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Imagine a fast-moving computer game set in the black-and-whiteenvironment of a 1940s detective movie and you'll begin to get some idea of the mixed metaphors that fill the air in K.W. Jeter's difficult but ultimately rewarding new futuristic thriller.

Jeter, who also writes a series of novels based on the popular Blade Runner film about apocalyptic Los Angeles, centers Noir in that same city, now a dark jewel of the dominant Pacific Rim. A detective named McNihil (yes, you got it) has had his eyes surgically altered so that everything looks like an early Bogart movie to him. "Gray newspapers with significant headlines--'Dewey Defeats Truman,''Pearl Harbor Bombed'--moldered in the gutters, or were nudged along the broken sidewalks by the same night wind that cut through McNihil's jacket," Jeter writes about the scene of a plane crash where the detective has been summoned by a corporate villain. A top young executive has been murdered, and McNihil is arm-twisted into tracking down the dead man's missing "prowler"--a computer simulation that roams the world like an electronic ghost.

Aided by a young woman called November, whose fingertips are alive with lethal magnetic currents, McNihil brings his--and Jeter's--unique noir vision to bear on a world that for all its weirdness is the ultimately believable extension of our present-day nightmares. --Dick AdlerBook Description
L.A.: the sparkling metropolis at the new center of what's left of the civilized world. Here wealthy men and women seek forbidden thrills through a system that enables them to indulge safely and anonymously in their wildest fantasies through the use of computerized simulations known as prowlers. Then a young executive at one of the world's most powerful corporations is brutally slain and an ex-information cop named McNihil is called in to find the dead man's still "living" prowler.

McNihil knows he's walking into a trap. But he wants a chance to redeem himself for a botched job that forced him into retirement years ago. Teamed with a ruthless female operative called November, McNihil is about to enter a world in which no one can be trusted and things are far worse than they seem...a world in which a vast conspiracy of evil is about to blur the razor-thin line between the sane safety of daylight and the dark danger of Noir. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

You expect more from someone like Jeter
"You see, that's the way it is, when you're talking about noir.It's a literature of anxiety.Somebody's always getting screwed over."

--Alex Turbiner to McNihil

K. W. Jeter is fond of dystopian environments.This affection is evident in several of his "pre-horror" books such as DR. ADDER, THE GLASS HAMMER, DEATH ARMS AND FAREWELL HORIZONTAL, and in his Blade Runner books, THE EDGE OF HUMAN and REPLICANT NIGHT.It's really not surprising then that NOIR, is set in a similar milieu.Jeter posits a future Los Angeles where life is cheap and the definition of what is human is constantly changing.Huge corporations manipulate the masses from behind the scenes, and even death doesn't necessarily solve your problems.

Given the apparent potential of the setting, it's surprising how little Jeter does with this expansive backdrop.NOIR's hero (or, more accurately, anti-hero) is an ex-law enforcement type named McNihil.A reluctant inhabitant of a world he despises, McNihil has had his optic nerves altered so that he sees through a "noir" filter.McNihil views the world in black and white; men are gangsters, women molls and femme fatales. McNihil is your classic hard-boiled detective (think Mike Hammer, or even Marv from Frank Miller's SIN CITY comic book), but with a twist.Instead of being an ex cop, McNihil used to hold a job that should warm every writer's heart-he's a former "asp-head" (think ASCAP), slang for members of the Collection Agency, a government division charged with enforcing copyright law.These Judge Dred types act as judge, jury and executioner-copyright violators are summarily killed, but not before their very essence is removed from their bodies.This essence, referred to as a "trophy," can, among other things, be used to power home appliances such as toasters and stereos, whatever the victim of the copyright infringement deems appropriate.

McNihil becomes involved in a perplexing murder investigation involving Travelt, an executive who dies at the hands of his "prowler", an artificial construct built in the likeness of his owner, designed to accumulate experiences (usually of life's darker pleasures) to transmit to their owners.Travelt's prowler is privy to a secret that threatens DynaZauber, the shady corporation that employs McNihil.McNihil, suspecting he's being set up to take the fall for the corporation, is unable to extract himself from a seemingly hopeless situation, and is forced to rely on instincts honed during his former career.

NOIR is a competent, often intriguing exercise, but one expects more than competency from a writer as talented as Jeter.The book is entertaining, a strange hybrid between tie-in and original novel, but you can't help but think you've seen this before.Readerswaiting to see what kind of rabbits Jeter pulls out of his hat will ultimately be disappointed.There are some nice flourishes within the work--the set piece featuring recurring Jeter character Alex Turbiner in the middle of the book is one excellent example--but they're not enough to save it. Sometimes, it seems as if Jeter himself has lost interest.One clue is how he handles exposition--instead of revealing background through events in the story, Jeter imparts this information through several pages of bullet points, calling to mind every boring business presentation you've ever been forced to sit through.

Not a MUST read, but a SHOULD read?
I read this book several years ago and am suprised by how many of the ideas in it haunt me. The plot is "okay." I don't really want to talk about that. The plethora of interesting cyberpunk ideas in this novel, though, have some really cool parallels in the modern world. As a teacher, I often make reference to ideas in this novel as over-blown illustrations of modern phenomenon. Intellectual property rights? Hitmen for copyright holders. Tattoing is back? Yes and what if they were communicable, like STD's?! Virtual realities? Imagine a guy with processors in his contacts that interprets the world as a noir film, so much so that he can no longer easily access reality! Personal debt on the rise? Yep. What if when you were dead you were reanimated to work off your debt?

