SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

A cyberpunk book set in a Middle Eastern future. That is what caught my attention when I first heard of this book. It sounded like nothing I had read.

It took me years to finally get to it but after reading another George Alec Effinger book I knew I couldn't wait any more.

So what are your first impressions?

About a week away, but I'll be here, Kim. I have an ancient copy with a cheesy cover, so I've needed an excuse to read it. Thanks for delivering the excuse.

Hopefully I'll get to it in a day or two

Arrived in the mail today. Took an instant liking to the quirky placement of page numbers.

I read the blurb on GR on it today. Middle East isn't really my point of interest, but it sounded worth a read anyway. I'll probably start tonight. :D (See how many more books I can read in the next 5 days before classes begin again!!)

I haven't started yet, but am looking forward to it. I'm not sure how I've missed this one, given the glowing reviews from so many, but I had never even heard of it before this was selected. I thought I was paying a reasonable amount of attention to the original cyberpunk wave back in the day. Makes me wonder what else I missed from back then before the old internets.

I'll also say that with the hideous artwork on the edition I got from my local library, I never would have picked this up without a reccomendation from someone. The newer edition artwork is a huge improvement.

I just finished The Forever War, so I will be starting on this soon. My previous exposure was a supplement for the old Cyberpunk role-playing game. The description is similar to 21st century cyberpunk like Altered Carbon and the Autumn Rain trilogy. I'm curious to see how well this book holds up.

Thanks so much for picking this, Kim! I'd never have found it otherwise and I really loved it. I'm working on my review now, but i thought the mix of old-fashioned detective novel, cyberpunk and Islam was great, and I thought it really held up over the last 25 years. I already reserved the next 2 books from my library, I can't wait to see what trouble Marîd got into after this.

Oops - first impressions-wise, my first comment that I wrote down was that the transgender stuff must have been really provocative in the late '80s. He opened with that in a big way and doesn't shy away from it throughout the book, people are free to choose their sexuality and Marîd at least doesn't judge them for it at all. There was a lot in the beginning about drugs too, which might have turned people off as well, but I really wonder what the reception to the book was in light of the in-your-face sexual openness, especially combined with Islamic religion. Does anyone know if this caused a stir when the book was released?

Cathy wrote: "Oops - first impressions-wise, my first comment that I wrote down was that the transgender stuff must have been really provocative in the late '80s. He opened with that in a big way and doesn't shy..."

I was wondering the same thing! I'm on page 50 & had to look back at the publishing date a couple times to remind myself this was written in 1987. Effinger was ahead of his time.

I am enjoying this read a LOT more than I would have guessed. Learning quite a bit about the Arab/Muslim culture too. Maybe. Depends on skewered the info has been made in order to fit the authors time jump.

The transgender bit registered only at the beginning for me. The fact that our main character (and it seems everyone else around him) don't give it a second thought to it was startling and then just seemed right. More amazing is how Marîd doesn't have anything altered (as far as the beginning of the book goes). It's just surprising that he enjoys consuming so many drugs and so much alcohol.

As to the drugs and alcohol... I suppose in the slums it's the main way for the deziens to cope withtheir daily life. Else I have no idea why they're all so addicted. And if that's the case, the author would have to put one main addictive substance at least in order to sell the squalor. (like soma from Brave New World is how I see it.)

Anyway, back to reading I go!

I've been very impressed with this book so far, I can't wait to read some more. The culture is vastly different to other cyber-punk books I've read, it has drawn me into the world in a way that I haven't been drawn in since reading The City and the City. I may even continue to series after this book.

I feel the same, KL. Though I don't think I've read all that much Cyberpunk... the last one I started was The Diamond Age and I couldn't get very far in it. Somehow this book has me captivated!

I liked it. The gritty SF-noir element reminded me a bit of Warren Hammond and Kameron Hurley. On the other hand, the plot was a bit thin and it felt like the author had to fill a few bits here and there to keep it going. To be honest, it felt like a setup book for a series instead of a book meant to stand on it's own.

It sounds like I didn't enjoy it when I did. Will definitely be reading the next book in the Audran Sequence.

/me thought this was the FIRST impressions not LAST impressions thread.

Hey, where is the last impressions thread???

Well considering it's only the 4th (or 3rd) I thought it was a bit early for it. I'll put one up soon.

But it took me less than a day to read the book.... that's not fair. xD

First Impression: Noir sci-fi with transexuals and lots of drugs in a middle eastern setting. One of the stranger ones I think I've picked up in a while when you put it that way. =)

I have a question: wtf does the title have to do with the story?

I can see a sorta metaphorical mind-bender connection, but nothing more concrete,

I was describing this book to a friend yesterday, and I realized that they don't really fit each other...

It's from the song "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" by Bob Dylan. "The song's lyrics describe a nightmare vision of the narrator's experience in Juarez, Mexico in which he encounters sickness, despair, prostitutes, saints, shady women, corrupt authorities, alcohol and drugs, before finally deciding to return to New York City."

That sounds like the Budayeen.

The sequel also derives it's title from a Bob Dylan song.

Ahhhh, thanks Kim! That makes a ton more sense now! :D

I am really enjoying this so far-middle eastern type of neuromancer feel to it....just my cup of tea!

The Aimdogg wrote "First Impression: Noir sci-fi with transexuals and lots of drugs in a middle eastern setting. One of the stranger ones I think I've picked up in a while when you put it that way. =)"

I agree completely.

I enjoy reading "whodunit" novels and am looking forward to trying to guess who it is.

I'm a little more than halfway through. It's like Travis McGee in cyberpunkland. Except this guy spends more time feeling sorry for himself.

I am liking it in theory, but I'm finding it a bit of a slog at the moment.

I'm a little over half-way through, and while I'm enjoying the setting and the characters, there seems to be a little plot drift going on. The story is wandering (much like the protagonist), and while I'm enjoying the vignettes, the overall story is barely there.

I just started last night and am 20% of the way through. I'm not really getting a Arabic country feel to the story, to me the city feels like I could still be in the United States, but in a city with a large Muslim population.

I agree with Lara about the feel of the location. I'm around 40% through, and while I can picture the setting, the smells and sounds aren't really showing up for me. Probably because the story spends a fair amount of time in Marîd's head, examining power relationships.

Decided this might be a good follow-up to Neom. Enjoying so far.

Reminds me of Altered Carbon or The Disappeared (Retrieval Artist series, mysteries on the Moon). I don't read a lot of hard-boiled mysteries though, so it may be just that feeling.

Kim wrote: "It's from the song "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" by Bob Dylan. "The song's lyrics describe a nightmare vision of the narrator's experience in Juarez, Mexico in which he encounters sickness, despair, prostitutes, saints, shady women, corrupt authorities, alcohol and drugs, before finally deciding to return to New York City."
That sounds like the Budayeen. "

Appreciate that explanation. All these years I figured it was something from physics, like Schroedinger's Cat or Relativity or something.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_Li...

Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues

When you're lost in the rain in Juarez, and it's Easter time too
And your gravity fails, negativity don't pull you through
Don't put on any airs when you're down on Rue Morgue Avenue
They got some hungry women there, and they'll really make a mess outta you