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Owner Trilogy #1
The Departure
Visible in the night sky the Argus Station, its twin smelting plants like glowing eyes, looks down on nightmare Earth. From Argus the Committee keep an oppressive citizens are watched by cams systems and political officers, it's a world inhabited by shepherds, reader guns, razor birds and the brutal Inspectorate with its white tiled cells and pain inducers. Soon the Committee will have the power to edit human minds, but not yet, twelve billion human being need to die before Earth can be stabilized, but by turning large portions of Earth into concentration camps this is achievable, especially when the Argus satellite laser network comes fully online...This is the world Alan Saul wakes to in his crate on the conveyor to the Calais incinerator. How he got there he does not know, but he does remember the pain and the face of his interrogator. Informed by Janus, through the hardware implanted in his skull, about the world as it is now Saul is determined to destroy it, just as soon as he has found out who he was, and killed his interrogator...
498 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2011
About the author
Neal Asher
128 books2,890 followersI’ve been an engineer, barman, skip lorry driver, coalman, boat window manufacturer, contract grass cutter and builder. Now I write science fiction books, and am slowly getting over the feeling that someone is going to find me out, and can call myself a writer without wincing and ducking my head. As professions go, I prefer this one: I don’t have to clock-in, change my clothes after work, nor scrub sensitive parts of my body with detergent. I think I’ll hang around.
Source: http://www.blogger.com/profile/139339...
Source: http://www.blogger.com/profile/139339...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 351 reviews
January 28, 2014
Ok, well, my tastes have gravitated towards violent, uber dark sci-fi lately, and this is probably the best one I've read since the Takashi Kovaks novels by Richard Morgan. SOOOOO GOOOOD.
A future world where humanity has eaten away the planet, reproduced to unsustainable levels, and a socialist/fascist/corrupt government controls them completely and has plans to liquidate the "stock"? Yes please!
There are so many things in this book that seem PROBABLE and real and not so fiction-y. Especially on the tech side. The world building is doled out perfectly, and grows to be completely believable, like this, frighteningly, could be OUR FUTURE. I can't imagine an author being more air-tight in his world building. It's so good.
Of course, the main character is an amnesiatic uber-human who is much more than he seems at first, and the grand plan is to take down the government, and there's a subplot on Mars, but MAN is the ride bloody and dark and horrible and perversely fun. The characters are GREAT, a few main ones women, and awesome ones at that.
If you don't like people being graphically murdered by robots and other people, this is NOT the book for you. But dystopian fans will enjoy. Onto the next book already, and MAN is it good too!
A future world where humanity has eaten away the planet, reproduced to unsustainable levels, and a socialist/fascist/corrupt government controls them completely and has plans to liquidate the "stock"? Yes please!
There are so many things in this book that seem PROBABLE and real and not so fiction-y. Especially on the tech side. The world building is doled out perfectly, and grows to be completely believable, like this, frighteningly, could be OUR FUTURE. I can't imagine an author being more air-tight in his world building. It's so good.
Of course, the main character is an amnesiatic uber-human who is much more than he seems at first, and the grand plan is to take down the government, and there's a subplot on Mars, but MAN is the ride bloody and dark and horrible and perversely fun. The characters are GREAT, a few main ones women, and awesome ones at that.
If you don't like people being graphically murdered by robots and other people, this is NOT the book for you. But dystopian fans will enjoy. Onto the next book already, and MAN is it good too!
July 24, 2021
'Steaming like raw meat dropped onto a hot stove'
The Departure, by Neal Asher, reviewed
It's not news that one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I have a soft spot for space opera; I confess, the big space base (which I initially mistook for a starship of some sort) adorning the cover of Neal Asher's novel, The Departure, helped sell me on it.
As it turned out though, The Departure hardly qualifies as space-opera and only squeaks by as science fiction pretty much the way Superman does: on technicalities only.
Though it's set in the future and some of the action takes place in orbit and on Mars, the book is really just a narrated first-person shooter dressed up in some SF tropes — a corrupt and incompetent world government, artificial intelligence, robotic weapons and a trans-human genesis.
But all that is only window-dressing. That spectacular cover is a gateway to lugubrious dialogue, sophomoric libertarian philosophy, hackneyed world-building and, especially, to one pornographic blood-bath after another.
The Departure is one of the worst books I have read in a very long time. More boring than Atlas Shrugged (which I reviewed a while back), it drips with just as much contempt for ordinary human beings. Unlike Rand's John Galt though, Asher's superman does much of his killing at first-hand.
Does this novel have any redeeming qualities? The short answer is "no". The long answer lives behind this link.
Edit: The links to my full review are working again.
The Departure, by Neal Asher, reviewed
It's not news that one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I have a soft spot for space opera; I confess, the big space base (which I initially mistook for a starship of some sort) adorning the cover of Neal Asher's novel, The Departure, helped sell me on it.
As it turned out though, The Departure hardly qualifies as space-opera and only squeaks by as science fiction pretty much the way Superman does: on technicalities only.
Though it's set in the future and some of the action takes place in orbit and on Mars, the book is really just a narrated first-person shooter dressed up in some SF tropes — a corrupt and incompetent world government, artificial intelligence, robotic weapons and a trans-human genesis.
But all that is only window-dressing. That spectacular cover is a gateway to lugubrious dialogue, sophomoric libertarian philosophy, hackneyed world-building and, especially, to one pornographic blood-bath after another.
The Departure is one of the worst books I have read in a very long time. More boring than Atlas Shrugged (which I reviewed a while back), it drips with just as much contempt for ordinary human beings. Unlike Rand's John Galt though, Asher's superman does much of his killing at first-hand.
Does this novel have any redeeming qualities? The short answer is "no". The long answer lives behind this link.
Edit: The links to my full review are working again.
April 27, 2018
4.3 rounded down. The first half was a disjointed mess and I had a hard time getting into it. Neal Asher's writing was there, it was just buried under a whole bunch of crap. But lo' and behold, once the action got to the earth-orbiting-asteroid-space-station-thing it got better exponentially. The action picked up, it smoothed out and became easier to follow, and while not a Polity book, it finally felt like a Neal Asher book. I have a huge man-crush on this author and will read soup can labels of his if he put them out. I can't recommend this as much as his Polity books but it still ended up being a lot of fun.
May 21, 2014
I was originally going to give this 3 stars, but at the ending i just kinda had enough. This basically reads like an 80's movie, with the scientist/expert martial artist uber human and his little woman sidekick who tut-tuts every time he kills someone, but shes just a dumb woman and she should shut up because those guys had to die, amiright? And the villain is just some unreasonable crazy who is incredibly boring and his whole motivation is basically 'he is crazy'.
Of course she's a scientist. Of course she has to be captured by the villain. Of course she has to show her toughness by yelling at the villain that 'her man' will beat him and rescue her, and of course he smacks her around for this.
