EDGE by Thomas Blackthorne (aka John Meaney)
Review by Bowden P. (Trey)
Edge is about Josh Cumberland – former special forces operator with Britain’s Ghost Force (an elite electronic warfare and cyber war unit) who’s life is in a tailspin. When we meet him, he’s driving with his wife after an argument over their permanently brain damaged daughter Sophie, when he sees someone driving recklessly and this is all the excuse he needs to pursue and cut off the driver then challenge him to a knife duel.
Yes, folks, this isn’t your typical near future SF novel. In it, Britain has instituted legal dueling, building on instead of suppressing knife culture. Knives are everywhere, and the best fighters (or at least lucky and publicized) idolized in reality TV show featuring close quarters and duels. Wearing a knife marks you as one of the privileged, and can challenge others to a duel – or they have to pay a fine. It still has nearly universal surveillance, but its an open question of how useful it is – especially in trying to find one young runaway, which leads us the plot of the book and our other characters.
Richard Broomhall, the son of a very, very wealthy man, has run away after his first psychotherapy session to treat his severe hoplophobia. And Broomhall, Sr. has hired Josh to find Richard. Along the way, Josh works with Suzanne Duchesne, the boy’s therapist. The simple finding of a runaway leads to Josh working his network of contacts, some legwork and hacking of many different computer systems and on into a higher plateau of political maneuvering and very high stakes.
Suzanne Duchesne is interesting and seems to have skills that come from marrying neurolinguistic programming, to extensive use of functional MRI scanners and a maturing field of neuropsychology. And while I won’t rule out the plausibility of her skills, I’m not so sure about the possibility of them – they’re all but magic wrapped up in neuropsychological justification.
Richard Broomhall is our other viewpoint character and gives a worm’s eye view of this near future Britain. He’s a good kid – smart, pushed around by his father and others. Along the way he changes, and for the better.
Now, how was it? Not bad. It put me in mind of Halting State by Charles Stross, and This Is Not a Game byWalter Jon Williams, with touches of Vinge’s Rainbows End. It also put me in mind of men’s adventure books, but is better thought out has more interesting characters. I liked it for Cumberland, and the intriguing possibility of Duchesne and her skills. I also liked it for the technological ideas Meaney plays with: gecko tech, what near ubiquitous computing can mean, the idea of military smart phones and advanced neuropsychology. It also has some interesting world building with a tripartite US (West Coast, Northeast and Flyover Country) reminding me of Morgan’s Black Man/Thirteen and the idea of flash whirlwinds – think tornadoes with no warning.
Did I like it? Yes. Enough to give it three and a half stars, write a review to tell people about it and go buy the sequel, Point.
Likes: Novel concept – knife dueling in twenty first century Britain; Cumberland; The idea behind Duchesne’s skills and what can be done with them; The concept of virapharming; Geckotech and what its used for; Giving readers information without data dumps.
Dislikes: Duchesne needs more background desperately – something that gave her a reason to hone her skills; Almost stereotypcial bunch of high tech squatters/geckorunners; What happens to the US at the end of the book; Nothing about 3-D printing or drones spreading beyond the military.
Suggested for: Fans of This is Not A Game by Walter Jon Williams, Halting State and Rule 34 by Charles Stross and Daemon by Daniel Suarez.
hmm I might have to read this one… looks interesting.. I lie sci fi… IM reading a wonderful sic fi now.. on book 2.. a series by kay kenyon.. one of the best series I have read period..and i hear they just keep getting better..
OK-OK!! I’ll put it on my wish list. (since I liked all those other books you mentioned)