According to the legendary code breaker Alan Turing, if an interrogator could not tell the difference between man and machine under questioning it wouAccording to the legendary code breaker Alan Turing, if an interrogator could not tell the difference between man and machine under questioning it would be unreasonable not to call the computer intelligent. Artificial Intelligence (AI), as it’s known, is in the news quite a bit at the moment – just yesterday I was reading about how the Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is looking to design a robot to ‘help around the house’. He envisages that in ten years it’s possible that a computer could be designed that would have better primary senses (vision, listening etc.) than humans.
In this book we are cast forward a generation, to the year 2040. AI has been harnessed to the extent that so-called babybots have been produced and have to a significant extent replaced human interaction in the lives of many young people. As a result of the resulting outcry, the ‘bots have been rounded up and are being shipped off to warehouses where their power sources will be allowed to run down. The programmer behind this latest generation of super-smart computer operated dolls, Stephen Chinn, has been imprisoned.
The narrative adopts a similar style to that employed by David Mitchell in his novel Cloud Atlas. That is to say it’s made up of a series of fictional documents that are presented to the reader. The documents include: - Excerpts from the diary of a 17th Century English woman who is travelling by sea to colonise America - Letters from Alan Turing to the mother of his first love - Letters between an early AI programmer called Carl Dettman and his estranged wife - Extracts from memoirs, written from prison, by Stephen Chinn - A transcript of exchanges between an on-line version of the babybot and a young girl
It took me a while to get used to the way the story was being told, but once I’d worked out (roughly) what was going I became comfortable with the format. I have to say that it was somewhat simpler in construction than Cloud Atlas and, in my view, more rewarding. It did however take a degree of perseverance as it was only quite late on that the pieces of the puzzle started to form a truly coherent picture.
An interesting take from the book was the reminder of how easy it is for humans to descend into a virtual world, where speech becomes a secondary form of communication. You only have to look around in pretty much any environment to see how many people are more interested in staring at their phone than they are in talking to the person sat beside them, or opposite them… or, for that matter, in what’s happening on the road in front of them! Yesterday I saw queues at the supermarket self-checkout whilst the lady at the ‘basket only’ till sat twiddling her thumbs. Are we starting to actively avoid physical interactions?
There’s certainly common ground in all of the document strands in that they all present the picture of someone crying out for love, for meaningful attachment. Of the document sets, the diary account of the sea voyage was, perhaps, the one that I struggled with most. I quite enjoyed the account of the crossing but I did struggle to see the point of it in the context of the overall tale. My assumption is that the girl’s devotion to her pet dog set against her estrangement from her new (unwanted) husband and her controlling parents, who also accompanied her on the journey, was the attachment that fulfilled this basic human need. Could the dog be the 17th Century version of the babybot? It seemed to perform a similar role, albeit the communication was hugely one-sided.
Overall I found it to be an interesting and thought provoking book. It’s not an easy read and I did find myself a little lost at times, but I did finish it. I may have missed some key messages the author intended me to grasp along the way, but I do feel I was both entertained and informed. And it did prompt me to go out and undertake some basic research into the current state of Artificial Intelligence.
My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for providing an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review....more
The concept is intriguing: a man wonders up and randomly asks ‘Did you ever wish you could experience being with God?’, before handing over a small paThe concept is intriguing: a man wonders up and randomly asks ‘Did you ever wish you could experience being with God?’, before handing over a small packet containing a substance (a drug?) like no other. The substance defies science, it constantly changes and can’t be pinned down. The experience is more intense than with any drug anyone has ever taken – it creates more than a hallucinogenic experience; it’s a transportation to a different place and time, inside another person’s mind and skin.
Told through the eyes of an ever growing cast, the narration passes from person to person, back and forth. As the tale progresses and the number of active players increases it became, for me, a challenge to recall who was who (I resorted to writing down brief descriptions). But the structure actually worked really well, creating a feeling of something strange happening just as, well… something strange is happening. The whole thing was a mix of a urban science fiction tale, played out on the streets of New York, with a touch of Breaking Bad thrown into the mix.
It all rocked along at pace and for there quarters of the book I had no real idea where I was being led. In the final section it all came together in a way that was unexpected and reasonably satisfying. Though I understand this is set to be the first in a series of books, so the ending left plenty of room for expansion of the tale.