Honestly, that part didn't even annoy me as much as the fact that the narrator for the audiobook was horrible. He spoke in a low, bored monotone, with NO PAUSES between scenes/chapters/points of view. I had to rewind multiple times because the point of view had shifted discreetly to another character without me noticing at all. Made it really slow going and i feel like i missed a good chunk of the book because of that.
Of course she's a scientist. Of course she has to be captured by the villain. Of course she has to show her toughness by yelling at the villain that 'her man' will beat him and rescue her, and of course he smacks her around for this.
Honestly, that part didn't even annoy me as much as the fact that the narrator for the audiobook was horrible. He spoke in a low, bored monotone, with NO PAUSES between scenes/chapters/points of view. I had to rewind multiple times because the point of view had shifted discreetly to another character without me noticing at all. Made it really slow going and i feel like i missed a good chunk of the book because of that.
September 7, 2011
The Departure is a book of two halves; an exceptional first half and an unimaginative and little boring second half where only Neal Asher's explosive style and his take-no-prisoners attitude towards modern liberal pieties kept me entertained and interested.
On the other hand as a series debut it is also a setup novel to some extent, but still the second half could have been compressed a lot imho to read as a sf novel not as a standard thriller with cool toys.
Still an A for the style, potential, attitude and the superb first half, while hoping that now the scene is set we would get the full Neal Asher's imagination too in the next novel
Edit later; on going back to this novel and try and review it for FBC, I realized I do not really have more to say than the above and in retrospect the novel is even more forgettable than I thought so I changed my rating to a B - it's still Neal Asher so is fast and furious but I hope the next installment brings also content rather than the mindless action of the second part
On the other hand as a series debut it is also a setup novel to some extent, but still the second half could have been compressed a lot imho to read as a sf novel not as a standard thriller with cool toys.
Still an A for the style, potential, attitude and the superb first half, while hoping that now the scene is set we would get the full Neal Asher's imagination too in the next novel
Edit later; on going back to this novel and try and review it for FBC, I realized I do not really have more to say than the above and in retrospect the novel is even more forgettable than I thought so I changed my rating to a B - it's still Neal Asher so is fast and furious but I hope the next installment brings also content rather than the mindless action of the second part
March 19, 2015
Ive read all of Asher's books. He's no Neal Stephenson, but even if he's hardly high concept, you could always depend on him for some gritty action mixed with a dash of reasonably credible hard sci-fi, and his previous works have all been enjoyable enough.
However it seems that 'the departure' is more of a departure of form than anything else. Incredibly dull with cardboard characters and an extremely predictable plot this book is made even more irritating with its right wing matter-of-fact sermonising and allusions of profundity regarding the nature of freedom and democracy. As with the Agent Cormac novels we have a omniscient male fantasist lone wolf hero railing against centralised bureaucratic power systems, but where Asher has previously been able to engage the reader within this basic scenario, this time round he's on auto-pilot, and it shows.
Ayn-Rand meets Andy McNabb - avoid.
However it seems that 'the departure' is more of a departure of form than anything else. Incredibly dull with cardboard characters and an extremely predictable plot this book is made even more irritating with its right wing matter-of-fact sermonising and allusions of profundity regarding the nature of freedom and democracy. As with the Agent Cormac novels we have a omniscient male fantasist lone wolf hero railing against centralised bureaucratic power systems, but where Asher has previously been able to engage the reader within this basic scenario, this time round he's on auto-pilot, and it shows.
Ayn-Rand meets Andy McNabb - avoid.
June 5, 2017
Asher's other books are much better. I think he works better at a larger scale.
So. 498 pages.
Two hundred pages of "he turned the access wheel, which was sealed with two layers of unobtainium to protect against vacuum welding. His military-issue gloves gripped the impression surface of the wheel, as he wrenched it two and three-quarters turns anticlockwise. Orienting himself carefully with the galactic axis, he looked into the opening. To his left rose the Big Thingy, 750.344 metres of super metal coated with anti-meteorite -- reader, are you still awake? -- paint and ...."
A hundred and fifty pages of exploding space suits, spilled intestines, decapitations, heaps of corpses, ... and loving descriptions of the many weapons used to create the carnage.
So far, it's a first-person shooter video game. The kind where if you stop and "Look around" you'll get mountains of detail about what's around you, and if you move you'd better expect to be firing your unemptyable gun for half an hour nonstop.
That leaves 148 pages for an actual story, which is not bad. Dysfunctional world, enhanced man whose capabilities no one's quite sure of, and some exploration of what's ethical/moral in a world where today's rules might not hold.
Asher's fringiest politics show through, but I think authors can do that if they want. And he usually pulls back from the crazy edge.
As in so many other books these days, our hero gets to face a very capable opponent for a while. But our hero develops, and the opponent is flicked aside as if he was never really a challenge. Ptui. Too easy.
Hannah, genius scientist, is turned halfway through into Edith Bunker. Saul keeps dumping moral decisions on her, and she clearly just wants to go and make a nice cup of tea. He's written strong, capable women before - there are some in this book - but Hannah is wasted. Maybe she'll have a role later.
I've read most of Asher's other work, and enjoyed it. This one feels like a different author, or perhaps it's aimed at a different audience.
There is, however, room for the following books to examine what happens when an ultra-capable person becomes a dictator/tyrant/owner. Maybe Asher will dial back the slaughter porn and tell us a story.
So. 498 pages.
Two hundred pages of "he turned the access wheel, which was sealed with two layers of unobtainium to protect against vacuum welding. His military-issue gloves gripped the impression surface of the wheel, as he wrenched it two and three-quarters turns anticlockwise. Orienting himself carefully with the galactic axis, he looked into the opening. To his left rose the Big Thingy, 750.344 metres of super metal coated with anti-meteorite -- reader, are you still awake? -- paint and ...."
A hundred and fifty pages of exploding space suits, spilled intestines, decapitations, heaps of corpses, ... and loving descriptions of the many weapons used to create the carnage.
So far, it's a first-person shooter video game. The kind where if you stop and "Look around" you'll get mountains of detail about what's around you, and if you move you'd better expect to be firing your unemptyable gun for half an hour nonstop.
That leaves 148 pages for an actual story, which is not bad. Dysfunctional world, enhanced man whose capabilities no one's quite sure of, and some exploration of what's ethical/moral in a world where today's rules might not hold.
Asher's fringiest politics show through, but I think authors can do that if they want. And he usually pulls back from the crazy edge.
As in so many other books these days, our hero gets to face a very capable opponent for a while. But our hero develops, and the opponent is flicked aside as if he was never really a challenge. Ptui. Too easy.
Hannah, genius scientist, is turned halfway through into Edith Bunker. Saul keeps dumping moral decisions on her, and she clearly just wants to go and make a nice cup of tea. He's written strong, capable women before - there are some in this book - but Hannah is wasted. Maybe she'll have a role later.
I've read most of Asher's other work, and enjoyed it. This one feels like a different author, or perhaps it's aimed at a different audience.
There is, however, room for the following books to examine what happens when an ultra-capable person becomes a dictator/tyrant/owner. Maybe Asher will dial back the slaughter porn and tell us a story.
April 1, 2013
Top Shelf book, started me on a Neal Asher binge.
September 3, 2011
Neal’s latest novel is a departure of sorts: away from his Polity series, and the start of a new series, but a place he has written of before. The Departure is the first of The Owner novels, though Neal’s story collection The Engineer (and its later revised version, The Engineer Reconditioned) tell three stories of the Owner Universe.
Whilst the short stories tell of events much later, The Departure sets up the basics in the origin of the stories. Set in the 22nd century, Earth is being run by a global authority known as the Committee. Its enforcers, the Inspectorate, rule a rapidly growing population with ruthless efficiency, often involving torture and death. The general populace are controlled by human enforcers and robot Shepherds, a Wellsian type machine that can both capture and shred people.
Things in this dystopia are generally not good. A too-large population using too many of its finite resources without the luxury of expansion means that life for many is arduous. The idea that ‘Power Corrupts’ is important here, and there’s clearly something rotten in the socio-political structures of the 22nd century. The world government administrators live in luxury, whilst the ZA (Zero Asset) people, who contribute nothing to the economy, exist on a bare minimum with limited health care and facilities.
To this we have Alan Saul, assisted by an artificial intelligence named Janus. Having being tortured by the Inspectorate, his past is a mystery and much of Alan’s past is unknown to him, or at least fragmentarily remembered at best. His mission objective is to bring down the corrupt organisation. He helps who he thinks is his torturer/interrogator, Hannah Neumann, but actually finds that they are former lovers and colleagues. Saul now discovers that he was a key player for the Inspectorate, but one who was experimented on and tortured before being dispatched by Political Director Smith for disposal.
When Janus’s presence in cyberspace is uncovered, Saul has to download Janus into the experimental hardware created by Hannah in his head, where the two become merged, if at first, rather schizophrenic. Now being hunted by the Inspectorate, Saul/Janus and Neumann attempt to get to Argus Space Station, and off planet. He finds that Smith is now in charge of running Argus and so Saul must try and kill Smith first in order to bring down the Committee.
Another of the consequences of the overpopulated and under-resourced Earth is that the limited space exploration other than travel to Argus, is confined pretty much to Mars. There, Varalia Delex (Var) is a colonist at Antares Base who finds that a colleague has been deliberately killed by the security forces there. The reason for this is that the security staff has received from Earth, an order which effectively cuts Mars off from any future support from Earth in the foreseeable future. Facing a difficult future, Ricard, chief administrator of the station’s present Inspectorate, attempts to introduce a means of ensuring survival for a few, but not all, of the base’s inhabitants. Var leads the rebellion back in order to remove the enforcers and keep her colleagues alive.
Earth is overpopulated and running out of basic resources, whilst unable to afford further space exploration. This leads to a base on Mars being left without support or resources and an uncertain future.
It’s all pretty fast, dramatic stuff. We have city riots, shootings, space planes destroyed, the deliberate bombardment of the Earth from space, and combat in space aided by construction robots. As you might therefore expect, the body count is very high (though that is something that you rather expect with Neal’s books.) This is definitely not one for the faint hearted in that respect, with body parts flying around and blood splashing many a wall.
Similarly, like many of Neal’s other books there’s also lots of cool gadgets: the robot-like Shepherds ensuring control, spider guns (robotic tanks), readerguns (that can recognise their targets before shooting them), space planes with scram jets and lots and lots of lethal guns.
In fact, this is a book with lots of Asher trademarks: rapid pace, great action, messy consequences. The political aspects of the tale showing the decline of a global network are quite well done, though rather unsubtle. Neal does tend to hammer home the message of “corporate greed = bad” quite a lot, as well as blaming the world’s ills on left-wing measures.
Having watched riots and unrest in my own country over the last few weeks at the time of writing this, though, some of the early scenes here are eerily reminiscent of what could happen. If, as some suggest, SF reflects the time it was written, then perhaps this book fits the bill.
On the downside, though well told, when it is simplified to its basics, this book in a series of set pieces does little more than set up things for what will happen in the next book. It is an opening arrangement, with the result that that some aspects of the story are started and not resolved here.
The characters can be a little nondescript, though they are easy enough to work with, and have the advantage of the reader not having to spend pages reading about determining the meaning of life. (Though that’s not to say that there isn’t a little bit of that on the part of the main protagonist and his co-opted ex-lover.) Some may also quibble with the eventual god-like status of Saul and how quickly that occurs.
Nevertheless I must admit I am quite pleased to read something that Neal has done away from the Polity for a change. It seems to have given him a new lease of life. I am sure fans of his previous novels will enjoy this new series just as much, and will find much to enjoy here.
Whilst the short stories tell of events much later, The Departure sets up the basics in the origin of the stories. Set in the 22nd century, Earth is being run by a global authority known as the Committee. Its enforcers, the Inspectorate, rule a rapidly growing population with ruthless efficiency, often involving torture and death. The general populace are controlled by human enforcers and robot Shepherds, a Wellsian type machine that can both capture and shred people.
Things in this dystopia are generally not good. A too-large population using too many of its finite resources without the luxury of expansion means that life for many is arduous. The idea that ‘Power Corrupts’ is important here, and there’s clearly something rotten in the socio-political structures of the 22nd century. The world government administrators live in luxury, whilst the ZA (Zero Asset) people, who contribute nothing to the economy, exist on a bare minimum with limited health care and facilities.
To this we have Alan Saul, assisted by an artificial intelligence named Janus. Having being tortured by the Inspectorate, his past is a mystery and much of Alan’s past is unknown to him, or at least fragmentarily remembered at best. His mission objective is to bring down the corrupt organisation. He helps who he thinks is his torturer/interrogator, Hannah Neumann, but actually finds that they are former lovers and colleagues. Saul now discovers that he was a key player for the Inspectorate, but one who was experimented on and tortured before being dispatched by Political Director Smith for disposal.
When Janus’s presence in cyberspace is uncovered, Saul has to download Janus into the experimental hardware created by Hannah in his head, where the two become merged, if at first, rather schizophrenic. Now being hunted by the Inspectorate, Saul/Janus and Neumann attempt to get to Argus Space Station, and off planet. He finds that Smith is now in charge of running Argus and so Saul must try and kill Smith first in order to bring down the Committee.
Another of the consequences of the overpopulated and under-resourced Earth is that the limited space exploration other than travel to Argus, is confined pretty much to Mars. There, Varalia Delex (Var) is a colonist at Antares Base who finds that a colleague has been deliberately killed by the security forces there. The reason for this is that the security staff has received from Earth, an order which effectively cuts Mars off from any future support from Earth in the foreseeable future. Facing a difficult future, Ricard, chief administrator of the station’s present Inspectorate, attempts to introduce a means of ensuring survival for a few, but not all, of the base’s inhabitants. Var leads the rebellion back in order to remove the enforcers and keep her colleagues alive.
