''Hammered'' is a

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

novel by American writer

Elizabeth Bear Sarah Bear Elizabeth Wishnevsky (born September 22, 1971) is an American author who works primarily in speculative fiction genres, writing under the name Elizabeth Bear. She won the 2005 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, the 2008 Hugo ...

, first published on 28 December 2004 by

Bantam Spectra Bantam Spectra is the science fiction division of American publishing company Bantam Books, which is owned by Random House. According to their website, Spectra publishes "science fiction, fantasy, horror, and speculative novels from recogniza ...

. The book won the 2006

Locus Award for Best First Novel The Locus Award for Best First Novel is one of the annual Locus Awards presented by the science fiction and fantasy magazine '' Locus''. Awards presented in a given year are for works published in the previous calendar year. The award for Best Fi ...

. It is the first book of a trilogy made of ''Hammered'', ''Scardown'', and ''Worldwired''.

Plot summary

Master Warrant Officer Jenny Casey is a Canadian ex-soldier who has

cybernetic Cybernetics is a wide-ranging field concerned with circular causality, such as feedback, in regulatory and purposive systems. Cybernetics is named after an example of circular causal feedback, that of steering a ship, where the helmsperson ma ...

replacements for an arm and an eye that she lost during combat. Jenny's former commander, who was responsible for replacing her limbs, contacts her to bring her into a secret government corporate project in which she is uniquely qualified to participate.

Reception

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' said in their review that "Bear's often jagged prose ('We disembark in Brazil, which has the distinction of being one of several countries I've been shot at in. Shot down over, even...') suits the frequent, at times confusing narrative jumps between the virtual and real worlds" and that "readers may have difficulties following this sometimes chaotic story." Noah Robischon in his review for ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

'' said that "Bear is talented, but this debut starts more good ideas than it finishes."

Awards

* 2006

The LOCUS Index to SF Awards

. Retrieved 2009-1-06.

References

External links

* {{Elizabeth Bear 2004 American novels 2004 science fiction novels American science fiction novels Works by Elizabeth Bear Debut science fiction novels 2004 debut novels Bantam Spectra books