Equations of Life (Samuil Petrovitch) [Mass Market Paperback]

Simon Morden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2011 | Series: Samuil Petrovitch (Book 1)

Winner of the 2012 Philip K. Dick Award

Samuil Petrovitch is a survivor.

He survived the nuclear fallout in St. Petersburg and hid in the London Metrozone - the last city in England. He's lived this long because he's a man of rules and logic.

For example, getting involved = a bad idea.

But when he stumbles into a kidnapping in progress, he acts without even thinking. Before he can stop himself, he's saved the daughter of the most dangerous man in London.

And clearly saving the girl = getting involved.

Now, the equation of Petrovitch's life is looking increasingly complex.

Russian mobsters + Yakuza + something called the New Machine Jihad = one dead Petrovitch.

But Petrovitch has a plan - he always has a plan - he's just not sure it's a good one.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Morden (The Lost Art) offers up an engrossing, if occasionally goofy, adventure that meshes theoretical physics and exciting action sequences. In a dark near future, the U.S. has become a theocracy, Japan has been destroyed, and the U.K. has devolved into near-anarchy. Ph.D. student and Russian expatriate Samuil Petrovitch, living in the decaying London Metrozone, foils an attempt to kidnap a mysterious woman called Sonja and finds himself caught up in a war between Russian mobsters and a ruthless tycoon. As things escalate, Harry Chain, an enigmatic cop, and Madeleine, a sexy, violent nun, are also caught up in the war. Morden occasionally gets too cute and there are a few moments that border on deus ex machina, but Samuil's mix of action and research makes him a fresh and engaging character, and the escalating scale of danger and violence moves the plot along briskly. Though pitched as the start of a trilogy, the book stands nicely alone. (Apr.)
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Review

A fast-paced thriller ... an absorbing read TELEGRAPH Speeds along with energetic panache THE TIMES Morden has a natural talent for a plot that keeps the reader guessing GUARDIAN Morden keeps up a breathless breakneck pace that doesn't sacrifice character depth or intelligence ... promises to be a fast-paced thrill ride for the cynical urban space cowboy in all of u s' i09 'As fun and gripping as it sounds' Petrovitch is one of those characters you can't help but warm to, and readers will be keen to experience more of his adventures and relentless Russian swearing FINANCIAL TIMES --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Orbit; 1 edition (April 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316125180
• ISBN-13: 978-0316125185
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 1.2 x 6.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #406,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Simon Morden, B.Sc. (Hons., Sheffield) Ph.D (Newcastle) is a bona fide rocket scientist, having degrees in geology and planetary geophysics. Unfortunately, that sort of thing doesn't exactly prepare a person for the big wide world of work: he's been a school caretaker, admin assistant, and PA to a financial advisor. He's now employed as a part-time teaching assistant at a Gateshead primary school, which he combines with his duties as a house-husband, attempting to keep a crumbling pile of Edwardian masonry upright, wrangling his two children and providing warm places to sleep for the family cats.

His not-so-secret identity as journeyman writer started when he sold the short story Bell, Book and Candle to an anthology, and a chaotic mix of science fiction, fantasy and horror followed. Heart came out to critical acclaim, and Another War was shortlisted for a World Fantasy Award, but with The Lost Art, things suddenly got serious. Contracts. Agents. Deadlines. Responsibility. Scary stuff. The Lost Art was subsequently a finalist for the Catalyst Award for best teen fiction.

As well as a writer, he's been the editor of the British Science Fiction Association's writers' magazine Focus, a judge for the Arthur C Clarke awards, and is a regular speaker at the Greenbelt Arts Festival on matters of faith and fiction. In 2009, he was in the winning team for the Rolls Royce Science Prize.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great action-flick! March 31, 2011

By Lynossa

Format:Mass Market Paperback

A combination between gun-shooting, self-operating car, advanced technology, run-for-your-life across the streets and Russian curses, you got Equations of Life by Simon Morden. This is a fast-paced, page-turning, full-with-action kind of story about a Russian young man who hid himself from his past in Metrozone - formerly known as London - in post-Armaggedon world. Sam Petrovich preferred to lay low and concentrate only on working on his equation and his passion for science, until he saved a girl who happened to be the daughter of a business/mafia tycoon. Suddenly all eyes on him and everywhere he went, he stumbled upon either Japanese tycoon's man, cops, or Ukraine's gangster.

