I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Solid novel of a criminal being pulled into an AI's attempts to excape the prison that's been built for it, and traipsing across the Australian outback while trying to stay a few steps ahead of all the forces chasing them. Solid read.

4.5 stars.
Jackson Nguyen is a petty thief, hanging out with his philosophical friend on the streets of Melbourne, scamming and stealing. One night, they're stopped by a desperate woman who begs for their help, but Jackson isn't interested. They take her shoes and move on, but not before the woman touches Jackson fleetingly. This touch proves to be the undoing of his life, and quickly attracts an assassin to the rooms they're squatting. Jackson barely escapes, and realizes he needs to get out of town.

He gets a ride with a wealthy young woman by posing as a student, and they head out, only to be pursued by dirty cops and assassins. There is no safe place, and the Outback doesn't offer two urbanites any real place to hide. Jackson has somehow become involved with the concerns of governments, cutting edge science and technology, and corporate interests.

Author T.R. Napper's story is gritty and dark, and the author has a flair for mixing action and philosophical questions without losing sight of telling a good yarn. Napper asks us who has the right to exist, who has the right to determine their lives and futures, and what makes a person a person, regardless of the form they exist in. Weighty stuff, but packed into a fast-moving, entertaining novella.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Titan Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This urban cyberpunk novella is action packed! Whether our characters are running from officials, debating with a sentient AI, or sparring with one another; the pace is quick and non-stop in Ghosts of the Neon God. Not only has T. R. Napper given us an amazing title, but he’s also written a story full of philosophical anecdotes regarding surviving, capitalism, and AI technology.

”Small acts of resistance. Heterogeneity in the face of crushing corporate assimilation.”
Napper discusses the issue of sentient AI being built and sold by ruthless corporations only interested in profits. How can we allow someone to be owned, in any way, by an entity that doesn’t care about its well being? The core argument being that an intelligent AI, who is aware of themselves, should have autonomy and the ability to choose its own future (or at least as much as any human gets to).
Whether it’s our street rat, or university student, or even the sentient AI; Napper asks us to consider that we all have the same existence, even if our lives might be drastically different in the middle. Our ending is certainly the same. A new way of viewing existence began to form the more I read and really experienced Napper’s argument alongside our characters
”All life is a dream walking. Death is going home.”

Ghosts of the Neon God is a great addition to the amazing science fiction short story/novella’s that already exist. My rating drop down to four stars is really because I think there was a lot more to be said and done here. I’m overall disappointed that the story felt cut down when it could easily have been a full length novel that really explores what it means to be ‘yourself’. There is a distinct part in which there is a discussion about conscious moving from one ‘body’ to another; and if that makes you still yourself. I’d love to read more of this debate and further past the ending we receive here. Irregardless this is well worth the quick read it is and may leave you wondering about how we are developing AI today.
I’ll leave you with my favourite quote regarding when to panic. I might need to make it my personal mantra to try and quell my own (seemingly constant) anxiety.
”Relaxing or not relaxing will have no impact on the future course of events”

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

THis was another solid read from Napper. He is really good at writing fast-paced action scenes. Excited to read whatever he writes next.

Loved this book.

Its an adrenaline fuelled ride ride through an urban and outback landscape of harsh dystopian Australia.

Highly recommend checking it out

Good, rich writing, excellent characterization, and immersive storytelling. Those looking for an atmospheric and disturbing read filled with drama, will love it.

Solid novella that raised some thought provoking questions. I think Napper is a very talented author and it shines in this book.

Note: I received a free unpublished proof of this book, for a limited time, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.

I’d never read anything by T. R. Napper before, but I realized after reading this that I had actually taken an interest in reading one of his earlier books, so I’m glad I finally got to read one!

This is a very short book so I’m not going to go deep into the plot. Ghost of the Neon God is an action-packed romp through a near-future cyberpunk police state with AI as a main plot hook. The story centers around Jackson Nguyen, a young man from Vietnam living in Melbourne and trying to survive through low-level crime. Over the course of the story, Jackson gets dragged in to a large-scale conspiracy involving a super-powerful AI, meeting people who help him around the way and getting chased by cops who will do anything to cover up the truth.

The tone of the book is classic cyberpunk, with a technology-driven plot in a dystopian setting. The setting is not as tech-heavy as many iconic cornerstones of the genre, like the work of William Gibson or Bruce Sterling, but it is a lot more like our own modern world and hence more grounded in reality than some other works. This makes the relevance of the book’s message a bit easier for some readers to understand, but it also feels more like a contemporary, urban-fantasy type work than futuristic science fiction.

