Gridlinked

By Neal Asher

Neal Asher has been publishing short fiction and books in the small press in Britain for several years, and made a successful move to paperback in 2001 with Gridlinked. He got a sheaf of favorable notices. "This is a brilliant and audacious work, chock-full of cutting-edge ideas. . . . I look forward to [his next books] enormously and to seeing Asher receive the success he is clearly destined for. Highly recommended," said SFRevu.com. Now Asher crosses the Atlantic and breaks into hardcover with Gridlinked, a science fiction adventure in the classic, fast-paced, action-packed tradition of Harry Harrison and Poul Anderson, with a dash of cyberpunk and a splash of Ian Fleming added to spice the mix.

Cormac is a legendary Earth Central Security agent, the James Bond of a wealthy future where "runcibles" (matter transmitters controlled by AIs) 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 do without just as he's sent to investigate the unique runcible disaster that's wiped out the entire human colony on planet Samarkand in a thirty-megaton explosion. With the runcible out, Cormac must get there by ship, but he has 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 deep beneath Samarkand's surface there are buried mysteries, fiercely guarded.

This is fast-moving, edge-of-the-seat entertainment -- an American debut that's sure to make a splash and launch Neal Asher in a big way.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Aug 21, 2009
• ISBN: 9781429910392

Neal Asher

Neal Asher divides his time between Essex and Crete, mostly at a keyboard and mentally light years away. His full-length novels are as follows. First is the Agent Cormac series: Gridlinked, The Line of Polity, Brass Man, Polity Agent and Line War. Next comes the Spatterjay series: The Skinner, The Voyage of the Sable Keech and Orbus. Also set in the same world of the Polity are these standalone novels: Hilldiggers, Prador Moon, Shadow of the Scorpion, The Technician, Jack Four and Weaponized. The Transformation trilogy is also based in the Polity: Dark Intelligence, War Factory and Infinity Engine. Set in a dystopian future are The Departure, Zero Point and Jupiter War, while Cowl takes us across time. The Rise of the Jain trilogy is comprised of The Soldier, The Warship and The Human, and is also set in the Polity universe.

Reviews for Gridlinked

[vitaly1-930762 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Pretty average Sci-fi and the dialogue was a bit clunky, but I still enjoyed the hell out of it.

[cl2dlope · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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[reading_fox · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kind of fun, a bit like Altered Carbon, the basic premise is that of an enhanced secret service agent helping to keep humanity safe (ish) against various threats. Here our agent Ian Cormac, has been 'gridlinked; to an AI for over 30 years and has started to lose his own humanity, preferring the instantaneous information of 'online' over any real human interaction. When he almost fails a mission because of this the service head (immortal really?) "asks" him to remove the connection prior to going on his next mission. Why this is relevant is never explained. Ian investigates why one of the planetary ftl exchanges exploded. ,Meanwhile we gets lots of cutaways to the gang he just about managed to foil in the opening, who's surviving members are all sworn on revenge. These include a corrupted AI golem, who proves to be a fairly ferocious opponent. I don't like cutaways to the evil geniuses revealing their plans to the reader, but not the hero. The technology was fine, and info-dumping kept to a minimum, but I was never thoroughly engrossed in the story or bonded with Ian that much. The alien is at least truly alien, in motives and action. I'm not sure how this helped the plot that much, as it all got a bit odd at the end - hopefully a sequel will clarify matters. As a concept it worked quite well, but the execution remains a bit scratchy here and there. If there's any wider parallel to society in the sequels remains to be seen, I might try one, but because the universe is mostly interesting.

[anniemod · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had been planning to read the Polity novels for years and somehow never got around to it. So now it seemed like the time - and I wonder why I waited for so long. Meet Ian Cormac - an agent of the Polity, the organization that rules the universe (or that contains most of the planets in the living worlds anyway). It is a human-based - there are no real aliens (well, that is not exactly true but for the most part) although humanity had both evolved and changed itself - mostly to ensure their survival but sometimes just because they could. At the start of the novel, Cormac is deep undercover with a terrorist anti-Polity group - figuring out how they find weapons and connections. And he decides not to kill their leader which will end up causing issues down the road. All agents are gridlinked - a way to directly connect into what amounts to interplanetary internet. And Ian had been like that for 30 years, longer than anyone should have been. So when he is sent to investigate an accident that killed everyone on a colony, he is pulled of the grid. And things get interesting. Because he meets an old friend - an alien he had seen before; one with weird reasons for his actions. On top of that, the terrorist Ian spared (and is now half-mad) had found his own half-mad robot and really want to kill our agent. Add to this an immortal man that had survived a nuclear explosion (on our Earth? On a parallel one?) and things get weird. Weirder really.I actually enjoyed this novel a lot - characters may not be fully developed and it may never get its technology fully explained but as a first novel in a series and a debut of an author it is great. And it is entertaining and absolutely worth reading. On to the next Polity novel - based on the order they were written and published in and not the usually used chronological one.

