What do you think?
Rate this book
The Man Who Ended the World
When Steven Glass's third grade teacher asked his class what they wanted to be when they grew up, Steven's classmates shouted the usual answers: "A fireman!" "A teacher!" "The President!" When his turn came, Steven said, "When I grow up I'm going to be the last man on Earth."
Warning signs don't come much clearer than that.
Nearly thirty years later, Steven Glass is a billionaire. Surrounded by groupies, yes-men, investment opportunities and glamour, all Steven really wants is to be alone.
Really, really alone.
In secret, Steven builds a personal sanctuary nearly a mile underground. He vanishes from public life, goes off the grid. He's finally alone. Well, except for an artificial intelligence companion named after the only girl he ever loved.
There, Steven plays video games, heckles the news, and waits for the apocalypse. When the end doesn't come soon enough, Steven goes to work. He still has billions of dollars to spend -- and there must be something he can do to accelerate the coming storm.
Wrestling with his own destiny, unaware of the young stowaways who have discovered his underground paradise, and battling his duplicitous A.I. companion at every turn, Steven Glass struggles to create the reality he has always hoped for -- at the expense of the future of every single living human being on Earth...
Unless a pair of eleven-year-old children can stop him and save the world, that is.
Warning signs don't come much clearer than that.
Nearly thirty years later, Steven Glass is a billionaire. Surrounded by groupies, yes-men, investment opportunities and glamour, all Steven really wants is to be alone.
Really, really alone.
In secret, Steven builds a personal sanctuary nearly a mile underground. He vanishes from public life, goes off the grid. He's finally alone. Well, except for an artificial intelligence companion named after the only girl he ever loved.
There, Steven plays video games, heckles the news, and waits for the apocalypse. When the end doesn't come soon enough, Steven goes to work. He still has billions of dollars to spend -- and there must be something he can do to accelerate the coming storm.
Wrestling with his own destiny, unaware of the young stowaways who have discovered his underground paradise, and battling his duplicitous A.I. companion at every turn, Steven Glass struggles to create the reality he has always hoped for -- at the expense of the future of every single living human being on Earth...
Unless a pair of eleven-year-old children can stop him and save the world, that is.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 10, 2013
About the author
Jason Gurley
38 books431 followersJason Gurley is the author of Awake in the World (Roaring Brook, 2019) and Eleanor (Crown, 2016), and co-author of The Edge of Sleep (St. Martin's, 2023). His short fiction appears in the anthologies Loosed Upon the World (Saga, 2015) and Help Fund My Robot Army!!! (2014). He lives and writes in Scappoose, Oregon. More at www.jasongurley.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
September 3, 2022
Random quick read from couple years ago, whose ghost has been left hovering about, every so often reminding me of itself - like right now again; a book, which I recall with fondness and an oddly ominous attachment. But, which I have to keep looking up every time, to remember its name.
After being prompted to engage solely by the intriguing title (ironically), this turned out to be a wonderfully human telling of tiny circumstances leading up to, and following the immediate aftermath of, a large scale event.
I recall the narration being quite pop culture alluding / nostalgia fueled. Especially serendipitous turned out to be the importance which Rama played in the narrative; book, which I had read just recently then for the first time. Also, one of my personal all time favorite SF movies gets a rare shout out (as reveal my reading updates).
Movies not referenced, but which were felt throughout in the tension, the general manner, and/or the milieu of this: Stand By Me (1986), Unbreakable (2000), and Ex Machina (2014).
4 to 5 stars. This review was written now to finally appease the lingering ghost of the book I've already clearly been affected by despite having no recollection of the state of the included literary potency (and whose title my mind still keeps refusing to remember).
After being prompted to engage solely by the intriguing title (ironically), this turned out to be a wonderfully human telling of tiny circumstances leading up to, and following the immediate aftermath of, a large scale event.
I recall the narration being quite pop culture alluding / nostalgia fueled. Especially serendipitous turned out to be the importance which Rama played in the narrative; book, which I had read just recently then for the first time. Also, one of my personal all time favorite SF movies gets a rare shout out (as reveal my reading updates).
