Customer Reviews

Street: Empathy

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

 

 

Street: Empathy is a science fiction (cyberpunk) novel that's fast-paced and action-packed. It follows Gina, a person who sells her mind-reading services to any individual or corporate representative who wants them, much like a prostitute of today. The main drawback is the inevitable result of using the drug which allows one to read the minds of others. Eventual insanity.

A mysterious deal gone bad rockets Gina into a deadly cat and mouse game, one where she doesn't know the stakes or understand the rules--other than getting caught is a bad thing. Only her wits, quick learning and a bit of luck keeps her one step ahead of the bad guys (sometimes), all the while she strives to figure out exactly who involved is her friend, enemy, or simply using her.

The world and its depth that Ryan Span created to tell Gina's story holds together well, avoiding the inconsistencies (especially questionable logic) one sometimes encounters when reading science fiction novels containing future dystopian societies.

I'd give it a 4.5 stars, but since I can't do that here, bumped it up to five.

I bought this book in 2008 for some unremembered reason and finally dragged it out last week and read it.

Hey, you know what? It's pretty good! The pacing is terrific, high body count and interesting characters.

I'm going to tag this book:Altered Carbon: A Takeshi Kovacs Novel (Takeshi Kovacs Novels) and Gideon's Fall: When You Don't Have a Prayer, Only a Miracle Will Do to give you an idea.

I'm going to buy the next book in the trilogy. Ah ha, it just arrived! The author has this entire series for free on his website but I want to support the author by buying the hard copies and giving them a permanent home in my library.

Absolutely ZERO spoilers ahead.

The first 7 or 8 out of the 18 chapters were very good. I was connected. I was engaged. The story showed a lot of promise, coating the reader in intoxicating murals of wildly imaginative mind trips painted beneath the feet of vulnerable characters that are reeled into potentially massive plot revelations.

The entire time, I couldn't wait to find out what it all adds up to. What equally satisfying bombs will the writer drop on me later? Sadly, it seems, that after the first seven or so chapters, instead of maintaining that ramp, the story dips into an extrapolation of redundant exposition just to fill out pages as a means to the end of the first novel. While the writing is generally great and very smart, the story itself leaves much to be desired. While that might be enough for some readers, as special effects and big explosions might be enough for some movie goers, it never seems to go anywhere that's very fulfilling.

With all that said, it's easy to see that the story came from a genuine place. The lead character, Gina, is a very well thought out and endearing young woman. I felt the sexual tension with her was a tad forced and a bit too influenced by the testosterone of the writer, yet never ventured into unacceptable territory and generally seemed innocent. If it weren't for Gina, I would have put this novel down three chapters in.

The remaining characters were serviceable with spikes of a charm peppered throughout. It's unfortunate that right when things start to get bigger for the cast the novel ends. It's understandable that there are more books in the serial, but I don't find it to be a great excuse to sacrifice a satisfying read just to expand the universe in the next outing.

The more suspenseful scenes, I hate to say, were held together by way too many conveniences, therefor dulling the intensity I wanted to feel. Without spoiling anything, there were a lot of moments like "This door is locked, how do we get through? Good thing I have insert-convenient-device-here to assist us while I explain why this can't be convenient because now there will be a small paragraph of exposition supporting the plausibility of said convenience." Remember, this example is not literal.

All harsh criticisms aside, the final two chapters had me glued, including a final scene that felt refreshing and open, just the way foreshadowing the impending big adventures should feel. Street: Empathy is a smart read with a strong lead carrying some engrossing visual treats along her ride through various wonderfully realized locales, however there lacks a tasty meal beneath the colorful candy shell with a great conclusion that comes too little too late.

This is only the second book I've read that has a strong Cyberpunk storyline. The other having been snowcrash, which I enjoyed greatly. The story follows Gina as well as a number of her associates through her adventures in simply trying to survive in a dystopic future. The story moves quickly and is full of action, though you still get a good feel for who the main players in the book are.

I especially liked the idea of Spice in the book, a drug which gives the user temporary telepathic abilities. Like any other drug though it has its downsides and if used to much it drives the user crazy. Gina, being a user of spice, makes her living by selling her telepathic services. It when she accepts a new job that she finds herself on a non-stop race for survival as she tries to figure out whats really going on in the world.

There are a few weak points to the novel, namely being its kinda short and with the fast pace I flew through it. While the setting and characters are explored through-out the novel, I found myself wanting to know more. Of course, thats a good thing as there are further books coming from what I understand.

All in all it was definetly a fun read and I look forward to the next addition to the series.

I've been looking for a good Cyberpunk book to add to my collection when the cover caught my eye, and continues to be caught by the excellent style of the writer.
A great book for anyones collection and a author to look out for in the future.
Totally satisfied.