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richardleis's review
4.0
(R)evolution by P.J. Manney is the first book in an expected trilogy. In the novel, Manney pays attention to emerging technologies and speculates about their societal and political outcomes. The most successful portions of the book in my opinion involve transformative technologies as they are implanted and inject and used to create increasingly transhuman characters. Manney does a good job of letting readers witness these transformations and sensations as the characters experience their new technologies for the first time.
The novel seems to have several different influences, including film and film noir, Dan Brown's "Robert Langdon" novels, and recent science fiction novels by other transhumanists, particularly in its attention to scientists and entrepreneurs as heroes and martyrs. Manney provides lots of compelling complexities in her characters, including some fluidity of sexuality, attraction, and power.
I felt the book was usefully restrained; while it is quite long, the length allows the increasingly transhuman characters to retain much of their humanity for much longer. Other novels about similar characters often include abrupt transformations into god-like entities. Manney's novel seemed more realistic in comparison, and it helped build tension to realize that these technologies have their own constraints and limitations.
Looking forward to the next book in the series!
The novel seems to have several different influences, including film and film noir, Dan Brown's "Robert Langdon" novels, and recent science fiction novels by other transhumanists, particularly in its attention to scientists and entrepreneurs as heroes and martyrs. Manney provides lots of compelling complexities in her characters, including some fluidity of sexuality, attraction, and power.
I felt the book was usefully restrained; while it is quite long, the length allows the increasingly transhuman characters to retain much of their humanity for much longer. Other novels about similar characters often include abrupt transformations into god-like entities. Manney's novel seemed more realistic in comparison, and it helped build tension to realize that these technologies have their own constraints and limitations.
Looking forward to the next book in the series!
ryanklynn's review
3.0
The first quarter of the book, did not hold my attention well. I even had to put I'd down for several weeks and read something else. When I got back to it and finally made it to the half way mark it finally got interesting and I didn't want to put it down. Still it was no great literary work.
hawkeyegough's review
4.0
It was good. The ending was a bit of a surprise, the writing was really good. Characters were very vivid. The technology was cool.
napkins's review
1.0
Well. I finished it. Which probably says more about how much I'm procrastinating from everything else than anything about the book. It technically hovers at about a 1.5, but "It was okay" is a pretty accurate description.
The writing was "okay". It wasn't terrible, it wasn't /hard/ to read, even when the book went off in convoluted loops and strange metaphors and too many references to songs.
No, the main problem was the organization of the book. It starts out with a bang: tantalizing, a mystery that is relevant and speaks to our near future. And then it gets completely lost. It's supposedly the impetus for all the rest of the action, and while the plot behind it is eventually revealed, the rationale really isn't. That's what got to me the most, I think: there was no reason. All the actions taken during the fallout of the prologue are supposedly in service of some much larger plot, but as far as I understand it, it was all unnecessary for what was supposed to happen at the end. It could have been accomplished with the materials they had at the beginning. The more that was tried to explained, the more it became obvious that the entire action of the book was needless. It might have been successful at half the length, but as it was, there were long, dragging periods, especially in the beginning when we had no idea why anything was happening. The book does pick up at about the 60% mark, but it's more of a limping jog than a high-tension sprint.
So that's the main plot of the book, rendered essentially useless. Which then leaves the characters as the only saving grace, and boy do they fall flat as well. Peter has so little personality, and what little he gains throughout the book is more tooth-grittingly annoying arrogance than any chance of making him a sympathetic protagonist. Which is sorely needed, as reader sympathy for him and his situation is what's needed to give the twists any sort of impact. Unfortunately, any that was there at the beginning is quickly lost - there's no chance to build any, as we're dropped into his situation in a way we're automatically supposed to feel sympathy for him, but it's hard to keep, and he doesn't do the greatest job. I never would have guessed the author was female given how one-dimensional the female characters are; I would have been annoyed even if I wasn't already thoroughly tired of the "socially impotent workaholic female scientist that wants to be a love interest but there's no hope" trope. The other two female characters are such tired collections of cardboard tropes that both of their actions come across as so unattached and so unemotional, even when we should be moved by them. The only characters I felt anything towards were the little shits: at least they were consistent in their personalities and motivations.
