THE GATES OF POLISHED HORN by Mark A Rayner #RBRT

4 out of 5 stars

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How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Speculative/Science Fiction short stories.

My favourite genre to read is imagined views of our near future, so many of the stories in this speculative/science fiction collection hit the spot for me.  As with all collections of its type, some I loved, some I liked and some I felt needed a bit more thinking through, though of course such an opinion can only be subjective.

These were the four that stood out most for me:

The Height of Artifice - a man addresses his younger life in theatrical circles, and ponders why why the woman he loved never loved him back.  Delightfully sad.  And kind of funny at the end.

After The Internet - in 2036, a fifty-five year old professor struggles with the youth of the day, who have no understanding of life before the current interconnectedness.  'Explaining a world before the datasphere was like trying to explain the General Theory of Relativity to a fish.  He could do it, but the fish wouldn't understand'.

Probably my absolute favourite: The Gallant Captain Oates - possibly the shortest of them all, at less than three whole pages.  Yes, it's the story of Captain Lawrence 'Titus' Oates who, as a member of the famous South Pole expedition headed by Robert Falcon Scott, even more famously said, "I am just going outside and may be some time".  His comrades knew and understood that he was sacrificing himself for the greater good because his injuries were slowing the whole party down ... but was he?

Mark Rayner has, in two short sentences, put a completely different spin on the story.  It's brilliant, and hilarious.

I also loved Under the Blue Curve, in which Henry, a natural storyteller born after his own time, meets his great love Elisa.  She sees a way to profit from his gift in a way that is beyond Henry's meagre understanding of the current technology.  Sad, amusing, uplifting.

To sum up, when Mark A Rayner is good, he's very, very good.  I'd definitely read something else by him.

BACKUP by Guy-Roger Duvert #RBRT

 4 out of 5 stars

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On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: 

An interesting story, a terrific idea - I loved the plot.  Some time in the future, everyone lives squashed into high, high buildings in the cities, your social standing indicated by your position up or down the enormous skyscrapers.

Aidan and his expectant wife Lucy live not far from the bottom, as he is a lowly cop.

In use by the powers that be is a system by which a person can download his entire psyche so that if he dies, he may be cloned and come back to life, as it were.  Aidan is not interested until he and partner Natasha are invited to the Backup HQ, and offered a chance to go through the system free of charge - which is when the trouble starts and he discovers the ways in which this particular form of transhumanism is open to all kinds of abuse.

I liked a lot of the detail in this book, the world-building; I particularly liked the idea of never being able to get away from advertising, even more so than now, as promotional drones constantly hover outside the windows of one's apartment.  I also like the writing style in this clever take on the dystopian future that could be waiting for us.  My only criticism is that I found it unnecessarily complicated, having to remember whose psyche was in which body and who was supposed to be where when.  I felt that with a less complex plot and a bit of tidying up, it could have been even better.

TALES OF THE FORTHCOMING by Steven Blows #RBRT

 4 out of 5 stars

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How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: see cover!

At 98 pages, this is a book of 10 well-written short stories that I recommend for a couple of hours of enjoyable reading, if imaginative science fiction mixed with fantasy/supernatural is your thing.  As I went on, I noticed how refined the characterisation is, something I appreciated very much; the ability to create characters that reveal themselves straight away shows talent indeed.

The stand-out story for me was A Time After Time, in which Jorge becomes increasingly sceptical and worried about a world-changing event eagerly anticipated by almost everyone except him.   I was completely immersed in the atmosphere of this one.

Other highlights were the very funny Possibilities, with its excellent final sentence that made me laugh out loud, and Unbeknownst: three ghosts show a troubled young woman that she has so much life yet to live.

I also enjoyed reading Highway 72, in which a young traveller fails to listen to a warning from one who knows better.  Then there's Delayed Departure, about a man in a hurry at a railway station in a 'theme park in space' and the amusing Family Dinner & Troubling Times - a young human male meets his alien girlfriend's family for the first time, though these two could have done with more satisfying conclusions.  On the whole, though, I'd say they're all good.  The author has a habit of writing a clause as a new sentence ('Snow covers the ground in a smooth sheet of white.  Anything underneath it hidden from sight'), but that's something a professional editor could soon nip in the bud - I'd be most happy to read anything else he writes.  

THE TWILIGHTS by Harald Johnson @AuthorHarald #RBRT

 4 out of 5 stars

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How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: 80 years post-asteroid falling on Earth.  Post-apocalyptic

My favourite genre, so I was all over this when I saw it on Rosie's book blog review list, and I very much enjoyed Harald Johnson's Neander series.