Earth is overpopulated and running out of basic resources, whilst unable to afford further space exploration. This leads to a base on Mars being left without support or resources and an uncertain future.
It’s all pretty fast, dramatic stuff. We have city riots, shootings, space planes destroyed, the deliberate bombardment of the Earth from space, and combat in space aided by construction robots. As you might therefore expect, the body count is very high (though that is something that you rather expect with Neal’s books.) This is definitely not one for the faint hearted in that respect, with body parts flying around and blood splashing many a wall.
Similarly, like many of Neal’s other books there’s also lots of cool gadgets: the robot-like Shepherds ensuring control, spider guns (robotic tanks), readerguns (that can recognise their targets before shooting them), space planes with scram jets and lots and lots of lethal guns.
In fact, this is a book with lots of Asher trademarks: rapid pace, great action, messy consequences. The political aspects of the tale showing the decline of a global network are quite well done, though rather unsubtle. Neal does tend to hammer home the message of “corporate greed = bad” quite a lot, as well as blaming the world’s ills on left-wing measures.
Having watched riots and unrest in my own country over the last few weeks at the time of writing this, though, some of the early scenes here are eerily reminiscent of what could happen. If, as some suggest, SF reflects the time it was written, then perhaps this book fits the bill.
On the downside, though well told, when it is simplified to its basics, this book in a series of set pieces does little more than set up things for what will happen in the next book. It is an opening arrangement, with the result that that some aspects of the story are started and not resolved here.
The characters can be a little nondescript, though they are easy enough to work with, and have the advantage of the reader not having to spend pages reading about determining the meaning of life. (Though that’s not to say that there isn’t a little bit of that on the part of the main protagonist and his co-opted ex-lover.) Some may also quibble with the eventual god-like status of Saul and how quickly that occurs.
Nevertheless I must admit I am quite pleased to read something that Neal has done away from the Polity for a change. It seems to have given him a new lease of life. I am sure fans of his previous novels will enjoy this new series just as much, and will find much to enjoy here.
May 22, 2022
3.5/5.0 stars rounded up. Space action/thriller filled with tons of excitement, action and tech. This is not the future I'm hoping we find but am afraid could easily come to pass. I listened to it on audio, and the audible presentation was very good.
July 20, 2012
I love Neal's stuff and was slightly worried when buying this book that I'd be disappointed as it han't gone down well with a lot of his readers but I can assure you that it went down well with THIS reader. The Departure is just that, a departure from Neal's Polity and Spatterjay worlds and is the first of his Owner timeline (although he does has other Owner stories in The Engineer and Engineer Reconditioned, both of which I have yet to read) and the main protagonist is Alan Saul who is a anti-hero along the lines of Thomas Covenant, you'll either hate or like him. Saul is one of the first humans to achieve, through experimental hardware implanted into his skull, a melding of intelligence with an A.I. called Janus. As the splicing of the two progresses we see Saul gradually become more God-like and perhaps less human. All this is done with a back-drop of an Earth in the 22nd century that is over-populated, short on resources and under the heel of an oppressive world government. It's a book that sets up Neal's new Owner series and I look forward to reading the sequel.
February 26, 2022
Notes:
Currently on Audible Plus #1-3
Great concepts, but rollercoaster engagement via story. That's been my response to the Asher stories that I've tried. I am curious to see where the story will go. The exploration of what it could mean and be when a person becomes more than human has been done well. It's not a comfortable read, and it shouldn't be.
Currently on Audible Plus #1-3
Great concepts, but rollercoaster engagement via story. That's been my response to the Asher stories that I've tried. I am curious to see where the story will go. The exploration of what it could mean and be when a person becomes more than human has been done well. It's not a comfortable read, and it shouldn't be.
March 3, 2015
What makes ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ such a great movie is that there are no dull bits. It just moves from exciting set-piece to exciting set-piece, with no longueurs, pauses or tedium in-between. Now I doubt Neal Asher, even at his most confident and optimistic, would ever claim that ‘The Departure’ is anywhere near as good a book as ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ is a film, and yet he’s clearly adhered to the same template. ‘The Departure’ rushes from exciting set-piece to exciting set-piece, with little flab in-between. It makes for a gripping boy’s own story of huge impressive guns, spaceships blowing up and danger at every zero-gravity turn. Those who like quiet moments in their novels, or character development (or properly defined characters) or subtlety, might not appreciate all of this. Nothing that gets in the way of the explosions is allowed to linger for long. Indeed the lead character, Alan Saul, a man whose mind becomes an almost organic computer, has a full-blown existential crisis, which lasts for approximately two pages – so just long enough to register, but not long enough for anyone to brood on. Similarly those who like profound messages from their books might want something more than ‘totalitarian government = bad” and “absolute power corrupts absolutely”. But those of us who fancy some wallop, bang and almighty crush will get a lot of fun from this. One wouldn’t want to exist on a diet of this stuff forever, but a little bit of junk food once in a while is damn tasty.
February 10, 2024
The Departure is 500 pages of simplistic worldbuilding, flat and unconvincing characters, and confusing and ugly prose. There's just not a lot here.
December 26, 2011
Not for everyone... well, more exactly not for most. Asher's strongest suit is his imagination, particularly of fascinating but horrific aliens (sentient and not), machines/AI, and blends of both and humans, and with the exception of aliens there are a number of fine examples of that in this book. He is also good at big picture plotting, but where this book breaks down is in the execution (an unfortunate choice of words, perhaps). It reads a little like a video game, with one blood-spattered vignette after the other, and that won't be to the taste of most people.
In addition the characters (rarely truly compelling in Asher's books) are wooden. The hero is supposed to be an off the charts brilliant scientist... but he neither acts nor thinks as if he were truly brilliant. There are a number of examples in literature of the successful creation of characters possessed of amazing intellects -- from Salinger's Glass brothers to the central character of Daniel Keyes' "Flowers for Algernon", various characters in Frank Herbert's "Dune" series, the three siblings in Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" series, and so on. They all leave one with the feeling of scrambling to keep up -- the characters' thoughts and insights fully justified by what one has read, but unexpected and unclear until either explained or you reread the book and think deeply. That isn't the case here....
The novels of Asher's Polity series have far better writing and characterization -- read this one only if you have read all of those and are in need of an Asher fix. Or, I guess, if you like ultra-violent novelizations of video games....