Movies not referenced, but which were felt throughout in the tension, the general manner, and/or the milieu of this: Stand By Me (1986), Unbreakable (2000), and Ex Machina (2014).
4 to 5 stars. This review was written now to finally appease the lingering ghost of the book I've already clearly been affected by despite having no recollection of the state of the included literary potency (and whose title my mind still keeps refusing to remember).
February 20, 2013
The story was entertaining enough, but the author's choice not to use quoation marks around dialogue, in addition to sub-par editing (most of the story is told in present tense, but a few times it lapses to past tense for no discernable reason -- as if the author changed his mind partway through the book and didn't do a thorough job editing), really detracted from my enjoyment of the book. If you can look past the distracting style/editing issues, though, the story itself is pretty interesting.
July 29, 2014
If one of the Columbine boys had foregone the massacre, become a billionaire, and then exacted his narcissistic angst on a world he blamed for his own inadequacies, he might have become Steven Glass.
The Man Who Ended the World is a fascinating study of one man’s descent into madness. The problem is, this particular one man has enough money to not only protect himself, but also catalyze the events that eventually lead to mankind’s destruction. Given the title of the book, I don’t think I’ve spoiled anything by saying that, but I’ll stop there to avoid giving away too many details. Suffice it to say, TMTETW could be read by psychology students as a case study in what happens when an “I’m the victim here” psychopath with too much money is given free rein to do as he wishes.
The children in the story, Henry and Clarissa, act as the reader’s eyes and ears as they try to understand what’s going on while being terrified by it at the same time. At 12 years old, they’re at the perfect transitional age between “children” and “young adult,” which is important in understanding how they experience the events as they do. Gurley says near the end, “they are the two oldest children who have ever lived,” and he perfectly captures the innocence and “need to know” in the voices of these child characters. It’s so spot-on, you’d think he recorded dialogue overheard by two 12-year-olds experiencing the end of the world.
One observation that will probably seem odd to anyone who hasn’t read the series, but the kids in the book reminded me of the kids in Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators. This was a series similar to the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew that was popular when I was growing up. Essentially, these three pre-teen boys solved mysteries (a la Scooby Doo) and operated out of a clubhouse in a junkyard. (They met with the great director before and after each adventure, a bookending feature I never quite understood.) Anyway, Henry’s and Clarissa’s wide-eyed fascination, curiosity, and determination reminded me of that series for some reason. (Maybe it was the gateway to Glass’s refuge in the junkyard that did it.)
The only caveat I would add has been mentioned in other reviews: there are minor formatting issues that can distracting for a reader (e.g., the author’s choice to forego quotation marks to set off dialogue). While I agree that these were a little distracting, once you get used to them, they’re not a big deal. TMTETW is a fast read, and the narrative quality and depth of story far outweigh any minor formatting distractions. In short, TMTETW is a great book from a talented wordsmith with an incredible imagination.
The Man Who Ended the World is a fascinating study of one man’s descent into madness. The problem is, this particular one man has enough money to not only protect himself, but also catalyze the events that eventually lead to mankind’s destruction. Given the title of the book, I don’t think I’ve spoiled anything by saying that, but I’ll stop there to avoid giving away too many details. Suffice it to say, TMTETW could be read by psychology students as a case study in what happens when an “I’m the victim here” psychopath with too much money is given free rein to do as he wishes.
The children in the story, Henry and Clarissa, act as the reader’s eyes and ears as they try to understand what’s going on while being terrified by it at the same time. At 12 years old, they’re at the perfect transitional age between “children” and “young adult,” which is important in understanding how they experience the events as they do. Gurley says near the end, “they are the two oldest children who have ever lived,” and he perfectly captures the innocence and “need to know” in the voices of these child characters. It’s so spot-on, you’d think he recorded dialogue overheard by two 12-year-olds experiencing the end of the world.
