Gun, with Occasional Music
Gun, with Occasional Music
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1994
Book Brief
262
Novel • Fiction
Oakland, California • Near Future
1994
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
Gun, with Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethem blends hardboiled noir and dystopian sci-fi, following private investigator Conrad Metcalf in a near-future totalitarian California where storytelling is outlawed, news is replaced with music, and drugs numb society. Metcalf, an ex-cop, navigates corrupted law enforcement and evolved animals while solving a murder case amid karmic penalties and societal decay. The novel includes scenes of substance abuse and manipulated consent.
Mysterious
Gritty
Dark
Unnerving
Reviews & Readership
11,881 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Jonathan Lethem's Gun, with Occasional Music melds sci-fi and noir, impressing readers with its originality and wit. Positive reviews praise its inventive plot and sharp dialogue, though some critics find the world-building inconsistent. The mix of noir tropes with futuristic elements intrigues many, but confuses a few, making it a polarizing yet engaging read.
Who Should Read Gun, with Occasional Music?
A reader who would enjoy Jonathan Lethem's Gun, with Occasional Music would appreciate a blend of noir detective fiction and speculative science fiction. Fans of Raymond Chandler's gritty detective tales and Philip K. Dick's reality-bending narratives like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? would find this book appealing.
11,881 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
262
Novel • Fiction
Oakland, California • Near Future
1994
Adult
18+ years
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