Neon Empire

Having just finished another book with an interesting but underdeveloped social media element, I liked the sound of Neon Empire and hoped Drew Minh would have more thought provoking things to say than my previous read. Definitely more thought provoking, I liked Neon Empire a lot. It is a fairly short, engaging novel, very well paced and executed.

The setting – a Las Vegas/theme park-style city, Eutopia, conceived and developed by a media network to make maximum profit from social media is very well done, vivid and pulsating with (often seedy) energy. Inside Eutopia are mini capital cities of Europe - augmented, more experiential and interactive, since Europe itself has, due to populist uprisings, become unsafe for tourism. Wannabe influencers, tourists, wealthy Europeans (meta-style) and 'Transcational' youth (post millennial generation) visit Eutopia seeking thrills and hoping to become social media stars themselves. Neat concept. Only now, in its fourth year of existence, Eutopia is slightly past its prime as rival cities crop up across Asia and the exhaustive need for globally trending hashtags, media coverage and revenue becomes harder to achieve and maintain.

Minh has interesting things to say about fame, thrill-seeking and our obsession with danger and violence in particular and how all of these can be monetised for profit. There are no ethical considerations, Eutopia itself is not subject to certain laws, its police department is privately run for example, questionable drugs are freely available to buy and widely advertised. Social media ethics is very much a current topic (in real life I mean) and the novel made me think about how far would individuals and companies go for popularity/ profit, what is a ‘real’ experience when related to social media and so on.

I really liked what Minh did with the concept – there are many current references and the technology itself is pretty much available now (or will be very soon) and while a city like Eutopia doesn’t exist (yet), it is not particularly unrealistic or far fetched. The plot and the characters come somewhat secondary to the concept but that’s not really a criticism, I think it actually works better that way. A timely novel.

E-arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

This book was beautifully written! I'm not a big fan of sci-fi novels but this one was really enjoyable. The world build did not disappoint me at all since It seemed like I was in there until the book ended.
After I read it I felt like I came back from an amazingly long journey. Loved it and I advise people to read it!

Neon Empire is a fine dystopian science fiction novel in line with Aldous Huxley and George Orwell. It’s inviting and vividly described.

What I like most about this book is the way the author envisions a world that takes social media to an even more overt level. It’s intriguing to think about and a welcome addition to a genre I love.

Neon Empire plays the right notes of character and plot, and the result is enjoyable.

Neon Empire showcases masterful worldbuilding, giving us a setting that’s impossible to look away from. The story itself follows multiple characters as they interact with the city, all following their own story lines as they search for answers or fame or the next big break. It’s the city of Eutopia that stands out on every page, always inserting itself in some humorous or larger than life way. I love when setting takes a front seat along with storytelling, and this novel fits that bill expertly.

This is a city designed entirely for pleasure at every turn. We actually get to see snippets of the early days, watching as groups of marketers and developers figure out how to create the most addictive version of an adult theme park they can possibly come up with. Thus, Eutopia is born and becomes the destination for anyone looking to forget their old life at the city limits. Every street corner is a mix of European streets and monuments, mixed with enormous billboards and advertisements for sex-on-demand services, gambling, social media, and a special drug that keeps the party going for days on end. I was continuously amazed at the author’s inventiveness as the characters walk through the various parts of the city. Even when the city takes a backseat to the story, it’s so loud and proud of itself that it always pushes its way into the limelight, filling your mind with its many distractions.

Overall, Neon Empire is an excellent book with an interesting story and one of the most detailed settings I’ve seen. It’s a fascinating read through and through.

At first i thought this was a work of inspired imagination but it opened my eyes to what is already happening:
Bobby Misner's YouTube post, "Rich Kid's Rule Book to Wealth" , Pewdiepie, Ed Sherin, the Beckhams, a whole new world for the consumers of the not too distant future. Exciting, glamorous and at the same time highly dystopian. Wrap this up well with good writing and a good plot line and you have an extremely enjoyable story.

I was really excited to read Neon Empire and it did not disappoint. I'm very into books that deal with technology and the future. This reminded me of Orwell and similar authors in that the visionary world Minh created is quite imaginative and unique. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more of Minh's work. Since I'm a teacher, this might be something I'd recommend for our library to have as well. I'm not always the biggest fan of SciFi, but I did enjoy this book.

I loved this book. The use of terms to explain some of the future tech were clever, the characters were flawed and well thought out, and the story was scarily believable to a future that we know is coming.

I love this book! It's almost American Psycho for digital age. An important influencer and a revitalised film maker searching for reasons his dead wife skirted edges of criminality, take on a slippery lethal artificial world, and attempt to crack it .. it's more complicated than that, but the world and its characters' dilemmas absolutely draws you in . I could not put it down.

Will recommend to fans of Black Mirror, Neal Stephenson & William Gibson. Will also rec to those ready for darker fare after MT Anderson's Feed and Ernest Cline's Ready Player One.