One observation that will probably seem odd to anyone who hasn’t read the series, but the kids in the book reminded me of the kids in Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators. This was a series similar to the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew that was popular when I was growing up. Essentially, these three pre-teen boys solved mysteries (a la Scooby Doo) and operated out of a clubhouse in a junkyard. (They met with the great director before and after each adventure, a bookending feature I never quite understood.) Anyway, Henry’s and Clarissa’s wide-eyed fascination, curiosity, and determination reminded me of that series for some reason. (Maybe it was the gateway to Glass’s refuge in the junkyard that did it.)
The only caveat I would add has been mentioned in other reviews: there are minor formatting issues that can distracting for a reader (e.g., the author’s choice to forego quotation marks to set off dialogue). While I agree that these were a little distracting, once you get used to them, they’re not a big deal. TMTETW is a fast read, and the narrative quality and depth of story far outweigh any minor formatting distractions. In short, TMTETW is a great book from a talented wordsmith with an incredible imagination.
September 22, 2013
This book, is enjoyable, well-constructed, and well-written. I've read other comments below that complained about the style (no quotation marks) and the sub-par editing; I can see that these reviewers have a point but to be honest it didn't get in the way of a good story.
The back story to the main character was quite excellently told, given just enough detail to make me care and to engage without weighing me down. And the world-building engendered similar feelings in me, just enough and not too much.
I didn't enjoy the characters of the children, which nearly put me off as the first chapter focusses on one of them. I think perhaps it's a cultural thing, and I see a vast amount of US books, films and movies both venerate and infantilise children and childhood. And this doesn't seem to perturb US audiences and readers, so I can only surmise this is held as normal there. However I'm not American so it leaves me a little cold, and as the reader's relationship with the children is vital to the story (particularly the second half) I fell out of the story a little. Also, it is clear that this novel deals with a total apocalypse but the focus is only American.
Given all the above I could only personally give the work 3-stars. However, if you are American and my understanding of your culture is only half correct you should give it a try as it'll probably be a lot better for you. And don't worry yourself about quotation marks, they are a style choice and Mr Gurley's treatment of speech is perfectly valid and not difficult to understand.
The back story to the main character was quite excellently told, given just enough detail to make me care and to engage without weighing me down. And the world-building engendered similar feelings in me, just enough and not too much.
I didn't enjoy the characters of the children, which nearly put me off as the first chapter focusses on one of them. I think perhaps it's a cultural thing, and I see a vast amount of US books, films and movies both venerate and infantilise children and childhood. And this doesn't seem to perturb US audiences and readers, so I can only surmise this is held as normal there. However I'm not American so it leaves me a little cold, and as the reader's relationship with the children is vital to the story (particularly the second half) I fell out of the story a little. Also, it is clear that this novel deals with a total apocalypse but the focus is only American.
Given all the above I could only personally give the work 3-stars. However, if you are American and my understanding of your culture is only half correct you should give it a try as it'll probably be a lot better for you. And don't worry yourself about quotation marks, they are a style choice and Mr Gurley's treatment of speech is perfectly valid and not difficult to understand.
August 23, 2019
Steven Glass is a billionaire who has built himself a high tech underground bunker. Steven was a boy who was bullied as a child, and found solace in reading, particularly in apocalyptic novels. Glass decides to use his money to bring about the next apocalypse. Two children stowaway in Steven's bunker with the help of an artificial intelligence, Stacey, and they plan to stop them.
My only complaint about this book is that I wish it was longer. I wanted to see more about what the children do at the end, but of well! Still a quick fun read!
My only complaint about this book is that I wish it was longer. I wanted to see more about what the children do at the end, but of well! Still a quick fun read!
March 28, 2013
I would have enjoyed this better if the dialogue were in quotation marks. Reading through the book made me feel like all the spoken lines were being whispered/thought in the head by the characters instead.
Interesting story though - overall a good read.
Interesting story though - overall a good read.
