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Soul Archives #1
The Soul Consortium
In a future so distant that time is almost without meaning, death is defeated and immortality has been made reality through instantaneous cloning and synaptic transfer. Mankind, frustrated by the futility of timeless existence, chooses extinction. All but one man. Far removed from the known universe with only one companion, an AI named Qod, Salem Ben watches the cosmos from afar and relives the digitally reproduced lives of countless souls archived in the Soul Consortium by means of a neuroimmersive device. He hopes to discover the answer to the ultimate question: What lies beyond? But at the birth of the next universe, billions of years before the pattern of life repeats its design, Salem’s quest takes a disturbing turn. Unexplained aberrations appear among the digital souls. To hunt down their source and to continue his search for evidence of life after death, Salem endures four very different lives: Orson Roth, a serial killer in 20th-century Britain; Dominique Mancini, a spiritual medium from 16th-century Lombardy; Plantagenet Soome, a monk sent to the distant Castor’s World; and Queen Oluvia Wade, the creator of the Soul Consortium. As the mystery unfolds, Salem is confronted by a malevolent entity which threatens the future of humanity before it can begin again—and only Salem stands in the way of it breaking free.
455 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
9 people are currently reading
910 people want to read
About the author
Simon West-Bulford
9 books41 followersSimon West-Bulford turned his attention to fiction following more than a decade of writing theological essays and tutorials for PC game level design. In 2010, his short story “Crimson Lakes” was chosen as the New Year feature story at Dark Fire. “Amiko” was published in Eternal Night: A Vampire Anthology, “Star God” appeared in This Mutant Life magazine, and a string of his short stories were featured at Colored Chalk, Absent Willow Review, Rotten Leaves, and Thunderdome. The Soul Consortium was his first published novel. Simon lives in Essex, England, working alongside his wife as a clinical trials scientist.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 15, 2012
I can't remember the last time I read a sci-fi novel (not a big genre reader in general, aside from crime fiction). Even with films and television, my sci-fi tastes always lean to character-driven stuff, like Gattaca, BSG, Children of Men, etc., where the technology is downplayed in favor of human drama. Simon West-Bulford's The Soul Consortium straddles the two, stocked with an abundance of (very, very) distant-future tech described with such precision and detail that we rarely question its functionality, yet the story itself is as humanist as they come, exploring the nature of self, religion, fate vs. free will, morality, and even love.
At the dawn of yet another universe (each repeating those that came before), Salem Ben, the last remaining man, searches for the elusive secrets beyond death in a time when all else is known, or can be known. The Soul Consortium is a collection of data files representing the lives of every human, able to be imprinted upon his own brain as he experiences the entirety of their lives in his quest. Millions of them, over billions of years. The novel focuses on the last handful of these immersions after discovering aberrations in the data: a mysterious, sinister presence called Keitus Vieta, who may hold death's answers. Each of these lives is a first-person series of novellas/chapters, including a 20th-century serial killer, a dark-ages medium, a detective investigating the murders of enlightened monks, and a queen responsible for neurological breakthroughs but galactic destruction. One empty space remains in the Consortium, waiting for Salem to snuff out his own life, as all have done upon acceptance of their futile existences. His companion, Qod, is but a voice, the HAL-like AI who questions Salem's motives while controlling operations.
I had the pleasure of reading a draft of this epic novel a few years ago in a workshop with Simon. He's a friend (who also contributed significant editorial to my own Flashover). Even back then, I marveled at the balance he struck between the visceral/emotional storytelling and his impeccable research about astronomy, theology, classical mythology, and technology (am I leaving out any -ologies?). Dude's a scientist, after all, and a former video-game designer, skills that serve him well in his literary pursuits.
The Consortium timeline is sheer madness, spanning billions of years, some of it familiar and some otherworldly, all grounded by transitional chapters in which Salem postmortems with Qod and summarizes his findings. A healthy amount of repetition/restating helps the reader keep up with the more challenging concepts the novel posits and evolves. Its characterizations are fantastic, my favorite being Orson Roth: serial killer, wherein we experience first-hand the childhood seeds of his malevolence as well as his own fate. He, too, was a man seeking forbidden mortal knowledge in the lifeless eyes of his victims. You've also got potty-mouthed monks, heretical puritans, lonely deities, tortured demigods, and a whole lotta dead people being re-spawned and rendered with skin-crawling detail. Plus just enough humor and wit to keep its metaphysical weight from burying you. The Soul Consortium is easily one of the best modern debut novels I've read, and I thank Simon for creating this universe and expanding my sci-fi IQ. Buy the ticket, take the ride.
At the dawn of yet another universe (each repeating those that came before), Salem Ben, the last remaining man, searches for the elusive secrets beyond death in a time when all else is known, or can be known. The Soul Consortium is a collection of data files representing the lives of every human, able to be imprinted upon his own brain as he experiences the entirety of their lives in his quest. Millions of them, over billions of years. The novel focuses on the last handful of these immersions after discovering aberrations in the data: a mysterious, sinister presence called Keitus Vieta, who may hold death's answers. Each of these lives is a first-person series of novellas/chapters, including a 20th-century serial killer, a dark-ages medium, a detective investigating the murders of enlightened monks, and a queen responsible for neurological breakthroughs but galactic destruction. One empty space remains in the Consortium, waiting for Salem to snuff out his own life, as all have done upon acceptance of their futile existences. His companion, Qod, is but a voice, the HAL-like AI who questions Salem's motives while controlling operations.
I had the pleasure of reading a draft of this epic novel a few years ago in a workshop with Simon. He's a friend (who also contributed significant editorial to my own Flashover). Even back then, I marveled at the balance he struck between the visceral/emotional storytelling and his impeccable research about astronomy, theology, classical mythology, and technology (am I leaving out any -ologies?). Dude's a scientist, after all, and a former video-game designer, skills that serve him well in his literary pursuits.
The Consortium timeline is sheer madness, spanning billions of years, some of it familiar and some otherworldly, all grounded by transitional chapters in which Salem postmortems with Qod and summarizes his findings. A healthy amount of repetition/restating helps the reader keep up with the more challenging concepts the novel posits and evolves. Its characterizations are fantastic, my favorite being Orson Roth: serial killer, wherein we experience first-hand the childhood seeds of his malevolence as well as his own fate. He, too, was a man seeking forbidden mortal knowledge in the lifeless eyes of his victims. You've also got potty-mouthed monks, heretical puritans, lonely deities, tortured demigods, and a whole lotta dead people being re-spawned and rendered with skin-crawling detail. Plus just enough humor and wit to keep its metaphysical weight from burying you. The Soul Consortium is easily one of the best modern debut novels I've read, and I thank Simon for creating this universe and expanding my sci-fi IQ. Buy the ticket, take the ride.
March 18, 2013
The Soul Consortium is the type of book that I always hope to read but rarely do. It’s smart, exciting, full of big ideas, and the ending does not disappoint. I was reminded of being a kid again, back when I first discovered my love for stories and the magic they infused in my life, before all the cynicism of adulthood or the need to deconstruct. The Soul Consortium brought that magic back, and I’m really grateful for that.
Salem Ben is the last human alive, and he’s been alive for trillions of years existing in a cool spacecraft. He’s always felt there was something more to life, something yet undiscovered. He is able to plug into all previous lives and re-live them in search of something new. And sure enough, he finds something, something potentially dangerous, and he plugs into various lives to understand what it is he’s found.
West-Bulford tackles some weighty subjects with the deft handling of a gifted storyteller. In the space of a few hundred pages, the story waxes philosophic on the beginning of time, the end of time, life, death, love, humanity, creation, destruction, physics, mathematics, and what all of it means in the face of eternity. So much ground is covered and yet the concepts were never out of reach, even for someone like me who doesn’t study advanced physics for fun. Each life that Salem Ben immerses himself in plays the difficult role of contributing to the overall story while being a fascinating standalone tale with its own lessons and themes. West-Bulford does a commendable job of keeping each of these voices unique and true to character.
One of my favorite aspects of the story is the way it deals with the future. A few of my favorite: Humans discover a way to cheat death by means of regeneration devices that heal all ailments and create a new body in the instance of physical death; there is an algorithm that explains the secrets of the universe, but drives those who try to understand it mad; a man who has lived billions upon billions of years still seeks something more to life. These are the kinds of ideas that sucked me into the book and will have me thinking about it for years to come.
The writing is so fluid and comprehensible that I never felt myself needing to re-read something in order to understand what was said. West-Bulford is a master communicator, even when conveying complicated ideas. Yet the language never becomes “invisible,” a prose so simple you don’t even have to think while you’re reading. Every sentence is constructed with absolute clarity, and visceral sensations feel just as real as the universe that the author has created.
I’m not sure how else to say this, but I loved this book. Seriously, it’s the best book I’ve read since I discovered Octavia E. Butler a few years ago. It means that much to me. It's not just anything that makes it onto my 'favorites' shelf.
Salem Ben is the last human alive, and he’s been alive for trillions of years existing in a cool spacecraft. He’s always felt there was something more to life, something yet undiscovered. He is able to plug into all previous lives and re-live them in search of something new. And sure enough, he finds something, something potentially dangerous, and he plugs into various lives to understand what it is he’s found.
West-Bulford tackles some weighty subjects with the deft handling of a gifted storyteller. In the space of a few hundred pages, the story waxes philosophic on the beginning of time, the end of time, life, death, love, humanity, creation, destruction, physics, mathematics, and what all of it means in the face of eternity. So much ground is covered and yet the concepts were never out of reach, even for someone like me who doesn’t study advanced physics for fun. Each life that Salem Ben immerses himself in plays the difficult role of contributing to the overall story while being a fascinating standalone tale with its own lessons and themes. West-Bulford does a commendable job of keeping each of these voices unique and true to character.
