Resistance: A Hole in the Sky: A Novel

Resistance Universe

by William C. Dietz

The official prequel to the blockbuster videogame Resistance 3

America. July 1953.
 
In this official prequel to Resistance 3, prospects are not looking up for planet Earth or Lieutenant Joseph Capelli. With the Chimera invasion in full swing, America has crumbled under the fierce alien juggernaut, its defenses overrun, millions dead, the rest left to fend for themselves. Many try to avoid the alien virus that turns humans into Chimeran killing machines.

Capelli may be a pariah to the army for killing hero Nathan Hale, but he is still a patriot fighting to save the country and its citizens. However, some soldiers are ready to shoot him on sight—not to mention that Hale’s beautiful sister has every reason in the world to want him stone dead. But Capelli’s used to being in dangerous situations and taking crazy risks. And the next move he intends to make is pure suicide.

Genres: Science Fiction, Video Games, Horror

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

New York Times bestselling author William C. Dietz has published more than fifty novels, some of which have been translated into German, Russian, and Japanese. He grew up in the Seattle area, served as a medic with the Navy and Marine Corps, graduated from the University of Washington, and has been employed as a surgical technician, college instructor, and television news writer, director and producer. Before becoming a full-time writer Dietz was director of public relations and marketing for an international telephone company. He and his wife live near Gig Harbor, Washington.

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was not a good book by any sane literary standard. I say this--the kindest part of my review--on account of my bias toward the plot of the game series, and because I needed to make room to state that I do not hate Insomniac Games in any way (though it puzzles me why they would hire such a guy, given his past track record of literary monstrosities and bombs.)

I shall now state my opinion bluntly: this is not literature, but the poorest possible imitation of it. This piece of festering latrine-spillage is so riddled with cliches and plot inconsistencies that I eventually had to pause reading in order to write a review of this fetid sewer-spawn. The book has no redeeming characteristics at all, and outside of those ideas, characters, and plot elements borrowed from the admirable video game series, almost everything is either derivative, ineffective, or counterproductive--and absolutely nothing could even remotely be considered good.

I first noticed the cliches when I had started the book, and at first thought nothing of them as I continued to read. However, as I continued, the writing steadily worsened. It seems that Mr. Dietz mimics only other commercial hacks in his genre, for the text has neither layers, texture, color of expression, nor indeed any other aspect or element of literary worth, and furthermore has enough in the way of bad things to induce in the most level-headed literary critic a vehement hatred of this author's style. To point out still another warble on this already fly-eaten hide, the author has no ability to recognize the subtle connotations of words.

Here is an excerpt from the beginning of Chapter 4, which has the wholly original and breathtakingly innovative title of "Bad Company". I have highlighted every cliched expression or construction I can recognize in bold.

"The sky was blue, the highway was gray, and Capelli was running. With each stride, his sixty-pound pack parted company with his sweat-slicked back and hit him. He could just drop it, of course. But what then? How long would he last without food or backup ammo? Although that would be a moot point if the stinks caught up with him. At least a dozen of the creatures were closing in on them including a squad of Hybrids, a couple of Steelheads, and a hulking Ravager. None of which was any concern to Rowdy, who was loping along at Capelli's side with his mouth open and his tongue flapping in the breeze."

Here is another from Chapter 7, entitled "Hole Card":

"It was a reasonably peaceful scene at the moment, or would have been, were it not for the strange flower-like structure that had blossomed at the southern end of the camp."

The author is seemingly unaware of the jarringly dissonant connotations here between "blossomed" and the rest of the sentence. The word "blossom", though usable as a verb, generally has only positive connotations in such situations--as opposed to, for instance, "bloom", which can convey connotations of abnormal flowering or replication, as in "algae bloom." Rather than risk adding a bit of texture to the story by making a correct choice, Dietz instead makes a mistake--further revealing his disregard for intelligent readers and for literary quality in general.

