best books for fans of Netflix's adaptation of Richard K. Morgan’s Altered Carbon, including:When Gravity Fails by George Alec EffingerRead about another entry on the list.
A cyberpunk classic that’s only grown more timely in the years since it was first published, Effinger’s series starter drops readers into the wretched middle-eastern hive (a lot of these cities are wretched hives—comes with the territory) of the Budayeen, where the cops are corrupt, the crime lords have amusing nicknames (like “Papa”), and the serial murderers think they’re actually James Bond. Into this world steps Marid Audran, a small-time troubleshooter and hustler who finds himself out of his depth when an investigation into a friend’s death catches the attention of almost every major player in the city. Those who enjoy Altered Carbon’s dark setting and violent suspense will feel right at home in the Budayeen, and the plot, merging modern noir, crime novel tropes, and flagrant abuse of sci-fi technology, is a good match too.
--Marshal Zeringue
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