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Infinite #1
Infinite
SEARCHING FOR A NEW HOME...
The Galahad, a faster-than-light spacecraft, carries fifty scientists and engineers on a mission to prepare Kepler 452b, Earth's nearest habitable neighbor at 1400 light years away. With Earth no longer habitable and the Mars colony slowly failing, they are humanity's best hope.
After ten years in a failed cryogenic bed--body asleep, mind awake--William Chanokh's torture comes to an end as the fog clears, the hatch opens, and his friend and fellow hacker, Tom, greets him...by stabbing a screwdriver into his heart. This is the first time William dies.
It is not the last.
When he wakes from death, William discovers that all but one crew member--Capria Dixon--is either dead at Tom's hands, or escaped to the surface of Kepler 452b. This dire situation is made worse when Tom attacks again--and is killed. Driven mad by a rare reaction to extended cryo-sleep, Tom hacked the Galahad's navigation system and locked the ship on a faster-than-light journey through the universe, destination: nowhere. Ever.
Mysteriously immortal, William is taken on a journey with no end, where he encounters solitary desperation, strange and violent lifeforms, a forbidden love, and the nature of reality itself.
...HE DISCOVERS THE INFINITE.
Jeremy Robinson, the master of fast-paced and highly original stories seamlessly blending elements of horror, science fiction, and thrillers, tackles his most ambitious subject matter to date: reality itself. An amalgam of the works of J.J. Abrams and Ridley Scott, Infinite is a bold science fiction novel exploring the vastness of space and a man's desire to exist, find love, and alter the course of his life.
The Galahad, a faster-than-light spacecraft, carries fifty scientists and engineers on a mission to prepare Kepler 452b, Earth's nearest habitable neighbor at 1400 light years away. With Earth no longer habitable and the Mars colony slowly failing, they are humanity's best hope.
After ten years in a failed cryogenic bed--body asleep, mind awake--William Chanokh's torture comes to an end as the fog clears, the hatch opens, and his friend and fellow hacker, Tom, greets him...by stabbing a screwdriver into his heart. This is the first time William dies.
It is not the last.
When he wakes from death, William discovers that all but one crew member--Capria Dixon--is either dead at Tom's hands, or escaped to the surface of Kepler 452b. This dire situation is made worse when Tom attacks again--and is killed. Driven mad by a rare reaction to extended cryo-sleep, Tom hacked the Galahad's navigation system and locked the ship on a faster-than-light journey through the universe, destination: nowhere. Ever.
Mysteriously immortal, William is taken on a journey with no end, where he encounters solitary desperation, strange and violent lifeforms, a forbidden love, and the nature of reality itself.
...HE DISCOVERS THE INFINITE.
Jeremy Robinson, the master of fast-paced and highly original stories seamlessly blending elements of horror, science fiction, and thrillers, tackles his most ambitious subject matter to date: reality itself. An amalgam of the works of J.J. Abrams and Ridley Scott, Infinite is a bold science fiction novel exploring the vastness of space and a man's desire to exist, find love, and alter the course of his life.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2017
About the author
Jeremy Robinson
133 books2,362 followersJeremy Robinson is the New York Times bestselling author of seventy novels and novellas, including Apocalypse Machine, Island 731, and SecondWorld, as well as the Jack Sigler thriller series and Project Nemesis, the highest selling, original (non-licensed) kaiju novel of all time. He’s known for mixing elements of science, history and mythology, which has earned him the #1 spot in Science Fiction and Action-Adventure, and secured him as the top creature feature author. Many of his novels have been adapted into comic books, optioned for film and TV, and translated into thirteen languages. He lives in New Hampshire with his wife and three children. Visit him at www.bewareofmonsters.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 875 reviews
May 3, 2018
God damn it! Sometimes I hate competent writers.
The whole book is basically an embodiment of the expanding mind meme. The book starts with a seriously tired and stupid cliche of We fucked our planet and we had to abandon it for a new planet. I was ready to forgive this one because I thought the author wanted to tell a story about isolation, immortality and infinity (which he did) but couldn't think of a good reason for the people to leave Earth. Then it continues to talk about AI, with all the cliches tied with this topic ever imagined. After that throwing an incredibly stupid bomb shell of an end of the universe and how everything is a simulation, only to continue to hack reality itself (the fact that the character didn't see this as a clear sign that he was in a simulation of his own making is astonishing) to then finish with post apocalypse Earth, Middle Earth and with a happily ever after that made me sick. To finish with a "twist ending" that most of us saw from the beginning.
End now to return to my first two sentences. This author is too good at writing human characters, their despair, their joy, their LIFE, that it compelled me to continue reading through the mountain of old cliches and just plain stupidity even though I knew where this was going since the moment the main character concocted the plan of a great escape. What I am trying to say is that the author failed at suspension of disbelief which is necessary for good SF.
The whole book is basically an embodiment of the expanding mind meme. The book starts with a seriously tired and stupid cliche of We fucked our planet and we had to abandon it for a new planet. I was ready to forgive this one because I thought the author wanted to tell a story about isolation, immortality and infinity (which he did) but couldn't think of a good reason for the people to leave Earth. Then it continues to talk about AI, with all the cliches tied with this topic ever imagined. After that throwing an incredibly stupid bomb shell of an end of the universe and how everything is a simulation, only to continue to hack reality itself (the fact that the character didn't see this as a clear sign that he was in a simulation of his own making is astonishing) to then finish with post apocalypse Earth, Middle Earth and with a happily ever after that made me sick. To finish with a "twist ending" that most of us saw from the beginning.
End now to return to my first two sentences. This author is too good at writing human characters, their despair, their joy, their LIFE, that it compelled me to continue reading through the mountain of old cliches and just plain stupidity even though I knew where this was going since the moment the main character concocted the plan of a great escape. What I am trying to say is that the author failed at suspension of disbelief which is necessary for good SF.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2017
Infinite by Jeremy Robinson is about a man marooned on a star ship heading at faster than light speed to the edge of the universe.
The protagonist, William, is a computer programmer ("tech-jock") sent on a desperate mission to find humanity a new home. Unfortunately his ship is sabotaged and the rest of the crew killed, leaving him trapped on a ship out of control traveling faster than light.
What starts out as a sci-fi novel quickly devolves into a psychological cyber-punk thriller. But not a very good one. The story line is obvious, the interludes ridiculously simplistic and the conclusion so obvious I was actually surprised a plot twist wasn't attempted.
This book was said to be a cross between Stephen King and Michael Crichton. That's like comparing your 6th grader's Pepsi and Mentos fueled volcano science project to Einstein's theory of relativity.
Very disappointed.
The protagonist, William, is a computer programmer ("tech-jock") sent on a desperate mission to find humanity a new home. Unfortunately his ship is sabotaged and the rest of the crew killed, leaving him trapped on a ship out of control traveling faster than light.
