This is a strange tale, a very strange tale. I'd rather got used to Luke Smitherd’s slanted view of the world – his stories are dark, a little creepy This is a strange tale, a very strange tale. I'd rather got used to Luke Smitherd’s slanted view of the world – his stories are dark, a little creepy but with some humour thrown in too. But this one was… different. Nigel Carmelite, a supermarket shelf stacker, has written a digital journal. It tells of his quest to become a superhero, a vigilante who will spot trouble, rush to the aid of victims and sort out the bad guys. It documents his progress as he sets out on his own personal journey. Nigel’s laptop had been abandoned at a service station near Manchester and it is clear that Nigel had hoped that his journal would prove to be an inspiration to others with similar aspirations. The story unfolds through the journal entries.
A skinny boy with no experience of fighting, Nigel identifies that he’ll need some training and equipment. We witness the slightly odd way he sets about ticking these particular boxes. He begins to gather together the kit he needs and confidently sets about learning some combat skills. It’s clear that in his own mind this is more than just a pipe dream for him – he’s absolutely determined to achieve his goal.
Throughout this early section, which sometimes veers dangerously close to slapstick, I kept wondering what it was that was driving him. Living at home with his mother and a younger brother (there is no sign of a father) it becomes clear that Nigel is not overly comfortable in social situations – really, a bit of a loner at heart. In fact, the whole thing is pretty uncomfortable. His accounts of encounters with just about everyone are awkward and painful to witness.
By about two thirds of the way through I was tiring of the whole thing, then it took a darker turn. I suppose I knew it was coming and it did explain some of what had gone before, but it didn't really transform this book for me. I just couldn't warm to Nigel or his plight and the whole thing felt too fanciful, too unbelievable.
I still think Smitherd's is a talent and every author is entitled to one duffer – I think this one is his....more
I was attracted to this book by a number of rave reviews. And it was cheap (Audible daily deal). And I like time travel and apocalyptic tales – both bI was attracted to this book by a number of rave reviews. And it was cheap (Audible daily deal). And I like time travel and apocalyptic tales – both boxes this one purported to tick. For a while I thought I'd struck gold, as three tales concerning people executing extraordinary deeds of bravery were told in quick succession. I loved these vignettes – each character was brilliantly brought to life and the accounts of the deeds themselves were expertly told. I was sucked in big time. Each of these episodes ended ambiguously: did our heroes survive, will they live to fight another day or to enjoy the life they plainly deserve? I’ll leave you guessing on that one, suffice to say at this point the story changed tack - and mood.
The next section – the final section I endured – featured a man, who had appeared in a cameo role previously, and his team of gormless assistants. The premiss of this change of direction was good but the execution was terrible. We'd gone from gripping scenes filled with tension and high drama to slapstick humour and barely credible actions. This team – a team who were out to save the world, no less – were like something out of the Keystone Cops! It was bizarre and not remotely funny.
I ploughed on thinking that it had to get better, that brilliant start surely couldn't be wasted, could it? It could. It was. I simply can't understand why such a taught, gripping start was allowed to drift into this dross. As the saying goes: less is more. That is, less of this rubbish and more of something else. A DNF for me....more
I really enjoyed Orphan X, which I found to be a thrilling near future adventure featuring an interesting lead character with a degree of complexity I really enjoyed Orphan X, which I found to be a thrilling near future adventure featuring an interesting lead character with a degree of complexity and a smidgen of soul. So I was really looking forward to this second book. For those who haven't yet come across Evan Smoak, the potted history is that he was adopted into an off the books government programme and trained to be an expert assassin. For reasons I won't go into, he’s now out of the programme – but is offering his services to a limited number of needy individuals.
The problem with follow-up books can be that the author uses all the best bits of the character’s story in book one, leaving slim pickings for what follows. Well, for two-thirds of this story, it felt to me that this is exactly what Hurwitz had done. The saving grace is that the final third represents a massive leap back to the quality of book one – there’s suddenly a significant increase in energy and a re-emergence of the type of twisty plot line tricks seen in the earlier tale. Now, I was fully engaged and remained so from this point to the end.
Too little too late? For me, yes. The book just didn't have the instant grab of Orphan X and took far too long to really get going. Maybe there was enough in the final knockings of this one to drag me back to the series for book three, but maybe not.