Other flaws abound. The book makes occasional references to survivalist terminology, despite the fact that such terminology was not coined, even in our timeline, until the seventies, and despite also the fact that the term "survivalist" itself--a term used at least once in the book--was only coined in 1985! One of the protagonists is mentioned as utterly hating her dead brother for his actions, then as loving him, without any explanation as to what changed her mind. This same protagonist is shown caring deeply for her fellow inmates at a prison--sufficiently so that their mistreatment induces her to kill the warden--and then, after she does so, she leaves the place without any further mention of what happens to her fellow inmates--or indeed, any concern on her part for them.
I will not go further into this, as some things are just too disgusting to analyze, but I can say that this book only further increases my loathing of this era's slew of movie and game tie-ins in fiction.

[Chris The Lizard from Planet X · Rating 4 out of 5]

Resistance: A Hole In The Sky By Willam C. Dietz, is a video game tie-in novel based on Insomniac Games “Resistance” franchise, and acts as a prequel to the (2011) entry “Resistance 3.”

For those unfamiliar with The Resistance game universe. The games are set in an alternative history that deviated from our timeline in 1908 with the arrival of alien viruses on Earth. These viruses interfaced with each other as a collective intelligence, infecting and transforming human populations into Chimera forms and advancing the technology of their creations. By the early 1950s, most of the planet has fallen to the Chimera. The United States one the last remaining superpowers left on Earth resisting the Chimera threat has fallen to the alien invaders by 1953.

America. 1953. The United States has crumbled under the fierce Chimera alien invasion, its military overrun, millions of citizens dead, remnants of the federal government in hiding, and various surviving Americans left to fend for themselves. For ex-Army Lieutenant Joseph Capelli life in the alien occupied wastelands that were formerly America is one of daily survival. As a runner delivering various goods to surviving human settlements and communities Capelli knows how dangerous life in alien occupied America is. When a survivalist named Locke hires him to take him across the post apocalyptic remains of America to a survivalist community in Haven, Oklahoma. He takes the job in hopes of finding a better life their. When Capelli arrives he discovers a very real human threat in form of a local warlord called Judge Ramsey who threatens not just him and his new home, but also to the remnants of the US government.

Resistance: A Hole In The Sky is the perfect companion to the (2011) PS3 video game “Resistance 3.” It’s interesting, exciting, and fast-paced – three things that make any book an enjoyable read. I honestly think you’d like this book if you haven’t even played the games if you love post apocalyptic stories. You might struggle a little if you have zero knowledge of the games, but I can guarantee you it’s worth it. (And it will definitely make you want to play them.)

Dietz is a master at military Sci-Fi! I have not read a book by Dietz that I didn't like. This book was no exception. I love alternate history and post apocalyptic genres. I especially like the combination of the two genres, and author Willam C. Dietz shows his talent as as he combines the genres. He really explores and builds upon the Resistance game universe in this novel. Dietz did an outstanding job of putting this novel together. It is well written and I love the way the plot has both a sci-fi military side and a post-apocalyptic journey side as well, the character developement was exellent.

This novel fleshes out a lot of the plot and characters seen in the (2011) Resistance 3 game, while also adding plenty of new storyline/lore to the Resistance universe. I particularly liked Dietz’s effort put into the world building of this version of a 1950s post-apocalyptic America. The book is very well written, the plot is intriguing and I particularly loved the fact that it is focused on multiple characters. It’s also a lovely treat to anyone who’s played the second Resistance game because it mentions characters from the second installment and you get to know what’s happened to them! Basically, if you want to know what happens after the end of Resistance 2, this is exactly what you’re going to get in A Hole In The Sky, as well as an exciting set up to Resistance 3.

I'm a big fan of the Resistance games and the character of Joseph Capelli, so I was happy to see that this book has a lot of focus on him. The book basically tells you what happened in America and to Capelli after the events of Resistance 2, while also introducing some new things about the Chimera, Capelli, and happened to the US government after the fall. You also learn more about certain characters that are only occasionally mentioned or seen briefly in the games or extended material such as Susan Farley and Doctor Molotov. From start to finish, this book does a great job of bridging the gap between the second and third Resistance games.