All writers of post-apocalyptic books provide a different take on how society will rebuild and develop once it has fallen apart, and this was an interesting one.  The asteroid fell 80 years ago, which was initially followed by a period of cold, but then it started warming up.  The first part of the book is set in Texas, which I believe is quite warm anyway!

Mr Johnson has come up with an unusual stance on the customs of survivors - most are 'Duskers' who celebrate the evening twilight (the 'Dawners' prefer the 'twilight' of the morning) by generally engaging n drunken debauchery, amongst other activities.  David, the protagonist, is one who prefers the quiet and solitude of the morning.  He shares his cave with Trish; soon, they are joined by Paul, and Porthos (canine).  The focus of the plot is their journey north to find colder weather and a better way of living, and, as with all the best post-apocalyptic journeys, they are beset with danger and problems along the way, though they do meet up with some who help them.

An aspect I liked very much about this book was the explanations about various survival techniques (especially the transport), and I had the feeling the author had thought of every possible pitfall - even how to surmount the problem of perished bicycle tyres.

Now and again I felt the story needed a bit more detail and atmosphere, but it's good, and I enjoyed reading it.

PSITTACIDE by @ZebHaradon

 5 out of 5 stars

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How I discovered this book: a favourite author, have read Book #1 of the series.

In a Nutshell: The crazy world of 2172

Psittacide is set 150 years in the future, when former stand-up comedian Jim Liu navigates the world of American politics in which authenticity and any real values or integrity are forgotten relics of the past.  And if you think that sounds pretty much like 2024, with all potential leaders resorting to blatant lying and any desperate tricks they can to discredit the opposition, you wait until you meet Silas Blackwolf and Oliver O'Shea.

The shifting of political stances means that the Democrats have become conservatives and the Republicans the liberals, which made me think of the main UK parties, whose lines have blurring for many years now; who knows what their agenda(s) will be in 2172?

In the future world between these pages, most of the bad stuff predicted by the cynics/realists of the current day has happened - drug dependency and sex clubs are the norms (Jim and his girlfriend keep a sex robot under the bed), the attention span of the masses has shortened to the extent that a writer of Blankpage books can win a prize for literature - Karl's process is to think up a concept, brief outline and title, let his terminal design a cover, and publish.  That's it.  'Other than the summary of the plot on the back cover and by Karl on the front, all pages would be blank'.  Fake has become real: actors don't need to be present to act in films, politicians don't have to attend vote-winning activities, whole civilisations can be artificially created for the screen - anything can be rendered to look as if it actually happened.  Populations live in virtual reality without knowing it.

Sometimes it seems as though this novel is a comment on/lampoon of events and people in the present world, other times just the product of Mr Haradon's entertaining thought processes.  The title refers to the strange diseases affecting parrots everywhere.  Those genetically modified parrots, that is, who play such an important part in the new world.  I loved the observations of one character who predicts the worrying rise of the parrots, now that racism is a thing of the past (as everyone is, in 2172, a mixture of ethnicities).

I liked it more than the first book in the series, which I found a bit scattered.  I look forward to Book 3, Bubblequake - which refers to the bigger inside than outside residences (like the Tardis): the bubbles.

It's great - and may make you glad you were born in the 20th century.

THE SURFACING by Terrance Coffey @terry_coffey #RBRT

 4 out of 5 stars

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How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Body snatchers, mind control, a supernatural race, in normal situations in small-town America

What struck me all the way through this book is that it would make a terrific Netflix series of the Stranger Things kind; I notice that the author is also a screenwriter, so I wondered if he'd imagined it in this vein as it was being written.

I like books set in small-town America; this takes place in Lynch, Kentucky and Appalachia, Virginia.  In each close community, it becomes increasingly apparent that some people are not who they claim to be.  Others are possessed of superhuman powers, while mysterious chasms appear in the land, and curious sightings are recorded.  People disappear, or change personality overnight.

The story is written from many third person points of view; again, this would have worked if visual, when the actors themselves provide the characterisation, but when they're just names on a page it's not so easy to keep track of them all.  Some, like alcoholic mine worker Clay and his wife Tara, were fully three dimensional, so I could remember who they were, but I had trouble with others; I kept starting a new chapter and thinking, "Who's this fella, again?"  Aside from this, it was well-written and nicely paced, with the mystery of what exactly was going on unfurling slowly, not fully revealed until half-way through.  I appreciated this, as a good plot (which The Surfacing undoubtedly has) is nothing without skilled pacing.

