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A Cyberpunk Saga #4
Mind Hack
They stole Carcer’s technology but to use it, Moss will need to get the team back together.
When he discovers one of his friends has gone missing, he enlists the help of a young hacker and his android companion. They end up right in the middle of a gang dispute before realizing there are bigger forces at play.
Moss also fears that the computer program in his brain has become corrupted and to defeat a new foe, he will have to discover a new power within himself.
Can Moss keep his enemies from hacking his mind before taking the fight to them?
Find out in Mind A Cyberpunk Saga (Book 4)!
When he discovers one of his friends has gone missing, he enlists the help of a young hacker and his android companion. They end up right in the middle of a gang dispute before realizing there are bigger forces at play.
Moss also fears that the computer program in his brain has become corrupted and to defeat a new foe, he will have to discover a new power within himself.
Can Moss keep his enemies from hacking his mind before taking the fight to them?
Find out in Mind A Cyberpunk Saga (Book 4)!
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 13, 2021
28 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Matthew A. Goodwin
33 books59 followersMatthew A. Goodwin has been writing about spaceships, dragons and adventures since he was twelve years old. His passion for fantasy began when he discovered a box set of the Hobbit radio drama on cassette tape in his school’s library at the age of seven. He fell in love with fantasy worlds and soon discovered D&D and Warhammer miniatures.
Not wanting to be limited by worlds designed by others, he created Thutopia (now called the Thuton Empire), a fantasy world of his own which he still writes about to this day.
Like many kids with an affinity for fantasy, a love of science fiction soon followed. He loved sweeping space operas and gritty cyberpunk stories which asked questions about man’s relationship to technology. That led him to write his first published work, Into Neon: A Cyberpunk Saga, which takes place in a larger science fiction universe.
He has a passion for travel and wildlife and when he is not off trying to see the world, he lives in San Francisco with his wife and son.
Not wanting to be limited by worlds designed by others, he created Thutopia (now called the Thuton Empire), a fantasy world of his own which he still writes about to this day.
Like many kids with an affinity for fantasy, a love of science fiction soon followed. He loved sweeping space operas and gritty cyberpunk stories which asked questions about man’s relationship to technology. That led him to write his first published work, Into Neon: A Cyberpunk Saga, which takes place in a larger science fiction universe.
He has a passion for travel and wildlife and when he is not off trying to see the world, he lives in San Francisco with his wife and son.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 27, 2021
Fourth in Matthew A Goodwin's Cyberpunk Saga is "Mind Hack," a 2021 publication. With "Mind Hack," Goodwin brings yet another sterling outing to his excellent series.
After a daring mission to steal important Carcer technology (as relayed in the previous book, "Digital Walls" - which you should most definitely read!), Moss and company must track down one of their friends in order to utilize this newly acquired tech. Meanwhile, Moss continues to explore the program in his mind and fend off nefarious digital attackers intent on conquering his mind.
"Mind Hack" is a lean, mean, thriller king of novel. This entry is a little shorter than the others, but contains some of the best content of the series. As always, the plot moves quickly, without the ponderous lethargy often present in the genre. At this point in the series, the reader already has a good grasp of the setting, which leaves the author free to focus on moving the plot along, which he surely does. I was happy to see the rain soaked urban sprawl of BA City as the setting once again for this novel. Although a cyberpunk staple, this kind of setting is still my favorite and will make any fan of the genre feel right at home. The tower scene at the end of the book was sci-fi action gold, and is my favorite sequence thus far in the series. The digital setting of Moss' mind is also compelling and incredibly well-rendered; it is a boon to the book.
Each book in the series contains better and better quality of writing. Author Goodwin is developing a sure and original voice, and "Mind Hack" exemplifies this amelioration on every page. The writing flows very well and is brimming with great description and the best dialogue of any of the books thus far. Characterization is also shaping up nicely. "Mind Hack" makes some important strides in the relationship between Moss and Issy, which was allowed to languish a bit in previous books. The relationship between Moss and his grandmother is strained ever more, as Moss wrestles with her murky sense of ethics. The character of Judy is also explored in more detail, and continues to be developed. New characters Zip and Belle are a nice addition to the crew, and I do hope they stick around. I also enjoyed seeing some behind-the-scenes wrangling amongst the corporate baddies. While there wasn't much from the perspective of the villains, the little that was there helped give some nuance to the sometimes one dimensional antagonistic corporations.
"Mind Hack," like the other books in the series, really shines in the arena of ideas. Cyberpunk needs to have compelling ideas of the future, and this novel brings those ideas in spades. "Mind Hack" explores concepts of what it means to be human, virtual/augmented reality, corporate control, whether the ends justify the means, and more. The idea that the real and the virtual can become intermingled, and lines between the two can start to blur is a provocative idea that continues to be developed in this book. You only have to look at today's headlines to see that the ideas from "Mind Hack" are not at all far-fetched, and are not far off on the horizon. The book seems astutely prophetic in what it brings to the table, and it's this weighty substance that really propels it from "good" to "great."
All this to say, "read the book already!" If you've enjoyed the other books in the series, "Mind Hack" is sure to please. Matthew A Goodwin continues to wow and I can't wait to devour the next outing.
