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Roo'd
Roo'd is geek-addled cyberpunk fiction at its finest, about a teenage boy with two prosthetic legs and a band of misfit body-modders, shamanistic computer hackers, and pharmaceutically psychotic bioscientists. But it's also an exploration of someone coming to grips with what they truly love to do - and what it means to do it in a confusing world of shades of gray.
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First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 21, 2011
Review originally posted here: http://andyparkes.co.uk/blog/index.ph...
After the previous book I’d read I was pleased to say I really enjoyed this one! This was despite reading the description and being a little bit wary.
The story is set in a near future where body modification is the norm and having your jawline reshaped is a common as having your ears pierced!
The main character is Fed, whose defining physical characteristic is that he has prosthetic legs – despite living in a world where getting a new set of legs would be trivial.
Fed is a bit of a loner, highly intelligent and a near genius with computers. His life is at a bit of a crossroads when he meets up with his estranged brother who convinces him to get involved in a what sounds like an impossible “get rich” scheme. Fed agrees to get involved and drops out of school which is where the fun starts.
Fed’s skill with computers a key part of the plan so this part of the plot was huge of interest to me.
The story is very much about how Fed grows as a person and tries to figure out who he is as he comes across a wide variety of weird and wonderful characters and they soon realise they are way in over their head.
What I really loved about this book was the imagery it created of the world it was set it. I honestly think it would make an amazing film!
The title of the book sounds a bit random but once you realise what the phrase Roo’d means it makes perfect sense.
It all gets a little bit crazy towards the end but it doesn’t take anything away from home much I enjoyed this.
As with a lot of the books I’ve read so far this year it’s available on a creative commons license so grab it and check it out!
After the previous book I’d read I was pleased to say I really enjoyed this one! This was despite reading the description and being a little bit wary.
The story is set in a near future where body modification is the norm and having your jawline reshaped is a common as having your ears pierced!
The main character is Fed, whose defining physical characteristic is that he has prosthetic legs – despite living in a world where getting a new set of legs would be trivial.
Fed is a bit of a loner, highly intelligent and a near genius with computers. His life is at a bit of a crossroads when he meets up with his estranged brother who convinces him to get involved in a what sounds like an impossible “get rich” scheme. Fed agrees to get involved and drops out of school which is where the fun starts.
Fed’s skill with computers a key part of the plan so this part of the plot was huge of interest to me.
The story is very much about how Fed grows as a person and tries to figure out who he is as he comes across a wide variety of weird and wonderful characters and they soon realise they are way in over their head.
What I really loved about this book was the imagery it created of the world it was set it. I honestly think it would make an amazing film!
The title of the book sounds a bit random but once you realise what the phrase Roo’d means it makes perfect sense.
It all gets a little bit crazy towards the end but it doesn’t take anything away from home much I enjoyed this.
As with a lot of the books I’ve read so far this year it’s available on a creative commons license so grab it and check it out!
November 4, 2008
futuristically extreme body modders create a seti-at-home like virus to harness the computing power behind the great fire-wall of china for the purpose of developing an intelligence enhancing cancer for sale to highest bidder.
it's also freeware online here
http://creativecommons.org/weblog/ent...
it's also freeware online here
http://creativecommons.org/weblog/ent...
January 18, 2024
I read this book around 15 years ago, a few months after it was released. I rediscovered it a few years ago and own it in paperback now. Definitely a great read!
High-tech settings, radical bio-modding ideas, intense suspenseful action, this book was such a delight to read. Klein really takes you into Fede's world!
High-tech settings, radical bio-modding ideas, intense suspenseful action, this book was such a delight to read. Klein really takes you into Fede's world!
September 30, 2011
Roo'd is one of my favorite Creative Commons books. I found it on the Feedbooks store, and read it on my phone. The book has a fast paced plot, with a few very interesting characters. The book tends to smooth the plot, and doesn't provide a lot of background, but that doesn't detract from the book. The main characters work together to achieve a goal that involves the book's main theme, which is body modification. The supporting characters were the best part of the book, their personalities and stories could have each had their own book. Roo'd is definitely on my top list of sci-fi and cyberpunk books.
September 28, 2010
A magnificent effort. Roo'd is a more entertaining read in the cyberpunk genre than many of the works of William Gibson. The book isn't flawless, though. It suffers some from uneven editing and a few distracting cases of missing punctuation. Still, for fans of Gibson or Stephenson I'd say this is a must-read.
July 16, 2012
I read a free PDF version of the book, which contained an annoying amount of typos and editing errors, which hopefully are not in other versions. The story is fairly serviceable, though is mashed through a standard collection of cyberpunk tropes and cliches. A chore to get through, hampered by a silly heel-turn at the end.
Read
October 22, 2008Starts as an impressive battery of exciting and tenable speculations about the future generously padding a simple story line, and ends as a big messy katamari of plot twists and snags blatantly unrealistic in complexity and scale.
May 9, 2012
I thought this was a fun book, so tempted to give it more stars. But I found (a) the sudden mad skills (on- and off-line) of the protagonist, and (b) the unexamined willingness of the "good guys" to "do whatever it takes" to dampen my enthusiasm.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2008
great story of a plausible future! good read, for sure.
November 23, 2018
LOVE THIS BOOK! Must-have for any technophiles out there with an interest in biology, this book is one of my all-time favorites!
August 31, 2012
Very cool, especially the stuff taking the pee out of Disney
September 17, 2012
Good, moved along well and kept my attention--that is, I wasn't constantly switching between this and another book or two. Nothing terribly special, in my opinion, but worth a read.
Read
November 17, 2012loved it
December 1, 2012
This review has been removed due to Amazon's purchase of Goodreads.
March 12, 2013
Entertaining, fast paced, some solid story hooks, and FREE! I look forward to more from this author. I'd place him somewhere between Doctorow and Gibson
April 8, 2013
The end was a bit too abrupt, therefore minus one star, but otherwise this book was amazing, as if someone looked into my head to see what book I'd like, and just wrote it.
August 25, 2013
This is a crazy, violent, fun ride. Vaguely distopian future full of body modification, drugs, hacking, etc. Insane but enjoyable story.
March 7, 2014
Fun cyber/biopunk book. Recommended.
May 20, 2015
One of the best Transhumanist / Futurist / sci-fi books I've ever read !!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews