by Richard K. Morgan
Published 2003
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW AN EXCITING SERIES FROM NETFLIX • The shell that blew a hole in his chest was only the beginning in this “tour de force of genre-bending, a brilliantly realized exercise in science fiction.”—The New York Times Book Review In the twenty-fifth century, humankind has spread throughout the galaxy, monitored by the watchful eye of the U.N. While divisions in race, religion, and class still exist, advances in technology have redefined life itself. Now, assuming one can afford the expensive procedure, a person’s consciousness can be stored in a cortical stack at the base of the brain and easily downloaded into a new body (or “sleeve”) making death nothing more than a minor blip on a screen. Ex-U.N. envoy Takeshi Kovacs has been killed before, but his last death was particularly painful. Dispatched one hundred eighty light-years from home, re-sleeved into a body in Bay City (formerly San Francisco, now with a rusted, dilapidated Golden Gate Bridge), Kovacs is thrown into the dark heart of a shady, far-reaching conspiracy that is vicious even by the standards of a society that treats “existence” as something that can be bought and sold.
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Top voices for narrating this book
American · Middle Aged · Male · Narrative Story · Deep
“This voice offers a deep, commanding presence with a measured pace, perfectly capturing the narrator's serious and hardened outlook, fitting the cyberpunk genre's intense atmosphere.”
Male · Middle-Aged · Narration · Deep · Raspy · Serious · +3 more
“With a deep, mature tone and subtle rasp, this voice conveys the world-weariness and mystery inherent in Kovacs's narration, delivering a slow and measured performance.”
American · Middle Aged · Male · Narrative Story · Serious
“The deep, smooth, and dramatic quality of this voice brings out the intense and serious aspects of the narrator, ideal for the cynical yet determined voice of Takeshi Kovacs.”
American · Middle Aged · Male · Narrative Story · Confident
“Its direct and deep delivery aligns with the narrator's intense and determined traits, providing a raw, seasoned texture suitable for a hardened ex-envoy in a dangerous future.”
American · Young · Male · Narrative Story · Deep
“A raspy, deep voice with a natural edge suits the cynical and weary undertones of the narrator, even if the age is young, the 'weary' trait is a strong match for this voice's texture.”
For listeners: use the Best Narrator voice above in ElevenReader or Fish Audio. Character casting is for authors producing audiobooks with studio tools.
A former elite soldier, now a private investigator, re-sleeved into a new body. His voice carries the weight of past traumas and a sharp, often sarcastic wit.
American · Middle Aged · Male · Narrative Story · Confident
“This natural American deep voice is a strong match for Kovacs's middle-aged, intense, and confident persona, allowing for emotional shifts from hardened to sarcastic.”
American · Middle Aged · Male · Narrative Story
“Arsen's calm, relaxing American male voice, described as smooth and measured, can effectively portray Kovacs's sharp wit and measured intensity, fitting his middle-aged profile.”
American · Middle Aged · Male · Narrative Story · Professional
“The low, trustworthy American baritone of Robert Riggs offers a professional and measured tone that could convey Kovacs's cynical yet determined nature and past traumas.”
American · Middle Aged · Male · Narrative Story · Modulated
“Reuven's deep, resonant American baritone with a measured, thoughtful timbre aligns well with Kovacs's middle-aged, intelligent, and often sarcastic character, bringing a sense of gravitas.”
Male · Middle-Aged · Narration · Deep · Calm · Professional · +3 more
“Kevin Costner's calm and professional middle-aged American voice, with its deep and warm tone, could provide a grounded, measured delivery for Kovacs, emphasizing his private investigator role.”