While I found this a solid novel the biggest problems with it is the main antagonist Judge Ramsey and his settlement don’t really get fleshed out much. Also the subplot involving US president Thomas Voss and the remnants of the US Government in hiding doesn’t get resolved in the novel. Although minor reasons, that's why I didn't give the book a perfect rating.

Overall, this is a quick, fun read which either introduces you to or brings you back to Resistance game world. I also would like to thank the author for respecting the game lore and characters without changing anything major. Author Willam C. Dietz clearly did his research and managed to give what any Resistance fan what they were looking for a entertaining prequel that leads into Resistance 3 game.

[Gina Briganti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am lucky enough to have a fun book trade with a few people in my life. One of those people is my 16-year-old son. I proposed the book trade idea to him a couple of years ago to continue to give us something in common since he was a full blown teenage boy. It goes like this; if he reads a book he thinks is really exceptional, he recommends it to me and I give him a book title in return. Then we both read the book. It isn’t always a smooth process. Sometimes it takes a while before we catch up to each other. At the moment, I have a couple of reads to go before I can recommend another book to him.

I am working on it, though! I read “Resistance: A Hole in the Sky” By William C. Dietz (2011). He read it before summer. One of the many things I love about this trade is being reminded of what good taste he has in books. “Resistance: A Hole in the Sky” is a solid four star read.

Fifty pages into the book I had to remind myself that this wasn’t even one of my many “normal” genres. It is a prequel to the Playstation 3 videogame Resistance 3.

Aliens have invaded North America. One man, Joe Capelli, is still fighting the good fight. He’s trying to keep the last of the humans from being turned into aliens. He’s a good guy facing a serious loss of credibility. You see, he saw a superior officer becoming an alien and took action. The problem is no one else noticed, so he was considered a traitor and ejected from the Army.

Capelli has a great sidekick named Rowdy. Rowdy isn’t any particular breed of dog. He’s a loyal fighter and an excellent companion.

Together they face the travails of scratching out an existence, doling out justice to human and alien baddies, fall in love with a beautiful woman who is as tough as they are, and live to fight another day.
The world has a chance with the Capelli’s on our side. Watch out, Chimeras.

[Mojoboy31 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Hole In The Sky really does a nice job of capturing the feel from the games and expanding the universe in some very interesting ways. The best part of the book is easily the characters; Dietz knows how to portray some great characters, especially Susan.
Her introduction in this book was beyond stellar, and her character was great throughout.

There's a lot of bad reviews for this, and honestly, that's not all that surprising; I can see how this would not be everyone's cup of tea; lots of gore, lots of violence, lots of swearing, and a dreary, dark, and depressing atmosphere. If you haven't played Resistance 3, then you probably won't get too much enjoyment out of it, but if you did play the game, and you're looking for more Joseph Capelli, this book is for you.

If you thought some of the tough spots 'The Last Sentinel' found himself in during Resistance 3 were exciting, this book will definitely please you. Deitz has a great imagination for Capelli's combat style; always doing the unexpected, always making you smile at Capelli's ingenuity and toughness.

In all, this book was a fun read, not a literary masterpiece, but an action packed ride through a sad world; exactly as the video game series was.

[Nicholas Cesare · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the brisk pace at which this book moves. Things happen and they happen quickly. It does a great job of conveying the world at this point in the story, in all it's brutality. The story was better than the first book, since most of the fighting is human vs human, resulting in more political intrigue than just action. I'm deducting a point because I sometimes wished there was a bit more descriptive language and more description in general, and because the title 'A Hole in the Sky' has nothing to do with the story told here. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book though, and wish more books were this fast paced.

NOTE: This book is only really worth reading if you're at all a fan of the video games in this universe.

[Steven Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been reading a lot of Dietz's books lately - good thing that I like them. Some of the characters from the first book are in this one as well, but the action focuses on the new characters.

Not the ending I expected, but well written and certainly in line with both the video game and the previous book.