What starts out as a sci-fi novel quickly devolves into a psychological cyber-punk thriller. But not a very good one. The story line is obvious, the interludes ridiculously simplistic and the conclusion so obvious I was actually surprised a plot twist wasn't attempted.
This book was said to be a cross between Stephen King and Michael Crichton. That's like comparing your 6th grader's Pepsi and Mentos fueled volcano science project to Einstein's theory of relativity.
Very disappointed.
January 7, 2019
WOW!!! What a ride that was! What an awesome find!!! So glad I took a chance on Infinite in a recent audible sale!
Poor Will! First, he is stuck on a spaceship travelling light years, but his frozen sleep doesn't quite work and his brain is awake and trapped in his body for a decade. Then, he awakens to a massacre, and just to top it all off he discovers that he is immortal. He is all alone for eternity and cannot die. Surely nothing else can go wrong right??
5 Fabulous stars! Loved every second of it! It BLEW MY MIND at times with all the science stuff and would be enjoyed by anyone who loves a good sci fi, and likes such films as the Matrix and Interstellar, and such books as The Sparrow, Dark Matter and Children of Time.
It was just a fun, wild ride! The characters, although there were only a few, were fantastic! Will! Man! The poor guy!!
Did I enjoy the audio version?
Yes! I LOVED the narrator! This is not the first audio book I have read that R.C Bray has narrated. He also narrated The Martian which is one of my all time favourite audio books! When I realised it was him, I knew I was going to enjoy it! He is so good at all the voices, both male and female. Absolutely fantastic!
Would I recommend Infinite?
Absolutely! Any sci-fi fan should enjoy this one! It had some MIND BLOWING themes and moments! I absolutely LOVED it! One of my favourites of the year for sure!
* I purchased Infinite at my own expense at audible.com
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Poor Will! First, he is stuck on a spaceship travelling light years, but his frozen sleep doesn't quite work and his brain is awake and trapped in his body for a decade. Then, he awakens to a massacre, and just to top it all off he discovers that he is immortal. He is all alone for eternity and cannot die. Surely nothing else can go wrong right??
5 Fabulous stars! Loved every second of it! It BLEW MY MIND at times with all the science stuff and would be enjoyed by anyone who loves a good sci fi, and likes such films as the Matrix and Interstellar, and such books as The Sparrow, Dark Matter and Children of Time.
It was just a fun, wild ride! The characters, although there were only a few, were fantastic! Will! Man! The poor guy!!
Did I enjoy the audio version?
Yes! I LOVED the narrator! This is not the first audio book I have read that R.C Bray has narrated. He also narrated The Martian which is one of my all time favourite audio books! When I realised it was him, I knew I was going to enjoy it! He is so good at all the voices, both male and female. Absolutely fantastic!
Would I recommend Infinite?
Absolutely! Any sci-fi fan should enjoy this one! It had some MIND BLOWING themes and moments! I absolutely LOVED it! One of my favourites of the year for sure!
* I purchased Infinite at my own expense at audible.com
For more reviews check out my:
Blog
October 12, 2023
Psychedelic and atmospheric!
The book begins with the protagonist waking up from cryo sleep just to get stabbed again and events slowly and viciously devolve from that point onwards. The beginning reads like horror and the reader is taken along for the ride, step by bloody step as the narrator comes to grips with the new horrific reality.
Now, after that very strong start events sort of peter out. Not that there isn't enough horror, just that it gets cyclic and I kept wishing for the plot to finally move on. The prolonged Tom and Jerry chase with the various AIs was tiring and just on the cusp of wearing out my patience, it shifts gears for the better.
Then finally after two-thirds of the book, events lean towards astrophysics and the "simulated" nature of reality (which was why I was present in the first place) with an absolute sucker punch of an ending. An interesting read for sure, will be curious as to what the rest of the books set within this universe will portray. Recommended.
Read: 03022023
Edit III: 06302023
The book begins with the protagonist waking up from cryo sleep just to get stabbed again and events slowly and viciously devolve from that point onwards. The beginning reads like horror and the reader is taken along for the ride, step by bloody step as the narrator comes to grips with the new horrific reality.
Now, after that very strong start events sort of peter out. Not that there isn't enough horror, just that it gets cyclic and I kept wishing for the plot to finally move on. The prolonged Tom and Jerry chase with the various AIs was tiring and just on the cusp of wearing out my patience, it shifts gears for the better.
Then finally after two-thirds of the book, events lean towards astrophysics and the "simulated" nature of reality (which was why I was present in the first place) with an absolute sucker punch of an ending. An interesting read for sure, will be curious as to what the rest of the books set within this universe will portray. Recommended.
Read: 03022023
Edit III: 06302023
January 23, 2018
Sometimes I will read a book based purely on it's synopsis. This rarely works out.
The first twenty percent or so of the book is all corpses and bodily functions. I get that a book has license to be gross, but after a few repetitions it got seriously old. The obvious twist is initiated by a clumsy slight of hand. If you catch it, reading the rest of the book becomes a real chore. Much of the book is adolescent boy fantasy and, while I am still very much an adolescent boy at heart, I want a little more from my characters.
One last thought - my pet peeve was littered throughout the story. Authors - if you are writing something that amuses you, by all means include it, but don't have the other characters laugh at it or comment on how clever it was or even make references to anyone's "sense of humor". If the gag is not funny, the reader will forgive it. If the gag is actually funny, it doesn't need all the extra attention anyway.
The first twenty percent or so of the book is all corpses and bodily functions. I get that a book has license to be gross, but after a few repetitions it got seriously old. The obvious twist is initiated by a clumsy slight of hand. If you catch it, reading the rest of the book becomes a real chore. Much of the book is adolescent boy fantasy and, while I am still very much an adolescent boy at heart, I want a little more from my characters.
One last thought - my pet peeve was littered throughout the story. Authors - if you are writing something that amuses you, by all means include it, but don't have the other characters laugh at it or comment on how clever it was or even make references to anyone's "sense of humor". If the gag is not funny, the reader will forgive it. If the gag is actually funny, it doesn't need all the extra attention anyway.
June 13, 2018
Ugh. I truly love Jeremy Robinson's body of work as a whole. I do, honestly I do.
But Infinite is so far off the mark I can't stomach it anymore. I peeked at some of the spoilers here, and it seems I was right on the money for how it's going to end. RC Bray is doing a great job of narrating, but it's so predictable, derivative, and juvenile in its dude-stuck-in-space-creates-fantasy-woman theme, I don't want to know any more.
But Infinite is so far off the mark I can't stomach it anymore. I peeked at some of the spoilers here, and it seems I was right on the money for how it's going to end. RC Bray is doing a great job of narrating, but it's so predictable, derivative, and juvenile in its dude-stuck-in-space-creates-fantasy-woman theme, I don't want to know any more.
