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The Plagiarist
Adam Griffey is living two lives. By day, he teaches literature. At night, he steals it. Adam is a plagiarist, an expert reader with an eye for great works. He prowls simulated worlds perusing virtual texts, looking for the next big thing. And when he finds it, he memorizes it page by page, line by line, word for word. And then he brings it back to his world, the real world, and he sells it. But what happens when these virtual worlds begin to seem more real than his own? What happens when the people within them mean more to him than flesh and blood? What happens when a living thing falls in love with someone who does not actually exist?
64 pages, Paperback
First published February 24, 2011
165 people are currently reading
1965 people want to read
About the author
Hugh Howey
151 books57.6k followersI'm the author of WOOL, a top 5 science fiction book on Amazon. I also wrote the Molly Fyde saga, a tale of a teenager from the 25th century who is repeatedly told that girls can't do certain things -- and then does them anyway.
A theme in my books is the celebration of overcoming odds and of not allowing the cruelty of the universe to change who you are in the process. Most of them are classified as science fiction, since they often take place in the future, but if you love great stories and memorable characters, you'll dig what you find here. I promise.
A theme in my books is the celebration of overcoming odds and of not allowing the cruelty of the universe to change who you are in the process. Most of them are classified as science fiction, since they often take place in the future, but if you love great stories and memorable characters, you'll dig what you find here. I promise.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 395 reviews
October 9, 2015
A very peculiar and yet fascinating short read that will make you question even your own existence. In a world where a person regularly visits different cyber realms or visual worlds for sociological studies and research, identifying what’s real from what’s not becomes the biggest challenge.
"…roughly 30 percent of what we see is hallucination. It’s our brain smoothing things over so the world’s not so pixilated."
Adam calls himself a plagiarist because he writes stories which he memorizes from cyber people he meets in the “sims”. In other words, his stories are composed by literally virtual people but which he publishes under his name. To complicate matters more, Adam falls in love with Belatrix, a woman from one of the cyber planets.
The premise is very intriguing and the author managed to tackle several subjects that will provoke serious thinking. The idea on how people who are too good at reading find it hard to be as good in writing because they are already too full of the good stuff, too knowledgeable to conjure something new got me really thinking. I had to pause for a few minutes to ponder about this.
...two minutes...
...plus two more minutes...
...plus two more minutes...
...and snores...
Okay. I’m up. Lol! (The tone of the narrative has a little tendency to put you to sleep).
The writing is flawless and the story has amazing potential but the problem is the premise is too huge of an endeavor to achieve in only a short novella. Information became too crammed up. Characters had no place for stronger development and the plot was too quick to finish.
It’s like eating a huge plate of spaghetti with only a toothpick.
It’s like running a 1000m dash in only a minute.
It’s like lifting a chair with only the index finger.
It’s like...you get what I mean. Lol.
Still, it’s a very worthwhile read and I actually recommend this if you’re looking for a thought provoking sci-fi/dystopian short read.
"…roughly 30 percent of what we see is hallucination. It’s our brain smoothing things over so the world’s not so pixilated."
Adam calls himself a plagiarist because he writes stories which he memorizes from cyber people he meets in the “sims”. In other words, his stories are composed by literally virtual people but which he publishes under his name. To complicate matters more, Adam falls in love with Belatrix, a woman from one of the cyber planets.
The premise is very intriguing and the author managed to tackle several subjects that will provoke serious thinking. The idea on how people who are too good at reading find it hard to be as good in writing because they are already too full of the good stuff, too knowledgeable to conjure something new got me really thinking. I had to pause for a few minutes to ponder about this.
...two minutes...
...plus two more minutes...
...plus two more minutes...
...and snores...
Okay. I’m up. Lol! (The tone of the narrative has a little tendency to put you to sleep).
The writing is flawless and the story has amazing potential but the problem is the premise is too huge of an endeavor to achieve in only a short novella. Information became too crammed up. Characters had no place for stronger development and the plot was too quick to finish.
It’s like eating a huge plate of spaghetti with only a toothpick.
It’s like running a 1000m dash in only a minute.
It’s like lifting a chair with only the index finger.