November 12, 2018
I do not generally give self-published books a chance. Fortunately for me, I read a sample of this book unaware that it was self-published. It didn't look like it was self-published, and it didn't read like I expect self-published books to read. By the time I got to the end of the sample and clicked to buy, my heart sank a little when I saw the low price of the book; a hallmark of self-published work. I brushed it off as a likely promotion by Google and continued reading.
I'm glad I did. This is a compelling read. It grabs you quickly and doesn't let go. The premise is familiar territory, but the story avoids a lot of the pitfalls of cliche. Ultimately, the story delivers on the promise of the premise.
The characters are sympathetic, even when you're unsure whether you're following the protagonist or the antagonist.
Having read some of the other reviews here, there are two primary criticisms, one of which I agree with, and the other which I do not.
One criticism is that the narrative switches tense unexpectedly. This is something I'm very sensitive to, so while I agree that the narrative does switch tense, I don't agree that it is done in a way that is random or without logic. Most of the narration is present tense, but some chapters revert to past tense as a way of recapping events that happened contemporaneously with the last chapter. So it happens throughout the book, but not in a way that I found to be immersion-breaking.
My one criticism is tempered with grudging respect. The author does not use quotation marks for dialogue. Lots of people find this annoying. I found it distracting at first, but stopped noticing after about 5 pages of sustained reading. I get the sense that the author makes this stylistic choice as a way to challenge himself to strengthen the narration enough that the story is compelling without quotation marks - and he succeeds in this. It is a testament to his writing capability.
But as an exercise, it's something that should have remained in the writing process and been addressed in the editing process. The author is a musician so he will probably identify with the idea that if a rock song rocks when played solo on an acoustic guitar, it's going to be really rock when drums and electric guitars are added. I see this business with the quotation marks the same way. Challenge yourself in the writing by leaving them out, but add them back in for the final production, and the narrative choice you made as a result of challenging yourself will really "pop" for the reader.
The story is too accessible and too enjoyable to be artificially hampered in this way. The book deserves to be read by a wide audience. It should have blurbs by respected authors rather than Amazon readers. It's hard not to feel like the choices the author made to liberate himself in the writing of this book are limiting him in the publication of it. In the end, this is easily fixed, and as a self-published author, Jason Gurley has the flexibility to fix it and observe what happens to his audience.
For all that, I was captivated by this story, and I find myself working my way through the rest of the author's bibliography. Jason Gurley is a good author. Not "good for a self-published author"; he is simply a very good author and story teller.
Do yourself a favor and read this book.
I'm glad I did. This is a compelling read. It grabs you quickly and doesn't let go. The premise is familiar territory, but the story avoids a lot of the pitfalls of cliche. Ultimately, the story delivers on the promise of the premise.
The characters are sympathetic, even when you're unsure whether you're following the protagonist or the antagonist.
Having read some of the other reviews here, there are two primary criticisms, one of which I agree with, and the other which I do not.
One criticism is that the narrative switches tense unexpectedly. This is something I'm very sensitive to, so while I agree that the narrative does switch tense, I don't agree that it is done in a way that is random or without logic. Most of the narration is present tense, but some chapters revert to past tense as a way of recapping events that happened contemporaneously with the last chapter. So it happens throughout the book, but not in a way that I found to be immersion-breaking.
My one criticism is tempered with grudging respect. The author does not use quotation marks for dialogue. Lots of people find this annoying. I found it distracting at first, but stopped noticing after about 5 pages of sustained reading. I get the sense that the author makes this stylistic choice as a way to challenge himself to strengthen the narration enough that the story is compelling without quotation marks - and he succeeds in this. It is a testament to his writing capability.
But as an exercise, it's something that should have remained in the writing process and been addressed in the editing process. The author is a musician so he will probably identify with the idea that if a rock song rocks when played solo on an acoustic guitar, it's going to be really rock when drums and electric guitars are added. I see this business with the quotation marks the same way. Challenge yourself in the writing by leaving them out, but add them back in for the final production, and the narrative choice you made as a result of challenging yourself will really "pop" for the reader.