I have a hard time recommending this book as a good read. I have a hard time not recommending this book as a collection of really juicy bits of "stuff."

a disturbing vision slowly becoming reality
Noir is an excellent novel, particularly to those more interested in reading the book than looking for mistakes. Jeter presents a cyberpunkish world in which capitalism has achieved its ultimate triumph: there are only consumers and the corporations who rule them. With every server raid and court case against copyright infringers today, the aspheads of Noir begin to look less fantastic and more inevitable.

Futuristic Sam Spade against patent thieves
Jeter admitted that he's got problems with copyright thieves.What writer doesn't?Is this book wish fulfillment or what?

In "Noir" his detective McNihil (who's been surgically altered to only see the world in black and white) is tasked with chasing down copyright thieves and administering punishment.

The story's dark, and the punishments are novel---for example, a man who infringed upon an English tea cosy mystery author's domain was killed, ground up, and canned so the author could feed him to her cats.

"Noir" isn't a fast or fun read, but the book does raise questions about our cyber-corporate environment and creator's rights--and wrongs---that are interesting.

Deeper than it looks
This book, carrying on in the tradition of Philip K Dick, raises philosophical questions about corporate greed, human perversion, what is real, and what it really means to be human. Jeter imagines a future where "sanctioned terrorism" has become the norm as DynaZauber corporation relentlessly pursues copyright violators and debtors beyond life into an artificially sustained after-death existence. DynaZauber's secret agenda is to create the perfect addiction (infinite consumer demand, zero product cost) and get everyone hooked. ("They tried it before, with the whole push to get people on the telecommunications wire, to have them value bits of information as much or more than the atoms of the real world, have them pay to be mesmerized by the pretty colored lights on their computer screens.") Dyna = power, zauber = charm (magic spell).

This book deserves to be read closely as a scathing indictment of cyber-culture and a soul-searing look at the terrifying post-human aspirations of the technocrats. Anyone who criticizes Jeter for using Philip K Dick's FAMOUS quote about reality being that which "doesn't go away when you stop believing in it" without attribution is missing the point. This book is deeply and fiercely ironic, and there is more here than meets the eye. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Strange and Bizarre, but Horror?
An advertising genius down on his personal life (divorced) is living in a slum and seems to be connected to two different people that he can sense.On is a man named Michael.The other is a woman whose name he does not know.He prowls the streets following Michael and trying to locate the woman.Eventually we learn more about the man and about Michael.Finally, they both, and the reader, meet the woman.The remainder of the book deals with the relationship of the three and how they interact.

This is a strange book and definitely not for everyone.Michael is a predator and "tunes in" to women looking for a very rough encounter.The nameless woman seems to be like Michael.There is plenty of obsession and no small amount of madness making this a tale of tragedy but, other than the cover, there is little to describe it as horror.By the end of the book I was glad it was short.Some readers will be disappointed in the ending while others will drop out before then.Beware.

Intense, riveting Malzbergian horror
Involving, intense, riveting horror/slasher novel reminiscent in its narrator's tone & in some aspects of plot construction 2 some of Barry N. Malzberg's better works -- the book is dedicated 2 Malzberg. The narrator is unreliable (tho it takes awhile 2 realize this), but the story is almost instantly involving, hypnotic, & the tension & bizaareness constantly escalates. The Nding is a bit disappointing -- the narrator disintegrates & Jeter pulls back his focus 2 a "God's-eye" view. But it's worth the trip. I Njoyed the writing style if not the subject matter & events. I'll B looking 4 more horror novels by Jeter....

Hatred and violence towards women
I liked some of Jeter's books from this time -- thought occasionally he did a pretty good job of rooting around in the dark places of the male psyche. At the time of my reading them, of course, I was a troubled teen and a big Cronenberg fan. In retrospect, I think THIS particular book of Jeter's, however, gets far too carried away in the abuse of women, which it depicts with glee -- the main character's alter ego is a violent thug who knows that there are SOME women out there who like it rough, who are attracted to violent men -- and who stalks the night, looking for women who want to be raped and killed. Sick stuff. It rolls around in it's blackness. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone... ... Read more

Book Description
K.W. Jeter picks up the tale of Rick Deckard, the `blade runner' created by Phillip K. Dick and popularized by Ridley Scott's cult classic film.  Consistent with the sordid vision of 21st century Los Angeles crafted by Dick and Scott, Jeter creates a stylish piece of thrilling, futuristic suspense that finds Deckard not only in the role of hunter, but also hunted.  Again, Deckard is on the trail of an replicant, not knowing that it may be the most elusive and dangerous android of all.


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

I would give this book less than 1 star if I could
I tend to be open about all forms of literature and most writers, even if there books are simple or immature you usually can get some interesting insights or at least superficial visceral entertainment from most stories. Sadly this writer gave me the first experience with the word HACK that I have ever truly encountered. Never before have I slammed face first into a pile of words that would actually be better described as excrement.