After a daring mission to steal important Carcer technology (as relayed in the previous book, "Digital Walls" - which you should most definitely read!), Moss and company must track down one of their friends in order to utilize this newly acquired tech. Meanwhile, Moss continues to explore the program in his mind and fend off nefarious digital attackers intent on conquering his mind.
"Mind Hack" is a lean, mean, thriller king of novel. This entry is a little shorter than the others, but contains some of the best content of the series. As always, the plot moves quickly, without the ponderous lethargy often present in the genre. At this point in the series, the reader already has a good grasp of the setting, which leaves the author free to focus on moving the plot along, which he surely does. I was happy to see the rain soaked urban sprawl of BA City as the setting once again for this novel. Although a cyberpunk staple, this kind of setting is still my favorite and will make any fan of the genre feel right at home. The tower scene at the end of the book was sci-fi action gold, and is my favorite sequence thus far in the series. The digital setting of Moss' mind is also compelling and incredibly well-rendered; it is a boon to the book.
Each book in the series contains better and better quality of writing. Author Goodwin is developing a sure and original voice, and "Mind Hack" exemplifies this amelioration on every page. The writing flows very well and is brimming with great description and the best dialogue of any of the books thus far. Characterization is also shaping up nicely. "Mind Hack" makes some important strides in the relationship between Moss and Issy, which was allowed to languish a bit in previous books. The relationship between Moss and his grandmother is strained ever more, as Moss wrestles with her murky sense of ethics. The character of Judy is also explored in more detail, and continues to be developed. New characters Zip and Belle are a nice addition to the crew, and I do hope they stick around. I also enjoyed seeing some behind-the-scenes wrangling amongst the corporate baddies. While there wasn't much from the perspective of the villains, the little that was there helped give some nuance to the sometimes one dimensional antagonistic corporations.
"Mind Hack," like the other books in the series, really shines in the arena of ideas. Cyberpunk needs to have compelling ideas of the future, and this novel brings those ideas in spades. "Mind Hack" explores concepts of what it means to be human, virtual/augmented reality, corporate control, whether the ends justify the means, and more. The idea that the real and the virtual can become intermingled, and lines between the two can start to blur is a provocative idea that continues to be developed in this book. You only have to look at today's headlines to see that the ideas from "Mind Hack" are not at all far-fetched, and are not far off on the horizon. The book seems astutely prophetic in what it brings to the table, and it's this weighty substance that really propels it from "good" to "great."
All this to say, "read the book already!" If you've enjoyed the other books in the series, "Mind Hack" is sure to please. Matthew A Goodwin continues to wow and I can't wait to devour the next outing.
June 14, 2021
Another book well done! It’s not your usual action packed book but I respect that the author took a step back from introducing more worlds and characters and focused on the original crew and extended the plot of trying to understand this crazy program Moss has in his head. I also want to say thank you for throwing in that little recap near the middle of the book to solidify that I did remember the trail of events properly. Also how can you hate a book with patchwork in it!? All I know is that I can’t wait to see where the author goes with the plot line in his other books! I’m going to be a little heartbroken when this series ends.
January 3, 2024
Rating: 3 Stars
This is the fourth book in the Cyberpunk saga. The previous three books had a YA tone to them and were also simplistic, but they were fun to read. The fourth book seemed to be a filler book and I found it to be a slow read. I find this to be typical when it appears that a series that goes past the initial trilogy has a slow fourth book. There is some character development in this book, but some of it felt forced.
This is the fourth book in the Cyberpunk saga. The previous three books had a YA tone to them and were also simplistic, but they were fun to read. The fourth book seemed to be a filler book and I found it to be a slow read. I find this to be typical when it appears that a series that goes past the initial trilogy has a slow fourth book. There is some character development in this book, but some of it felt forced.
September 21, 2021
So much better than Digital Walls and Deadly In Pink. I really hope this series is back on track with all the things I liked in the first two books. Sandra is finally a much more believable character. Issy is pure joy :) Also, all the action and dialogues are pretty solid again. Good work.
October 27, 2024
This book was good, and I guess there should always be a book where everything is calm. I just had a hard time connecting with Moss in this one and hopefully the next one will be better. Granted, I liked this one, but not as much as Corroded Cells which so far is my favourite.
July 4, 2021
Great read
Interesting development of characters. Good build up to what send to be a great battle of david vs Goliath standards. Great action.
Interesting development of characters. Good build up to what send to be a great battle of david vs Goliath standards. Great action.
September 21, 2021
Cyberpunk that combines time-tested nostaglia with the spirit of the new generations. The writing is unpretentious and straightforward and consistent plot wise with the series. Nice work!
November 24, 2021
Good read
This one was definitely one of the best in the series. A lot of inspiration from past cyberpunk movies and stories but still worth the read.
This one was definitely one of the best in the series. A lot of inspiration from past cyberpunk movies and stories but still worth the read.
December 24, 2023
Overall, an enjoyable book, but starting to feel like a formula. I really enjoy the world. It's a great treatment of cyberpunk.
December 2, 2024
This one was meh, loved the first three I hope the rest are similar to the first ones
April 14, 2025
What happens in this book is — after a few sidequests they take a device up a tower and make a call. And kill a guy passionate about comm towers orphaning his kid…
October 14, 2025
A nice little in betweener. Fun character building stuff, but not a whole lot to really push the story. I'd give it 3.5, so I'll round up to 4.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews