Under the Amoral Bridge

A Cyberpunk Novel: The Bridge Chronicles, Book 1

By: Gary A. Ballard

Narrated by: Joe Hempel

Length: 4 hrs

Publisher's summary

Artemis Bridge is the know-to, go-to guy: the amoral fixer in 2028 Los Angeles, with the connection for any illicit desire no matter how depraved. He prides himself on remaining above it all. But when an associate dies in his arms, he is burdened with a damaging video of the current mayor he can't sell or trade. With assassins dogging his every step, he has only days before the corrupt mayor is re-elected, handing Chronosoft corporation complete control. This taut futuristic thriller is the debut novel by Gary A. Ballard, originally published serially on the Internet. It also contains a previously unpublished short story, "Feeding Autonomy."

©2009 Gary Ballard (P)2015 Gary Ballard

Artemis Bridge is a unique futuristic character!

Would you consider the audio edition of Under the Amoral Bridge to be better than the print version?

Under the Amoral Bridge is a unique novella set in the future, where politics and ethics are manipulated via computer hacking, hence the "cyberpunk" notation. It's a fantastical and fast-paced novella that is enhanced by the great voicing of Joe Hempel.

If you’ve listened to books by Gary A. Ballard before, how does this one compare?

I've not listened to any other books of Gary Ballard, but I enjoyed the energy and unique character of this one. It was, at times though, too fast and predictable. It probably would have been better fleshed out in a longer novel.

Have you listened to any of Joe Hempel’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to several of Joe Hempel's books. He is an excellent narrator, especially in his ability to have differentiated voices. I also enjoy the cheerfullness in his voice.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Under...Bridge..a post-apololyptic reach into the cyber netherworld.

Any additional comments?

This novella was given to me as a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fun story with a unique lead character

In this cyberpunkian near future novel, Artemis Bridge is a fixer – the go-to guy for when you need something illegal or under the radar. Bridge doesn’t care how foul your need is, he simply finds you the guy who can make it happen, taking a small fixer fee along the way. He’s proud to say he himself never does anything indecent; he merely facilitates. Of course, that all goes sideways when a dying associate feeds him a recording of the present mayor doing something quite distasteful.

Our main character Bridge likes to think of himself as a cool cat, making his money on the morally depleted but never dipping in the dirty waters himself. I can’t say I particularly liked this character, but he was so fascinating I didn’t have to. He obviously has morals concerning his own behavior and yet holds back on enforcing those morals on others. Plus he makes most of his money off of one type of degenerate or other. He has a body guard (Archimedes is his handle) who is paid to look aware and tough but not paid enough to take a punch for Bridge. I found their banter and dynamic both comical and interesting.

While there are few females in this story, they are integral to the plot (hurray!). The main female character is Bridge’s ex-girlfriend. I think she got all the brains in the relationship. She too is an interesting character with her own values and hobbies and actions. Much of the cyberpunk hardware belongs to her and hence, much of the the cyberpunk scenes include her.

The plot has a few unexpected twists and turns and they were a treat to watch unfold. Bridge has to call in favors, rely on friends, and outwit the bad guys. However, bad guys are nearly all he deals with, so there’s plenty of fancy foot work to stay ahead of a bullet. All in all this was an enjoyable ride with an original lead character. Definitely worthy of my time.

The Narration: Joe Hempel had a variety of voices, each distinct, for all the characters. He even pulled off a few accents as the roles required. While I found his voice for Bridge more of a boy-next-door voice instead of shady, slick, psuedo-criminal, he still made it work and I connected with the character through the narration. He even went the extra length with one of the cyberpunk voices, giving it the echo described in the scene.

If Neal Stephenson wrote a shorter book

“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review."

I flipped back and forth

I found this book to be a delight. It really was like Neal Stepehnson lite. I found a number of times that I thought about Stephenson's "Snow Crash", especially when discussing their VR connections. I wish this book had gone further down that line, but alas. Having now read through book 4 of this series, I will say - NO SPOILERS - for fans of the genre that we do get to learn about this world's tech some more!

Artemis Bridge is a surprisingly complex character given how simplistic his outlook is. He is a businessman. He wants to make a buck by putting people together to do what they would. The obvious discussion of morality in the series, and amorality, added depth for me. I always enjoy a good thriller, and I especially like the technological world of the future that Gary A. Ballard built for us here. There are kernels of reality present that allow for understanding the characters and their plight(s). The corporations and privatization complex are a good playground for this story. The world is believable. It is a bit dark, maybe a little jaded, but so might we all be after our national government failed and gave power to corporations.

I found Joe Hempel's narration to be just the thing for this story. He had distinct voices for each character, and they really fit with the character's persona. I had no trouble keeping track of events, and I listen while working, driving, cleaning, etc. I've heard Joe in a number of books now. I found his performance in this series to be just right, and better than I've heard him from other stories.

I am grateful to have been given this opportunity. I recommend this book and series!

A quick, hard shot of Cyberpunk!

I received this book from the narrator in return for an honest review, so here goes. Other than Neuromancer, which I think every sci-fi fan has read, I'm not usually all that into cyberpunk. This book has me re-evaluating that. It was quite literally an eye opener. Artemis Bridge is a fixer, or Bridge, hooking person A up with Person B for whatever service person A wants, as Bridge says, Hey, I know a guy. He never touches the goods, and wants to know as little about the deal as possible. He has a bodyguard who is there for looks only, since he won't pay enough for him to actually fight. This means he takes some beatdowns. When he is given some information that he wasnt supposed to have, his life suddenly becomes much more dangerous, with assassins after him both in the real world and online. His ex girlfriend, a genius hacker, one of his former clients, and his bodyguard are the only people he can count on to help him. Dealing with dirty politicians, assassins and criminals is all in a days work, but can he somehow figure out how to come out of this alive? Read it to find out, you'll like it. Joe Hempel does a decent job of narrating, with good differentiation of voices, keeping the listener engaged. I recommend this for any Sci fi fan.