I enjoyed the unusual way the story was told and the the descriptions of life in NYC certainly brought the city to life for me. Added to this there’s now a nucleus of characters I’d be happy to catch up with again. I’d be inclined to make a date with book two, if and when it surfaces.
Thank you to Smoke and Shadow Books and NetGalley for providing an early version of this book in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a future setting, noted for its focus on "high tech and low life". It features advanced technology anCyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a future setting, noted for its focus on "high tech and low life". It features advanced technology and science, such as information technology and cybernetics, coupled with a degree of breakdown or radical change in the social order.
I don't know why I do it! I'm not a fan of hardcore SF and my previous experience of cyberpunk ( Neuromancer) ended in tears. But I'd already picked this one up cheap, so I guess that's my mitigation.
Anyway, you can guess by my rating that this wasn't a marriage made in heaven. I did get through about a quarter of it before I realised I'd made a big mistake in starting it in the first place. But given my toe in the water approach to absorbing this cult classic you’ll need to judge my ramblings accordingly.
Actually, I have to say that I found this a lot better (well, keep this comment in context) than the aforementioned Neuromancer: for a start I could actually understand what was going on and secondly is was really quite funny in parts. And the story was shaping up into something that might actually hold my attention. So what was the problem? The issue for me is that I just don't have the imagination to fully immerse myself in a world that is just so different from the one in which I live; a world in which when unexplainable things happen a new gizmo is invented to explain it away; a world in which sub-human creatures (or robots or whatever else you want to call them) roam the planet. I wish I could enjoy this stuff, but I can't.
My only other observation is that although I did appreciate Stephenson’s most recent novel Seveneves, this had more to do with the big picture he painted of ‘the end of the world’ – a concept even my limited imagination can deal with.
So that’s me done with cyberpunk, but I'm sure I’ll find a few more ‘soft’ SF novels along the way that will press my buttons....more
I continued my recent SF binge with a look at this mammoth offering from the award-winning writer of ‘speculative fiction’. The first sentence sets thI continued my recent SF binge with a look at this mammoth offering from the award-winning writer of ‘speculative fiction’. The first sentence sets the scene pretty well:
The moon blew up with no warning and for no apparent reason.
Soon, the best known television commentator on such issues is proclaiming that the hard rain’s a-gonna fall. And keep falling. In fact it’ll rain rocks for thousands of years. Not the best news then.
And we’re off into the realm of the end of the world, as we know it – with a date for its destruction pretty much nailed down to two years hence. All of this is covered very early on and the first two thirds of the book is devoted to how the human race (but mainly the Americans) respond to this news.
This is where I wanted to be wowed by accounts of people’s reaction to the impending catastrophe, scenes of civic unrest and, perhaps, a deep quasi-sociological study of how mankind would cope with the likely total destruction of humanity. Well, I guess I haven’t read a Neal Stephenson novel before or I might have known this is not where he’d take it.
In fact, the human reaction appears to be a very co-ordinated, highly organised and a largely matter-of-fact acceptance of their collective fate. This side of it dealt with, Stephenson retreats into what he really wants to talk about: the space travel, the gizmos and the tech-speak of the truly hardened SF geek. Ok, that might be a bit harsh, and it does more reflect my personal preference for coverage of the human-interest side of events rather than the science documentary that ensues, but I do feel it’s the one true flaw of this book. Exploring the idea of a Space Ark as a way of sustaining the human race is interesting, and an amount of science is needed to give the tale credibility, but I also wanted to know what was happening back on earth.
In the last third of the book we jump forward to the end of the hard rain and are shown an interesting ‘what next’ hypothesis. To me this felt like a different book - the next book. It’s quite an interesting tale in its own right, but the real story had already been told.
I feel that I’ve been quite critical in my summary, but it’s really born of the frustration I feel that such a brilliant idea – something that should have been a truly memorable and brilliantly epic story – fell somewhat short of my expectations. In some ways the feel of this book has similarities to The Martian, though it lacks the same energy and buttock clenching tension. However, I did still enjoy it and I think true SF aficionados will find less to grouse about than me....more
The thing is I just didn’t get it. I like my SF near future and close enough to present day reality for me to be able to translate what we do now intoThe thing is I just didn’t get it. I like my SF near future and close enough to present day reality for me to be able to translate what we do now into what we’re supposed to be doing (or able to do) in the future. If it’s too wild, or just too big a leap, my mind doesn’t seem to allow me to make the jump.
Then there’s the language thing. The use of a new vocabulary left me befuddled and confused. I honestly didn’t know what was going on most of the time. And when I did glean a bit of the narrative it just seemed to have been too much like hard work to get there. So that’s another thing, I like my fiction easy. Well no, not easy but understandable. I’ve coped with most of Murakami’s surreal tales and I love time travel books, so escape from reality isn’t a problem for me – in fact it’s a joy – but everyday life lived in an environment so alien, so different and (for me) so unbelievable is just a switch-off.
A quick synopsis for anyone who hasn’t read the book: Case is a hacker who has been ‘altered’ so he can’t hack any more. He lives life as a hustler in Japan until he gets an offer from a mysterious type who offers to restore his hacking ability in exchange for undertaking some work for him. Case is suspicious and, having teamed up with a modified female, he sets out to find out more about the man. The rest (as far as I could tell) was a sort of hardboiled detective tale but set in the netherworld of cyberspace. It also had a touch of The Magnificent Seven about it. Though, in truth, I gave up at half way – my mind fried by terminology I couldn’t comprehend and a story that had jettisoned me and left me behind some time ago.
On the up-side, I like Case who I found to be the archetypal street-smart hardass who is on his uppers but has sufficient moral compass to keep him from straying too far from the straight and narrow. I also enjoyed some of the brilliant descriptions – mainly of the cyberspace world – that pepper the book.
Not my cup of tea but note my rating simply reflects the fact I didn’t finish it....more
I’ve always included some science fiction in my everyday reading diet. In my formative years I was a big fan of the Original Star Trek television seriI’ve always included some science fiction in my everyday reading diet. In my formative years I was a big fan of the Original Star Trek television series and loved 2001: A Space Odyssey and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind in both film and written form. Later I formed a fascination for time travel books. So this appealed to me straight away. There have been mainly positive reviews on Goodreads and it seemed to be a book grounded on ‘almost there’ technology. These days I do like sci-fi I can believe in (ok, apart from the time travel!)
There are also some stories that translate particularly well via audiobook, and I think this is definitely one. I listened to this in pretty much two long sessions as I was clearing the garden and was totally captivated by the brilliant reading of R. C. Bray.
So the story… well, I wouldn’t dream of telling too much as it would really spoil it, but suffice to say Mark Watney is an astronaut/botanist/engineer who is carrying out routine activity on the surface of Mars when he falls victim to an accident. Fearing he is dead, and short on time, his fellow astronauts head off to save themselves, leaving Mark behind. And that’s as much as I want to tell of the plot.
There’s quite a lot of science and physics here as Mark strives to find a way to survive. For me, this is where the audiobook version worked so well – I could let the science wash over me as I simply enjoyed the fiction.
It’s a brilliant tale and its superbly told. The tension is ever present and it really had me gripped throughout. At some points I know I was laughing out loud or even shouting (luckily, in my garden no one can hear you scream). And the final scenes were just brilliant. I just wish I could start another book half as good as this right now....more
Ok, maybe it’s a bit premature to be making such predictions, but this book is so gripping, so addictiAn early contender for my favourite book of 2015
Ok, maybe it’s a bit premature to be making such predictions, but this book is so gripping, so addictive, so clever and so different from anything else I’ve read I’m struggling to think what could possible usurp it!
Set in 2044, Ready Player One depicts a near future world where a brilliant mind (belonging to a man called James Halliday) has developed OASIS, a virtual reality world. OASIS has surpassed and superseded the Internet system, as we currently know it. As travel is so prohibitively expensive and the VR world so flexible, people can spend most of their lives living and working in this space – even developing virtual relationships to rival those lived in the real world. I’m probably not doing this justice… in the book it feels much more plausible than I’ve described, all the more so as it’s really just a graduation from a world we can all identify with. The technology is uber-clever, but I don’t think it’s so way out that it stretches the imagination too far.
Upon his death, Halliday leaves, by way of a last will and testament, a video detailing a quest to be completed within OASIS. The winner will inherit his multi-billion dollar fortune. To complete the quest it’s necessary to solve a number of riddles and to, effectively, be the first to complete a massive video game… or, more accurately, a huge, complex Easter egg chase.
