The stunning superhero-noir fantasy thriller set in the other New York.
It was the last great science hero fight, but the energy b...
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Feb 16, 2012
Dan
rated it: 
Two battling superheroes open a rift into a parallel dimension. On the other side of the rift is The Empire State, an imperfect copy of New York. Empire State detective Rad Bradley's search for a missing woman brings him into conflict with forces from New York. But do they mean to save the Empire State or destroy it?
Why I liked this book:
Parallel universes are awesome, aren't they? One out of ever five Star Trek episodes uses them in some way. The Empire State is a copy of More...
Why I liked this book:
Parallel universes are awesome, aren't they? One out of ever five Star Trek episodes uses them in some way. The Empire State is a copy of More...
11 comments
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(36 people liked it)
Feb 18, 2012
Mark
rated it: 
The art-deco style cover gives you a clue about this one. Here is a tale set initially in a 1920/30’s style New York, though not the New York City, but a place called Empire State. (Although the real New York City does appear, later.)
We have murder and gunshots in dark city streets, where it is always raining, detectives under streetlamps wrestling silently with their broody thoughts and dubious morals. We have Superheroes entwined with Gangsters. And with illicit booze, gang fights, More...
We have murder and gunshots in dark city streets, where it is always raining, detectives under streetlamps wrestling silently with their broody thoughts and dubious morals. We have Superheroes entwined with Gangsters. And with illicit booze, gang fights, More...
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Jan 09, 2012
Kate
rated it: 
Take this with a pinch of salt, because though I'm immersed in geek culture enough to be passing familiar with superheroes, parallel universes, etc I don't have much contact with the primary sources, so maybe I just don't get it.
The plot moves along briskly but is complicated to the point of convolution and the writing style is often unclear. The main characters are cardboard cut outs and the supporting characters are tissue paper thin. The ideas were so interesting but they're mostl More...
The plot moves along briskly but is complicated to the point of convolution and the writing style is often unclear. The main characters are cardboard cut outs and the supporting characters are tissue paper thin. The ideas were so interesting but they're mostl More...
4 comments
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(7 people liked it)
Jan 29, 2012
Sean
rated it:
"Time to save the world. Rad stopped and considered. Two worlds."
It's difficult to wax enthusiastic about a book I new I wouldn't really enjoy.The reviews were all very promising and the blurb fascinating, but even there, there was a warning bell. Steampunk is an sf&F subgenre that I have yet to enjoy in any way, shape or form. Now, now - yes, I've had very little exposure to it, I know. But having not liked it anywhere else, I see no reason to push it onto myself unnecess More...
It's difficult to wax enthusiastic about a book I new I wouldn't really enjoy.The reviews were all very promising and the blurb fascinating, but even there, there was a warning bell. Steampunk is an sf&F subgenre that I have yet to enjoy in any way, shape or form. Now, now - yes, I've had very little exposure to it, I know. But having not liked it anywhere else, I see no reason to push it onto myself unnecess More...
Jan 27, 2012
Hector
rated it:
Overall, while I enjoyed the book, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would-if that makes sense.
Maybe it's unfair to leverage my expectations with the final result, but I couldn't help it. When I first heard of the book, I knew it was going to be in my must read. How could it not, with its mixture of pulp, detective stories, superheroes, and steampunks?
I think what bugged me was that all those different ideas and themes never ending up fulling coming together and More...
Maybe it's unfair to leverage my expectations with the final result, but I couldn't help it. When I first heard of the book, I knew it was going to be in my must read. How could it not, with its mixture of pulp, detective stories, superheroes, and steampunks?
I think what bugged me was that all those different ideas and themes never ending up fulling coming together and More...
Jan 23, 2012
Marc
rated it:
So, essentially, we as fantasy fans don’t mind a bit of repetition. In fact, I think the majority of us would admit that within our genre there isn’t a huge amount of variation. But, we don’t mind this – we read fantasy because we enjoy the young lad who against it all somehow manages to complete his quest. This could be taking a ring to Mordor, it could be defeating the evil Voldemort, maybe pulling a sword from a stone and rising up to become King? We love it. What we also love is the past – t
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(2 people liked it)
Jan 20, 2012
John
rated it:
Imagine Fringe meets Dark City and you get a really good idea of the book. I applaud it just for the sheer creativity of it. Prohibition-era noir, parallel universes, superheroes, and robots -- all in a richly detailed and well-crafted plot. Christopher does a great job of throwing out a lot of hooks without immediate answers. This keeps the interest level high. Thankfully he also does a great job of pulling things together and providing answers before the questions become too frustrating.
