Wired for Chaos is not a typical Cyberpunk novel; and not just because it starts with the death of the hero. One of the themes associated with the Cyberpunk genre, is the pitting of the individual against the mega-corporations. In this book Brice Johnson is an anti-hero, and virtually a mega-corporation of his own. He is mind bogglingly wealthy, self-centred, and a bully. The text acknowledges this, and it's only grudgingly that we can identify with Brice as his position becomes ever more deeply embedded in the mire.

That's not necessarily a criticism. I think Brett Renwick has deliberately put the reader in a difficult situation. You have to choose whether or not to empathise with Brice, as more of his character and personality is revealed. The surprise (or not) ending further turns normal Cyberpunk fare on it's head. It's an unusual choice, and you'll have to decide yourself how well it works.

One way in which Wired for Chaos sits squarely in the Cyberpunk tradition, is the depiction of a brutal - street level - future society. The normal boundaries of community have gone, and the rich live isolated from the subsistence experiences of the poor. It's hard to draw too many conclusions about Brett Renwick's prophetic vision of the future, from the narrow slice Wired for Chaos shows us - but the rich-poor divide is highlighted. This is never truer than during the sim-stim (?) torture scene. This is several miles past my boundaries of comfortable reading, but judging by the other books on the lists of Creation Books, it may be mild.

The most striking thing about the book, which is undoubtedly it's greatest strength, is it's energy and momentum. There are times when it picks you up and runs, with the events and characters flashing past in a whirl of colours. At certain points it reminds me of the wild jazz scenes of On the Road, by Jack Kerouac. This is a Cyberpunk reading experience, best accompanied with background techno music and a strong stomach !