I don't play video games but I am told by those who do that this book is a good idea of what the game is about.

[Mark Ford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well!

As stated previously I have no idea of the game play this is based on.

This is set 2 years after the first book and with another main protagonist who seems indestructible.

He encounters a relative of Nathan Hale and nothing really happens. (Avoiding spoilers here).

All in all it's a leave your brain and sense of reality at the door and stuff yourself with this light, throwaway literary popcorn.

[Admin · Rating 4 out of 5]

fantastic set in the universe. i read it in 3 days and couldnt put it down. it felt like a cowboy story set in a post-government américa. i wish there were more stories jn the universe after this one.

[Samuel Tyler]

In the list of what makes a great book, a tie in from a videogame is not going to be high up there. I have read a few of these in my time and they are not always great. However, the likes of the initial ‘Mass Effect’ novels buck the trend enough to make trying more worthwhile. ‘Resistance: A Hole in the Sky’ is a spin off novel from the popular PlayStation series of first person shooters and reports to be cannon as it takes place between two of the games. I have played these games, but could not really tell you who the characters are and what they were doing. Therefore, I was reading this book more as a straight slice of dystopian fiction.

The initial signs for the book are good. We follow Joe Capelli, an ex-super solider who now survives by delivering items and people across dangerous lands. Why dangerous? The world has started to be taken over by the Chimera, a race that thrive on the cold and use humans to develop their troops. When Capelli strikes up a deal with a rich loner he embarks on an adventure that will lead to not only fighting the Chimera, but also other humans.

For the first half of ‘Hole in the Sky’ you are in a rather intense and well realised science fiction novel. The story jumps between Joe and a couple of other characters and you get the sense of the human race trying to thrive under the yolk of the invading force. The splicing of the game mechanics and the needs of the story works well; the aliens and weaponry could easily exist in any sci fi book. There is none of the crowbarring of ‘gameplay’ like some of these novels suffer from.

The issues with the book begin to appear just after halfway when fate put Joe in danger. All of the sudden a rather intelligent book becomes shlock. This is not a problem for me as a rule, but I like to keep the two separate. You end up with a book that does not know what it wants to be; intense thriller or action adventure. It is a bit of both, but remains true to neither. Fans of the games will enjoy the ride, but plain book lovers will find it ok at best.

[Vito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, ok, these are my guilty pleasures. I love the back stories behind the video games I've played. These thoughts would only apply if you've played this game. It was very good, if a bit cheezy. Much fun but don't know if this tale would stand on it's own. Gore and swearing throughout. Did not expect this as the game targets teens (there is a mature rating for this game). Monsters, death, and mayhem through out. The story here is that WWII did not occur as alien invasion wiped out Europe. Subsequent games have the Chimera speading to America virus-like. The last installment has our country destroyed with only pockets of humanity left. It was wonderful. Hope there is another.

[Paul Sandilands · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a gawd awful book. Poor character development and I mean awful the idea is great but the execution by this hack of a writer is pathetic. The characters are all paper thin and no background on anything the dating is weird [if you don't play the video game I guess]

Lastly it ended without so much of an attempt to tie up loose ends
for gawds sake don't bother I wish I hadn't.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad novel but not quite as good as The Gathering Storm, it just feels less engaging compared to its predecessor it does however give explanation to a few things in Resistance 3 such as how Joseph Capelli met and subsequently married Susan and how he came to be living in Haven, however apart from Capelli's story there isn't a whole lot to it.

[Michael Alexander · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very well written. I liked that it was a prequel, and gave me some back story to the game, but the whole thing felt rushed.

[Tyrell Bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazeing not as good as gathering storm but i still think all who say it's a bad book obviously havent read the whole book and have not played the whole resistance series.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was better than the first restitance. it is the prequel to the video game restitance 3. it does pick up where the first one ended. I liked this one.

[Fernando Ricci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could not put it down

First time reading William C. Dietz. Fast paced action. Great woman warrior sniper to complement the one man army die hard avenger. Good stuff!

[Richard Vo]

"Alright book!"