Reading this felt like watching an action movie, the one that somehow Hollywood able to pull it off and not butchered it into a mediocre action-flick. A smart action movie. Petrovitch is a smart and witty guy; sometimes he can be too bold but I guess that's a right formula for action main character. From the outer world's eye he is just a regular student. He's not the typical of your hero, but not exactly anti-hero either. One thing that add more interest to the story is that Petrovitch has heart problem (literary) so on the brick of dying because of heart failure, Petrovitch had nothing to lose to go all out saving Metrozone. Because I have no knowledge on science the way Petrovitch does, I barely understand all the geek talks, but it didn't stop me from enjoying the book. Though there's one thing that bothered me; sometimes Petrovitch talked in Russian and because my ability in understand Russian is lower than mine in understand cat's talk, I pretty much clueless. I read the egalley so I hope they will add the translation in the finished copy.

This book will appeal to sci-fi lovers, action lovers and dystopian lovers, but if you expect something romantic will happen in this book, you will be disappointed. There's a minor romance but really minor, this is a YA that was written by male author so no mooning and love struck, focus of the book is on saving Metrozone and the author stick with it till the end. This is part one of the series. I'm going to read the second book soon (I have the egalley in me) and will review it. I can't wait to read another Sam Petrovitch's adventures!

In this book, Morden didn't give explanation about the Armageddon; if you're curious and want to know more, you can read for free in here: [...]

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and action-filled with the feel of an intelligent comic book March 29, 2011

By TChris TOP 50 REVIEWER

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Simon Morden's Equations of Life, the first book of a trilogy set in a post-Armageddon future, is an engaging, action-filled novel that has the feel of an intelligently written comic book. Samuil Petrovitch, a radiation-damaged Russian, left his criminal past behind and came to London in 2021 on a physics scholarship. In the novel's opening pages, Petrovich saves a young woman named Sanja from being kidnapped. He escapes death with an assist from an armed nun named Sister Madeleine. Sanja turns out to be the daughter of Oshicora, the boss of a yakuza-style corporate entity that is rapidly becoming the dominant criminal organization in the Metrozone. Oshicora's real passion, however, is the creation of a virtual Japan (the physical Japan having fallen into the ocean during the Armageddon). Sanja's kidnappers were employed by Marchenkho, a Russian mob boss who, having been foiled in his plot to snatch Sanja, is unhappy with Petrovitch. Petrovich is soon dodging Russian and Japanese mobsters while worrying that a police officer named Harry Chain will discover his sordid past. Petrovich's problems (not the least of which is a propensity for heart attacks) multiply when something called the New Machine Jihad mounts an attack on all of the Metrozone's computer systems and manipulates Petrovich into doing its bidding.

Equations of Life tells a fun story that obviously isn't meant to be taken seriously (that, at least, is the inference I draw from the armed nun and wisecracking antihero). We learn little about the supporting characters, but Morden infuses Petrovich with enough personality to make him interesting. The characters have appeared in earlier stories that Morden set in the same post-Armageddon future; I haven't read them so I don't know whether they give the supporting characters more context. Exactly what happened to cause the Armageddon is also unrevealed in the novel; perhaps those facts are made known in the stories or in the remaining books in the trilogy.

While the narrative has the feel of a novel hastily written (the word "literary" will never be used in its description), the story roars along with such speed that Morden's stylistic lapses are easily overlooked. Sometimes the plot is a bit over-the-top (an easily won battle against a horde of zombie-like bums is the novel's epitome of silliness) and it never feels entirely original; bits and pieces seem cobbled together from stories already told. Yet Morden reassembles the familiar into something unique and surprising (although the ending is a bit predictable). On the whole, Equations of Life is a satisfying novel that left me sufficiently interested in Petrovich to make me want to read the next installment.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars More suited to a graphic novel or short story May 18, 2012

By Mary E. Young

Format:Mass Market Paperback

In a post-apocalyptic world, Petrovitch finds himself rescuing a woman from a kidnapping. After rescuing her, he discovers that she is the daughter of a mob boss. He then meets the girl's father, a Japanese gangster, who is working on building a virtual Japan.

I have to admit that I found the book less than appealing. At times it seemed to be just one big chase scene, which works much better in the movies. I could see this book as a graphic novel or a short story, but the author never really explained enough about the world to capture my attention for a full length book.