Thirteen

By: Richard K. Morgan

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 22 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Marsalis is one of a new breed...literally. Genetically engineered by the U.S. government to embody the naked aggression and primal survival skills that centuries of civilization have erased from humankind, Thirteens were intended to be the ultimate military fighting force. The project was scuttled, however, when a fearful public branded the supersoldiers dangerous mutants, dooming the Thirteens to forced exile on Earth's distant, desolate Mars colony. But Marsalis found a way to slip back and into a lucrative living as a bounty hunter and hit man before a police sting landed him in prison - a fate worse than Mars, and much more dangerous.

Luckily, his "enhanced" life also seems to be a charmed one. A new chance at freedom beckons, courtesy of the government. All Marsalis has to do is use his superior skills to bring in another fugitive. But this one is no common criminal. He's another Thirteen, one who's already shanghaied a space shuttle, butchered its crew, and left a trail of bodies in his wake on a bloody cross-country spree. And like his pursuer, he was bred to fight to the death. Still, there's no question Marsalis will take the job. Though it will draw him deep into violence, treachery, corruption, and painful confrontation with himself, anything is better than remaining a prisoner. The real question is: can he remain sane and alive long enough to succeed?

©2007 Richard K. Morgan (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.

Critic reviews

"Stellar." ( Publishers Weekly)

Master Story, Master Storyteller!

Would you consider the audio edition of Thirteen to be better than the print version?

In general my answer to this is always no... however... Simon Vance may be the best voice actor available today. I would buy this just to listen to his mastery. Richard Morgan is one of the finest writers available today, and I have never been disappointed by his novels, but Vance gives a performance not unlike seeing a good book turned movie, and portrayed by legendary actors- it just got that much better!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Carl. He is a man in the wrong time, with the wrong set of genetics, and yet retains a pathos for the human race in spite of their rage against his existence. His balance- and sometimes his slipping grip on it- makes him more human than those that call him an abomination. Riveting.

Which scene was your favorite?

There are several, and I loathe to give them out as they may spoil your listening, so I will just say that the actions scenes are capable of losing you in their moment completely.

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

Not possible, but yes, I would have loved the leisure of that.

Any additional comments?

Simon Vance is the best I have ever heard.

I like it quite a bit, but.

I like Richard Morgan’s style in general and this story was true to what I’ve come to expect. What I could have done with less was the incessant references wiring (brain hardwiring) and genetics above everything. The constant explanation of behavior as being a natural result of genetic destiny became a little pedantic, even if the end was to infer the opposite. Other than that, I like the story.

white people need to let POC tell their own stories

Well written but the story seemed to be missing something. This felt very much like the work up to Altered Carbon, which really has it all. There was a lot of race based discussion in here that was interesting. But like all stories about poc written by white men it’s no surprise that it was severely lacking in the real complexities of racism. I can see why it’s only rated at a 77% overall. I wouldn’t read/listen to it again. Once was more than enough.

WOW, Morgan Does it again!

When I read "Altered Carbon" I said it was the New book by which I would judge all others. Morgan just keeps writing excellent books in the "Used Future", and not just the same books with the same characters (which I actually wouldn't mind seeing with the Takeshi Kovacs series), but different people in different settings in different time periods... he constantly proves he's multi-talented and can write on any level. He writes the way I wish *I* could.

I researched Morgan a bit and found out we are on opposite ends of the political spectrum, and I was probably misreading the social commentary written into his work, or maybe not, because as I have said before, "If the Left could accept guns, and the Right could accept drugs, we'd all be closer to the middle than most people think".

"Thirteen", was another of those books that I couldn't put down. "MP3 player in the pocket until it was done", etc... and then I had to reflect on it a few days to let it soak in before writing a review.

The Sex is hardcore, NOT for the Kiddies, but it's not just stuck in there "out of place". I didn't think it detracted from the story any.

I don't know if Morgan actually shoots a lot or not (Probably not, being an academic in the U.K.), or if he just sticks in "people being blown backward by gun shots" because people expect it due to TV (I suspect this is the case)... "Stopping power" is a myth (do the math, F=MA) except with artillery shells and the like, and Morgan knows that a table won't stop bullets (on TV people can hide behind cardboard boxes safely), but then he talks about people being blown out doors and windows from being hit by a slug. Still, minor technicalities aside (for whatever reason they are in the book) it's an EXCELLENT book.

I wish I could give it 4.5 stars, and the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because it wasn't quite "Altered Carbon", however it was better than Market Forces, IMHO.

