Moxyland by Lauren Beukes

Moxyland
Author: Lauren Beukes
Publisher: Angry Robot Books (July 2009)
ISBN: 978-0-00732-389-0 (UK/Aus)
978-0-00732945-8 (US/Can)

Moxyland definitely has some strong cyberpunk tones in the story.  Based around four central characters, Moxyland paints very real, very plausible picture of a future that potentially lies just around the corner.  First we have Kendra, a naive art school dropout yet talented photographer.  Toby, a slacker who lives off his mom, until she cuts him off, and streamcasts via his high tech jacket, Baby Strange.  Tendeka, a hard edged revolutionary willing to go to any length to protest the corporate hold on society.  And Lerato, a highly sexual, incredibly talented programmer working for the evil corporation itself.

Set in South Africa in the very near 2018, if my math is correct, Moxyland is an amazing ride in a high tech world where cutting edge nano can heal the sick and our cell’s SIM cards open, or close, the doors on the quality of lives we live.  Your cell’s SIM card is your pass to the “corporati” or your ticket to “disconnect”.

Lauren Beukes does an amazing job of world building in Moxyland. You get a real sense of what life is like in this part of the world in this future, a clear picture of the very large divide between the luxury of working for the corporation, the despair of living on the streets, and the quality of life in between.

The story is fast paced and a quick read at just over 300 pages.  I myself read it in just a few days. The story has a way of reaching out and grabbing you and roping you into their world. Towards then end I was scrambling to find out what was going to happen to the characters Lauren Beukes had allowed me to grow so fond of. The story has a real twist and my head is still swimming from the out come. I’ll simply say, well played Lauren, well played.

Moxyland, along with Slights, is the first release by the new SF/F publishing house Angry Robot Books. In order to do this Angry Robot turned to the internet to get the word out.  Relying on bloggers, forums, genre websites and reviewers to spread the word about their new titles.  I am glad that I jumped on this train when I did, if I hadn’t, I might have missed the boat and a wonderful opportunity by a top notch publisher. I say this because Moxyland is by far one of the best books I have read in quite some time.

Angry Robot signs J Robert King & Andy Remic

J Robert King, who calls his books “metaphysical suspense”, is slated to write two books.  The first book is named THE ANGEL OF DEATH.  The Grim Reaper becomes strangely fascinated with a human cop investigating the deaths caused by a serial killer that Death has been following. But Death is a killer too, of course, and is not above the law. It’ll be published in the UK, US and Australia in September 2009, as a mass-market paperback.

This will be followed early next year by DEATH’S DISCIPLES. The sole survivor of a terrorist attack on a plane starts to hear the voices of the dead passengers. But what they’re telling her is far worse than what she’s suffered already.

Andy Remic, who has a reputation as the hard man of British SF, is slated to write a fantasy novel, KELL’S LEGEND.  Due out September 2009 in mass-market paperback, it introduces Kell, grizzled veteran warrior much at odds with a civilized world where humanity has become soft. When a new foe arises to threaten the city of Jalder, only Kell remembers that to live, you have to fight, and fight dirty. But how can one man hold off against the Vachine, the terrifying clockwork vampires of legend?

On the Front Lines: Angry Robot is currently running a contest.  This from the official statement:See that angry-looking metallic chap on our website? We’d like you to name him – or rather, we’d like your readers to name him.

All you have to do is send your readers to the competition page at:
http://angryrobotbooks.com/name-that-droid/

The reader who comes up with winning entry will win a copy of each of our first 7 books, and the owner of the site or blog that sent the winner to us will win a cool prize, too.

Contest ends May 6th, 2009.  Just make sure you guys tell ‘em NutBar sent ya.

Good Luck..