When Gravity Fails (The Budayeen Cycle Book 1)

Name: When Gravity Fails (The Budayeen Cycle Book 1)
Price: 2.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4 (852 reviews)
Author: George Alec Effinger

by George Alec Effinger

Mystery Thriller Science Fiction

4.0 (852)

4.0 stars from 852 reviews. Top 91% of Mystery Thriller books we track.

$2.99KU68% off peak

Last checked: Jun 28, 2026

Read free with Kindle Unlimited

Price history: $1.99 – $9.28

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Price range: $1.99 – $9.28

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Perfect for you if...

You love cyberpunk that feels lived-in and gritty, not just shiny tech and neon surfaces.
You're interested in how technology reshapes identity and what it means to stay human in a world where you can buy a new personality.
You appreciate noir crime stories with moral ambiguity where the protagonist isn't noble but gets pulled into something bigger anyway.

Maybe not for you if...

You want straightforward heroes and clear moral lines in your fiction.
You prefer fast-paced plots that move relentlessly forward without worldbuilding digression.
You're looking for optimistic visions of the future or stories where technology solves humanity's problems.

About this book

Set in a futuristic Middle East with an ascendant Muslim world and divided Western superpowers, this novel explores a high-tech near future where mind- or mood-altering drugs, electronic brain enhancements with plug-in modules, and surgical body modification are commonplace. Plug-in devices can turn anyone into a killer. Marid Audran is an unmodified street hustler living in the Budayeen, a decadent Arab ghetto, who values his independence. He becomes entangled in a series of inexplicable murders—some appearing as routine assassinations carried out with a handgun by someone wearing a plug-in James Bond persona, others involving torture and mutilation of sex workers. When Budayeen godfather Friedlander Bey takes notice, he presents Audran with an offer he cannot refuse. Nominated for the Nebula and Hugo awards, this novel introduced the cyberpunk Budayeen Cycle.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

$1.99 – $9.28

Currently on sale at $2.99 — 68% off peak. Price has dropped 19 times over the last 5 years. Goes on sale roughly every 94 days. Typically stays discounted for 15 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Currently around #96K in the Kindle store — a steady mid-list seller.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

Currently 4.0★ from 852 reviews

Gaining approximately 3 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.0 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $2.99. It typically returns to around $9.28.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.