One of my favorite aspects of the story is the way it deals with the future. A few of my favorite: Humans discover a way to cheat death by means of regeneration devices that heal all ailments and create a new body in the instance of physical death; there is an algorithm that explains the secrets of the universe, but drives those who try to understand it mad; a man who has lived billions upon billions of years still seeks something more to life. These are the kinds of ideas that sucked me into the book and will have me thinking about it for years to come.
The writing is so fluid and comprehensible that I never felt myself needing to re-read something in order to understand what was said. West-Bulford is a master communicator, even when conveying complicated ideas. Yet the language never becomes “invisible,” a prose so simple you don’t even have to think while you’re reading. Every sentence is constructed with absolute clarity, and visceral sensations feel just as real as the universe that the author has created.
I’m not sure how else to say this, but I loved this book. Seriously, it’s the best book I’ve read since I discovered Octavia E. Butler a few years ago. It means that much to me. It's not just anything that makes it onto my 'favorites' shelf.
October 5, 2012
I can't be the only person who grew up loving impossibly large things? Death Stars, Dinosaurs, predictions of life thousands of years from now, it all kept me spellbound as a kid.
There are moments in the Soul Consortium that give me the same sort of giddy feeling I usually only get from stuff like Iain Banks' novels and giant Hellboy villains.
Keeping a story that spans the existence of the universe and beyond and involves galaxy murdering AI and an evil that essentially confirms that the universe abhors a vacuum should be something only possible through a nerd with an intense case of self-diagnosed aspergers, who would create a convoluted story which only other self-diagnosed aspergers sufferers would indulge in.
But no, it's accessible and at times quite moving. West-Bulford has a clear, clean style that let's the ambition hit you full in the face. He never let's the reader get weighed down by the minutiae.
It's all achieved in a surprisingly reasonable length. It's nice to see science fiction that doesn't abuse my time.
There are moments in the Soul Consortium that give me the same sort of giddy feeling I usually only get from stuff like Iain Banks' novels and giant Hellboy villains.
Keeping a story that spans the existence of the universe and beyond and involves galaxy murdering AI and an evil that essentially confirms that the universe abhors a vacuum should be something only possible through a nerd with an intense case of self-diagnosed aspergers, who would create a convoluted story which only other self-diagnosed aspergers sufferers would indulge in.
But no, it's accessible and at times quite moving. West-Bulford has a clear, clean style that let's the ambition hit you full in the face. He never let's the reader get weighed down by the minutiae.
It's all achieved in a surprisingly reasonable length. It's nice to see science fiction that doesn't abuse my time.
July 3, 2012
The Soul Consortium by Simon West-Bulford is the fractured offspring of Orson Scott Card and Philip K. Dick. This heartbreaking, mind-bending tale challenges our assumptions about life, death and the fragility of our eternal spirit. Out of the darkness and into the light, and back into the darkness once again, we root for Salem Ben, while at the same time, wishing mercy on his battered, bruised soul.
January 11, 2013
A fantastic Sci-Fi debut. I feel like one of the best marks of speculative fiction is losing yourself not only in the story, but also the logic. When things are laid out in a manner that has you thinking "This is so simple! Plausible! Why haven't we invented this?"
The loneliness of being the last man in the universe, the insatiable curiosity of the "why are we here?" question, all of the things that drive Salem Ben kept the story moving forward and kept me hooked in.
Simon's command of language and imagery is fantastic, allowing you to feel the unattainable wonder of space and the grisly, grotesque reality of mankind's brutality. It's an epic, complete story told in one book, yet still begs a sequel. I can't wait to read more!
The loneliness of being the last man in the universe, the insatiable curiosity of the "why are we here?" question, all of the things that drive Salem Ben kept the story moving forward and kept me hooked in.
Simon's command of language and imagery is fantastic, allowing you to feel the unattainable wonder of space and the grisly, grotesque reality of mankind's brutality. It's an epic, complete story told in one book, yet still begs a sequel. I can't wait to read more!
December 26, 2012
The four stars is possibly a temporary rating. Lots of thoughts to come. Probably a review somewhere.
But this is really great. Read the last 350 pages in one sitting. Highly recommended.
But this is really great. Read the last 350 pages in one sitting. Highly recommended.
January 13, 2013
This book. I like it.
As a man without religion death is scary and final, and what lies beyond is not tantalizing enough for me to accept it with open arms. Rather I ignore it so I can function throughout the day without bouts of crying and fist waving at the sky. I only acknowledge my impending doom at night before I fall asleep where no one can see me casually shit myself. I say all of this only to preface the simple statement that Salem Ben is a character that hits close to home for me.
I think Orson Roth's segment was the most riveting of the bunch, as well as the creepiest of the pasta. The whole book was well written though, and never got bogged down with the descriptions of the mechanics behind the Soul Consortium. A quick read, in part to it's writing and the fact that it's hard to put down. It ends on a solid note too, I have a few questions but I feel that's mostly my own fault for reading too fast.