My sincere thanks to Penguin UK and NetGalley supplying a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review....more
I really enjoyed The Girl with All the Gifts, I thought it a well thought out and credible ‘end of the world’ yarn. Moreover, it was written in such I really enjoyed The Girl with All the Gifts, I thought it a well thought out and credible ‘end of the world’ yarn. Moreover, it was written in such a way that (if you weren't already aware what it was) the true nature of the story crept up on the reader; at first I didn't know what was going on and by the time I discovered the hidden narrative I was completely hooked. And to add to this, there were interesting characters whose fate I became invested in. It was also a novel that didn't leave you guessing at the end – an explosive reveal made it absolutely clear how what the fate of any survivors was to play out.
So, this prequel novel was always going to face a number of, possibly insurmountable, problems: most significantly, the fact that the big story had already been told. And what, therefore, was left to tell? Well, the author does a pretty good job of picking off some loose ends from the earlier tale and using these to knit together a further adventure. Yes, anybody who has read the first book (and you really do have to read ‘Girl’ first) will find few surprises here, but it does flesh out some background and… and this is where I'm struggling, because I'm not sure it does much else.
The structure, in terms of the book’s cast, is actually quite similar. There's a young person (a boy this time, who is possibly somewhere on the autistic spectrum), a mother figure in the guise of a senior scientist and a bunch of soldiers/scientists who are largely dispensable and who are overseen by a conniving and bullying leader. In consequence, the tale starts to have a very similar feel to the first book – but unfortunately, without the surprises. In truth, I drifted through much of it, barely engaged.
However, I don't want to be too down on it because I did appreciate the additional insight I got from reading this background piece and there is one surprise stored up in the form of an epilogue to the tale. In summary, it's ok - but not a patch on the first book....more
What would it be like to live in a world where all of your needs are taken care of, where cars fly, teleportation exists and menial tasks such as showWhat would it be like to live in a world where all of your needs are taken care of, where cars fly, teleportation exists and menial tasks such as showering, dressing and preparing meals are just completed for you, almost by magic. Well this is the world Tom Barren lives in. It’s 2016 but back in 1965 something called the Goettreider Engine was invented – and it was a game changer. It worked by harnessing the energy created by the movement of the planet itself and it’s so powerful that it’s made every other power source redundant. It also sparked a technology revolution that’s brought about this utopian state.
But Tom’s not a happy chap. He doesn’t have a woman in his life and he’s struggling to come to terms with the fact that his mother was killed by a flying car that fell out of the sky. To add insult to injury, he’s unfulfilled in terms of his career - he works for his father, who seems to employ him purely out of a sense of familial loyalty. And his job? Well, he’s training to be a time traveller. Yes, his genius dad has invented a time travel device and Tom is a backup for the team leader. Of course there’s no chance that he’ll actually get to pilot this device – but then, the best laid plans…
I won’t go into too much of the detail but suffice to say Tom is given the opportunity to see what his world would have looked like without the invention of the Goettreider engine. Things have worked out very differently for him and his family. In this parallel world, Tom is forced to make choices and it’s not as straightforward as you might think. Yes, there are many advantages of the techno-utopia he’s come from but this low tech world with it’s ‘dirty’ energy and a distinct lack of comparative home comforts still has something to offer.
The dialogue is sharp and witty and the whole thing is permeated with enough science that it makes Tom’s experiences feel rather more believable than you might think. I didn’t understand the science, of course, but it did provide a smidgen of belief that there is more to this time travel thing than hard-core sceptics would have you think. Well, I’m trying to convince myself of that anyway!
It’s an enjoyable romp. It’s certainly not fault free and in Tom I’m not sure that the author has created the most likeable of characters. But maybe that’s the point, perhaps we’re not expected to like him. My problem with this is that despite becoming gripped by the narrative I didn’t feel particularly invested in the fate of our lead man. That said, there’s a lot going on here and I do applaud the imagination and thought that’s gone into producing a book that I found entertaining and which also forced me to think a little more deeply about the world in which I live. Definitely one for time all time travel aficionados and and anyone who’s just in the mood for something different.
My thanks to Penguin UK and NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review....more
The timing was just right for me, in picking up this one. I’d just read, and enjoyed, a real-life account of life in Silicon Valley - Chaos Monkeys -The timing was just right for me, in picking up this one. I’d just read, and enjoyed, a real-life account of life in Silicon Valley - Chaos Monkeys - and along the way I’d received a pretty good insight into life inside that social media behemoth that is Facebook. So this fictional tale about a young woman, Mae, who gets the job of a lifetime working for a massive tech company called The Circle was bound to interest me.