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Jan 12, 2012
Cjbauer
rated it:
There is a lot to like about this debut novel from Adam Christopher. The premise of Empire State is exceptionally fresh and unique. The mechanics behind the novel are also interesting. There were so many details and minor points alluded to in the book which I found utterly fascinating and thought-provoking.And the Worldbuilder system shows plenty of promise. But...
I could not sympathize with the protagonist(s) at all. Very dry, 2D and somewhat stereotypically "noir" in nature More...
I could not sympathize with the protagonist(s) at all. Very dry, 2D and somewhat stereotypically "noir" in nature More...
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(2 people liked it)
Jan 07, 2012
Tony
rated it:
This is the first published novel by Adam Christopher. I’ve met Adam once and he is one of those genuine people, so it is no surprise that he got the chance to pitch for this novel due to impressing The Robot Overlords as a person as well as with his short stories (see the link to his site to read some). Being a twitter follower for a year I pre-ordered this book as soon as it was available. Luckily for me the pixies at my local Waterstone’s managed to get my copy in before the release date. Hap
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Jan 02, 2012
Lou
rated it:
Rad Bradley is just a guy--a private eye in the Empire State who likes a drink and a natty fedora.
But of course he's a PI in the Empire State: after all, there isn't anywhere else, is there?
From the very beginning, EMPIRE STATE throws its readers into a clever, complex story full of shadows and secrets, double- and triple-crosses.
It's a world where speakeasies and superheroes coexist; where strange ships sail into the mist to fight an unknown enemy, never to More...
But of course he's a PI in the Empire State: after all, there isn't anywhere else, is there?
From the very beginning, EMPIRE STATE throws its readers into a clever, complex story full of shadows and secrets, double- and triple-crosses.
It's a world where speakeasies and superheroes coexist; where strange ships sail into the mist to fight an unknown enemy, never to More...
Dec 28, 2011
Ranting
rated it:
http://www.rantingdragon.com/empire-stat...
Empire State is the genre-bending debut novel of New Zealand-born author Adam Christopher, one of Angry Robot’s exciting new acquisitions. Empire State successfully combines science fiction, Prohibition-era detective noir, comic book superheroes, and nearly endless plot twists to create a fast-paced and unique saga of surprises that is sure to keep countless readers up into the early hours of the morning.
Welcome to the Empire St More...
Empire State is the genre-bending debut novel of New Zealand-born author Adam Christopher, one of Angry Robot’s exciting new acquisitions. Empire State successfully combines science fiction, Prohibition-era detective noir, comic book superheroes, and nearly endless plot twists to create a fast-paced and unique saga of surprises that is sure to keep countless readers up into the early hours of the morning.
Welcome to the Empire St More...
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Dec 22, 2011
Jen
rated it: 
Prohibition-era New York, parallel universes, duelling superheroes... And the world of Empire State gets a lot stranger than that.
This is a great, punchy novel full of odd ideas and thrilling conflict, but what I liked best about it was the atmosphere, and the details that build it. Christopher constructs the sense of an off kilter world with layer upon layer of pulp noir strangeness, until the whole thing crackles with its own crazy energy. It's a fun house novel, where nothing is qu More...
This is a great, punchy novel full of odd ideas and thrilling conflict, but what I liked best about it was the atmosphere, and the details that build it. Christopher constructs the sense of an off kilter world with layer upon layer of pulp noir strangeness, until the whole thing crackles with its own crazy energy. It's a fun house novel, where nothing is qu More...
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Jan 18, 2012
Stephen
rated it:
The intriguing premise of this book was mostly delivered for me. Good things included the evocation of the strange world of the Empire State, reminding me a fair bit of the closed and claustrophobic world in the movie Dark City. Christopher is a very visual writer and the images he creates are vivid and compelling. At times I felt things were a bit over-described, however, and my impression of noir is that in general it is written in a more spare fashion. There is a wealth of ideas in the book,
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Dec 08, 2011
Bane of Kings
rated it:
In the last great science hero fight between the Skyguard and the Science Pirate, the energy blast that happened during the battle ripped a hole in reality, birthing the Empire State, a parallel version of New York that’s set in the Prohibition Era.
However, when the gap between both worlds starts to close, it isn’t just the Empire State that’s threatened; it’s New York, as well. People from both worlds must fight for the right to exist.
I was going into this novel, not expecti More...
However, when the gap between both worlds starts to close, it isn’t just the Empire State that’s threatened; it’s New York, as well. People from both worlds must fight for the right to exist.
I was going into this novel, not expecti More...