It’s like...you get what I mean. Lol.
Still, it’s a very worthwhile read and I actually recommend this if you’re looking for a thought provoking sci-fi/dystopian short read.
April 27, 2023
"Adam wondered if it counted as a lie if the untruth was as boring as reality."
It's easy to see the appeal of virtual reality. The chance to break from the monotony of real life, to be someone different, someone better, to experience something new and exciting and safe (since you can always log off when things are not to your liking). It can bring excitement and fulfillment, fill in the gaps and the void in your own life. And it can be done easily, without hard work, without sacrifice - new possibilities right at your fingertips, just waiting for you. Until some day it all goes horribly wrong. Enter The Plagiarist!
The plot is simple. In a not-so-remote future, Adam lives a double life - one as a successful writer, another as a obsessed user of a 'sim' - a computer-created virtual reality made by humans for scientific uses. It's like living in The Sims, honestly. Adam is not a scientist, however, but a titular plagiarist - he memorizes the texts of literary masterpieces written in this virtual reality by its inhabitants who have no idea that they are not 'technically' real - and then publishes the works in the 'real' world. Sweet life, no? Actually, no. Adam becomes so obsessed with his life in the virtual reality that he neglects the rest of his life including his online girlfriend, Amanda. But apparently virtual worlds that are so easy to inhabit are also very easy to delete.
(Some virtual reality games are very cute, apparently.)
I've recently read a book the protagonist of which goes through a slow cycle of personal destruction (Tana French's In The Woods), and seeing Adam's life completely taken over and diminishing under the influence of virtual reality reminded me of that one a bit. Adam is an interesting character to read about - both sympathetic and pathetic at the same time. He is very lonely and isolated, and acts in the ways that just increase this loneliness and isolation. His unhealthy obsession with something that is not 'real' is fascinating and almost hits close to home - after all, this is not that far of a stretch from the experience we have here, on Goodreads, or anywhere online, as a matter of fact - having an online persona that may or may not resemble your own self, creating relationships and friendships with people that we don't know in 'real life', all that. At times, the reality we create for ourselves feels just like that - a reality.
It's easy to see the appeal of virtual reality. The chance to break from the monotony of real life, to be someone different, someone better, to experience something new and exciting and safe (since you can always log off when things are not to your liking). It can bring excitement and fulfillment, fill in the gaps and the void in your own life. And it can be done easily, without hard work, without sacrifice - new possibilities right at your fingertips, just waiting for you. Until some day it all goes horribly wrong. Enter The Plagiarist!
"It may be erased,The Plagiarist, a short novella that you can finish in about an hour, is a nicely written piece of sci-fi, a genre that holds a special place in my heart (a warm and fuzzy one - the genre, not the heart; it'd be a dangerous condition if my heart were warm and fuzzy). It does come with a twist in the end that is very easy to spot soon after the beginning, but it did not spoil the enjoyment of the story for me in the slightest; on the contrary, it made me anxiously wait for the inevitable ending, building up more suspense than I would have had if I had no clue about what's coming.
all that is written. Destroyed,
all that's created."
The plot is simple. In a not-so-remote future, Adam lives a double life - one as a successful writer, another as a obsessed user of a 'sim' - a computer-created virtual reality made by humans for scientific uses. It's like living in The Sims, honestly. Adam is not a scientist, however, but a titular plagiarist - he memorizes the texts of literary masterpieces written in this virtual reality by its inhabitants who have no idea that they are not 'technically' real - and then publishes the works in the 'real' world. Sweet life, no? Actually, no. Adam becomes so obsessed with his life in the virtual reality that he neglects the rest of his life including his online girlfriend, Amanda. But apparently virtual worlds that are so easy to inhabit are also very easy to delete.
(Some virtual reality games are very cute, apparently.)
I've recently read a book the protagonist of which goes through a slow cycle of personal destruction (Tana French's In The Woods), and seeing Adam's life completely taken over and diminishing under the influence of virtual reality reminded me of that one a bit. Adam is an interesting character to read about - both sympathetic and pathetic at the same time. He is very lonely and isolated, and acts in the ways that just increase this loneliness and isolation. His unhealthy obsession with something that is not 'real' is fascinating and almost hits close to home - after all, this is not that far of a stretch from the experience we have here, on Goodreads, or anywhere online, as a matter of fact - having an online persona that may or may not resemble your own self, creating relationships and friendships with people that we don't know in 'real life', all that. At times, the reality we create for ourselves feels just like that - a reality.