The characters were not very fleshed out, but that is largely due to the book’s length and the fact it is more theme-motivated. I think it would have been nice to know a bit more about the characters’ backgrounds and personalities, if only to give the story a bit more depth. What motivated Jackson’s family to move from Vietnam to Australia, and how did that impact his life growing up? Why did Sally, a character introduced a few chapters in, choose to study philosophy? What was Jackson and Col’s friendship like before the story started? I think having more information about these characters would draw readers into the story more and make the narrative more impactful.

The story is critical of various social issues, but again, things aren’t necessarily touched on long enough to really explore ideas in a deep way. Why does China have so much financial control in this world? The Australian police are bad, representing a racist and classist government, but what real horse do they have in this race involving the AI thing? When did they decide that driving cars and jumping on trampolines should be illegal? While I don’t think dystopian society needs a full backstory for its society, it’s not super clear why any of this is going on. If this book is part of a longer series that fleshes out the world more, I think it could be interesting, but as a standalone it seems cliche and leaves a lot to be desired.

Overall, I think cyberpunk fans might enjoy this one, but I would recommend more classic genre staples to most people looking to get into the genre, since this one feels like a somewhat incomplete story.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This was one of those stories that made me feel cool just by reading it! Granted I don't read as much of the "S" in SFF as I'd like to, but wow did this put the "JFC" in a brain slap of an AI tale about identity, loss, personhood, and just soooo much more I could ponder on, for a long time really. This took off like a thunderbolt, had loads of cinematic action and pretty awesome characterization, and along with the novella length all of this was just perfect for me! It was exciting, clever, accessible cyberpunk fare, and I honestly can't wait to read more from Napper because I really vibed with this narrative's tone and energy, and I very much enjoyed the glimpse I got of this world! This was rad! Loved it!

Jackson Nguyen is stealing in order to survive in near-future Melbourne, Australia. He and his pal Colin “Col” Charles are a couple of small time crooks, boosting components from a rides outside a motorcycle bar when they meet a woman who will change their lives forever. She is a Chinese citizen, speaks little to no English, and the two men’s neural computers translate only parts of her message. She’s talking about big time stuff, way out of their league. Fate of Australia’s future kind of stuff.

Col knows this to be too big, so he convinces Jack to settle for stealing her real leather shoes instead of listening to her. There are no cameras behind the bar, so who’s to know? Before they leave, she tries one last time to convince them of the gravity of her situation, and touches Jack both physically and emotionally. However, Jack is too much under Col’s domineering influence and so he runs instead of sticking around.

The damage is done, however. There might not be cameras behind the bar, but there are plenty elsewhere. So when the woman winds up disappearing into shadowy villains’ hands, they suspect she has passed on crucial info to the hoods. Jackson and Col immediately jump from the small time to the big as paid assassins, crooked cops, and shady organizations pursue them. Jack has never really looked further ahead than tonight’s meal and crash space, but he will have to if he’s going to survive. Especially when he starts to develop a conscience after getting his buddy shot, dragging an unsuspecting driver into harm’s way, and learning that the future of Australian liberation might be nested inside his skull. T. R. Napper writes a cross-country near future thriller in the cyberpunk vein with the gripping Ghost of the Neon God.

With his latest work, T. R. Napper offers all the content one could hope for from a full length novel but in miniature. World building and pulse pounding plotting and some solid characterization do not require a three hundred page investment. It can do just fine at half that space … providing it is written by a solid talent in possession of considerable craft.

Split across three sections, Ghost of the Neon God finds a deft balance between the high scope plot and the details of character. Sure, we have the high tech low lives that made end of the twentieth century era street level sf so endearing to a lot of readers (and even more game players, who took the crime fiction with bodily augmentation elements and ran with them in games like Cyberpunk 2020 and Shadowrun, often overlooking the fusion of tech and philosophy that made the best cyberpunk fiction work). Sure, we have a plot that swings from gutter level survival to the fate of nations, which hinges on a technological construct that has achieved a kind of sentience and needs to be protected from conspiratorial baddies. However, Napper’s talent here is finding the happy medium between crowd pleasing action/adventure and some deeper looks into what all this future tech stuff means and how it can shape society. This is not necessarily prognostication, but it’s the kind of book that might spark some curiosity, stoke some creativity, and stimulate changes along a similar direction to what is envisioned here. What looks like prognostication is what all science fiction really aspires to be: inspiration to today and tomorrow’s technologists.

