The Type of Polity may be the second novel in Neal Asher’s popular Agent Cormac series.

Outlink train station Miranda continues to be destroyed by a nanomycelium, and the very nature of the sabotage suggests that the alien bioconstruct Dragon – a creature while untrustworthy as it is gigantic – is somehow involved. Delivered on a titanic Polity dreadnought, the Occam Razor, agent Cormac must investigate the catastrophe.

Meanwhile, in the remote world Masada, the long-term rebellion can never rise above-ground, as the slave population is normally subjugated by orbital laser beam arrays controlled with the Theocracy within their cylinder worlds, and by the actual fact that they can not safely keep their labour compounds. For the wilderness of Masada lacks breathable atmosphere . and out there roam monstrous predators known as hooders and siluroynes, not forgetting the weird and horrible gabbleducks.