A highlight: There is a point in the novel where it is implied that we are merely someone in the Soul Consortium experiencing this particular life, not the one living it. Good stuff, it would almost make me paranoid if I wasn't already living in the Matrix.
As a man without religion death is scary and final, and what lies beyond is not tantalizing enough for me to accept it with open arms. Rather I ignore it so I can function throughout the day without bouts of crying and fist waving at the sky. I only acknowledge my impending doom at night before I fall asleep where no one can see me casually shit myself. I say all of this only to preface the simple statement that Salem Ben is a character that hits close to home for me.
I think Orson Roth's segment was the most riveting of the bunch, as well as the creepiest of the pasta. The whole book was well written though, and never got bogged down with the descriptions of the mechanics behind the Soul Consortium. A quick read, in part to it's writing and the fact that it's hard to put down. It ends on a solid note too, I have a few questions but I feel that's mostly my own fault for reading too fast.
A highlight: There is a point in the novel where it is implied that we are merely someone in the Soul Consortium experiencing this particular life, not the one living it. Good stuff, it would almost make me paranoid if I wasn't already living in the Matrix.
August 31, 2014
The Soul Consortium not only spans multiple universes but also manages to bring to life the spaces between the universes. This is by far the most expansive book, in terms of setting and chronology, I’ve ever read. The Soul Consortium redefines epic as a literary form.
December 23, 2015
Have you ever gotten the strange feeling that you’re being watched? Have you experienced Déjà vu or had the feeling that your life may be part of something much larger; or, you’re just waiting for something unique to happen? These may just be the psychological side effects experienced by a distant-future subject who is remotely experiencing your life/soul millions of years in the future.
For most of 2015 I’ve been on the hunt for the most obscure science fiction story and I can confidently state I have found it in “The Soul Consortium”. In short, the Soul Consortium is a digital archive housing billions of human souls who lived throughout numerous universes (post-collapse and re-birth, not multi-verse). The last human, Salem Ben, accompanied by his AI Super computer, QOD, administer this vast collection. The story begins as Salem’s quest for deep philosophical meaning of Man’s existence and it quickly morphs a noir detective story as Salem tries to track down an anomaly found within the archive; however, this aberration cannot be reconciled as a soul who lived within the known universes and recorded within the Soul Consortium’s files.
In short, Salem, along with the help of QOD, tries to track down this Ghost in the Machine by experiencing souls thought to have come in contact with the mysterious antagonist, in an attempt to learn who or what he is. Along our journey, we discover, not only how the Soul Consortium works, but how the anomaly infiltrated the Soul archives.
Because Salem Ben, our protagonist, exists in only a fraction of the story (or we only experience his real-time actions in a fraction of the story), you would assume he would be un-relatable. However, this is not the case .The reader has a vested interest in each sub-story as each builds towards the final crescendo and the case is solved.
The concepts explored in this book are mind-numbingly vast and there is no hand-holding. But, do not let that intimidate you from reading this book. The author of “The Soul Consortium”, Simon West-Bulford, takes a very ambitious leap by writing a fantastical story spanning billions and billions of years. Unlike many SF authors writing on such a niche subject, West-Bulford executes this original story in efficient, short bursts that propel the story forward by dialogue and tension amongst the characters. His execution is frustratingly near-flawless and as confusing as the plot may be, the techno-babble is minimal and believable. He doesn’t slow down the pace of the story by focusing on minute detail. The story structure could be compared to Mitchell’s “Cloud Atlas” and just as brilliant. The endless twists and turns remind me of Philip K Dick; and the detail is described as if he actually had a basic understanding of many of the themes covered in contemporary SF, such as, consciousness and quantum computing.
I was thrilled to discover that west-Bulford has written a sequel to this story and it is certain to be the very next book I read.
For most of 2015 I’ve been on the hunt for the most obscure science fiction story and I can confidently state I have found it in “The Soul Consortium”. In short, the Soul Consortium is a digital archive housing billions of human souls who lived throughout numerous universes (post-collapse and re-birth, not multi-verse). The last human, Salem Ben, accompanied by his AI Super computer, QOD, administer this vast collection. The story begins as Salem’s quest for deep philosophical meaning of Man’s existence and it quickly morphs a noir detective story as Salem tries to track down an anomaly found within the archive; however, this aberration cannot be reconciled as a soul who lived within the known universes and recorded within the Soul Consortium’s files.
In short, Salem, along with the help of QOD, tries to track down this Ghost in the Machine by experiencing souls thought to have come in contact with the mysterious antagonist, in an attempt to learn who or what he is. Along our journey, we discover, not only how the Soul Consortium works, but how the anomaly infiltrated the Soul archives.
