Customer Reviews

Hammerjack

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Marc D. Giller wrote a cyberpunk novel. A solid one, though not really original. I read it, and mostly enjoyed. What I don't understand, is what authors like Neal Asher and Richard Morgan doing praising this book?
Yes, the novel has cyberjacks, Yakudza, cool shades, kung-fu, etc. There are people, downloading data into their brains and running from the corporations (Johnny-mnemonic, anyone?)
There is nothing wrong with all of the above, but it had been done before. The fact, that there are two badass females, and not one, is not enough to make the book stand out.
Gibson made his world alive through good prose. Gillers' prose is... well, it just is. As the plot, it's not bad, but it's not inspired, either. I had a small problem, when the book set in the late 21st century started pop-culture references. I can buy Butch Cassidy reference for the merit of the movie. Batgirl - that's going on a limb. But Miss Congeniality? Does Mr. Giller really think that movie will be known 100 years from now?
This is all minor, but the thing is, there is nothing major wrong with this book. Or major right with it. Maybe for the post-matrix generation, who haven't heard of cyberpunk before, this book will be a revelation. But if you've read William Gibsons' "Neuromancer", then you don't need to waste your time on this copy.

After reading the Author's Note at the front of the book and finding that this was the author's first published book, I was a bit worried. That worry evaporated as soon as I started reading the text. It's a fine book with a decent plot and an interesting theme that follows along in Gibson's cyberpunk footsteps. My only problems with it are:

- The characters are a bit inconsistent in their personalities and behavior. It's odd, but it feels like the characters devolve throughout the book instead of evolve. I found them somewhat more interesting at the start and a bit flatter at the end.
- The pacing is OK. But, the "action" scenes (fights) are a little too drawn out.
- There are a few direct references to current pop culture which I doubt these types of people in a distant future would know (or care) about.

All of those things are fairly minor. Because of them, I'm bit leery of giving the book a full 4 stars out of 5 rating. Really, I'd like to give it 3.5 stars. But, since I can't do that, I'll be charitable and round up instead of down. A fairly good book. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel: Prodigal.

You ever read one of those books where you start guessing what is going to happen next, and you're right? Well this was one of those books for me. Not that I'm clairvoyant, or possess any forecasting ability, but the book was so formulaic that guessing the turns in the plot simply could not be helped. Is that a bad thing? Not really. The book is very entertaining in a Matrix/Neuromancer sort of way, and is quite readable. Will I read the sequel? Absolutely, as I want to know where the author is going to take this. While not original, and you'll be able to cite obvious influences from other works, there just ain't much out there of this genre, and this one therefore is a satisfying read that measures up to the genre.

HAMMERJACK is the crackling debut novel from author Marc D Giller. It opens with flare and doesn't slow down. It has all the ingredients of a cyberpunk showcase -- newly engineered drugs, bio-modified agents and hacking the matrix. But these far from detract from a fantastic reading experience, instead lending a wonderful flavour to a well-imagined dystopian future.

Cray Alden is a high-tech cowboy that is caught in a war between two factions, the Collective and the Inru. The Collective are a world-wide corporatocracy, direct opposition to the technology hating Inru, which are more of a fanatical religious sect than a government. When Cray messes up a hit on an information runner named Zoe who was carrying blueprints to a new technologically impressive innovation, he is forced into working with those he once hunted. It all steamrolls into a brilliant showdown between the Collective, Inru, and every grey fibre in between.

On a whole the novel is scrumptiously dark and chock full of circuitous twists and turns that can catch you off guard, though some I was able to see a mile away and was just waiting for them to be revealed. Marc D Giller's prose is sharp and focused with some scintillating descriptions. I did have an issue with dialogue at times. In certain situations I felt the characters were a tad melodramatic, saying over-the-top things when a sharp quip or brief comment would have sufficed. This is not to say dialogue was poor. In reality the dialogue was quite well engineered, though there were a few occasions that detracted from my enjoyment of a heightened situation.

It was great to see the few teaser pages from his follow-up novel, Prodigal, in the back of HAMMERJACK, though I would recommend avoiding those pages until you've completed the novel as there is a major spoiler within. This was a poor oversight on the publisher's end, and one I hope they don't repeat.

Great read. Recommended.

In the far distant future, world governments have disappeared to be replaced by seven corporation s known as the Collective, the members from each forming the Assembly. It is a world where everyone is plugged into the information network and information is the king. Hammerjacks ride the waves to find out corporate secrets and sell it to a rival willing to pay a higher price.

