Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
New York : Tom Doherty Associates, 2006, c1989.
Pages
289
Description
The Hugo Award-winning author returns to the futuristic, high-tech Middle East setting of When Gravity Falls in this "major science fiction epic" (Locus). In a world filled with so many puppets, strings tend to get tangled. In this follow-up to the groundbreaking cyberpunk novel When Gravity Fails, the Budayeen is still a very dangerous place, a high-tech Arabian ghetto where power and murder go hand in hand. Marid Audran used to be a low-level street hustler, relying on his wits and independence. Now he's a cop planted in the force by Friedlander Bey, the powerful "godfather" of the Budayeen. Marid is supposed to simply be Bey's envoy into the police, but as a series of grisly murders piles up--children, prostitutes, a fellow officer--he is drawn deeper and deeper into the city's chaos. Would Marid give up all his newfound money and power to get out of this mess? Absolutely. If only he could. But answers are never that easy and choices are never completely one's own in the Budayeen.… (more)
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novel — 1990)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1989
Physical description
289 p.; 8.7 inches
ISBN
0765313596 / 9780765313591
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User reviews
LibraryThing member lithicbee
Marid begins to grow into his own in the second novel of Effinger's Marid Audran trilogy, and we learn more about the greater world, Arab and otherwise. This novel was less dark: bad things still happen, but Marid also gets to kick some ass. The plot involves a series of unsolved murders, child
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slavery, and the political struggle between Freidlander Bey and another powerful lord for control not only of the Budayeen but much of the world. Show Less
LibraryThing member agingcow2345
I was in love with the first volume of this series, When Gravity Fails. Not so much with the second. It reads as if written to a plot outline. The prose gets you from A to B to C as the author hits his plot twists. The characters seem flat as compared to book 1. The plot moves along but goes
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nowhere and ends at no particular place. It is a fun read and I only paid used price. At full price I would probably have felt cheated. I realize that doing a series is hard work as each volume must both stand on its own and advance the larger enterprise. To me this rates as a failure at this. Pity. The concept of a cyber noir future Arabia was neat and the initial drawing of characters and setting intriguing. Still I did just order the third volume so I have not yet abandoned hope. Show Less
LibraryThing member RandyStafford
My reactions on reading this book in 1989.
It had a black, grim humor about it that glimmered on and off like a knife blade in an alley. I liked having Mârid Audran back as a policeman. He moves from the uncompromising, somewhat romantic and naive, character of When Gravity Fails, a character of
Yasmin, Audran's sex-changed lover, was back as was the stupid (comically so -- some of the scenes with him serve no function but humor) as was Fuad Il-Manhous; the ferocious, emotional bar tender Chiriga; the perverse, but blackly funny homosexual (and lover of young boys), Saied the Half-Hajiz; the sinister, possibly mad and oddly devout Friedlander Bey, Audran's patron.
There were new, interesting characters: Shaknahyi the policeman and his oddly devout, stripper wife Indihar (who is so conservative she enjoyed being circumcised); the humorous, devoted, intelligent Slava Kumuzu; and the monstrous, perverted Abu Adil and his naively ambitous, sex-toy and personal assistant Umar Abdul-Qawy.
One of the delightful things about this novel is Effinger's further exploration of his mind-programming moddies showing everything from religious counseling moddies, moddies to do drudge work or feel stupid. Abu Adil has a truly sick propensity for moddies recorded off terminally ill people and mind-rape moddies recorded off tortured people.
More sleaze is here -- slavery, child prostitution, torture -- as are references to the Balkanized world of the future as well as Abu Adil and Friedlander Bey's roles as power brokers.
I, as in the first book, liked the Arab culture and its idiosyncracies. It is there, however, the book falls down. The novel is a tale of corruption, double-dealing, and power-broking. However, Effinger never really sets up the cultural, legal, and political rules of his world and that definately dulls the edge on a tale of corruption and mystery. Is Audran being corrupt in being on the police payroll as well as Freidlander Bey's? He is very open about it and gets little social sanction and no legal ones. Just how much influence do Adil and Bey have? Can they buy their way out of anything? If so, why does Adil fear the potential sanction of Islamic clergy? Is there something in Arabic culture that keeps Bey and Adil safe despite their lax security? Is there something in Arabic culture which stops Audran from killing Adil at novel's end?
It had a black, grim humor about it that glimmered on and off like a knife blade in an alley. I liked having Mârid Audran back as a policeman. He moves from the uncompromising, somewhat romantic and naive, character of When Gravity Fails, a character of
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fierce independence, to an owned creature: property of Friedlander Bey and his conscience. In the process, he finds, refreshingly, a reaffirmation of his Islamic faith, some of his past, and a tentative relationship with his mother. I liked Audran establishing his friendships again with the characters who abandoned him in When Gravity Fails. Yasmin, Audran's sex-changed lover, was back as was the stupid (comically so -- some of the scenes with him serve no function but humor) as was Fuad Il-Manhous; the ferocious, emotional bar tender Chiriga; the perverse, but blackly funny homosexual (and lover of young boys), Saied the Half-Hajiz; the sinister, possibly mad and oddly devout Friedlander Bey, Audran's patron.
There were new, interesting characters: Shaknahyi the policeman and his oddly devout, stripper wife Indihar (who is so conservative she enjoyed being circumcised); the humorous, devoted, intelligent Slava Kumuzu; and the monstrous, perverted Abu Adil and his naively ambitous, sex-toy and personal assistant Umar Abdul-Qawy.
One of the delightful things about this novel is Effinger's further exploration of his mind-programming moddies showing everything from religious counseling moddies, moddies to do drudge work or feel stupid. Abu Adil has a truly sick propensity for moddies recorded off terminally ill people and mind-rape moddies recorded off tortured people.
More sleaze is here -- slavery, child prostitution, torture -- as are references to the Balkanized world of the future as well as Abu Adil and Friedlander Bey's roles as power brokers.
I, as in the first book, liked the Arab culture and its idiosyncracies. It is there, however, the book falls down. The novel is a tale of corruption, double-dealing, and power-broking. However, Effinger never really sets up the cultural, legal, and political rules of his world and that definately dulls the edge on a tale of corruption and mystery. Is Audran being corrupt in being on the police payroll as well as Freidlander Bey's? He is very open about it and gets little social sanction and no legal ones. Just how much influence do Adil and Bey have? Can they buy their way out of anything? If so, why does Adil fear the potential sanction of Islamic clergy? Is there something in Arabic culture that keeps Bey and Adil safe despite their lax security? Is there something in Arabic culture which stops Audran from killing Adil at novel's end?
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LibraryThing member Shirezu
The next book in the Marîd Audran is a bit different from the first. Marîd is no longer anyone's favourite person. He's treated like scum by all his old friends for the horrific incident at the end of the last book as well as he's now Friedlander Bey's lieutenant.
Not so much a detective book this
It's still a fairly dark book but lacks the punch of the first one. There's nothing really new in the world although there is a mention of a new technology which may pop up later. It was a good book but I was hoping for more.
Not so much a detective book this
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time Audran is now Papa's official liaison with the police force helping them when suitable. He's also dealing with his past when he finds his mother for the first time since his youth. And coming up against the only rival Papa has.It's still a fairly dark book but lacks the punch of the first one. There's nothing really new in the world although there is a mention of a new technology which may pop up later. It was a good book but I was hoping for more.
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LibraryThing member david_c
I read this a long time ago, but it and its companion When Gravity Fails feel to me to be a couple of books that helped to define cyber-punk.