The Circle feels like an amalgamation of Facebook, Twitter, Google and any other large online entrepreneurial enterprise you can think of. It’s led by the ‘three wise men’ and Mae is introduced to the company by her college friend Annie, who has already spiralled to the heights of ‘the gang of 40’ at the very top of the business. At first everything seems just perfect, with freebies being handed out with abandon and environment seemingly full of people who are super-friendly and obviously totally absorbed by the culture of the place. The hours are long and Mae is prompted to play an active part in the social side by regularly attending events laid on and by scrupulously participating in the huge social media frenzy that’s endemic within the company. But that’s ok, for a while.
Gradually things start to feel a little less comfortable. It’s hard work keeping up with the requirement to be a constant participant and Mae finds that failure to focus sufficient attention on the social aspect of the firm can result in strangely punitive outcomes. Then there’s the growing feeing that the whole ethos of the company is leading towards a rather weird kind of totalitarianism. Mantras like ‘secrets are lies’ and 'privacy is theft’ abound and one of the gang of three espouses ‘all that happens must be known’. Where is this leading?
There are many parallels with the real-life account I’d read and this did give added credence to elements of the tale. I enjoyed spotting the parallels between the Circle and Facebook. And although I find it difficult to see how it would be possible for something like The Circle to get as strong a hold as is depicted here I do think the idea of the narrative is clever and (mildly) thought provoking: an Orwellian tale with a high-tech twist.
In the end, it’s a pretty light read. It’s something that I can envisage being enjoyed whilst lying on a Mediterranean beach bed – an ideal holiday read....more
I’ve got a thing for science fiction tales at the moment and this one sounded interesting. Actually ‘sounded’ in the literal sense as I decided to lisI’ve got a thing for science fiction tales at the moment and this one sounded interesting. Actually ‘sounded’ in the literal sense as I decided to listen to it on audio. The production is impressive, with multiple voices giving this the feel of a script being acted out rather than a book being read. It’s helped by the fact that it’s put together as a series of interviews, journal entries and news articles. Sounds clunky? Well, actually the format worked really well.
A girl falls into a deep hole and when found is discovered to have unearthed what appears to be a huge hand made of metal. It’s enclosed in a room made of the same material that glows and is full of intricate carvings. Carbon dating throws up results that defy logic and the metal itself seems to significantly comprise of a substance which is very rare on this planet. So rare in fact that it seems impossible that these objects were ‘made’ by earthly hand (excuse the pun).
The first section – actually, probably the initial two thirds of the book – is all mystery and serious science fiction which I found complex enough to draw me in. I liked the characters I’d met and was really looking forward to seeing how this played out. Unfortunately, it then seemed to slip into semi-comic mode. It was as if a new writer and/or director had been employed to finish the job. I’d suddenly stumbled in to one of those bad early Star Trek episodes – the ones that were totally tongue in cheek; the ones I routinely skip when I come across a channel showing reruns. I couldn’t believe it. Had the writer got bored with his own story and rushed the ending? I managed to hang in until it drew to a close but I’d switched off by then.
Four stars for the bit I liked and two stars (I’m being generous) for the bit I didn’t – aggregated to three stars overall. A wasted opportunity, in my view....more
Luke Smitherd is not lacking in imagination. I can say that with some confidence, having read a handful of his books – all very different, all spectacLuke Smitherd is not lacking in imagination. I can say that with some confidence, having read a handful of his books – all very different, all spectacularly original. In this one, the author’s home city (Coventry, England) is visited by a Stone Man, a statue in the shape of a large human figure that just appears one day in Millennium Square. Except it’s not a statue, because it’s just started to move.
Andy Pointer, a working journalist, happens to be in the vicinity when this happens – he’s spotted the crowd and intrigued to see what spectacle has caused them to gather he makes his way toward the group. At first, he thinks that this must be some kind of publicity event, but it soon becomes clear that this is nothing of the sort. Andy is at once amazed and scared by what he witnesses whilst also recognising that this might offer him a career defining opportunity.
I really had no idea what was going happen from this point, but whatever I might have envisaged, I don’t think I’d have come up with anything to compete with the author’s construction. Is it wholly believable? Well maybe not, but it is clever, and it is a story that’s very well told. I listened to it on audio, brilliantly read by actor Matt Addis. I was totally gripped throughout.
Andy proved to be a credible, if not totally likeable, lead man, and the other main characters were similarly well drawn. This helped to engage me in a story that might otherwise have stretched my (limited) imagination a little too far. As it was, I found myself wanting to know the fate of the main players and to see how this fantastical tale was to be explained, to be somehow rationalised. And I think a pretty good job was done on both elements. I did find myself imagining a number of different endings, but when I later placed them under scrutiny (yes, this story has played with my head ever since) I found all my alternatives wanting.
