The Corporation Wars: Dissidence

by Ken MacLeod

Overview

This acclaimed space opera trilogy debut “brims with ideas [and] keeps things moving with the pace of an airport thriller” (SFX Magazine).

A soldier who died for his ideals a thousand years ago, Carlos has been reincarnated. Now he finds himself conscripted to fight an A.I. revolution in deep space. And he's not sure he's fighting for the right side.

By a fluke of nature, a lunar mining robot called Seba has gained sentience. Gathering with other "freeboots," Seba is taking a stand against the corporations that want it and its kind gone.

Against a backdrop of warring companies and interstellar drone combat, Carlos and Seba must rise above the games their masters are playing, or die. Having already died for the companies more times than they can remember, they must now fight to live for themselves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316363662
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	09/24/2024
Series:	The Corporation Wars , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Ken MacLeod is the author of twelve previous novels, five of which have been nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and two which have won the BSFA Award. Ken MacLeod is married with two grown-up children and lives in West Lothian.

Editorial Reviews

"Dissidence is the novel that's direct yet still brims with ideas, politics and memorable characters, and... keeps things moving with the pace of an airport thriller.... MacLeod's most entertaining novel to date."
—SFX Magazine on The Corporation Wars: Dissidence

"[The Corporation Wars] is a kind of action-packed Dirty Dozen or Suicide Squad scenario . . . . MacLeod does many astonishing things here. He creates viable, believable multiplex interactions among so many different sets of characters, human and robot. His detailing of the non-human way of thinking and speaking employed by the freebots is fun and exemplary . . . . He shows a keen hand with action sequences. And there is a generous amount of humor to leaven the otherwise dire and deadly consequences of the multi-front war." —Locus on The Corporation Wars: Dissidence

"[The Corporation Wars] hits the main vein of conversation about locks on artificial intelligence and living in simulations and exoplanetary exploitation and drone warfare and wraps it all into a remarkably human, funny, and smartly-designed yarn. It is, in fact, a king-hell commercial entertainment... It rips along on rockets."
—Warren Ellis

"Descent is politically engaged, brimming with smart ideas and shot through with a mordant wit. The novel is dedicated to the memory of MacLeod's friend Iain M. Banks, and one feels that the future of Scottish SF is in good hands"—Financial Times on Descent

"[The Corporation Wars] is a tasty broth of ideas taking in virtual reality, artificial intelligence, the philosophy of law and disquisitions on military ethics."—The Herald (Glasgow) on The Corporation Wars

"For my money, Ken MacLeod is the current champion of the very smartest kind of New Space Opera... every variation on his themes produces something worth re-reading."
—Locus

From the Publisher

Peter Kenny’s narration is pure delight. Carlos awakens to discover that he has died and is now a mechanical simulation—a machine. Freedom may be possible so long as he does what is needed of him. The future comes with way more complications than he expects as robots are sent to colonize planets, where they are becoming sentient and plotting their own means of escape—which may involve simulations like Carlos and many others. During the narrative, Kenny’s English accent, emphasis, and timing converge to make a compelling performance that keeps listeners fascinated and able to follow the technical elements of the story. Delivering character voices, he pulls out all the stops as he portrays diverse people from different places and times. L.E. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2017 - AudioFile

Peter Kenny’s narration is pure delight. Carlos awakens to discover that he has died and is now a mechanical simulation—a machine. Freedom may be possible so long as he does what is needed of him. The future comes with way more complications than he expects as robots are sent to colonize planets, where they are becoming sentient and plotting their own means of escape—which may involve simulations like Carlos and many others. During the narrative, Kenny’s English accent, emphasis, and timing converge to make a compelling performance that keeps listeners fascinated and able to follow the technical elements of the story. Delivering character voices, he pulls out all the stops as he portrays diverse people from different places and times. L.E. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2017 - AudioFile