Because Salem Ben, our protagonist, exists in only a fraction of the story (or we only experience his real-time actions in a fraction of the story), you would assume he would be un-relatable. However, this is not the case .The reader has a vested interest in each sub-story as each builds towards the final crescendo and the case is solved.
The concepts explored in this book are mind-numbingly vast and there is no hand-holding. But, do not let that intimidate you from reading this book. The author of “The Soul Consortium”, Simon West-Bulford, takes a very ambitious leap by writing a fantastical story spanning billions and billions of years. Unlike many SF authors writing on such a niche subject, West-Bulford executes this original story in efficient, short bursts that propel the story forward by dialogue and tension amongst the characters. His execution is frustratingly near-flawless and as confusing as the plot may be, the techno-babble is minimal and believable. He doesn’t slow down the pace of the story by focusing on minute detail. The story structure could be compared to Mitchell’s “Cloud Atlas” and just as brilliant. The endless twists and turns remind me of Philip K Dick; and the detail is described as if he actually had a basic understanding of many of the themes covered in contemporary SF, such as, consciousness and quantum computing.
I was thrilled to discover that west-Bulford has written a sequel to this story and it is certain to be the very next book I read.
May 17, 2013
I received a free copy of “The Soul Consortium” by Simon West-Bulford through a First-Reads giveaway.
"The Soul Consortium" is a book about Salem Ben, the last of humanity, as he searches for the answer to a question that has plagued most of humankind through most of our existence: what lies beyond death? What truly happens after one dies?
Never finding an answer, Salem passes the time – which he has plenty of in a future where man-kind is immortal until they so choose to end their existence, which most of it already has – living the lives of those who have long since passed on in a continuous cycle to find answers no human has ever really known.
At the beginning of the next cycle of the universe, Salem’s lone companion QOD, an AI, creates a new category into which she sorts the souls which have suddenly got inconsistencies in the soul patterns she examines to effectively sort the souls. The category: aberrations.
Salem begins living the lives in this category on his quest for answers, only to find there are far more important, alluring, and confusing questions to find the answers to if the universe is to survive to fruition. But can he unravel the mystery without unraveling his sanity in the process?
Through living four different, hand-picked lives, the pieces of the puzzle slowly start coming together, even if they all don’t quite fit right sometimes.
The ending does seem rather anti-climactic, everything considered, but also fitting, unsurprising, and almost noble as Salem gives up the answers he’s been searching for for quite some time.
Though QOD herself brings up a few questions towards the end, it is a fantastic read all around that delivers all that I expected it to and so much more.
“The Soul Consortium” is an amazing read. It kept me up late at night and waking up early in the morning just to read it, just to see what would happen next.
The first-person narrative is captivating right from the start, as chilling in places as it is beautiful in others. The different characters we see the universe through each have their own unique voices with just a touch of Salem woven subtly into the mix. A third-person narrative just would not have meant as much, would not have been as affecting.
Quite frankly, it’s been a while since I read a book as good as this one; it’s been a while since I dropped everything I was doing just to read a book, but this book... this book really did it for me.
It’s science fiction, technically, but if that’s not usually your cup of tea, don’t let that turn you away; personally, sci-fi isn’t something I would usually read – though Soul Consortium is quickly seeming to change that – but that didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying the read.
Easily my new favorite book, it deserves every star I can possibly give it.
"The Soul Consortium" is a book about Salem Ben, the last of humanity, as he searches for the answer to a question that has plagued most of humankind through most of our existence: what lies beyond death? What truly happens after one dies?
Never finding an answer, Salem passes the time – which he has plenty of in a future where man-kind is immortal until they so choose to end their existence, which most of it already has – living the lives of those who have long since passed on in a continuous cycle to find answers no human has ever really known.
At the beginning of the next cycle of the universe, Salem’s lone companion QOD, an AI, creates a new category into which she sorts the souls which have suddenly got inconsistencies in the soul patterns she examines to effectively sort the souls. The category: aberrations.
Salem begins living the lives in this category on his quest for answers, only to find there are far more important, alluring, and confusing questions to find the answers to if the universe is to survive to fruition. But can he unravel the mystery without unraveling his sanity in the process?
Through living four different, hand-picked lives, the pieces of the puzzle slowly start coming together, even if they all don’t quite fit right sometimes.
The ending does seem rather anti-climactic, everything considered, but also fitting, unsurprising, and almost noble as Salem gives up the answers he’s been searching for for quite some time.
Though QOD herself brings up a few questions towards the end, it is a fantastic read all around that delivers all that I expected it to and so much more.
“The Soul Consortium” is an amazing read. It kept me up late at night and waking up early in the morning just to read it, just to see what would happen next.
The first-person narrative is captivating right from the start, as chilling in places as it is beautiful in others. The different characters we see the universe through each have their own unique voices with just a touch of Salem woven subtly into the mix. A third-person narrative just would not have meant as much, would not have been as affecting.
Quite frankly, it’s been a while since I read a book as good as this one; it’s been a while since I dropped everything I was doing just to read a book, but this book... this book really did it for me.
