I enjoyed this novella. It packs quite a lot of plot and character development into a rather short text, I could imagine it being a graphic novel, especially in the action bits where English grammar dwindles to near non-existent. The storytelling does a good job setting the scenes so that one does not really need illustrations though to follow and become immersed in the story

a quick read but in the best possible ways. usually sff novellas can feel too short or underdeveloped, but this was perfect in terms of the length. it's a cyberpunk story about AI so a lot of the worldbuilding is done by the fact that the readers have probably read other cyberpunk stories before, so this book didn't need to explain much. The three main characters are really compelling especially considering how short the book is. And while the story doesn't contain anything particularly new or revolutionary, almost everything felt well-executed.

Napper delivers again. Ghost of the Neon God is a speculative, dystopian, treat - Cyberpunk that's relevant, gritty and relatable.

The writing is tight. Napper's prose is superb. His visual discriptions are brilliantly conveyed, as if you're viewing through the characters optic nerve.

The story is great and delivers some thought-provoking and philosophical ideas and questions on AI.

Thematically strong, with story provides commentary on society, war, poverty, and crime.

The characters feel real, with real-world problems. Jackson is a fun anti-hero and really helps drive the narrative.

My only quibble is I felt it petered out a little bit toward the end, but overall I really enjoyed it.

Napper is definitely one of my new favourite authors, with a voice and style that stands out from the crowd. If you enjoy sci-fi with a cerebral edge, packed with action and real characters, then look no further.

I would say that this novella serves as the perfect entry point to discovering T. R. Napper for the first time.

Really enjoyable short novel. Near future, AI, action packed. I really enjoyed the writing style and the content around the risks and opportunities of AI. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Another winner of a cyberpunk novel from TR Napper. If you are into William Gibson and Richard K. Morgan you absolutely have to read this book and Napper's other novels as well. Cutting edge ideas and amazing action scenes abound in this super fast novella. More complete review to come over on the blog.

Cyberpunk is my least favourite sub-genre in science fiction (no, I did not care for Neuromancer), which comes as a surprise how much I love T.R. Napper's writing. Ghost of the Neon God is a fixer of two short stories, one of which I had already read, and I didnt mind rereading that section.
Two petty crims bump into a terrified woman who insists they help her - they don't, in fact they steal her shoes. The next day one of them is dead, and the other has a runaway AI in his brain.
Read this while you are waiting for The Escher Man to come out in September.

Ghost of the Neon God by T.R. Napper is so unapologetically Australian and just brutally awesome. Let's get a few things out of the way first. This story is, a) the best novella I've read in 2024, b) one of the best books I've read in 2024 full stop, and c) the BEST way to discover Napper's writing.

I was about halfway through when I tabbed out of Kindle and opened Amazon so that I could buy his debut novel, 36 Streets. I am saving it for when I have finished a few books I'm midway through and let me tell you, the wait is agonsing even though I love what I'm reading. Napper just has a way that he tells his stories that grabs you by the collar and tears you through walls as the juggernaut charges forward. I just know that it's only going to get better than this and that will be an incredible achievement.

'"Like Einstein said: two things are infinite - the universe and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe."'

I started my journey with Napper's stories with his short story collection, Neon Leviathan, and while I found some of those stories to be really good I wasn't blown away. But here Napper says he has taken two seperate short stories and Frankensteined them into a novella, not that you'd be able to tell. The story is fluent, through-lined and gripping. I wouldn't be able to discern where or how he melded the two halves together.

I always love when an author, especially an Aussie, just throws everything about their home country that they can at their manuscript. Yes, I complained about all the in your face Australianisms in Neon Leviathan, but it just worked so much better in this longer format. The places Jack goes were at once familiar while also being cyberpunk-esque. I loved seeing him and Col walk the gritty streets of Melbourne and I especially loved Jack and Sally (Is this meant to be a Nightmare Before Christmas reference) crossing the Nullarbor Desert and it's endless, straight roads.

There is just so much to love here and I could gush about it all for as long as the story itself. But I won't waste your precious time. Read the story, feel what it means to be a future Australian street urchin battling to survive, and fall in awe of Napper's ability to turn a phrase. You will not be disappointed. Trust me!

It stands to mention first and foremost that I do not care for cyberpunk and am very selective about science fiction, That said, I do like to stretch my reading boundaries, and novellas are great for that because it limits the time commitment.
Thus I chose this book on Netgalley, read it, and found it competently done if not exactly for me.
The story of a small-time crook who unwittingly ends up in a position of responsibility for a great tech is entertaining enough, and the Australian setting is definitely a plus. The writing’s quite good, and there’s plenty of action, if you’re into that sort of thing.
For me, the main draw was the artificial intelligence angle, which I thought was very well done.
Overall, too testosterone-y and action-y for me, but a decent and competently told story. For devoted genres fans, I imagine this would be quite a delight. Thanks Netgalley.