I did not find anything wrong with P.K. Dick's book, loved Ridley Scott's interpretation of the film, Blade Runner. But this was so bad I wondered if it was originally written on toilet paper, lost in the woods, and then found by some Hollywood type who hoped to sell it as a "property" to a B-Movie studio.

I have my own interpretation of the nuances in the original novel and the movie, as most do, but this clown seems to not understand any of the basic story premises as well as having the blackest mental cesspool for a view of the world I have seen since Mein Kampf. Early in the book we find that the basic premise is that, we (All humans) want our slaves to be as human as possible so we can "enjoy" there suffering. If your basic outlook of humanity is this low, I don't understand how he had time to write this book. I would expect Jeter would be in a cave somewhere and living off roots or shackled to a wall with a 200lbs Dom leaving red marks across his ass.

I kept reading this book thinking that all the stupid mistakes and idiotic premises thrown like feces from a monkey cage, would be exposed in the end, and we would return to somewhere near the original Dick/Scott galaxy.He has no additional insight in to any of the caricatures he reused from better writers, and I suspects, he needs to spend more time in the real world getting to know humans that are not drawn on his hand, to gain some wisdom about how real people operate and why.

Do not give this guy even the 1% royalty by purchasing this book anywhere(Sorry Amazon), except to support your local used book store to clear shelf space for ANYTHING else.

Decent sci-fi, but not a good BR sequel
I was able to finish this book, but I wish I hadn't. If you love the film, be forewarned: you will never look at it the same way after reading this book. There are too many inconsistencies, particulalry with characters who died in the film, but have been resurrected for this story. I thought the Roy Batty clone template was interesting, but it seems this and other plot points were done simply to have access to popular and recognizable characters from the film. It might have been more affective to just have all new characters. As it is, this sequel just doesn't feel right, and as the successor to a film that evokes such strong emotional appeal from its fans, feeling is important.

Oh, and Pris not a replicant? Yeaaah, right! Removing her hand from boiling water unscathed, performing super-human acrobatic stunts while beating the crap out of Deckard, and taking three point blank gunshots (two in the Dir. Cut) before going down?? I guess her nails were black because she painted them, not because she was expiring like Roy. ;) "Pris hasn't got long to live, I can't accept that." I can't accept that she was a human all along.

Jeter was supposedly an understudy of Dick, but he should have left his mentor's masterpiece alone, not to mention Ridley Scott's beautiful interpretation (which this sequel is actually based on). I think this is a decent sci-fi book, but a horrible BR sequel. Read Dick's original "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" and stick with the classic film.

A Sequel Too Hard To Swallow
Let me begin with the admission that I was unable to finish this book. I made it to about page 90 and just had to put it down. So, my review will be based on that fact. Also, there are probably what would be considered to be some plot spoilers here, so please skip this review if you don't want to know information that might reveal some plot twists too soon.

I am a Bladerunner fan. I love the original, and I love the director's cut. I own them both. I have watched them so many times, I have lost count. I thought it was awesome that somebody wrote a sequel. I was reluctant to buy it, because I am not a fan of Mr. Jeter's other works. However, I finally picked it up one day.

I was determined to finish this book. Even when I saw that J. F. Sebastian, to me a person who was irrefutably killed in the movie, was still alive. And then, Pris is still alive. I thought at first Mr. Jeter did a fair job with the characterization of Deckard, and then that began to disappoint me, too. Then finally, the thing that made me put the book down. Mr. Jeter would have us believe that Pris was not truly a replicant.

I ask any fan of the movie if this is even conceivable? To me it was not, and was the final nail in the coffin for the book for me. I just couldn't go on any further. The book became an insult to it's source material in my opinion. I honestly don't see how any one who is a true fan of the movie could enjoy this novel.

Like many sequels, this one would have been best left unmade. Most sequels are more stillborns than vibrant offsprings. The best sequels are the ones we create in our own minds. I applaud Mr. Jeter for his effort to create a sequel to such a bastion of sci-fi history, but I question his outcome. Like any author, he deserves praise for his talent, and his creation, but it is not for me, and I would imagine, not for many Blade Runner fans as well.

Based on the merit of reading the first 90 pages or so of this book, I do not reccomend it. I'll stick to the movie, but this book is not Blade Runner canon to me.

Good for what it is
A movie-nerds' ... dream, what they'd all wished had been done with Highlander. A continuation of the movie's story in the style of Dick's book, with multiple scenes which are reporductions or reflections from the original (another Deckard/Batty fight in the rain on decaying cityinfrastructure). Pretty good for the Geekbook mindcandy category.

Not too bad for a sequel to the movie
Jeter does a so-so job in this book at picking up where the movie left off. However, this book is in no way related to DADoES? (which the book claims to "tie-in" with the movie) except for the character J.R.Isidore. My biggest grudge (which is even MORE apparent in the 3rd book!)is the fact that Jeter basically "re-runs" the movie so manytimes.IE) Many events in this book already happened in the movie, and arejust re-written a little differently. However, the plot is okay and you areleft with an unexpected twist at the end, which is good. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Si vous avez aimé le deuxième, vous aimerez celui-ci ...
K.W. Jeter nous replonge dans sa vision de l'univers Blade Runner. Le livre reprend là où Blade Runner 2 se termine. Cette suite est mieux ficelée que la précédente et Jeter nous livre des concepts farfelus, mais fascinants tels que la divinité en poudre (n'ajoutez que de l'eau !) et les anomalies temporelles créées par les moteurs d'aéronefs. L'atmosphère du film noir est palpable tout au long du livre. Si vous avez aimé Blade Runner 2, vous aimerez sûrement le troisième tome.