It’s science fiction, technically, but if that’s not usually your cup of tea, don’t let that turn you away; personally, sci-fi isn’t something I would usually read – though Soul Consortium is quickly seeming to change that – but that didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying the read.
Easily my new favorite book, it deserves every star I can possibly give it.
January 13, 2013
I won a copy of this book in the Goodreads giveaway.
I really liked it. The author creates an interesting far far future setting, where humanity exists as uploaded data in a vast structure called the Soul Consortium. There is only one living human left, Salem Ben. He spends most of his time reliving the lives of peoples from all ages and places through the technology of the Soul Consortium. One day, he discovers that there are aberrations that should be technically impossible, and decides to investigate them. This journey takes him through a couple of very different minds, from a 20th century serial killer to an outer space detective. What he finds, though, is powerful enough to threaten the existence of the universe itself.
There's quite a lot of different tones to this book. As the frame story, you have the extremely far future setting, where the author effectively juggles concepts that boggle the human mind, like a place outside of the universe, the universe renewing itself over and over again, tiny recording devices on a less than molecular level in every single atom in the unverse...the human mind just has to create an approximation of these terms with known concepts in order not to get dizzy, and West-Bulford handles this quite well.
Apart from this setting, we get a different "genre" for each of the lives he visits: psycho-thriller, more space opera, crime mystery with monks (really liked that sequence), gothic horror...in these, the author exhibits a slightly disturbing talent at probing the deepest abysses of the human psyche. (especially the one on the serial killer...*shudder*). The concept of a creature completely alien not only to humanity, but to the universe as we know it itself is wuite interesting too. Usually, aliens just pick an aspect out of any human culture and exagerate it, but it's rare to find somebody truly alien.
Small nitpick: why did Oluvia have to fall in (unrequited) love with Salem? It appears a bit like the stereotypical thing that an incredibly powerful woman will still fall for the tall dark handsome stranger...
In conclusion, I would recommend this to anybody who likes science fiction with a bit of extra insanity, and doesn't mind a dose of psycho in it either.
I really liked it. The author creates an interesting far far future setting, where humanity exists as uploaded data in a vast structure called the Soul Consortium. There is only one living human left, Salem Ben. He spends most of his time reliving the lives of peoples from all ages and places through the technology of the Soul Consortium. One day, he discovers that there are aberrations that should be technically impossible, and decides to investigate them. This journey takes him through a couple of very different minds, from a 20th century serial killer to an outer space detective. What he finds, though, is powerful enough to threaten the existence of the universe itself.
There's quite a lot of different tones to this book. As the frame story, you have the extremely far future setting, where the author effectively juggles concepts that boggle the human mind, like a place outside of the universe, the universe renewing itself over and over again, tiny recording devices on a less than molecular level in every single atom in the unverse...the human mind just has to create an approximation of these terms with known concepts in order not to get dizzy, and West-Bulford handles this quite well.
Apart from this setting, we get a different "genre" for each of the lives he visits: psycho-thriller, more space opera, crime mystery with monks (really liked that sequence), gothic horror...in these, the author exhibits a slightly disturbing talent at probing the deepest abysses of the human psyche. (especially the one on the serial killer...*shudder*). The concept of a creature completely alien not only to humanity, but to the universe as we know it itself is wuite interesting too. Usually, aliens just pick an aspect out of any human culture and exagerate it, but it's rare to find somebody truly alien.
Small nitpick: why did Oluvia have to fall in (unrequited) love with Salem? It appears a bit like the stereotypical thing that an incredibly powerful woman will still fall for the tall dark handsome stranger...
In conclusion, I would recommend this to anybody who likes science fiction with a bit of extra insanity, and doesn't mind a dose of psycho in it either.
April 26, 2013
A brilliant novel! Soul Consortium has incredible depth, scientific brilliance, captivating narration, and a an ending that left me asking dozens of questions about the experience. Novels like this are extremely rare.
Salem Ben is the last of his kind, an advanced human living on a vast artificial moon known as the soul consortium. The rest have chosen death rather than living millions of years without purpose. Technology allows humanity to escape death through cloning, synaptic mapping, and nanno-assembly. Despite his advanced age, Salem is afraid of death and wants to know what waits for him. To find his answers he experiences the lives of several humans throughout history, from 18th century Italy to one of his peers millions of years after Earth is gone. He discovers a terrifying specter named Keitus Vieta, an entity not in their soul consortium data files. Salem endeavors to discover the truth behind Vieta in hopes it can also reveal the truth about life after death.
I loved the idea of humanity living millions of years from the birth of the species until the end of the universe. To think, that we could one day discover a means of surviving the end of the universe, and discover all that their is to know about the universe, down to the existence and position of each subatomic particle. Then you throw in Keitus Vieta, a mysterious boogeyman whose existence is unexplainable despite the supposedly complete compilation of knowledge.