"The world that isn'tI liked the way this book was written -it flows easily and effortlessly, with events smoothly moving forward and just enough description to enrich the story but not enough to become overwhelming. There is a classic sci-fi feel to the tone of the story, which I quite enjoyed.
Becomes simply that once more,
And all is gray ash."
October 10, 2015
This is probably the fourth or fifth I've read of Howey and I really enjoyed it. It's a fairly quick read, taking me only about 45 minutes to complete.
What we have here is a tale about virtual reality, a subject that always intrigues me, for one because I see a great appeal in it. Anyway the twist at the end is one I did see coming but I enjoyed it none the less. As always from Howey it was well-written and engaging. And there's something about his writing style that's very descriptive. I was able to picture the world, the events that unfold, very vividly.
All in all a very good quick read.
What we have here is a tale about virtual reality, a subject that always intrigues me, for one because I see a great appeal in it. Anyway the twist at the end is one I did see coming but I enjoyed it none the less. As always from Howey it was well-written and engaging. And there's something about his writing style that's very descriptive. I was able to picture the world, the events that unfold, very vividly.
All in all a very good quick read.
January 2, 2025
A fascinating and heartfelt story illustrating just how compelling the "simulation hypothesis" can be. If you don't know what that is, look it up. It will blow your mind. On top of that, what really blew my mind was the compelling case Howey makes for how incredibly beneficial simulated worlds can be (and how resource intensive) for everything from scientific breakthroughs to the discovery of artistic talent, and perhaps chillingly, how inevitable their development.
March 27, 2015
Good story. While it's not projected, I picked up the twist early on. Almost like
February 8, 2015
All his life, Adam had wanted to be a writer. The problem was: he was too good at reading.
2.5 stars. This dystopian novella was a quick piece of escapism, my favorite part being Adam's job. I think I could do that for a living - go to simulated worlds and read the whole day until you find the next big thing, then memorize it and bring it back to our world.
The ending was a bit predictable, and I could not understand why they could not just copy the books?
May 25, 2015
I started this short because it sounded interesting and the only reason I finished it is because I thought, "this has got to get better". Well it did not. The only reason it got two stars is because the premise was good.
May 2, 2012
I'm really impressed with this story both for its depth of ideas and philosophy, but also because of how much I cared for the main character. The emotional attachment to him finding happiness kept me reading. I love reading stories that give me joy to share in their world, even if it is bleak. This was that kind of story.
******** Spoiler Alert ***********
My only problem with this story was that I guessed the ending too far prior to the end. I thought what if he was also in a simulated world when Hugh gave us the backstory of how the plagarists got started. The story is cyclical, and I appreciate the foreshadowing, but it became too obvious how the story had to end for it to be cyclical. There is a sense of hoping against hope, first that his fake girlfriend's world wouldn't be deleted, then that he'd find closure with the fake girlfriend before her world deleted, then that he'd realize his real life girlfriend could give him real happiness, then once it was revealed that he wasn't real that he'd find a way to live on. The payoff of him giving one last haiku was well done, and I give Hugh credit for some genuinely thought provoking haikus to back up Amanda's claim that he was a legendary haiku writer. I suppose the string of hoping against hope is why even though I guessed what was going to happen, I was emotionally attached so that I still had to read to find out for sure.
I look forward to reading much more Hugh Howey, and am thrilled to find a new SF writer I enjoy on this level.
