A typical tie-in novel which leaves little room for artistic flourishes and echoes the action of the film pretty much one-to-one. Competently done by Priest, recapitulating the events of the film but also adding some extra detail and insights from the author and with occasional flashes of brilliance that don’t otherwise intrude into the narrative. An easy read, though I’d challenge his view of the Land Rover Defender as a ‘comfortable’ vehicle!
I am interested in the parallels between this novel and his preceding book, The Extremes. Both are concerned with virtual realities, both require the protagonists to be fitted with body modifications to allow participation, and in both books, the theme of nested simulations occurs. Given the likely timetable for the delivery of a tie-in novel, I’m minded to think that Priest may well have worked on this book and The Extremes pretty much at the same time.
- * The novel was released in the UK under the byline ‘John Luther Novak’. ↩︎
Deep Waters Reading 