If this sounds all a bit too geeky, fear not. I’m sure geeks and gamers will flock to this story (I’ve already put my son on notice!) but I believe it’s told in such a way that someone who’s never sat in front of a PlayStation or an Xbox would be able to understand and, moreover, appreciate it. At heart, it’s just a great story. Take a look at the old film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World to get a sense of what I mean.
I listened to this on audio book, read by the brilliant Will Wheaton . In my view, this is a great way to experience this book – Wil is just outstanding and really enhances the whole adventure, bringing the characters and this exciting virtual world to life.
The narrator of the tale, Wade Watts, is someone I immediately took to my heart, as I did his gang of friends and competitors who are all fighting to be the first to complete the challenge. There’s something of the little man versus the big man here too, as the young rivals are pitted against a corporate power hell bent on winning the lucre – and with it control over the future of OASIS.
There are 1980’s references all over the place, as a knowledge of Halliday’s preferred television shows, films, games, music etc are imperative to source solutions to the various riddles and puzzles encountered along the way. I do confess that many of them passed me by, but there were also plenty to bring a nostalgic smile to my face (see below).
Of course, this book isn’t just about the quest: it’s about human relationships and taking a stand and setting out to achieving something meaningful… and much more. I found it enthralling from the start and the excitement didn’t let up until the very end. I know this book won’t suit everyone, but I have to say I just loved it!
As a young adult I loved the 80’s – here’s the references that resonated most with me: Films/Television – Star Wars (though I actually preferred Close Encounters - which I guess doesn’t count as it came out in the late 70’s), Star Trek (by far the best sci-fi series ever), Buck Rogers (and, of course, Erin Gray), Max Headroom Music: Duran Duran (I loved all the New Romantic bands – reminds me of my night clubbing days in Torquay!), New Order Games: Pacman (installed at my local pub and one I never really cracked), Space Invaders (also at my local pub and my absolute favourite – I spent a fortune on that one in in the early 80’s)
And because I’m already thinking about best book of the year, here’s my favourite books since 2011 (when I started to catalogue a ‘when read’ date):
It’s a set-up you may think you’ve seen before: a deadly flu kills off 99% of the population, the survivors walk the traffic blocked roads and gather It’s a set-up you may think you’ve seen before: a deadly flu kills off 99% of the population, the survivors walk the traffic blocked roads and gather in groups whilst murderous bands and religious cults, led by demonic figures, stalk the good guys. But this time it’s told in a very different way. It's certainly not a replaying of Stephen King’s The Stand, in my view this book has more in common with the work of Jonathan Franzen, William Boyd or Donna Tartt.
Don’t expect a chronological unfolding of this epic piece, either. As if from an emptied jigsaw puzzle box, pieces are plucked from the pile and presented, seemingly randomly. Each piece shows a tiny bit of the picture and as they are placed together a cohesive whole begins to emerge. But it’s not until the final piece is placed that the whole scene is displayed. And what a scene it is! It’s a story so cleverly told, so full of brilliantly developed characters and so brimming with small surprises that I really didn’t want it to end.
As I was flipped between pre and post apocalypse, following the selected cast of survivors, it gradually became apparent that the real purpose of the prose is not to tell a story of the loss of the civilised world as we know it. Rather it delves into the broader, more intimate, realms of memories, nostalgia, yearning, relationships, possessions and reflections on how a life has been spent. It’s a clever, clever book and one that’s both gripping - for I truly wanted to know what happened to our chosen few – and thought provoking, as I couldn’t help reflecting myself on the themes haunting this group.
A fantastic book and one I’d highly recommend. I’ll certainly be hunting down more from this brilliant young writer....more
I picked up this sequel immediately after finishing Brilliance, which I'd really enjoyed. I thought the set-up had been just right for a follow up booI picked up this sequel immediately after finishing Brilliance, which I'd really enjoyed. I thought the set-up had been just right for a follow up book so I was eagerly anticipating the continuation to see how the story would develop.
It picks up a month after the finale to the first book and one thing is immediately clear: despite attempts to summarise the key elements of Brilliance it really wouldn't be possible to read this book without having already digested the earlier one. There's just too much going on, too many carry-over characters to get to know and too much knowledge of this alternative world to absorb to make starting here feasible.
I think Sakey does a reasonable enough job of building on a strong base to create a big new story. In what is a logical development of the original tale, he keeps the pot boiling throughout and he certainly throws in the kitchen sink at the finish!
