Tom's life is not what it once was. His marriage to the beautiful Nora is on the rocks and he now sees his two young children only on her say-so. H...
read full description
reviews
Feb 09, 2012
Steve
rated it: 
Sometimes, no matter how much I like an author, their latest book ends up being a disappointment. NEUROPATH, by R. Scott Bakker, fit that description for me. I love Bakker’s Prince of Nothing series, and I firmly believe his writing--in terms of quality--is some of the best in the fantasy genre. With NEUROPATH, Bakker attempts to put his spin on the thriller genre.
I really wanted to like this book. Seriously, I tried hard. It just didn't happen.
NEUROPATH follows the Po More...
I really wanted to like this book. Seriously, I tried hard. It just didn't happen.
NEUROPATH follows the Po More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
May 12, 2011
Paul
rated it: 
This review is pointless; it is deceptive, illusory and filled with meaningless rationalizations. Yet I’ve become conscious to the fact that I am writing it. Or I believe at least that writing it is an act of my own volition. Now that I’ve lost my entire audience with my incoherent ramblings, I can assure you that I haven’t descended into philosophical lunacy or decided to embrace my inner nihilist. (I’m all for spanking one’s inner nihilist, by the way.) Instead, I find myself slowly coming to
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jul 12, 2008
Robert
rated it: 
As far as psycho thrillers go, I feel like I grew out of the genre years ago, but I picked this up because I had faith that Bakker would deliver something worthwhile. After all, this is the man who gave me the "The Prince of Nothing" trilogy.
While "Neuropath" isn't near as compelling and awe-inspiring as those three books, it's certainly well-written and throughly thought provoking. A lot of it follows typical, well-worn patterns in the genre -- a little "Si More...
While "Neuropath" isn't near as compelling and awe-inspiring as those three books, it's certainly well-written and throughly thought provoking. A lot of it follows typical, well-worn patterns in the genre -- a little "Si More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jul 28, 2011
Daniel
rated it:
My pre-ordering and reading "Neuropath" was a result of my following the hype behind it on a few book blogs and deciding to jump on early. Ever since I worked at a used bookstore (back in high school: it was my dream job at the time), I've tried to keep up with new books and new authors. Book blogs such as Fantasy Book Critic are, of course, great for this kind of thing, and once I started reading them I was hooked. It was only a matter of time before some of the mania that precedes so
More...
9 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Apr 09, 2011
Lorena
rated it: 
I had no idea what to expect with this book, having never heard of the author before. But I picked up a copy at a convention a few weeks ago, and decided to give it a go.
I was hooked pretty much in the first few pages by the multi-faceted characters, and had high hopes for this being a great novel. However. Having an uncle who has, since I was a child, posited almost the same ideas (we are just brains in jars), I can't say that I was as blown away by the main theme of this book as o More...
I was hooked pretty much in the first few pages by the multi-faceted characters, and had high hopes for this being a great novel. However. Having an uncle who has, since I was a child, posited almost the same ideas (we are just brains in jars), I can't say that I was as blown away by the main theme of this book as o More...
Sep 24, 2010
Sean
rated it:
"You're a machine - a machine! - dreaming that you have a soul. None of this is real!"
One of the most bizarre titles in recent memory, I don't know if it's best to think of it as a thriller with disturbing psychological overtones, or a pathologically (and somewhat pornographically) hodgepodge of scary stuff. In the afterword, the author writes "I wanted Neuropath to be a thriller, one that strives to be intellectually as well as viscerally disturbing". Ding, you More...
One of the most bizarre titles in recent memory, I don't know if it's best to think of it as a thriller with disturbing psychological overtones, or a pathologically (and somewhat pornographically) hodgepodge of scary stuff. In the afterword, the author writes "I wanted Neuropath to be a thriller, one that strives to be intellectually as well as viscerally disturbing". Ding, you More...
Apr 14, 2010
Brendan
rated it:
I wanted to like this book, really. And once it gets going, it's an agreeable enough time-waster, but I expected more from the author of the Prince of Nothing trilogy.
Bakker's trilogy is a success because it stretches far, far beyond the bounds of fantasy fiction and touches on identity, belief, self-deception, and much more. You'd think that an examination of those concepts would feel more at home in a near-future story about a psychology professor, but not so.