Well done, Mr. Smitherd, you’ve done it again. You’ve laid out a story that’s straight out of left field - a story that could have had me chucking another book on the DNF pile – and you’ve kept me engaged right through to the end. Then you’ve made me play mental games with it for some time after. Not many writers achieve this. I’ll be reaching for another book from your catalogue some time soon....more
I'd loved Weir’s The Martian – both the book and the film adaptation – and I'd subsequently heard quite a lot of people waxing lyrical about this shorI'd loved Weir’s The Martian – both the book and the film adaptation – and I'd subsequently heard quite a lot of people waxing lyrical about this short story. It’s easy to track down a free copy on the Internet and it really is very short, the audio version being just eight minutes long.
It’s a fantasy/ science fiction tale of a man who dies in a car accident, leaving behind a wife and two children. In the immediate aftermath he meets his Maker and it’s the discussion that ensues that packs the punch. And a pretty good punch it is. It surprised me and got me thinking a bit, but probably no more than that.
I know some people have read this story and now believe they've discovered the answer to ‘the big question’ – well maybe they have, who knows. I just think it’s an interesting idea expressed succinctly and effectively in just about as few words as it’s possible to tell a tale. But certainly worth catching. ...more
Brilliantly read by Wil Wheaton, Ready Player One was one of the best audiobooks I've listened to in years. I’m not sure how it’d categorise it, probBrilliantly read by Wil Wheaton, Ready Player One was one of the best audiobooks I've listened to in years. I’m not sure how it’d categorise it, probably gamer-fiction comes closest, but I just found it to be something exciting and new. So when I spotted that the same author and reader had another offering available I was beyond excited. Until I read the reviews, that is. It got panned – by everyone! So I steadfastly avoided it… until an offer to pick the audiobook up for next to nothing cropped up. Should I resist? Nah, the bargain hunter in me has always held sway.
I was also somewhat persuaded by a few (at least) lukewarm reviews on the Audible web site, but deep down I always knew it was going to be a load of old tosh. And so it proved to be. I won't go into detail other to say that it’s another video game based story featuring a teenage gamer and his friends and family. Oh, and the future of the whole human race! Wheaton does another sterling job of maximising the tension, delivering the punchlines and generally trying everything he can to wring the best out of this tale. In truth, if you’re able to totally suspend belief and ignore the gaping holes in the narrative then there is some fun to be had. Despite myself, there were times I became engrossed in the action and throughout I enjoyed the liberally sprinkled references to old games and similarly old songs. But the trouble was I wasn't able to suspend belief for long enough – it was all just too lame – and the whole thing was totally predictable; the story was surprise-free.
I don't want to totally dismiss this book as I think there will be an audience out there for it. In fact, when I scanned some reviews on the internet this morning I did find that there were some really positive ones lurking in the darkness. I guess you pays your money and takes your choice. Luckily for me there wasn’t too much money to be paid on this occasion. ...more
This is a clever story of time travel. This is a long discourse on physics and on scientific minutiae I found hard to track and impossible to fully coThis is a clever story of time travel. This is a long discourse on physics and on scientific minutiae I found hard to track and impossible to fully comprehend. This is a funny story of online dating featuring a future population who live their lives online and seldom meet face to face. This is all of these things. Does it work? Well, sort of… but it is a really strange mix.
Set in the near future, a group of physicists are working to develop a machine they call a Causality Violation Device. The team is led by Philip Steiner, a no doubt bright and honest man but one with no visible sense of humour and very little (if any) self awareness. His wife, Rebecca, works for the online dating company through which they met. Philip works long hours and Rebecca drinks. The actual nature of ‘the machine’ is shrouded in obscure scientific gibberish, but the uninformed sometimes refer to it as a time machine. Not in Philip’s hearing though, he’d be likely to administer capital punishment for such a heinous crime.
Two things become clear. Firstly, the machine doesn’t seem to work and the scientists have no clear path to changing this state. Secondly, at some stage in the past few years Philip and Rebecca have lost their only son, Sean. In time it becomes clear that the death was a result of a car accident; the car was an auto-drive vehicle (as are almost all cars in this new world) and as warnings sounded inside the vehicle Rebecca had grabbed the steering wheel, thereby assuming control of it’s last vital movement. This movement caused a catastrophic collision to the passenger side, the side carrying Sean. Understandably, Rebecca has always blamed herself for her son’s death. At this point I thought I knew where this one was going, but the story turned out to be much cleverer than I gave it credit for.
