There have been plenty of Science Fiction Private Eyes (here’s a list of 55 of them). Add to that number Cal Sounder who specializes in cases involving Titans. Titans are humans who have taken the wonder drug T7 that not only cures most diseases and injuries, it extends the Life of the beneficiary to near-immortal levels.
The police have called Cal Sounder in when a Titan is found dead in his apartment from a gunshot wound. Suicide…or murder? Sounder decides it’s murder and undertakes his wild investigation: “…a scientist murdered under an alias, a cage match, a gunshot wound, a dead lounge singer, a dead police officer, an exploded police station, stolen internal organs containing encrypted nuclear grade kompromat, and my ex-girlfriends cousin….mutliated, bleeding, and pissed off on my office carpet.” (p. 191) As you see, a lot happens in Titanium Noir.
The future with genetically enhanced Titans is not a pleasant place. If you can basically live forever, you have plenty of ways to become immensely rich. And corrupt. Cal Sounder takes a lot of punishment from various suspects in Titanium Noir, but also delivers his share of violence. If you’re a fan of noir and SF, this blend may agree with you. Are you fan of noir? GRADE: B
Yes. There have been no few combos of these, noirish and hardboiled sf, ranging from Kim Newman (as in THE NIGHT MAYOR) to Willam Gibson to (to some extent) Philip Dick to the recently late Rachel Pollock to, I suspect, no few of that list you offer (having checked it yet).
Todd, I like a mashup of private eyes and SF…if it is done well.
MY favorite is police procedurals. Not too violent noir is okay. But SF-not so much except for time travel.
Patti, like you, I love a good Time Travel story!
Harkaway is a pseudonym for Nicholas Cornwell. He is the son of David Cornwell, a.k.a. spy master “John LeCarre.”
Jerry, thanks for that information! The plot of TITANIUM NOIR possesses some Le Carre-like touches.
Yews, I am a fan of noir and this sounds like something I should like. I read that about who Harkaway is last week.
Jeff, I think Steve mentioned the secret identity of Harkaway on Patti Abbott’s blog last week.
I’ve certainly read and watched Noir that I’ve liked, and though I’ve not read a lot of examples, I certainly like the blend of detective fiction and science fiction. The Alastair Reynolds’ novel The Prefect (now renamed Aurora Rising) comes to mind.
Carl, welcome back! Yes Alastar Reynold’s Prefect series is a perfect example of SF noir. A new Prefect book is coming out this FALL.
I didn’t know that, nice! I better get Elysium Fire read! It is on my Summer reading list:
Carl, I’m a big Alastair Reynolds fan. THE PREFECT (aka, ELYSIUM FIRE) is one of his best novels!
I read and enjoyed this novel. A B rating sounds about right. I’m a big fan of NoirEverything from James Cain and Chandler through Chinatown and Blood Simple.
Steve, glad we both enjoyed TITANIUM NOIR. I suspect there’s a sequel in the works.