogy, it was still good enough for me to continue with the final book.
3/5 stars