The story is too accessible and too enjoyable to be artificially hampered in this way. The book deserves to be read by a wide audience. It should have blurbs by respected authors rather than Amazon readers. It's hard not to feel like the choices the author made to liberate himself in the writing of this book are limiting him in the publication of it. In the end, this is easily fixed, and as a self-published author, Jason Gurley has the flexibility to fix it and observe what happens to his audience.
For all that, I was captivated by this story, and I find myself working my way through the rest of the author's bibliography. Jason Gurley is a good author. Not "good for a self-published author"; he is simply a very good author and story teller.
Do yourself a favor and read this book.
May 3, 2016
I try to remember to say when books are given by the author or a publishing house. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to say when books are bought, but I bought this one because I’ve enjoyed other stories by the author. The first books I read by Jason Gurley were Settlers and Colonists. Since then I’ve almost become accustomed to his lack of punctuation when it comes to dialogue, but not quite yet. That aside, I very much enjoy his stories and his style of writing.
This was a very contained story with few characters. Henry is the young man that the reader follows through his encounter with the man who ends the world. The title pretty much gives away the plot so I don’t think we have much of a spoiler situation here. As an 11-year-old boy, Henry is quite inquisitive which lands him in a particularly interesting situation with a strange man hiding in a car. Things only get stranger and more confusing for Henry from there as he continues on his adventure.
This was a pretty short read. I read it in a couple of hours. So, I don’t want to give away more than I already have. I have a thing for dystopian stories and this one is right along those lines. Anyway, it was a quick read that I enjoyed. The ending left me wanting something, but as I can’t put my finger on exactly what I can hardly detract for it. All things said it was a good story that moved at a good pace with some interesting surprises along the way. Happy reading.
This review was originally posted on my blog and is worded as such, https://tjhapney.wordpress.com/
This was a very contained story with few characters. Henry is the young man that the reader follows through his encounter with the man who ends the world. The title pretty much gives away the plot so I don’t think we have much of a spoiler situation here. As an 11-year-old boy, Henry is quite inquisitive which lands him in a particularly interesting situation with a strange man hiding in a car. Things only get stranger and more confusing for Henry from there as he continues on his adventure.
This was a pretty short read. I read it in a couple of hours. So, I don’t want to give away more than I already have. I have a thing for dystopian stories and this one is right along those lines. Anyway, it was a quick read that I enjoyed. The ending left me wanting something, but as I can’t put my finger on exactly what I can hardly detract for it. All things said it was a good story that moved at a good pace with some interesting surprises along the way. Happy reading.
This review was originally posted on my blog and is worded as such, https://tjhapney.wordpress.com/
February 26, 2014
With both feet firmly planted in the post-apocalyptic wheelhouse, Gurley does a wonderful job of painting a child's experience during the end of the world. The setting is the most unique and enjoyable part of the story, from the humble entrance to the vast micro-world our characters use to survive. How Gurley brings the reader to the end is easily the most interesting approach I've read in years. Being a fan of the genre, we are spared the played out tropes that the genre reveled in decades ago that keep finding their way into modern pieces of fiction and instead, we are given a plot that embraces technology with no need to suspend disbelief. The third work of Gurley's I've read this month, I look forward to another in the near future.
May 11, 2015
This was a good quick little apocalyptic tale about a man that dreams of being the last man on Earth, his AI and two eleven year old kids that somehow escape the end of the world. Not a really deep book, although it has the potential to be if you take the time to digest it. But if your looking for a quick, non-gory book to read over the weekend this one will work out just fine.
April 24, 2013
Somewhat poor editing (verb tense) and a lack of quotation marks to indicate dialogue contributed to the 2 star rating. This was entertaining - interesting premise, somewhat perverted.
