Gorgon Child

Aubrey Knight #2

by Steven Barnes

A virtual superman, a streetfighter trained by the Mob, Knight turns his awesome powers on those who created him. Fighting alongside his beautiful mate, he takes on a corrupt television evangelist who schemes to enslave America. The action-packed, near-future adventure sequel to Streetlethal.

Genres: Science Fiction, Cyberpunk, Fiction, Speculative Fiction

345 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 15, 1989

About the author

Steven Barnes (born March 1, 1952, Los Angeles, California) is an African American science fiction writer, lecturer, creative consultant, and human performance technician. He has written several episodes of The Outer Limits and Baywatch, as well as the Stargate SG-1 episode "Brief Candle" and the Andromeda episode "The Sum of its Parts". Barnes' first published piece of fiction, the novelette The Locusts (1979), written with Larry Niven, and was a Hugo Award nominee.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sequel to STREETLETHAL offers deeper insight into the world of Aubry and Promise, and more closely examines the themes of social engineering, parenting, and civil responsibility.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is easily in my top 20 books of all time. It was the first book I read in the Aubrey Knight Series (though I'm not sure I would recommend starting here) and it's still my favorite. Barnes holds an amazing pace with this book. It's full of hard-hitting action and believable Science Fiction. Gorgon Child is quite possibly the first Action / Sci-fi I ever read with a black man as the hero and I'll admit that may have factored into my love of the character I could relate so well to. But that wasn't the only trick up the author's sleeve. The interesting plot device to question what is love, questions of same-sex societies, amazing martial arts, and stark imagery all contribute to one of the best worlds I've ever seen created. Sadly while it was good to see the Aubrey and company in Streetlethal and Firedance they just don't seem to come close to the promise shown in Gorgon Child.

[Unicorn-san]

Randomly read to due a book report in High School. The teacher would read our books to make sure we made a proper report. I now laugh that she had trouble reading this odd book and surprised that I understood it. I think it was the gay culture part that bothered her.

[Leonel Rojas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing on so many levels

Nobody writes action scenes better than Steven Barnes, and there is plenty of martial arts action and fast paced storytelling but the emotional component can't be overlooked. Barnes has a deep understanding of how past trauma effects a person's ability to relate to others. You can feel the internal struggle in the protagonist Aubry Knight and you genuinely care and want him to become whole. I can't recommend this book enough. One of the best stories I've ever read.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The follow-up to Streetlethal delivers. Delivers action, character growth, expanded worldbuilding. And it's choice of villain is eerily prophetic - a rich christofascist businessman running for president, promising to make the country great again, targeting the queer community.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much like the last Aubrey Knight book, this one feels a bit all over the place. Barnes does do a masterful job of taking it up a notch during climax. And oh how I'd like to stop reading dystopias with an authoritarian presidential candidate who uses "make our country great again" as a motto.

[Charl]

I forgot how uncomfortable the "forced love" drug made me. Quitting and marking the 3rd one "pass".

[Miles Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aubrey is so dope, glad I stumbled upon this at the book store. Believable Sci/fi, crazy action and good story arcs. Easy 5/5 and the cover is hard

[Eric Shivak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Returning to the world I loved so much as a young adult I found myself once more entranced by the world setting and characters created by Mr. Barnes. I found myself reading with two sets of eyes. The relatively inexperienced and wide eyed youth and my current more critical and judgmental self.

I can honestly say that the story and characters hold up well. The extrapolations about technology, including about battery powered cars were quite sweet. Though we still don't have any flying cars dammit! The inter-connectivity of the world through cell phones and internet were all there as well the use of media to influence politics and every day life.

Aubry and Promise are back in my life and I can only thank Steven for making the series available in an electronic format.

[LaWana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book before, years ago. It is part of a series about Aubry Knight. I think the first two are called Street Lethal and Firedance. It is set in the future with crimelords, mercs, scavengers and NewMen. It deals with a drive for world domination as well as homophobia, selfishness, greed, love, lust, fear and faith. Lots of manipulation going on with hints at the truth disbursed intermittently throughout.

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2657954.html

Sequel to Streetlethal, which I read earlier this year. I liked it better - a bit more variety of scene and tone, while still restricted to a dystopian future California and points north; we explore genetic mutation and single-sex societies. It still didn't grab me particularly hard, and I don't think I shall seek out the third of the trilogy.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second in the Aubrey Knight books, including cameos by Double-Y Chromosome super-males who live in a strictly-homosexual shock trooper cramp, a genetic experiment gone wrong adopted by an ex prostitute and a murderous martial artist, and some mushrooms that get everyone addicted to them. Pretty amusing.

[Mish Mosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

looved thisn whole series been a while since I read them think this was the last one

[Shannon Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the drug use in this book just too much to bear reading through. I finished it but couldnt recomend it really.

[Samantha Françoise Dark Regions Press Proofreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this literary piece and had the pleasure of working on it with Crossroads Press. A must read! Another good addition is "Firedance".