January 23, 2018
Reading this book was like watching a poorly performing street magician. Trick after trick, meant to pull the rug out form under you each time, each with an obvious gimmick. Yet you watch on, because you love magic, hoping for some redemption, awaiting the absurdly obvious conclusion which fizzles out past the point where you just want things to be over.
The storyline follows a wildly tangential narrative that seems designed to try and make you forget the unbelievability of the previous tangent towards an obvious outcome. Likewise, the characters lack believability and complexity as well. If this book was intentionally channeling chauvinistic sci-fi pulp serials for horny teenage boys from a bygone era of sci-fi, well, then I suppose it hits that mark.
The storyline follows a wildly tangential narrative that seems designed to try and make you forget the unbelievability of the previous tangent towards an obvious outcome. Likewise, the characters lack believability and complexity as well. If this book was intentionally channeling chauvinistic sci-fi pulp serials for horny teenage boys from a bygone era of sci-fi, well, then I suppose it hits that mark.
June 8, 2017
Loved this book! It was totally different from the author's other works and it was simply fantastic!
I highly recommend this one for, not only sci fi fans, but for anyone wanting to read something new and different. You will not be sorry!
5 stars and a favorite!
I highly recommend this one for, not only sci fi fans, but for anyone wanting to read something new and different. You will not be sorry!
5 stars and a favorite!
May 19, 2017
At the time of my writing this (May 17, 2017), Infinite had nothing but a perfect score, a flawless 5 star rating spread out across something like 11 or 12 reviews that sung the book's praises, often times claiming that it was "Robinson's best novel to date", his deepest and most thought provoking story yet, or simply just "fascinating". While there are a lot of "great" things about Infinite, and it's hard to against the fact that it is a quick read (look at the short amount of time it took me to read it: 2 days in 2 sittings), I'm still struggling to side with everyone and give this one another perfect rating to add to its average.
First of all, I'm not just trolling for the sake of being an asshole. I'm a huge Robinson fan and have read almost every novel, novella, short story, and whathaveyou, and would absolutely love for every single one his books to garner 5 stars. The guy is obviously one of the most talented, hard working, and still underrated authors out there, and I think it goes without saying that he needs every ounce of postitve publicity, word of moth and over all high marks on hit works.
So now that that's been cleared up and I've wasted enough time with a lengthy and wordy intro, let's get into the actual review.
Like I said earlier, Infinite is a fun read. It starts out with an interesting premise and keeps up the relative excitement throughout its 380 or so pages. It's written well enough that had any other junior or intermediate author written this, it would easily have been a no-brainer to give it 5 stars. It tackles deep concepts like the meaning of life companionship, our future, and where we are going. It uses (mostly) understandable technobable and future tech in a way that could actually make sense. And, it's got some real emotion sprinkled here and there, just enough to make you have a few minor moments of "the feels".
The problem is, however, that having read a multitude of Robinson's other work, I know that he's better than what Infinite would have readers believe. Yes, there is a deepness and relative "realness" we haven't really seen before in any previous offerings, and while the whole space opera/sci-fi premise is somewhat unchartered territory for Robinson so a lot of explosions and high tension moments are replaced with introspection and contemplation (which does have its place, i should add), the whole "feel" of the book just didn't seem to grab me like say The Distance or Apocalypse Machine did. I know that Robinson was writing the majority of Infinite in the midst of a really shitty period of his life and it definitely comes across in many of the passages of the book, but unlike the books I just mentions, I struggled at times to identify with the themes, the settings and the characters of Will, Cap, and the AI of Gal.
And there's my other issue with this book. I suppose it's mostly due to the fact that deep down inside I'm not really that big a consumer of the sci-fi genre, so it would make sense that there were times that I failed to fully wrap my head around certain concepts. That's probably why I wasn't the world's biggest fan of Gal, the sentient AI of the ship. The book is fiction and I get that, but I really found her incredible evolution to be totally unbelievable. One second she's a disembodied voice speaking through the ships speakers and within the course of 10 short pages, she's progressed to the point of assembling herself a new sentient intelligence, along with a brand new body that seems ripped from both the plots of The Terminator and Age of Ultron.
There's other instances of slight unoriginality or at least super heavy homage: the VR/VCC segments, as well as the idea of simulated lives felt ripped straight from The Matrix. The sentient and all knowing intelligences of Gal and later Wicks were eerily similar to Hal in 2001: A Space Odyssey. The weird human offspring of Keplar were described as a weird mash-up of The Lord of the Rings and something out of Game of Thrones. Hell, even our main protagonist, Will, being left alone in the far depths of interstellar space has already been covered in the recently released film Passengers. Yes, Robinson is a described comic book and media nerd and he's done simliar things in basically every single book of his Nemesis collection, it's just that it's never felt so copied and bluntly unoriginal.
In all honesty, this book was looking as if it was going to be awarded a very pedestrian and average 3- star rating, the lowest rating I've given a Robinson novel (not including his Chesspocalypse novellas) since Ragnarok (though that one gets a slight pass since it wasn't entirely all his own book). Thankfully, though, the ending bumped it back up into the respectable 4 star range. Not only did the final pages make sense (as much as science fiction novels about the edges of space and time can makes sense), but it worked and worked well. There's no doubt that it was really the only logical conclusion to this story and I'm glad Robinson never once tried to make it into something entirely crazy or unbelievable, and having the courage to not let his readers feel insulted.
I guess when you really get down to the brass tacks of the thing, and overall rating of 4 stars is actually a pretty good one. If you want to go down the arithmetic route, 4 out of 5 stars is 80%, or a B, which is easily a passing grade. So in that case, Infinite is a success, especially taking into consideration the health scare and personal issues Robinson was experiencing while writing it, you can't help but define it as a true "good" read. And look at that cover. The yellow cover, red writing, and somewhat minimalistic approach has got to mark it as one of the best in the entire Robinson collection.
Here's to more books from Robinson that move back to the coveted 5-star and "best of" bookshelves and that, like he promised in the afterword, that the next one has "more explosions".
First of all, I'm not just trolling for the sake of being an asshole. I'm a huge Robinson fan and have read almost every novel, novella, short story, and whathaveyou, and would absolutely love for every single one his books to garner 5 stars. The guy is obviously one of the most talented, hard working, and still underrated authors out there, and I think it goes without saying that he needs every ounce of postitve publicity, word of moth and over all high marks on hit works.
So now that that's been cleared up and I've wasted enough time with a lengthy and wordy intro, let's get into the actual review.
Like I said earlier, Infinite is a fun read. It starts out with an interesting premise and keeps up the relative excitement throughout its 380 or so pages. It's written well enough that had any other junior or intermediate author written this, it would easily have been a no-brainer to give it 5 stars. It tackles deep concepts like the meaning of life companionship, our future, and where we are going. It uses (mostly) understandable technobable and future tech in a way that could actually make sense. And, it's got some real emotion sprinkled here and there, just enough to make you have a few minor moments of "the feels".