Nice piece of fantasy/paranormal type scifi, for those who love the genre.

THE DISPOSABLE SOMA by Zeb Haradon @ZebHaradon

 4.5 out of 5 stars

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How I discovered this book: One of my favourite authors, so I always get his books as they come out.

In a Nutshell: Bonkers but clever look at US politics in the 22nd century.

I haven't got a clue how to review this book, which is unlike anything else I have ever read, aside from other books by this author, but this is the most off-the-wall yet.  I highlighted a lot of passages that made me laugh or that I thought were a particularly clever observation of human nature, or send-up of the current political climate/culture of the 21st century and where it could eventually head, but when I came to look at them they didn't feel like anything that might help me with a review.  This made me think that I highlighted them for want of anyone to say 'ha ha, this is funny (or pertinent, or whatever)' to.

It's around 2163, and it seems that society has deteriorated and become way more bizarre by today's standards, at the same time as being perfectly believable.  It centres around election time - here is an extract from the blurb: 

'...an upstart party called the Empathy Party blames all the world's ills on sociopaths. An assassination leaves the Empathy Party's candidacy wide open and a clown car of candidates vies for the nomination. One, hotel heir and failed comedian Jim Liu, stands out from the others when he chooses a genetically modified, super-intelligent, opium-addicted parrot as his running mate.'

I'll admit that the idea of a genetically modified parrot as a running mate didn't quite work for me at first, even when considering its origin, i.e., Zeb Haradon's head, but it started to gel as the story continued, especially when coming from the viewpoint of the parrots, who see themselves as a marginalised sector of society, and are looking to Jim to help them fight for their rights.  Betty is a hilarious character.  

'It's quite a gamble.  But come to think of it, Dan Quayle was vice president, so I guess Betty Parrot isn't such a stretch.'

'You really trust her with a wing on the button?'

One of my favourite elements of this book is the concept of the last uncontacted people on earth, the primitive Centolese from Centos Island, who are unaware that their world has been turned into a reality show.

'Initially, it was an entertainment event financed by The Centolese Network, but as more and more Americans emulate the Centolese way of life and have come to identify as Centolese-Americans...'  Row of laughing face emojis here!  The historic timeline of Centos Island is extremely funny and clever.

I also like the idea of bubble technology - think of Dr Who's Tardis, much bigger on the inside than the outside.  Those financing Jim Liu's campaign are the innovators of the bubbles, which will revolutionise farming, housing, land tax and much more.  And I liked the faux 'spirituality' of those getting off their faces at ayahuasca ceremonies; in this hedonistic tomorrow where religious doctrine and morality as we know them have ceased to exist, anything goes.  Though I daresay the inner workings of political campaigns are no different now, give or take the odd parrot and 172-year-old candidate.

The ending was perfect.  I'll just hand this back to Kindle Unlimited, and download the next, in its place, to read before too long :)

PLANET OF THE HEAD-BREAKERS by Zeb Haradon @ZebHaradon

 5 GOLD stars

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How I discovered this book: one of my favourite authors, so I look out for his new releases.

In a Nutshell: Character-orientated scifi.  Robots.  The future of mankind.

Blurb: 

Centuries after the revolution, the remnants of humanity survive on agricultural communes where they are subjected to mandatory lobotomies before reaching adulthood.

The centuries-old, malfunctioning robots that control them have turned the lobotomy into a coming-of-age ceremony. Most children look forward to it, but not Jim. He dreads the impending surgery and contrives a plan to evade it.

Japeth, a nomadic surgical robot tasked with performing the lobotomies, admires Jim's rebellious spirit and decides to spare him. He promises to return, and makes a bold claim - he was once a man of flesh and blood.

Jim maintains the charade of being lobotomized as he awaits Japeth's promised return, but after years without rescue, he resolves to flee the commune. His quest takes him across a barren, post-apocalyptic landscape in a desperate search for the elusive Japeth.

*

I was just talking to someone on Twitter about how hard it is to review books by this writer.  This was how the conversation went:

T: I LOVED it. Just reviewed but couldn't do it justice. The prob with reviewing ZH's books is that you can't explain what they're like; I end up writing a barely sufficient review then saying 'it's brilliant, you have to read this' and that's kind of it.

C: That sums it up. Nobody else I've read does this combination of imaginative originality, characterisation, absurdity and just all round competence like that guy

Here it is, anyway!

There are probably as many different fictional versions of the future of our world as there are people who want to read and/or write them, but Mr Haradon's take on the subject is, as one would expect, a lot more imaginative and entertaining than most I've read.

