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)

Good yarn; so-so reader.

I think my issues with this book were more the reader than anything. He made the Takashi character sound corny and added a "machismo" to his delivery that the text didn't need. As for the story -- it's a fun idea about how different identities held by the same person can lead to wondrous and disastrous consequences. It holds its own in the cyberpunk genre, which is saying a lot these days. Read this if you like detective thrillers with a sci-fi edge, sex (it's pretty graphic), and some smart, violent action.

Has a noir feel without the unlikable characters.

If you could sum up Altered Carbon in three words, what would they be?

Adult scifi mystery. (three-ish)

Who was your favorite character and why?

There is a pretty clear protagonist in Takeshi Kovacs so that one is easy. Mrs. Bancroft's character was juicy simply for contributing one of the hottest sex scenes I've come across in a while.

Which character – as performed by Todd McLaren – was your favorite?

It wouldn't be easy to pinpoint a favorite voice from McLaren. He does a fantastic job of clearly delineating the character voices.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Would have loved to given the time.

Any additional comments?

Listen to the book before the film gets made. Who knows how an adaptation will turn out.

Intriguing Read But You'll Want a Bit More

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, and I already have. It was an interesting read and I encouraged some of my friends to check it out. I'm going to suggest it to my book club, as well. There are a lot of ideas and events in the book that offer up some interesting ethical dilemmas and good topics for discussion.

What did you like best about this story?

That it kept me guessing and I found myself trying to figure out what the truth was. I also loved the realism of the proposed future technology.

What does Todd McLaren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Very nice reading voice, convincing, and easy to listen to.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The ending for sure- once all the pieces fell into place and the interesting choice Kovacs had to make regarding sleeves.

Any additional comments?

Definitely recommend and planning on purchasing the sequel.

Wonderful story but too much "adult" scenes

Any additional comments?

I loved this book, the story was great and characters compelling. That said, there are far too many gratuitous sex scenes, they do not add to the story and are just too long. I liked the everything but that.

Resleeve yourself

This was my first exposure to Richard Morgan, and what a debut it is. A non-stop, helter-skelter, grimy, sexy, violent ride. A mature title, with significant amounts of violent, sex, and strong language, this deserves an R rating, but also gets a two-thumbs up. Buy it, clear your agenda, and make sure you're sitting down and not operating heavy machinery!

This book is a breath of fresh air and a welcome adult-oriented entry into an adolescent-theme heavy Sci-Fi market.

awesome!

Although i loved both the series and the book, i am glad i watched it before i read it. both were great but if i would have read it first i wouldnt have liked the show as the stories are quite different. 10 out of 10 either way!

Good, far future sci-fi

Where does Altered Carbon rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Altered Carbon is one of the better far-future sci-fi books that I've listened to.

What did you like best about this story?

The description of the characters, technology, and the action sequences are the highlights of this story.

What does Todd McLaren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He reads at a fast pace. Additionally, he gives the main character a gravely nourish feel that helps shape the entire story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It would be too long to listen to in one setting, however, it was a great story.

good but..

it was good but difficult to follow the story at times. audio quality is absolutely terrible.

Gritty, Dystopian, Cyberpunk Noir

I want to give this an all five star review but each of the female characters were described by their breasts and/or thighs, usually before their face or personality. It was highly annoying and detracted from the story more than added.

This is my favorite book in my entire library

What did you love best about Altered Carbon?

The story is so unique and full of action and science fiction for adults. So refreshing.