The Chimera Code

by Wayne Santos

Overview

Neuromancer for a non-binary age: an action-packed techno-thriller with a side of magical realism.

Everything's For Hire. Even Magic.

If you need something done, Cloke’s one of the best; a mercenary with some unusual talents and an attitude to match. But when she’s hired by a virtual construct to destroy the other copies of himself, and the down payment is a new magical skill, she knows this job is going to be a league harder than anything she’s ever done.

“A full-throttle magical cyberpunk superhero thriller.” – Peter McLean

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781781087978
Publisher:	Solaris
Publication date:	11/10/2020
Series:	The Witchware Series
Pages:	500
Sales rank:	1,069,961
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.80(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Wayne Santos has been an ad copywriter, a TV scriptwriter, a magazine contributor, an editor, and a freelance writer for too many things on the Internet to count. He grew up in Alberta, lived in Singapore, and settled down in Ontario with his wife and an ongoing rotation of two household cats. He is a multidisciplinary geek with a double major in science-fiction and fantasy, specializations in novels, comics, anime, TV and film, and a minor in video games. Under no circumstances should he be approached to discuss 80s pop culture unless you are fully aware of the toll this will expend on your remaining lifespan.

Editorial Reviews

05/18/2020

Replete with snappy dialogue and convincing technobabble, Santos’s debut cyber-thriller offers a vision of a 22nd-century Earth where the only force more powerful than technology is magic. Prickly combat mage Cloke leads a chimera unit—a military group possessing a deadly combination of technological, combat, and magic skills. Cloke’s newest recruit is Zee, an infamous coder with shadowy origins and plenty of baggage. Alongside a colorful cast of cyborgs and sword masters, Cloke and Zee, who was grown in a lab and has no gender, must track down and destroy a trio of illegal clones of a powerful mage. The worldbuilding is well done, as Santos digs deep into the full implications of the supernatural interacting with advanced technology. Readers may find the treatment of Zee’s gender and pronouns (xie/hir) to be clumsy, but will be gratified by Zee’s depth, complexity, and fully realized arc. Santos’s enthusiasm for his subject is clear and his rigorous plotting delivers some genuine surprises. This is fun, fresh cyberpunk. Agent: Jennie Goloboy, Donald Maass Agency. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"Stylish, bad-ass, and above all immersive." - Edgar Cantero

“A full-throttle magical cyberpunk superhero thriller; Santos has really hit the ground running.” — Peter McLean

“Snappy prose, electric action, crackling intersection of magic and technology, nano noir, adventure—what more do you want? Fans of science/fantasy will get the ride they’re looking for!” — John Shirley, author of Stormland

“An ambitious and kinetic debut, packed with neat ideas.” — Antony Johnston, NYT best-selling author

From the Publisher

"A full-throttle, magical cyberpunk superhero thriller!"

Peter McLean