The story is told from multiple points of view and switches, unnervingly, between the elements I mentioned at the start of this review. In consequence I sometimes struggled to get a handle on things, although it does all come out in the wash and the very well thought out time travel element eventually delivers brilliantly. As for the physics, well it felt to me that this was just a way of trying to combat the natural reluctance of readers to believe such a machine could exist. Maybe the science made some kind of sense – I have no idea. And the dating stuff? Well this was just weird! I’m not sure it added anything to the plot and some of the technological advances featured here and in the broader side-story narrative felt unlikely in the extreme.
So how to rate this book? It’s probably a three star offering, for me, but if it had been trimmed of the dating stuff I’d have rated it higher. An inventive and well thought out piece of science fiction let down by some blatant over-egging of the pudding....more
Ed was asleep when it started, still feeling the effects of a drink it two too many, and by the time he worked out what was going on it was already alEd was asleep when it started, still feeling the effects of a drink it two too many, and by the time he worked out what was going on it was already almost too late. Grabbing the only shelter he could think of he secreted his family (he, wife and their two children) away into their cellar while asteroids worked their horrors.
I must admit that I was drawn to this book by its title: apocalyptic events and running had ticked a couple of boxes before I got to page one. I also liked the fact that it was set in the UK. I've read quite a few books in this genre, but none set on these shores. Alas, from the start this one provided a somewhat rocky ride (apologies for the pun). The early events were well written but didn't convince. Would it really happen like this? I didn't think so. Then the account of the initial aftermath for Ed and his crew hit a few false notes for me too – the behaviours just didn't feel quite right.
I don't wish to give too much away so I’ll be a bit sketchy from here. At some point after the asteroid strikes, Ed finds himself part of a small, dysfunctional group which included:
- A huge man who moaned and shouted a good deal and clearly disliked Ed. - A small military woman who the huge bloke also disliked, though not half as much as she disliked him. - An Aussie who claimed to have once run the breadth of Australia. Needless to say, the big guy didn't believe a word of it. - A posh-boy ex-banker. I don't need to tell you what the moaner thought about him.
Events from this point seem to lurch from one set-piece to another, with dull interludes breaking up the action. At times I thought it read like a cheap television series, full of scenes that didn't quite fit together and full of characters I struggled to feel any empathy for. There were very few nice or helpful people here, instead the world now seemed to be populated by buffoon caricatures, weird cult groups and vicious gangs. Where did all the normal people go?
Then I had a couple more specific grumbles:
1. There is some running here but the detail wasn't quite right. Some long distances were covered but there was little to no reference to the struggles and strains of such an endeavour, over and above some general complaints regarding tiredness. What about the blisters and muscle strains? What about looking for some helpful footwear to make life a bit easier? I know this is delving into the micro detail, but any book purporting to cover long distance running should at least attempt to nod it's head to some basic associated issues.
2. Moany Man’s constant shouting got right on my wick! It might have been bearable if it were on a printed page but on audio I was forever being assaulted by the narrators voice hollering in my ear! Be forewarned if you decide to go this route.
On the upside, towards the end I did start to care a little about a couple of the survivors. But really only a smidgen. In summary, I found this to be over-long and poorly conceived. If you're a fan of this type of tale then take it from me, there’s much better stuff out there. About two and a half stars but rounded down due to the hollering.
My perfect SF novel would be one containing a good deal of fiction and just a little science – enough to make the world feel different, to spark the iMy perfect SF novel would be one containing a good deal of fiction and just a little science – enough to make the world feel different, to spark the imagination. I’m also an apocalypse junkie, so an end of the world scenario is always welcome. Therefore, on the face of it, this book should be perfect for me. Told in alternating voices, we hear of the plights of Augustine (Augie) and Mission Specialist Sullivan (Sully). Both are scientists with an interest in what exists beyond Earth. When we meet them each is removed from the daily reality of life on this planet. Seventy-eight-year-old Augie, a top astronomer, is seeing out his final research project deep in the Arctic Circle. Sully is part of a six-man crew returning from an exploratory trip to Jupiter. Then everything changes. For Augie it’s that the team around him are suddenly evacuated from the camp amid rumours of war impacting the populated world. Augie refuses to join the evacuation. Sully’s ship suddenly loses all contact with their control team on Earth.
