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Title details for Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway - Available

Titanium Noir

A novel

by Nick Harkaway
Davis Brooks
Audiobook
1 of 3 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 3 copies available
A virtuosic mashup of Philip K. Dick and Raymond Chandler by way of Marvel—the story of a detective investigating the murder of a Titan, one of society’s most powerful, medically-enhanced elites. • “Cross-genre brilliance from the superbly talented Nick Harkaway.” —William Gibson, New York Times best-selling author of Agency
"An exemplar of its genre, Titanium Noir twists and turns between excellent fun and deep melancholy." —The New York Times Book Review

Cal Sounder is a detective working for the police on certain very sensitive cases. So when he’s called in to investigate a homicide at a local apartment, he’s surprised by the routineness of it all. But when he arrives on scene, Cal soon learns that the victim—Roddy Tebbit, an otherwise milquetoast techie—is well over seven feet tall. And although he doesn’t look a day over thirty, he is ninety-one years old. Tebbit is a Titan—one of this dystopian, near-future society’s genetically altered elites. And this case is definitely Cal’s thing.
There are only a few thousand Titans worldwide, thanks to Stefan Tonfamecasca’s discovery of the controversial T7 genetic therapy, which elevated his family to godlike status. T7 turns average humans into near-immortal distortions of themselves—with immense physical proportions to match their ostentatious, unreachable lifestyles. A dead Titan is big news . . . a murdered Titan is unimaginable. But these modified magnates are Cal’s specialty. In fact, his own ex-girlfriend, Athena, is a Titan. And not just any—she is Stefan’s daughter, heir to the massive Tonfamecasca empire.  
As the murder investigation intensifies, Cal begins to unravel the complicated threads of what should have been a straightforward case, and it becomes clear he’s on the trail of a crime whose roots run deep into the dark heart of the world.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 16, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593740484
      • File size: 237707 KB
      • Duration: 08:15:13

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from June 5, 2023
      Harkaway (Gnomon) pulls off an artful blend of science fiction and hard-boiled detective story in this excellent outing. In the near future, gene therapy has made a remarkable breakthrough: those able to afford an expensive procedure called Titanium 7 appear younger, gaining great height, strength, and longevity. Private eye Cal Sounder, who specializes in investigations involving these so-called “Titans,” is hired by his friend, homicide detective Giles Gratton, to consult on a tricky case. Roddy Tebbit, a 91-year-old Titan who looked half his age, has been shot execution-style in his apartment in a part of the city where a large number of the world’s 2,000 Titans live. Apart from his genetic enhancement, Tebbit led an unremarkable life, making it hard to identify a motive for his slaying. Despite their small numbers, Titans wield significant political power, so Sounder makes the case a priority. Soon, however, his investigation points to answers that may lie closer to home than he’d like. Harkaway’s superior worldbuilding makes it easy for readers to buy in to the conceit, which burnishes detective story clichés with sci-fi flair. It’s a wild ride.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Davis Brooks takes listeners to a different world with a commanding style that matches its strange culture. In this world of super-wealthy, near-eternal seven-foot giants called Titans, the killing of such a being is almost unheard of. So when a Titan named Roddy is found dead, private detective Cal Sounder must determine if his death was a suicide or murder. A Titan's organs are worth a fortune on the black market because Titans number only a few thousand since the painful process to become one costs billions and sometimes produces grotesque results. Brooks leads listeners on a suspenseful tour of this dystopian future with unusual accents from lands that don't exist and a hypnotic voice that captures the imagination. M.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      Harkaway's (Gnomon) latest is a heady blend of sci-fi and noir thriller set in a dystopian near future. Detective Cal Sounder specializes in sensitive cases involving an elite class of genetically altered people known as Titans. With the help of T7 genetic therapy, Titans are unusually tall, long-lived, and incredibly strong; there are only a few thousand of them worldwide. Sounder's new case involves a Titan unlike any he has ever known--Roddy Tebbit, a 91-year-old who was shot in his apartment. Apart from looking like he is in his thirties, the victim is remarkably ordinary, having lived a humdrum life as a university professor with no political ties or desire for luxury. As the investigation progresses, Sounder finds himself the target of multiple murder attempts and makes unlikely allies as he untangles the web of lies surrounding the victim's past. Narrator Davis Brooks lends the perfect voice to this mash-up noir, with his dry wit, gravelly tone, and gruff delivery. VERDICT A winner for readers of Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Richard K. Morgan's Altered Carbon. Highly recommended for libraries with strong mystery and science fiction fan bases.--Katy Duperry

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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