This was an unexpected pleasure. Because of when it’s written and I knew the setting was noir cyberpunk set in a marginalized community with trans people, I’ve kind of been putting it off, assuming it would be… let’s say, outdated. Actually, it is, of course in some ways, ie referring to people as transsexuals and what not. But in other ways it gets things right about writing that kind of community. On the other other hand, it’s definitely another book about trans people being murdered.

So, it’s by no means perfect. The idea of “skill jockeying” was something this era of writing was particularly enamoured with as well. Rather than the memory train we are currently in, lived experience and embodied experience are not quite reached. Instead, people can plug-and-play knowledge (such as languages) or whole personalities and training. Our main man, as they typically are, is against this modification. And is a not-really-practicing Muslim engrained in the area of town akin to a red light district slash, where lots of descendants of immigrants or direct immigrants are. Crime is rampant. You’re either a mark or a hustler, etc. etc..

He isn’t particularly interested in finding out who is being murdered until the people being killed are people he knows. Along the way he has to choose how he will get agency in order to do so, thereby confronting his views of technology and self preservation.

All steeped in noir. It’s very well done, I think. I actually liked the ending quite a bit and was surprised with how nuanced each plot beat became. I wouldn’t at all mind continuing with the series. As to if it’s actually cyberpunk… I think so. High tech low life. It nails the requirements aspects. Ironically more so than some others labelled as such, like Stephenson’s early 00s, such as Cryptonomicon.