In addition the characters (rarely truly compelling in Asher's books) are wooden. The hero is supposed to be an off the charts brilliant scientist... but he neither acts nor thinks as if he were truly brilliant. There are a number of examples in literature of the successful creation of characters possessed of amazing intellects -- from Salinger's Glass brothers to the central character of Daniel Keyes' "Flowers for Algernon", various characters in Frank Herbert's "Dune" series, the three siblings in Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" series, and so on. They all leave one with the feeling of scrambling to keep up -- the characters' thoughts and insights fully justified by what one has read, but unexpected and unclear until either explained or you reread the book and think deeply. That isn't the case here....
The novels of Asher's Polity series have far better writing and characterization -- read this one only if you have read all of those and are in need of an Asher fix. Or, I guess, if you like ultra-violent novelizations of video games....
October 24, 2015
I wanted to like this book. I mean it has all I love about a good story. A cyberpunkish theme, space travel, robots explosions.. So how could I not love it?
Well, it lacks a good story, where I'd expect descriptions about life in this dystopia I find mostly action sequences and gore. Where I'd like to see a believable protagonist, I find an extremely flat character. Starting with the boring and overused amnesia plot device (seriously, there are better ways to create suspense), going to the action superhero who is faster, smarter and angrier than everyone else, who turns out to be a former autistic super scientist who refactoring himself, who also created an super ai, which surprise now is in his head making him to a super cyborg hacker... Gimme a break. I'd have preferred if the character was less super über cyber something, but instead would have flaws, doubts, weaknesses, thoughts, dreams and motivations which develop through out the story.
The bad guys aren't much better. The token woman former love interest doctor he's dragging along doesn't save it either.
The second half of the book I had push myself hard to keep reading, simply because I was completely unable to relate in any way with the characters or story.
If you enjoy pointless orgies of picturesque violence as a read you might be able to find some entertainment in this book. I most certainly did not
Well, it lacks a good story, where I'd expect descriptions about life in this dystopia I find mostly action sequences and gore. Where I'd like to see a believable protagonist, I find an extremely flat character. Starting with the boring and overused amnesia plot device (seriously, there are better ways to create suspense), going to the action superhero who is faster, smarter and angrier than everyone else, who turns out to be a former autistic super scientist who refactoring himself, who also created an super ai, which surprise now is in his head making him to a super cyborg hacker... Gimme a break. I'd have preferred if the character was less super über cyber something, but instead would have flaws, doubts, weaknesses, thoughts, dreams and motivations which develop through out the story.
The bad guys aren't much better. The token woman former love interest doctor he's dragging along doesn't save it either.
The second half of the book I had push myself hard to keep reading, simply because I was completely unable to relate in any way with the characters or story.
If you enjoy pointless orgies of picturesque violence as a read you might be able to find some entertainment in this book. I most certainly did not
August 18, 2024
It's quite apt that this novel is called The Departure. Not only is it a departure from Asher's Polity Universe (where all but one of his prior novels are set, the exception being Cowl), but it's a departure from the typical space opera Asher has treated us to over the years. The big question is: is this departure successful, or not?
Before I go into my review of the novel, I need to give you a little background on what I was expecting. The Departure is not Neal's first venture into Owner territory, he's written four short stories (Proctors, The Owner, Tiger, Tiger, and Owner Space), and I love them all - if you read my review of The Engineer ReConditioned you can see just how highly I rate them (the fourth, Owner Space, is from the Galactic Empires anthology). I knew that The Departure was going to focus on the early days of the Owner, not the future depicted in the other stories, but I enjoyed them so much I had massively high expectations for any Owner novel. I think that's where the trouble began, and why it ultimately took me two attempts and over a year before I managed to read it.
The Departure is the story of Alan Saul, a man who, on the way to his death, awakens in an over-populated world ruled with an iron fist by the Committee. With next to no memory and an AI named Janus inside his head, he vows to rediscover who he is, learn what truth he can, and take revenge upon his torturer and, in turn, the Committee themselves.
There is nothing subtle about The Departure, that's for sure. From the totalitarianism of the Committee, to the all out, in your face violence, this novel delivers plenty of action with some great set pieces. Alan Saul is a great character to read, and his progress throughout the novel is satisfying, especially the way he's tied to Janus. It's an interesting concept, and put into Asher's hands it evolves rapidly to encompass every aspect you could imagine - and some you probably can't.
While the main focus is on Saul, there is another thread running throughout the novel, one of the Antares base on Mars and the events after the discovery by Var that it is being abandoned by the Committee, but not without them sending instructions to their subordinates running the base. It's interesting to see the struggle between the sides as they try and gain control of the base, and how they need to look to the future to survive the isolation.
Despite the typical Asher action and all else I enjoyed, The Departure was a difficult book. Perhaps it's because I enjoy his Polity novels so much, and this is big change to what he's given us before, or perhaps (and more likely) it was my high expectations. I found much of the book to be either black or white, with very little shades of grey to keep things interesting. When you have a completely evil organisation at the heart of a story I think the task of telling an interesting story is harder, though Asher tries damned hard to do so, not entirely succesfully.
At the end of the day The Departure worked for me, but not as much as I would have hoped. It works as a starting point for the Owner series, establishing the good guys, the bad guys, and setting events in motion. Now the setting up is done I expect much more from the sequel, Zero Point, and I won't be as forgiving if it doesn't meet the expectations I have.
Before I go into my review of the novel, I need to give you a little background on what I was expecting. The Departure is not Neal's first venture into Owner territory, he's written four short stories (Proctors, The Owner, Tiger, Tiger, and Owner Space), and I love them all - if you read my review of The Engineer ReConditioned you can see just how highly I rate them (the fourth, Owner Space, is from the Galactic Empires anthology). I knew that The Departure was going to focus on the early days of the Owner, not the future depicted in the other stories, but I enjoyed them so much I had massively high expectations for any Owner novel. I think that's where the trouble began, and why it ultimately took me two attempts and over a year before I managed to read it.
The Departure is the story of Alan Saul, a man who, on the way to his death, awakens in an over-populated world ruled with an iron fist by the Committee. With next to no memory and an AI named Janus inside his head, he vows to rediscover who he is, learn what truth he can, and take revenge upon his torturer and, in turn, the Committee themselves.
There is nothing subtle about The Departure, that's for sure. From the totalitarianism of the Committee, to the all out, in your face violence, this novel delivers plenty of action with some great set pieces. Alan Saul is a great character to read, and his progress throughout the novel is satisfying, especially the way he's tied to Janus. It's an interesting concept, and put into Asher's hands it evolves rapidly to encompass every aspect you could imagine - and some you probably can't.
While the main focus is on Saul, there is another thread running throughout the novel, one of the Antares base on Mars and the events after the discovery by Var that it is being abandoned by the Committee, but not without them sending instructions to their subordinates running the base. It's interesting to see the struggle between the sides as they try and gain control of the base, and how they need to look to the future to survive the isolation.