The scene- More...
Bakker's trilogy is a success because it stretches far, far beyond the bounds of fantasy fiction and touches on identity, belief, self-deception, and much more. You'd think that an examination of those concepts would feel more at home in a near-future story about a psychology professor, but not so.
The scene- More...
Sep 18, 2009
Luther
rated it:
The Semantic Apocalypse... If this book doesn't freak you out I don't know what will. Seriously: reader beware. Go look on the internet, you'll find reviewers who recommend against reading it... not because it's a bad book (I read it compulsively)...but because it cuts the legs out from under our most cherished notions of what it means to be a person. On the surface it's a thriller about a divorced psychologist and a serial killer. And on that level, it's compelling and disturbing. But its "
More...
Jun 28, 2011
Gregor
rated it:
This book was built on the typical serial killer story engine and was suitably fast-paced and exciting. The protagonist made some crazy dumb choices in the book and this wasn't necessary to advance the plot, considering the resourcefulness and brilliance of the bad guys. It seemed that Bakker just didn't want to re-write scenes, instead choosing to try and justify the protagonist's bad choices later in the text. Yes, the book was flawed, but it was still extremely entertaining, and thought-provo
More...
Nov 11, 2009
Mike
rated it:
Dear brain:
I was just nibbling away at my nails, and stopped to wonder why. I suppose, as addictions go, it's unbecoming but minimally destructive. But what the fuck, brain? I am a reasonably smart man of 42, and when I catch some colleague staring at me as I gnaw in public with a nervous, crooked-tooth detachment on my left pinky, and see someone looking disgustedly at me, I get pretty pissed.
Meanwhile, I got all excited today at a movie trailer for "Kick-Ass." More...
I was just nibbling away at my nails, and stopped to wonder why. I suppose, as addictions go, it's unbecoming but minimally destructive. But what the fuck, brain? I am a reasonably smart man of 42, and when I catch some colleague staring at me as I gnaw in public with a nervous, crooked-tooth detachment on my left pinky, and see someone looking disgustedly at me, I get pretty pissed.
Meanwhile, I got all excited today at a movie trailer for "Kick-Ass." More...
29 comments
like
(11 people liked it)
Nov 22, 2009
Lightreads
rated it:
Soundbyte: Read Peter Watts's Blindsight instead.
Psychology professor is drawn into the FBI pursuit of his best friend, the sociopath who tortures through neurosurgery. It's a thriller about the implications of the brain as a physical substrate, how love for one's offspring, friendship, empathy are all physical processes that can be hacked and repurposed. It always surprises me how few people really know these facts, and are disturbed by them, because to me they are both obvious and More...
Psychology professor is drawn into the FBI pursuit of his best friend, the sociopath who tortures through neurosurgery. It's a thriller about the implications of the brain as a physical substrate, how love for one's offspring, friendship, empathy are all physical processes that can be hacked and repurposed. It always surprises me how few people really know these facts, and are disturbed by them, because to me they are both obvious and More...
Jul 11, 2011
JJ
rated it:
I have mixed feelings about Neuromancer.
On the one hand, Bakker is amazing (I've already fallen in love with his Prince of Nothing trilogy); he embellishes on his characters' personalities so that they feel larger than life, but they're still so human, so flawed, and I find myself empathising with the main character, Tom, very early. His love for his children is such a beautiful thing to experience (and it is very much an experience).
The book masquerades as a crime thriller, More...
On the one hand, Bakker is amazing (I've already fallen in love with his Prince of Nothing trilogy); he embellishes on his characters' personalities so that they feel larger than life, but they're still so human, so flawed, and I find myself empathising with the main character, Tom, very early. His love for his children is such a beautiful thing to experience (and it is very much an experience).
The book masquerades as a crime thriller, More...
Jun 23, 2011
David
rated it:
The best of the slasher/horror genre that I've laid hands on in terms of concepts, although structurally it's a bit dry (although that's the norm in this genre, there are definitely works that structurally transcend the norm and this isn't one of them). That said, the last few chapters of this book are like getting punched in the stomach and the brain at the same time while a third hand grabs and squeezes a handful of organs encompassing at least the heart and half a lung), and I mean that in th
More...
