Post-Human Trilogy

Post-Human #1-3

by David Simpson

The series started in 2009 with Post-human, followed by it's sequel, 2011's Trans-Human, and then leading to the prequel, published in the summer of 2012, Sub-Human. The trilogy can be read in the order of publication or in the chronological order of the entire epic story. The ebook is ordered according to the narrative, but reading it in the order of publication is its own, rewarding experience. It's all up to your preference.

Readers have taken to calling this the "Human Series," and why not? It's the story of humanity's future, both the possible bliss, the possible torment, and all of the in between. It might expand your view of what "human" really means, it might make you consider the pleasures and pains of immortality, and reflect on the extraordinary benefits and profound danger of strong A.I. All of this delivered in an epic series, paced faster than most novels, with twists and turns around almost every page, and a set of characters with whom you'll fall in love.

Genres: Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Ebooks, Fiction, Cyberpunk

625 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 22, 2012

About the author

Futurist/Feature Film Director/Bestselling and Award-Winning Author/Film Composer/Actor/TEDX Speaker/Advisor for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO),— just some of David Simpson's professional passions. His TEDX presentation, "Our Post-Human Future," has over 1.7 Million views on Youtube and his debut feature film, a psychological thriller titled, Dangerous to Know, had its World Premiere in London, England in October, 2020 where it became the first 3 hour film ever selected for the prestigious Frightfest, Film Festival, (the largest genre film festival in the English-speaking world) where David's debut film was compared favourably by critics to such film luminaries as David Fincher and Stanley Kubrick.

Meanwhile, the Sixth book in the Post-Human series, Superhuman, was released in late, 2020, and, equal in length to Stephen King's epic, The Stand, Superhuman has taken its place as one of the longest science fiction novels ever written.



Sometimes David Simpson sleeps...but not often.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this e-book on sale and I'm glad I didn't pay full price for it. I had read some good reviews and decided to put down the 3 bucks for this all-in-one version of the trilogy. I read the first novel and I'm about 2/3 of the way through the second. I read them in chronological order instead of published order, which may have been a mistake or a blessing (not sure which), since the prequel seems to have a little bit of Retcon sprinkled over it. Let's just say that this author has some good ideas and will eventually do well, he just needs a good editor and some time to develop his style a bit more.



The first (prequel) novel was OK, with a fairly interesting if predictable plot up until the introduction of the "hero gets resurrected and then jumps into other universes" plot line. That kind of threw me for a loop. It was like the author decide to mix in some "Quantum Leap" just to shake things up a bit.

I finished that one and started on the second one. I immediately realized that starting with the prequel was a bad idea, since one of the main characters in the prequel is a character in the second novel, but this character (who is well over 100 years old and is actually physically younger than he was in the prequel thanks to nanobot rejuvenation) magically forgot everything that happened to him in the prequel.

I also don't think that 50 years or so is long enough for the world to change radically from the "near future" of the prequel to the "everyone is a superbeing that doesn't understand even the simplest concept of a looking at a map or eating a steak" post-human future. Anyway, the second just has so many inconsistencies and plot holes it is obvious that this is one of the author's first novels and that his writing improved greatly from the first book to the 3rd "prequel" book.

[Dawn Aylene · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm glad I got this from the Kindle lending library instead of purchasing it. There were some interesting ideas, but not enough of them. The book was rather boring, the female characters inevitably paired off with the male characters, with inconvenient wives killed off to facilitate their coupling. I may have enjoyed the book more if the female characters were better developed and had more agency.

[David Crisp · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this due to it's solid reviews and a lifelong interest in futurism and sci-fi, needless to say I was expecting great things.

To begin with it seemed a bit pulpy, but "that's ok" I thought. I've read a few books that had a weak start but picked up later, "hell" I thought "it must be good, it's got rave reviews".

So I stuck with it, long past the point where I realised it was drivel.
For a book about humans with high IQs this is one seriously stupid piece of fiction.

It's not great sci-fi, it's not even a good sci-fi... It's a bad comicbook, completely empty of any scientific or philosophical weight.

If it had some literary heft that could have saved things (I like a good graphic novel as much as the next nerd,) but with a combination of paper thin characters, implausible and obvious plot contrivances, gratuitous wish fulfilment, clumsy religious allegories and hilariously hammy villains this series manages to disappoint at every turn and on every level.