Despite the typical Asher action and all else I enjoyed, The Departure was a difficult book. Perhaps it's because I enjoy his Polity novels so much, and this is big change to what he's given us before, or perhaps (and more likely) it was my high expectations. I found much of the book to be either black or white, with very little shades of grey to keep things interesting. When you have a completely evil organisation at the heart of a story I think the task of telling an interesting story is harder, though Asher tries damned hard to do so, not entirely succesfully.
At the end of the day The Departure worked for me, but not as much as I would have hoped. It works as a starting point for the Owner series, establishing the good guys, the bad guys, and setting events in motion. Now the setting up is done I expect much more from the sequel, Zero Point, and I won't be as forgiving if it doesn't meet the expectations I have.
April 21, 2022
Boring bro sci-fi at its trigger-happy, faux-philosophical worst.
April 8, 2015
Disclaimer: I love the Polity novels. I adored The Skinner. I'm a fan.
This is tough. There are bits here that I absolutely loved and wanted more of, especially the Antares Base storyline (I'll read the next in the series just to find out how they cope out there), the overthrowing of an oppressive, murderous regime, the post-scarcity worldbuilding, the human/technology interface. Lovely, lovely science fiction.
But then there's the agony of following Alan Saul Every. Step. Of the way. And I mean, every single step. Every nook and cranny of whatever environment he's in, every feature of his expanded mind, every virtual button he clicks, every nut and bolt of a bulkhead... EVERYTHING is described and explained in such torturous detail, it just didn't hold my attention, and that's not normally something I have problems with. I ended up skimming from dialogue to dialogue throughout the entire second half of the book (except for the Antares Base sections, ofc).
When there is action, it's engaging. When there is dialogue, it's fascinating to see Alan lose his grip on his own humanity. The world building itself is superb (just overdone) and I do want to know what happens next. It's just hard to love this as much as I wanted to.
This is tough. There are bits here that I absolutely loved and wanted more of, especially the Antares Base storyline (I'll read the next in the series just to find out how they cope out there), the overthrowing of an oppressive, murderous regime, the post-scarcity worldbuilding, the human/technology interface. Lovely, lovely science fiction.
But then there's the agony of following Alan Saul Every. Step. Of the way. And I mean, every single step. Every nook and cranny of whatever environment he's in, every feature of his expanded mind, every virtual button he clicks, every nut and bolt of a bulkhead... EVERYTHING is described and explained in such torturous detail, it just didn't hold my attention, and that's not normally something I have problems with. I ended up skimming from dialogue to dialogue throughout the entire second half of the book (except for the Antares Base sections, ofc).
When there is action, it's engaging. When there is dialogue, it's fascinating to see Alan lose his grip on his own humanity. The world building itself is superb (just overdone) and I do want to know what happens next. It's just hard to love this as much as I wanted to.
July 16, 2023
the dude really hates bureaucracy
June 25, 2021
Entertaining start to the Owner series. This is space opera of similar provenance to James S.A. Corey's Expanse and Kim Stanley Robinson's 2312, where humanity has colonized parts of the solar system, but is yet to move beyond, and equally cleverly and stylistically written.
Next, will alternate with Cibola Burn, and hopefully not tire of what is basically the same story line.
Next, will alternate with Cibola Burn, and hopefully not tire of what is basically the same story line.
March 25, 2012
Another excellent sci-fi novel from Neal Asher, the skinner is one of my favourite novels and this is not far from that. From ashers novels you are always guaranteed interesting tech ideas and unashamed violence. The chief protagonist Saul develops extraordinary technological abilities coupled with thoroughly enjoyable action scenes. However the telling of his history could have been handled differently, it needed to be spread out through the book not concluded early on and it should have been alot more dramatic. In conclusion I found the characters to be mostly very believable and I found the story interesting and compelling, easy to read and I will definitely buy the remaining books of the series
September 4, 2015
An AI/human has capabilities no one knows the limits of. He basically takes over a planet from another computer-enhanced enemy who put up a good fight at the beginning, but was swatted like he was never competition later on in the story.
We had a side-kick who was morally judging the crimes committed until she was put on the spot to make decisions.
Now everyone must obey this new "Owner."
I was not feeling it.
We had a side-kick who was morally judging the crimes committed until she was put on the spot to make decisions.
Now everyone must obey this new "Owner."
I was not feeling it.
August 9, 2019
I enjoyed this book but only because of the excellent Asher action scenes. I have some problems with some other aspects of the book though.
First of all, I spent the entire book trying to figure out if this was Polity pre-history or not. I am still not sure. There are some items and things in this series that could be the precursor of things in the Polity novels. But there are other things that make me wonder if that is possibly true. The amount of destruction that takes place all over the earth primarily makes me wonder.
Next while many of Ashers protagonists are functional sociopaths to one degree or another, Alan Saul, takes that disconnection to a whole new level. It works for the story because it is an easy way to convey the societal and phycological issues framing the story. The problem that this has, of course, is that Alan is super unlikeable, and the supporting characters and antagonists are not great enough to overcome a level of revulsion of having to be in Alans mind. Most of the story is told from his point of view, with a few jumps to the POV of Varalia is a much more likeable character and I hope that more time is spent with her in the next two books.
My final issue is the themes being messaged by this book. OK, I get it all ready, I'm even sympathetic but it felt like every other page was delivering a reminder that totalitarian socialist regimes are bad, and revolutions never seem to make things better. By the end of the book this theme turns to approving a benevolent dictatorship much like a Captain of a ship and the ships crew. That could be another hint that this is set in the Polity universe.
Yet given all that I still enjoyed the book. There is a lot of action in this book and it's all well crafted, interesting, and easy to follow. Other typical Asher-isms also appear in this book. Body modifications, the value of human emotions, and what it means to be something living.
If you have liked Asher books before go for it. If this book is your first chance at Asher don't give up. Go read Prador Moon instead, that is a much better place to start reading his stuff. As for me, I'll be reading book two and hoping that I like it better.
First of all, I spent the entire book trying to figure out if this was Polity pre-history or not. I am still not sure. There are some items and things in this series that could be the precursor of things in the Polity novels. But there are other things that make me wonder if that is possibly true. The amount of destruction that takes place all over the earth primarily makes me wonder.
Next while many of Ashers protagonists are functional sociopaths to one degree or another, Alan Saul, takes that disconnection to a whole new level. It works for the story because it is an easy way to convey the societal and phycological issues framing the story. The problem that this has, of course, is that Alan is super unlikeable, and the supporting characters and antagonists are not great enough to overcome a level of revulsion of having to be in Alans mind. Most of the story is told from his point of view, with a few jumps to the POV of Varalia is a much more likeable character and I hope that more time is spent with her in the next two books.
My final issue is the themes being messaged by this book. OK, I get it all ready, I'm even sympathetic but it felt like every other page was delivering a reminder that totalitarian socialist regimes are bad, and revolutions never seem to make things better. By the end of the book this theme turns to approving a benevolent dictatorship much like a Captain of a ship and the ships crew. That could be another hint that this is set in the Polity universe.
