A virtuosic mashup of Philip K. Dick and Raymond Chandler by way of Marvel—the story of a detective investigating the murder of a Titan, one of society’s most powerful, medically-enhanced elites
“Cross-genre brilliance from the superbly talented Nick Harkaway.” —William Gibson, New York Times best-selling author of Agency
Cal Sounder is a detective working for the police on certain very sensitive cases. So when he’s called in to investigate a homicide at a local apartment, he’s surprised by the routineness of it all. But when he arrives on scene, Cal soon learns that the victim—Roddy Tebbit, an otherwise milquetoast techie—is well over seven feet tall. And although he doesn’t look a day over thirty, he is ninety-one years old. Tebbit is a Titan—one of this dystopian, near-future society’s genetically altered elites. And this case is definitely Cal’s thing.
There are only a few thousand Titans worldwide, thanks to Stefan Tonfamecasca’s discovery of the controversial T7 genetic therapy, which elevated his family to godlike status. T7 turns average humans into near-immortal distortions of themselves—with immense physical proportions to match their ostentatious, unreachable lifestyles. A dead Titan is big news . . . a murdered Titan is unimaginable. But these modified magnates are Cal’s specialty. In fact, his own ex-girlfriend, Athena, is a Titan. And not just any—she is Stefan’s daughter, heir to the massive Tonfamecasca empire.
As the murder investigation intensifies, Cal begins to unravel the complicated threads of what should have been a straightforward case, and it becomes clear he’s on the trail of a crime whose roots run deep into the dark heart of the world.
About the Author
NICK HARKAWAY is the author of four previous novels, The Gone-Away World, Angelmaker, Tigerman, and Gnomon, as well as a nonfiction work about digital culture, The Blind Giant: Being Human in a Digital World. He is also a regular blogger for The Bookseller's FutureBook website. He lives in London with his wife, a human rights lawyer, and their two children.
Praise For…
PRAISE FOR NICK HARKAWAY'S TITANIUM NOIR
“Cross-genre brilliance from the superbly talented Nick Harkaway.” —William Gibson, New York Times best-selling author of Agency
“Titanium Noir is deft and hectic and so damn fun. It’s story-telling amphetamine laced with social commentary and it’s terrific.” —Lauren Beukes, internationally best-selling author of The Shining Girls "Titanium Noir is a beautifully twisted, fast-paced neo-cyberpunk fairy tale. The perfect blend of Raymond Chandler and William Gibson." —Terry Miles, author of Rabbits
“Titanium Noir is a fun, twisty detective novel with a big science-fiction idea at its center. Harkaway puts a new spin on classic noir themes.” —Dexter Palmer, author of Mary Toft; or, The Rabbit Queen
“Nick Harkaway’s Cal Sounder is everything I could want in a new sci-fi detective: he’s smart and resourceful, good in a fight, needling of power and capable of irritating damn near everyone he meets, and willing to risk everything he has to solve his case. Maybe it’s always been true that the rich and powerful take pleasure from living life better than the rest of us: in Titanium Noir, Harkaway imagines what might happen when they decide they also want to live forever, taking us on a breakneck tour of one infuriatingly plausible future’s corruption and vice.” —Matt Bell, author of Appleseed
“An SF–tinged romp that blends elements of the noir thriller and the picaresque novel. . . . [Echoes] the Thomas Pynchon of Inherent Vice. . . . A tale of genetic manipulation—familiar to fans of movies such as RoboCop and Elysium. . . . An entertaining shaggy dog of a futuristic whodunit.” —Kirkus Reviews
“This SF thriller hits all the beats of a gritty noir mystery, wrapped in a near-future setting where immortality can be had for a price, and those able to pay it are willing to compromise everything, including their humanity. Harkaway combines a satisfying mystery with a thought-provoking science-fictional setting and just the right touch of heartbreak to make for a compelling read. Recommended for those who enjoy reading SF/mystery blends.” —Library Journal