Par contre, les fans du film et du livre original seront probablement déçus des changement apportés au scénario dans le livre précédent, Blade Runner 2. Ainsi, Blade Runner 3 souffre du même problème. Jeter a voulu écrire une suite qui prend des éléments du film et du livre. Le résultat est assez confus. Certains auront du mal à reconnaître l'univers de Blade Runner. ... Read more

Book Description
Follow up to the bestselling sequel to Blade Runner the movie for fans of the movie and the Philip K Dick original story alike. ... Read more

Book Description
Fully authorised by the estate of Philip K. Dick and written by the author they felt best equipped to take forward the vision of one of the great names in SF, BLADE RUNNER 4: BEYOND ORION combines the dark imagery, paranoia, tension and pace of Dick's original novel and the cinematic genius of Ridley Scott in a novel that takes the Blade Runner series into a new millennium.

Blade Runner has become one of the most recognisable and well loved brands in SF and K.W. Jeter has only added to its reputation and impact. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not Free SF Reader
The third of these authorised sequels, and this one improved a bit, capturing a little more of the feel and ambience, I think.

Having a cool owl probably doesn't hurt, either.That is part of the focus of the story, is there a real bird of prey still around, or not?This is what has to be discovered as the inhabitants and focal characters of this novel continue to not have a good time at all.

Original, enjoyable - gives the series hope
I found this in the bargain bin in W H Smith and read it reluctantly. In the last year I've read it about 3 times. It really is quite good.
It concerns a female blade runner, top of her game, who is asked to find Tyrell's owl - the one you see in the movie. Her investigations lead her to loose her job and set her on a quest for answers all over futuristic LA and deep down into the ruined Tyrell corporation (which was blown up in an earlier book). Unbeknown to her, she is being filmed (in order to create a movie!) and all her actions are being pushed towards a final conclusion in which she realises the truth about the replicant program - what its real purpose was - (not to serve the off-world colonies), and the truth about herself - why she is such a good blade-runner and why she looks like Tyrell's niece, Rachel...
It's been a long while since I read BR 2 & 3. I remember the second one being quite interesting and the third being so awful I wanted to burn it and wash my hands with acid soap.
However, in this novel the characters are set in the same universe as Blade Runner but they are far enough removed from the original book to be able to invent them whole new agendas. And the purpose behind the replicant program is both stunning and believable - and something the film never dealth with (or needed to). You remember that Roy Batty killed Tyrell by squeezing out his eyes? When you find out WHY he killed him that way - you will be bowled over. Third sequels (as films or books) usually suck but I cannot reccomend this one enough. Sure, there are some exceptionally annoying monologues as plot-advancement devices that make you want to scream - but it's worth pushing past them.


... Read more

Product Description
Hardback ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An eighties horror movie come to life.
I'm a guy from Holland and in the early nineties I got my first exposure to the horrorgenre via countless horrormovies on videotape and my local comicbook store which imported FANGORIA magazine.

I have to mention both in this review. First because FANGORIA wasn't that flattering in it's review of this book and second 'cause THE NIGHT MAN just feels to me like a lot of the horrorvideos from that time (think the Freddy Krueger and Jason films and more obscure gems like THE HITCHER and MAD JAKE).

I have to disagree with FANGORIA though (sorry Dave Kuehls). I admit THE NIGHT MAN has a somewhat average setting and there is some moralising (I read somewhere Jeter used to work with troubled youths himself) but the parts with the fantom avenger and his black car are just so cool and everything just ties up real good in the end.

The plot is simple (An abused kid has his revenge on those who pestered him, and his life somehow gets entangled with that of an aspiring writer slash nightguard) but there's enough horror in the parts with the abandoned drive-inn and (once again) the avenger to keep a horror buff like me interested. It's also a fairly short read which I finished in a day (another pluspoint in my book).

I haven't read Jeters other books (The rumor is DARK SEEKER and SOUL EATER are better) but this is entertaining in it's own right.
It's just too bad Jeter abandoned the horrorgenre to become a franchise writer for the likes of STAR TREK (yuck!).

One of Jeter's better horror novels
Jeter, known now for novelisations of Star Trek stuff and for his Philip K. Dick ties, wrote some pretty good horror novels. DARK SEEKER is another one. This book, written while Jeter was working nights at some sort of juvenile correctional facility, deals with both child abuse and adult male violence in a reasonably thought-provoking and sympathetic way. It encapsulates many of Jeter's obsessive concerns -- child abuse, troubled men uncertain of their identities, and so forth -- and may -- I don't know -- include some bits of autobiography (since one of his protagonists in the novel is working at a job identical to the one Jeter was doing at the time). See my review of DARK SEEKER for more on Jeter, and my notes on MANTIS for a bit of a warning -- Jeter can fall in love with the violence he depicts, and may not be healthy reading... I actually thought his horror novels were much more interesting and unique than his forays into SF, though they're out of print now and the observation may be irrelevant...

