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Metrophage

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Metrophage by Richard Kadrey is a cyberpunk novel set in a future, dystopian Los Angeles where a street hustler named Jonny Qabbala gets caught up in a conspiracy involving a strange disease outbreak and a government organization. The story is fast-paced, dark, and gritty, filled with violence, over-the-top dialogue, and quirky characters like Johnny's housemates Ice and Sumi.

Characters:

Characters are complex and diverse, with Jonny serving as a resourceful antihero amidst a cast of intriguing allies and foes.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is characterized by gritty humor and dynamic pacing, reminiscent of Kadrey's subsequent works, with a focus on vivid imagery.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative features Jonny Qabbala, a hustler involved in a chaotic web of government corruption and a spreading plague in a dystopian Los Angeles.

Setting:

Set in a fractured, dystopian version of Los Angeles, it reflects a blend of cultures and societal decay.

Pacing:

The story's pacing is fast and chaotic, maintaining reader engagement through unexpected twists.
A crip by the name of Easy Money ran the HoloWhores down at a place called Carnaby’s Pit. At least he had been running them the last time Jonny Qabbala, drug dealer, ex–Committee for Public Health bou...

Notes:

Metrophage was originally published in 1988 and reissued by Harper Voyager in 2014 as a signed first edition.
The book is considered one of the early works of cyberpunk, a genre that started with William Gibson's Neuromancer in 1984.
It features a dystopian future Los Angeles, often referred to as 'Last Ass' by its residents.
The story follows Jonny Qabbala, a street hustler dealing drugs while navigating a plague and government conspiracies.
Metrophage explores themes like the wealth divide, portrayed through the 'one percent vs ninety nine percent' narrative.
Richard Kadrey's writing style is characterized by gritty dialogue and dark humor, similar to his later Sandman Slim series.
The novel includes a diverse cultural mix, including influences from Asian and Middle Eastern cultures alongside North American elements.
Metrophage has a mix of violence, sex, and action, making it a bit of a wild ride for readers.
The character Jonny is depicted as a typical anti-hero with a knack for survival and self-preservation.
The book has been praised for its characterizations and vivid imagery despite its graphic content.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings for Metrophage include violence, drug use, explicit sexual scenes, and themes of disease and decay.

Has Romance?

There are romantic elements in the novel, particularly involving the protagonist Johnny and his relationships with two women.

From The Publisher:

New York Times bestselling author Richard Kadrey’s first novel—the cult classic dystopian cyberpunk tale—now back in print after twenty years in a special signed, collectible edition.

Welcome to the near future: Los Angeles in the late 21st century—a segregated city of haves and have nots, where morality is dead and technology rules. Here, a small group of wealthy seclude themselves in gilded cages. Beyond their high security compounds, far from their pretty comforts, lies a lawless wasteland where the angry masses battle hunger, rampant disease, and their own despair to survive.

Jonny was born into this Hobbesian paradise. A street-wise hustler who deals drugs on the black market—narcotics that heal the body and cool the mind—he looks out for nobody but himself.

Until a terrifying plague sweeps through L.A., wreaking death and panic. And no one, not even a clever operator like Jonny, is safe. His own life hanging in the balance, Jonny must risk everything to find the cure—if there is one. The book will include a Q & A with Cory Doctorow.

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