Gridlinked

Here is the first-ever Polity novel, which kicks off the fast-paced science fiction adventures of far-future James Bond-esque Agent Ian Cormac—from Neal Asher, author of more than 20 books and nominee for both the Philip K. Dick and the British Fantasy Society awards..

Ian Cormac is a legendary Earth Central Security agent, the James Bond of a wealthy future where "runcibles" allow interstellar travel in an eye blink throughout the settled worlds of the Polity. Unfortunately, Cormac is nearly burnt out, "gridlinked" to the AI net so long that his humanity has begun to drain away. He has to take the cold-turkey cure and shake his addiction to having his brain on the net.

Now, he must learn to do without, just as he's sent to investigate a unique runcible disaster that's wiped out the entire human colony on planet Samarkand in a thirty-megaton explosion.

Unfortunately, Cormac has also incurred the wrath of a vicious psychopath called Arian Pelter, who now follows him across the galaxy with a terrifying psychotic killer android in tow. And all the while, deep beneath Samarkand's surface lurk buried mysteries, fiercely guarded. . . .

Night Shade Books is proud to reissue Neal Asher’s Agent Cormac series, a fast-moving, edge-of-your-seat science fiction adventure from one of today’s most exciting SF talents.

Neal Asher is a science fiction writer whose work has been nominated for both the Philip K. Dick and the British Fantasy Society awards. He has published more than twenty books, many set within his “Polity” universe, including Gridlinked, The Skinner, and Dark Intelligence. He divides his time between Essex and a home in Crete.

Praise for Gridlinked:

“Gridlinked is to space opera what Doom is to Pac-Man . . . [Asher’s] willing to take the chance to pound out the heavy-metal version of space opera with big language, bold characters and wide-screen action.” —Rick Kleffel, The Agony Column

“Gridlinked is the perfect place to start with Asher’s work, and most definitely recommended . . . It’s got action, intrigue, strange aliens, and powerful AIs, but it also has some interesting characters that drive the plot forward at speed, all the while making you want to find out just what happens next.” —Mark Chitty, SFFWorld.com

“Lots of page-turning action scenes and unexpected plot twists . . . Asher creates a really interesting mix of cyberpunk, detective thriller, and military action.” —John DeNardo, SF Signal

“Often gruesome and shocking but it is always engrossing and never once does Asher drop the ball . . . A brilliant and audacious work, chock-full of (often literally!) cutting-edge ideas.” —John Berlyne, SFRevu

“Gritty. Now, there's a word you don't often hear in connection with science fiction . . . Is it too early in 2001 to be thinking of a top-ten list? Not with a novel this impressive.” —Lisa DuMond, SF Site

General Praise for Neal Asher:

“Neal Asher’s books are like an adrenaline shot targeted directly for the brain.” —New York Times bestselling author John Scalzi

“With mind-blowing complexity, characters, and combat, Asher’s work continues to combine the best of advanced cybertech and military SF.” ?Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Asher is a modern master of sci-fi.” —Starburst magazine

“A wide-screen special-effects extravaganza, a space opera featuring gods and monsters . . . Doc Smith and Olaf Stapledon in a blender, turned up to eleven, with the contents splattering across the ceiling.” ?Russell Letson, Locus

“Asher has an amazing talent for world-building, for writing larger-than-life characters, for weaving gripping plots and for imagining exotic alien races and wonderful technologies. Huge ships! Big weapons! Space battles! Ground battles! Treason! Revenge! This is New Space Opera at its best.” —Sense of Wonder

“Hardboiled, fast-paced space opera . . . Asher’s books are similar to the world of Iain M. Banks’ Culture universe, but the Polity is arguably a much darker and more vicious environment—and all the better for it.” —The Register