The Skinner 
asked by crick on November 25, 2006 4:07 PM
Neal Asher, whom Tor introduced to the American audience with Gridlinked, takes us deeper into his unique universe with an even more remarkable second novel, The Skinner.On the planet Spatterjay arrive three travelers: Janer, acting as the eyes of the hornet Hive mind, on a mission not yet revealed to him; Erlin, searching for Ambel -- the ancient sea captain who can teach her how to live; and Sable Keech, on a vendetta he cannot abandon, though he himself has been dead for 700 years. This remote world is mostly ocean, and it is a rare visitor who ventures beyond the safety of the island Dome. Outside it, only the native Hoopers dare risk the voracious appetites of the planet's wildlife. But somewhere out there is Spatterjay Hoop -- and Keech will not rest until he brings this legendary renegade to justice for hideous crimes committed centuries ago during the Prador Wars.While Keech is discovering that Hoop is now a monster -- his body and head living apart from each other -- Janer is bewildered by a place where the native inhabitants just will not die and angry when he finally learns the Hive mind's intentions for him. Meanwhile, Erlin thinks she has plenty of time to find the answers she seeks, but could not be more wrong. For one of the most brutal of the alien Prador is about to pay the planet a surreptitious visit, intent on exterminating all remaining witnesses to his wartime atrocities. As the visitors' paths converge, major hell is about to erupt in a chaotic waterscape where minor hell is already a remorseless fact of everyday life . . . and death.
Reviews
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This was a fun, interesting and original novel which both reminds one of the roots of science fiction and provides a fresh, updated story that reads well today. Asher's second novel is much better then his first (Gridlinked) and holds the promise of even better novels to come. (I didn't think "Cowl" was as good as "The Skinner", but it's not bad at all). The novel takes place on world where life forms have adapted into perfect killing/surviving machines. Once you get infected with a local parasite, you really can't die. However, the alternative isn't that great either. In a universe where immortality, or at least really long life, takes many forms, the inhabitants of this planet have chosen to stay on their violent world and sail their oceans attempting to find inner peace. Into their rather dull existence comes three tourists, each seeking their own particular answer to a personal dilemna. To complicate matters, some very nasty aliens bring some virus infected humans back to the planet in an attempt to resurrect their sadistic leader (whose head is kept in a box. Kind of like an evil Ted Williams.)
Asher writes great action sequences and in this book, unlike in "Gridlinked", he develops his characters a bit more freely. Unfortunately, his most interesting characters are an insecure alien and an obsessed war robot. Once Asher learns to give his human characters that much range and emotion, his writing will become superb. It's only a matter of time. This is a great read, loads of fun and will completely get you into the spirit of science fiction. It's a shame there aren't more novels like this on the book shelves instead of the endless parade of Star Trek/Star Wars knock offs and books about video games.
Asher writes great action sequences and in this book, unlike in "Gridlinked", he develops his characters a bit more freely. Unfortunately, his most interesting characters are an insecure alien and an obsessed war robot. Once Asher learns to give his human characters that much range and emotion, his writing will become superb. It's only a matter of time. This is a great read, loads of fun and will completely get you into the spirit of science fiction. It's a shame there aren't more novels like this on the book shelves instead of the endless parade of Star Trek/Star Wars knock offs and books about video games.
reviewed by willie on November 27, 2006 1:42 AM
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Science fiction seems to be blooming in the UK to such an extent, it seems most of the books I long to read are released in the UK and are either very expensive or take quite awhile to come to the US, while we in the US are treated to star war and star trek knockoffs at about the same rate that the UK has given us Asher, Morgan,Hogan,Egan
and Arthur C. Clarke, only to mention a few. Thank God we have Neal Stephenson at least.
At any rate, asher's treatment of AI's, in both Gridlinked
and Skinner is absolutely wonderful. Benign AI's -what a novel idea, and in Skinner the AI's even seem to have a sense of humour. When I first bought Skinner I thought I was
taking a chance because of all the supposed violence. I was
really stunned by how good this novel actually is. Asher's
polity universe is really starting to take on a life of it's
own and with the 'brass man' and the 'voyages of sable keech' the opus continues. Why TOR takes so long to pick these up and release them is a mystery.
This is a wonderful science fiction book.
and Arthur C. Clarke, only to mention a few. Thank God we have Neal Stephenson at least.
At any rate, asher's treatment of AI's, in both Gridlinked
and Skinner is absolutely wonderful. Benign AI's -what a novel idea, and in Skinner the AI's even seem to have a sense of humour. When I first bought Skinner I thought I was
taking a chance because of all the supposed violence. I was
really stunned by how good this novel actually is. Asher's
polity universe is really starting to take on a life of it's
own and with the 'brass man' and the 'voyages of sable keech' the opus continues. Why TOR takes so long to pick these up and release them is a mystery.
This is a wonderful science fiction book.
reviewed by rafit on November 27, 2006 5:06 PM
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Like so many other sci-fi readers, I have become a Neal Asher fan. I just don't think there is anyone out there right now writing stories as original as his books are... and The Skinner is the best I've read so far. Simple amazing... it is one of the very few books I've read besides Dune that really excited me again about the genre. The story is great, the action and violence and characters and exciting, and the setting is dangerous and exotic. I hated putting the book down, yet at the same time I knew I didn't want it to end too soon! Definitely a must-read!
reviewed by ronmiller on November 29, 2006 3:59 PM
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Wow, what a good story! it's rare when I find myself savoring a story this much - the last time was Cryptonomicon!
Thanks to a sharp imagination coupled with uncanny ability to keep multiple story lines going without confusing, Asher has created a classic hard sci-fi story that will stay with me for a long, long time.
Thanks to a sharp imagination coupled with uncanny ability to keep multiple story lines going without confusing, Asher has created a classic hard sci-fi story that will stay with me for a long, long time.
reviewed by bricktop on November 29, 2006 4:14 PM
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Don't let the questionable cover art put you off! Skinner is a highly inventive and action packed science fiction novel set on the very alien planet of SplatterJay. Based in Asher's Polity universe, Skinner reads like something Iain Banks might have written after going out and getting raging drunk. Asher successfuly crossbreeds the high concept science fiction we've come to expect from the new wave of British SF writers with nonstop action, interesting characters and weird lifeforms. This is the third Asher novel I've read, and I'm looking forward to more from this talented writer.
reviewed by drvale on November 29, 2006 4:46 PM