Nick Harkaway’s Gnomon remains one of my favorite novels, and I’ve been meaning to read more of his work since then. His 2023 noir sc-fi, Titanium Noir, does not disappoint.
It’s very much what I would call contemporary noir: dark with complicated morality, a lurking presence of violence, a seemingly unattainable love interest, and a setting that moves between a nicely detailed gritty underworld and richly opulent locales. All this with a sci-fi overlay–the novel is set in a future where a very small number of people have access to bodily enhancements that further accelerate and solidify their position in the elite stations of power.
The setting is a deftly realized city, starkly drawn with neighborhoods and geographic markers that anchor the plot, and the protagonist is straight out of noir central, which you will either enjoy or roll your eyes at. If you’re in the former, camp, this is very highly recommended.
I just learned that another story with the same protagonist is due out later this year, which is an exciting development.
https://shorturl.fm/vtmQ6