Great book, worth reading.
This book was the excellent tale of a young boy who was kicked around his whole life and then in one instant vengence was his. THE VENGENCE OF THE NIGHT MAN!!! An emotionally-provocative story very well written. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Needed to be more serious
This book had the potential to be one of my favorite books in the first 50 pages - but then it got to be more funny than scary.I still enjoyed it, but it just wasn't 'dark' enough.The use of slang from the future made it kind of ridiculous and the fact that the book is really just one continuous chase scene with a helpless hero is pretty absurd too.

You'll need to stretch your imagination quite a bit on some of the ideas but all in all it was fun.Jeter is very creative and original, this is kind of a funny version of _The Anubis Gates_ and also similar to Gaiman's _Neverwhere_ and _The Physiognomy_ from Jeffrey Ford.

A must! Completely entertaining.
This is a great book. Very fun to read. If you like James P. Blaylock, this is way better than Homuculus. Just read it. Dane ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Prescient author and novel
If, when reading or hearing about helicopter gunships firing missiles with pinpoint accuracy, you wonder what the world has come to, K.W. could be therapy for you. In addition to that particular horror which is a background to "Glass Hammer," what Jeter's world is coming to is much, much worse.
This novel is not likable, nor are its likenesses, "Dr. Adder" and "Noir," yet there is reader value extant especially for (you) genetically created optimists. I know what you want, I know what you married, but you'd still get a frisson from K. W. Jeter; an intelligent depressive that you can put down and pick up at your pleasure (vis a vis 'spousey') and whose unspeakably horrid prognostications seem to be coming true with alarming frequency.

Liturature disguised as SF
Not having been real impressed with Jeter's take on Blade Runner, it was almost amazing that I gave The Glass Hammer a try. It was a difficult book to begin reading, and I almost gave up. But it paid off in the end. The Glass Hammer is undoubtably one of my favorite books of all time. Having just finished it -- again -- I felt compelled to let others know that if you can find this book, read it. The first 30-40 pages of it are a difficult read. Jeter writes a story about a man, Schuyler, who races across the Arizona desert night amid hailing laser missiles to deliver illegal computer chips to European buyers. He has become a minor celebrity by apparently being the father of the second coming of God. A production company is doing a bio of Schuyler and the story is writen as part present and part past, told as both video images and memories. Difficult to follow at first, but once you get into the flow, the story becomes engrossing, and the plot even more intricate. Well worth reading, even if you are not a fan of the genre.

Liturature disguised as SF
Not having been real impressed with Jeter's take on Blade Runner, it was almost amazing that I gave The Glass Hammer a try. It was a difficult book to begin reading, and I almost gave up. But it paid off in the end. The Glass Hammer is undoubtably one of my favorite books of all time. Having just finished it -- again -- I felt compelled to let others know that if you can find this book, read it. The first 30-40 pages of it are a difficult read. Jeter writes a story about a man, Schuyler, who races across the Arizona desert night amid hailing laser missiles to deliver illegal computer chips to European buyers. He has become a minor celebrity by apparently being the father of the second coming of God. A production company is doing a bio of Schuyler and the story is writen as part present and part past, told as both video images and memories. Difficult to follow at first, but once you get into the flow, the story becomes engrossing, and the plot even more intricate. Well worth reading, even if you are not a fan of the genre.

Glass Hammer, cars, conspiracy and big computers
The Glass Hammer is a completely freaked out story about a guywho is trying to break out of a quasi Religious/political web in hiscar. Think of Mad Max or Death Race 2000, but written by someone who is very paranoid and complicated ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

my favorite Jeter
Before KW Jeter turned to novelising DEEP SPACE NINE and such, he'd built up quite a cult following. Part of this -- in regard, specifically, to the novel DR. ADDER -- had to do with his associations with Philip K. Dick -- but Jeter really had his own voice and concerns. His novels from the time of DARK SEEKER (including MANTIS, THE SOUL EATER, and THE NIGHT MAN) are rather interesting psychological horror stories that often focus around buried rage, child abuse, and male protagonists who are barely able to remain stable, being tempted by various forces, both inner and outer, into darkness and self-destruction. Themes of homelessness and the perceptions of people beaten outside of the social structure also tend to arise... As his troubled heroes slide, their sense of what is or can be real and of the solidity of their own identity often gets grievously challenged. Some of these novels, like MANTIS, carry their ugliness too far into what amounts to self-indulgent misogyny and chaos; the most interesting of them, however, is DARK SEEKER. If nothing else, it has a BRILLIANT premise. It posits the existence of a hippie cult based around the use of a psychedelic drug that a) unites the users in a shared, telepathic psychosis and b) involves hallucinatory visits by dark, evil forces that goad the users on to do horrific things. The cult was disbanded years ago, after members were implicated in murder (reminiscent of the Manson clan). The protagonist of the novel is a survivor of the group; he is able to lead a normal life, by medicating himself daily with antipsychotics and so forth, but constantly misses the intensity of his past experiences. He also has memories of murder that other people, also using the drug, committed, and is disturbed by knowing on some primal level that the act felt good... He has to continually protect himself against the possiblity that the cult will again surface into his life to tempt him, which, of course, it eventually does... At his best, Jeter questions and deconstructs male attractions to violence and darkness, linking them to severe abuse (he was working in a reform-school type situation, on the night shift, when he wrote some of these -- notably also THE NIGHT MAN, which is also a pretty good book). At his worst, he romanticizes the brutality and revels in it. It's been a few years since I read DARK SEEKER -- but I'd recommend it, tentatively, based on how much I liked it at the time (when I was a moody, troubled adolescent -- possibly Jeter's ideal audience, which I know isn't really a compliment). Can't say much about his recent work, though -- haven't read it. ... Read more