It took a powerful imagination, a keen scientific and philosophical mind, and a great storyteller to write this novel. This is easily in my top 10, and could be in my top 5 of all time best sci-fi.
I won't give away any more. READ IT!
Salem Ben is the last of his kind, an advanced human living on a vast artificial moon known as the soul consortium. The rest have chosen death rather than living millions of years without purpose. Technology allows humanity to escape death through cloning, synaptic mapping, and nanno-assembly. Despite his advanced age, Salem is afraid of death and wants to know what waits for him. To find his answers he experiences the lives of several humans throughout history, from 18th century Italy to one of his peers millions of years after Earth is gone. He discovers a terrifying specter named Keitus Vieta, an entity not in their soul consortium data files. Salem endeavors to discover the truth behind Vieta in hopes it can also reveal the truth about life after death.
I loved the idea of humanity living millions of years from the birth of the species until the end of the universe. To think, that we could one day discover a means of surviving the end of the universe, and discover all that their is to know about the universe, down to the existence and position of each subatomic particle. Then you throw in Keitus Vieta, a mysterious boogeyman whose existence is unexplainable despite the supposedly complete compilation of knowledge.
It took a powerful imagination, a keen scientific and philosophical mind, and a great storyteller to write this novel. This is easily in my top 10, and could be in my top 5 of all time best sci-fi.
I won't give away any more. READ IT!
July 21, 2016
Simon West-Bulford coincidentally works on the same site as me though we'd never met before the book was released, 'The Soul Consortium' is a slick-looking volume with an eye-catching cover, though the generous type face means it's not as long as it looks. It is however a gripping read.
The setting is in the far future. I mean really far. Think Greg Egan squared. The last human, Salem Ben, lives alone with an AI, immersing himself in the recorded lives of the dead to pass the millennia. The high-tech setting, quantum physics and esoteric philosophy at first glance lead you to believe you're in for a hard SF extravaganza, but there's far more to the book than that.
Detecting aberrations in the Soul Sphere where countless human lives are recorded and stored, Salem Ben decides to investigate by re-living the affected lives. The technology is totally immersive, so these lives are lived and told from the viewpoint of those characters. An interesting selection they are too - a serial killer and a psychic from our own past, a monk from the far future and the ages-old woman who created the Soul Consortium. The lives they lead are told in gritty realism, with all the horrors of their existence played out in sometimes visceral detail. They are all convincing and the monk in particular becomes a fascinating story in his own right.
The way these past lives gradually link up, adding hints and weaving threads, connected by Salem Ben's own slowly revealed history, make this a stand-out debut. I was thoroughly drawn in and enjoyed it to the end.
The setting is in the far future. I mean really far. Think Greg Egan squared. The last human, Salem Ben, lives alone with an AI, immersing himself in the recorded lives of the dead to pass the millennia. The high-tech setting, quantum physics and esoteric philosophy at first glance lead you to believe you're in for a hard SF extravaganza, but there's far more to the book than that.
Detecting aberrations in the Soul Sphere where countless human lives are recorded and stored, Salem Ben decides to investigate by re-living the affected lives. The technology is totally immersive, so these lives are lived and told from the viewpoint of those characters. An interesting selection they are too - a serial killer and a psychic from our own past, a monk from the far future and the ages-old woman who created the Soul Consortium. The lives they lead are told in gritty realism, with all the horrors of their existence played out in sometimes visceral detail. They are all convincing and the monk in particular becomes a fascinating story in his own right.
The way these past lives gradually link up, adding hints and weaving threads, connected by Salem Ben's own slowly revealed history, make this a stand-out debut. I was thoroughly drawn in and enjoyed it to the end.
April 6, 2013
5.0 out of 5 stars Mind blowing!, 6 April 2013
By H.M.Martin - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Soul Consortium (Kindle Edition)
I like to read a variety of genres and authors, so I thought I'd try this novel, and I'm glad I did. It is so well written that I could picture the characters and worlds traversed during the story. The characters are well fleshed out, and some of them, especially Keitus Vieta, are gross to the extent that they linger in mind after finishing the novel.
The Soul Consortium is a clever idea, where we follow the protagonist as he travels in the souls of lives gone before him. He desires the knowledge of what happens after death, and hopes that each person could get him closer to the truth. A dark character, Keitus Vieta, appears in every journey and becomes more powerful as the novel progresses. Certain passages are very dark and grim; very atmospheric.
The latter part of the novel is more science-fiction than the beginning. The novel is pacy and I read it quite quickly as I was desperate to learn more about te significance of Keitus Vieta.
All in all, this is a very enjoyable novel which I highly recommend.
November 3, 2012
Is there something after death?
When the Universe dies, can it be reborn?
What is a soul?
If Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov had a love child who studied theology/philosophy and then learned to write like a master they might have come up with a novel as deep and thought provoking as Soul Consortium by Simon West-Bulford.
