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The Nemesis List
Character-driven space opera, perfect for fans of Serenity
Humanity has expanded into the stars, but at the price of its freedom. An autocratic Government rigidly controls every technical and scientific advancement; deviation is punishable by death; and out on the edges of space, criminals thwart the law, making money out of illegal tech, their ships jumping from galaxy to galaxy to avoid detection. Ex-soldier Frank Pak doesn't care about politics or breaking the law, he just wants to keep his ship running. When he's offered a contract to escort a runaway back home to his loving family, he doesn't ask questions—but his cargo is more dangerous than he realizes. Jeven Jones is no ordinary passenger—a result of illegal human experimentation, he's a fast-tracked evolutionary leap into the future. Thanks to his ability for perfect recall and a series of mental skills that he has no control over, Jones is a wanted man. The Government wants him dead, while revolutionaries want to use him to unlock every advancement the Government has ever denied them. If Jones lives he'll start a war. If he dies the entire future of humanity dies with him.
Humanity has expanded into the stars, but at the price of its freedom. An autocratic Government rigidly controls every technical and scientific advancement; deviation is punishable by death; and out on the edges of space, criminals thwart the law, making money out of illegal tech, their ships jumping from galaxy to galaxy to avoid detection. Ex-soldier Frank Pak doesn't care about politics or breaking the law, he just wants to keep his ship running. When he's offered a contract to escort a runaway back home to his loving family, he doesn't ask questions—but his cargo is more dangerous than he realizes. Jeven Jones is no ordinary passenger—a result of illegal human experimentation, he's a fast-tracked evolutionary leap into the future. Thanks to his ability for perfect recall and a series of mental skills that he has no control over, Jones is a wanted man. The Government wants him dead, while revolutionaries want to use him to unlock every advancement the Government has ever denied them. If Jones lives he'll start a war. If he dies the entire future of humanity dies with him.
316 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2010
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58 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 24, 2012
I wasn’t going to write a criticism of this book because I do have some negative things to say and, really, I don’t like doing that. I much prefer to give a good review of something I enjoy and ignore what I haven’t enjoyed (and probably haven’t finished). However, on balance, I’ve come to the conclusion that the good outweighs what I see as the bad in some of the biggest and most fundamental ways. Why have I come to this conclusion and why have I changed my mind?
Just recently I delved into a large tome produced by someone who is supposed to be a big shot in the fantasy genre and after about twenty or thirty pages started to lose the will to live. It was utterly boring. It was swords and sorcery transforming into soap opera. Next I picked up a big fat science fiction tome and the effect was precisely the same though took a shorter time to take effect. Both these books are published, both by supposedly proven writers. R J Frith the winner of the War of the Words competition hosted by Tor UK and Sci Fi Now magazine gives us The Nemesis List, and it is worth your attention.
My particular gripe is that Jeven Jones, the main protagonist of this who is a ‘fast-tracked evolutionary leap into the future’ comes across as pretty ineffectual and damaged considering that there seem to be vast dark forces trying to track him down. Throughout the book there was the promise of something extraordinary from him but it didn’t seem to arrive. I wanted to give him a slap and tell him to sort himself out, which I guess shows how well he comes across as a character. I could also see that the Jeven Jones character was quite similar to the girl with psychic powers in Firefly. But you really have to remember that all this is my subjective response.
Now to why I think it's good: I read it from cover to cover without any feeling that I was losing interest or wanted to put it down. I enjoyed this book and, frankly, if there’s a follow-up I want to read it. It was dark, quite assured, and Frith can get you to emotionally invest. I am, even now, considering reading it again to see if I can get a better handle on it, and that doesn’t happen often with me.
Do I recommend it? It's flawed but promising and yes, I do, because whilst some of you out there will hate it, I rather suspect that there will be others who will think it is the best thing they've read in a while.