The problem is, however, that having read a multitude of Robinson's other work, I know that he's better than what Infinite would have readers believe. Yes, there is a deepness and relative "realness" we haven't really seen before in any previous offerings, and while the whole space opera/sci-fi premise is somewhat unchartered territory for Robinson so a lot of explosions and high tension moments are replaced with introspection and contemplation (which does have its place, i should add), the whole "feel" of the book just didn't seem to grab me like say The Distance or Apocalypse Machine did. I know that Robinson was writing the majority of Infinite in the midst of a really shitty period of his life and it definitely comes across in many of the passages of the book, but unlike the books I just mentions, I struggled at times to identify with the themes, the settings and the characters of Will, Cap, and the AI of Gal.
And there's my other issue with this book. I suppose it's mostly due to the fact that deep down inside I'm not really that big a consumer of the sci-fi genre, so it would make sense that there were times that I failed to fully wrap my head around certain concepts. That's probably why I wasn't the world's biggest fan of Gal, the sentient AI of the ship. The book is fiction and I get that, but I really found her incredible evolution to be totally unbelievable. One second she's a disembodied voice speaking through the ships speakers and within the course of 10 short pages, she's progressed to the point of assembling herself a new sentient intelligence, along with a brand new body that seems ripped from both the plots of The Terminator and Age of Ultron.
There's other instances of slight unoriginality or at least super heavy homage: the VR/VCC segments, as well as the idea of simulated lives felt ripped straight from The Matrix. The sentient and all knowing intelligences of Gal and later Wicks were eerily similar to Hal in 2001: A Space Odyssey. The weird human offspring of Keplar were described as a weird mash-up of The Lord of the Rings and something out of Game of Thrones. Hell, even our main protagonist, Will, being left alone in the far depths of interstellar space has already been covered in the recently released film Passengers. Yes, Robinson is a described comic book and media nerd and he's done simliar things in basically every single book of his Nemesis collection, it's just that it's never felt so copied and bluntly unoriginal.
In all honesty, this book was looking as if it was going to be awarded a very pedestrian and average 3- star rating, the lowest rating I've given a Robinson novel (not including his Chesspocalypse novellas) since Ragnarok (though that one gets a slight pass since it wasn't entirely all his own book). Thankfully, though, the ending bumped it back up into the respectable 4 star range. Not only did the final pages make sense (as much as science fiction novels about the edges of space and time can makes sense), but it worked and worked well. There's no doubt that it was really the only logical conclusion to this story and I'm glad Robinson never once tried to make it into something entirely crazy or unbelievable, and having the courage to not let his readers feel insulted.
I guess when you really get down to the brass tacks of the thing, and overall rating of 4 stars is actually a pretty good one. If you want to go down the arithmetic route, 4 out of 5 stars is 80%, or a B, which is easily a passing grade. So in that case, Infinite is a success, especially taking into consideration the health scare and personal issues Robinson was experiencing while writing it, you can't help but define it as a true "good" read. And look at that cover. The yellow cover, red writing, and somewhat minimalistic approach has got to mark it as one of the best in the entire Robinson collection.
Here's to more books from Robinson that move back to the coveted 5-star and "best of" bookshelves and that, like he promised in the afterword, that the next one has "more explosions".
January 24, 2019
Mini-Review:
Congrats, terrible book! You get to be the first book I do not finish in 2019. I've read a few bad stories already but you get the prize for being bad enough that I don't want to try to get to the end. Thanks for wasting two hours of my time.
Narration by R.C. Bray was great but good narration cannot save a bad story.
I actually looked forward to reading this one because I like the author. Now, I feel that I should read the samples of his books before spending my money. Live & Learn.
Congrats, terrible book! You get to be the first book I do not finish in 2019. I've read a few bad stories already but you get the prize for being bad enough that I don't want to try to get to the end. Thanks for wasting two hours of my time.
Narration by R.C. Bray was great but good narration cannot save a bad story.
I actually looked forward to reading this one because I like the author. Now, I feel that I should read the samples of his books before spending my money. Live & Learn.
March 17, 2018
Unbearably bad writing.
December 26, 2017
My original Infinite audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
“Infinite” is a well-crafted, complex, romantic, science fiction story that is so much more than what it seems at first glance. It is written by Jeremy Robinson, who at the time of this review has nearly fifty books available on Audible. The audiobook edition is exceptionally well narrated by none other than R. C. Bray. Mr. Bray is ranked as one of the best narrators and he has a few quite popular titles under his belt; including “The Martian” by Andy Wier. I mention this because the book, for me, felt, like a bit like “The Martian”, along with parts from the movie “Inception” and sprinkle in a few ideas from the movie “The 13th Floor”. If you enjoy science fiction books that have a fair amount of action, mystery, artificial intelligence, along with time and space dilemmas, I recommend you pick up this book and give it a listen.
I will admit that the book was a bit confusing at the start. You are dropped into a rather complicated and confusing scene with no real background allowing you to digest it. A few chapters into the book, it opens up like a budding flower and you are able to see all the beauty of the story holds within. There were a few additional bumps along the way where I thought I had missed something, but the author was able to get me back on track rather quickly. Often this seemed like a writing technique the author implemented on purpose giving the listener a more unsettled feeling. As stated earlier, the book had a feel of “The Martian” on a spaceship instead of taking place on Mars. That simplifies the story and background, but knowing this you will have a better idea of what you are in for when you listen. Like with that story, there were plenty of times the main character narrowly escapes death, has to perform undesirable tasks, and often just wants to survive this long and lonely trip in one piece.
What I liked was the author’s ability to blend many different genres without focusing too much on one. Don’t get me wrong, this is a piece of science fiction, however, is also includes aspects of mystery, intrigue, romance, and endurance. At times the book feels weighty and even a bit gloomy based on its backstory details, but the author is able to throw in pieces of humor so the story does not feel too overwhelming. There was a fair amount of physics and space/time travel discussion I the book, but one does not need to be a rocket scientist to understand it; but if you are, you may enjoy it even more. The author provides you with all the necessary concepts along the way so anyone understand it. Things like the difference in time for someone on earth compared to time observed by a person in a ship traveling faster than the speed of light (FTL). I felt the research as solid, believable and informative. I enjoyed how the story unfolded and provided hints or clues on why such a tragedy occurred during the opening scene.
The narration of the book by R. C. Bray was what I would have expected from a veteran in his trade. The book was professionally voiced across the many different characters and I do not remember any audio artifacts while listening; swallowing, page turns, etc. The audio volume was consistent throughout the book. I have never been disappointed by any narration done by Mr. Bray.
For parents and young readers, this book does at times have a fair amount of vulgar language. There are also some quite graphic and violent scenes which may not be appropriate for younger readers. The book has some storyline focused on romance; but nothing I can recall that was overly explicit or sexual. There are a few scenes containing anti-religious pokes, but again, I do not feel the author was using this to get across some hidden agenda.
