Thin Air

A Novel

An atmospheric tale of corruption and abduction set on Mars, from the author of the award-winning science fiction novel Altered Carbon, now an exciting new series from Netflix.
 
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN
 
Hakan Veil is an ex–corporate enforcer equipped with military-grade body tech that’s made him a human killing machine. His former employers have abandoned him on a turbulent Mars where Earth-based overlords battle for profits and power amid a homegrown independence movement. But he’s had enough of the red planet, and all he wants is a ticket back home—which is just what he’s offered by the Earth Oversight organization, in exchange for being the bodyguard for an EO investigator. It’s a beyond-easy gig for a heavy hitter like Veil . . . until it isn’t.
 
When Veil’s charge starts looking into the mysterious disappearance of a lottery winner, it stirs up a hornet’s nest of intrigue and murder. And the deeper Veil is drawn into the game, the more long-buried secrets claw their way to the Martian surface. Now it’s the expert assassin poised against powerful enemies hellbent on taking him down—by any means necessary.
 
Praise for Thin Air
 
“Kick-ass . . . Mixed in with the thriller-esque action and cyberpunk backdrop is a hard-boiled noir story complete with a twisting and turning plot that keeps readers on their toes.”—Los Angeles Times
 
“Richard K. Morgan wants to destroy your Mars fantasies. . . . It’s a grim vision, but one that Morgan finds far more plausible than the cheerful visions of plucky Mars colonists common in sci-fi.”—Wired
 
“A robotically enhanced Jack Reacher [in a] dazzlingly intricate game of political double- and triple-cross, spiced with tastily kinetic battle sequences.”—The Guardian
 
“If you ever imagined that the core esthetics and themes of cyberpunk—lowlifes and high tech; corporate dominance; future noir; post-human evolution and cyborg adaptations; hardscrabble urban environments—were played out, Thin Air will set you straight, and kick your butt in the process. . . . Both kinematic and cinematic, [Thin Air is] limned by Morgan with balletic precision and smashmouth grace.”—Paul Di Filippo, Locus

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Kick-ass . . . Mixed in with the thriller-esque action and cyberpunk backdrop is a hard-boiled noir story (think Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade) complete with a twisting and turning plot that keeps readers on their toes.”—Los Angeles Times

“If you ever imagined that the core esthetics and themes of cyberpunk—lowlifes and high tech; corporate dominance; future noir; post-human evolution and cyborg adaptations; hardscrabble urban environments—were played out, Thin Air will set you straight, and kick your butt in the process. . . . Both kinematic and cinematic, [Thin Air is] limned by Morgan with balletic precision and smashmouth grace.”—Paul Di Filippo, Locus

“Morgan really makes this version of Mars come to life. . . . As realistic and vibrant as anything I’ve read in the genre.”—Tordotcom

“A robotically enhanced Jack Reacher [in] a dazzlingly intricate game of political double- and triple-cross, spiced with tastily kinetic battle sequences.”—The Guardian

“Author Richard K. Morgan wants to destroy your Mars fantasies. . . . It’s a grim vision, but one that Morgan finds far more plausible than the cheerful visions of plucky Mars colonists common in sci-fi.”—WIRED

“Scintillating, imaginative . . . This is science-fiction as neo-noir thriller, with gunfights, multiple shadowy agendas, and blood on the floor.”—Sci-fi and Fantasy Reviews

Gritty Mars noir sci-fi - Worth the read

Great book, featuring a noir-ish detective story. I'm a fan of this author and this book doesn't disappoint. The MC is an ex-"over-rider", a "hard man" tasked with riding along on space journeys in cold storage and only woken up if something goes wrong. When they wake up, their mission is to "save the ship" and they do with brutal efficiency and little regard for the safety of themselves of others.

In a lot of ways, Vail (the MC) has been in cold storage on Mars for the past 5 or so years when he's tasked with helping an Earth diplomat figure out the disappearance of a local who'd won a trip back to earth and then disappeared before he could take the trip. The results are explosive...

The action is tight, the noir tropes are on point and the story zips along at a great pace. Morgan's vision of Mars is super interesting and the details he highlights are sleek and edged in chrome. Everything we've come to expect from this master of the genre.

There was perhaps too much sex for me, but I still really enjoyed the novel. I never really enjoy explicit sex in audio books. I don't mind it, if the rest of the book is good, and the rest of this book is great. The sex isn't bad either, just not for me.

New Characters, New Background, Same Great Sci-fi

I love the altered carbon series - and the tv shows too. Morgan pulls his future forward, creating a new future set on Mars and a new hero, the Outrider, with a similar skill set and approach as Takeshi Kovacs.

There’s just enough new and different to keep things going. Great narrator - definitely written for an adult audience.

great performance

extremely well performed. lots of enjoyable subtlety in the narration that beautifully compliments the well crafted writing. a winding character driven story richly developed. loved it.

Sex, Guns, Betrayal and Reverse Trap cards all day

Simply put this is one of the best audio books i have ever heard. Entertainment through out the whole story.

An updated Blade Runner world

It is always great to read realistic hard SF showing a gritty tough world. This is definitely it and I enjoyed burying myself in it. This is not the polished clean Star Trek universe. Gritty futuristic realism gives the story a sophisticated feel and you like and relate to the characters even more.