apocalypse – Made by Mikal

Dust

Post author:mikal
Post published:May 8, 2024
Post category:Book

Hugh Howey is a master of suspense and as a result I found this book hard to read -- it's clear things are off the rails and characters I care about are going to get harmed (another Howey trademark it seems), but you just have to keep on marching through. As a result I found myself taking frequent breaks to think about what was happening, but finding myself having to pick the book up again. That is, this book is really really good, but Howey isn't afraid to have a character experience the consequences of their actions. That said, I don't really understand the purpose of the marriage sub-plot. I am sure its there for a reason, but it felt oddly out of place against the rest of the story arc.

Shift

Post author:mikal
Post published:March 11, 2024
Post category:Book

This is the second book in the Silo series, following on the Wool, which I recently read. I think to a certain extend this book is better than the first one -- I certainly found it compelling. An excellent read that explains how the universe described in Wool came to be, but yet also sets the scene for the third book in the trilogy.

Oryx and Crake

Post author:mikal
Post published:May 28, 2016
Post category:Book

I bought this book ages ago, on the recommendation of a friend (I don't remember who), but I only just got around to reading it. Its a hard book to read in places -- its not hopeful, or particularly fun, and its confronting in places -- especially the plot that revolves around child exploitation. There's very little to like about the future society that Atwood posits here, but perhaps that's the point. Despite not being a happy fun story, the book made me think about things like genetic engineering in a way I didn't before and I think that's what Atwood was seeking to achieve. So I'd have to describe the book as a success.