But it is flawed:
1. Having skillfully drawn an excellent set of characters in Brilliance, I believe Sakey fails to further develop either the characters or their relationships. For instance, the lead character, Nick Cooper, becomes a completely one-dimensional figure here and his interactions with the people he met in Brilliance feel altogether subordinate to the driving plot line. A missed opportunity I think.
2. Nick takes on the role of advisor to the President - a President who is so weak it beggars belief. Surely, nobody so lacking in backbone would ever make it to the White House.
3. The President is called upon to make some key decisions, pressured by a couple of his senior team. I don't know the internal workings of such matters but I find it hard to believe matters would escalate so quickly without the wider involvement of other senior government figures. I know it probably suits the plot to limit the number of people involved, but to me it didn't feel credible.
4. The narrative naturally lacks the surprise of the first novel. We've already discovered the big news about this alternative world, so most new innovations were merely incremental additions.
5. Finally, and most significantly, I was irritated by the fact on two occasions a major twist was negated by a reversal driven by a frankly ludicrous technical advance - an advance we had no prior knowledge of. I really hated this!
Overall, I still enjoyed this yarn, but though it's clearly set up for a third episode this might be stretching it a bit for me. I'm sure there will be others who'll be eagerly awaiting the next chapter but the graduation from crime fiction thriller, set in an alternative present, to a pure science fiction action adventure romp means me I'll probably give the next book a miss. ...more
Savant syndrome is a known condition in which a person demonstrates profound and prodigious capacities or abilities far in excess of what would be conSavant syndrome is a known condition in which a person demonstrates profound and prodigious capacities or abilities far in excess of what would be considered normal. Although this is often linked to autism, in circa 50% of cases the impacted child is non-autistic. What would happen if a proportion of the population started to show highly enhanced skills to the extent they represented a superior human being, able to achieve things the rest of us simply aren’t capable of? Such is the premise behind this excellent thriller from Marcus Sakey.
In his book, such a change is noted in the 1980’s and the story – set in an alternative present day – gives us a glimpse of how the world (well, specifically America) might look. These gifted individuals are called ‘brilliants’, though a number of other terms are also used, and some of them have already had wide ranging impact, such as the closure of the stock exchange due to the demonstrated ability of one brilliant to ‘read’ movements and amass a huge fortune. To be clear, the enhanced skills are abilities of the mind that sometimes translate into physical advantages, for example an ability to read body language or to anticipate movements of large groups of people thus enabling quick and ‘near invisible’ passage through the crowd. To some degree this approach is reminiscent of X-men or probably a better comparison would be The Champions (a British television series of the late 1960’s).
We follow the tale of a government agent whose task it is to track down and, if necessary, eliminate so-called troublesome brilliants. Following the brutal public killing of a group of innocent people, our agent is hunting the brilliant deemed responsible for the atrocity. There are side issues to deal with too, such as some specific impacts to his family. It’s a truly exciting journey, blending science fiction with the energy and pace of a top crime fiction thriller.
As well as an ability to entertain – and it does entertain – the book poses some interesting philosophical and moral questions. It exposes the natural human reaction to something or someone ‘different’. The treatment meted out to non-troublesome brilliants has the feel of discrimination and segregation apparent from our own recent history. The extreme responses made in an attempt to keep things as they are, to maintain the status quo, smell of recent reactions to some other minority groups. And the setting up of an enclave for this particular minority group has distinct parallels with the establishment of a Jewish state in Israel.
My only negative reaction to the book was that some of the enhanced skills feel a little too enhanced. That aside, the whole depiction strikes me as a believable alternative reality. The technological advancements made by these individuals are a logical step up from where we are now and the political and public reactions are credible. It’s well plotted and fast moving with the action scenes being particularly well drawn. I can’t wait to get to the follow-up book!...more
I know some people loved this book but I'm afraid it didn't float my boat and I failed to complete it. I think this was for a number of reasons: 1) I'mI know some people loved this book but I'm afraid it didn't float my boat and I failed to complete it. I think this was for a number of reasons: 1) I'm not particularly keen on historical novels or, indeed, any novels set in England (too close to home - insufficientltly escapist, as some elements are just too familiar). This book, unfortunately, failed on both counts. 2) The narrative jumps about all over the place and I found it too much like hard work to work out where the story was at any given point. 3) It was dull! 4) I picked it up because I thought it was about time travel (my part-time obsession) - well, it isn't, it's about reincarnation. This in itself might well have provided a rich source of inspiration for a tale spanning some of the key events of the last century, except... I refer you to points 2) and 3) above....more
Great concept - a terminally ill man invents a time machine and zaps himself forward to a time when (he hopes) a cure for his condition will be availaGreat concept - a terminally ill man invents a time machine and zaps himself forward to a time when (he hopes) a cure for his condition will be available. This is what drew me to the book and in the early chapters I loved the way this way played out: good characterisation and enough background detail to make the whole escapade credible. But, for me, the story just didn't take off from this point. Maybe it's because I'm addicted to time travel novels which typically go back in time and explore and potentially impact events - with all the ramifications this has for future generations. So maybe it's unfair to judge this story in the same light.