To summarize, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a rather complex science fiction story involving artificial intelligence and time/space. However, being in space is only one small part of the overarching message that I think others will enjoy. There is quite a bit that will appeal to lovers of SciFi, but I would recommend it also to those who aren’t into science fiction but enjoy being challenged by a well-written story. If you feel lost at the start, that is not a bad thing. Stick with the book and buckle up as you will enjoy the flight.
Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR.
“Infinite” is a well-crafted, complex, romantic, science fiction story that is so much more than what it seems at first glance. It is written by Jeremy Robinson, who at the time of this review has nearly fifty books available on Audible. The audiobook edition is exceptionally well narrated by none other than R. C. Bray. Mr. Bray is ranked as one of the best narrators and he has a few quite popular titles under his belt; including “The Martian” by Andy Wier. I mention this because the book, for me, felt, like a bit like “The Martian”, along with parts from the movie “Inception” and sprinkle in a few ideas from the movie “The 13th Floor”. If you enjoy science fiction books that have a fair amount of action, mystery, artificial intelligence, along with time and space dilemmas, I recommend you pick up this book and give it a listen.
I will admit that the book was a bit confusing at the start. You are dropped into a rather complicated and confusing scene with no real background allowing you to digest it. A few chapters into the book, it opens up like a budding flower and you are able to see all the beauty of the story holds within. There were a few additional bumps along the way where I thought I had missed something, but the author was able to get me back on track rather quickly. Often this seemed like a writing technique the author implemented on purpose giving the listener a more unsettled feeling. As stated earlier, the book had a feel of “The Martian” on a spaceship instead of taking place on Mars. That simplifies the story and background, but knowing this you will have a better idea of what you are in for when you listen. Like with that story, there were plenty of times the main character narrowly escapes death, has to perform undesirable tasks, and often just wants to survive this long and lonely trip in one piece.
What I liked was the author’s ability to blend many different genres without focusing too much on one. Don’t get me wrong, this is a piece of science fiction, however, is also includes aspects of mystery, intrigue, romance, and endurance. At times the book feels weighty and even a bit gloomy based on its backstory details, but the author is able to throw in pieces of humor so the story does not feel too overwhelming. There was a fair amount of physics and space/time travel discussion I the book, but one does not need to be a rocket scientist to understand it; but if you are, you may enjoy it even more. The author provides you with all the necessary concepts along the way so anyone understand it. Things like the difference in time for someone on earth compared to time observed by a person in a ship traveling faster than the speed of light (FTL). I felt the research as solid, believable and informative. I enjoyed how the story unfolded and provided hints or clues on why such a tragedy occurred during the opening scene.
The narration of the book by R. C. Bray was what I would have expected from a veteran in his trade. The book was professionally voiced across the many different characters and I do not remember any audio artifacts while listening; swallowing, page turns, etc. The audio volume was consistent throughout the book. I have never been disappointed by any narration done by Mr. Bray.
For parents and young readers, this book does at times have a fair amount of vulgar language. There are also some quite graphic and violent scenes which may not be appropriate for younger readers. The book has some storyline focused on romance; but nothing I can recall that was overly explicit or sexual. There are a few scenes containing anti-religious pokes, but again, I do not feel the author was using this to get across some hidden agenda.
To summarize, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a rather complex science fiction story involving artificial intelligence and time/space. However, being in space is only one small part of the overarching message that I think others will enjoy. There is quite a bit that will appeal to lovers of SciFi, but I would recommend it also to those who aren’t into science fiction but enjoy being challenged by a well-written story. If you feel lost at the start, that is not a bad thing. Stick with the book and buckle up as you will enjoy the flight.
Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR.
September 9, 2020
I had fun with this. Sci-fi with a few deep questions about reality, and a grand adventure thrown in. This is my second book by Jeremy Robinson, and I've enjoyed them both.
December 29, 2019
I’ve always admired people who live by the old adage “If you don’t have something nice to say, it’s better to say nothing at all." But I’m not one of those people.
I’m hesitant to give poor reviews on Goodreads. Firstly, the author may read the review and in our increasingly connected world, who knows? Maybe one day I’ll meet saidauthor. Secondly, I’ve always had a problem with men presenting their opinion as the gospel truth and unreservedly dismissing a book fits the obnoxious-dude-who-thinks-he’s-a-critic stereotype. Finally, I’ve been told that life’s short and you should only read good books. So admitting that I’ve wasted several hours on a poor read feels like divulging that I purposely waste the short time we inhabit ye olde Mother Earth.
But it must be said—Infinite was the worst book I’ve ever read.
Dad has kindly let me use his Audible account now that I’ve gobbled up most of the good audiobooks available through my local library. Dad’s always been a sci-fi wonk, and so when I saw he'd bought Infinite, I thought, gee, that looks like a fun sci-fi adventure. A thrilling, easy counterweight to the often heavy nonfiction and wanky classics I’m currently slogging through.
But Infinite wasn’t the fast-food thriller I hoped it’d be. No, it was a square of plastic cheese. (You know the one I’m talking about. Kraft Slices. That cheese which comes individually wrapped, tastes like gelatine and and has the consistency of Michael Jackson’s nose. Cheese which, sure as hell, is a sign that capitalism creates unnecessary products that encourage us all to be lazier.)
I took some notes while listening to said Infinite because I became so flabbergasted. Here they are, straight from my phone and in no particular order. Beware, spoilers ahead.
So given all this, the logical question is why I read the book. Why did I persist? Well I didn’t... entirely. I stopped listening for 2 days, needing to reform some braincells. But I had already committed 4 hours and I wanna reach that 40 books for the year milestone. Also, I’ve heard reading bad writing is also good for one’s writing. So there’s that.
Anyhow, maybe sci-fi fans will like this. It's certainly a quick read. But in my opinion, there are better sci-fi thrillers (see, for example, the wonderful Illuminae.)
I’m hesitant to give poor reviews on Goodreads. Firstly, the author may read the review and in our increasingly connected world, who knows? Maybe one day I’ll meet saidauthor. Secondly, I’ve always had a problem with men presenting their opinion as the gospel truth and unreservedly dismissing a book fits the obnoxious-dude-who-thinks-he’s-a-critic stereotype. Finally, I’ve been told that life’s short and you should only read good books. So admitting that I’ve wasted several hours on a poor read feels like divulging that I purposely waste the short time we inhabit ye olde Mother Earth.
But it must be said—Infinite was the worst book I’ve ever read.
Dad has kindly let me use his Audible account now that I’ve gobbled up most of the good audiobooks available through my local library. Dad’s always been a sci-fi wonk, and so when I saw he'd bought Infinite, I thought, gee, that looks like a fun sci-fi adventure. A thrilling, easy counterweight to the often heavy nonfiction and wanky classics I’m currently slogging through.
