Bask - Shop now
Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read for Free
OR
$3.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Gary Gibson
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Proxy Kindle Edition

by Gary Gibson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 348 ratings

In the future, you can become anyone else. But when Ray Thomas is hired to find the daughter of his sworn enemy, the disgraced ex-policeman soon discovers there's far more to the illegal bio-implant technology called 'proxy' than body-swapping.

Meanwhile, jailed proxy dealer Elijah races to uncover the identity of whomever is trying to kill him from outside prison, only to discover these attempts may be linked to a new, more potent form of proxy that's hit the streets.

What each man discovers on the streets of a near-future London crippled by multiple pandemics could change the course of civilisation...or end it.

Cyberpunk-laced future noir from the author of Europa Deep, Stealing Light, and Echogenesis.

"a relentless cyberpunk adventure ... this ambitious thrill ride coalesces into a cautionary message about the precariousness of humanity." - PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY

"Gibson’s prose (is) breezy, punchy, with a thread of caustic wit…the pace is breathless, verging on ruthless." - INTERZONE

"…strong central characters, plenty of action and constant page-turning suspense.” - PARSEC

"...one of our best exponents of hardcore SF adventure" - DAILY MAIL

Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    388 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    August 1, 2022
  4. File size
    2.1 MB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Described by The Guardian as "a master of core sf" and "one of our best exponents of hardcore sf adventure" by the Daily Mail, Gary Gibson's career stretches over twenty years and fifteen books, including Stealing Light, Extinction Game and Echogenesis.
Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, he now lives in Taipei.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B5TSP744
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Brain in a Jar Books (August 1, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 1, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.1 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 388 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 348 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Gary Gibson

Gary Gibson

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Described by The Guardian as "a master of core sf" and "one of our best exponents of hardcore SF adventure" by the Daily Mail, Gary Gibson's career stretches over fifteen years and nearly twenty books.

His work has been translated and published around the world, including Russia, Brazil, Germany, and France. A long-time resident of Glasgow, Scotland, he relocated a few years ago to Taipei in the Far East and splits his time between editing and working on his own material.

His latest book is a collection of previously published and unpublished short stories and novellas, Butterfly Box and Other Stories, released on 15 November 2024 in ebook, paperback and hardback.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
348 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Top reviews from the United States

  • Annabeth
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking novel of the near future
    Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Readers of science fiction and those interested in the future of AI will appreciate this novel both for the questions it raises overtly and for those questions it raises implicitly. Gibson' s main characters are quickly drawn, their background succinctly summarised; nonetheless, readers become invested in their welfare and success. Ironically, perhaps, multitudes of other characters become nearly faceless fodder for an AI-directed plot: the same fate some of the principal characters strive to forestall.
    All in all, this was a novel hard to put down.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars a thrilling and macabre tale
    Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Well-written techno-thriller set in near future Great Britain. I find the basic premise of proxying rather disturbing. Also called “skin-swapping”, where you can literally walk around in another person’s skin, it can be hard to know if the person you are looking in the eye is really that person inside. Initially proxy was illegal but eventually became legitimate, however, the abuses of this technology are still rampant among all levels of society.
    The conclusion, (caution- small spoiler ahead) of both the book and a couple of principal characters, is also disturbing, suggesting that proxying may be a necessary step in human evolution. That one of the main characters is a sentient AI is a central component of the story and leads to a conclusion that speculates on the evolution of AI and humanity.
    The story took a while for me to be fully engaged, but eventually I couldn’t wait to find out how it all turned out.
    Helpful
     Report
  • W.A. Stanley
    5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning cyberpunk noir told with frightening realism
    Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2022
    I received an advance reader copy of Proxy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

    It’s difficult to read Proxy without the thought of COVID-19 and the spectre that lingers over the world. While the author's note at the beginning of the book mentions the crazy coincidence that it was written in the months leading to the outbreak, it’s not difficult to imagine ot being the first of the three pandemics leading to the near future Gibson presents.

    But this isn’t a novel about a pandemic, it’s about a future world where a succession of pandemics has much of the world living in fear. One where corporations wield an ever-increasing amount of power, and one where a new technology named Proxy is used by people to transplant their consciousness into others' bodies, hijacking them for their own use. Proxy's future is a frightening one, but plausible, should we ever make similar technological discoveries.

    The author presents a noir cyberpunk world where former police officer/current private investigator Ray Thomas follows the trail of the missing Stacy. As he follows the trail, he ends up deep in the world of these so-called proxies. Fans of cyberpunk or noir stories will love the book's world, its styling, and its engrossing plot. It hits all the hallmarks of its genres, and does so in a way that keeps the reader enthralled.

    The book’s setting, a near-future version of London, is evocative, and the author treats the reader to a grimy world that feels lived in, and the narrative transports the reader there. The city is a character of its own, and it feels like the author knows the city intimately. I felt like I was part of this world, being able to see, hear and smell it all.