Soul Consortium starts with several simple, but profound ideas and never lets up. Salem Ben, our narrator has lived for what seems like forever, but can’t seem to move on. What lies beyond is the question that vexes him. Salem Ben experiences the past memories of those that came before him on his quest for knowledge.
Within SC is a murder mystery and yes, because it deals with humans and their emotions a love story, but the heart of this first novel is the many questions that the book ponders about living and not dying, about memory and loss, and our role in a rather large, and possible timeless, universe.
SC effortlessly stretches time, billions of years pass, yet the story flows like a well written short story. Soul Consortium is a must read for anyone that loves thought provoking fiction.
When the Universe dies, can it be reborn?
What is a soul?
If Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov had a love child who studied theology/philosophy and then learned to write like a master they might have come up with a novel as deep and thought provoking as Soul Consortium by Simon West-Bulford.
Soul Consortium starts with several simple, but profound ideas and never lets up. Salem Ben, our narrator has lived for what seems like forever, but can’t seem to move on. What lies beyond is the question that vexes him. Salem Ben experiences the past memories of those that came before him on his quest for knowledge.
Within SC is a murder mystery and yes, because it deals with humans and their emotions a love story, but the heart of this first novel is the many questions that the book ponders about living and not dying, about memory and loss, and our role in a rather large, and possible timeless, universe.
SC effortlessly stretches time, billions of years pass, yet the story flows like a well written short story. Soul Consortium is a must read for anyone that loves thought provoking fiction.
August 31, 2015
Soul Consortium brings us Salem Ben, the last survival human being in the universe after trillion and trillion of years which, through the advanced technology is able to experiment the lives of those who no longer live. He turns this capability into his reason to live, looking for adventure at the other's experience until he finds out there's an abnormality that can risk his on life.
Simon West-Bulford wrote a spetacular thriller based in a future so far away that probably no one dare to do at literature or cinema before. The plot holds the reader while trying to discover how to solve each mystery.
Simon West-Bulford wrote a spetacular thriller based in a future so far away that probably no one dare to do at literature or cinema before. The plot holds the reader while trying to discover how to solve each mystery.
July 27, 2013
I'm not a fan of Goodread's Five Star button, because the clarifying 'It Was Amazing' strikes me as modernist hyperbole.
The Soul Consortium is a definitive Five Star 'It Was Amazing' book. This one has everything. Big Dumb Objects and the End Of The Universe; physics and philosophy; character and charm - this runs the gamut of what modern yet nostalgic science fiction can be.
That this is a book from a first-time author, and from a small publisher, is astonishing to me. Look at the other reviews. This is a book you should read.
The Soul Consortium is a definitive Five Star 'It Was Amazing' book. This one has everything. Big Dumb Objects and the End Of The Universe; physics and philosophy; character and charm - this runs the gamut of what modern yet nostalgic science fiction can be.
That this is a book from a first-time author, and from a small publisher, is astonishing to me. Look at the other reviews. This is a book you should read.
December 6, 2012
Chapter one of the main characters experience of the life of Orson Roth is the single greatest chapter I have ever read in my life. The drama, the description, the end - it's like I was reading fiction on a whole other plane of existence. No pun intended.
December 2, 2013
Entertaining enough read set well in the future. Keeps you gripped throughout but I would think if you ask me in a month if I remember reading it I'll probably have to check back here before answering...
Read
July 27, 2014Wow
I loved reading this book. It's an absolute thrill ride for the mind. It keeps you constantly attempting to think ahead for what is coming next, for what the next revelation will be as you immerse yourself in the puzzle pieces.
I loved reading this book. It's an absolute thrill ride for the mind. It keeps you constantly attempting to think ahead for what is coming next, for what the next revelation will be as you immerse yourself in the puzzle pieces.
August 30, 2014
This was a really enjoyable and page-turning science fiction. I agree with other reviews that this universe and the characters have lots of potential to be expanded on. I look forward to reading more from Simon West-Bulford.
January 26, 2013
Absolutely outstanding. Brain food of the richest variety. A delight to read that only improves as the chapters go on. The last 100 or 200 pages are un-put-downable. Outstanding.
May 21, 2013
Very intresting but also weird book to read, the end really left me a bit puzzled, and i had to re-read the last few pages to really grasp it.
September 8, 2013
Very interesting concept. While this wasn't one of those "can't put it down" books it was still a really good read. One that you need some peace and quiet to really enjoy it.
May 29, 2017
More of a 4.5/5.
The premise of the book is cool and it does not disappoint. I don't want to say more beyond what the blurb says. The end was also cool but there were some parts of it that I didn't understand completely (fault is mine; was too impatient to see what happens next that I seem to have missed some details.)
Thoroughly enjoyed it.
The premise of the book is cool and it does not disappoint. I don't want to say more beyond what the blurb says. The end was also cool but there were some parts of it that I didn't understand completely (fault is mine; was too impatient to see what happens next that I seem to have missed some details.)
Thoroughly enjoyed it.
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