Avoid! Neuro-hazard!

[Grozny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Comic-book heroes in comic-book Universe doing cartoon-physics tricks. All literary stereotypes detected.

It was OK - I've enjoyed spotting next contradiction in the plot or bending law of physics to a breaking point or getting LOLs out of 'inverse computing' thingy.

Considering author is an English teacher - +1* for effort. Author would do himself (and readers) a favor by reading a good book on electrodynamics. Maybe he could discover a wonder of electromagnetic field, Maxwell's equations, so there'll be no more 'green magnetic shields' and 'electric pulses'. Oh, and hopping around Solar system on a cigarette-pack-sized fusion-based generator isn't possible. At least, not in a matter of hours.

[Bill Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to pick up this book because I have been interested in reading something along the post human/trans human subject line for awhile and when I saw it on sale at Kindle, I snapped it up. I was not disappointed. While I'm a bit skeptical of some of the science (for example humans can fly and can commute to work on Venus in about an hour sans spacecraft), the author makes it all seem very plausible and I was completely drawn into the stories.

The first book is a prequel and there is cohesion between all three. Each of the books follow a fairly typical good guys/bad guys formula. The good guys pretty much stay the same for all three books battling a series of 3 different megalomaniacal dictators. Another thing that I noticed repeating was the 4 different married people who have co-workers/associates who secretly love and adore them. When this happened to the fourth couple I kind of had to sigh and roll my eyes. Divorce and adultery are apparently illegal and even thoughts of infidelity are transmitted to ones partner. I'm not sure what's going on with that since it was never fully explained why the global human society decided to implement this draconian process. The super intelligent James only says "We can't go switching partners and procreating endlessly throughout eternity. Family would become meaningless. Civilization would break down."... Huh??

But while the books have some problems of this sort, they are very engaging and fun. If you're looking for hard technical sci if, these books might not be what you're looking for. But if you're looking to have an easy fun read, enjoy!

[Christopher Kellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up the Post-Human Trilogy on a whim; it was on sale for Kindle, and so I grabbed it. What I didn't expect was to go on a three-book whirlwind ride of nanotech, multiverse-hopping scientifically super-powered madness that was as much fun to read as it must have been to write.

The prequel starts out simply enough: an American special ops team is going to drop from a sub-orbital height to take out a Chinese AI that's threatening the whole world. From there it takes a left-turn that I had only a vague idea was coming... but what happens after that sets off a spark that travels through all three books, and it was great fun.

Whether or not the science is entirely plausible I'll leave up to more expert opinions than mine, but I have to say that the author writes with such blase confidence that I never once doubted the integrity of the world he's created in these books.

This is probably the most sheer fun I've had reading a techno-thriller type book since Wired by Doug Richards. Definitely recommended if you're ready for a crazy ride that will NOT end up anywhere that you expected when you start reading.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting science fiction series about evolution of humanity and what it means to be human. Read it in chronological order starting with the prequel as it really makes the next two more dramatic. Good thing this combines the story in that way already. I liked how there were a few constant characters throughout, and they are good characters. This series presents futuristic ideas and explains them in a way you could believe if technology continues to evolve. There are three powerful enemies and they each contain a different way of thinking. It's great fun to see our heroes overcome a at first superior enemy using a wide variety of tactics.

This book kept me thinking and I enjoyed every second of my time with it. People I see are mentioning a ghost in the machine moment, but it makes since and is explained like everything else.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Trans-humanism series is a great sci-fi collection. David Simpson creates a future that asks the question of what actually makes us human. If parts of the body are replaced by artificial means and the brain is helped by cyber technology are we still human? What are the consequences of taking technology too far and how much is too much? Pay attention and you will find some very interesting technology and humanity. The story lines are sophisticated and multi-layered. I think Simpson greatly satisfied my hunger for believable sci-fi. I look forward to reading more by this fabulous writer.

[Christine Holliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. I am not that talented at writing reviews, but I did want to mention that I noticed a few complaints that the technology advanced too fast for the reader's satisfaction. I was under the impression that A.I., who has "intelligence" beyond any human understanding was responsible for creating many of the technologies. Also, the ending was a bit beyond my understanding, but I am not that well versed in science, so I expected that much. I would definitely recommend reading this if you enjoy Sci-Fi.

