Market Forces
by Richard K. Morgan
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 346)
Morgan seems to reach a little far into the scope of his universe in this prequel of his Takeshi Kovacs character's universe. Market Forces takes us back to the middle of this century, in a world where anything goes to get where you want. Ruthless corporate strategists toast to the small wars that line their pockets, as financing conflict investment for global skirmishes becomes the next Wall Street.
I appreciate Morgan's style and gift with description, but I feel that he lost something wit...more
I appreciate Morgan's style and gift with description, but I feel that he lost something wit...more
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Read in March, 2007
Set in the near future in London, gasoline prices have skyrocketed, fueling an enormous split between the haves and have nots. The middle class and lower are cordoned off into "Zones" while upper middle class and higher have it better. Big money is made by investing in wars, and our main character is working his way up in the hierarchy of an investment company. One of the ways to work one's way up is to have a road battle with someone whose position you want - it sounds silly, but it a...more
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Read in July, 2008
I enjoyed Morgan's Takeshi Kovacs series so I was looking forward to reading this. Although it was an interesting concept, it never quite clicked with me. Perhaps because I hope the vision of the future in the mid 21st century isn't nearly so violent or bleak.
Though I found the premise a little hard to swallow, it was an interesting projection of what happens when economics is untempered by morality. The book's main character (I hesitate to call him a protagonist) is at times sympathetic but...more
Though I found the premise a little hard to swallow, it was an interesting projection of what happens when economics is untempered by morality. The book's main character (I hesitate to call him a protagonist) is at times sympathetic but...more
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Read in November, 2007
In the beginning of the book, the author notes that this was originally written as a screenplay, inspired by movies like Rollerball and Mad Max. Consequently, the book reads like a movie (giving it a Dan Brown feel). It was interesting to explore the futuristic world that Richard K. Morgan created for his characters, but there were some definite flaws in the concept. The characters were interesting and Richard always does a good job of giving them depth through background, human flaws and red...more
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Read in February, 2006
This novel is a departure from Morgan's Takeshi Kovacs universe that I've so enjoyed in the past, but it was a great read. Took me a bit to 'get into it' as I tried to figure out what this new world's rules are, but once I'd settled in, I found the ride interesting and compelling.
Morgan finds a nice balance of trend-extrapolation and mayhem. I found the novel's anti-hero to be complicated and layered. Sometimes I identified with him, sometimes I hated him, most times both simultaneously.
...more
Morgan finds a nice balance of trend-extrapolation and mayhem. I found the novel's anti-hero to be complicated and layered. Sometimes I identified with him, sometimes I hated him, most times both simultaneously.
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Read in May, 2008
This is my new favorite of Richard K Morgan's books. While it's set far enough into the future for the world to be notably different, it's not so far as to be outside the realm of reality. Well, my reality anyway!
Two things make this book - really exciting action, and really painfully believable human interaction. The main character, Chris Faulkner, becomes less and less likable as he becomes more and more sympathetic in his world of violence and exploitation of the underclass in order to fo...more
Two things make this book - really exciting action, and really painfully believable human interaction. The main character, Chris Faulkner, becomes less and less likable as he becomes more and more sympathetic in his world of violence and exploitation of the underclass in order to fo...more
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Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
David Lindsley
So good so far. I picked this up because I've read all of the Gibson books and wanted to read more cyberpunk type novels. Lots of violence so far but as I read deeper into the book it makes sense.
Just finished it a day ago and have to say that it was a fun fast ride all the way to the last pages. The novel's desolation, extreme road rage violence, and power exerted by the globalized super corporations are food for thought when thinking about the future.
I can't say it was the best written...more
Just finished it a day ago and have to say that it was a fun fast ride all the way to the last pages. The novel's desolation, extreme road rage violence, and power exerted by the globalized super corporations are food for thought when thinking about the future.