Sociopathic Arnold Schwarzeneggar plays James Bond

Genre: Sci-Fi near future, Murder mystery

Rated: R Sex, Language, really offensive violence

1st or 3rd Person: 3rd 4+ characters to follow

Static or Dynamic: Dynamic. The setting constantly changes and the store moves along, a little slowly, towards finding the bad guy.

Art or Entertainment: Art. This book is heavily focused on how things might could look in the future in some ways and a strong criticism of how things have been and where they are likely to continue. If you are religious in any way, you might find this offensive. He calls the South of the US "Jesus-Land" so be prepared.

Linear or Non-Linear: Semi-Linear: we follow several settings as they go forward in time but the time lapse between them and setting change can be disconcerting.

Narrator: very memorable

Plot Outline: in the future, we've made a genetic reduction of human to a point in time where humans didn't have morals or feelings of social belonging. They are called 13's. Our main character, a 13, is acquired and employed to hunt down someone which is what he does for a living. The book is a criticism of social constructs rather than logical constructs. Social constructs are build on belief and continue because people believe in them -religion, culture, etc whereas logical constructs are true timelessly and free of reference. Our main character is in a unique position that society does not accept him because he CANNOT fit, genetically, into society. Basically, he was bred to be a total tool. this puts him in a unique position to criticize society though not necessarily a valid one. He also seems to be so hopelessly lost in the moment that he doesn't really care for logical arguments either and thinks that the world is basically shizzz. It's hard to make a sociopath a main character because it's impossible for a reading audience to identify with him so the author did make some accommodations to make the character tolerable. If you're a die-hard psychologist or think you've got human behavior mapped out, this is gonna drive you nuts, but if you're not that harsh of a critic the main character is an anti-hero that is entertaining to watch and listen to. I recommend the book but add that it's not for everyone. If you're sensitive about anything, might want to pass on this one as it pushes a lot of buttons. Additionally, it's got some gruesome stuff in it, so if gore bothers you stay clear.

Great Sci-Fi

My only complaint about this book, and about Morgan's writing in general is that the plot often seems to stumble around aimlessly through the second act of the book. Of course once all is revealed towards the end the aimlessness picks up meaning, but it sure would be nice if the plot was a bit less muddy.

The positives on the other hand are huge. Morgan builds an incredibly deep, realistic, and thought out world that the reader gets slowly submerged into. Exploring this world and it's consequences is really the greatest pleasure of the book. Morgan achieves what only the few great sci-fi authors do, he finds the perfect balance between entertaining the reader and presenting the reader with some very interesting ideas and questions that will make them look at the world, and themselves through different eyes.

While I think the book could have been a little better, it stands head and shoulders above so many others out there that I give it 5 stars.

The narration is great, switching flawlessly between accents, the characters really develop their own voices. Totally worth a listen. Unless you're from "Jesus-Land", you might not be able to handle it.

Another well crafted story

I have enjoyed Richard K. Morgan’s other books immensely. This one is extremely interesting if a bit long-winded. The characters were well crafted and the story (however winding) made you wonder what was coming next. The ramifications of genetic modification and how it will shape or future worlds were an interesting backdrop of the story. It made me contemplate my own views and the political environment of the present.

Fantastic

Wow! What a wonderful read. Thrilling, emotional, deeply felt. Highly recommend! Don't let the intense reviews scare you off. Just enjoy this well written book.

Worth the time, but falls short of Kovacs novels

Richard Morgan is an amazing writer. Some of the similes and descriptions used here are nothing short of brilliant. But the story itself is a little bit off.

Still, its worth your time if you enjoyed the Kovacs novels. The storyline is essentially the same: a "superman" with some questionable morals but a big heart deep down goes hunting for bad guys.

The problem with this one is motivation. While Kovacs is trying to stay alive, its unclear why Marsalis is so driven. Oh, right, its "love"...excuse me while I cough politely.

Its a good story. But its a little slow here and there and some of the characters' motivations are unclear or contradictory.

The narrator is perfect. The Cockney quips were a lot of fun and I love that Marsalis is a bad-ass black Brit.

mix Bladerunner and Roth

If Morgan wrote mysteries in their tradition setting he would be lifted up as a master; however, he tells with the science fiction slant and it will be a loss for thousands.
This however is not one of Morgan's better tales but still a good read. Excellent narrator!
Imagine combining Bladerunner with the punch of Fight Club and the introspection of a Phillip Roth novel. He was a little heavy on the Roth side for me - characters wore the prejudices and brutal racism raw and bleeding from their ragged sleeves.