Book Description
K.W. Jeter picks up the tale of Rick Deckard, the `blade runner' created by Phillip K. Dick and popularized by Ridley Scott's cult classic film.  Consistent with the sordid vision of 21st century Los Angeles crafted by Dick and Scott, Jeter creates a stylish piece of thrilling, futuristic suspense that finds Deckard not only in the role of hunter, but also hunted.  Again, Deckard is on the trail of an replicant, not knowing that it may be the most elusive and dangerous android of all. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

A fun ride
The reviewer who described this book as "geekbook mindcandy" made me laugh. I totally agree.As a shameless fangirl, I enjoyed the Phil Dick novel, the film in all its versions, and this tie-in book.It pulled me into the suspense of the plot.I enjoyed the descriptive passages--Jeter clearly loves this version of the future.I'm disappointed to see that this book and the rest of the series are out of print, but copies are readily available for a reasonable price.

Worthy Sequel
This story is a sequel to the BR movie. Though at time the author can get a bit wordy and drag things out, it's not enough to really take a star away from the book. The story comes together nicely in a world where everyone is out for themselves and no can be trusted. The plot twist at the end left me saying wow and the story can easily hold your attention.

Awful. Just...awful.
I really enjoyed both "Blade Runner" the movie (it's in my top five favorites of all time,) and the PK Dick book the movie was based on, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep." _BR 2_, however, is just unfiltered tripe.

This novel attempts to be a sequel to the movie, rather than the novel, and, let me say it again, it's done so in a truly awful manner. The (un)original bits that Jeter came up with are frequently interspersed with flashbacks to the movie in a really uninteresting manner, and the writing itself is clunky and amateurish. One example, and I swear I'm not making this up or embellishing it in any way:

"She ascended to the appointed place, at the appointed hour. Without effort, almost without will, thermal sensors had registered her presence within the small space, a disembodied voice had asked if she'd wanted to go up to the building's roof, far above the dense weave of structure and light that formed the static ocean of the city."

[SPUTTER!]

Oh, and there are more equally bad paragraphs I could throw at you, but I won't foist those other atrocities off upon you - I don't dislike *anyone* that much.

If you, like me, thirst for ever more "Blade Runner" Stuff, my best advice is to stay right the heck away from this novel, and read some of the other (non-fiction) pieces that have been written about _DADOES_ and about the movie - you'll find it far more satisfying, and you'll be much less inclined to beat your head repeatedly against something hard and/or spikey to erase this travesty from your brain.

Oh, was I using my Outside Voice when I said that? Well, K.W. Jeter, I would apologize for such a scathing review of something you are in all likelihood very proud of; however, I don't recall anyone apologizing to me for the hours of my life I lost whilst reading this book, so I'm calling us even.

Good sequel
This is a worthy sequel story to the great 1984 movie. It is consistent with many of the original story elements, and in fact, it helped me to understand the parts in the movie I didn't understand at first. You get good action, and good plots twists with the introduction of Sarah Tyrell, Rachel's original and more truths come up about replicants and the Tyrell corporation. Blade Runner fans couldn't go wrong to get his book.

Blade Runner 2: The Edge Of Human.
This book is the sequel to the movie not a sequel to Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, for being what it is it's a very good continuation, there are a couple of things that bothered me but were background elements, not anything to do with the story itself, I would really like to know what other people think about this book, not many people have reviewed it even though it's selling. I don't suggest you to read the third book, unless you are a hardcore fan. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Albert Camus Meets Stephen King
I suspect that fans of Albert Camus and Stephen King would give more stars to this book.If you prefer protagonists who combat evil and overcome hardships, avoid this book.The book is set in California during the Depression.The book convincingly portrays the agony of the dust bowl victims who headed for California in the hope of starting a new life.Among the travelors is a man named Cooper.Cooper, to avoid a prison term, becomes a paymaster for an orange grower who employs and abuses migrant workers.A nanny employed by the orange grower believes that she has the power to control dead animals and dead people.Cooper, seemingly unable to control any circumstances, is driven by circumstances beyond his control into mental and emotional hell. ... Read more

Book Description
Political tensions on Bajor are once again on the rise, and the various factions may soon come to

open conflict. In addition, a series of murders has shaken everyone on board the station. While

Security Chief Odo investigates the murders, Commander Sisko finds himself butting up against a

new religious faction that plans to take over Bajor and force the Federation to leave

Deep Space Nine.

Odo soon traces the murders to a bizarre and dangerous form of holosuite technology--a technology

that turns it's users into insane killers and now threatens Sisko's son, Jake. As the situation on

Bajor deteriorates, Sisko learns that the political conflict and the new holosuites are connected.

