Book Review: Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan

Twenty years ago we were saving files by inserting 1.44Mb plastic disks into bulky desktops, but today with a mobile phone in hand, we can upload and download gigabytes and terabytes of information, from anywhere in the world. We live in an era where science and technology are advancing at an exponential rate. More and more things are getting digitized, and we are creating and storing information at a volume greater than ever seen in the human history. Not only has technology changed the way we live and work, but it has also changed our values. As we ponder on the role of technology in our future imagine this scenario; what will the world be like if our brains can also be digitized and downloaded into a new body?

In Altered Carbon, a cyberpunk, detective noir, Richard Morgan explored the socio-economic impacts, as well as the costs, for immorality. Netflix has adapted the book into a TV series, which was well received, but I prefer the book for its rich characterizations and philosophy. If what I said above interests you, then please read on.

Synopsis:

Takeshi Kovac stares into a mirror, and a stranger stares back at him. It seems like yesterday when the police broke into his hotel room to arrest him, and in the process, shot his girlfriend dead. But Takeshi knows the episode took place many years ago, because today he woke up in a new body.

Welcome to the 25^th century, where immortality is no longer an elusive purpose of life preached by religion, but it is a matter of digitizing and storing a human brain in a device called the "stack".

Is there a cancer is growing in your body? Have you lost your right arm? No problem! Simply transfer your stack from your existing body to a new one, and then voilà, you are as good as new. There is more; the more $$$ you pay, the better the body you can wear, to start your new life with extra an oomph!

It was in this sort of a world where Takeshi Kovac was brought back to life. The man who arranged Takashi's altered carbon procedure was other than Laurens Bancroft, a billionaire whose wealth has afforded him not only centuries of life span, but also status and influence comparable to that of a god. What does someone like Laurens want with an ex-convict like Takeshi? Just a few days ago Laurens died, and the police concluded it was a suicide. The billionaire, however, insists he was murdered, and he believes Takashi is his Sherlock Holmes.

My thoughts on the book:

Altered Carbon is a slow burn and I love it. The opening chapters established the world in the 25^th century and the worldbuilding was intricate; there were tall buildings twinkling with neon lights, flying cars, and most importantly, a socio-economic tension boiling under the surface because of the altered carbon technology. The world in this book has a sense of scope and complexity not seen in Blade Runner, and it wasn't long before I was immersed in Altered Carbon's dystopian, cyberpunk world. Thirty pages into the book and I knew this one is not just a cyberpunk detective novel, but a introspective story taking a look at the philosophy of belief systems and morality. 

The book's main protagonist, Takeshi Kovac, is a classical anti-hero. He was dragged into the Bancroft's murder investigation against his will, and in the process Takeshi dug up piles of dirty secrets in the high society. Here the book posed an interesting question:

If life is a race, then not everybody starts on the same line, some people are bound to be more privileged than others. The more privileged you are, the more resources you have to help you get ahead. However, the lifespan of a person is finite, with age comes sickness and death. This also means no matter how privileged you are, the amount of wealth and power you can accumulate in a lifetime is limited by the biological clock ticking inside your body. Furthermore, if it is in the human nature to be corrupted by power, then the magnitude of the corruption, and accompanying harm a corrupted but powerful individual can inflict on others, are also limited to one lifespan only. Therefore consider this, what will happen when an already privileged individual can go on accumulating power and wealth, and therefore corruptions, infinitely? And how will immortality affect a person's relationships with his/her fellows, such as marriage, for example?

The book doesn't stop at exploring the consequences of immorality, it also touches on another question. Our biology, such as intellect, strength, and beauty, can determine our success in life. What will happen to the society, if people can wear their bodies like driving different cars, such that being rich means you can buy a better body and enter the race of life with in a Ferrari, but being poor means you can only afford a crappy body and enter the race of life on a bicycle? At the start of the next "race", the rich who won the race in a Ferrari can now upgrade to a helicopter, while the poor who just pedaled to the finish line on a bicycle has so little resources and must enter the next race on the same bicycle, which is now more battered than before.

I thought about these questions, and to be honest, if this is the outcome of immortality, then I don't want it!

Altered Carbon has a thought provoking story, but it does not forget to be a fun and thrilling ride. This is a detective noir made of interlocking mysteries, the supporting characters are memorable, and the plot is very clever, it will surprise you from the start to the finish. Despite being the first book in a trilogy, but the book's concluding chapter tied up every story thread, and leaving no loose end. This also means Altered Carbon is a stand alone novel.

I have seen the Netflix TV series, but. I prefer the book. This is because the book has richer characterizations and philosophies, which are enhanced by the book's use of first person perspectives (that is, from the viewpoint of Takeshi himself). While the first person narratives may be more limiting than the third person narratives, but in this book the first person narrative worked very well, because it allowed the readers to look into Takeshi's experiences and thoughts. For example, I particularly enjoyed a section where Takashi was reflecting on his altered carbon existence and then pondering on the definition of self and soul.

Admittedly the book moves at a slower pace than the TV series because it is not action packed. However the book is rich with a colorful world and and interesting characters, and the story will leave you with food for thoughts. I think Altered Carbon will find admirers in readers of sci-fi and detective fictions, especially in those who like to think about the effects of technology in a society.