I can't say it was the best written...more
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Read in April, 2008
Morgan is honest that this is an expanded short story, which kind of shows in the somewhat clunky beginning. Force yourself past that, though, and be dragged into a terrifying story of capitalism gone rampant (in the UK) in which corporations invest in ``small wars'' across the globe and executives achieve promotion through road rage duels. We have ring-side seats as Chris and Carla's relationship (possibly doomed from the start) deteriorates at a frightening speed. The book reminded me of Su...more
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Read in February, 2005
recommends it for:
Fans of RoboCop
Before he wrote Altered Carbon, Morgan wrote the screenplay that became Market Forces. It's more snide, a little tongue in cheek, rather reminiscent in tone of RoboCop. It is a problematic book for me because there are *no* sympathetic characters in it. It's a hard trick to make the reader care about characters they don't like, and this book just doesn't quite succeed in doing that.
It's not a wretched book. I've read wretched books, and this isn't one. But it's disappointing when you're used t...more
It's not a wretched book. I've read wretched books, and this isn't one. But it's disappointing when you're used t...more
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Read in November, 2006
Violent action-packed story about what could happen if conflict intervention were privatized in a future world where resources and quality have life become enormously constrained. Sort of like "Mad Max" amongst corporate executives who are doing "conflict investment", that is, we'll fund your little government overthrow if you commit to give us, say, 5% of GDP for the next 10 years. The anti-hero main character is a conflicted guy who goes through some changes, and it doesn...more
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Read in March, 2008
If possible I would have gave this 2 1/2 stars. I liked it, but not that much. The setting was creative, the idea of a large economic class divide and dominance of financial corporations may not be that far from a real near-future. I did have a hard time with the executive gladiators who fought with cars in sanctioned battles. It seemed a little too contrived.
My main disappointment in the book was the ending. It seemed rushed, but mainly I just didn't like how Chris, the main character,...more
My main disappointment in the book was the ending. It seemed rushed, but mainly I just didn't like how Chris, the main character,...more
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Read in July, 2007
While it's easy to tell that this was Morgan's first book with the simplistic style and the sometimes jagged plot leaps, but he does weave together a very compelling future where governments are moved like chess pieces to the whims of the corporations that fund their endless coups and civil wars- regardless of the cost in human life. While the story itself is not as compelling as the ideas set forth, this still stands as a rather decent work of science fiction.
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Read in April, 2008
I've had a smashing time reading Morgan's books, especially the Takeshi Kovacs novels, but this was a total bust. It would have made a tolerable short story, and I believe it started life that way. The length dillutes what should be a pleasant nasty snap at the end into a character confounding bummer. Plus, it's secretly Wall Street with Road Warrior, which would be funny in a short story, but just gets silly with time to think.
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Read in February, 2008
Weird dystopian future. Not part of his Altered Carbon noir books. It is a focused character study on one man in a violent future where business deals are decided through auto duels. His internal desire to be "good" is corrupted by the world around him. Strangly, I could see the world going this way. . .
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
fans of the game Car Wars.
I want to describe this of a novelization of the game Car Wars written by a Wall Street broker. It was a neat concept, and a fun read. Morgan's sex scenes have taken a step back from the corny level of the Tak Kovacs books, which is a plus, but I think I could still do without them.
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
everybody
Brilliant fantasy...err....sci-fi...err....fiction...anyway...
Ayn Rand lovin' Alan "forced to do damage control on his book tour" Greenspan meets Mad Max? Read it. And it should be a god damn movie already. Thanks to Chris for loaning it to me. Bless his soul.
Ayn Rand lovin' Alan "forced to do damage control on his book tour" Greenspan meets Mad Max? Read it. And it should be a god damn movie already. Thanks to Chris for loaning it to me. Bless his soul.
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Disturbing, and I didn't enjoy all of it while I was listening to it, but I liked it quite a lot by the end. I read a lot of books that I can remember only a little about by six months later, but this one is unforgettable several years later.
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Read in October, 2007
Although I enjoyed this book, I have to say it doesn't hold a candle to Morgan's Takeshi Kovacs books. It was a good read, but at the end of the day, all the characters were pretty unlikable. Definitely not my favorite of Morgan's novels.
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Mad Max meets the corporate world as you drive and kill for your firm’s success. Bizarre – over the top- and a fun read. Morgan does lurid violence very well.
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Morgan's best, and scariest. "This is the face of the brand new Britain/blinkers on their eyes" indeed.
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