******** Spoiler Alert ***********
My only problem with this story was that I guessed the ending too far prior to the end. I thought what if he was also in a simulated world when Hugh gave us the backstory of how the plagarists got started. The story is cyclical, and I appreciate the foreshadowing, but it became too obvious how the story had to end for it to be cyclical. There is a sense of hoping against hope, first that his fake girlfriend's world wouldn't be deleted, then that he'd find closure with the fake girlfriend before her world deleted, then that he'd realize his real life girlfriend could give him real happiness, then once it was revealed that he wasn't real that he'd find a way to live on. The payoff of him giving one last haiku was well done, and I give Hugh credit for some genuinely thought provoking haikus to back up Amanda's claim that he was a legendary haiku writer. I suppose the string of hoping against hope is why even though I guessed what was going to happen, I was emotionally attached so that I still had to read to find out for sure.
I look forward to reading much more Hugh Howey, and am thrilled to find a new SF writer I enjoy on this level.
May 21, 2012
I bought this story because I loved his Wool Omnibus Edition. I can tell you, honestly, that I would have happily read 1000 more pages of this story, but Hugh Howey is one of the new masters of the Short. You can read this during your lunch, or a train commute, or a short layover... and I do mean short. I was captured instantly, the setting is so absolutely feasible that there was no willing suspension of disbelief time needed to settle in... and the ending?? I'll just say: Well played, Mr. Howey. The Plagiarist is absolutely fantastic.
April 16, 2013
I had a hard time deciding whether to peg it at 4 or 5 stars. I usually reserve 5 stars for books that completely blew me away and 4 stars for excellent books that I really enjoyed, but they don't make my top of the list as favourite books of all time. To receive 5 stars from me you have to do something extraordinarily exceptional that I have not seen before / did not expect. With that point aside, let's get to the review!
I enjoyed this novella. Because of the length of the work description of the world and characters must be limited, but that does not mean it was bad. Howey kept the world simple and focused on one character keeping the scope small which is definitely needed for work of this length. Some novellas can feel dry and contrived: a stripped down version of a greater work - but "The Plagarist" manages to maintain a short length without taking away from story, setting, or character development in any meaningful way.
I really felt for the protagonist and could relate with his escapist mentality. There is not much in the way of "character development" as the length of the story leaves no room for that. This is not a negative, however. What I mean is that the character does not change or "develop" over-time, but the reader can easily understand what makes them tick and feel what they feel.
The ending was believable though can on a bit quickly. I would have loved to spend more time in this man's world, and the ending seemed a bit rushed to me. It did not, however, feel unfinished as some novellas tend to. The ending is solid, but the last few chapters come on a little too fast. Increasing the page count of this work before the ending scenes are introduced, I feel, would have enhanced the story masterfully.
All in all, a good read and worth the money I paid for it. I will look for other works from Hugh Howey to read in the future. (PS. I like to introduce myself to new/unknown authors through shorter novellas before diving into their larger works, and "The Plagarist" tickled my interest).
I enjoyed this novella. Because of the length of the work description of the world and characters must be limited, but that does not mean it was bad. Howey kept the world simple and focused on one character keeping the scope small which is definitely needed for work of this length. Some novellas can feel dry and contrived: a stripped down version of a greater work - but "The Plagarist" manages to maintain a short length without taking away from story, setting, or character development in any meaningful way.
I really felt for the protagonist and could relate with his escapist mentality. There is not much in the way of "character development" as the length of the story leaves no room for that. This is not a negative, however. What I mean is that the character does not change or "develop" over-time, but the reader can easily understand what makes them tick and feel what they feel.
The ending was believable though can on a bit quickly. I would have loved to spend more time in this man's world, and the ending seemed a bit rushed to me. It did not, however, feel unfinished as some novellas tend to. The ending is solid, but the last few chapters come on a little too fast. Increasing the page count of this work before the ending scenes are introduced, I feel, would have enhanced the story masterfully.
All in all, a good read and worth the money I paid for it. I will look for other works from Hugh Howey to read in the future. (PS. I like to introduce myself to new/unknown authors through shorter novellas before diving into their larger works, and "The Plagarist" tickled my interest).
October 25, 2023
I read all things Howey. This is a short novella which was on sale for $0.99 on Kindle.
The plagiarist is a fellow named Adam whose day job is literature teacher and on the side he plagiarizes stories which he reads in a virtual world he visits. He has an incredible memory and "writes" and publishes the stories in his world to make money. It would be like monetizing ChatGPT if it produced masterpieces.