Cray Alden is a corporate spy working for GenTech when he is assigned to bring back the runner Zoe who has in her bloodstream information that belongs to his boss. Cray finds himself in a tug of war between the opposing forces, the corporate Collective who has invested heavily in a synthetic intelligent computer and the Innu who sees that such an entity could replace man as the dominant species. While he tries to figure out is who he can trust, Cray is unaware that he is changing and to stop himself from becoming a danger, he must return to the source of the conflict, the self-aware sentient computer known as Lyssa.

The future that Mark D Giller paints is bleak, dark and plausible. With the advances in computer technology, a sentient AI doesn't seem like science fiction because the author, a computer systems techie, bases his work on technology known today that he takes to it's final conclusion. The protagonist is a man who realizes he is a prisoner of the corporation that hires him and feels very little, certainly not joy. HAMMERJACK is an exciting science fiction noir thriller that will appeal to fans who like to be taken to the edge and beyond.

Harriet Klausner

Hammerjack is a techno-thriller filled with intensity, originality and vision that we rarely see in today's fiction. It successfully crosses genres--combining science fiction, mystery and action/adventure in a way that keeps the reader turning pages and wondering if this is truly a world that could live in our near future.

If you enjoy the early works of Bruce Sterling and William Gibson (Neuromancer), there is much here to keep the cyberpunk genre alive and relevant. Giller's writing is solid and dark, bringing a gothic overtone without being either florid or ambiguous. There is a relentless solidarity to the characters and the plotline, following the cross fire between the mysterious anti-tech Inru and the corporate Collective as they battle each other in a continuous power struggle.

Good writing, solid plot and characters, an imaginative future setting, and enough mystery to keep the reader interested from the first page to the last. Highly recommended.

Listen, if every fantasy book written today can be a rip off of Lord of the Rings, there's nothing wrong with a Sci-Fi novel slightly borrowing from the work of other "Cyberpunk" authors. In fact, Giller does it much, much better then most, so there's really no harm. This was a great read. Full of action, interesting people and places and great new take on the concept of artificial intelligence. I am looking forward to reading the inevitable sequel.

The little part of the back of the book that talks about the author has a "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again" feel to it, so I must applaud Giller for sticking with his instincts and to keep on writing until he got it right. Giller evidently tried writing Star Trek TNG screenplays, which unfortunately were not bought up. This novel also has a "Hey, please buy the rights, Mr. Movie Producer" feel to it as it kind of reads like a modern day action movie. No problem there, it's still a good book. Highly recommended.

'Hammerjack' is a techno-thriller filled with intensity, originality and vision that we rarely see in today's fiction. It successfully crosses genres--combining science fiction, mystery and action/adventure in a way that keeps the reader turning pages and wondering if this is truly a world that could live in our near future.

If you enjoy the early works of Bruce Sterling and William Gibson (Neuromancer), there is much here to keep the cyberpunk genre alive and relevant. Giller's writing is solid and dark, bringing a gothic overtone without being either florid or ambiguous. There is a relentless solidarity to the characters and the plotline, following the cross fire between the mysterious anti-tech Inru and the corporate Collective as they battle each other in a continuous power struggle.

Good writing, solid plot and characters, an imaginative future setting, and enough mystery to keep the reader interested from the first page to the last. Highly recommended.

In the far distant future, world governments have disappeared to be replaced by seven corporation s known as the Collective, the members from each forming the Assembly. It is a world where everyone is plugged into the information network and information is the king. Hammerjacks ride the waves to find out corporate secrets and sell it to a rival willing to pay a higher price.

Cray Alden is a corporate spy working for GenTech when he is assigned to bring back the runner Zoe who has in her bloodstream information that belongs to his boss. Cray finds himself in a tug of war between the opposing forces, the corporate Collective who has invested heavily in a synthetic intelligent computer and the Innu who sees that such an entity could replace man as the dominant species. While he tries to figure out is who he can trust, Cray is unaware that he is changing and to stop himself from becoming a danger, he must return to the source of the conflict, the self-aware sentient computer known as Lyssa.

The future that Mark D Giller paints is bleak, dark and plausible. With the advances in computer technology, a sentient AI doesn't seem like science fiction because the author, a computer systems techie, bases his work on technology known today that he takes to it's final conclusion. The protagonist is a man who realizes he is a prisoner of the corporation that hires him and feels very little, certainly not joy. HAMMERJACK is an exciting science fiction noir thriller that will appeal to fans who like to be taken to the edge and beyond.

Dark and tightly paced Hammerjack pulls heavily from the cyber punk lexicon. And for the most part does it well. Anarchy ridden cityscapes,all powerful coporate goverments ,console cowboys, deadly augmented assasins. What else do you need?Gideon's Fall: When You Dont Have a Prayer, Only a Miracle Will DoGideon's Fall: When You Dont Have a Prayer, Only a Miracle Will Do