SIN:THETICA

The Sino-Nippon war is over. It is 2113 and Japan is crushed under the might of Chinese-Allied Forces. A former Coalition Corps soldier, US Marine Balaam Hendrix is now a feared bounty hunter known as ‘The Reverend’. In the sprawl of NeuTokyo, on this lawless frontier, he must track down the rogue employee of a notorious crime lord. But, there’s a twist. His target has found protection inside a virtual reality construct and Hendrix must go cyber-side to corner his quarry. The glowing neon signs for are everywhere, and promise escape from a dystopian reality. But will it prove the means by which this hunter snares his prey, or will it be the trap he simply can’t survive?Perfect for fans of Bladerunner and Neuromancer!

This was such a cool read. I love A;t- history, especially with a scifi twist like this one. There is plenty of action and shoot em up, while not being overly goofy or unrealistic. The premise says perfect for fans of BladeRunner and Neuromancer and I would have to agree, there is plenty to like here is you want a fun science fiction pallet cleanser!

A beautiful mix of cyberpunk Sci Fi and gritty humanity.
Dropped into the futuristic streets of NeuTokyo, a dark and gritty landscape; this almost lawless world is the playground of gangsters, robbers and the morally-devoid scum of society. The rich description and complex world building instantly have us snared, smelling, seeing and tasting the futuristic, yet sordid city, as we try to stand tall, walking with Hendrix; a seasoned bounty hunter. A broken man, who straddles the line between despair and retribution. Once a soldier, a father and a whole person, but now a broken shell, his body the scared map of his downfall, and mind the shards of his former self. It takes a fearless man, or one that has given up caring, to walk the darkest alleys and to stand in the face of the blood-spattered violent underworld, in this city. But Hendrix is that man and has been for as long as he can remember. It’s his job to keep the sewer rats in check, culling to the request of his employers, and it’s a job he has become very good at, perhaps even too good…

The depth of emotional connection and character development, balanced the cyberpunk sci fi action with tangible realism, making this tale feel very human and investing us in Hendrix’s character; driving us to follow him to the very depths of his journey down a rabbit hole…

Like the glossy neon that paints the seedy city, the juxtaposition of hi-tech against human emotion, reminded me that no matter how great our technology becomes, it doesn’t necessarily change human nature.

This is one of those tales that’s streets haunt the mind and that’s message and narrative stirs the heart long after closing that last page.

I should start by saying that I love cyberpunk (not just the videogame but the genre), I also love noir fiction and gritty fiction. So the fact that Baird combined all these with a touch of sci-fi was always going to be a win for me. I loved the idea of the jaded Bounty Hunter Hendrix. You also get a bit of a western too (a sci-fi western if that’s a thing!).
One thing to note is that is the gritty, dark and at times a bit depressing but that’s what makes it a hit (for me anyway). The story is dark, the world that the characters live in is worse and it all makes for one hell of an action packed novella.
I got a lot of Blade Runner vibes but this was most definitely it’s own tale. I really hope that we see more of Hendrix and more from Baird because I could not put this one down and will be getting a physical copy asap. If you love cyberpunk and noir this is for you.