I requested and received a copy for honest review, thanks to Netgalley and the publisher

Eutopia is a single city based on the landmarks of Europe. It is effectively a near future Vegas on steroids setting, fully integrated with social media and influencer culture as part of the basic function of the city. Tourists come and stream their experiences, a generation of "transactionals" trading their lifestyles as advertising to keep living in the city. However it prompts ever more desperate/intense measures to keep the attention of a social media audience.

We follow quite disparate pov characters; Cedric a one hit wonder director, A'rore the aging starlet at the top of the influencer pyramid in Eutopia, and investigative journalist Sasha. Cedric is a bit of a curmudgeon, well beyond the target age for the city and not even on social media, he's only there trying to find out what happened to his estranged wife after she disappeared in a supposed attack on a landmark. A'rore is driven, always pushing for the next drama or deal to keep her popularity up, but she's quickly nearing her expiration date as a hot young thing with the novelty of her as a disabled model (she has a prosthetic leg) that she managed to swing in her favor as unique, is now all too common with transhumanism being embraced and younger influencers who have tried to emulate her, she can't help but grapple with the fact she is losing hold of the only life she knows. Sasha is in a secret relationship with A'rore, while having a few secrets of her own, she's digging into the seedy underbelly of the city looking for a scoop that winds up connecting her to Cedric's own search for his missing wife.

Over all I really enjoyed this, however I have to say it really buried the lede. The first half was just alright for me, it took it's time at building up the world and characters (quite a bit of which ended in loose threads), sort of meandering with the plot, then suddenly over halfway through it absolutely took off. Cedric on his search for information is pulled into a position covertly directing viral social media events. The planning, the execution, discussion of data science and using analytics to assure success and influence... was fantastic! This is really the hook for the story, that should make you want to pick it up, but it takes it's time getting there so stick with it.

The city of Eutopia is very flashy, Billboards with ads promoting sex or anything else you may want abound. The city is filled with European attractions. Museums, streets, monuments and restaurants. Drugs are easy to get and aren't illegal. Influencers are all the rage and they compete fiercely for ratings.

Cedric Travers comes to Eutopia in search of answers. His estranged wife has disappeared and he is hoping to find out what really happened. He ends up meeting A'rore who is a top influencer and is fighting to stay on top. Sasha Villanova, is a reporter assigned to profile A'rore. Sasha starts digging and find more than any of them expected.

Neon Empire has some very cool world building. It's easy to imagine ourselves going down this road in the not so distant future. Black Mirror fans will like this book.

This was one wild ride. I'm struggling to find words to adequately convey the effect of this novel. But here's my best attempt.

Eutopia is a city that's more than a city. Built on Navajo Nation territory, far-seeing developers have recreated all the highlights of Europe. Thus an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower shares the city with Buckingham Palace, the Coliseum, and the like. All replicas, of course.

Being built on confiscated Navajo land has financial benefits. Gambling and prostitution are legal. But that's not all. The entire city is high tech. Based on information from all the digital devices carried by residents and tourists, outdoor advertisements target those nearby. Financial incentives persuade people to live-broadcast their lives.

A chance to make money while having fun. What could be better?

But with their altered realities, both physical and virtual, and interactions with the city's commerce and social media, the humans have created another character: Eutopia.

It's not just a setting that comes to life and "feels" like a character, but a city that is a character. Moreover, it's a dynamic, malevolent character, one with an agenda that goes against human will. Eutopia exploits the humans. 

Like Dr. Frankenstein with his famous creature, the humans have set something in motion that they cannot control. Even the ones who believe that they are controlling Eutopia really aren't; the city spirals out of control like a person on a downward cycle into mental chaos, and it takes the humans with it.

I hope this makes sense. Several reviewers have noted that they felt distanced from the human characters or that the humans weren't fully developed. I sensed this, too.

But I also think this was intentional. This isn't a novel where the reader likes the characters. We aren't supposed to like them or dislike them; whether we do or don't doesn't matter. They are entirely shaped by the environment, which is the true protagonist/antihero.

It's easiest to see with this Cedric, who comes to Eutopia to find information on his missing wife and is sucked into the altered realities of the city. He claims to be working in "grey areas," yet it's clear (to us, at least) that he's lost perspective, integrity, and humanity.

Minh has plenty to say about social media, including how it affects sex, violence, reality, and the value of a human being. Brace yourself: some of it is downright sickening. One chapter title is "Sex is violence." It's a theme that Minh returns to multiple times. A'rore, Sacha, Cedric, police officer Monteiro: all participate in some version of this sickening theme.

It's even more sickening when you consider that this vision of Eutopia is a logical endpoint for where our culture's current direction.

This was a rich, rewarding read. Visiting the not-yet-existent Eutopia was a harrowing experience, even through the pages of a book. I'm glad that I don't live there! 

Thanks again to ColdBlood Books and Netgalley for a copy of Neon Empire in exchange for an honest review. 
(Note: this review will appear on my blog on September 20, 2019.)