The Escher Man

A gangster questions his reality in this gritty cyberpunk thriller from Napper (36 Streets). In 2101 Macau, Australian expat Endel “Endgame” Ebbinghaus works as an assassin for drug lord and corporate spy Mister Long, who manipulates Endgame’s memories through his cochlear-glyph implant. At first Endgame accepts the memory blocks so he can commit horrific violence without ethical consequences. But visions of his wife, Jian, and daughter, Kylie, haunt him. After consulting an Omissioner, or memory expert, he learns that he can get his memories, and hopefully his family, back. First he has to get Long’s goons off Jian’s trail, and then he has to destroy Long’s empire from the ground up. As Endgame travels through Southern China, Shanghai, and Vietnam, the violence intensifies and the body count rises. Then Endgame gets information that leads him to suspect the line between true and false memory is very thin. Napper concocts a visceral toxic future set in an unforgiving world of rain, grime, and gangland turmoil. The stakes are high and the tech is fascinating. Cyberpunk fans are sure to get a kick out of this polished and exciting adventure. (Sept.)