As evidenced in earlier works, Napper excels at thinking about what technology (particularly Artificial Intelligence) will look like as we march boldly forward into the future. His works balances both the nightmarish and optimistic portrayals and finds its way into a grittier and often far more believable middle ground between these extremes. AI, for example, is not completely destructive to the human race though it is nevertheless a source of many complications (particularly to jobs and economic stability for the little folks). In that way, Napper’s futures are not dissimilar to those dreamed up by classic cyberpunk authors like Bruce Sterling, technologically savvy sorts who see the good and bad that the bleeding edge will bring. However, with all the vast empty spaces in the middle of that continent, Napper has a vastly different canvas to play on than the neon drenched cities dreamed up in 90s and 00s era cyberpunk.

Ghost of the Neon God posits a world where China has taken a vested interest in shaping and influencing other nations. Australia is akin to a colonial interest to that superpower, and though it is home to a vast silence there is the hope that it will rouse like a roaring kraken. Through the use of a revolutionary technology set, it might see its way clear of that influence. This all sounds a tad familiar to fans of the genre, especially when we learn that this great leap forward is currently occupying our protagonist’s head. No, this is not simply a redux of either the short story “Johnny Mnemonic” or the film version (though a nod is given to both of these). What we have instead is a kind of science fictional possession story, wherein a hood with no real savvy for high tech needs to get clear of dangerous data before either the baddies arrive to collect it or the data itself works some corruptive and corrosive power over him.

Napper’s book might be a thriller that practically turns its own pages, but it is no stranger to humor. Whether letting its protagonist roll his eyes at an oldster who wants to talk about his feelings (a member of Gen Z at the burnt out candle end of his life, of course) or whether it provides a voice to a truck driver who is constantly on guard to defy the company that wants to replace him with a self-driving vehicle, there are numerous asides and moments throughout the book guaranteed to raise an honest or cynical grin.

The book is not the most optimistic of works, but it is not wholly pessimistic either. Hope and resignation are partners in the work, and through them Napper offers us some bitterness as well as some sweetness, a dash of hope alongside the expectation that much of what we hope for will be washed away by human greed or smashed against the rocks by cruel fate … much, but not all. Some will remain untouched. A handful of the stepped on and overlooked people might actually have a shot at initiating big changes. The overwhelming forces of government and authorities who abuse their powers can be denied and even more importantly defied.

Jack Nguyen and his allies Col, Sally Redacre, and Oondiri are each enjoyable characters. Not necessarily always likeable, but always interesting. Same goes for the antagonists like Yao Li, Detective Quinlan, and Officer Stebbins. Sketched by a master talent, and then given the stuff of life before being tossed into harm’s way and allowed to escape (or not) on their own.

Ghost of the Neon God is a page turner with heart and plenty of cool thoughts. Eminently quotable, not a paragraph went by without a brief marvel at a gem cutter’s perfect turn of phrase or description. While the pacing is rock solid, and the stakes rise surprisingly quickly, the real heart and soul of the book is its characters. The protagonist is no hero, but he’s not a total jerk either. The secondary characters are an interesting lot—particularly the dirty detective Quinlan who balances mean spiritedness and philosophy. The artificial intelligence that serves as the MacGufffin for the piece has a lot of personality (and snark) as well. Napper can’t seem to write a bad sentence, and that’s good for his readers.
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A special thank you is due to both Titan Books and NetGalley for offering an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third novel I have read by Napper and I have to say it may be my favourite to date. First of all, I adore cyberpunk style novels. If you are looking for a world that will give you Blade Runner, William Gibson or Ghost in the Shell vibes look no further. Best of all as well as a wonderful cyberpunk setting with a tightly woven plot with engaging characters. To put this into perspective and without spoilers, if I can manage that, I was invested in three characters that only seemingly appeared in the first 5% to 20% of the novella.

Napper is brilliant at creating well rounded, believable characters even if they are the bad guys. This pairs perfectly with his ability to create tightly woven thrillers and vividly depicted worlds. While the basis of the novel is a futurist Australia as someone who has never visited the country I could easily imagine the landscapes and cityscapes. If you are fan of furtistic thrillers which pose questions about where society could be headed this is for you!

I loved this novella. If you like William Gibson, Philip K. Dick, and Richard Morgan, you’ll enjoy Ghost of the Neon God. Napper tackles the sticky issue of AI with care. If you like cyberpunk, you’ll feel right at home. I’d read more by T.R. Napper.

Thank you to NetGalley, Titan Books, and T.R. Napper for an e-arc of Ghost of the Neon God in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a good novella. I loved the fast-paced, cyberpunk feel. Though set in the not so distant future, it felt very relevant and imminent. The battle with AI has become so prevalent in our lives now, it is not hard to imagine that the setting is the actual future we are heading towards.