Just recently I delved into a large tome produced by someone who is supposed to be a big shot in the fantasy genre and after about twenty or thirty pages started to lose the will to live. It was utterly boring. It was swords and sorcery transforming into soap opera. Next I picked up a big fat science fiction tome and the effect was precisely the same though took a shorter time to take effect. Both these books are published, both by supposedly proven writers. R J Frith the winner of the War of the Words competition hosted by Tor UK and Sci Fi Now magazine gives us The Nemesis List, and it is worth your attention.
My particular gripe is that Jeven Jones, the main protagonist of this who is a ‘fast-tracked evolutionary leap into the future’ comes across as pretty ineffectual and damaged considering that there seem to be vast dark forces trying to track him down. Throughout the book there was the promise of something extraordinary from him but it didn’t seem to arrive. I wanted to give him a slap and tell him to sort himself out, which I guess shows how well he comes across as a character. I could also see that the Jeven Jones character was quite similar to the girl with psychic powers in Firefly. But you really have to remember that all this is my subjective response.
Now to why I think it's good: I read it from cover to cover without any feeling that I was losing interest or wanted to put it down. I enjoyed this book and, frankly, if there’s a follow-up I want to read it. It was dark, quite assured, and Frith can get you to emotionally invest. I am, even now, considering reading it again to see if I can get a better handle on it, and that doesn’t happen often with me.
Do I recommend it? It's flawed but promising and yes, I do, because whilst some of you out there will hate it, I rather suspect that there will be others who will think it is the best thing they've read in a while.
September 24, 2012
My first thoughts on reading the opening chapters of this novel were ‘I wonder which fandom she (I don’t know for sure but I’d hazard a bet that RJ Frith is female) wrote for – because this really reads like fanfiction to me – Which is absolutely not a criticism, I’ve read plenty of top class fanfiction, stories that make for a lot better reading than the published work of some highly respected Sci-Fi writers.
I’m not even sure what makes this feel so female or so ‘fanficcy’, whether it’s the emphasis on characters over plot and cod-science detail, or the heavy hints at inter-crew relationships and the nods to slash fic, it certainly made for an interesting read for the first third of the novel.
After that, it seemed to lose heart and focus. The emphasis left Jevan Jones – the only truly interesting character – becoming diffused between too many of the other characters. Since these were people we’d not been introduced to in the opening chapters, they felt incidental, I didn’t know them so I didn’t care what happened to them. The story picked up again when we start learning more about Jevan’s horrible history, but quickly loses momentum, staggering to a predictable end.
There’s an over-riding flatness to the thing that smacks of over-editing, an ironing out of quirks and nuance that made it 'over-smooth', like over-produced music - which was a shame, because it opened with such promise but was ultimately unsatisfying and disappointing. Like an old blues disc, it would have been much better with all the crackles and jumps left in.
I’m not even sure what makes this feel so female or so ‘fanficcy’, whether it’s the emphasis on characters over plot and cod-science detail, or the heavy hints at inter-crew relationships and the nods to slash fic, it certainly made for an interesting read for the first third of the novel.
After that, it seemed to lose heart and focus. The emphasis left Jevan Jones – the only truly interesting character – becoming diffused between too many of the other characters. Since these were people we’d not been introduced to in the opening chapters, they felt incidental, I didn’t know them so I didn’t care what happened to them. The story picked up again when we start learning more about Jevan’s horrible history, but quickly loses momentum, staggering to a predictable end.
There’s an over-riding flatness to the thing that smacks of over-editing, an ironing out of quirks and nuance that made it 'over-smooth', like over-produced music - which was a shame, because it opened with such promise but was ultimately unsatisfying and disappointing. Like an old blues disc, it would have been much better with all the crackles and jumps left in.
September 19, 2015
The Nemesis List is a debut novel from author RJ Firth. It appears to be the first book in a sci-fi, space opera. Humanity has spread out to the stars and the overbearing, authoritarian Government rules all. Advancements in science and technology are rigidly controlled. This is the set up.
We are introduced into our story with a prologue entry of an illicit tech and science experiment aboard a ship. It gives us a little insight into how illegal advancements are conducted, like a back alley clinic in space. We also see a grainy, shadowy inference into the way the Government works as it shutdowns the operation violently. One of the experiments survives, Jeven Jones.