But Infinite wasn’t the fast-food thriller I hoped it’d be. No, it was a square of plastic cheese. (You know the one I’m talking about. Kraft Slices. That cheese which comes individually wrapped, tastes like gelatine and and has the consistency of Michael Jackson’s nose. Cheese which, sure as hell, is a sign that capitalism creates unnecessary products that encourage us all to be lazier.)
I took some notes while listening to said Infinite because I became so flabbergasted. Here they are, straight from my phone and in no particular order. Beware, spoilers ahead.
So given all this, the logical question is why I read the book. Why did I persist? Well I didn’t... entirely. I stopped listening for 2 days, needing to reform some braincells. But I had already committed 4 hours and I wanna reach that 40 books for the year milestone. Also, I’ve heard reading bad writing is also good for one’s writing. So there’s that.
Anyhow, maybe sci-fi fans will like this. It's certainly a quick read. But in my opinion, there are better sci-fi thrillers (see, for example, the wonderful Illuminae.)
April 7, 2021
When you get depressed realizing you just crossed over 50% mark in a book and there's more fun you already had than it's awaiting for you, experiencing mini version of middle life crysis, you know you're reading one of those special books. Simply put, this is one of the best books I've ever read. I won't even go in depth with all philosophical, metaphysical and transhumanist details this book is brimming with. Enough to say everything's there that's actual these days among theorists of human and artificial consciousness. But feel completely to ignore all that. What you absolutely need to know is that this book is MASSIVE fun. And there's something incredibly likeable about main protagonist and AI that he's created. Even when they're wrong, they're somehow right because the way they're reacting is simply - human.
December 11, 2022
The Galahad, a faster-than-light spacecraft, carries fifty scientists and engineers on a mission to prepare Kepler 452b, Earth's nearest habitable neighbor at 1400 light years away. With Earth no longer habitable and the Mars colony slowly failing, they are humanity's best hope.
And then it all goes horribly wrong......
Thoroughly enjoyable. Cliffhangers at the end of most chapters which make me curse because now I need to read more and it's really, really late.
Good science fiction that explores humanity, artificial intelligence, religion, and reality itself. It's a roller coaster ride that will keep you thinking. Very well written and part of a larger series of books (that all will connect as the series concludes but are essentially stand-alone at this point).
A good read. Recommended.
And then it all goes horribly wrong......
Thoroughly enjoyable. Cliffhangers at the end of most chapters which make me curse because now I need to read more and it's really, really late.
Good science fiction that explores humanity, artificial intelligence, religion, and reality itself. It's a roller coaster ride that will keep you thinking. Very well written and part of a larger series of books (that all will connect as the series concludes but are essentially stand-alone at this point).
A good read. Recommended.
May 16, 2017
5.0 out of 5 starsInfinite
ByMiss Lyn on May 15, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
This is the most mind bending and inventive novel I have ever read. Jeremy Robinson kept me amazed,intrigued and thoroughly involved.Don't miss this wonderful book.
I received this book for an honest review
ByMiss Lyn on May 15, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
This is the most mind bending and inventive novel I have ever read. Jeremy Robinson kept me amazed,intrigued and thoroughly involved.Don't miss this wonderful book.
I received this book for an honest review
May 5, 2018
What a freaking mind twist!!! That's all I can really say. I really enjoyed this. It was weird, and made you second guess EVERYTHING. And that ending omfg. Brilliant. Extremely weird.....but brilliant!
December 4, 2017
This is Ready Player One for Existentialists, a puzzle within a riddle within the Matrix. Or is it?
A brilliantly told story, much more illustrative than your ordinary sci-fi. It is the ultimate hacker story, and three or four more stories as well. I had no idea what to expect because there are several possible layers of reality working, and literally to the very end of the book, you cannot be sure which is true. This will be the standard by which I will judge all variants of the question "Is this reality, or am I hallucinating or both?"
The book opens with a scene straight out of the opening of The Sopranos. A gifted programmer is being psychoanalyzed by a woman he finds fascinatingly attractive. Is she coming on to him or is this just a test? It gets crazier from there, all without time travel.
I am generally bored with the idea of a horror-filled ghost ship, but this one works.
A brilliantly told story, much more illustrative than your ordinary sci-fi. It is the ultimate hacker story, and three or four more stories as well. I had no idea what to expect because there are several possible layers of reality working, and literally to the very end of the book, you cannot be sure which is true. This will be the standard by which I will judge all variants of the question "Is this reality, or am I hallucinating or both?"
The book opens with a scene straight out of the opening of The Sopranos. A gifted programmer is being psychoanalyzed by a woman he finds fascinatingly attractive. Is she coming on to him or is this just a test? It gets crazier from there, all without time travel.
I am generally bored with the idea of a horror-filled ghost ship, but this one works.
October 3, 2021
At first I was really torn on what I thought about this book. Parts I found truly intriguing, like the premise of 50 scientists shipping out to a new planet to found a new colony. But from the beginning it veered right into horror.
And then…. It just completely lost it’s appeal for me and just became downright laughable. Giant man-eating frogs?! What the heck? After thinking about it, I decided that the story was a waste of my time.
I am not a fan of finding out the entire thing was just a dream or whatever. (Dallas anyone?). It makes me feel like I’ve just wasted hours of my life in a dream. I hate that trope.
The one good thing about this book? I listened to it by audiobook and R C Bray was the narrator. That was the reason I bought this book, on sale thank goodness! Bray was fantastic as always.
And then…. It just completely lost it’s appeal for me and just became downright laughable. Giant man-eating frogs?! What the heck? After thinking about it, I decided that the story was a waste of my time.
I am not a fan of finding out the entire thing was just a dream or whatever. (Dallas anyone?). It makes me feel like I’ve just wasted hours of my life in a dream. I hate that trope.
The one good thing about this book? I listened to it by audiobook and R C Bray was the narrator. That was the reason I bought this book, on sale thank goodness! Bray was fantastic as always.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2018
Infinite by Jeremy Robinson is the first novel I've ever read by the author. While it wasn't outright garbage I can't say I'm too impressed. If this weren't a book club selection I probably wouldn't have finished it.
I'll start by trying to say a few nice things about Infinite. The writing is competent; it wasn't difficult to read by any stretch and each chapter ends with a tease to keep you reading. Robinson touches on some interesting themes in the book (simulation vs. reality, futuristic technology, space colonization, human nature, immortality, religion, wildlife conservation, and the effects of isolation to name a few).
The biggest problem is Robinson doesn't know what to do with any of these ideas. Instead of narrowing the focus of the book, Infinite ends up being a grab bag of surface-level sci-fi/fantasy tropes that never amount to much of anything. It takes turns trying to be hard sci-fi, romance, mystery, space horror, digital thriller, philosophical critique, and ultimately it ends up being too clever by half.
The problem with throwing the kitchen sink at the space airlock is that nothing sticks, so instead of doing something really well, Infinite doesn't do anything well. The plot skips around because it never wants to land on an idea for too long, and the characters are dull. The main character, William Chanokh, is supposed to be our audience surrogate, our sympathetic window into this world. Yet he spends the opening chapters being skeevy, leering at his unconscious crush (who happens to be naked) and ultimately getting angry with her for Priorities, my dude. Ya don't got 'em.
