Customer Reviews
Most Helpful
4 out of 5 stars
By
Davey Blie
on
09-07-17
Great techno thriller with elements of horror
I love this book. Reminiscent of Michael Chriton it explored some big themes as well as keeping the story grounded in a future not far from our own. The ideas where excellently presented. The creature and the AI that made it was terrifying in what it could do, but what It represents a some total of all our fears as a humans that we possess the power to destroy ourselves if don't think through the ramifications of our creations.
Read more
Hide me
5 out of 5 stars
By
Roberto
on
23-03-12
Brilliant!
Really loved this production. The story is as fascinating as it is horrifying. I really recommend people listen to this audiobook, even if you aren't traditionally in to sci fi as I think it transcends the genre and is a great listen all in itself. Scot Brick, as always, puts in a sterling job narrating the book and he really adds to the story. I only wish it were longer! :)
Read more
Hide me
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful
5 out of 5 stars
By
JMcB
on
19-03-12
Five star game!!
Amazing book. Part sci-fi and part thriller paired with Scott Brick is an all around winner. Reminiscent of Koonts early work and Robert Charles Wilson with a bit of Robert Sawyer thrown in for good measure. I found the synopsis intriguing and I was not disappointed. There are several different stories happening at the same time that converge about 2/3 of the way in. I think Kosmatka has a gift and I will be looking forward to his next endeavor The Games is a cautionary tale. Just because we can does not mean should!
Read more
Hide me
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
4 out of 5 stars
By
Carl
on
11-09-12
An isolated AI singularity event
Genre: Sci-Fi
Rated: R for violence and horror
Static or Dynamic: the first half is static and straightforward plot setting and the second half is dynamic and actiony.
1st or 3rd Person: 3rd person with 3+ people to follow
Abstract or Concrete: Balanced: many parts of the book were concrete and mechanically described how something looked or how someone felt about something. However, a large portion of the book revolves around the concept of whether or not the society in the book is mature enough to handle the technologies they possess. It's a classic story of what happens when a lesser developed civilization stumbles on a piece of technology that is waaaaaaaay to advanced for them and ends up getting itself into trouble, however, this particular story is a spin on that taking it a level deeper.
Linear or Non-Linear: Mostly linear, however, one of the characters is in a sort of "timeless" category, though, not really.
Narrator: No complaints
Plot Outline: A parallel American society has an Olympic gladiatorial glorified cock-fight competition where each country pits a biologically altered monster against the rest of the world's monsters. America finds a designer that is cunning beyond words and possesses technology that hasn't been charted. Furthermore, the result is arguably even more cunning and horrific. The story is relatively straight forward and it analyzes the morality of a mob based world that can only be satiated with entertainment. Most of the story is a hard science backed look at the ramifications of genetic engineering. Do yourself a favor and look up Haploid, Diploid, and the types of Zygotes with respects to chromosomes an animal can have if you don't know and want the full ramifications of what's happening. It's not something that is really going to trip you up but it will give you some background that could help smooth some explanations out.
Read more
Hide me
2 of 2 people found this review helpful