This is the third original novel I’ve read by T.R. Napper’s and I do think it’s my favourite so far, excluding Bishop of course. It’s a bit like reading a cyberpunk John Wick but completely original at the same time. Endgame is an interesting character to focus on since ultimately he’s a ‘bad guy’ being head of security for a drug cartel but at the same time we can’t help be intrigued and what to learn more.

I have to say the thing I love about all of Napper’s novels I’ve read is the Blade Runner vibes you get from them. It’s clear cyberpunk and it’s cyberpunk done right. It’s gritty and dark, but has elements of psychological thriller in there too since we get into the mind, and missing pieces, of ‘Endgame’. It’s also got an edge of philosophy in there in terms of identity and memories. That said this undercurrent is something you can enjoy without dwelling on, but if you are anything like me you’ll be left pondering the questions this book raises long after you finish.

In short this is a perfect novel for fans of cyberpunk, science fiction and crime thrillers but it’s got deeper levels you can touch on or dig deeper into and enjoy. I’ll certainly be adding it to my collection.

As always thank you to Titan Books and Netgalley for the copy to review. My review is always honest and truthful.

T.R. Napper’s The Escher Man is a gripping sci-fi thriller that plunges you into a dystopian future where memory manipulation is the ultimate weapon. The story follows Endel "Endgame" Ebbinghaus, the head of security for a powerful drug cartel in Macau, as he battles not only external enemies but also the erasure and rewriting of his own memories. Haunted by the fragments of his estranged family and his desire for a way out, Endel finds himself trapped in a labyrinth of his own mind, unable to distinguish friend from foe—or even his own true identity.

With a distinct Blade Runner-esque atmosphere, Napper masterfully combines vivid cyberpunk world-building with fast-paced action. The setting, rich with the neon-drenched chaos of Asian megacities, adds an immersive backdrop to the twisting, psychological narrative. The violent sequences are sharp and unrelenting, keeping the tension high throughout. Yet, at the core of this story is the deep, emotional struggle of a man searching for redemption and freedom in a world that has weaponized his very thoughts.

Fans of cyberpunk and psychological thrillers will appreciate The Escher Man for its complex narrative, compelling protagonist, and the philosophical exploration of memory and identity. It’s a dark, thought-provoking, and action-packed ride that offers plenty of twists along the way.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

8 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2024/09/12/the-escher-man-by-t-r-napper-review/

<i>The floor-to-ceiling windows provided a generous view of the city: the mammoth, bulging structures of the casinos draped in their eternal neon. The hard perpetual rain that drew a thin veil over it all. Macau - that steaming, throbbing gambling mecca; the dark underbelly of the Chinese Dream; the gaudy, glittering, and unapologetic face of its power.</i>

—

Cyberpunk at its greatest provides the reader with a few things. Deep, thought-provoking philosophies of ‘man blended with machine; moral quandaries built and born out of technology; and a hard-boiled, evocative world, one aglow with darkness, neon, and light. That, and a brutal thrill often borne of violence.

The Escher Man is far from perfect, but it provides all these aspects and more, going above and beyond to deliver a somehow understandable plot based on memory manipulation and repetition. Honestly, it’s amazing that this comes across as anything but nonsensical. Endel’s life has been well and truly fucked up, and his mind is basically just scrambled eggs. To relate this—along with any kind of intricate plot—in an understandable way is amazing, but the author manages it. Very well, in fact.

Endel’s character certainly helps. See, Endel is little more than a blunt instrument. Point and shoot, see something—hit it, try not to think too hard. This is both good and bad. It makes him the perfect lead to navigate this twisting tale where no memories are trustworthy. Endel’s path always leads straight; when there’s an obstacle, he breaks it rather than going around. The sheer stubbornness of his character works so well with the plot—and yet.

Yet Endel is a hard character to really relate with. Yeah, he’s had a fucked up life. He’s been wronged, and only really wants to protect his family. Almost everyone is going to be able to relate with him a little. And yet, he’s a fucking bastard. At no point did I ever care whether he made it out of the book alive, except at frequent intervals in which I quite hoped he didn’t. Why? Well, as much as he’s our hero, the man’s a right prick, a man of violence, and a fucking asshole. So as good a lead as he is, he’s also a shit lead.

From the quote above, you can see just how well the book is rendered. I had absolutely no trouble imagining the world—in all its graphite-shaded and neon-stained glory. Little enough trouble writing myself into the world and losing myself on hypothetical tangents. It’s quite well-written, and a fantastic read, regardless of how you feel about the lead.

Take John Wick, mix with Memento and Cyberpunk and you will get The Escher Man: an action-packed memory SciFi for people who love thrillers.
Good ideas, excellent pacing, memorable characters (ahah), clear narrative (despite the difficult type of story playing with the memory of our gangster hero Endgame). I enjoyed the story, even if it was more action based than what I normally go for, and the main character who is never as violent, or emotionless, or ethic-blind as he should be if he was that "violent man" he thought he was.
I loved the touches of humour to punctuate the hard hitting corruption and recommend to people who liked the movies and games cited above.

Violent cyberpunk is alive and well in Australian author TR Napper’s latest novel The Escher Man. Set in South East Asia around the turn of the next century, The Escher Man centres around a violent enforcer and hit man - Endel ‘Endgame’ Ebbinghaus. But from the opening chapters readers will clock the fact that things are not quite right. That they are dealing with an unreliable narrator, made more so by his inability to trust his own dreams and memories. And it is this aspect of the narrative that gives this tale some emotional and political resonance.
When The Escher Man opens, Endgame is working for local Macau enforcer Mr Long. After carrying out an assassination he has his memory pin reprogrammed and returns to his alcohol fuelled existence. Memory pins are how people have started to retain their memories as other technology has impacted on the brain. But it turns out they can also be manipulated and soon Endgame starts to perceive that things are not quite as he has been programmed to remember them. This puts him on a path to vengeance and redemption but one that will take him to some very dark and violent places first.
The revenge thriller is definitely having a renaissance. Led by the likes of Keanu Reeve’s John Wick and Liam Neeson’s ageing agent of revenge but also seen even more recently in films like Dev Patel’s Monkey Man. The template is always similar – damaged but incredibly dangerous protagonist is given some sort of emotional reason to blow up their life and go after the institutional forces of evil that have driven them to violence in the first place.
But there is more to The Escher Man than just incessant and constant violence (and there is a lot of that). What Napper is really interested in is the manipulation of memory. How the corporations in this future world want to weaponise and corporatise memory. Given what is happening at the moment through social media - the denial of events and the rewriting of history – the element of the story has particular current resonance. Napper also provides plenty of philosophy (unfortunately often delivered as info dumps)
Which makes The Escher Man a more than rounded package, particularly for lovers of more recent cyberpunk and violent revenge stories. Yes there is the pan-Asian setting, extreme violence often powered by technological body modifications and evil corporations. But Napper also wraps in some emotional resonance and plenty of moral conundrums to get readers thinking even while the bullets and knives are flying.

Set in the world of 36 Streets and Ghosts of the Neon God, but totally stand alone, Escher Man is perhaps the best yet (although I think they are all brilliant). His name is Endel 'Endgame' Ebbinghaus, Head of Secrurity for Mister Long, boss of the Macau Syndicate - but is he? The reader learns fairly that our Aussie lead character is not everything he thinks he is, a most excellent 'unreliable' narrator. Memory, and its manipulation is a major theme. Wont spoil anything here so I suggest if you like Cyperpunk then this book (as well as the others mentioned before) is a must read. And if you dont like Cyberpunk, you should give them a try anyway.