Harlem, USA 2041 A.D. . .

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"How much would you pay for a drug that takes you all the way out of your head—and into the mind and memories of another?"

About a month ago or so, I had the pleasure of attending a reading by Michel Marriott, a technology reporter for The New York Times. His new book The Skull Cage Key was recently published by Bolden Books, a division of Agate Publishing. I'm more a fan of the horror genre than speculative fiction, The Good House by Tananarive Due being the last novel of that ilk that I have read. Due is someone who is often compared to Stephen King. I love Stephen King's works. I like Tananarive Due's books a bit better. Michel's debut novel, which I hope to heaven is made into a movie, is right up there with King and Due. I tore through The Skull Cage Key in one weekend and then was mad at myself for not going a little slower to make it last longer. Michel if you're reading this, I hope you have a sequel in you.

I think the thing that caught my attention the most in the book was the kind of technology Michel has created for mid-twenty first century America. Picture windows that need just a tap to magnify something or someone many feet down on a busy street--that was one of my favorites, but there are so many more innovations that I don't want to give away. There are many things that have changed in 2041 New York City in general, and many things that have stayed the same. A New Yorker will probably find this that much more deeply satisfying, but anyone who has been to this city for even a day get swallowed up in the tale of Harlemite Armstrong Black as he tries to unravel a mystery, save his loved ones, and clear his name. A word to those on the prudish side: tread lightly. For details go here.

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