Changes

The arch cynicism and laid-back style go nicely with the poetic language and the sometimes trippy imagery to create a dreamy, detached feel. However, there's a fine line between a book told convincingly from the point of view of an unimpressed magician who's seen it all before, and one that makes you wonder why you wasted your tea-break reading it, and unfortunately this book strays across that line at times. M literally or metaphorically shrugs at the end of a sequence of events and as a reader , it can be frustrating. It's full of anti-climaxes, there is little urgency even when a fight's going on, events are summarised sometimes which occasionally seems appropriate laziness on M's part but at other times feels disappointing, as though it's describing something that's happening a couple of blocks away, rather than to the main character who you (the reader) are with.

All that said, if you lapped up the sheer cool of Neuromancer and you like a bit of punk attitude you'll probably appreciate this book, likewise if you've enjoyed Michael Chabon's novels or Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. M reminded me in some strange way of Mouse in [[Nova by Samuel R Delany]] which is a sci-fi adventure from the sixties but might also be a fitting accompaniment to A City Dreaming as it seems to me to come from a similar headspace. We also have a review of [[Those Above by Daniel Polansky]].