Altered Carbon

By: Richard K. Morgan

Narrated by: Todd McLaren

Length: 17 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

In the 25th century, humankind has spread throughout the galaxy, monitored by the watchful eye of the U.N. While divisions in race, religion, and class still exist, advances in technology have redefined life itself. Now, assuming one can afford the expensive procedure, a person's consciousness can be stored in a cortical stack at the base of the brain and easily downloaded into a new body (or "sleeve") making death nothing more than a minor blip on a screen.

Ex-U.N. envoy Takeshi Kovacs has been killed before, but his last death was particularly painful. Dispatched 180 light-years from home, re-sleeved into a body in Bay City (formerly San Francisco, now with a rusted, dilapidated Golden Gate Bridge), Kovacs is thrown into the dark heart of a shady, far-reaching conspiracy that is vicious even by the standards of a society that treats "existence" as something that can be bought and sold. For Kovacs, the shell that blew a hole in his chest was only the beginning.

Altered Carbon is the first Takeshi Kovacs novel. Don't miss the sequels Broken Angels and Woken Furies.

©2003 Richard K. Morgan (P)2005 Tantor Media, Inc.

Critic reviews

"This far-future hard-boiled detective story is a lovely virtual-reality romp." (Booklist)
"Fast-paced, densely textured, impressive....Morgan's 25th-century Earth is convincing, while the questions he poses about how much Self is tied to body chemistry and how the rich believe themselves above the law are especially timely." (Publishers Weekly)

Cyberpunk meets Film Noir

A great cyberpunk novel equal to anything by Neal Stephenson or William Gibson. A little more graphic though, definitely for mature audiences. Plays with questions of the nature of self and how much we are tied to our bodies. What would it be like to be in someone elses skin? Against your will? Great story, but no surprises or twists. Follows a film noir story arc . Sam spade taking on the rich and powerful in a dystopian future. Also takes some cheap anti-catholic shots, making them a lunatic fringe in the story. Otherwise highly recommended.

good story, bad production

I enjoyed reading this book and considering the idea that a "soul" can be transferred digitally to and from human bodies, almost like taking off an article of clothing. I would have given this book 3.5 stars if I could have. The only issues I had when reading this book most likely came because I read it as an audiobook. The book changes scenes and situations quicly. The recording did not easily differentiate these changes, so at times, when I was reading the book, I was confused as to where we were in the story. Todd McClaron's reqading was good, but the production really sucked. I'll read the other ataakeshi Covacs novels, mostly because I got a good deal when I bought them. If I had gotten this book at full price, I'd have to think about it before continuing. I hope production improves in the next two books because hearing the noise gate trip every sentence really was annoying. Where did they record this, in an industrial plant? These production issues seem to be par for the course the earlier int eh Audible library you go. Seems like Audible could strike a deal to remaster some titles? There are other books that are much worse than this one, don't get me wrong, but the issues with production and transition definitely detracted from my enjoyment of the story.

Wow! Definitely a good read

If you like sci fi with interesting, plausible and new science and a story that makes you think about what that technology might mean and you like a story that is riveting and has sex, violence and good character development without spending endless words telling us inane things then this book is for you.

I've read both the Altered Carbon series books and love the character and the storytelling. I think you will too as long as you are not put off by the sometimes extreme violence and graphic sexual descriptions.

The science fiction part of the book which centers mainly around the ability of people to be "backed up" to a solid state memory and uploaded into another brain is truly interesting with many implications (especially for a murder mystery) for society and to think about morally. Although he doesn't go deeply into the science of how such a thing might be possible it is not entirely bizarre to imagine this is a lot more feasible than space travel or teleportation or many other technologies routinely described in other science fiction books.

Good book editing could have been better.

Good book, got it because I watched the Netflix show and haven't had time to actually read it. Only issue was the abrupt pauses when narrator changed to different characters in a conversation. Otherwise all good.

Solid, and entertaining listen

This particular recording is excessively bass heavy is the only down side. Had to fully reduce bass and boost upper mids just to understand all the dialog.

great story bad volume

voice volume is low. hard to hear. almost returned. hope your hearing is good. ymmv.

Great story. Poor recording

Awesome story but the recording is very quiet and bass-y which lead to me turning up a little more than I was comfortable with.

The 3rd book in this series is horrendously narrated.

This book is great! Really smart and fun. It will be a great film series. That being said, I would advise you listen to the narration sample by William Durfris in the third book in this series, "Woken Furies." It is the worst, especially after the great job done in this book by Todd Mcleran.

Close to sci-fi noir, Morgan is darkly entertainin

Kovacs & 'uploading onto a stack' is where matrix wished it could have used in an R-rated version... If u like his dark, gritty future hyper-violent fun check out Thirteen

All 3 books in this trilogy is worth the read, talk about a great look into an authors mind that's like John Rain mixed with a tweaked out blade-runner on coke in a world that is an surreal outlook of the universe 100's of years from now... These books are thoroughly entertaining if ur into sci-fi mixed with some detective & military background

good noir, decent enough scifi

audible tells me I should write at least fifteen words to make a review, but I think the title sums up my feelings.