The story picks up 16 years later with a small ship operation ran by Frank Pak and crew. Hired by a "loving family" to retrieve a run away, mayhem ensues.
I liked the story overall. There were a couple points where things dragged, or got a little bit confusing. However, the slow parts were mercifully small and a little re-read cleared up some of the confusing pieces.
We get a lot of information on our two main characters, but it's not all connected yet. What we don't get is a lot of development of our back up players, the crew. I would even say there is a little bit more bulk to a couple of the "bad guys", one of whom never actually makes a real time appearance.
Things wrap up after a harrowing escape, but from who we're not really sure. Has a revolution began?
Looking forward to the next installment.
We are introduced into our story with a prologue entry of an illicit tech and science experiment aboard a ship. It gives us a little insight into how illegal advancements are conducted, like a back alley clinic in space. We also see a grainy, shadowy inference into the way the Government works as it shutdowns the operation violently. One of the experiments survives, Jeven Jones.
The story picks up 16 years later with a small ship operation ran by Frank Pak and crew. Hired by a "loving family" to retrieve a run away, mayhem ensues.
I liked the story overall. There were a couple points where things dragged, or got a little bit confusing. However, the slow parts were mercifully small and a little re-read cleared up some of the confusing pieces.
We get a lot of information on our two main characters, but it's not all connected yet. What we don't get is a lot of development of our back up players, the crew. I would even say there is a little bit more bulk to a couple of the "bad guys", one of whom never actually makes a real time appearance.
Things wrap up after a harrowing escape, but from who we're not really sure. Has a revolution began?
Looking forward to the next installment.
August 26, 2010
Have decided to join goodreads at last since I got this proof copy so why not review it somewhere out loud?
I loved it. Amazingly professional for a debut novel, characters the author clearly adores and a cool, classy adventure to boot. It's the kind of thing I might not normally read, it's so very stark, mannish and technical on the surface, but there are layers of feelings, relationships and touching histories that redeem it for me as a bit of a girly girl. I make no apologies for those simplistic stereotypes, as an average reader choosing which book to read I personally find them rather useful. Am pleased to hear it's the start of a series as I felt there was a lot more work for the characters to do.
I loved it. Amazingly professional for a debut novel, characters the author clearly adores and a cool, classy adventure to boot. It's the kind of thing I might not normally read, it's so very stark, mannish and technical on the surface, but there are layers of feelings, relationships and touching histories that redeem it for me as a bit of a girly girl. I make no apologies for those simplistic stereotypes, as an average reader choosing which book to read I personally find them rather useful. Am pleased to hear it's the start of a series as I felt there was a lot more work for the characters to do.
July 26, 2010
A very promising blurb series debut turns into a disappointment by dint of very flat writing, boring content and unimaginative world building and naming conventions; barely readable is the best i can say about this one, at no point beyond the first page my interest in the world or the characters went beyond the smallest blimp, but since the blurb seemed very interesting and the associated publicity materials compared it to Gary Gibson, i persisted; the book has no narrative energy and just limps along and I have no intention to read more from the series and most likely from the author either
April 25, 2012
Disjointed, and it feels like it's been cut off at the end - doesn't resolve really - but it has a certain weird energy and momentum, and the universe it begins to build is really interesting. The main characters were very engaging, too; secondaries less so but we can't have everything.
I hope that truncation reflects the author's sense of a whole story rather than some cheap publishing gimmick to belt out yet another series/sequel. On the other hand, I'll happily read a sequel, if there is to be one. Not brilliant, but not bad at all. More from this guy please.
I hope that truncation reflects the author's sense of a whole story rather than some cheap publishing gimmick to belt out yet another series/sequel. On the other hand, I'll happily read a sequel, if there is to be one. Not brilliant, but not bad at all. More from this guy please.
December 8, 2010
Very much reminded me of the characters of the Serenity in Firefly by Joss Whedon. Still, a very good book and I would certainly want to read more. Loads of scope for further plot and adventures in any sequels.