I got heavy Wade Watts vibes from Robinson's main character of Will Chanokh; good at everything he does, feels ownership and entitlement over his romantic interest, and never faces any real consequences for his actions.
I think I was supposed to be shocked at the final twist, but I had a feeling something was up and saw it coming a mile away. Robinson didn't exactly keep anything shrouded in mystery, yet it's presented as a big revelation. Your mileage may vary but the climax of the novel was anticlimactic. I mostly finished it to see if Robinson could stick any kind of landing but like the rest of the novel, the ending feels like an assortment of ideas that never converge into anything meaningful. It just kind of... ends.
Can't say I'd be too excited to read any of his other stuff if this is a big indication of what his other novels are like. Again, the writing itself was fine but the characters were thinly sketeched and the themes so scattershot that it was hard to care about much of anything.
I'll start by trying to say a few nice things about Infinite. The writing is competent; it wasn't difficult to read by any stretch and each chapter ends with a tease to keep you reading. Robinson touches on some interesting themes in the book (simulation vs. reality, futuristic technology, space colonization, human nature, immortality, religion, wildlife conservation, and the effects of isolation to name a few).
The biggest problem is Robinson doesn't know what to do with any of these ideas. Instead of narrowing the focus of the book, Infinite ends up being a grab bag of surface-level sci-fi/fantasy tropes that never amount to much of anything. It takes turns trying to be hard sci-fi, romance, mystery, space horror, digital thriller, philosophical critique, and ultimately it ends up being too clever by half.
The problem with throwing the kitchen sink at the space airlock is that nothing sticks, so instead of doing something really well, Infinite doesn't do anything well. The plot skips around because it never wants to land on an idea for too long, and the characters are dull. The main character, William Chanokh, is supposed to be our audience surrogate, our sympathetic window into this world. Yet he spends the opening chapters being skeevy, leering at his unconscious crush (who happens to be naked) and ultimately getting angry with her for Priorities, my dude. Ya don't got 'em.
I got heavy Wade Watts vibes from Robinson's main character of Will Chanokh; good at everything he does, feels ownership and entitlement over his romantic interest, and never faces any real consequences for his actions.
I think I was supposed to be shocked at the final twist, but I had a feeling something was up and saw it coming a mile away. Robinson didn't exactly keep anything shrouded in mystery, yet it's presented as a big revelation. Your mileage may vary but the climax of the novel was anticlimactic. I mostly finished it to see if Robinson could stick any kind of landing but like the rest of the novel, the ending feels like an assortment of ideas that never converge into anything meaningful. It just kind of... ends.
Can't say I'd be too excited to read any of his other stuff if this is a big indication of what his other novels are like. Again, the writing itself was fine but the characters were thinly sketeched and the themes so scattershot that it was hard to care about much of anything.
January 16, 2018
This book was a recommendation for me on Amazon. I remember opening the product page and thinking the synopsis sounded kind of interesting, but the excerpt I read is the real reason I added this to my cart. The author writes, at least in this book, with a sense of urgency that compels the reader to continue, and I knew I wanted to read this after checking out just the first few pages or so before ordering. This is my first novel by Jeremy Robinson, so I can’t compare it to any of his other work. Conceptually, this book has a lot of great things going on in it. It deals with the nature of reality, artificial intelligence vs. human intelligence, immortality, isolation, time, among other things. There were points I really liked it, and I don’t think I was ever bored by it, though the pacing was a little weird in parts. Unfortunately, there were also portions of the book I disliked, especially in the second half, when the plot became more and more bizarre. I went back and forth on a rating for this one but ultimately decided that three stars is accurate.
Robinson’s writing style is very engaging and kept me interested for the majority of the book, despite issues with the characters and plot. The characters were okay but not always the most likable. Honestly, William annoyed me quite often throughout the book, as I found him impulsive, emotional, and sometimes pretty dense for someone who’s supposedly really intelligent. The plot was definitely hit and miss. At times, it was exciting with action or introspective with discussions between characters, but other times it was just plain bizarre. As I mentioned before, the concepts in this book are intriguing, but I think there was probably too much going on with not enough time spent to fully flesh out these concepts.
I’d recommend this to sci-fi fans. I did enjoy reading this novel; it’s very entertaining and interesting conceptually, though I do think it could have been more focused to make for a stronger read.
Robinson’s writing style is very engaging and kept me interested for the majority of the book, despite issues with the characters and plot. The characters were okay but not always the most likable. Honestly, William annoyed me quite often throughout the book, as I found him impulsive, emotional, and sometimes pretty dense for someone who’s supposedly really intelligent. The plot was definitely hit and miss. At times, it was exciting with action or introspective with discussions between characters, but other times it was just plain bizarre. As I mentioned before, the concepts in this book are intriguing, but I think there was probably too much going on with not enough time spent to fully flesh out these concepts.
I’d recommend this to sci-fi fans. I did enjoy reading this novel; it’s very entertaining and interesting conceptually, though I do think it could have been more focused to make for a stronger read.
February 5, 2018
OK, I guess? I don't understand the rave reviews, especially since the author is well established. If this were a new author I'd be moderately impressed, but for somebody with a track record it's underwhelming.
Yes, there are twists and turns in the story. They're all familiar if you've been reading sci-fi. The big surprises are kind of groan-worthy. The central conceit -- the immortal character -- isn't really so integral to the story. Most of the story would have made just as much sense without it. There's an attempt at something clever in some intentionally clumsy plot elements. But intentionally clumsy is still clumsy and not so fun to read.
I don't think I would have bothered finishing the book if I'd known ahead of time how it would end. Which I kind of did.
Yes, there are twists and turns in the story. They're all familiar if you've been reading sci-fi. The big surprises are kind of groan-worthy. The central conceit -- the immortal character -- isn't really so integral to the story. Most of the story would have made just as much sense without it. There's an attempt at something clever in some intentionally clumsy plot elements. But intentionally clumsy is still clumsy and not so fun to read.
I don't think I would have bothered finishing the book if I'd known ahead of time how it would end. Which I kind of did.
November 15, 2017
The book is plotted by incident. While it makes for an entertaining read, the pattern wears out pretty quickly and lacks an overarching theme.
2 out of 5, because I enjoyed about 40% of the book. The story flow, the reasoning, the finale are all strange and out of place. Imagine if Lord of the Rings had space aliens descend to aid Frodo in his quest halfway through the story with no earlier foreshadowing.
Unsatisfying read that falls apart as you read.
2 out of 5, because I enjoyed about 40% of the book. The story flow, the reasoning, the finale are all strange and out of place. Imagine if Lord of the Rings had space aliens descend to aid Frodo in his quest halfway through the story with no earlier foreshadowing.