The first part of the book is about Jim, at ages 6, 11 and 16, as he navigates life in the commune.  I was completely engrossed from page one, but it was the second part, in the POV of Japeth, that made the book really take off for me, as he tells the story of how human became android became robot, and how the world collapsed.  It's BRILLIANT.  So good I wanted to read it again as soon as I'd finished it, even though I suspect I am light years away from the author when it comes to views on political and societal progression.  Didn't matter.  Always good to broaden one's outlook! 😉😆

The last part (back to Jim) is sad, touching, heartbreaking ... but not without a glimmer of light.  I'm still thinking about this excellent novel, and will need a day before I can start anything else.  This guy can write the arse off most authors - I was going to say 'in his genre' but he doesn't really have one.  Highly, highly recommended.

SILO by Hugh Howey

 4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
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How I discovered this book: Started watching Apple TV series, sought out the book.

In a Nutshell: 'In a ruined and hostile landscape, in a future few have been unlucky enough to survive, a community exists in a giant underground silo.

Inside, men and women live an enclosed life full of rules and regulations, of secrets and lies.'

As is usual, the actual story differs a fair bit from what I've seen of the TV series so far - only 3 episodes, though, so I'm reserving judgement.  This first installment was originally called 'Wool', and I still don't know why, unless it refers to the stuff that gets pulled over one's eyes.

The book opens with characters who are not seen again once their stories have been dispensed with, leaving a slowly unfurling chaos in their wake - probably, according to 'the rules' of novel writing, a total no-no, but it really worked for this.  The protagonist for the rest of the novel is engineer Juliette Nichols, who works in the 'deep down', keeping the machines running.  As often happens with men writing female main characters, she's a man in all but name, but that didn't matter too much, because I liked her well enough so could suspend any disbelief; also, her backstory provides reasons for her somewhat hamstrung emotions.  The most vivid characters for me were Walk, an elderly technician, Lukas, who studies the stars., and Jahns, the mayor when the story opens.

The theme of the story, throughout, is the growing sense that the inhabitants of the silo are being lied to about why they are there, what happened to humanity before the silos existed and what's really outside, and that's just for starters.  A few who know more are keen to make sure that truths remain hidden; investigating too deeply can be dangerous.

It's good.  I remained interested throughout and loved the concept of one's whole life being governed by one's place on that never-ending staircase from top to bottom.  Look forward to seeing what happens next.

WHAT WAS ONCE HOME by B K Bass @B_K_Bass #RBRT #TuesdayBookBlog

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
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How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell:  Post-apocalyptic, alien invasion, set in southern USA.

Jace Cox is a young teenager when the 'twigs' invade - and after one August day in 2034 his life will never been the same.  Fast forward a few years and he's part of the militia fighting against them.  A few more years, and the town of Lewisburg has been reclaimed by its inhabitants, with Jace as its the sheriff - but the troubles are far from over.

Although I'm first in line when it comes to a post apocalyptic book, I wasn't sure I'd like one about an alien invasion, thinking it might be too comic book-like.  But this isn't.  B K Bass has made the subject totally convincing, and I really enjoyed it.  It's got a great structure that kept my attention throughout - although the main story is told from Jace's third person point of view in the early 2040s, there are occasional flashbacks to earlier, and also excerpts from the autobiography he wrote as an old man.  Aside from this, I loved the 'interludes' - sections told from other points of view in other areas, for a wider look at the situation.  These diversions from the main story were perfectly placed, and I could see how well thought-out the whole book is.

Bass has an easy writing style, creating good dramatic tension with a feeling of foreboding.  Every aspect of the book feels feasible, from the people who take charge in the new Lewisburg, those who want to be guided and given instructions, the fighting force, to the independent who want to do their own thing outside the walls - and, of course, the opportunity for the power-hungry to take over.

One small aspect I appreciated was how Jace, having been so young when the twigs arrived, knew little about life outside his immediate environment.  At one point an older person referred to a settlement as a 'hippie commune', and Jace didn't know what he meant.  I loved that!

This book gives food for thought about war versus murder, what is 'right' when it comes to defending your home and your people, what it takes to live in harmony alongside those who are different from you, and leaves a couple of unanswered questions, which made me think that another book, perhaps after Jace's time, would be most welcome.  I'd most certainly recommend What Was Once Home as a fine example of the post-apocalyptic genre.

NEANDER: EVOLUTION by Harald Johnson @AuthorHarald #RBRT #TuesdayBookBlog

4 out of 5 stars

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How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Book #3 of a time travel series between now and 40K years ago.

Evolution is the final book in the highly original and well-researched Neander trilogy, in which science journalist Tom finds himself back in prehistoric times, and develops a life there, whilst keeping the portal to the present (and, as he discovers, the future) open.

His journeys between the worlds have not remained a secret, and scientists dedicated to genetic modification are anxious to milk this opportunity for all they can - while Tom, back in pre-history, wants to strengthen and educate the Neanderthal people he has grown to love, so that they will not be rendered extinct by the Sapiens.

The portal between the worlds is becoming unreliable, with Tom returning to the present and finding it to be the future - there is also an instance of a return to times much longer ago.  I loved this idea, and wished there had been more of it; I would have loved to see the world through Tom/Rusty's eyes before man, or, say, about five thousand years ago.  As with the other books, the narrative flows well and I read it quickly, anxious to know what was going to happen.

This is a great idea, the books are well-written, though I think it could have been explored still further - Tom talks about changing the present by actions he takes in the past, a most fascinating concept, and I would have loved to see more of this.  However, these are Harald Johnson's books, not mine, and as such I am not telling him what to write!  Suffice to say that if he decides to return to this world, I will be happy to read the results.

(Incidentally, I was most interested to read that prehistoric people were biologically unable to tolerate the milk of goats, or cows when they were introduced.  Humans being lactose tolerant is a relatively new phenomena; bearing in mind the amount of people who find that many minor ailments clear up once they stop taking in dairy produce makes me wonder how the change came about.)  

THE PASSAGE by Justin Cronin #TuesdayBookBlog

 4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon
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How I discovered this book: Recommended to me by Twitter writer friends John F Leonard and ST Campitelli.

In a Nutshell: Post Apocalyptic Epic

Doing something a little odd here - reviewing a book of which I have only read 60%.  The reason is that this is a LONG book and I have temporarily abandoned it so I can catch up with some other reading.  

What it's about:

IT HAPPENED FAST.

THIRTY-TWO MINUTES FOR ONE WORLD TO DIE, ANOTHER TO BE BORN.

First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear—of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.

As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he's done in the line of duty. Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse. Wolgast is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors, but for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey—spanning miles and decades—toward the time an place where she must finish what should never have begun.

I loved the first part, the character of Brad Wolgast, and death row inmate Carter chosen for the military experiment.  I was 100% into the setting up of the story, reading about Jeanette, a single mother who tries to do the best for her daughter, Amy - the central character.  The thirty-two minutes mentioned in the blurb are gripping, as the speed in which the world falls.  I especially liked a section from the POV of Ida, a young girl sent away by her parents to live in a new, safe colony.  

Then I arrived at the world two or three generations along, when most detail about the 'Time Before' has been forgotten, with only Ida left from that era; she is an old, old woman now, whose mind falters.  I enjoyed it very much at first and was particularly interested in the threat that none of them are aware of - that the power will run out.  However, as it went on I found myself skip-reading a little, because there are so many characters in this new colony, and only a few of them (Peter, Martin, Alicia) stood out with much of a personality - I got confused trying to remember who was who and how the relationships all fitted together.  I still wanted to know what was going to happen, but it seemed a bit too drawn out.  My interest was piqued once more when Amy reappeared, but because I no longer found it as 'must read' as I had at first, I decided to put it aside, or I will still be reading it this time next month.

To sum up: it's a rather stunning book, a great achievement, and if I was on holiday or ill in bed I might even have finished it.

CROMBY'S AXIOM by Gary J Kirchner #RBRT

4 out of 5 stars

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How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: dystopian; battle against invasive technology.

There are so many good dystopian books around now, and I love reading the many, wildly different versions of what might await us in decades to come.  I enjoyed this, the debut novel by Gary J Kirchner.

In the future, the people are crowded together in cities and connected by the Hive mind; all thoughts are connected, all information just a micro-second away.  Tommy is a world famous athlete who finds himself lost in the 'Fallowlands' of Switzerland - and, worse than this, he has somehow become unconnected, as he discovers when he searches for the information he needs about where to go and what to do.  Eventually he meets up with members of the Ketchen: rebels who live outside the cities and the Hive mind.

The differences between life inside the Hive and the old world of the Ketchen give one a lot to think about, especially if one is of a certain age and grew up without the technology that exists now.  The sinister truth about Tommy's world unfolds gradually, and is no less shocking for being almost expected.  Several times, one of the people who controls Tommy offers some depressing reflections of our real world:

'...from the days of metal electronics and hand-held interfaces to skin graft technology and visual implants and finally to seamless thought communication, the same pattern was followed: technology is developed, a vanguard establishes its use, meek voices raise issues of privacy and ethics, which simply get swamped in the global rush to embrace this newest step...'

And about why the Ketchen are allowed to exist:

'It's healthy to have an enemy.  It brings people together... the idea that 'out there' are outlaws, bad guys who want to do your side in.  If the Ketchen didn't exist, we'd probably invent them'.

Tommy is a likable character and, despite my feeling that some of the explanations could have been edited down to be more reader-friendly, the story held my interest throughout.  The exciting events of the last ten per cent of the book, and the ultimate end, are particularly good.  I'd definitely like to read more books set in this world.

TRASHLANDS by Alison Stine @AlisonStine #TuesdayBookBlog

 5 out of 5 stars 

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How I discovered this book: I read about it on Kindig Blog HERE (thank you!)

In a Nutshell: Climate change/industrial pollution-orientated dystopian

Some decades from now (anything from 50 to 100 years' time, I believe), the earth has flooded, many flash fires have occurred, and waters are polluted by industrial waste and plastic.  Society as we know it has broken down, and new ones have emerged.  The currency for the poor is plastic - they 'pluck' it from the water and sell it for recycling into house bricks, which affords them a meagre, subsistence-level way of life.

Coral, Trillium and Mr Fall live in Scrappalachia, formerly without the 'Scr', a vast area of junkyard.  Their own corner is dominated by a strip club: Trashlands.  Meanwhile in the cities, the workers are a different sort of poor.  They live a hard life, too: a high rate of crime, queueing for food, and little in the way of comfort.

As often with this genre of book, what I was most interested in was the world-building.  At first there was frustratingly little, just a few snapshots showing how the current situation came to be, but it built up as the story went on with much more detail near the end, by which time it meant so much more than if I'd learned about it from the beginning; the narrative often divulged information in words left unsaid.  I liked how the fashion for names has changed; mostly, people are named for places, plants and animals that I imagine no longer exist: Tahiti, Miami, Foxglove, New Orleans, Mangrove, Golden Toad - and Coral.

There is no big apocalyptic happening but a slow deterioration of the world we know, starting with the floods.  This means, of course, that there is also a gradual deterioration in intellectual possibility and knowledge of the world, as the internet and TV no longer exist and most books have been destroyed; also, the people are more concerned with staying alive than being educated.  It's like a move back to medieval times, but with a polluted world rather than vast areas of lush green and clear water waiting to be utilised.

The story is told in medium length chapters from many points of view - Coral, her man Trillium and her 'father', Mr Fall; also Foxglove and Summer, 'dancers' at Trashlands, Rattlesnake Master who owns it, reporter Miami from the city, and a few others.  Always my favourite structure if done well, and this was.  The story itself centres around an event in Coral's earlier life, but the plot seemed like a backdrop for this detailed picture of our future world, rather than the opposite way round.

There were a couple of areas that I thought could have done with a bit more thinking through, like how the people of the junkyard would have been unable to work or survive on a diet of insects, weeds and the odd rat, and that petrol and diesel deteriorates in about a year at most, but every post-apocalyptic story I've ever watched or read ignores this second point; if it's good enough for The Walking Dead, I'll suspend my belief here too 😉.  To sum up, I was absorbed by this book all the way through, thought about it afterwards and would love to read more.  There: that should be all the recommendation you need!

COUSIN CALLS by Zeb Haradon @zebharadon

5 GOLD stars

On Amazon
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I've read two other books (The Usurper King and The Last Feast) by this author and loved them, so leapt straight on this when I saw that it was out.

In a Nutshell: A novel made up of five stories, all linked - scifi, humour, and some general weirdness that kind of makes sense.

I'll start by saying that this is one of the best books I've read in years.  Zeb Haradon is an outstanding writer; Cousin Calls is five stories linked together, and each one pulls you in and makes you forget that it's part of a larger novel, that you didn't intend to lie on the sofa reading for this long, that it's one in the morning and you really need to get some sleep, etc.  It's just - terrific.

The book is set several decades into the future, in which Harold walks into a bar that used to be a coffin shop one Christmas Eve, following a request from a cousin he has never met, to meet him there.  The bar is almost empty, aside from a couple of drinkers and the bartender.  After telling the bartender why he's there, he is warned about the dire consequences that can befall one after a conversation that begins, 'You don't know me, but we're cousins'.  (This amused me because my sister has recently been exchanging emails with a cousin of ours whom we have never met; I'd never heard of him before.  Take care, Julia...)

An old woman was smoking outside when Harold arrived; she enters the bar, and is invited to tell her 'cousin story', about her invitation to a Texan chili cook-out.  The chili is, she learns, the best in the world due to its secret ingredient.  She attends, along with her ghastly snowflake would-be poet boyfriend ('look, I told you I was an INFJ when you started dating me!'), a beautifully drawn amalgam of every similar example you've ever seen on Twitter.

Next comes Ward, with his job, money and flat worries and a hippocampal implant that will enable him to absorb material learned by others and downloaded online, from their own implants. Alas, he doesn't realise what else he will absorb from these generous donors' minds.  It's hilarious and very clever (and possibly my favourite of the five), but for some reason this is the quote I've highlighted:

'I spent about forty minutes just staring at the spider, envying it.  Imagine - no rent to pay because you literally pull your house out of your ass.'

Then there's Gordon the private detective who takes on a case so disgusting that - well, you'll have to read it.  And even the deer's head on the wall - he is called Alex - has his own cousin story to tell.  That's a good one, involving his slight obsession with the Addams Family and some interesting cervine philosophy.  Last of all we come to Jane, who wasn't able to make it for the Christmas get-together this year; her story is in her journal.  She's the woman who meets this really hot guy and has the best sex of her life, so good that she's able to overlook the fact that he has some rather unattractive pastimes (including genocide and the murdering of small animals), but the deal-breaker is who he supports in the upcoming election - most pertinent in these social media-obsessed days when the expression of one's political views can guarantee banishment to the virtual leper colony.  

Jane's problems involve her mother, trying to earn money during the 2020 Covid pandemic, and her badly behaved son.  Love this: 

     'He definitely has ADHD.' the guy {psychiatrist} said, 'but I'm also going to diagnose him with oppositional defiant disorder.... it's an impulse control disorder.  Chase has a pattern of oppositional and defiant behaviour.'

     'Yes,' I said, 'did you happen to notice that he's nine years old?'

     'It's very fortunate that we caught him this early'

Mr Haradon has a unique style that you need to read for yourself to understand why I'm raving about this book.  It's impossible to categorise, too; yes, it's scifi, yes, it's funny, with the best sort of observational humour, but it's also comment on human nature and modern life, though I get the feeling that Mr H doesn't think about much of this stuff, and just writes.  It's quite horrific in parts - if you're easily offended or disgusted, it won't be for you, though the revolting aspects are oddly inoffensive, somehow.  Probably because the writing itself is just so, so good.  I loved the ending, too.  Wasn't expecting that at all.  I already want to read it from the beginning again, and envy you, dear reader, because you have it yet to enjoy.

Oh, just buy it.  It's great, and I can't do it justice.

Interview with Zeb Haradon

DEPARTURES by E J Wenstrom @EJWenstrom #RBRT

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: YA dystopian, brainwashing, mind control.

I adored the premise of this book - it is set way into the future, after devastating wars, in a part of the world ruled by the 'Directorate'.  Here, citizens live in environmentally safe domes called Quads, where every aspect of their lives is observed, every move they make controlled by their governors.  

To an extent, I saw this situation as a clever take on a world that could be waiting for us: the mildest physical or mental ill health is to be feared, free speech is not an option and the primary objective is safety for all.  No risk taking, no individuality, no strong ideals to make a stand for.  It made me think of a video I saw recently, from the Academy of Ideas (see below; it's worth a watch!).  

In the Quads, extremes of emotion are not allowed, and grief is treated with medication - which brings me to the title of the book.  All citizens have their 'departure' (death) date tattooed on their arm.  Many will live for over a century, but others are allowed far less time on this earth. Evie doesn't know why she is to die at aged seventeen, but, as with every other custom in the Quads, the 'departure' procedure is presented as a kindness; the Directorate wishes to spare the individual any pain or discomfort.

Full compliance is essential; any diversion from the official line, from the prescribed behaviour, is not tolerated.  

'The Directorate would do whatever was necessary to placate its citizens.  There would be an explanation.  A distraction.  And then life would move forward.  A few might question it all for a bit, but the tug of a content, easy life would ultimately lull them back into line.  Because, I realise, here's the kicker: what most people want is not to trust their government.  It's not to build a better world.  All they want is to be comfortable ... and with a sickening twist to my stomach, I realise that I am one of them.'

The problem with Evie's departure ceremony is not only that she doesn't know why she must die when her life has hardly begun. Her departure doesn't happen as it should. She lives. She is one of the few for whom the euthanasia medication doesn't work.

The book alternates between the points of view of Evie, as she finds herself outside the Quads in a strange world that isn't supposed to exist, and her sister Gracelynn, who is confused, hurting over the loss of her sister, and beginning to wonder if their lives are based on lies.  The writing itself is clear and effective, and the compelling plot line flows along.  Evie and Gracelynn's discoveries come to light gradually, with truths unravelling at just the right pace.  

For the first half of the book, Evie and Gracelynn's personalities were well-defined, very different, but as the action ramps up they become more alike.  This novel is YA, not usually my genre of choice as I have not been a young adult for decades, but I couldn't resist the plot.  I felt this was right for the younger end of the YA range; I can imagine liking it when I was about fourteen but finding it a bit too simplistic when older.

I would have liked some sort of explanation about where in the world this was supposed to take place; as this is a couple of hundred years or more into the future, it could be that the author envisions a world in which the countries as we know them no longer exist - fair enough.  There is a little background information, but I would have liked more, and to know how large an area the Quads are supposed to cover, as well as how big they are - I couldn't imagine them.  The only other problems I had with it were a) overuse of the word 'goofy',  and b) the malfunctioning euthanasia process - even now, there exists the means to put people to death quickly and effectively, so it seems unlikely that in a couple of centuries' time they would still be making errors.  However, any books of this genre require some belief suspension here and there, and this didn't bother me too much.  Not as much as all the goofy grins, anyway, or 'Jeeze' being spelled 'Geez' (as an expression of annoyance, it's short for 'Jesus') - repetitions and misspellings are something we all do, but these should have been picked up by the editor.

Departures is a stand-alone, though I imagine there is more to come; I liked the rather uncertain ending (no spoilers!), particularly Gracelynn's outcome.  E J Wenstrom has created a spookily plausible future world, and I'd certainly be interested in seeing what happens next.

Why an Obsession with Safety creates Sick Minds and a Sick Society

Neander: Exploitation by Harald Johnson @AuthorHarald #RBRT

5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Time travel between the near future and 40K years ago

I read the first book in this series, in which Tom Cook first ends up back in Neanderthal times, and of course his first realisation about what had happened was so good to read, but I actually liked this book more.

In Neander:Exploitation, Tom has a family back in those ancient times, but must travel back to the 21st century to get medical help for his daughter.  The book just flowed along, all the way through, with no dreary bits to wade through, and was oddly convincing despite the subject matter being so bizarre!  I constantly found myself unwilling to put the book down because I was so looking forward to seeing what happened next.

The elements of this book that interested me, in particular, were the idea that a time traveller could enter another era only to find that time has moved more quickly, and the way in which Tom's actions back in prehistoric times alter the world for millennia to come.  I would love to see more of that in book 3, which I notice is being written at the moment, and about how Tom feels about the 21st century versus his pre-history life, which was touched on at the end.

Anyway, top stuff.  Looking forward to Book 3, and if you're a time travel addict, get it now!

  

RECURSION by Blake Crouch

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book:  I've read loads of Blake Crouch books and hadn't bought one in a while, so I took an Amazon browse and decided on this one.

In a Nutshell: Parallel lives and time travel.

Scientist Helena's life's work is making a memory device - a 'chair' - that can extract memories from the brain and store them.  The purpose of this is to help her mother, who is suffering from Alzheimer's.  Out of the blue, she is approached by entrepreneur Marcus Slade, who wants to fund her project.  She little realises that Slade has other plans...

Barry is a cop whose daughter died when she was fifteen; this death led to the break-up of his marriage.  When his world collides with Helena's, the fate of the entire human race is affected.

I admit to getting slightly lost with the science in this book, as I didn't absolutely understand how the reliving of memories could work in the way they did, though this is perhaps because I found it difficult to think of time as anything other than linear; I'd be about to grasp it then not understand the next bit.  It amounts to time travel, as Helena goes back to her sixteenth birthday over and over again, in an effort to alter the catastrophic outcome of the technology that she created and Slade misused.

I did enjoy reading it, and I liked all the parallel life stuff; it is clear that this book has involved an incredible amount of work and thinking through, and I love the way Mr Crouch writes, generally, but it's not my favourite of his books (my favourites are Abandon, and his collection of short stories, Fully Loaded). I found it overly complicated, and ended up just reading it as a story without trying to understand exactly what was happening.  It has a good ending, which I always appreciate.