Gridlinked

The production values of this, Neal's first novel, are stunning. The trade paperback is solid and slick and the cover is a superb photo collage depicting what Tron failed to do - visualise a linked man and computer. This is not however a simple virtual reality story. It is a thriller set in a world of Artificial Intelligence and Neuromancer type brain links with vast databases.

It is true that many of the superficial images are reminiscent of worlds written about by Iain M. Banks and Peter Hamilton, but Neal has an inherent vein of humour and readability that gives his stories something unique.

The novel is tricky to get in to as the first two characters are killed off within the prologue and first few pages, however when Agent Cormak, the main character, is introduced things start falling in to place. We find out he is almost a machine due to having been linked with almost limitless knowledge through links with massive computers for 30 years. Suddenly, when a new important job comes up he is told that he must disconnect and try to be more human. That is one of the factors which bring the reader into the book. He finds our world of ignorance and emotion so strange and a little terrifying.

His task is to find out why a stargate-like "runcible" has exploded when a technician passed through, killing 10, 000 people.

The plot twists and turns up nasty criminal life in the form of separatists who continually terrorise the governing 'Polity'.

The characters are well realised and the plot satisfyingly complex. There may be a few minor flaws, but this is a writer to watch out for. It's a rare thing, to find an author with the confidence and skill to produce entertaining works.