[jercox · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good start / second book in the ian cormac series (a prequel about his early life was written later / read first).

[bezoar44 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The world building is interesting, the hero is coolly competent, and the violence is pointlessly over the top. Something causes an interstellar traveler to explode on arrival, destroying a human colony on an extremely cold world. Agent Cormac is sent to investigate, and has to penetrate layers and layers of deceit, plots, and counterplots between one or more alien entities (I don't think I ever really understood how they were related). Meanwhile, a psychotic terrorist with a team of crack killers pursues Cormac, looking for revenge. Some lesser characters - notably, the mercenary Stanton and the ship captain Jarvellis -- pump up the suspense, since they're somewhat sympathetic but, unlike Cormac (since the series is named for him), aren't guaranteed to survive this story (and in fact...).

[billycongo · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While I enjoyed the multiple point of view narrative, I wasn't quite sure about the transformation of Cormac into someone seemingly omniscient. The narrative seemed to hint at other worldly powers for him and Blegg. I liked Stanton and the rest of the characters much better.

[kenzen-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Entertaining, fast-paced. A bit predictable, but ultimately fun.

[ivan0frade · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It starts badly, with some annoying put downs like the main character dropping a huge advantage just because, or not killing his antagonist for the rest of the book for some unknown reason, but then it picks up and becomes non-stop action. It is a growing spiral where each side gets some great advantage just be overtaken from the other side few pages later.Futuristic action pulp, hard and violent.

[inasrullah64 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Grid linked was a great book. Reminded me a lot of the Stainless Steel Rat novels from the 1980s. Book is very fast paced. Great technology, violent, and galactic in scale. Great villains. And in the end a nice argument for the power of human potential and the need to eschew dependency technology for all your answers.

[libgirl69 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

excellent!

[thegreatape-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The premise of "Ian Fleming meets the post-Singularity space opera" sounds right up my alley, but this wound up as a bit of a letdown. I had a hard time caring about any of the characters— the villain's psychosis was just over the top and Agent Cormac, the ostensible protagonist, was strangely passive through most of the story. Asher's Polity universe has some promise, but flat characters and somewhat mushy prose kinda doomed this one for me. This was the author's first book, so perhaps I'll give one of his later novels a try another time.

[roses7184_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Gridlinked was the first full length Sci Fi book I've read in roughly 4 years. I had forgotten how much you really need to slow down, and absorb the world you're being immersed in. While it took me a little longer to read than I expected, this book definitely reminded me of why I miss Sci Fi in all of its gorgeous, complex glory.

The Polity universe is a thing of beauty. A world rich with myths, legends, and the type of technology that makes you wish you lived there. It took me a bit to firmly seat myself inside this world. I loved the little intros at the beginning of each chapter, pulling background information from books that Polity inhabitants had written. I appreciated the fact that Neal Asher never felt the need for infodumps. There was never a point where I felt buried under information necessary for me to understand the story. Instead, it was laid out slowly and intentionally. While that meant it took me a little longer to settle, it also meant I never wanted to stop reading.

On to Ian Cormac, our main character and a thoroughly fascinating person. Hands down, Cormac was my favorite part of this story. His background was rich, and he felt like a real person to me. Following along as he dealt with his addiction to being gridlinked, watching as he had to relearn how to read social cues, it made him a person I could get behind. Best of all, every other character in this first story was just as detailed. These were characters I could love, or loathe, as the story dictated.

So why the three star rating? Mainly, it's me not the book. I'll admit that there were a few grammatical errors that drove me a little batty, but mainly this is just me getting comfortable with the vast space that is Sci Fi. That being said, those of you who already read this genre will likely love this series. One thing I do know? I'll be going on to the next book! The ending was perfect, but also prompted me to read more. That, is a beautiful thing.

[ricaustria · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

About 85% done according to Kindle: a brawny, masculine book about an insensitive super agent. The story is more about action than sense or motivations. Characters are introduced and killed without compassion. A cold book that reminds me of action movies such as Mission Impossible or Captain America, where the entertainment is in the blasting, furious activity, tantalizing the eyes but light on the humanity and eminently forgettable.