The science, which was part of what made the beginning so compelling, was fine at the start, but then it spiraled further and further out of control until a truly berserk ending. There's always a lot that I'm willing to suspend belief for when it comes to science fiction and near-future thrillers, but the second "transformation" reached a little too far and was compounded on in an even more insane third. It was too far while still trying to be "near", and it just ended in a jarring evolution.
Finally, there were just too many small, petty things I didn't like. Normally, I'm able to overlook them and be swept up by the story at hand. Here, with the main plot and characters failing to grab my interest, they became even more glaring. Things like talking about NorCal in a thoroughly SoCal way. Things like spelling out an entire quote in semaphore flags - somewhere around 200 flags. Things like every single action or breakthrough being related to a song; relatable, but annoying in writing at such length. Things like Peter playing with everyone's emotions but getting upset when his own are - made worse after he's become the smartest man in the room.
Overall, I'm glad to have this behind me, and glad I got it free through prime unlimited.
The writing was "okay". It wasn't terrible, it wasn't /hard/ to read, even when the book went off in convoluted loops and strange metaphors and too many references to songs.
No, the main problem was the organization of the book. It starts out with a bang: tantalizing, a mystery that is relevant and speaks to our near future. And then it gets completely lost. It's supposedly the impetus for all the rest of the action, and while the plot behind it is eventually revealed, the rationale really isn't. That's what got to me the most, I think: there was no reason. All the actions taken during the fallout of the prologue are supposedly in service of some much larger plot, but as far as I understand it, it was all unnecessary for what was supposed to happen at the end. It could have been accomplished with the materials they had at the beginning. The more that was tried to explained, the more it became obvious that the entire action of the book was needless. It might have been successful at half the length, but as it was, there were long, dragging periods, especially in the beginning when we had no idea why anything was happening. The book does pick up at about the 60% mark, but it's more of a limping jog than a high-tension sprint.
So that's the main plot of the book, rendered essentially useless. Which then leaves the characters as the only saving grace, and boy do they fall flat as well. Peter has so little personality, and what little he gains throughout the book is more tooth-grittingly annoying arrogance than any chance of making him a sympathetic protagonist. Which is sorely needed, as reader sympathy for him and his situation is what's needed to give the twists any sort of impact. Unfortunately, any that was there at the beginning is quickly lost - there's no chance to build any, as we're dropped into his situation in a way we're automatically supposed to feel sympathy for him, but it's hard to keep, and he doesn't do the greatest job. I never would have guessed the author was female given how one-dimensional the female characters are; I would have been annoyed even if I wasn't already thoroughly tired of the "socially impotent workaholic female scientist that wants to be a love interest but there's no hope" trope. The other two female characters are such tired collections of cardboard tropes that both of their actions come across as so unattached and so unemotional, even when we should be moved by them. The only characters I felt anything towards were the little shits: at least they were consistent in their personalities and motivations.
The science, which was part of what made the beginning so compelling, was fine at the start, but then it spiraled further and further out of control until a truly berserk ending. There's always a lot that I'm willing to suspend belief for when it comes to science fiction and near-future thrillers, but the second "transformation" reached a little too far and was compounded on in an even more insane third. It was too far while still trying to be "near", and it just ended in a jarring evolution.
Finally, there were just too many small, petty things I didn't like. Normally, I'm able to overlook them and be swept up by the story at hand. Here, with the main plot and characters failing to grab my interest, they became even more glaring. Things like talking about NorCal in a thoroughly SoCal way. Things like spelling out an entire quote in semaphore flags - somewhere around 200 flags. Things like every single action or breakthrough being related to a song; relatable, but annoying in writing at such length. Things like Peter playing with everyone's emotions but getting upset when his own are - made worse after he's become the smartest man in the room.
Overall, I'm glad to have this behind me, and glad I got it free through prime unlimited.
trevor_sikkrma's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aprater's review
3.0
An interesting interpretation of the control many hope to have of the technology that defines our culture at present and pushing through the future. Life boiled down to a limited playlist...
derbit's review
2.0
This was just ridiculous. The whole book was 500+ pages of secret-society-cum-government-conspiracy cliches piled on thick with one of the most unlikable main characters ever. The plot was so insanely excessive, I started to wonder if it was meant to be a satire. But I'm pretty sure it's not, which made it just...not good.
matosapa's review
3.0
A solid start to a series about the singularity of man, achieved by nano-tech but there was something missing. I can't put my finger on it but I don't think I'll be finishing the series.