Everything is rolling along for Adam until he falls in love with a woman named Bellatrix in the virtual world and ends up neglecting his real life obligations and on-line girlfriend (who wants to meet him in person) to spend more time as his cyberself with Bellatrix. The setting bounces between his sims and the real world and the plot takes some twists and turns. The ending is poignant and makes one think.
Howey is an excellent science fiction writer - Wool has become a successful series on Apple TV and Beacon 23 will soon be coming to TV screens as well - his star is definitely on the rise and stories like this are a good example of his entertaining storytelling.
The plagiarist is a fellow named Adam whose day job is literature teacher and on the side he plagiarizes stories which he reads in a virtual world he visits. He has an incredible memory and "writes" and publishes the stories in his world to make money. It would be like monetizing ChatGPT if it produced masterpieces.
Everything is rolling along for Adam until he falls in love with a woman named Bellatrix in the virtual world and ends up neglecting his real life obligations and on-line girlfriend (who wants to meet him in person) to spend more time as his cyberself with Bellatrix. The setting bounces between his sims and the real world and the plot takes some twists and turns. The ending is poignant and makes one think.
Howey is an excellent science fiction writer - Wool has become a successful series on Apple TV and Beacon 23 will soon be coming to TV screens as well - his star is definitely on the rise and stories like this are a good example of his entertaining storytelling.
May 31, 2017
Makes you think.
As usual High Howey pulls you into his story and makes you think on so many levels. Glad I own this. I'll be reading it again.
As usual High Howey pulls you into his story and makes you think on so many levels. Glad I own this. I'll be reading it again.
November 29, 2014
This short sci-fi novella reminded me a bit of Ready Player One, but with much more sinister overtones.
The storyline examines a possible future where simulations in cyberspace have run off on their own, turning into almost self-sustaining environments.
Taking advantage, people from the "real world" began to take literary works, art, and scientific advancements back to the real world. It’s not stealing if the people who created it do not really exist right? Right.
As always it amazes me how much of a punch this author can pack into a few chapters. At less than 60 pages you are left with a complete world and insight into its characters and a plot line full of twists.
Worth the 30 odd minutes it will take you to read.
The storyline examines a possible future where simulations in cyberspace have run off on their own, turning into almost self-sustaining environments.
Taking advantage, people from the "real world" began to take literary works, art, and scientific advancements back to the real world. It’s not stealing if the people who created it do not really exist right? Right.
As always it amazes me how much of a punch this author can pack into a few chapters. At less than 60 pages you are left with a complete world and insight into its characters and a plot line full of twists.
Worth the 30 odd minutes it will take you to read.
March 11, 2015
Once you've gotten the full scope of where this story is going, it's pretty predictable. Not a bad story, still filled with that same emotional slant that I've come to expect of his stories. Worth reading, especially since it's a very quick read.
March 10, 2012
This was a fun read, despite figuring out the plot twist fairly early on.
(Also: a bonus! Only discovered one typo, which is amazing these days. The poet was Percy Bysshe Shelley, not Shelly.)
(Also: a bonus! Only discovered one typo, which is amazing these days. The poet was Percy Bysshe Shelley, not Shelly.)
March 19, 2015
This virtual reality scifi novella is yet another example of Hugh Howey’s mastery of art of the slow reveal. Adam Griffey’s world of the near future contains an almost limitless number of artificial worlds, supported by fields of server farms, in which software citizens are self-aware. Scientists set up teams of software scientists to find cures for cancer, or create new worlds to study planet formation. Entire software civilizations rise and fall, so that Adam’s world reaps the benefits.
Adam is bored with his job, his online girlfriend, his real life. Instead, he prowls virtual worlds at night, searching for the next Shakespeare. He memorizes novels written by virtual people, page by page, and brings them back to his own world. He is a plagiarist. As he spends more and more time hooked in, Adam’s virtual life starts to mean more to him than his own.
I have been continuously impressed by Howey’s effective storytelling of simple concepts with tangible characters, especially in such short formats. Adam’s escapist mentality is easy to relate to in our world of ever-increasing entertainment, mass consumerism, and informational overload. When the virtual worlds create more and more virtual worlds of their own, the servers in the real world are pushed to their limit, and some programs are slated for deletion.
