A review by freshkatsu
Vurt by Jeff Noon

2.0

Maybe I'm just not a steampunk/ cyberpunk reader. Noon's novel is so consistently confusing and random it's more like a piece of abstract art with no context. Since it is extremely dialogue driven, I found it hard to reflect on the visual and conceptual setting, a large part of what makes up a good sci-fi. Imagine being constantly told what is happening and not where, when or why it is happening. The characters are constantly stoned and as a result hard to differentiate, there simply isn't enough room for them to do anything constructive or develop as an individual. Most of the time things just happen without explanation, perhaps a metaphor for a bad trip like what the novel is advocating against.