Feb 13, 2010
Vicki
rated it:
I think I have to say I really liked it, though not in the conventional sense of enjoying it. First, my husband gave this to me as a gift as he was leaving for an extended vacation. This means lots of lights on at night as it was truly scary. Then I found myself thinking about the discussions and arguments in the book and having to remind myself that I had already had many of those discussions and could let them go.
That said, the book is well written, good plot that carries you along More...
That said, the book is well written, good plot that carries you along More...
Nov 22, 2009
Elaine
rated it:
You will be enthralled with this book or disgusted by it. It is sensational, and I can see where it could be very gripping to some people. It is certainly not just a thriller, as advertised. It is a philosophical discussion of whether or not we are just a bundle of neurocircuitry with brains acting as the controlling station for signals, or whether we trylu have minds and emotions. Much of it reminds me of philosophy, I field I abandoned in sophomore year of college in favor of more data dri
More...
3 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jul 25, 2011
Tonya
rated it:
What can I say about this book that has not been said already?
I found the story to be intriguing and ‘The Argument’ unsettling because it is phrased and articulated so well. I personally have had the same thoughts at times but never taken it to this depth (does that mean my brain is hiding?) before.
The workings of our mind and the differences between our mind and our brain have, of course, been explored for millennia and will continue to be; but I have never seen it wove More...
I found the story to be intriguing and ‘The Argument’ unsettling because it is phrased and articulated so well. I personally have had the same thoughts at times but never taken it to this depth (does that mean my brain is hiding?) before.
The workings of our mind and the differences between our mind and our brain have, of course, been explored for millennia and will continue to be; but I have never seen it wove More...
May 24, 2010
Bondama
rated it:
Sadly, this book, which started out extremely exciting and readable, descends into techno-speak regarding the brain which I have to think would truly only appeal to a brain surgeon. On the other hand, the entire book has sort of "Grand Guinol" fest - shocking and bloody - the ending is VERY unsatisfying, and not because it isn't a "happy" ending -- everyone in the book winds up damaged in one way or another, having their brains re-wired by the ha-ha-ha "mad scientist"
More...
Apr 27, 2010
Carine
rated it:
J'ai beaucoup aimé ce thriller, jusqu'à la page 259. Au milieu de cette page, j'ai complètement décroché. Et j'ai terminé le livre uniquement pour connaître le dénouement, car je voulais quand même savoir ce qui arrivait à Thommy Bible. Décevant? Beaucoup! Et j'ai aussi accordé deux petites étoiles en raison de la traduction française qui laissait parfois à désirer... Je devrais toujours lire un livre dans sa version originale, mais puisque j'emprunte beaucoup de livres à la bibliothèque, je doi
More...
Sep 26, 2011
Another R. Scott Bakker... like his other stuff, this reads like genre fiction plus (stuff), where (stuff) in this case is the idea that the findings of modern neuroscience could possibly cause you to question your fundamental assumptions about life, things like, oh, should I get married and have kids, or is that feeling just a chemical reaction that means nothing and has no absolute truth?
I don't read thrillers, and this is pretty much a thriller on a particular theme. It was an extre More...
I don't read thrillers, and this is pretty much a thriller on a particular theme. It was an extre More...
Oct 15, 2009
Matt
rated it:
From 50 pages in...
So far it seems to be a SF/thriller exploring some of the concepts of "The darkness that comes before" in greater detail. Heavy on the "lectures" but very fascinating subject matter (if the science of consciousness interests you at all)
At the end...
It pretty much continues in the same way it starts - the actual "plot" feels like something bolted on to the author's musings on consciousness.
Fortunat More...
So far it seems to be a SF/thriller exploring some of the concepts of "The darkness that comes before" in greater detail. Heavy on the "lectures" but very fascinating subject matter (if the science of consciousness interests you at all)
At the end...
It pretty much continues in the same way it starts - the actual "plot" feels like something bolted on to the author's musings on consciousness.
Fortunat More...
2 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 15, 2012
I have no idea how to rate this book, so I won't. Part science fiction (extrapolated from solid, current science) and part horror novel. On the upside, it sucked me in and wouldn't let go. The science it's based on is fascinating, and the concepts of the brain vs. the mind and whether we are who we think we are are thought provoking, but the destination is also disturbing. The story does what all good science fiction hopes to do, which is to make one think about where we're going and how we shou
More...