Both are the work of a single dangerous man with a plan that threatens the very fabric of reality.

The plot is darker than anything Sisko has faced before, and to defeat it, he must enter the heart

of a twisted, evil world where danger lurks in every corner and death can come at any moment--from

the evil within himself, from his closest friends, or even at the hands of his own son.

Download Description
Political tensions on Bajor are once again on the rise, and the various factions may soon come to open conflict. In addition, a series of murders has shaken everyone on board the station. While Security Chief Odo investiages the murders, Commander Sisko finds himself butting up against a new religious faction that plans to take over Bajor and force the Federation to leave "Deep Space Nine" TM. Odo traces the murders to a bizarre and dangerous new form of holosuite technology, a technology that turns its users into insane killers, and now threatens Sisko's son, Jake. As the situation on Bajor deteriorates, Sisko learns that the political conflict and the new holosuites are connected, and part of the plan of a dangerous madman. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Space...the boring frontier........
One has to be warped to read this boring wordy hardcover. I'm glad I only paid $3 bucks for it (2.99 too much in my opinion). The only good parts were the moments with Odo and Quark. Other than that it was a waste!! zzzzzzz..thats all you will do if you read this tedious, wordy novel. Boring boring boring !!!!!! No wonder it's thrown in discount bins around the galaxy. Live long and prosper but dont read this book!!

Who are you? And what have you done with the real Sisko?
Believe the title. The reason "Warped" didn't sell very well was that the author fundamentally misread the DS9 characters and feel. If you want to see stronger work from K. W. Jeter, read the Boba Fett books. The same cynical, violent outlook that works so well in that Star Wars story just seems creepy here. It's like all the Star Trek characters you know and care about have been replaced with twisted dopplegangers of themselves.

This is a paranoid book. Corridors are dark and oppressively silent. Much of the action takes place at night. A string of bizarre and violent murders upset the calm of the station. Political unrest stirs Bajor. There is even a ghost! Oh, and somebody's been tinkering with the holosuites, which now twist their users into violent and sociopathic behavior. It's a premise that deserves a stand-alone novel instead of trying to squeeze it into the rubber suit of DS9.

If you like dark books, and can avoid plot holes without mental distress, this is a decently-written story. However, big DS9 fans should avoid this one.

DS9 Warped - Poorly written and executed!
As a general rule I do not normally like to completely run an author's work into the ground, so in this case my intent is to be as fair as possible with reference to this title.It was not thoroughly surprising to see "Warped" be the second and final Star Trek novel by KW Jeter, who I know to be a very popular author in other genres.Between this and his first DS9 novel "Bloodletter," an astute fan of the series can quickly catch on that the author just didn't seem to grasp the characters or the overall theme of the series very well.

Although no one but those at Pocket Books can say for certain, I believe that the reason that this was the only hardback Star Trek Deep Space Nine release up until DS9's "Unity," which is due out this year, is because "Warped" did so poorly in sales due to it's slow pace and lack of familiarity to the actual series.I find this to be a sad fact as well, considering the novels that came out later that so richly deserved a hardback release!

The cover art for this novel is standard fare for the time it was published, not exceptionally imaginative.

The premise:

Attempting to capitalize on the outstanding second season trilogy episodes of "The Homecoming," "The Circle" and "The Siege," the author brings into play these aspects, playing on the political strife in the newly formed Bajoran provisional government.A series of murders occurs on the station and Commander Sisko finds himself dealing with a new religious faction that wishes to force the Federation away from Bajor.

Odo soon traces the mysterious murders on the station to a dangerous new form of holosuite technology which has also affected Commander Sisko's son, Jake.Sisko must now deal with this new religious faction and the very real possibility of murder coming his way from any direction, to include his own son.

I've also owned the audio tape for this novel for several years; read by Rene Auberjonois, it can be an "okay" distraction for three hours while driving down the highway.Of course, Rene Auberjonois' reading is excellent for what he was reading.

Overall, the premise to this story is an extraordinarily intriguing one; it's in the execution of the story where it falls flat.I would only recommend this title as a collectors or completist's type find.{ssintrepid}

Not for everyone.
If you're one of those fans of Deep Space Nine who enjoy that series' tendancy to supply a healthy dollop of psuedo-mysticism along with the usual Star Trek psuedoscience, you'll doubtless love this book. It was well-written, the characters were handled well, the plot moved nicely, and so forth.

If, on the other hand, (like me) you find the credibility granted the Bajoran mysticism and mumbo-jumbo (including Sisko's status as the "Emissary") to be at best minorly irritating, then this is definitely NOT the book for you. The basic concept was just a little too silly for words.

A little warped, but overall not bad
I don't understand why everyone keeps saying that this book is so bad.I picked it up, and couldn't put it down.Sure, it got a little overinvolved with some technological details at points, but it's not bad.

The only reason I will give it only four stars is because the author made one slight mistake.As I am writing a book about Federation starships, the author used both the runabouts Mekong and Ganges.Well, during my research, I learned that the Mekong is the runabout that was assigned to Deep Space 9 after the Ganges was destroyed.Just a little annoyance with me that the author did not research the information first.

