The Escher Man by T. R. Napper

Rating: 9/10

Synopsis

Endel ‘Endgame’ Ebbinghaus is a violent man, a street-level enforcer for a drug cartel. Or is he? In The Escher Man, nothing is as it seems. Friends, enemies, the past and the present, all become blurred in a world where memory manipulation has become the weapon of choice for powerful corporations.

From the gaudy, glittering demimonde of Macau, to the war-torn, steaming streets of northern Vietnam, Endel must fight to save his family, his life, and the fading memory of the man he once was.

Review

The Escher Man is less cyberpunk and more cybermetal – heavy metal. This book rocks!

Memory and reality are questioned in this metaphysical maelstrom of a novel. Brilliantly perceived through the eyes and mind of its main character.

Napper returns to his near future world, with its southeast Asian setting, providing a very believable speculative view of our near future. Vivid and violent, and with Napper’s cool wit, we take a different look at many popular themes of the genre, like AI, social media, and humanity’s interaction with technology and it’s manipulation of the mind.

It’s the little touches that add so much depth to the world building, relatable and sometimes tongue-in-cheek, like the ego and opinion feeds (Insta and X perhaps).

The plot and story is driven by the well fleshed-out, morally grey characters – following the vibe from his debut 36 Streets – the main character here is as grey as they come, a violent criminal but a dedicated family man. Endgame is a superb narrator for the story – a gangster with hidden depths, he’s engaging and feels real.

At times this is a total mindf#&k, in the best sense of the word, and so rewarding. The ideas on memory, reality, and technology are extremely well developed, fascinating, and worryingly believable too.

The Escher Man brings together everything I’ve enjoyed from this author’s work so far. T. R. Napper has quickly become a new favourite of mine. With each new book he continues to deliver. He has a distinctive voice that is perfect for this genre. His prose and pacing are all pitch perfect, never missing a beat.