I realize that Asher wrote many books in the same universe and maybe they would have more heart than this. But am somewhat disappointed since I started this having the notion that the book would be comparable to Haldeman's Forever War, but instead its a chase story filled with sf gadgetry. Perhaps others would find this mind-blowing and fun, but sorry to say, I am not so thrilled.

Addendum: Just finished the book. On hindsight, Asher has style and this helped move the book along. Maybe I'll try another of his books later.

[scottcholstad · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I bought Gridlinked on the basis of someone’s recommendation and saw the book had a good online rating and was part of a highly rated series. It sounded good, kind of like a cyberpunk James Bond, so I bought the first three, fortunately at my used bookstore. I then started reading this first one. Initially, I tried to forge ahead, but I never quite seemed to get into it. It never sparked that much interest in me. I kept waiting for it to “get going.” “Legendary” ECS agent Ian Cormac has been hooked up to the information “grid” (thus “gridlinked”) for some 30 years now, which is 10 years too many, so the director of the agency has assigned him a high priority case and has unlinked him. Now he has a sadistic killer after him and he’s unable to even function without that little computer in his head. He’s truly pathetic. But, God, the story just kind of drags. Even when there’s action, it’s kind of predictable and it just drags. Sadistic killer kills. Oooh. Cormac screws up because he’s not gridlinked. Oh, didn’t see that coming. I don’t know, it just didn’t resonate with me. I dragged this book out while reading – and finishing – other books, hoping this book would catch fire with me and I think I’m giving up, now that I’m on page 316. I hate getting that far in a book and not finishing it, but I see no point in moving on. I have a feeling the rest of it is probably just as predictable as the first 315 pages. Or as boring. Take your pick. The thing that gets to me is, now I have two more books to read in the series. Do I dare? I probably should since I spent money on them, but are they going to be total wastes of time? I hope not. Maybe they’ll be better. I have noted that each additional book in the series keeps going up in their ratings, so that’s hopeful. In terms of my rating, man … I guess three stars. I would give it 2.5, but I guess I’ll round up. Not a great book, not trash. I usually recommend a book or don’t recommend a book. I’ll do neither in this case, which is rare for me. Sorry about that. Three stars, rounded up from 2.5.

[readafew · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought that this book was excellent. It was a great exciting read and a reasonable look into our far future. The story is about a Ian Cormac, an agent who has spent the last 30 years 'gridlinked' or constantly connected to a network of AI's. He has access to all available information almost before he evens asks for it. However, most humans are disconnected from the grid after 20 years because of the chance of permanent psychological problems. Now it's time for Cormac to be unplugged. He's also being sent on one of his most important missions of his 70 year career. Unfortunately, during is last mission he made an enemy of a rich psycho who wants nothing more than to kill Ian for revenge and is willing to do what ever it takes to accomplish this. It makes his difficult mission that much more so.Excellent book, I plan to continue reading the series. What I find interesting is that it kind of resembles a sci-fi version of David Eddings work.

[timothyl33 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting debut book that I borrowed on a whim at the library.

[shrike58 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes you just need a thriller, as I knocked off this novel in basically one day. I'm well aware of the critiques regarding the limitations of Asher's work, but there are the things that he does really well. His settings always have a tactile quality to them, even if you might wish for a little more emotional depth in his characters. His villains and aliens are creative; the former reminding you as to how alien how people can be from each other. And Asher does keep the action moving along; a particular joy after the last Jane Austen wannabe disguised as fantasy I slogged through. I also like Asher's concept that in a society of relative plenty the violent protestors would be those frustrated at not being able to exploit their fellow man.

[iftyzaidi · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Highly mediocre is probably the term that best sums up this book. For the most part its a bog-standard 'super-agent in space' type of story, with rather derivative ideas and plot elements and thoroughly uninteresting characters [one of the few things that does stand out is the psychotic android Mr. Crane, and I notice that the author has devoted an entire book to this character down the line which has my curiosity piqued].The plot and worldbuilding is also mediocre - in the sense that things are not well thought out, there are logical inconsistencies, and can't help getting the feeling that the good guys are actually not very good at all. The whole idea of the Polity, [all-seeing state run by AIs for the good of mankind], its raison d'etre [bringing order to the universe], its gestapo-like secret police which goes about ruthlessly crushing separatist movements across the galaxies reeks of fascism.But obviously that is over-thinking what is essentially a bloody sci-fi/james bond blend of popcorn. For what it is, its a reasonably fun read.

[m8a8harding · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

at the time I thought: bit derivative, all action driven. But it sticks in my memory and doesn't go away. I need to read more in the series I think.