March 17, 2012
A great début novel that leaves plenty of space for further explanation; we can expect good things from this author in the years to come.
August 16, 2012
Really enjoyed this book. Didn't want to put it down and was disappointed when I reach the end. When is the next one due. Can't wait..
March 10, 2020
“The Nemesis List,” by R. J. Frith (Tor, 2010). Sorry, but this just did not grab me. Not only that it was very confusing (eventually most of that is straightened out), but for whatever reason I just was not interested. Genetic experimentation has created a human who---what, knows everything that there is to know, and is sometimes able to control it? Who has become an assassin? Is maybe not human? Sees the auras of other people (blue is good and soothing). We are in a galaxy loosely ruled by The Government, but there is, or may be, a rebellion brewing. Is there another species around? And whom to trust? The writing is gripping, the worlds are gritty and ugly, there is a lot of slime and blood and vomit. But no, I just did not like it. Why is it “The Nemesis List”? I don’t know.
https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/...
https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/...
October 17, 2017
The book has an interesting storyline but little of it is actually told on this book. It calls for a number of sequels to explain the story in it's true depth. So far the universe created is exciting and interesting, but not clear in any way.
April 24, 2020
A definite Firefly feel to this one. Worth your while!
June 27, 2024
I think the premise for a good book is there, but the story is a little fractured. I had to DNF this one.
February 15, 2016
By winning SciFi Now’s War of the Words, Frith secured a publishing contract with Macmillan’s Tor Imprint, the king of space opera fun. This first book reveals a flair for characterisation and gritty writing, but Frith’s nascent skills run out on when we get to plotting. Sure, it’s a well-crafted piece, but for a down and dirty ‘spacers getting by in the face of hostile government’ type story, it’s too slow. The obvious sequel to the book would have been better incorporated here at expense of some of the detail, especially Frith’s attempts to dodge non-existent plot holes.
The Nemesis List reads like a love letter to Whedon’s Firefly. Like River, Jake is a high-powered experiment on the run who finds himself onboard a futuristic tramp steamer. Owned by Frank Pak, a disillusioned but honest military man, The Nova plies its way between greasy space stations and scratty frontier worlds, its crew one of likeable misfits. There’s a Kaylee/Inara hybrid, a Jane type and a Wash-like pilot. The autocratic government and shady corporate types are in pursuit as Pak finds himself entangled in one layer of conspiracy after another. The only real difference is that the rebellion has not failed –it’s yet to take place.
We’re not saying this is lazy or bad, it’s hard not sing homage to one’s influences, and had there been just a bit more going on we wouldn’t have given a hoot. As it is, there’s too much conversation in featureless rooms and not enough guns and stuff. excusable for TV, with its need for ‘bottle’ eps, but we’re talking the theatre of the mind here, where budget need be no constraint. Firth sells us, and himself, a little short.
The Nemesis List reads like a love letter to Whedon’s Firefly. Like River, Jake is a high-powered experiment on the run who finds himself onboard a futuristic tramp steamer. Owned by Frank Pak, a disillusioned but honest military man, The Nova plies its way between greasy space stations and scratty frontier worlds, its crew one of likeable misfits. There’s a Kaylee/Inara hybrid, a Jane type and a Wash-like pilot. The autocratic government and shady corporate types are in pursuit as Pak finds himself entangled in one layer of conspiracy after another. The only real difference is that the rebellion has not failed –it’s yet to take place.
We’re not saying this is lazy or bad, it’s hard not sing homage to one’s influences, and had there been just a bit more going on we wouldn’t have given a hoot. As it is, there’s too much conversation in featureless rooms and not enough guns and stuff. excusable for TV, with its need for ‘bottle’ eps, but we’re talking the theatre of the mind here, where budget need be no constraint. Firth sells us, and himself, a little short.
February 3, 2012
Good concept & interesting story, felt it could have been longer at just 315 pages. Could have been more character development and would have benefited from being darker & more brutal.
