What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

The genre is science fiction. I've read it in the late 90's. The book is set some time in the future. The target audience is undoubtedly adult.

We have a protagonist who is a war veteran, and also a drug addict and in
trouble with the law, maybe a fugitive. He lives in a mega-building type of
a city.

He fought in a war in some place that may be another dimension, or even
another planet, but there was something strange about the means of
transportation to that place. they also had a special name, something like
"the other place" , or "the other side" .

Our hero is deeply disturbed by the memories of that place, for he is aware
that some foul play by his side has been committed, and his pursuit of the
truth is putting him in jeopardy.

This may not be the most precise description, it was a long time ago, but
here are some more details that may help, if they are true:

- there may have been something about organ harvesting
- there are some war crimes and atrocities involved
- the transportation of soldiers may have involved drugs
- this other world is mostly described as a jungle
- it may have had a slight "tech-noir" feeling, if I may call it that, it
just that atmosphere that comes to mind when I remember reading the book

This is the most information I am able to come up with, thank you all very
much for all your help!

This book hits all my husband's interests, so I asked him if he recognized it. Unfortunately no, so now you've got another person hoping someone else knows it!

Um, do you have a sense of whether the author is someone well-known? Do you remember if this was a book you got at the library (therefore likely to be a bit more 'vetted'), or just a cheap supermarket paperback?

Many themes sound like _The Jungle_ and Kuttner's (something by night), but a few do not. They were domed cities underwater on a Venus with lots of jungle.

Clash By Night And Other Stories is possibly the Kuttner you mean Just?

Yup. But, like I said, both of those only match parts of the requester's description.

I know I've bungled a few stories, mis-remembered parts (once transposed an alien race for a human-ish race), and sometimes merged two stories into one description. So, I thought I'd toss that out there as something to look into.

_The Jungle_ is an 'inspired by' Kuttner, iirc.

I've sent a PM to the OP.

a guy on another thread I started suggested Spares

I think this could be it, but I have to find it and read it first to be sure :)

Hr--if you have an account (and credits) at www.paperbackswap.com there is a copy of that book there. I found it with a search on the author's name.
There is also an ebook available on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble if you have an ebook reader.

Unfortunately, I have neither. :/

Umm, you can join PBS, post 10 books you're willing to trade, and you'll get two credits for starters (and you can go snatch that book).

Also, have you contacted your local library? Perhaps they have interlibrary loan?

And of course, local used bookstores.

eBay and Amazon, for used books. I mean if someone has it on PBS, then it's probably available at an online retailer as well.

----

Btw, the description (by reviews) of Spares (crackhead ex-cop), seems to really nail your description. Why don't you toss this query into the 'Possibly Solved' folder?

Maybe you have Spares and Only Forward mixed up. They are both by the same author but there are elements youve described in one or the other novel but not both.

Hrvoje, are you still looking for this book?

I think it's "Spares" from the reply above, but I still haven't acquired it.

Ahhh, there's a 'tentatively solved' folder for just such cases. (I have several in there myself, since I'm waiting for the books to come around cheaply).

Yeah, I really looked at your name this time and realized now that PBS doesn't do international (iirc) :P

You can change your folders, by editing the thread subject line. Options for that appear after you click 'edit'.