    A large part of me feeling like I was part of the world was thanks to the characters. Its seven POV characters, each with their own threads, and its variety of other characters is a lot to keep track of. Proxy rewards a close reading.

    With the number of characters, it's a testament to the author’s writing that they're all so memorable. Ray may be the book’s protagonist, but each character is wonderfully written. All the POV characters are rich enough that they could have been the book’s protagonist, or even its sole point of view character.

    The book's dialogue is strong, and each character having sounds unique. Their differing characteristics complement each other, adding depth to the world. Each character sounds true to themselves, and they do so while also sounding true not only to Proxy’s world but also to its noir trappings.

    As great as the dialogue is, the book's prose does the heavy lifting. Not only is it clear, concise, and easy to follow, it sets the book’s atmosphere and doesn’t let up. The descriptions of the world and its characters are thoroughly engaging, and it presents the sci-fi technology in a way that feels natural: as an extension of the world without drawing away from the story.

    At the heart of any detective noir story is its mystery. The mystery is beautifully told, unfurling steadily over the course of the story. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, and the threads coalesce beautifully as it reaches its conclusion.

    Proxy is a wonderful sci-fi story with a great hook, presented in a frighteningly realistic manner. But more than that, it is a great mystery that will have the reader eagerly turning the page. With a deep world and a cast of interesting characters, it comes together in a spectacular whole.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • M. J. Edington
    4.0 out of 5 stars This one grows on you
    Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I didn't care for this yarn at the start, but I stayed with it and at some point along the way, I became completely engrossed.
    The story grows on you in a sneaky fashion the makes this novel difficult to put down.
    Get it, read it, and enjoy. It will grab you like a proxy you didn't see coming!
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Tom Steele
    3.0 out of 5 stars Very creative, but I got bored.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This is a very cleverly written book. I had trouble with the initial concept. It really didn’t have any science behind it, and it was hard to completely buy into.

    There seemed to be so many problems with proxy and it felt too easy. Maybe if the author had sold us on the science of the idea or even the science fiction of the idea, maybe I would have made it through the beginning.

    But even going along with the premise, I kind of just got bored of the characters. The plot is very interesting, the way that Gibson handles the various different people and various different bodies is clever enough that I was able to keep up. But there were so many people that I t was hard for me to invest in any of them.

    Probably the people I would most likely have been interested in are the least prominent during the first 20 chapters of the book which is where I finally gave up and skipped to the end.

    Character is super important in a book and I just couldn’t ever get super interested in any of them. The writing style is fairly smooth, the plot is interesting, but ultimately I gave up.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Allan
    3.0 out of 5 stars too many confusing characters
    Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2024
    You need an organization chart to get through this one. I gave up 20% in. Besides the numerous characters, the proxy capability allowed switching consciousness and occupying characters. it's easy to lose track of who's who but even harder to keep track of who's occupying whom.
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Bobelix
    5.0 out of 5 stars Smart Original Hard SF
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 19, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Gary Gibson writes, as Golden Age SF writers like Arthur C. Clarke wrote, by extrapolating existing tendencies and technologies into an imagined future. The basic premise is similar to that of the Altered Carbon series in that an electronic chip containing an entire personality can be inserted into and direct a human body. Entwine that with an evolving AI, an involving detective/thriller plot, a post-multiple pandemic world that has recently survived a horrific unifying Korean War, and a psychotic trillionaire's plans to take over the planet, and Gibson has a pretty good mix to run with. Prior to Proxy, I had read his Echogenesis at a sitting. I did the same with this one. I'm now going to take a short break from Gary Gibson so that I can drag myself out of the house to enjoy the sunshine. However, I shall return!
    Report
  • BONES
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Cyberpunk!
    Reviewed in Australia on December 5, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Gary Gibson tries something a bit different here and does a great job. I'm a fan of both Gary and the genre so it was great to see the two together and it made for a thoroughly enjoyable read. Gibson weaves three converging stories, set against a somewhat dystopian future in which it is possible for people to swap their consciousness into another body. It's a concept he plays with to great effect, that also underpins most of the story. The good guys have their flaws but the bad guy is just plain bad and we can't wait for him to get what the deserves but therein lies the best twist of all. It's a great story, well written. Highly recommended.
    Report
  • The Avid Reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 16, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The incredible imagination that conceived this book is just awesome. This is unmissable, unputdownable and purely brilliant.
    You don't come across writing this good very often.
    Report
  • Thomas Ferguson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Cracking read - highly reccomended if your into cyperpunk like noir detective thrillers!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 1, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I liked his previous work so thought I'd give this a bash too - and I was not disappointed. Headline says it all - buy if you into that sort of thing, and buy if you're not - you will be soon!
    Report
  • James C Rocks
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 7, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I rarely like stories set in the UK but this one was just brilliant, well worth the read!
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report