A quick read recommended for all fans of scifi, particularly those interested in consciousness, the nature of reality, and haiku.
"All his life, he’d wanted to be a writer, but was too good at reading and did too much of it."
Adam is bored with his job, his online girlfriend, his real life. Instead, he prowls virtual worlds at night, searching for the next Shakespeare. He memorizes novels written by virtual people, page by page, and brings them back to his own world. He is a plagiarist. As he spends more and more time hooked in, Adam’s virtual life starts to mean more to him than his own.
I have been continuously impressed by Howey’s effective storytelling of simple concepts with tangible characters, especially in such short formats. Adam’s escapist mentality is easy to relate to in our world of ever-increasing entertainment, mass consumerism, and informational overload. When the virtual worlds create more and more virtual worlds of their own, the servers in the real world are pushed to their limit, and some programs are slated for deletion.
A quick read recommended for all fans of scifi, particularly those interested in consciousness, the nature of reality, and haiku.
"All his life, he’d wanted to be a writer, but was too good at reading and did too much of it."
February 21, 2013
Well, I tried this on for size after hearing about the Wool series (which I plan on reading eventually). I just wanted to get a taste of Hugh Howey (that sounds wrong and I'm sorry).
This Adam Griffey dude is not a plagiarist in the way you would think. He doesn't just steal people's work and pass it off as his own. Adam goes into virtual worlds, memorizes stuff he thinks is awesome, then publishes it under his own name.
BUT WAIT.
He does not claim to be the author. No no no. He just claims to have discovered it. At one point he says to his mother, "Mom, I discovered the book. We've talked about this. It says it right there with the copyrights." I guess that would be plagiarism, yes. He's not giving credit to the original author (who really doesn't exist, if that makes any sense). I just thought the story was going to be different. I thought he was going to claim to be the original author.
So to me, I guess the title was a bit misleading. I just needed to say that.
Anyway, I liked it. A very interesting concept. Descriptive without going overboard. I didn't feel that it was too long or too short.
But I did feel, at times, there wasn't enough dialogue. I sometimes feel disconnected from the people in stories if there is lack of dialogue. I just really need to know what the characters have to say, okay? Also, the fact that Adam pursues and falls in love with a woman in a virtual world is stupid on his part. Isn't he smarter than that?
This Adam Griffey dude is not a plagiarist in the way you would think. He doesn't just steal people's work and pass it off as his own. Adam goes into virtual worlds, memorizes stuff he thinks is awesome, then publishes it under his own name.
BUT WAIT.
He does not claim to be the author. No no no. He just claims to have discovered it. At one point he says to his mother, "Mom, I discovered the book. We've talked about this. It says it right there with the copyrights." I guess that would be plagiarism, yes. He's not giving credit to the original author (who really doesn't exist, if that makes any sense). I just thought the story was going to be different. I thought he was going to claim to be the original author.
So to me, I guess the title was a bit misleading. I just needed to say that.
Anyway, I liked it. A very interesting concept. Descriptive without going overboard. I didn't feel that it was too long or too short.
But I did feel, at times, there wasn't enough dialogue. I sometimes feel disconnected from the people in stories if there is lack of dialogue. I just really need to know what the characters have to say, okay? Also, the fact that Adam pursues and falls in love with a woman in a virtual world is stupid on his part. Isn't he smarter than that?
August 13, 2012
I am starting this short story out at 3.5 stars, but it will probably be one of those books that plays on my mind enough that it will end up warranting 4 stars.
I am not really sure what I think about Hugh Howey. I loved his WOOL series, but I am confused by the length of his books, they range from a short-story to a novella in length. I am not used to paying money for a single short-story, though I am sure I will eventually. I should applaud him as I also always dislike short-stories. I find them depressing, and here is a writer who writes short stories that I enjoy.
From here on I am going to put some spoilers in. In fact I am going to talk about the ending. Just be warned.
I am not really sure what I think about Hugh Howey. I loved his WOOL series, but I am confused by the length of his books, they range from a short-story to a novella in length. I am not used to paying money for a single short-story, though I am sure I will eventually. I should applaud him as I also always dislike short-stories. I find them depressing, and here is a writer who writes short stories that I enjoy.
