Scott Bakker is the author of

The Darkness That Comes Before,

The Warrior Prophet and

The Thousandfold Thought

, a trilogy that Publisher's Weekly calls 'a work of unforgettable power'.

He spent his childhood exploring the bluffs of Lake Erie's north shore, and his youth studying literature, languages, and philosophy. He now lives in London, Ontario, with his wife, Sharron, and their cat, Scully.

N E U R O P A T H

R. Scott Bakker

An Orion paperback

First published in Great Britain in 2008 by Orion Books Ltd

This paperback edition published in 2009 by Orion Books Ltd,

Orion House, 5 Upper St Martin's Lane,
London WC2H 9EA

An Hachette UK company

13579 10 8642

Copyright © R. Scott Bakker 2008

The right of R. Scott Bakker to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-0-7528-8279-6

Typeset at The Spartan Press Ltd, Lymington, Hants

Printed and bound at CPI Mackays, Chatham, Kent ME5 8td

The Orion Publishing Group's policy is to use papers that are natural, renewable and recyclable products and made from wood grown in sustainable forests. The logging and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin.

To my Fall 2003 Popular Culture class.

For remaining honest in the face of complexity, and humble in the shadow of mystery.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS