Category: Science Fiction
The Transhumanist Wager by Zoltan Istvan
(Cover picture courtesy of KurzweilAI.)
Philosopher, entrepreneur, and former National Geographic and New York Times correspondent Zoltan Istvan presents his bestselling visionary novel, The Transhumanist Wager, as a seminal statement of our times.
Scorned by over 500 publishers and literary agents around the world, his indie philosophical thriller has been called “revolutionary” and “socially dangerous” by readers, scholars, and religious authorities. The novel debuts a challenging original philosophy, which rebuffs modern civilization by inviting the end of the human species–and declaring the onset of something greater.
Set in the present day, the novel tells the story of transhumanist Jethro Knights and his unwavering quest for immortality via science and technology. Fighting against him are fanatical religious groups, economically depressed governments, and mystic Zoe Bach: a dazzling trauma surgeon and the love of his life, whose belief in spirituality and the afterlife is absolute. Exiled from America and reeling from personal tragedy, Knights forges a new nation of willing scientists on the world’s largest seasteading project, Transhumania. When the world declares war against the floating city, demanding an end to its renegade and godless transhuman experiments and ambitions, Knights strikes back, leaving the planet forever changed.
[Full disclosure: I received a free print copy from Zoltan Istvan in exchange for an honest review.]
I usually steer away from reviewing books on controversial topics, but this one is definitely the exception. I was so interested from the blurb that I couldn’t pass up a chance to read it. So what did I think of The Transhumanist Wager?
Well, I can say that I don’t really feel one way or the other about it. It’s fascinating from a philosophical perspective because it combines libertarianism, liberalism and conservatism all together to create transhumanism. If you like what I call ‘philosophical thrillers’ I would recommend The Transhumanist Wager. And while I know a little bit about philosophy, I’m far from an expert so that angle didn’t work for me.
This brought along the obvious problem with this book: it really, really, really tries hard to promote transhumanism. There are pages of transhumanist rhetoric that the main character, Jethro Knights, thinks and says. Sure, it’s interesting from a philosophical standpoint as I said before, but as a regular book it’s boring. In fantasy books I don’t like heroes or villains going on big moral rants. In science fiction books I don’t like pages and pages of explanations for technology. So would I put up with pages and pages of philosophy for this sci-fi/philosophy thriller? Not really. There comes a point in time when it stops being interesting and starts getting boring.
The Transhumanist Wager was supposed to be a novel but I think it would have done much better as a nonfiction manifesto. The main character Jethro Knights is generally unemotional and utterly dedicated to transhumanism. He barely has doubts along the way, something that I find a little unbelievable. I mean, doesn’t everyone question their beliefs once in a while? The only thing I found sympathetic about him was his love for Zoe. Despite his beliefs he tolerated her spiritual beliefs and eventually placed her beliefs over his because he knew it would have been what she wanted.
Considering how slow the beginning started out I was surprised that it actually picked up at the end. Zoltan Istvan got off to a pretty shaky start with Jethro’s backstory and his transhuman beliefs, but I did appreciate that the plot gradually picked up later on. It wasn’t exactly a fast-paced thrill ride, but it wasn’t mind-numbingly boring. If he had cut out some of Jethro’s long speeches the plot wouldn’t have dragged in places, but I think the philosophy of transhumanism was more important to him than the pacing.
Overall I’d have to say that The Transhumanist Wager is a good book if you focus more on the philosophy than on it being a book that’s supposed to entertain you. If you’re interested in transhumanism, go ahead and read it. But if you’re looking for a science fiction novel you’re meant to enjoy for its plot, characters and world-building I don’t think this is the right book for you.
I give this book 2.5/5 stars.
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
(Cover courtesy of Flying With Books…)
Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.
If I don’t kill him first, that is.
At first I was unsure how to feel about this book. On one hand, the banter between Daemon and Katy was hilarious and overall I like the idea of aliens because it’s so different. On the other hand, why do we have yet another girl moving to a small town who meets a hot guy? Hasn’t that been done a million times already? To deal with this cognitive dissonance I took the path of least resistance and accepted the book for what it is: an entertaining read. Guilty pleasure, really.
I don’t usually like the bad boys, but I liked Daemon in this book. He knows he’s being a jerk as we find out later but he actually has his sister’s best interests at heart. He’s not just good-looking; he actually has a brain in his head and really does learn to care about Katy. (I personally picture him more attractive than the cover model here, but that’s more personal preference.) Even if he won’t admit it, you know he really does care for her and saves her from everything from a drunk jock that didn’t know what consent was to evil aliens who really wanted to kill her.
Katy herself was an interesting character. She won me over partly because she’s a book blogger (yay!) but also because she falls in love but remains a strong character. At times you can tell she’s falling for Daemon and other times she really hates him. Quite understandable given his actions at times. Yes, she does do stupid things even when people warn her not to, but haven’t we all done something that stupid because of scorned love?
I could start drawing so many parallels to Twilight, but I won’t. This is a much better written version and the characters have depth. It’s not just wish fulfillment on the author’s part, but it’s not exactly deep literature either. Instead it’s a funny thrill ride with lots of action, banter and plenty of steam. Jennifer Armentrout’s world-building was good, but I’ll definitely reserve judgment until the next book before I say it’s either ‘great’ or ‘bad’. There’s a lot of room for expansion so I guess we’ll see soon.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
V-Wars by Jonathon Maberry
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
A sweeping, threaded narrative of the global phenomenon known as the Vampire Wars! Mankind is silently infected by a millennia-old bacteria unknowingly exhumed by a scientific expedition in Antarctica. Now, in some rare cases, a person’s so-called “junk DNA” becomes activated, and depending on their racial and ethnic heritage they begin to manifest one of the many diverse forms of the “others” that are the true basis for the legends of supernatural creatures. These aren’t your usual vampires and werewolves – it goes much deeper than that. Conceived by Jonathan Maberry, V Wars features stories from various “frontlines” as reported by such contributors as Nancy Holder, Yvonne Navarro, James A. Moore, Gregory Frost, John Everson, Keith R.A. DeCandido, and Scott Nicholson (as well as Maberry himself, of course). The result is a compelling series of tales that create a unique chronicle of mankind’s response to this sudden, hidden threat to humanity.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
As much as I hate to compare the two books, there really is only one way to describe V-Wars: a poorly done vampire version of World War Z.
At first I absolutely loved the idea of Jonathon Maberry compiling stories from other authors and weaving them together to create a narrative of a vampire outbreak. I mean, it’s Jonathon Maberry! He did zombies so well in Dust & Decay that I was sure V-Wars was going to be a hit. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, the main thing that frustrated me was not so much the premise but the fact that I kept asking myself while reading: Could there possibly be a more complicated way to tell this story?! We actually follow the stories of quite a few characters but the table of contents seems to have been drawn up by a child picking story names randomly out of a hat. The vampire virus came out of Antarctica from a scientific expedition but we only actually meet the people who started the outbreak at the end of the novel. There is neither rhyme nor reason to the chronology or when a new character would pop up to tell their story. Or their stories would end randomly and we never heard from them again.
This lack of a logical timeline certainly affected my enjoyment of the story. Sure, some of the characters were compelling, but others were just plain boring. Besides, it’s hard to actually connect with characters when they randomly disappear, are forgotten, or barely get any page time at all. Michael Fayne would have been interesting if his story was told in a more linear fashion and I suppose Ruksana was compelling, but again there’s the seemingly random order of the stories messing everything up. This book is only 384 pages and yet I felt like I was reading a 1000+ page book where the novelist has decided to include the viewpoints of a cast of characters worthy of George R. R. Martin.
Due to the illogical ordering, I really had a hard time getting into V-Wars. Some stories were fast-paced and others were unbearably dull. It was sort of like getting an old car to start on a cold morning: just when you think you’re ready to go it dies on you. There is no real climax, no peak of the vampire war that makes you think humanity is doomed. Instead, the ending is ambiguous with Luther Swann basically saying that there are more vampires out there not declaring themselves and that humanity is probably in trouble if they keep persecuting them.
Overall, as much as I hate to say it, V-Wars was a flop for me. I wouldn’t recommend it; you’re better off reading World War Z, which is at least told in a logical order.
I give this book 1.5/5 stars.
Sky’s End by Lesley Young
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
A secret she must never share. A secret that two warring species are determined to control. A universe’s future at stake.
Twenty-year-old Cassiel Winters joins Earth’s new space academy in hopes of finding her brother, one of Command’s top pilots and her only family, who’s been reported MIA. But she quickly realizes she may not be cut out for life in space, where female cadets are outnumbered, competition’s fierce, and she’s already failed her hand-to-hand combat test once.
Even the station’s most respected officer, Lt. Damian King, probably can’t help Cassiel pass the second time around – so why is he so interested in her progress? If only one of her freaky déjà vu visions would offer an answer instead of mysterious messages like hide.
When Cassiel’s manipulated into a perilous mission, she encounters a warrior species bred to protect the universe from an even greater threat. And she learns that her secret visions are at the heart of it all.
Now Cassiel must fight to control her own destiny and race to save her brother – even if it means pretending to be the pawn of Prime Or’ic, the cold-as-steel Thell’eon leader. Even if it means risking her life, facing hard truths, and making the ultimate sacrifice.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
If I had to describe Sky’s End in one word, it would be disappointing. Lesley Young had such an amazing premise here that I couldn’t help but request it from NetGalley. I mean, a young female space cadet in a mostly male world working to find a way to save her brother (who is missing in action) sounds like a great sci-fi premise. Throw in some marauding aliens bent on wiping out humanity and you have an apparent winner. Except Lesley Young had some problems with not only what she was writing about, but how she wrote.
There are a lot of awkward phrases throughout the book, but not enough to annoy me. What annoyed me was that some things were described in ridiculous detail (mainly the Thell’eons) and things like Cassiel’s surroundings weren’t described at all. It was akin to be dropped into a dark room with a bunch of talking heads at some points in the story. Okay, so I could ignore even that, but all of the futuristic technology that is named but never explained really grated on my nerves. I don’t like it when authors talk down to their readers, but sometimes it’s okay to explain the things your main character casually mentions.
The plot was truly confusing at some parts. Why they sent Cassiel out on a mission knowing she’d be captured by the Thell’eons is a mystery to me, even though there was sort of a weak explanation about how they like human women. The plot twists that I don’t want to reveal involving the real threat to the universe were also ridiculously confusing. I re-read certain scenes twice to make sure I wasn’t missing something and still didn’t completely understand what was going on. I think Lesley Young definitely knows where the plot was going, but that she had a hard time getting the message through to readers.
Cassiel was an okay character, I suppose. I could feel that she truly loved her older brother and wanted to find him, that she was confused about the Prime Or’ic and Damian and that she wanted to do the right thing in the end. Yet at the same time, I didn’t really feel her emotions. Throughout the course of the story Cassiel gets angry, sad, happy, etc. but I never really could connect with her on that emotional level I can with most characters. I’m not sure if it’s something on my end or the author’s, but it definitely affected the way I felt about the whole story.
Overall, I’d say that Sky’s End really just wasn’t for me. There was such an awesome premise, but Lesley Young never really did live up to it. I finished the book and just felt confused and let down by the ending. The plot twist completely blindsided me and not in a good way. It was more of a “Huh? Where’d that come from?” way.
I give this book 1.5/5 stars.
The Color of Rain by Cori McCarthy
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
If there is one thing that seventeen-year-old Rain knows and knows well, it is survival. Caring for her little brother, Walker, who is “Touched,” and losing the rest of her family to the same disease, Rain has long had to fend for herself on the bleak, dangerous streets of Earth City. When she looks to the stars, Rain sees escape and the only possible cure for Walker. And when a darkly handsome and mysterious captain named Johnny offers her passage to the Edge, Rain immediately boards his spaceship. Her only price: her “willingness.”
The Void cloaks many secrets, and Rain quickly discovers that Johnny’s ship serves as host for an underground slave trade for the Touched . . . and a prostitution ring for Johnny’s girls. With hair as red as the bracelet that indicates her status on the ship, the feeling of being a marked target is not helpful in Rain’s quest to escape. Even worse, Rain is unsure if she will be able to pay the costs of love, family, hope, and self-preservation.
With intergalactic twists and turns, Cori McCarthy’s debut space thriller exists in an orbit of its own.
I found The Color of Rain on one of the blogs I read regularly, Books Without Any Pictures. Grace’s description along with the cover interested me so much that I went out and bought the book. Would it live up to my expectations?
Yes! In fact, Cori McCarthy’s novel actually surpassed my expectations. For a YA novel (albeit strongly recommended for older young adults) it tackles some pretty heavy issues including rape, abuse, prostitution and trauma. Many authors have found their banes in these issues, but Cori McCarthy tackled them head on without really preaching to her audience. No, she presents these issues within the story and allows readers to infer a lot of the effects on poor Rain through her thoughts and actions.
Rain is an interesting character to say the least. She will do anything, literally anything, to save the life of her brother, who is “Touched” and likely to die without treatment. This anything includes prostitution aboard the ship of Johnny Vale, who has taken a personal interest in Rain because she is a natural redhead. Every girl on the ship has a bracelet and their colour denotes their position (yellow for all crew members, green for higher ups, etc.), but Rain is given a red bracelet as part of her being Johnny’s favourite, a dubious honour.
Johnny is quite the villain, doing everything from playing mind games to literally torturing Rain and those she loves. He’s callous and ambitious, a dangerous combination for those around him, especially Rain and his assistant, Ben the Mec (a human with mechanical enhancements). It’s a testament to Cori McCarthy’s writing talent that the decisions Johnny forces Rain to make don’t make readers hate her but rather send home the message about abuse.
I wouldn’t call The Color of Rain fast-paced in terms of action, but there was a lot of character development and inner conflict that I had to keep going to find out what happened. And just when I thought I knew what the ending was going to be, Cori McCarthy threw in a huge, horrifying twist. Obviously she’s not one of these writers that babies her characters, which made me love her debut novel even more.
I give this book 5/5 stars.