Farewell Horizontal (Worlds of Imagination) [Paperback]

K. W. Jeter (Author)

Book Description

Series: Worlds of Imagination | Publication Date: November 7, 1989

You're either on the inside or the outside -- and either way, you're in trouble. A hustling young artist finds himself on the run from warring tribes, mysterious conspirators, body-swapping hackers and more, as he tries to both survive and strike it rich on the vertical surface of a skyscraper big enough to be its own world.

Another splendid outing . . . Jeter's latest mad concept astonishes and intrigues as his sure-footed narrative stirs and fascinates. Grab!
-- Kirkus Reviews

Jeter is an exhilarating writer who always seems to have another rabbit to pull out of his hat.
-- The New York Times Book Review

A very strange and intriguing adventure from one of the handful of writers still doing novel things within the genre.
-- Science Fiction Chronicle

K. W. Jeter has gained wide recognition in the past few years for being one of the most audacious and wildly inventive science fiction writers currently putting pen to paper. FAREWELL HORIZONTAL, his latest book, will only enhance his reputation and garner more fans . . . Jeter's vivid world is fully realized and absolutely fascinating. Original, surreal, suspenseful, witty and satirical, FAREWELL HORIZONTAL is a precipitous read.
-- The Journal, Ontario, Canada

A fine, funny novel, full of original ideas and memorable characters.
-- Inside Books

An SF and horror writer blessed with a surreal imagination, Jeter delivers the goods with the setting of his post-apocalypse novel.
-- Publishers Weekly

FAREWELL HORIZONTAL delivers the requisite number of thrills and intriguing ideas. It's a fast-paced, suspenseful read, offering some fine action scenes and a fascinating milieu . . . Jeter is a writer to watch, one likely to bring innovation to every literary form he turns his hand to.
-- San Francisco Chronicle

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Abandoning the safe existence of Cylinder's horizontal interior for the riskier life of a freelance "graffex" artist on Cylinder's vertical outside rim, Ny Axxter enters a world of mercenary tribes and cutthroat politics and undertakes a one-man odyssey into unknown territory to save his life. The author of Mantis and Infernal Devices creates a visual kaleidoscope-world of grazing motorcycles, ethereal "gas angels," and vampiric computer circuit riders in his latest novel, which is highly recommended.-- JC
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1 pages
• Publisher: Roc (November 7, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451162781
• ISBN-13: 978-0451162786
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,893,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping hard SF thriller, June 6, 2000

By 

John Peter O'connor - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Farewell Horizontal (Hardcover)

Jeter invented a truely wonderful world for this novel. The setting is a huge, cylindrical building that towers above the earth. Most of society exists inside the building but those who are outside society, on the edge, live on the outside of the building, on the "Vertical".

The novel's protagonist, Ny Axxter lives on this wall and tries to make a living as a freelance artist working with video and graffex. One day, he has what appears to be a stroke of good fortune and he thinks that he is on the verge of making it into the big time as a major artist.

At this point, his world starts to fall to pieces and he discovers that reality is not what he, and everyone else thought and that the major players in his world now want him out of the way.

While many parts of the world are unexplained, Jeter throws in enough in the way of technical details to make this hard SF and not fantasy. The writing style is very sharp.

Jeter is regarded by many as an heir to the mantle of the great P.K.Dick and this book is worthy of that regard. I always think that a sign of good writing is the quality of the pictures inside my head as I read and, on the measure, this was very good indeed.

Farewell Horizontal is a gripping read and I highly recommended it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you only read one..., April 10, 2000

By 

Jon Hancock (Manchester, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Farewell Horizontal (Hardcover)

If you only read one K.W. Jeter book then you are missing out on some of the most significant science fiction of the last twenty five years. Still, this is the one to read if one is your ambition. Astounding ideas, breathless surgical execution and the very best gusto an amateur can bring to the field, here wrapped in one pocket-sized package by a true professional. How many authors could pull off a motorcycle chase up the side of a building and still make you want to read more? Simply marvellous.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Dope, June 2, 2011

By 

Kevin Farrington (New York, New York United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Farewell Horizontal (Kindle Edition)

I remember, when I read this at its publication, just grooving on the cover art (google it), and thinking, this is gonna be weird. And weird it was. Jeter posits a dangerous and peculiar culture, and if you're a fan, you understand he has much to say about the organization of culture and of power. So, we've got warring tribes, angels, and a protagonist who nurses a very bad attitude, kind of like when you worry a cavity in a tooth and it hurts, but at the same time there's the soothing confirmation of pain, you know? That's our guy. What's really cool is that this all takes place on the outside of the homeworld. It's huge, planet-size. And it was built, but we don't find out much about that. It's a thing that exists and is home to a civilization, and many have chosen to forsake the horizontal and risk it all living on the vertical. This is a very strange tale and one you should definitely read. K.W. Jeter was at the forefront of a certain cadre of science-fiction writer back in the eighties. Make his acquaintance.