Nov 04, 2011
Chris
rated it:
Much as I love Bakker, I must contend that this is not the most impressive of his works. For the man that gave the darkly philosophical powerhouse that was the "Prince of Nothing" series of fantasy works, I have to say this bit of prose was a touch of a let-down.
That said, what this standalone book does - psycho thriller that it is - was allow Bakker to further debate the concept of humanity, and get deep inside the human psyche. Literally. Probably not for the squeamish - More...
That said, what this standalone book does - psycho thriller that it is - was allow Bakker to further debate the concept of humanity, and get deep inside the human psyche. Literally. Probably not for the squeamish - More...
May 04, 2011
Dan
rated it:
As a pshycho-killer story with plenty of twists this book simply excels, but it also has a lot more going for it. I would recommend it just for its discussions on the implications of the latest real-life discoveries in neurology and psychology; such as pointing out just how flawed, filtered, and biased human perceptions can be, or how mechanical and manipulable our emotional responses are... even without the fictional technology in the book, and what that means for human identity, free will, an
More...
Aug 05, 2011
Stacey
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Sep 01, 2008
Raja
rated it:
Well, that was downright unsettling.
Bakker covers similar philosophical territory as another favourite book of mine (see below), but in a thriller that wears its Big Idea on its sleeve rather than in a more conventional SF framework that builds up to the big epiphany.
Since I was already familiar with what Bakker calls the Argument, there was more exposition about it than I really needed. But even so, the book starts off at a fair clip and, like The Mirrored Heavens, acc More...
Bakker covers similar philosophical territory as another favourite book of mine (see below), but in a thriller that wears its Big Idea on its sleeve rather than in a more conventional SF framework that builds up to the big epiphany.
Since I was already familiar with what Bakker calls the Argument, there was more exposition about it than I really needed. But even so, the book starts off at a fair clip and, like The Mirrored Heavens, acc More...
Dec 03, 2010
Livia
rated it:
As a neuroscientist, I found the science behind the book actually pretty good. He obviously extends it a bit into science fiction, but he did his research. It also has some interesting philosophical discussions. In the end though, the book was just too disturbing for me. It's a very graphic thriller, along the lines of the movies Seven or Saw. If you like that kind of stuff, you might enjoy the book.
Jul 25, 2010
KC
rated it:
I'm not really sure what to say about this book. A lot of the philosophy was interesting, but way over my head. The characters, even the psychotic ones, were engaging, but so much of it was very disturbing. However... the twist at the end was completely unexpected, and I definitely did not see it coming! This book definitely does not have a happy ending, but it will give you a lot of food for thought.
Jun 07, 2011
Karen
rated it:
I would have given it 4 stars if he had fleshed out the ending a bit more, and if this kind of book was more my preference. It was extremely well written, for the most part. The twist was very twisty.
However, I'm always confused when people make such a big deal over the revelation that free will is a myth. Sure it is, but I only have one response.
So what?
However, I'm always confused when people make such a big deal over the revelation that free will is a myth. Sure it is, but I only have one response.
So what?
Sep 09, 2010
Gareth
rated it:
It's another fantastic book from Bakker. It's too gruesome and dark to truly enjoy reading it but man is it fascinating. I'm afraid to google some of the more interesting tidbits just in case I find out they are true.
- update 9/9/2010 -
Arrghhhhh!! I can't recommend this book enough and yet I don't know if I would recommend to anyone. It's that brutal and scary.
Warning this book is disturbing. Not for the feint of heart. I had to put it down aft More...
- update 9/9/2010 -
Arrghhhhh!! I can't recommend this book enough and yet I don't know if I would recommend to anyone. It's that brutal and scary.
Warning this book is disturbing. Not for the feint of heart. I had to put it down aft More...
Apr 18, 2010
Miss Dreadful
rated it:
Professor Tom Bible is drawn into an FBI manhunt for a killer (his college roommate/close friend/secret NSA mind-hacker Neil Cassidy) who tortures his victims via neurosurgery. Half torture-porn, half stoner dorm-room philosophical musing on the nature of free will and the self. Fast pacing and some plot twists kept me reading, but I ended up wanting to like it more than I did.