In the new world we're transported to it's fascinating to see how the problems we have now have been addressed and overcome. Also, some of the big issues such as religion and sexuality are explored, all of which is interesting. So what is lacking? For me two things:
1) Pace. The story feels truncated in that having landed in the new world our hero immediately stumbles over a significant event, the like of which (it transpires) just about never happens. And from this point it feels like a headlong rush to the tale's conclusion. I didn't feel that sufficient time was allowed for me as a reader to adapt to this new environment before the chaos descended.
2) Depth. The key new world relationship, upon which much of the story is built, just seems to develop too quickly. It didn't feel credible. It didn't convince.
Overall an interesting read but more of a pub lunch than a Michelin Star meal....more
I'd never heard of Bizarro until after I'd read this book and started to read a few reviews from others. But bizarre this story most certainly is. I hI'd never heard of Bizarro until after I'd read this book and started to read a few reviews from others. But bizarre this story most certainly is. I had this recommended to me via other Goodreads readers, as I sought new time travel titles. I don't normally blurbs (I prefer the surprise element) so I had no real idea what to expect. I certainly didn't expect this. It's surreal, violent, touching in parts, and pretty entertaining. I sort of worked out the ending early doors but this didn't significantly detract from my enjoyment. I'm still not sure if 3 is the right rating here... it's probably more a 3.5. I'll see if the story sticks with me and if so I'll up the rating.
Some other reviewers have referenced the relationship that develops and I too found this one of the strongest elements of the book. I'd have like to have seen this explored a bit more but maybe it would have unbalanced the whole. Either way, it's an interesting diversion from the daily grind and I'm glad I gave it a go....more
So, my journey through the catalogue of time travel novels continues. This was recommended to me by a Goodreads friend and I instantly liked the quirkSo, my journey through the catalogue of time travel novels continues. This was recommended to me by a Goodreads friend and I instantly liked the quirky, funny start to the story. The humour ran out pretty quickly though as it started to delve, pretty deeply, into the logic and theory of time travel (can we really change the past; do we create parallel time streams, and all of that). This was ok, but a bit confusing and probably went on a little too long. That said, it was probably necessary to allow the reader to understand what transpires thereafter. The final third of the book is probably the most interesting: the threads are drawn together and I was left wandering whether time travel is something I'd want to do or not (I'd always assumed the answer to be 'yes please!') Overall an interesting and thought provoking book that, for me, would benefit from a second reading as I'm still not quite sure if I've fully understood all of the time travel nuances explored....more
The reviews I've read of this book are pretty evenly split: love it and hate it. Most think the earlier time travel novel by the same author, Time andThe reviews I've read of this book are pretty evenly split: love it and hate it. Most think the earlier time travel novel by the same author, Time and Again, much superior. I'm a little stuck on this one. The book is ok, though it really isn't as impactful as the first. The plot is clever and there's a good twist or two towards the end. But, and it's a big but, having read the earlier book this does very much follow the same pattern: lots of pictures (which if you've read the Time and Again 'afterward' you now know is simply a series of snaps picked up from random sources, not even necessarily depicting the correct year; in depth descriptions of streets and buildings; and in this one a long and rambling account do fall things Vaudeville. That said, I did quite enjoy it and - unlike some others - enjoyed how the tale was wrapped up and lose ends closed off.