A philosophical cyberpunk thriller set in the near-future desolated world of urban and rural Australia, T.R. Napper meditates on the nature of human interaction, artificial intelligence, classism, and personal responsibility.

I devoured this novella in one sitting, as the story began and stayed in a high gear throughout. Even conversations about politics, society, and history felt like they hummed along at a breakneck pace while the circumstances kept worsening for our main characters.

Good science fiction and cyberpunk feel like their future is not only plausible but imminent. The sense of realism added an extra layer of queasiness to the horrors of the events, and it feels like only a matter of time before we fall into the same trappings.

Ghost of the Neon God is as entertaining as it is prescient. Napper has a gift for presenting a dearth of exciting ideas in very few pages, this novella is no different. Recommended.

A short foray into a dystopian future with a glimmer of hope

Every piece of writing is a feat of the imagination, and in this novella, T. R. Napper extrapolates from current geopolitical realities to sketch a near future of Chinese technological oligarchy in an unwilling collision with a migrant narrative.

Told at minute level to explore a global what-if, Jackson Nguyen is a basic first generation immigrant caught in the crossfire of the two worlds that he straddles but can't access. Homeless, family-less, and within pages friendless, happenstance puts him firmly in the sights of corrupt Ozzie cops and ninja-like Chinese operatives in a case of mistaken Al identity; or perhaps not so mistaken.

This short book questions the nature of humanity, what Al ethics might look like, and a future of techno-castes and near ubiquitous Chinese power, with no simple answers to any of these dilemmas. Meanwhile, Nguyen's Vietnameseness barely registers on the narrative, which is a shame as the book is exciting and thought-provoking but the specifics of his migrant experience are rote (martial arts skills that come from nowhere, surface level and un-nuanced reactions to the white characters). The author has worked in South East and North East Asia and I kept looking for a hint of truth; but the Asian notes in this, admittedly, short novella are sprinkles on top and not full-fledged explosions of flavour and specificity.

However, the ending redeems a lot, throwing in a huge streak of hope and delight that hints at a much bigger and much better book, which I would read in a heartbeat.

Three stars, could have been four.

Ghost of the Neon God had a lot of interesting plot and action, but I felt a bit confused at times possibly because it was my first time reading anything cyberpunk? I usually love getting dropped right into the middle of the action, but I struggled with that in this book. The writing itself was pretty great! The author has a unique voice that I appreciated! I think anyone who likes a lot of action and cyberpunk would really enjoy this novella! And if the summary sounds even a little bit interesting to you, get yourself a copy and try it out!

Some nice world building in this cyberpunk novella. I really wanted to stay longer in this world just as I was getting to know it. I feel like there is more detail and depth here to plumb and hope that the author continues with the ramifications of what happened at the end of this story. It would prove very interesting.

This book starts out seeming so simple, but contains a great deal of complexity within a very simple framework, and I loved it. I always love a book set in Melbourne, and this one captures the vibe of Melbourne so well (including a sneaky dig about building a second CBD). Once the action starts, it's quite fast paced, but Napper has control of things, so the pace is constant but not frantic. The themes that start to emerge from under the car chases are many and varied - autonomy, Artificial Intelligence , privilege and poverty. I found this novella thoughtful and a good read and I highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy of the e-Arc, in exchange for an honest review.

8.5 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2024/06/11/ghost-of-the-neon-god-by-t-r-napper-review/

An excellent bit of cyberpunkery, this was. I mean, yeah, it was clipped, brutal, and ofttimes bloody, but a good narrative told by an excellent—if morally dubious—MC that always seemed to put his needs above those of anyone else. As such, we really only needed his POV.

A bit short, but I only really questioned its length come the close, when we were confronted with an unnecessary epilogue. Bite-sized it is, then. Just a tale to whet one’s appetite.

I loved the world and regret absolutely none of the time spent in its embrace. The characters were mostly good, too—though everyone fell short of the brutal beauty that was Jackson Nguyen, even Sally, a late—but surprisingly good—entry. The story itself was probably the weakest bit of the whole thing—though very far from bad, by any stretch.

TL;DR

An entertaining, evocative tale set in a near-future Australia, following a petty criminal suddenly in over his head, Ghost of a Neon God is ofttimes brutal and bloody, but all in all a great bit of cyberpunking in bite-sized form. Sure, it really should’ve ended a bit earlier, but one takes the good with the bad, and this misstep really isn’t enough to detract from the efficient beauty of the tale. Short of it is: I loved it and can’t wait to devour more of the author’s work. One novel in the bank and one more coming out later in the year, if you like cyberpunk as a genre, this is someone you really need to try.