Last Tango in Cyberspace

February 18, 2019
This near-future technothriller is a breezy around-the-world romp for ex-journalist and “empathy-tracker” Lion Zorn. Lion is hired by British billionaire Sir Richard, head of the high-tech corporation Arctic, to find the mysterious leader of a cult built around the existential mysticism of poet Rainer Maria Rilke. He dodges dragonfly-size surveillance drones while fortifying himself with expensive whiskey, legendary marijuana, and an even more legendary Amex card. Lion is able to recognize the clues that Arctic’s operatives miss, leading him to connect the cult with a new drug, Sietch Tabr, that boosts empathy and that Arctic wants to market. Racing from a spaceport in Truth or Consequences, N.M., to Kuala Lumpur and then to Manhattan, Lion pieces together the truth from clues offered by reclusive Jamaican reggae superstars, Malaysian gangster-artists, and the philosophy of the classic SF novel Dune. Kotler (Stealing Fire) clearly hopes that humans will compassionately open their minds and hearts to the wider world rather than heedlessly destroying it, but Lion’s easy ability to bond with wild creatures and TSA agents may be overly optimistic. Still, it’s a fun story with plenty of SF media references for fans to enjoy. Agent: Paul Bresnick, Bresnick Weil Literary.

Starred review from April 1, 2019

Judah Zorn touches the Rastafarian faith's Rod of Correction and feels its power. He advises the Rastafarians that the rod, rather than being a discarded relic, remains a mighty force. Judah, now known as Lion, becomes accepted as the first empathy (or em-) tracker, able to spot cultural shifts and trends before they happen. His ability becomes financially lucrative until he meets Sir Richard of Arctic Pharmaceuticals, who entices Lion to go further. Sir Richard provides some photos; the one that reels him in is a decapitated head on a table with three lines of a silver powder, which seems to change pheromones in a way that allows a family to lie down and sleep among a pride of lions in South Africa. The head on the table belonged to Richard Walker, a big-game hunter who is dead from remorse for the animals he killed. The formula for the drug has great potential for Arctic, but for Lion the desire to understand the powder's capability is what drives his hunt. VERDICT Reminiscent of Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, this near-futuristic setting for ancient connections somehow seem possible for our own future. Both thriller and sf, the latest from Kotler (Tomorrowland) is sure to please a broad range of readers. The characters are well-developed and ultimately "peeled to the core," which makes for a fascinating read. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 11/19/18.]--Vicki Gregory, Sch. of Information, Univ. of South Florida, Tampa

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2019
In his first speculative fiction novel since The Angle Quickest for Flight (1999), Kotler crafts an intriguing blend of detective story and social critique. Lion Zorn is a new kind of human, born with heightened empathetic capacity. With his abilities, he works for hire as an em-tracker, monitoring the confluence and splitting of cultures and predicting when and where new subcultures may emerge. When his latest job leads to a revolutionary new drug with the potential to expand a person's consciousness, Lion is drawn into a complex web of interests surrounding a secretive subculture and his employer, Arctic Pharmaceuticals, which wants to take advantage of it. Using precise storytelling that draws on literary and cultural references from Rastafarianism, Dune, and the works of Rainer Maria Rilke, Kotler creates a vivid picture of near-future earth. Revelations may come at a slow pace, but readers who dig in will find a story that is, at its core, an insightful view on how empathy can connect us to each other and to the living beings that share this planet.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)