Yet given all that I still enjoyed the book. There is a lot of action in this book and it's all well crafted, interesting, and easy to follow. Other typical Asher-isms also appear in this book. Body modifications, the value of human emotions, and what it means to be something living.
If you have liked Asher books before go for it. If this book is your first chance at Asher don't give up. Go read Prador Moon instead, that is a much better place to start reading his stuff. As for me, I'll be reading book two and hoping that I like it better.
November 6, 2023
A really enjoyable dark sci fi take with some 1984 sprinkled in. Curious to see where this goes in book 2.
The novel does stand on its own despite clearly leaving room open for a sequel. That is something that seems to be mandated when writing these types of novels now. Despite the open endednes the book has a satisfying arc allowing the main character to grow, discover some mysteries, and grow his skills. The fact that two main characters are paired one on earth and one on Mars is an interesting take leaving you at times not wanting to abandon their story. For me that is generally a good sign of me being invested.
The novel does stand on its own despite clearly leaving room open for a sequel. That is something that seems to be mandated when writing these types of novels now. Despite the open endednes the book has a satisfying arc allowing the main character to grow, discover some mysteries, and grow his skills. The fact that two main characters are paired one on earth and one on Mars is an interesting take leaving you at times not wanting to abandon their story. For me that is generally a good sign of me being invested.
July 2, 2016
British author Neal Asher has made my list of favorite hard-sci-fi writers. This first book in the Owner trilogy was a stunning introduction for me to this author's skill. Much as how G.R.R. Martin took the fantasy world and turned it into something darker and grimmer than the usual setting whilst retaining all the things that make it fantasy, Mr. Asher does the same for Sci-fi. While other authors have done the dystopian future thing very well (Neuromancer; Blade-Runner; etc) this book is far more gritty. The levels of violence and outright mass slaughter are impressive. Even more interesting is that none of it is gratuitous and makes sense in the overarching tale. It's almost a melding of the action-thriller genre with hard sci-fi, something not easily accomplished.
The story, actually two separate stories, takes place in the year 2130. Humanity has reached a population of 18 billion. A totalitarian world government known as the Committee rules over all. Using high tech means of control (killer robots, auto-guns that can read an ID chip, laser satellites, etc) they have divided the world into ZA's (Zero Assets) and the rest, with the Committee members and the massive bureaucracy that runs it all at the top of the food chain. That can be taken literally as food resources are dwindling. Into this world awakens Alan Saul. A staggering genius and gifted combatant, Saul awakens in a box designated for incineration. He manages to escape with the aid of an AI called Janus. Saul only remembers a few details about his past. But with the help of a former lover, Saul and his AI Janus go through some interesting changes that leaves Saul as a cyborg that exhibits hyper-levels of intelligence. His use of violence, intelligence and manipulation are breathtaking as he tries to figure out what happened to him and to punish the guilty parties. Were this the entire tale it would still have been a great fun read, but Mr. Asher in turning Saul into a hyper AI cyborg brings into the story a fascinating look at the morality of a being of that level of power. Not to mention the subtle critiques of many of the policies we tend to follow blindly nowadays without factoring in consequences.
The other story, told in parallel, is about Varalia Delex. Var is on Mars, at Antares Base. The Committee leaders on Antares Base have just killed one of her good friends. The question is why? Var sets out to find answers and stumbles upon a shocking plan formulated by the Committee for the future of Antares Base.
This book works on many levels, a subtle political science critique, a fascinating psychological level, interesting science, the Orwellian nature of totalitarian governments, etc. All of it is done with a generous level of extreme violence. There are many more things I could say but that would give out spoilers for a book that ought to be read by any fan of sci-fi. But, even if you are not a sci-fi fan and enjoy a good action-thriller-then you will enjoy this tale as well. A better dystopian future has rarely been envisioned and then written as a tale. I, for one, am glad Mr. Asher did such a thing.
The story, actually two separate stories, takes place in the year 2130. Humanity has reached a population of 18 billion. A totalitarian world government known as the Committee rules over all. Using high tech means of control (killer robots, auto-guns that can read an ID chip, laser satellites, etc) they have divided the world into ZA's (Zero Assets) and the rest, with the Committee members and the massive bureaucracy that runs it all at the top of the food chain. That can be taken literally as food resources are dwindling. Into this world awakens Alan Saul. A staggering genius and gifted combatant, Saul awakens in a box designated for incineration. He manages to escape with the aid of an AI called Janus. Saul only remembers a few details about his past. But with the help of a former lover, Saul and his AI Janus go through some interesting changes that leaves Saul as a cyborg that exhibits hyper-levels of intelligence. His use of violence, intelligence and manipulation are breathtaking as he tries to figure out what happened to him and to punish the guilty parties. Were this the entire tale it would still have been a great fun read, but Mr. Asher in turning Saul into a hyper AI cyborg brings into the story a fascinating look at the morality of a being of that level of power. Not to mention the subtle critiques of many of the policies we tend to follow blindly nowadays without factoring in consequences.
The other story, told in parallel, is about Varalia Delex. Var is on Mars, at Antares Base. The Committee leaders on Antares Base have just killed one of her good friends. The question is why? Var sets out to find answers and stumbles upon a shocking plan formulated by the Committee for the future of Antares Base.
This book works on many levels, a subtle political science critique, a fascinating psychological level, interesting science, the Orwellian nature of totalitarian governments, etc. All of it is done with a generous level of extreme violence. There are many more things I could say but that would give out spoilers for a book that ought to be read by any fan of sci-fi. But, even if you are not a sci-fi fan and enjoy a good action-thriller-then you will enjoy this tale as well. A better dystopian future has rarely been envisioned and then written as a tale. I, for one, am glad Mr. Asher did such a thing.
September 20, 2011
Bourne Identity Space Opera
Welcome to a future where a lot of things have gone wrong. Democracy is a thing of the past. The bureaucracies of the world have taken over. The Commission sounds suspiciously close to the European Commission which I guess is not something Neal Asher is fond of. The environment is unpleasant and overpopulation needs a final solution. At least that’s what the people in power seem to be planning. Rebellion is hard since the Commission controls orbital laser weapons that can destroy any riot in seconds. They also dispatch robots troops straight out of the war of the worlds to pick up any ringleaders for torture and brainwashing.
It is a chilling world where people are classified after their usefulness to society. Zero-assets are more or less dumped to fetch for themselves. Usefulness is of course assigned by The Commission.
This is the world where this electrifying story takes place. Saul is a man with extraordinary skills and intellect but who can’t remember what the things you put on your feet and walk in are. He wakes up in a box on the verge of incineration but escape bent on revenge. We get to follow his trail through what is left of Europe and Russia as he learns the world again. In a way this reminded me of a story by A. E. Van Vogt named Tyranpolis (aka Future Glitter from 1973) where the hero instead has a scientific breakthrough in an all-seeing kind of technology while Saul here goes for the AI interfaced brain that Neal seems so fond of (See Gridlinked).