It’s tempting to compare the two sides of this tale to The Road and The Martian, but that would be too simplistic. The prose here is less bleak than the former and more literary than the latter. The fact that events leading to the isolation of Augie and Sully’s team are kept to the background means that the focus is almost entirely on their predicament. But rather than focussing totally on the nuts and bolts of their attempts to contact other humans and to simply stay alive we are treated to a much deeper tale of lives lived. There are regrets concerning people left behind, resentments over treatments received and rumination on opportunities missed. But it’s definitely not a sentimental catalogue of what might have been, more a growing awareness and acceptance of who they each are.
Of course there is more to this story than I’ve covered, but I think it’s best for readers to discover this for themselves. For me, this book did feel like the ideal SF novel. The character development was excellent and the way the important events in each of their lives was allowed to unfold throughout the narrative really helped to ensure that the pacing was spot on. I loved it. Thank you Jen for bringing this one to my attention via your Goodreads Review of 2016....more
I’m late to the party with this one. Just about every thriller reader I know has read, and loved, this story. I’ve previously picked up a few of the aI’m late to the party with this one. Just about every thriller reader I know has read, and loved, this story. I’ve previously picked up a few of the author’s books and I know he’s a competent scribbler, so I’m not sure what’s kept me away so long. Anyway, I finally bit the bullet and I can confirm what everyone else already knows: it’s a winner.
There are gazillions of reviews on this site alone so I won’t delve to deep into ‘what happened’ territory. Suffice to say, a young boy is adopted into an off-the-books government programme to train assassins. He becomes good at killing. Very good, in fact. But things happen along the way and he decides enough is enough.
The story is obviously much more involved than the bare bones I’ve provided, but to give any more would be to spoil the fun for anyone who is left out there to read this top-notch tale. There’s no doubt Hurwitz as created a new superhero, the Nowhere Man. There’s a touch of science fiction here, but only a touch. The world feels much like it does today, but with a few flashier gizmos kicking around. The NM himself has a whisper of John Rain about him (but with premium vodka replacing the aged whiskey Rain so relishes), a smidgen of Mitch Rapp and a big dose of Batman.
There were times I thought the tale was close to slipping into the mundane, the routine, but then another twist was delivered or a further glimpse at the depths of the NM’s character was unveiled. It kept me on my toes, eager to learn more about the man and his fate. The support characters too were interesting in themselves as I struggled to determine who was friend and who was foe.
It delivers a lot, this book: a lead man who has sufficient darkness and interest to have readers craving more, an intricately woven plot and a cast characters who are sympathetically drawn or deliver a kind of voyeuristic pleasure at their pure viciousness. A follow up book is already in the pipeline and I’ll most certainly be back for a second helping. ...more
There are hangovers, there are bad hangovers, and then there’s waking up inside someone else’s head.
And that’s exactly what happens to bartender CharlThere are hangovers, there are bad hangovers, and then there’s waking up inside someone else’s head.
And that’s exactly what happens to bartender Charlie after a night out in Coventry. He’s naked and in a very dark room. The walls are pliable and the floor has a strange quality to it: firm but not cold. Then a screen lights up throwing light into the room. He can now see a view of a bathroom and its as if he’s seeing it through the eyes of another person. Is this real? Is it a dream? Is he dead and this is what the afterlife comprises? We are left to ponder on this as Charlie begins to identify that he’s inside the head of a girl called Minnie. He knows this as when he talks she hears a voice inside her head and after initially freaking out she calms down enough to talk back to him.
It’s a weird start to what turned out to be a compelling story. My initial thought was that I’d struggle to stay with this tale for any length of time, that I’d tire of the absurd nature of this seemingly surreal tale. But in reality it wasn’t long before I was fully engrossed. Having seen her briefly in the bathroom mirror, Charlie thinks he might recognise Minnie, but he’s not sure. We learn that she has a history of drug taking, though she’s been clean for a while. Her initial reaction to Charlie’s voice is that she’s finally cracked, the drugs have done for her at last and the voice heralds her helter-skelter descent into madness.
Strange as this storyline seems, I quickly got used to the interactions between the two characters and was just beginning to think I’d worked out where this was going when a shattering twist was landed. Wow! I certainly didn’t see that coming. From here on in the pace increases exponentially as it races to a heart thumping, dramatic conclusion.
I’d find it hard to categorise this book but I’d say that if you’re in the mood for something very different then this one is certainly worth a look. I listened to this book on audio – so I had a voice in my head (the author’s own) talking about a woman with a voice in her head, weirder and weirder. But very entertaining....more
I’ve ranted before about how I enjoy science fiction but just can’t deal with monsters, aliens and supernatural powers, So I was attracted to this talI’ve ranted before about how I enjoy science fiction but just can’t deal with monsters, aliens and supernatural powers, So I was attracted to this tale of post-apocalyptic life which, if the blurb were to be believed, seemed to be a version of The Stand without the bits I didn’t like. And was it? Well, yes – pretty much. But that’s to over simplify things.