From here on I am going to put some spoilers in. In fact I am going to talk about the ending. Just be warned.
July 11, 2012
I give this short story five stars for a few reasons. First and most importantly, the concept. The idea here is fantastic and new to me. As a participant in a virtual world, I can love to find books that take on that culture, and Hugh took it to a whole mother level in just 57 pages. The next reason is because by page 35 or so, I started to question why he was being so descriptive, especially toward the end. Then, I realized why and that it was not only necessary, but a masterful storytelling talent...that borders on poetic. Finally, as my first ever short story (besides required reading of the classics in high school), it opened me up to a whole new world of possibilities for my kindle!! Hugh, you've yet to disappoint and have made a fan out of me for sure.
November 9, 2012
I really enjoyed reading The Plagiarist. Hugh Howey has a wonderful way with words (and haiku!). I'm glad I found a modern SF author whose books I really look forward to reading.
The biggest appeal of Hugh Howey's books, for me, is that the story is so plausible. SF is generally incredible (I guess the point is that it is meant to be), but Hugh's way makes it so that one realizes after reading half-way through his books that a feeling of "meh-I-gotta-accept-the-crazy-stuff-'coz-that's-what-I've-come-to-expect-from-SF" is missing --- you have no trouble imagining the "wonders" in his books.
The only reason I gave this book a 4 instead of a 5 is that it was easy to figure out where the story was going long before the end. But all in all, I'd recommend this one to all SF fans.
The biggest appeal of Hugh Howey's books, for me, is that the story is so plausible. SF is generally incredible (I guess the point is that it is meant to be), but Hugh's way makes it so that one realizes after reading half-way through his books that a feeling of "meh-I-gotta-accept-the-crazy-stuff-'coz-that's-what-I've-come-to-expect-from-SF" is missing --- you have no trouble imagining the "wonders" in his books.
The only reason I gave this book a 4 instead of a 5 is that it was easy to figure out where the story was going long before the end. But all in all, I'd recommend this one to all SF fans.
August 9, 2016
This story didn't give me much. The main character seems pale to me and the ending was quite foreseeable.
If you don't know the author and want to read something by him check out the Silo books (WOOL).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
If you don't know the author and want to read something by him check out the Silo books (WOOL).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
February 13, 2023
I learned about this book from a Facebook group. I read it this morning and both enjoyed and hated it.
I have anxiety which is exacerbated by existential dread. This book did nothing to assuage my anxiety. I'm also the type of person who watches/reads tearjerkers when I'm sad, so this book is kind of perfect for me!
64 pages was just about the perfect length. It never would have cut it as a novel or even a novella. But I can tell that this will lead me into reading more of Hugh Howey's work the same way that people have come to read Stephen King by starting with Night Shift or The Bachman Books.
Some of the haikus that start off each chapter are beautiful. But it made me wonder - am I the only person who counts the syllables for every haiku?
I have anxiety which is exacerbated by existential dread. This book did nothing to assuage my anxiety. I'm also the type of person who watches/reads tearjerkers when I'm sad, so this book is kind of perfect for me!
64 pages was just about the perfect length. It never would have cut it as a novel or even a novella. But I can tell that this will lead me into reading more of Hugh Howey's work the same way that people have come to read Stephen King by starting with Night Shift or The Bachman Books.
Some of the haikus that start off each chapter are beautiful. But it made me wonder - am I the only person who counts the syllables for every haiku?
September 27, 2015
That isn't how virtual reality works...
I love a good virtual reality story, and this one isn't bad, but it bugs me when writers give in to the temptation to impose silly, arbitrary limits on the relationships between the virtual and the actual. The most common offender is "if you die in there, you die out here as well" (The Matrix, Inception). This story imposes the restriction that you can not copy data from the VR to reality by any means other than memorization, which just doesn't add up.
Granting suspension of disbelief to cover that one flaw, this was a fine story.
