Market Forces

By: Richard K. Morgan

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 15 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

What do you buy and sell when the global markets reach saturation point? The markets themselves. Thirty years from now the big players in global capitalism have moved on from commodities. The big money is in conflict investment. The corporations keep a careful watch on the wars of liberation and revolution that burn constantly around the world. They guage who the winners will be and sell them arms, intelligence, and power. In return for a slice of the action when the war is won.

The reward? A stake in the new nation. It's cynical, brutal, and it has nothing to do with democracy and the rule of law. So what else is new? The executives in this lethal game bid for contracts, fight for promotion, secure their lives on the roads. Fighting lethal duels in souped up, heavily armoured cars on the empty motorways of the future. Chris Faulkener has a lethal reputation and a new job at Shorn Associates. Has he got what it takes to make a real killing?

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

Critic reviews

• 2005 Audie Award Winner, Science-Fiction

"Convincing and compelling." (Publishers Weekly)

Best novel since Altered Carbon

Richard K. Morgan doing what he does best. An imaginative book set in the near future. Interesting characters and a great story. Not for the faint of heart though. Very violent, but it works.

The worst part of this book is the title

As someone who has read all of Richard Morgan's other novels, this was the last title left to read and I kept putting it off simply due to the fact that it's title didn't spark my interest. Don't let that stop you.

Unlike every other book by this author, this one is the only one that has a protagonist with no augmentstions to set him apart from your every day human. Morgan is an expert Sci-fi author and despite the future setting here there isn't much science fiction to speak of which makes Market Forces unique. While that fact may result in a seemingly less fantastic story, the character driven plot makes this an interesting read (or listen in this case). The different dynamics between characters is what kept me reading and the climax left me satisfied.

Hope you like cars and violence

It took about 2 hours to get used to the narrator. It didn't seem like it should have been read with such a "soft" voice/British accent but I put my ipod on the faster reading speed which made it much better. The narrator is good/consistent enough that you can always tell which character is speaking.

There is a social commentary underpinning here that detracts from the action; the author seems to have tried to write an action book that had a "moral" - two things that normally don't go very well together. It nearly works. The moralistic part got a bit heavy handed at some points, earning a fast forward.

I don't know about this "I didn't like any of the characters so the book sucked" attitude... we're not supposed to like them, that's the point. Greed and power have nothing to do with liking people, and that's what this story is about.

The sex (while still R rated) is pretty tame compared to the Altered Carbon series (X rated sex). The violence is also very graphic, and sometimes it goes on a little too long so that you get tired of hearing all the dozens of ways they are maiming or killing someone.

Overall, it's a decent listen. I'd buy it again.

More Morgan

I became a fan of Morgan with "Altered Carbon", and the series that follows.. Market forces was a foray out of that world and back into our near future.

I didn't think I was going to like it for the first half hour, but it quickly picked up the pace and got me hooked... it sinks a bit in the middle, but toward the end I was back to carrying the MP3 player in my pocket everywhere, too good to put down until it was done!

Morgan keeps proving he can hold your attention, and make you Actually like the anti-heroes, even though you know you shouldn't.

The best audiobook I've ever listened to.

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

Yes, I've already listened to it four times myself.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Market Forces?

When Chris takes on his best friend.

Which character ??? as performed by Simon Vance ??? was your favorite?

Chris Faulkener.

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

Pretty much every moment was stirring.

Unlikable lead character

The story was good but I found the lead character repulsive. His treatment of his faithful wife who did nothing but help him was the worst, but his general world view was corrupt. He was what he despised so not worth much as a character in my view.

Cynical near future packed w/action & character

This is one of the best-written books I've listened to or read in ages. The character development is excellent, the action scenes compelling, and the vision of the future not as far-fetched as some have found it to be. Gas prices go through the roof, so only the wealthier segment can afford cars, which leads to all sorts of social tensions and a dearth of traffic. (Anyone noticed gas prices going up recently? It's made a dent in _my_ budget and driving style.) Corporations get larger and more powerful to the point where they can tell governments what to do. Investing in war becomes a legitimate financial endeavor rather than a clandestine operation or governmental action.

One of the aspects of the book I really enjoyed was its construction and use of the characters in parallel with the use of chess. Plots within plots, moves made to distract while other scenarios are played out. Very nice.

A little far-fetched, but a great listen

I really enjoyed Altered Carbon so I picked this up on a whim. It is a well-written book, and the narration is very crisp and clear. The characters are 3-dimensional and character development is very good. The action scenes kept me on the edge of my seat. I listen while running, and this kept me very entertained for hours on end.

That said, this describes a pretty far-fetched near future and does little to explain how we actually got there. That detracts slightly from the story because it becomes difficult to suspend disbelief in parts of the story (particularly around the lack of traffic and the road warrior culture). But all in all I would definitely recommend this -- great for a summer read.

Wall Street Meets Road Warrior

I am honestly not sure why people are rating this so low. It is very well written and well narrated. It is classic Richard K Morgan story telling, sex and violence laced with discussions of morality, economics and politics.

Mr. Morgan creates a world where multiple economic collapses have created a society where the corporations control everything including when and where wars happen. In order to move ahead in this corporate world you must participate in road duels with others of the executive class.

I easily connected with Chris Falkner, the primary character who fought his way out of the slums and into the executive world. As with all of Morgan's characters he is neither good nor bad but a real, conflicted character faced with moral choices that change him and the people around him.

I almost didn't get book based on some of the reviews and now I am glad I did. It is not a Kovaks book but if you like Morgan's style give it a try.

Tale of an Economic Hitman, literally.

Take a healthy dose of globalization run amok, mix liberally with John Perkins "Confessions of an Economic Hitman", add a dash of "Blade Runner" (directors cut thank you very much) and you've got something resembling this work. The canned jacket liner material doesn't do it justice.

Reading the Audible blurb after finishing the book doesn't just make me go "they just didn't get it;" It totally lacks the "gut wrenching - can't stop listening - don't want the story to end - but in a way relieved that it's over" feeling the book leaves the reader with at the end. Well worth the read.