[Paul Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This trilogy is amazing, each installment takes everything to new levels of awesome/crazy. I am impressed at how the story goes into futures that are so different from our own but remain believable and interesting. This is a superb piece of science fiction and one of the most enjoyable books that i have read in a while.

[Itsallbroken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not one to normally write a review, but i feel that this trilogy deserves it!

What a fantastic read! there something in there for all scifi lovers, and there were points in there where i found myself surprised as the events unfolded.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

[Marco Casteleijn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome books, great exploration of the human spirit and an interesting view on nanotechnology and AI. Greatly enjoyed it and (spoiler) I also enjoyed the 2 sequels !

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I judge my science fiction based upon a modified version of the Baen criteria, and for this one I was looking at is the technology something I can understand, is the storyline plausible (especially in light of the technology), and was it an overall good read. I think Mr. Simpson hits it on those fronts, and he must have done a pretty good job as I have thought about this book for several times after reading it - considering the number of books I read on a monthly basis, that is impressive (to me, at least). Without having a spoiler, this one really focuses in on the technology of the future and doesn't have the shoot `em up aspects of humans vs. aliens that many people enjoy.

I will call b.s. on about the last 15% of the third story in the series - it gets a little crazy and some of it is a big stretch of the imagination - and book 3 of the series is a little bit of a comedown from book 2 which I thought was very good.

[Randall Medlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story line. Enjoyed reading, but the pacing felt wrong.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm about halfway through the second book in the series, and I really want to like it. I like the idea of exploring the amazing possibilities and the terrifying dangers of combining our bodies with technology. The novels are well plotted and fast paced. But some of the writing... just... ugh. It is possible to use too many metaphors, like a man walking through a garden with too many weeds. (Yes, that kind of stuff, on every page.) And I didn't realize that one of the characters was supposed to be funny until the narrator informed me that he had a "wicked sense of humor." Really? Because I thought he was intentionally one of those annoying guys who thinks he's funny and is always like "am I right? AM I RIGHT?"

I finished the first book a few months ago, and I believe it was the last one published. I don't remember the writing being quite so annoying in that one, so the author seems to have improved.

...

Now that I have finished the entire thing, I would say the writing quality definitely improves in the order in which they were written: the prequel is the best of the three books. Overall, the idea is fun, the plotting is great, the characterization is so-so (James and Old-timer are the only characters that feel real to me), and the writing style tries a bit too hard. But it's a fun read and definitely worth it.

[Mark Draper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waking up this morning was easy as I finished the 4th book and realize I need to get the 5th book, this is a great series! OK, my opening could use a little more work and isn't up to the authors use of 'waking up...' but you get the idea, I loved this collection.

Its tricky to write about these books without giving too much away. The first book sets things up nicely and is a well rounded story that leaves you satisfied but wondering 'what happens next?'

Books two and three can be ready as a single book with three continuing off directly after two. Book four was an interesting change, still clearly in the same universe but with something of a Matrix feel to it.

Borrowed these via the Kindle lending library and will be sure to grab the next book in the series ASAP. If you can borrow them it's a no braining, get downloading them now! If you don't have access to the lending library you're in luck, they're dirt cheap.

Well written, short chapters that have that 'one more chapter' appeal. Now stop reading my review and go get stuck in to book one!

Available now from Amazon: http://amzn.to/1q8S2ma

[Kristofer Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "The Selfish Gene", Richard Dawkins departs from pure Darwinism to point out that evolution can take many forms. It was this book that postulated the idea of the "meme", a unit of cultural transmission.

The Post-Human Trilogy presents us with a variety of similar alternatives to pure Darwinism including Artificial Intelligence, nanotechnology, and the like, creating a hypothetical world that is both inviting and terrifying. This is no utopian society; the human problem remains the same despite the increasingly advanced technology --- which sometimes fails on its promise, or delivers something unexpected and occasionally terrifying.

The Post-Human Trilogy is an extended riff idea that seemingly benign or beneficial technologies can be subverted, or possibly come with a range of unintended consequences.

[Mike Backeberg · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story started well and was interesting but there are 2 fundamental flaws which just make the book pointless and frustrating!

1) When you travel to an alternate universe of timeline do not try to rescue the people impacted by an event..... it is the basis of all time travel, non-interference.