I love a good virtual reality story, and this one isn't bad, but it bugs me when writers give in to the temptation to impose silly, arbitrary limits on the relationships between the virtual and the actual. The most common offender is "if you die in there, you die out here as well" (The Matrix, Inception). This story imposes the restriction that you can not copy data from the VR to reality by any means other than memorization, which just doesn't add up.
Granting suspension of disbelief to cover that one flaw, this was a fine story.
March 29, 2012
I'm seriously considering stalking Hugh Howey. When I find him it will be old school judo chop time.
Last night I read "The Plagiarist", by Hugh Howey, free on Kindle.
In my opinion this is at the very least as good as, if not more compelling, than Wool.
I thought I was a woolite, now I'm not wondering if I shouldn't be a server farm surfer.
Seriously Hugh, your killing me man.
Sincerely
Niels Pedersen
That guy outside your window
Last night I read "The Plagiarist", by Hugh Howey, free on Kindle.
In my opinion this is at the very least as good as, if not more compelling, than Wool.
I thought I was a woolite, now I'm not wondering if I shouldn't be a server farm surfer.
Seriously Hugh, your killing me man.
Sincerely
Niels Pedersen
That guy outside your window
December 11, 2013
This wasn't entirely what I was expecting. I got less of one thing and got a bit more of another. Not that that's a bad thing!! It was quite a mind bender of a story.
What surprised me most is that Adam is not entirely a likeable character, when you get down to it, but I found myself strongly empathizing with him. I felt really badly for him.
The ending was quite twisted. Nice!! Mr. Howey has done it again! The final image was... perfectly tragic.
What surprised me most is that Adam is not entirely a likeable character, when you get down to it, but I found myself strongly empathizing with him. I felt really badly for him.
The ending was quite twisted. Nice!! Mr. Howey has done it again! The final image was... perfectly tragic.
April 1, 2014
My main problem is that it's too short! This premise holds so much potential, so many possibilities. It is great for what it is though - a philosophical exercise in a sci-fi setting. At first I was upset that the main character couldn't see what was coming as well as I could, but then I realized that it only added another layer to the exercise. I found this novella much more thought provoking than other noted philosophical works. Well done!
February 16, 2015
Though I'm often drawn to books of 700 or 800 pages, I read this one, a mere 57 pages, because Hugh Howey is one of my favorite authors and I just can't resist. I was not disappointed! Not only does the Plagiarist address the nature of existence and reality, but it hits another note that I didn't even realize I was hearing. In this age of information overload, in reams of data and 700 page novels, is more better?
Like haiku, there is beauty in brevity. I loved it.
Like haiku, there is beauty in brevity. I loved it.
March 18, 2015
Ok, so this novella is one of those stories where you don't realize how good it is until near the end. There was a twist in this one that blew me away and totally surprised and shocked me. I'm not even going to hint at it, as I don't want to ruin it accidentally for anyone. What an interesting and though provoking concept! This was also a good choice for audio, as I felt immersed in the different worlds.
March 19, 2013
"Is this real life? Or is this just fantasy?"
Last December I learned I love Hugh Howey. I loved his Wool series. I love good, fun, provocative writing. So, no surprise: I really liked The Plagiarist.
It is the slimmest of reads--less than 100 pages. And yet it's rich in character development and deep thoughts and has plenty of payoffs and "wait, WHAT?!?" moments.
Last December I learned I love Hugh Howey. I loved his Wool series. I love good, fun, provocative writing. So, no surprise: I really liked The Plagiarist.
It is the slimmest of reads--less than 100 pages. And yet it's rich in character development and deep thoughts and has plenty of payoffs and "wait, WHAT?!?" moments.
January 27, 2014
I wasn't expecting THAT!
I was confused at the beginning of this short story and wasn't sure i was going to like it. But it quickly got interesting and now the beginning makes more sense than it did before. Its like a episode of The Twilight Zone where you don't really know whats going on through half the episode and then, WHAM! This is a cool story that makes you think.
I was confused at the beginning of this short story and wasn't sure i was going to like it. But it quickly got interesting and now the beginning makes more sense than it did before. Its like a episode of The Twilight Zone where you don't really know whats going on through half the episode and then, WHAM! This is a cool story that makes you think.
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