The balance between showing the reader Jeven's abilities so that they know why he is a unique scientific experiment and keeping them hidden so that the reader is kept guessing was definitely misjudged. I wanted to see more of what he can do as his understated powers were different and kept me reading hoping for more.
There are two main characters in the book Jeven and ex soldier Frank Pak, I think Paks character deserved to be explored a lot more as you get virtually no history on him except of his dealings with Jeven.
Final verdict there's certainly a lot more promised than is actually delivered but the ideas on show would certainly have me looked for the follow up.
The balance between showing the reader Jeven's abilities so that they know why he is a unique scientific experiment and keeping them hidden so that the reader is kept guessing was definitely misjudged. I wanted to see more of what he can do as his understated powers were different and kept me reading hoping for more.
There are two main characters in the book Jeven and ex soldier Frank Pak, I think Paks character deserved to be explored a lot more as you get virtually no history on him except of his dealings with Jeven.
Final verdict there's certainly a lot more promised than is actually delivered but the ideas on show would certainly have me looked for the follow up.
June 23, 2013
The premise of this book sounded interesting and we initially start down that road in the front half of the book. We then make a dramatic left turn and we are off in a less interested story arc.
I actually went back 50 pages to see if the book didn’t contain two short stories with the same characters but nope it’s all one story. Or at least it is suppose to be.
I liked the front half and where we are going then the second half just clouded the issue.
There are cryptic hints at the lead character having some sorts of abilities, but that is never clarified. There is a hint as to his ultimate mission (as eluded to in the description of the book) but this is never visited after being announced.
The book ends in anticipation of the next book.
Confusing – not recommended
I actually went back 50 pages to see if the book didn’t contain two short stories with the same characters but nope it’s all one story. Or at least it is suppose to be.
I liked the front half and where we are going then the second half just clouded the issue.
There are cryptic hints at the lead character having some sorts of abilities, but that is never clarified. There is a hint as to his ultimate mission (as eluded to in the description of the book) but this is never visited after being announced.
The book ends in anticipation of the next book.
Confusing – not recommended
November 29, 2013
The inside cover told me this was going to be an interesting read. Unfortunately the inside cover WAS the interesting read.
This was poor. The main character was flat. There was no indication of what his "powers" were, and the story didn't go anywhere other than:
The present - where the main character gets shoved in another cell
and
Back story - where main character had confusing things happen to him.
A wasted story.
This was poor. The main character was flat. There was no indication of what his "powers" were, and the story didn't go anywhere other than:
The present - where the main character gets shoved in another cell
and
Back story - where main character had confusing things happen to him.
A wasted story.
March 16, 2014
I am about to finish this book. I decided to give my reviews because I am not giving it more than 2 stars even after finishing.
The story is not well placed, it doesn't move around and sometimes I lose interest. However its still worth your spare time when you have nothing much to do and nothing interesting to read.
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After finishing this book, I even wanted to reduce one star. However I just let go of it.
The story is not well placed, it doesn't move around and sometimes I lose interest. However its still worth your spare time when you have nothing much to do and nothing interesting to read.
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After finishing this book, I even wanted to reduce one star. However I just let go of it.
September 6, 2015
I found this novel confusing as it spent more time dealing with the protagonist's escape and his illness than with explaining how different he supposedly is. In fact, I found no evidence of uniqueness. Instead there is a troubled and ill young man who is confused and dealing with flash backs that make no sense. Is there to be a second book to explain it all?
Read
November 5, 2010As science fiction goes I am not normally a fan. However, any book that can transform me to another world in a few short pages reminds me what writing is all about. If this doesn't make it to the big screen I will be very surprised. A hidden gem!
February 21, 2012
The idea of this story was good, the world and characters were great, but it was very slow-paced. Could've been a higher rating than this 3/5.
July 18, 2012
Sorry just didn't get on with it and gave up after 50 pages
November 24, 2015
Solid premise, solid writing. It's hard to put my finger on why this book fails to gel. Maybe too much is left to the imagination while the word count is eaten up by the mundane.
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