quietearth [Celluloid 06.09.07] post apocalyptic review book



Year: 2007
Publisher: Bantam
Author: Nick Sagan (son of Carl Sagan)
Cataclysm type: Virus
Amazon link: link
Post apocalyptic concentration: 2 out of 10
"Mad Max" level: 0 out of 10
Review by: quietearth
Rating: 7 out of 10

Key Characters:
Halloween
Fantasia
Maestro
Simone

Overview:
This is the first in a 3 part series, followed by Edenborn, and Everfree. The story is based in a world consumed by Black Ep, a virus which snuck into the human genome and incubated there for years, maybe decades. Our story is about some scientists working on a unique approach to solve this genetic problem, interspersed with a bunch of teenagers attending the Idlewild IVR (Immersive Virtual Reality) academy. The book is part cyberpunk, part mystery, part post apocalyptic.


The Story:
Our story starts with our main character, Halloween, waking up in IVR with amnesia. He starts trying to figure out who he is and what happened, and he thinks he may have murdered Lazarus. It was some sort of surge, and prior to the surge, I was doing ... what? You need to study, says Maestro who is an IVR simulation of a dean. I find I have a fascination with death, and a problem with authority. Who did this? The mystery continues from here.

On the other end, the Southern Gentlmen, Halfway Jim, and Blue, are working on a unique solution to the Black Ep problem, all the while dealing with their own personal feelings regarding the disease. They put their work ahead of themselves. And they have limited time. The money for their massive project comes from corporations seeking immortality. This story is slow to develop in the beginning, and finally reveals itself towards the end of the book.

The Rating:
This book was good, and like many of the books I've rated, the ending was fantastic. The only problem was that it was a bit slow during the first half of the book, and at times the plot seemed a bit choppy, but still I would recommend this and am looking forward to reading the next 2 books. Neil Gaiman called this book "a roller coaster ride of fusion fiction", and I would say it's kind of like the chicken piccata I'm eating right now, it's really good, but the chicken is just a big too tough. 7 out of 10. BAM!

Special thanks to Nick and Kristina for the book.

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