2) Why is it that the older AI can control the super soldiers and yet the newer model AI cannot? It also has wifi capabilities and can reprogramme other things (like the plank device). If this is the case, then the super soldiers which the older AI takes can also be done by the newer AI? This would then just stop the book in the early chapters.

Very frustrating.........

[Flint Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and it being available to borrow made it even better. When I go to read something of this nature it is easy to suspend disbelief and enjoy the story. Like stories that make one think and this does that, in addition to dealing with the complexities of human emotion and the bad timing that we all seem to have when it comes to feelings. Also you are never really sure who is the "good" guy and who is the "bad" guy. Overall an entertaining read and would highly suggest you take them up on the journey.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting description of how the world might be if (when?) AI reaches The Singularity level. You can tell the author has studied this topic, as he is conversant on the technological aspects of The Singularity. He skillfully avoids the philosophical issues, but this is fiction after all.

The author is a young writer (these trilogy is his first published work) and it appears that he is still trying to find his own style. One has the sense that much of the work is imitative of other authors. My sense is he is growing into a style of his own.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished the first part (Sub-Human). I'd rate that part 4/5. I'd almost rate it 5/5 except there were a few parts in the book that bothered me, but they were few. Will update this with reviews for the other parts when I finish them.

Just finished part 2 (Post-Human). I rated it 5/5. It was brilliant and is now a new favourite of mine. I just hope the last part is just as good.

Just finished the final part. It lived up to my expectations of it. I rate that part 5/5 and the overall trilogy 5/5 also.

[Tom Loock · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't bring myself to finish this book. The writing isn't bad, the science seems up to date and there is a lot of big time-action but it's just not my kind of SF. The Post-Human Trilogy would have been right at home in a 1940s issue of Amazing Stories or Wonder Stories. I can well imagine that David Simpson has his devoted fans.

[Shane Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read that while way too far fetched and a little too super human for my liking, (meaning way to unreal and over the top), but interesting and fun to read. Basic good-guys-bad-guys story with blurring about who's who and blurred motives.

Sometimes a little hard to follow, but still an interesting read for the price point. Characters are likable and grow on you. Some of the dialog is stilted and corney. The concepts are interesting and thought provoking with a sprinkling of god complexes.

[Kyle · Rating 1 out of 5]

They're dead, they're not dead, they're dead, they're not dead, and now some are dead..wait, false alarm, they're back again!

It isn't...too terrible. The constant alive-dead-alive-dead-alive sequence prevents me from taking a vested interest in any of the characters..or the universe in general, except for those times when the death makes it convenient for one of the characters to find a new love of their life. Kind of felt like I was reading/listening to a bad comic book.

The audiobook version also suffers from a terrible narrator.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun futuristic series to read with themes of redemption and altruism and hope in the midst of great loss. I also really enjoyed all of the theories about how the future looks and theories about what causes the downfall of civilizations throughout the universe. There were a lot of philosophical questions posed throughout which I really enjoyed. It kept me reading the next and next and next books.

[Rob Tunnah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tremendously enjoyable series that really floats my boat. Whether the science is accurate or attainable matters not a whit: it has enough plausibility to be believable within the context of the narrative, and that's good enough for me.

I've had enough of turgid tomes - textbooks masquerading as fiction - which miss the point entirely when they fail to entertain. This series really is fun with a capital F.

[Eddie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather disappointed in this trilogy. While some of the technology ideas are kinda cool, I really had a hard time connecting to these books. I didn't feel any real connection to the characters, the dialog seemed kind of adolescent and I really wasn't inspired by the story. I didn't buy into the physcological 'aha' moments and found it difficult to get seriously into the story.

[Bradford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very well paced trilogy of transhuman speculative fiction; I finished it in only a couple of nights of late-night reading. It's not without some glaring plot holes or sci-fi hand-waviness, and there's deus ex machina-a-plenty, so if that sort of thing bothers you then maybe give this a skip; but if you can overlook those minor flaws then it's a very good series.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

1st book of the trilogy was ok. 2nd was less so. Barely made it to the end of the 3rd. The writing reminds me of a comic book with comic book heroes. This effort should not necessarily be dismissed, but it doesn't make my list of all-time favorites.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish it... I endured through the first one, Sub Human, but somewhat thru the second one "Post Human" just had to give up. I couldn't sympathize with the characters... I just can't read a book where I don't empathize with the protagonists.