Last Tango in Cyberspace
Steven Kotler, 2019
Last Tango In Cyberspace is near-future hard SF. Its protagonist, Lion Zorn, freelances as a trend-spotter, looking for ‘the next big thing’ for industry. His contract with a pharmaceutical company seems to be about designer drugs but a deeper agenda gradually emerges, and it is one which aligns the novel with Green Path’s concerns about wildlife conservation and animal rights.
That could easily make it over-serious but in fact it’s very smart, fast-moving and often funny. It’s hard to say much more without giving away spoilers, so I’m merely going to recommend the book, especially to those who enjoy William Gibson’s work.
Kotler was new to me but has a decent record as a journalist and nonfiction author, and this is his second novel. His first seems to have owed too much to The Da Vinci Code to be worth tracking down, but his third should be worth looking out for.
That third book, The Devil’s Dictionary, is out now, but the review at https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781250202093 is equivocal, while this one – https://covers.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/steven-kotler/the-devils-dictionary/ is very different but only a little more positive.