Ok, so I'm a time travel novel addict. This is my tenth in a little over two years and I'm still on the lookout for more! This one is pretty good: theOk, so I'm a time travel novel addict. This is my tenth in a little over two years and I'm still on the lookout for more! This one is pretty good: the narrative has elements in common with other books I've read (the JFK assassination, how to make money quickly & well, if you get it wrong this time there's always next time...) but, in truth, it never really feels believable in a way the King novel, 11/22/63, does. Still, it's pacy, there are plenty twists and, like all books of this genre, it does make you think about how you're spending your time! I'm not over keen on the ending though - I thing the author could have taken a chance on something a little less 'safe'....more
I’m shortly to start my fifteenth time travel novel and thought I’d quickly list my 4 & 5 star rated nove5/4/22 - An update on my time travel reading.
I’m shortly to start my fifteenth time travel novel and thought I’d quickly list my 4 & 5 star rated novels for any who, like me, is somewhat obsessed with this sub-genre.
5 Stars:
11/22/63 - Stephen King Man in the Empty Suit - Sean Ferrell The Time Traveller's Wife- Audrey Niffenegger Recursion - Blake Crouch Time and Time Again - Ben Elton
4 Stars
Time and Again - Jack Finney Sea of Tranquility - Emily St. John Mandel The Outcasts of Time - Ian Mortimer Replay - Ken Grimwood The Man Who Folded Himself - David Gerrold
Aside from my star rating I’ve not attempted to put these in any particular order.
As before, I’m happy to take any further recommendations…
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21/9/13
I'm doing the rounds of time travel novels. I've read a few and here's my quick and dirty order, so far: 1) 11/22/63 - Stephen King 2) Man in the Empty Suit - Sean Ferrell 3) The Time Traveller's Wife- Audrey Niffenegger 4) Time and Again - Jack Finney
So this one is in last place? Well, last of a list of four of my favourite books. I love the options time travel opens up and each of the above does a brilliant job of exploiting that. The only reason this doesn't 't climb higher in the list is that I found the 'present day' setting somewhat off putting itself. It's written and set in the 70's and this period (though I lived through it myself as a teenager and into my twenties) seems like a time travel adventure in itself. That said, it's detailed, clever and has the author has found a brilliant way of wrapping up the story. I've just ordered and am about to read the follow up book published around the time of the author's death (1995). Can't wait! Would welcome any further recommendations for god time travel capers....more
I was thinking about this book the other day - something I do quite regularly, actually. It's been five years since I listened to an audUpdate 13/9/18
I was thinking about this book the other day - something I do quite regularly, actually. It's been five years since I listened to an audio version but this story made a huge impression on me. I'm a big fan of time travel tales (I've read a raft of them) but this is by far my favourite.
I was early into my exploration of King's catalogue and eagerly seeking something that wasn't centred on either horror or the paranormal - I have an aversion to both. This one looked like it was right up my alley and so it proved to be. So what was it about this tale that got to me and stayed with me? I think there's a couple of key things:
1. I liked the way time travel was triggered. Yes, it's an unlikely methodology, but for some reason I didn't find it hard to buy into (strange that I can accept time travel in literature whereas the inclusion of paranormal activity has a very different impact on me). I also enjoyed the Groundhog Day element of always arriving in the same place when our hero travelled back in time. I can't explain why this small detail struck me as appealing but for some reason I enjoyed the continuity of it.
2. The fact that King chose to base the story around an infamous historical event gave the tale a whole new, interesting focus. How would this play out: would he look to change history - and therefore impact current day life - or would the same historic outcome ensue? And in addition the author's undoubted interest in the JFK assassination has, in some way, created an authoritative account of events as they played out.
I've yet to track down a time travel story that's gripped me like this one and although I've now read quite a number of King's books this remains my favourite.
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Brilliant!! I've read a few time travel books lately and I've enjoyed them all. This is certainly up there with the best. As I neared the end I had that mix of anticipation (I genuinely didn't know how it would end) mixed with disappointment that I'd no longer have this book to retreat to. It's a long book, but it doesn't feel like it. In the end I could have happily read on for another couple hundred pages....more
It's one of the most original time travel books I've read (and I've read a few). A thoughtful tale of a time traA real surprise this one, I loved it.
It's one of the most original time travel books I've read (and I've read a few). A thoughtful tale of a time traveller who returns to a hotel on his birthday where the only other attendees are himself, at different ages, some older and some younger than his current 39 years. What happens next is perplexing, confusing and utterly compelling.
I'm not sure I understood every plot twist or even followed the story that accurately, in fact I found myself regularly re-reading sections to check my understanding. Funnily enough, this didn't spoil the experience for me as I finally decided to just go with it and was left with a tale that will haunt me for some time.
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