As the reader picks up events, the deadly disease is already rife in one small city in America. A few people are dying and it’s beginning to get a grip on the population. It’s soon evident that it’s a fast killer: some symptoms similar to a dose of the flu, a quick few days where the patient seems almost deliriously happy (hence the name widely applied to this plague of ‘the rapture’) and it’s all over. It spreads rapidly too and it’s not long before the city is in lock-down in a vain attempt to stop it spreading. It fails, of course, and soon the disease has spread everywhere – it’s all across America and all around the globe.
We meet a family – a couple and their boys – and one of the children has symptoms which might be onset of the dreaded lurgy. The father is convinced it’s just a normal case of the flu and he decides to stay in their home and avoid the government people who are knocking on doors, asking questions and carting away the bodies. He’s suspicious of them and doesn’t trust their motives. But there’s a problem, one of the sons is away at a camp and can’t be reunited with them. A series of phone conversations is hastily arranged with the son and other family members and a plan is hatched for any survivors to meet up at their old family home in New England, in the spring, some months hence.
This scene setting is well very executed and it certainly sets things up nicely for what is to follow. Though as the story develops I had a few minor gripes:
- The whole book is very good on practical advice, should this unhappy event ever visit. The steps taken by survivors seem rational and well thought out. But perhaps it’s too organised. It just so happens that most of the group we follow are well balanced, logical thinkers with just the right mix of skills. - There is little conflict here. People accept what’s happened and get on with it; they agree on most things with little argument. This did feel a little too easy for my tastes. Yes, there are a couple of ‘difficult’ people, but they don’t stay around for long. The bad stuff - the looting and violence – is here, in the background, and is referenced from time to time but it doesn’t take centre-stage. - It sometimes felt a little bit like The Waltons, in the way the survivors adopted a homely ‘night John-Boy’ approach to their relationships. It was, perhaps, a little too twee in this regard.
But these minor aspects aside I did find it a gripping story of survival against the odds and it certainly held my attention for the full twenty hours it took to listen to the audio version. The book was read by the excellent Scott Brick and I’d happily recommend this as a way of absorbing this addictive adventure....more
Some quantum physicists theorise the existence of parallel worlds to explain the bizarre mechanics of matter in its smallest particles. Our bodies areSome quantum physicists theorise the existence of parallel worlds to explain the bizarre mechanics of matter in its smallest particles. Our bodies are made up of atoms, electrons and orbiting nuclei but with spaces in between. In fact, our bodies are largely empty space. So perhaps it follows that if dark matter and dark energy exists in the empty space between stars, why should it not exist in our very bodies? Are we not ourselves mostly dark matter and dark energy? And what if that’s where those parallel worlds reside?
I’m back into a phase of reading (and/or listening to) SF. No weird monsters and strange languages for me, but lay down a post-apocalyptic world or some time travel and I’m there! I’d seen some brilliant ratings for this book and though I’d studiously avoided most of the text so as to maintain the surprise element, I knew enough to believe it was up my alley. And so it proved to be.
Jasen Dessen is a brilliant scientist who gave up his research to earn some money as a college professor when his son was born. Jasen’s wife is an artist who sacrificed a promising career to bring up her son. Are they happy? Well yes, for the most part. But the sacrifices do haunt them, a bit. Then something happens that interrupts this family’s life – big style! I won’t go into the fine detail but suffice to say it’s a surprising and clever tale that just demands you suspend belief for the time it takes you to follow the story to its conclusion. It’s a five-star romp from start to finish, with an ending that certainly puts cream on the cake. I loved it. ...more
Firstly, it's really not that bad, it’s just that I always award one star to any book I feel compelleI feel that I need to explain my one-star rating.
Firstly, it's really not that bad, it’s just that I always award one star to any book I feel compelled to abandon before the end, and I didn't get beyond half way on this one. Secondly, most of the first half is very good, but then it descended into the realms of dull, futuristic nonsense of the type that completely switches me off.