Dec 21, 2011
Mieneke
rated it:
One of the most buzzed about debuts for 2012, ever since it was announced, Adam Christopher's Empire State is a much anticipated release around the blogosphere. Normally not given to reading superhero novels or comic books, I do enjoy a good noir detective, so I was curious to read the book and see why everyone was so excited about this book. While I really enjoyed the story, I did have some issues with it, but I do understand the buzz for Empire State.
What stands out most in this bo More...
What stands out most in this bo More...
4 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Feb 06, 2012
Francis
rated it: 
I was really looking forward to this book. It has a big endorsement from Cory Doctorow, was promoted insanely fiercely for a first-time author, and has some of the nicest cover art I've ever seen.
So I suppose it was set up to disappoint, and it did.
My biggest problem with the book is that it is full of internal dialogue. Characters are constantly recapping what's just happened, in the last chapter or even on the last page. Author, you do not need to do this: we were th More...
So I suppose it was set up to disappoint, and it did.
My biggest problem with the book is that it is full of internal dialogue. Characters are constantly recapping what's just happened, in the last chapter or even on the last page. Author, you do not need to do this: we were th More...
Jan 25, 2012
Christina
rated it:
Empire State by Adam Christopher will no doubt please some readers, but I am not one of them.
About the book: It’s New York in the 1930′s, and a catastrophic fight between two superhero-like figures has inadvertently caused a rift in space-time. This rift begets a parallel version of New York known as the Empire State. The Empire State is grey, gloomy, rainy, and isolated, perpetually dealing with rations due to a never-ending war with a nameless, faceless Enemy.
However, p More...
About the book: It’s New York in the 1930′s, and a catastrophic fight between two superhero-like figures has inadvertently caused a rift in space-time. This rift begets a parallel version of New York known as the Empire State. The Empire State is grey, gloomy, rainy, and isolated, perpetually dealing with rations due to a never-ending war with a nameless, faceless Enemy.
However, p More...
Feb 13, 2012
Nick
rated it:
I'm at a complete loss as to why others find this book so fascinating. Several good reviews I had read previously mentioned complex characters and exciting plot twists along with an interesting plot. I found none of these. The characters where paper thin and boring. I know imitating noir and serial scifi may have limited the amount of character building the author could do and still remain true to the genres but if I'm cheering for the main characters to jump from high buildings then obvious
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Feb 02, 2012
Louis
rated it:
I liked the book in some ways, but in others, it was not so satisfying. The mixture of all the genre's together did not work as well as I would have liked. In addition, while I knew the science would not be valid, there were too many things that relied on comic book science of the 30s, and frankly that's stuff I haven't read.
There are issues with the way he created the Empire State beginnings of it, and how people know things without some context in their memory is unsettling. Espe More...
There are issues with the way he created the Empire State beginnings of it, and how people know things without some context in their memory is unsettling. Espe More...
Feb 07, 2012
Brandon
rated it:
THE EMPIRE STATE IS THE OTHER NEW YORK. A parallel-universe, Prohibition-era world of mooks and shamuses that is the twisted magic mirror to our bustling Big Apple, a place where sinister characters lurk around every corner while the great superheroes that once kept the streets safe have fallen into dysfunctional rivalries and feuds. Not that its colourful residents know anything about the real New York… until detective Rad Bradley makes a discovery that will change the lives of all its inhabitaMore...
Feb 15, 2012
Abhinav Jain
rated it:
Shadowhawk reviews Angry Robot Books’ most recent release, the debut noir/science-fiction novel by Adam Christopher.
“If Empire State could play poker, you would be out of your money by the end of the night. You cannot out-bluff this one!” ~ The Founding Fields
I rarely get to read debut novels at or around the time of their release. The last, and only one that I can really remember at the moment, is Sarah Cawkwell’s debut novel for Black Library: The Gildar Rift. Incidentally More...
“If Empire State could play poker, you would be out of your money by the end of the night. You cannot out-bluff this one!” ~ The Founding Fields
I rarely get to read debut novels at or around the time of their release. The last, and only one that I can really remember at the moment, is Sarah Cawkwell’s debut novel for Black Library: The Gildar Rift. Incidentally More...
Feb 19, 2012
Alex
rated it:
This is the part where I make a confession: despite my feelings about Cory Doctorow, I get a lot of my reading ideas from Boing Boing. This is one such novel, and the second Angry Robot publication I've read, after Zoo City. I wanted Empire State to be good, but it isn't really. There are some sound ideas and a solid lead character, but the plotting and twisting are more than slightly messy and the project eventually gets away from Christopher.
An amateur gangster called Rex kills a wom More...
An amateur gangster called Rex kills a wom More...