Great Audiobook

What made the experience of listening to Under the Amoral Bridge the most enjoyable?

Set in a future Los Angeles after the government has abandoned it's role in governing the city, a major corporation is in charge. Ballard takes us on a ride through the corruption and societal decay, as the main character fights to stay alive after unfortunate circumstances place him in the dangerous unknown assailants. You may not be able to put down the audiobook until it's finished.

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

Joe Hempel have done a great job

A unique novel all Sci-Fi fans should listen to

Any additional comments?

UNDER THE AMORAL BRIDGE
Author: Gary A. Ballard
Type of Book: Audiobook – Unabridged
Narrator: Joe Hempel
Length: 4 hours
Genre: Contemporary Science-Fiction, Cyberpunk
Release Date: April 17, 2015
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Artemis Bridge is a fixer. The year is 2028. The place is Los Angeles. Artemis is known as “The Amoral Bridge” for his willingness to introduce a customer to a supplier for any and every need, no matter how disturbing or depraved. He likes to think that he is above it all and since he never touches anything illegal with his own hands, he figures that he is clean.
When he meets up with one of his associates and that associate dies in his arms, Bridge is drawn into a world that he never wanted any part of. He finds out that his dead friend has sent him a video file. That file contains damaging video regarding the morality of the current Mayor of Los Angeles. Since it is only days before the election he has a very short window of opportunity to stop his re-election and to stop Chronosoft Corporation from taking complete control of the city.

This audiobook is author Gary A. Ballard’s debut novel. It was previously available on the internet in serial format.

As an additional bonus for audiobook listeners, after the novel ends there is an extra short story entitled “Feeding Autonomy.”

I enjoyed this story. The author does a terrific job of world-building. He has imagined a scarily plausible future in which corporations control just about everything and many people spend the bulk of their time hooked up to computers by immersing themselves in life sustaining pods. It is scary to think that this imagined future could one day come to pass.
Gary Ballard also does a great job of creating his characters. Like him or love him, Artemis Bridge is a character that you won’t soon forget.

The narrator, Joe Hempel does a good job. The pacing is perfect and he emotes very well. I have listened to other audiobooks by this narrator and have enjoyed each one.

I rate this audiobook as 4 out of 5 stars.

It was certainly an engaging intro to cyberpunk

Under The Amoral Bridge is the first novella in the Bridge Chronicles, a series of four books so far. Set in LA in 2028, it introduces Artemis Bridge, who is the guy who knows a guy. He is a kind of facilitator in the shady underworld who connects people for a small fee without actually touching anything illegal himself. Artemis is the amoral anti-hero of the story, but I essentially found him to be likable and amusing. He employs a bodyguard but quite happily accepts a beating because he doesn't pay the bodyguard enough to fight for him. He has a genius hacker ex-girlfriend for whom he still harbors feelings, though he wouldn't admit it.

I know absolutely nothing about cyberpunk. This was my first book in this subgenre, but to me Under The Amoral Bridge was simply an exciting thriller with a futuristic setting.

It's a very quick listen, only 4 hours, so I don't want to give any of the plot away, but there's a political angle to it, corruption and shady dealings, assassins and fights. Overall, a very entertaining listen. I thought the side characters were particularly strong. I loved philosophical Aristotle, the bodyguard, and the hacker girlfriend was a great basis for explaining all the techno stuff while also showing Artemis' softer side.

Joe Hempel's narration was very good. Excellent pacing and very clear voices. He emotes really well and I thought his smooth tone was very fitting for Artemis. There were no issues with the production.

I would recommend Under The Amoral Bridge to any listener who enjoys fast paced thrillers or action-packed science fiction, and for me as a complete novice, it was certainly an engaging introduction to cyber punk.

Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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I needed more Cyberpunk in my diet

What made the experience of listening to Under the Amoral Bridge the most enjoyable?

What other book might you compare Under the Amoral Bridge to and why?

A dystopian future setting where corporations run cities in the vein of Stephenson's Snow Crash. A self deprecating, amoral, but likable and funny protagonist reminded me of the old Stainless Steel Rat's Jim DiGriz.

What about Joe Hempel’s performance did you like?

Joe does a great job here with the snarky hero and his beefy sidekick. His character voices are consistent and female voices don't sound strained or too high pitched. (except the whiny teenager who is supposed to)
From a technical standpoint, there is a little echo and background, but it's not so much as to be distracting. I didn't notice any production errors at all.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I like this author's brand of humor and the book had me grinning more than a few times. I look forward to the next installment.

Any additional comments?

I like Sci-Fi, and detective novels and these books make for a nice change up that still has elements of both.

Borderline Non-fiction in the Post Election Era

originally read this novel several tears ago and enjoyed the cyberpunk elements. listening now after the most recent US elections, it seems almost a work of speculative fiction that makes more sense than the reality.

the publication model used by the author also appeals to the aging hacker in me.

Under the Amoral Bridge

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book.It was very well plotted and a fun read.Actually I listened to the Audible version and thoroughly enjoyed Joe Hempels narration.His voices are swell!
Artemis is the guy you go to when you need something but don't know where to find it.He'll hook you up but doesn't want to know what exactly you arrange so he can keep himself safe.He doesn't make enough to hire his bodyguard to fight for him,but he does pay him to stand by and make sure he doesn't end up dead.lol He gets beat up a lot.In this futuristic world where corporations run the country and secrets are meant to be leaked one never quite knows what is the right thing to do,but Artemis usually comes thru.Read it,it's fun!
"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast or MalarHouse dot com"