Market Forces - Publication and Reception

Publication and Reception

Market Forces was published by Gollancz in United Kingdom and Del Rey Books in North America. The hardcover was released simultaneously in 2004 along with the ebook and audiobook versions. The audiobook, read unabridged by Simon Vance was published by Tantor Media in CD and mp3 formats. A tradepaperback version was released by the same publishers in 2007. The book was awarded the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel in 2005 and nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award for best science fiction novel first published in the United Kingdom.

Market Forces is a strange and not always successful mix of corporate satire, video game thriller and progressive essay. The violence is often brutal and graphic, and none of the characters, even the conflicted Faulkner, is particularly heroic or sympathetic. But it succeeds because Morgan keeps his storytelling front and center, aside from the occasional pointed speech by one of his characters. And he also makes sure that his future, no matter how violent or shocking, is a reasonable extrapolation of present-day corporate culture.

Numerous reviewers commented on the action sequences and violence with several noting they were better suited to a theatrical version rather than literature. While reviewers variously called it a "high-octane, stomach-churning terror ride" and "turbo-injected with moral ambiguity", others noted that the action eventually grows tiresome. Reviewers also noted that the "action sequences keep the critique from becoming preachy" or otherwise too serious. In The San Diego Union-Tribune, the reviewer wrote "As a motorhead, I liked a lot of elements in this novel. On the other hand, I found a lot of the corporate and corp-rat behavior ranged from disturbing to disgusting." The reviewer in The Mercury concluded, "This is not comfortable or enjoyable bedtime reading. The inventive language, punk dialogue and feverish action create sustained tension throughout...It's hell-on-wheels fiction—entertainment that will appeal to many, particularly those who are hot car enthusiasts."

Numerous reviewers commented on Morgan's writing and story. In The Seattle Times, journalist and science fiction author Nisi Shawl tied the writing quality to the action scenes, "Morgan's talent for tension-building is matched by the clarity with which he describes the sideswiping, rubber-burning, rear-end-ramming, full-contact racing scenes. And both these skills are quietly eclipsed by his word-for-word writing ability. Apt metaphors and similes abound." However, science fiction critic Robert K. J. Killheffer, in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, wrote "it's not his best — it lacks the dense and evocative background of his Takeshi Kovacs books, and Morgan is not as sure-handed with near-future situations and characters — but it takes chances and largely succeeds." Likewise, in the San Francisco Chronicle the reviewer wrote "In its present form, the novel feels bloated and obvious, despite the sharpness of the descriptive writing and a couple of first-rate fight sequences. With the right artist, Market Forces might still make a compelling—and necessarily shorter—graphic novel." The Library Journal review ended with a recommendation: "Morgan's sf suspense belongs in most sf collections." The reviewer in Booklist concluded "It's not a particularly pleasant future, but Morgan paints it in broad strokes, drawing us into his future world and making it feel like a natural outgrowth of today’s corporate chicanery. The novel might have been unremittingly bleak if it weren't for the moral center provided by Faulkner, who is a genuinely likable guy. Fans of Morgan's gritty, noirish brand of sf will flock to this one."