Feb 01, 2012
John
rated it:
This is one of the first books I have read as a recommendation from this site. I have a love of film noir and the pulp era so this seemed like just the right blend of pulp science fiction and gritty detective novel that would appeal to me. Overall it was a good book but there were a few points in the plot that just left you scratching your head and even at the end when you get to the big reveal you are still left a little confused. At some points the tempo of the story just slowed to a crawl
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Dec 21, 2011
Justin
rated it:
http://staffersmusings.blogspot.com/2011...
One of the most highly anticipated titles of early 2012, Adam Christopher's Empire State has been billed as superhero noir. Angry Robot, recognizing the broad appeal of such a pastiche, has marketed the novel along with their WorldBuilder project. WorldBuilder invites readers to create their own works based in the world of Empire State, which Angry Robot may publish (if they get anything good). That's neither here nor there, but I thought More...
One of the most highly anticipated titles of early 2012, Adam Christopher's Empire State has been billed as superhero noir. Angry Robot, recognizing the broad appeal of such a pastiche, has marketed the novel along with their WorldBuilder project. WorldBuilder invites readers to create their own works based in the world of Empire State, which Angry Robot may publish (if they get anything good). That's neither here nor there, but I thought More...
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Jan 04, 2012
Stefan
rated it:
Angry Robot is one of those publishers you just have to keep an eye on, because they come out with some unique, surprising fiction. Their books tend to defy genre conventions and often are impossible to classify. To mess with our heads even more, they then stick weird little filing instructions on them, such as “File Under: Fantasy [ Aztec Mystery | Locked Room | Human Sacrifice | The Dead Walk! ]” for Aliette de Bodard’s Servant of the Underworld, or “[The Mob & Magic | Ancient Secrets | Zombie
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(4 people liked it)
Feb 08, 2012
Kris
rated it:
I liked this story. It was an entertaining read that captured the feel of a noirish detective novel but still had some good scifi elements that the author managed to make work together. I enjoyed the super hero piece as well that was well handled. The story also had at least one layer of story in each story thread that kept me interested through out the read in discovering what I would learn about the main characters as the story kept unfolding. The book did lack some depth of characterizations
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Feb 20, 2012
Matt
rated it:
Superheroes, noir-ish detectives, robots, blimps, alternate realities, 1920s New York, doppelgangers -- boy, I wanted to like this one.
But the problems outweigh the pros. Maybe it's because Christopher tried to cram in so many of those story elements we both love. "Empire State" is bursting at the seams with gee-whiz ideas, but few of them are fully realized. The plot twists come fast and furious, but often serve to confuse rather than excite or illuminate. **spoiler alert* More...
But the problems outweigh the pros. Maybe it's because Christopher tried to cram in so many of those story elements we both love. "Empire State" is bursting at the seams with gee-whiz ideas, but few of them are fully realized. The plot twists come fast and furious, but often serve to confuse rather than excite or illuminate. **spoiler alert* More...
Jan 28, 2012
Lisa
rated it:
(3.5 stars)
(originally reviewed on starmetal oak book blog)
Empire State is not really like anything I’ve read before and I mean that in a good way. It combines so much awesomeness into one package. The story is this: two super heroes fighting in their high tech armor create a hole in reality and subsequently another reality. Our protagonist is Rad Bradley, a fedora-wearing private investigator who takes the job of finding a missing young woman. He drinks lots of illegal More...
(originally reviewed on starmetal oak book blog)
Empire State is not really like anything I’ve read before and I mean that in a good way. It combines so much awesomeness into one package. The story is this: two super heroes fighting in their high tech armor create a hole in reality and subsequently another reality. Our protagonist is Rad Bradley, a fedora-wearing private investigator who takes the job of finding a missing young woman. He drinks lots of illegal More...
Jan 15, 2012
Jared
rated it:
I had been looking forward to this book for awhile. Yikes. Laborious writing badly in need of an editor and characters so wooden and stock it was painful. The basic premise was interesting but was sadly squandered by a convoluted nonplot that depended on characters acting in ways no human-like creature would.
If you're looking for a noir/steam punk/superhero combo check out Ghosts of Manhatten. Though it too is flawed, it at least has momentum and action unlike this poor book.
If you're looking for a noir/steam punk/superhero combo check out Ghosts of Manhatten. Though it too is flawed, it at least has momentum and action unlike this poor book.
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Sep 30, 2011
This concept sounds really interesting ;The novel is published internationally in January 2012 by Angry Robot, and they (the publishers) are inviting you to create your own works based in the world of Empire State. Whether you’re a writer, artist, musician, sculptor, puppeteer, interpretive dance major, or poet, we’d love for you to come and create. We’re calling this WorldBuilder, and you can find out more by clicking
http://empirestate.cc/about-empire-state...
http://empirestate.cc/about-empire-state...