The Yin of the story is a woman called Var who probably is Saul’s lost sister. She struggles at the abandoned colony on Mars where the political officer is trying to kill off all none essential people to make the resources last longer. Her story and Paul’s take turns in a way that fits well with the story and keep the reader interested.
There is a lot of good action down on earth and up at an orbital fortress but you never feel that the ending is in any doubt which is a bit sad in an otherwise excellent story. I can live with that and still enjoy the story but I have a high tolerance for characters like that.
The Departure is a good first novel in the Owner trilogy and the significance of that name for the series intrigues me. I want to know what happens next. I don’t think The Departure is for everyone but it is a good standard fare science fiction with a bit of social critique and a lot of action.
The next book in the series Zero Point will be out next year probably around the same time as this one.
Welcome to a future where a lot of things have gone wrong. Democracy is a thing of the past. The bureaucracies of the world have taken over. The Commission sounds suspiciously close to the European Commission which I guess is not something Neal Asher is fond of. The environment is unpleasant and overpopulation needs a final solution. At least that’s what the people in power seem to be planning. Rebellion is hard since the Commission controls orbital laser weapons that can destroy any riot in seconds. They also dispatch robots troops straight out of the war of the worlds to pick up any ringleaders for torture and brainwashing.
It is a chilling world where people are classified after their usefulness to society. Zero-assets are more or less dumped to fetch for themselves. Usefulness is of course assigned by The Commission.
This is the world where this electrifying story takes place. Saul is a man with extraordinary skills and intellect but who can’t remember what the things you put on your feet and walk in are. He wakes up in a box on the verge of incineration but escape bent on revenge. We get to follow his trail through what is left of Europe and Russia as he learns the world again. In a way this reminded me of a story by A. E. Van Vogt named Tyranpolis (aka Future Glitter from 1973) where the hero instead has a scientific breakthrough in an all-seeing kind of technology while Saul here goes for the AI interfaced brain that Neal seems so fond of (See Gridlinked).
The Yin of the story is a woman called Var who probably is Saul’s lost sister. She struggles at the abandoned colony on Mars where the political officer is trying to kill off all none essential people to make the resources last longer. Her story and Paul’s take turns in a way that fits well with the story and keep the reader interested.
There is a lot of good action down on earth and up at an orbital fortress but you never feel that the ending is in any doubt which is a bit sad in an otherwise excellent story. I can live with that and still enjoy the story but I have a high tolerance for characters like that.
The Departure is a good first novel in the Owner trilogy and the significance of that name for the series intrigues me. I want to know what happens next. I don’t think The Departure is for everyone but it is a good standard fare science fiction with a bit of social critique and a lot of action.
The next book in the series Zero Point will be out next year probably around the same time as this one.
June 21, 2014
This book has been my least favorite read of Neal Asher material. In general I like his style with abundant and imaginative creatures and technology.
The first half or so of this book feels very rushed, and I felt under-developed. At times it read to me more like an outline of a book than a fully flushed out story. It had the feeling of the author being overly anxious to "get to the good part" of the story he knew was coming later. The author also has an odd predilection for using 'whilst' instead of 'while' that I found distracting.
There is definitely a political statement here. The decline of the world has been brought about by a big nightmare socialist government full of political correctness and hypocrisy. Having read his blog, it's hard not to feel like this is the author's revenge fantasy against socialists. Somewhat ironically, I feel like a left-leaning author could have written the same story where the big bad instead of government was an indomitable corporation that had taken control of everyone's lives. Maybe the only truth is that the little guy always get screwed regardless of who is in charge.
The first half or so of this book feels very rushed, and I felt under-developed. At times it read to me more like an outline of a book than a fully flushed out story. It had the feeling of the author being overly anxious to "get to the good part" of the story he knew was coming later. The author also has an odd predilection for using 'whilst' instead of 'while' that I found distracting.
There is definitely a political statement here. The decline of the world has been brought about by a big nightmare socialist government full of political correctness and hypocrisy. Having read his blog, it's hard not to feel like this is the author's revenge fantasy against socialists. Somewhat ironically, I feel like a left-leaning author could have written the same story where the big bad instead of government was an indomitable corporation that had taken control of everyone's lives. Maybe the only truth is that the little guy always get screwed regardless of who is in charge.
December 21, 2017
I've revived my goodreads account to say - dear God, what the hell was this?
It was one of the worst books I've ever read. It looks like a 10-years-old combined his understanding of Ayn Rand and his ambition to write the next 1984 with spaceships and robots. The plot is predictable and obvious; the plentiful cliches have some 80s b-movies taste, and the anti-central-oppressive-government agenda is so unsophisticated that it is ridiculous. The only reason I kept reading was because I wanted to see how worse it can become.
The reason that I am writing this review is to warn you no to fall for this trap like I did. I felt to this trap because I actually like Neal Asher's work. His Polity books are rated between entertaining to a very good science fiction, and were until now a very good read for me. In many cases there were sophisticated, unexpected ideas; and the execution was not bad, and in some cases excellent.
Not this one. Stay away from this one. It's like his writing talent was taken away, and that left was typing ability.
It was one of the worst books I've ever read. It looks like a 10-years-old combined his understanding of Ayn Rand and his ambition to write the next 1984 with spaceships and robots. The plot is predictable and obvious; the plentiful cliches have some 80s b-movies taste, and the anti-central-oppressive-government agenda is so unsophisticated that it is ridiculous. The only reason I kept reading was because I wanted to see how worse it can become.
The reason that I am writing this review is to warn you no to fall for this trap like I did. I felt to this trap because I actually like Neal Asher's work. His Polity books are rated between entertaining to a very good science fiction, and were until now a very good read for me. In many cases there were sophisticated, unexpected ideas; and the execution was not bad, and in some cases excellent.
Not this one. Stay away from this one. It's like his writing talent was taken away, and that left was typing ability.
Read
January 13, 2023This was awful. I didn't really want to finish it and put it down for a few weeks, but I decided to pick it up and finish it yesterday. It wasn't worth it. The entire point of the book is obviously to express extreme right-wing political views, along with lots of graphic violence. However, despite the violence and beat-the-reader-over-the-head politicis, the book is filled with childish, oversimplified, stilted descriptions. The dialogue is so awful I don't even know how to describe it. This is honestly one of the worst books I"ve ever read. Strong political views aren't always a problem. Many authors integrate their political views into their work, especially in science-fiction and speculative fiction. Asher didn't integrate his views, he came up with a ridiculous scenario to serve as a very flimsy backdrop for political rants. I can't stand that sort of writing. There's nothing for the reader to think about because Asher pounds every single point out onto the page in such blunt, childish language that it's just unbearable. I absolutely hated this book.
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