Market Forces
Market Forces is a standalone science fiction thriller novel by British author Richard K. Morgan, first published in 2004 by Gollancz in the UK and Del Rey in the US.[1][2] Set in a dystopian near-future Britain amid economic collapse and corporate dominance, the narrative centers on Chris Faulkner, an ambitious executive at Shorn Associates, a firm profiting from "conflict investment" by funding wars and regimes for financial gain.[1][3] In this world, career advancement hinges on high-stakes, lethal vehicular duels on public motorways, where executives in armored cars battle for contracts and promotions under a twisted code of corporate honor.[4][5] The novel satirizes unchecked capitalism, executive ruthlessness, and the commodification of violence, drawing influences from films like Mad Max and Rollerball while exploring themes of power, morality, and systemic corruption through Faulkner's personal and professional conflicts.[4][6] Though praised for its visceral action and sharp critique of market-driven ethics, it has drawn mixed reception for its graphic depictions of brutality and unflinching portrayal of human ambition unbound by regulation.[5][3]