When Gravity FailsOpen Road Media, 2014 M04 1 - 284 pages In a futuristic Middle East, plug-ins can turn anyone into a killer in this “wry and black and savage” Nebula and Hugo award finalist (George R. R. Martin). Set in a high-tech near future featuring an ascendant Muslim world and divided Western superpowers, this cult classic takes us into a world with mind- or mood-altering drugs for any purpose, brains enhanced by electronic hardware with plug-in memory additions and modules offering the wearer new personalities, and bodies shaped to perfection by surgery. Marid Audran, an unmodified and fairly honest street hustler, lives in a decadent Arab ghetto, the Budayeen, and holds on tight to his cherished independence. Then, against his best instincts, he becomes involved in a series of inexplicable murders. Some seem like routine assassinations, carried out with an old-fashioned handgun by a man wearing a plug-in James Bond persona; others, involving whores, feature prolonged torture and horrible mutilations. Soon the problem comes to the attention of Budayeen godfather Friedlander Bey—who makes Audran an offer he can’t refuse. Nominated for the Nebula and Hugo awards, the highest honors in the genre, When Gravity Fails, which introduced the cyberpunk Budayeen Cycle, is a pioneering work the Denver Post called “superior science fiction” and Harlan Ellison described as “crazy as a spider on ice skates . . . plain old terrific.” |
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... Bey's jackals . About a year ago I had been pretty friendly with her , but she was just too much trouble . When you were with her , you had to keep track of the pills and the drinks she was taking ; one too many and Nikki got ...
... Bey's jackals . About a year ago I had been pretty friendly with her , but she was just too much trouble . When you were with her , you had to keep track of the pills and the drinks she was taking ; one too many and Nikki got ...
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... Bey's bottleholder . Abdoulaye had about a dozen girls and boys on wires all around the Budayeen . " Easy enough ... Bey - within the walls we all called him Papa ; he practically owned the Budayeen , and had the rest of the city in his ...
... Bey's bottleholder . Abdoulaye had about a dozen girls and boys on wires all around the Budayeen . " Easy enough ... Bey - within the walls we all called him Papa ; he practically owned the Budayeen , and had the rest of the city in his ...
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... Bey's influence that everyone else does . He won't dare cross Hassan's decision . And you better not , either . If you skip out without paying , Papa will send his thugs after you . You'll be back to work for sure , then . After you ...
... Bey's influence that everyone else does . He won't dare cross Hassan's decision . And you better not , either . If you skip out without paying , Papa will send his thugs after you . You'll be back to work for sure , then . After you ...
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Abdoulaye Allah Arabic asked Audran Bey's bingara Black Widow Sisters blood Bogatyrev brain wired Budayeen Business is business called chipped Chiri daddies dead Devi door drink drugs eyes face feel felt Frenchy Frenchy's Friedlander Bey friends Fuad gave GEORGE ALEC EFFINGER girl give goddamn going grinned Hajjar Half-Hajj hand Hassan head hell HUGO AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR hundred kiam Jacques James Bond Jo-Mama Khan killed killer knew Laila Lieutenant Okking looked Lutz Mahmoud Maribel Marîd moddy murdered murmured needle gun nephew Nero Wolfe never night Nikki nodded Okking's Papa Papa's police remember Seipolt Selima Shaykh shoulder shrugged sitting smiled someone stared Street sure Tami Tamiko tell thanks thing thought told took tri-phets Trudi turned Universal Export voice waited walked Yasmin Yeah Yeniknani