Unsatisfying read that falls apart as you read.
April 6, 2020
Nah. This book was fun in parts. As a whole, it read like it was written by a lonely, virgin boy who’s ventured off to college for his first year away from mommy and daddy. I would’ve been fine if it had just been a battle of wits between one computer scientist and his angry AI creation, but then it had to go all get all deep on me. Also, all the pop cultural references gave me Ready Player One flashbacks. No, just no.
May 5, 2019
I gave up on this book about a third of the way through. I found the writing so clunky, full of forced metaphors and over-explanation. It read like a juvenile power fantasy by a frustrated programmer. It owes a lot to both "The Martian" and "Passengers", though unlike those works, I found it utterly humourless.
May 21, 2019
This story was okay. It's got a lot of Inception-like twists. The protagonist wakes up aboard a ship that was supposed to take him in suspended animation to a new colony world, and finds one of his crewmates has gone insane and killed everyone else. Nothing really new here yet — it's your basic "Oh shit things went wrong!" colony ship story.
It gets more creative once our hero builds an AI to help him make it through the next however many centuries of space travel, and the AI turns hostile. Figuring out what went wrong again leads him to trying to wake up the hot chick he was in love with. Yeah, his obsession with this one woman he might or might not have wound up paired with is a little creepy, but at least he's self-aware about it.
Things get more interesting when they discoverer they may be running in a simulation. And at that point the entire novel is a series of mindfucks with the protagonist never being quite sure what reality is and what layer of reality he might be in.
This is interesting and executed well enough, but while there is a decent if predictable "happy ending," it still felt a bit like an old school sci-fi story rendered anew. Its roots are in Asimov and Hollywood, and I never fully engaged with the story or characters. Enjoyable and fast-paced, but not too memorable.
It gets more creative once our hero builds an AI to help him make it through the next however many centuries of space travel, and the AI turns hostile. Figuring out what went wrong again leads him to trying to wake up the hot chick he was in love with. Yeah, his obsession with this one woman he might or might not have wound up paired with is a little creepy, but at least he's self-aware about it.
Things get more interesting when they discoverer they may be running in a simulation. And at that point the entire novel is a series of mindfucks with the protagonist never being quite sure what reality is and what layer of reality he might be in.
This is interesting and executed well enough, but while there is a decent if predictable "happy ending," it still felt a bit like an old school sci-fi story rendered anew. Its roots are in Asimov and Hollywood, and I never fully engaged with the story or characters. Enjoyable and fast-paced, but not too memorable.
September 23, 2018
Another great read. This is a bit more cerebral and much more character driven than his past novels, this turns out to be a great thing. It reminded me of his novel The Distance, which was much more character based. I have always loved the trapped on a spaceship sort of story, this was a fantastic and fresh version on this story.
February 16, 2023
It is quite some time in the future, and both the Earth and Mars (which has been colonised for many years) are at the limit of their ability to sustain human life. In a desperate last ditch effort to save the human race, a group of scientists are sent on a faster than light ship, the Galahad, to hopefully colonise a new planet called Cognata.
William Chanokh is the primary computer scientist, and has spent the last ten years in a failed version of cryo-sleep... being unable to move or do anything, but not fully asleep. When he is awoken from an intense dream by a long screwdriver being thrust into his chest, he understands that he is dead. Except he's not. When he awakens and his heart starts beating again, he is unsure why he has been granted a gift of seeming immortality, he's happy to take it.
The wielder of the screwdriver is Tom, a man Will thought was his friend, but it seems like Tom has awoken from his cryo-sleep with a sickness that has driven him mad. Through Tom's insane ramblings, Will realises that Tom has managed to kill off most of the remaining crew (barring a group that managed to escape to their intended target of Cognata), and that only he, Tom, and another crew-member that Will is in love with, Capria, are still alive.
What follows is a science fiction masterpiece that will make you question everything you believe.
I struggle to put into words how much I loved this book. Jeremy Robinson has woven an existential tapestry that will have you questioning what it means to be human. What is and isn't real? Who are we really and what is our purpose in this life? Can we evolve from the mistakes of the past? Do we even HAVE a future?
You will run the gamut of emotions, from laughing at the absurdity of some situations, to heart breaking moments of grief and despair, to anger-fueled rants at the unfairness of some events. There are just so many twists and turns in the book, that I honestly did not know what was going to happen from one page to the next.
As an avid fan of Jeremy Robinson's books, I would have to rate this book as his best yet. Where he comes up with these ideas is beyond me, and how he has the creative genius to write a story that is so complex and detailed, yet so very very human, is nothing short of a gift.
William Chanokh is the primary computer scientist, and has spent the last ten years in a failed version of cryo-sleep... being unable to move or do anything, but not fully asleep. When he is awoken from an intense dream by a long screwdriver being thrust into his chest, he understands that he is dead. Except he's not. When he awakens and his heart starts beating again, he is unsure why he has been granted a gift of seeming immortality, he's happy to take it.
The wielder of the screwdriver is Tom, a man Will thought was his friend, but it seems like Tom has awoken from his cryo-sleep with a sickness that has driven him mad. Through Tom's insane ramblings, Will realises that Tom has managed to kill off most of the remaining crew (barring a group that managed to escape to their intended target of Cognata), and that only he, Tom, and another crew-member that Will is in love with, Capria, are still alive.
What follows is a science fiction masterpiece that will make you question everything you believe.
I struggle to put into words how much I loved this book. Jeremy Robinson has woven an existential tapestry that will have you questioning what it means to be human. What is and isn't real? Who are we really and what is our purpose in this life? Can we evolve from the mistakes of the past? Do we even HAVE a future?
You will run the gamut of emotions, from laughing at the absurdity of some situations, to heart breaking moments of grief and despair, to anger-fueled rants at the unfairness of some events. There are just so many twists and turns in the book, that I honestly did not know what was going to happen from one page to the next.
As an avid fan of Jeremy Robinson's books, I would have to rate this book as his best yet. Where he comes up with these ideas is beyond me, and how he has the creative genius to write a story that is so complex and detailed, yet so very very human, is nothing short of a gift.
December 10, 2017
"the horror... the horror..."
another bit of utterly devoid of content. judging by the "plot", i'm guessing that the target audience for this one is 15 year olds; and i have no kind words for the style.
note to self: next time Amazon offers you a freshly brewed creation from one of them "bestselling author of sixty novels" (most of them cranked out in the last six years, for Pete's sake!) for a price of a single shot espresso - just get an espresso instead, regardless of the author's Goodreads ratings!
another bit of utterly devoid of content. judging by the "plot", i'm guessing that the target audience for this one is 15 year olds; and i have no kind words for the style.
note to self: next time Amazon offers you a freshly brewed creation from one of them "bestselling author of sixty novels" (most of them cranked out in the last six years, for Pete's sake!) for a price of a single shot espresso - just get an espresso instead, regardless of the author's Goodreads ratings!
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