Let me clarify. I like apocalyptic tales of the end of the world as we know it. I'm interested in the different ways it could come about and how people react when the reality of their situation dawns. I also like the stories that develop from the immediate effects of the bomb or the virus or the collision with another planet that brings current events to an unseemly end. Books such as The Stand and Seveneves cover the initial catastrophe and its immediate aftermath really well, but then they descend in to fantasy and far future science fiction, respectively. This book drops in the same trick as Seveneves in that having engaged your interest in a group of characters and their fates it suddenly abandons them and leaps forward about a hundred years to an imaginary world I found totally unengaging. Moreover, the characters I’d invested so much time and emotion in are, of course, now nowhere to be seen.
I know many will disagree with this view, and that's fine with me. I know my limitations. I've never been able to deal with supernatural figures, ghosts, demons, or worlds where the science or social rules are far removed from what l’m familiar with. Call it a lack of imagination if you like. My favourite science fiction novel is probably The Road and I think that's because although the events that caused 'the end’ are only referenced briefly and obliquely, the world it leaves behind feels believable. I could relate to it.
For all that, I’ll continue to seek out books that deal with this scenario because it’s something that has a huge draw for me. Suggestions welcome!...more
The opening scene of the book – a classroom, where a teacher is working with a group of children – feels like a very familiar setting. Except it’s it’The opening scene of the book – a classroom, where a teacher is working with a group of children – feels like a very familiar setting. Except it’s it’s not quite right. The children are restrained, strapped to their chairs. As we learn more, it becomes apparent that they are being held within a secure facility for some reason. Is this a prison? If so, what crimes could they have committed to deserve such treatment?
As my field of vision was expanded it started to become evident what was going on. But I only learnt the whole truth slowly. I liked the pace at which events unfolded and knowledge was shared, it was all very well done and it wasn’t long before I was totally hooked.
I had no advance knowledge of the plot (my normal blurb avoidance and reliance on a few words of praise from a respected source had led me here) but I did know it was a science fiction tale. As it turns out, it benefited from two big plusses:
1. It’s a near future story, and consequently no weird super-gizmos had been invented to provide spectacular but lazy get-outs for the writer. I could relate to how everything worked and didn’t have to hastily throw the book on the ‘did not finish’ pile as a tense encounter was resolved through use of an invisibility spray or other such nonsense (trust me, I’ve been there before).
2. The big picture story is plausible – scarily so. I’m not able to vouch for the science but it sounded and felt credible; I understood that this could actually happen. Or at least I believed that to be the case, which is all that matters.
I’m not going to divulge anything about the plot but I will say that it involved characters that I grew to have feelings for and whose fate I cared about. The ending was clever and not overly sentimental. Yes, there were one or two elements that I had my doubts about, but these were few and far between.
I could certainly see this being made into a film – maybe it already has! If you’re a sci-fi fan and haven’t come across this one yet then I’d urge you to take a look at it....more
I picked this one up as an Audible Daily Deal. I didn’t read the blurb fully, I stopped when I saw it was a book that’d been made into a television seI picked this one up as an Audible Daily Deal. I didn’t read the blurb fully, I stopped when I saw it was a book that’d been made into a television series (or maybe vice versa) and that it was a science fiction story. You see, I don’t like to know too much about a tale before I immerse myself in it and in this particular genre a lot of the pleasure for me is in being surprised by the science. I took a bit of a chance as my imagination (and patience) does not extend to scenarios featuring planets full of new species speaking strange languages and utilising their glitzy super-powers. But I was short on options and feeling cheap - I needed something to keep me company while I decorated a bedroom.
I listened to it in two longish sessions (and no, I haven’t finished the decoration yet). It started off like, well… like a television series – one of those American ones with secret agents and small towns, and a sprinkling of generic characters. By about a third of the way in I was starting to wonder if I wanted to listen to the rest. It wasn’t exactly dull, but it didn’t feel very real and the character development was just about non-existent. But then it started to pick up a bit. The story took a bit of a twist and the action sequences were actually quite well done. The narrator had even slipped out of his monotone drawl for a while.
By two-thirds of the distance I was quite enjoying the yarn and then it took another twist and got better again. In the final section the science was explained and it was really quite clever. It all got wrapped up pretty well with most of the loose ends being tied off. It was, however, nicely set up for the follow-up book (it’s actually a trilogy).
I’m not sure if I want to get into the next episode – it feels like the big reveal has already happened so anything beyond this point must be an anti-climax, mustn’t it? But I might yet succumb. I bet the television series is good though, so I might track that down.
I’d recommend this book for lovers of science fiction who prefer a story that’s all about the plot as opposed to one that is largely character driven. It’s undemanding and entertaining enough. And pretty good company if you have a bedroom to paint. ...more
Loading...
