Inspired jointly by the notion of instantaneous matter
transportation and the crime novels of Agatha Christie, this novel tells the story
of Jonah McEwen, accused of copying people and killing the copies while leaving
the original intact, despite the fact that he has been in a coma for three
years. Could a copy of him be the
murderer while he slept? Add an
acrimonious ex and a missing father to the mix and step back.
"Like all good science fiction," said Locus, "this novel raises important
questions, without dictating specific answers.
It is compulsively readable."
"Convincingly realized," offered Kirkus, "with the vigorous
narrative whizzing along at hyperspeed."
Compared to William Gibson and Philip K Dick, it's
"an exciting mystery-thriller that’s nearly impossible to put down",
according to the School Library Journal. Normal
Spinrad in Asimov's
declared it superior to the science fiction of Michael Crichton and Margaret
Atwood, "written with the considerable style, panache, and attention to
the inner life of the detective in question that one has come to expect in
high-end noir".
The last word goes to Damien Broderick, who agreeably blurbed: "The
Resurrected Man pushes cyberpunk's envelope, then licks its stamp."
WHEN IS A MURDER
NOT A CRIME? WHEN IS A MURDERER NOT
GUILTY?
The year is
2069. D-mat offers fast, cheap travel,
plus the potential to turn humanity into a race of godlike starfarers. But new technology has a dark side: d-mat
allows a killer to perpetrate a series of vicious attacks without leaving a
victim. Detective Marylin Blaylock is on
the case ... a case where the murdered women all resemble her.
Jonah McEwen, a P.I. and Blaylock's ex-partner, is
the prime suspect. But Jonah's alibi is
watertight. He's been in a tub of
maintenance gel, unconscious for three years.
Yet, in a bizarre twist, he could still be guilty.
An
exciting sci-fi thriller from the award-winning author of Metal Fatigue. A fascinating and complex study of betrayal
and deceit where the stakes are higher than anyone ever imagined
...
"[T]here's plenty in The Resurrected Man for
readers of both mysteries and science fiction. Combining the two is an art form
whose standards were established in classic works like Isaac Asimov's The
Caves of Steel and Alfred Bester's The Demolished Man. Sean
Williams' The Resurrected Man is a worthy addition to this little
sub-genre, and should appeal to any readers who like having their cutting-edge
social speculation wilded up with a bit of serial
murder mystery and gore." (Greg L
Johnson, SF Site)
"an elaborated example of the SF mystery as practiced
by Larry Niven and John Varley,
with non-trivial dashes of Alfred Bester...compels attention and admiration " (Russell Letson, Locus)
"An Australian award-winning F/SF author strikes new
sparks from an old flint: What if matter transmitters (“Beam me up, Scotty”)
really worked?…Convincingly realized... with the
vigorous narrative whizzing along at hyperspeed."
Kirkus Reviews
“Williams makes full use of this detailed future world
that echoes William Gibson’s Neuromancer…and blends it with an Agatha Christie-style plot to create an
exciting mystery-thriller that’s nearly impossible to put down…This book raises
interesting and unique questions of legality, technology, and identity. Slightly
reminiscent of Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?…it’s sure to thrill readers.” School
Library Journal
"the
finest novel yet from this exciting writer ... Like all good science fiction,
this novel raises important questions, without dictating specific answers. It is compulsively readable." Locus
“When matter transmission booths are finally
invented, no doubt certain children will instinctively fear stepping into them.
The Resurrected Man magically prefigures those childhood terrors of
tomorrow, resulting in a police procedural that is unblinking, noirish, and gnawingly compelling.” Scott Westerfeld,
author of The Risen Empire
"Readers of
Williams' first solo novel, Metal Fatigue,
will expect the author to sustain a complex, baffling plot for The Resurrected Man's six hundred pages,
and this is precisely what he delivers ...
The Resurrected Man is
compelling reading, a book that promises much then keeps its promises. Although
Williams lays on an enormous amount of detail, the pace never flags. He has
mastered the art of teasing the reader into turning pages, the crucial elements
that will solve the mystery being snatched away from us just when we expect
them to be given. ... As the plot thickens, Williams demonstrates his ability
to raise and defeat the reader's expectations.
"Clearly, this
book is a significant achievement, one that cements its author's place as one
of the best writers on the Australian SF scene. It is enjoyable, suggestive,
thorough, page-turning, elegantly resolved. ... I am convinced more than ever
that Sean Williams is a major talent. I look forward to his next book with
excitement." Eidolon
"[The Resurrected Man is an] intricate and
astute novel ... There are plenty of twists and more computer gizmos than you
can poke a stick at. The author keeps tight reins on a complex narrative of
corporate intrigue and mind-boggling gadgets." Sunday
Telegraph
"Williams
impresses as much with his dazzling inventiveness as he does with his skill at
storytelling. The Resurrected Man is
a science fiction tour-de-force."
Simon Brown
"The Resurrected Man is a brilliant novel
which will keep the reader pondering many of its ideas long after the book has
been put down." dB Magazine
"[The
Resurrected Man is] the second best thing to curl up with on a winter's
night" Piffle & Other Trivia
Also see Pyr.