Overall, a good pick.I highly recommend you pick it up to read. ... Read more

Book Description
Word count: 2026. ... Read more

Book Description
Starfleet Command has learned that the Cardassians are planning to construct a base on the other side of the wormhole to establish a presence and claim the rich unexplored territory. Now, it falls to Commander Sisko, Major Kira, and the crew of Deep Space NineTM to set up a Federation station there immediately.

Before Major Kira can deliver the new base, a fanatic from her violent past appears. Kira must engage in a life and death struggle with an enemy who will stop at nothing to destroy her, as the fate of Bajor, the wormhole, and possibly the entire Federation hangs in the balance.Download Description
Starfleet Command has learned that the Cardassians are planning to construct a base on the other side of the wormhole to establish a presence and claim the rich unexplored territory. Now, it falls to Commander Sisko, Major Kira, and the crew of Deep Space NineTM to set up a Federation station there immediately. Before Major Kira can deliver the new base, a fanatic from her violent past appears. Kira must engage in a life and death struggle with an enemy who will stop at nothing to destroy her, as the fate of Bajor, the wormhole, and possibly the entire Federation hangs in the balance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Early DS9 effort
This 1993 novel, #3 in the series of DS9 novels is set early in the series, shortly after the discovery of the wormhole and long before the Dominion appears.If you don't have any idea what any of those things are you really won't enjoy this book at all.

The Cardassians are attempting to stake a claim to the far side of the wormhole, naturally the Federation and Bajor are opposed to this and so a race is on to establish the first outpost in the Gamma Quadrant.As if this is not enough a group of Bajorian fanatics had name Kira as a traitor to Bajor and targeted her for elimination.Naturally the two plot lines become entwined.

This is not an especially good Star Trek novel nor a particularly bad Star Trek novel (and bad ones do exist), it is just rather....blah.The characterizations just aren't quite right.Kira in particular is portrayed as rather inept, wimpy even.This Nerys would never have survived the Occupation.Many novels start a bit slow but at some point pick up making the reader anxious to finish.This one just stayed slow leaving this reader at least to wonder when it would end.If you are a DS9 fan, and why else would you be reading this, and really need a visit to DS9 then by all means read this one if you cannot find any of the better entries in this series.

DS9 #3 Bloodletter - Good premise but poor execution!
I found this author's writing style to be fairly good and the premise of this early Deep Space Nine story to be a sound one, however, the overall execution of the story more or less falls flat.Despite the fact that this is but the third in the Star Trek Deep Space Nine fiction series and the author probably had but one season or less of episodes to base his characterizations on, his characterization for Major Kira Nerys just doesn't wash.One would definitely think that if an author were going to set out to write a story in these series that they'd take an interest in learning the characters and failing that, the editor would catch these things and make corrections.This just doesn't seem to be the case with this novel though.

The cover art for "Bloodletter" can be counted among the standard fare of Star Trek novels of the time where minimal effort was involved.

The premise:

As stated above, the premise is a fairly interesting one in which Starfleet Command has learned that the Cardassians are planning to construct a base on the other side of the wormhole in order to have a presence there and claim as much of the unexplored territory as possible.Obviously this is well before the Dominion became a known factor!The Federation has opted to preempt the Cardassians by having the command crew of Deep Space Nine build a station there first.Coming from Major Kira's past though is a fanatic who will stop at nothing to destroy her, the fate of Bajor, the wormhole and possibly even the fate of the Federation.

While this novel is certainly not among the best of the Star Trek novels in print, it isn't the worst either.I would recommend it to help complete your Star Trek Deep Space Nine collection and as a somewhat viable read.{ssintrepid}

Nice try.
But the plot and characterization have holes you could drive a starship through. And I mean a big one, a galaxy-class ship.

The writing is pretty good, actually, so it's a shame to have to rate the book so low. The dialogue is better than fair, and the plot moves well until the end, when it completely falls apart.

I don't want to say TOO much about that, because it would give away too much. All I can really say is that the day that Major Kira can't handle one lone psychopath with a broken arm who's armed only with a knife one-on-one (to say nothing of with assistance from Dr. Bashir) without having to destroy an expensive and important piece of equipment, is the day that the author truly doesn't understand the characters s/he's writing about. Granted, this was an early book, but STILL...

Most of the second half of this book reads like a cheap slasher movie, with Major Kira playing the part of the terrified potential victim of the near-unbeatable slasher. Problem is, we've seen absolutely nothing to indicate that he really has the kind of semi-mystical invulnerability enjoyed by Freddie and Jason; Kira should have made mincemeat of him, without so much as mussing her hair.

Suspense & Intrigue
"Bloodletter" is in what some people call the "horror" sub-genre of Star Trek, but don't worry, it's not a horror novel.I'd call it "suspense".It is very tense, nerve-wracking, and spooky and there are gruesome and freaky descriptions in some places.The chase in "Part 2" of the book is rather scary but very good.The plot has solid elements, and the characterization is great for an early book.I found the story to be inventive, suspenseful and very interesting.There were some neat twists and surprises, and another visit from the wormhole aliens (the Prophets).I liked seeing Kira and Bashir working together - that was well done.Overall, 8.5 out of 10.This novel is definitely recommended!

An uninteresting read
The characterizations are flat, and the novel is mostly just confrontation after confrontation with nothing to hold your interest. It was boring. ... Read more