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Had this one on my bookshelf for a good while but found the time to finally get in the world of Vurt last week. I had read a couple of other books from Noon and do like his quirky, off-beat scifi style. This is possibly his most well known or most respected book. Possibly not his best but maybe simply the one most of his fans remember well, the one where they first experienced his writing and the one often recommended to scifi fans.
It was a short, quick read over a few days and while some elements may have frustrated me, I soon began to care about the small group of friends and their dangerous escapades around a possible near-future Manchester. It feels like a scifi version of Trainspotting or Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas. I did enjoy it, it progressivley continued to get more and more surreal near the end. The copy I read was the 20 anniversary edition which included three new short tales added which also take place in the same Vurt world. A trippy sci-fi tale for those into Irvin Welsh, Hunter S. Thompson, Philip K Dick.
It was a short, quick read over a few days and while some elements may have frustrated me, I soon began to care about the small group of friends and their dangerous escapades around a possible near-future Manchester. It feels like a scifi version of Trainspotting or Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas. I did enjoy it, it progressivley continued to get more and more surreal near the end. The copy I read was the 20 anniversary edition which included three new short tales added which also take place in the same Vurt world. A trippy sci-fi tale for those into Irvin Welsh, Hunter S. Thompson, Philip K Dick.
Very cyberpunky. Lots of futuristic slang and fast-forward description. Lots of symbolism.
a full-on sweaty meaty fever dream; grotesquely captivating and absolutely unique. damn.
challenging
mysterious
tense
According to the author’s notes, drugs were not taken as inspiration in the writing of book. But if you’re looking for the literary equivalent of a trip, you’ve come to the right place.
The story kicks off with fast action—a drug bust involving robocops, dangerous driving and an alien blob along for the ride—and doesn’t let up. Drugs in this world come in feathers and lead people to dreams and alternate worlds. Scribble’s sister/lover is stuck in a Vurt and he hopes to exchange the alien for her if he can get the rare English Voodoo and Hobart (the old woman in charge of all the Vurt) deems the alien’s value equal to Desdemona’s. Along the way, he and his fellow Stash Riders meet a couple joined by their “droidlocks,” acquire a robodog, meet a Vurt editor, attend a rave, do feather trips and get in lots of fights with cops, dream snakes, dog men and more.
It took a while for me to like this. The first 20% was very confusing. But once you understand the world and the rules of the Vurt, the story becomes… addictive? :)
The story kicks off with fast action—a drug bust involving robocops, dangerous driving and an alien blob along for the ride—and doesn’t let up. Drugs in this world come in feathers and lead people to dreams and alternate worlds. Scribble’s sister/lover is stuck in a Vurt and he hopes to exchange the alien for her if he can get the rare English Voodoo and Hobart (the old woman in charge of all the Vurt) deems the alien’s value equal to Desdemona’s. Along the way, he and his fellow Stash Riders meet a couple joined by their “droidlocks,” acquire a robodog, meet a Vurt editor, attend a rave, do feather trips and get in lots of fights with cops, dream snakes, dog men and more.
It took a while for me to like this. The first 20% was very confusing. But once you understand the world and the rules of the Vurt, the story becomes… addictive? :)
It's been 15 years since I read Vurt the first time and it somehow holds up. The perfect blend of Gibson's cyberpunk and Irvine Welsh's drug fueled grime remixed on Noon's Mancunian turntables. Not for everyone.
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It wasn't bad. I did enjoy the world that was built. It was funny that I was reading it in an American accent in my head and then a British slang word would get thrown out there, throwing me off. But not a bad overall read. I am usually iffy about morally ambiguous characters. Call me old-fashioned.
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Some fascinating ideas and concepts, and a lovely, dark mood couldn't save this story. The punk, misfit protagonists were forced, were a bore, and I didn't give a damn about them.