Introduction:
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‍GS Morgan's debut cyberpunk thriller, Kris PR, is coming out on May 30th, the first in a series. Who better to write a book about a genetically-perfect cop running pursuits than the author, who is a former hostage negotiator, inspector, and emergency responder in real life. I received an early preview. If you like rogue cops, genetic experiments, and esoteric cults that "blur the line between faith and code," then this will be right up your Night City alley.
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                                                                                   "Where Neon Fades, Truth Emerges."
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The plot follows Kris Peterson, a genetically-enhanced cop who gets involved in an investigation of genetics operations that also shed light on his own history. He will eventually encounter Canen, a stone-cold killer who will clash with and try to use Kris throughout the book. ‍The writing is good and ambitious with considerable metaphor use, which I appreciate.

The air felt as clear as it could in any tech-filled town centre, in contrast to the thick smog of his thoughts. He could not help but feel stuck in a gelatinous, cloying mediocrity.
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At times the choice of words leads to a slight awkwardness (likely attributable to differences in British and American English), but overall Morgan's command over the language is quite good. The imagery definitely works to create the urban, dystopian backdrop.

...It was possible to see the incremental architectural pastiche of the new onto the old. The neon of the signage and holos melded with the rustic blown faces of the mill-era brick. Steel gantries peppered the above, hung with grey washing alongside shoes tied together at the laces. The washing was always grey in Manchester, a symbol of the tired, barely functional humanity that seethed within the decaying mortar, held together with rusting – yet unyielding – steel wire.

The action and tech sequences play up the unique aspects of cyberpunk fiction,
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“Fuck you, soldier! You fucking Edits wiping our tech – FUCK YOU.”
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"The button was a small electromagnetic pulse device that was developed and regulated almost 50 years ago. It carried a great deal of legal risk as it wiped everything within a 10-meter radius, setting any technology back to the operating system level, and simultaneously wiping any connected cloud devices. He glanced around as he softly placed the girl in the passenger seat. All revellers were looking at him with hatred in their eyes, their modded faces now glowing a factory settings orange and pulsing gently. They would have a few days of work to get their vanity customisations as they wanted them again."

Morgan also does well to pace his action sequences to build suspense, such as in the following section,

The car eventually came to rest on its roof. Kris was hung upside-down in his harness but was still conscious. He peered through a fractured driver-side window. A pair of black boots and some black elasticated cuff trousers walked slowly towards the car. The crackle of a damaged dispatch speaker was still attempting to speak, but it was strangled by whatever technical issue now besets it. Several new spider webs appeared on the window next to his head, jolting him out of his post-crash reverie. They were trying to kill him. He must get away. He hit the ‘secure me’ button and felt the straps rescind, dropping him onto his head and other hand which was posted against the roof.

Those who like cyberpunk action that doesn't shy away from literary metaphor, characterization, and decent sentence length will dig this new text. And for those who are a fan of Robocop, you're in for a treat! Purchase on Amazon here.
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