June 13, 2019
Jason Gurley's "The Man Who Ended the World" is a suspenseful, fast-moving read about a billionaire social media mogul, Steven Glass, who decides that he'd rather witness the destruction of all humanity and record it for posterity, while in the comfort and safety of his underground "space station" a half-mile beneath the Earth underneath a small-town junkyard. He is discovered by a young boy, Henry, and his investigations along with his friend Clarissa reveal a high-tech hideout to withstand the coming apocalypse, run by a genius loner slowly losing his grip on reality. The only other being with intellect and maturity is Steven's caretaker AI, Stacy, who runs his hideaway and provides companionship, and who may hold the key to mankind's future. This is not a masterpiece, and as far as post-apocalyptic dystopian books go it doesn't venture far beyond its premise. But it is suspenseful, hair-raising and at times funny, and Gurley ably creates a visual palette in describing an overgrown-boy tech company founder's "underground treehouse", and there is plenty of character development and a suspenseful narrative. My biggest gripes are that the book seemed too short, IMO, and that an added length could have covered some missed opportunities with the characters' interactions, especially in the climax. All in all it's a great read and has given me interest in Jason Gurley's other works.
July 13, 2019
The Man Who Ended The World provides a disturbing, thrilling view through the eyes of a billionaire misanthrope who is obsessed with the idea of observing humanity's reaction to the apocalypse. He's so obsessed, in fact, that he grows impatient and decides to bring it about himself. But, when his all-too-human A.I. brings two children into his private, luxurious shelter to survive the fallout, his master plan takes a wild turn.
I'm a big fan of Jason Gurley. I read his novel Eleanor sometime ago and have been reading his stories since. He has a distinct writing style; one that is simple, but impactful. He has a habit of approaching subjects that strike a little too close to potential reality, and this book is no different. It's capturing and insightful. Steve Glass is written gritty and without apology, and the children provide a healthy relief from that. My one and only criticism: the kids didn't behave like 11 year olds. I think their language and reactions were more suited for 14 or 15 year olds.
I'm a big fan of Jason Gurley. I read his novel Eleanor sometime ago and have been reading his stories since. He has a distinct writing style; one that is simple, but impactful. He has a habit of approaching subjects that strike a little too close to potential reality, and this book is no different. It's capturing and insightful. Steve Glass is written gritty and without apology, and the children provide a healthy relief from that. My one and only criticism: the kids didn't behave like 11 year olds. I think their language and reactions were more suited for 14 or 15 year olds.
June 29, 2019
One day a bored kid follows a stranger through town pretending to be a spy. When that stranger disappears in a junkyard, he stumbles on a mystery beyond anything he could have expected. The man is missing billionaire Steven Glass and he has disappeared into the bunker he has built to survive the end of the world.
What follows is a dystopian page turner set in the very near future about two resourceful kids, a sociopath who wants to be the last man left alive and a rather feisty AI called Stacy. The characters are well-written and the story is terrifyingly believable. A great read.
What follows is a dystopian page turner set in the very near future about two resourceful kids, a sociopath who wants to be the last man left alive and a rather feisty AI called Stacy. The characters are well-written and the story is terrifyingly believable. A great read.
February 21, 2018
A simple post apocalyptic novel. The title is quite literal and although my review is 3 Stars does not mean this book isn't good. The overall concept and execution is quite disturbing especially when one allows themselves to escape into the authors fiction while keeping in mind all the Silicon Valley billionaires. I'll say that the plot has it's share of flaws but regardless it's interesting to root because it becomes a near necessity to know their outcome.
September 25, 2022
The most interesting characters in this book were not the title character, but the boy, girl, and the AI. The title character is not likeable even as villain. He's boring and motivated by nothing except he's rich and can. In contrast, the children are flawed and far more fleshed out than the title character. Even the AI shows more humanity that the main character. It does take long before you start hoping for his demise.
October 3, 2020
Surprising
As a lifelong fan of Earth Abides, the topic of surviving a human extinction event has always been of interest to me, too, like Stephen Glass. But unlike him, I have neither the desire nor capacity to precipitate such an event.
The surprise was the very evocative and almost two souled AI.
All in all, an interesting long short story.
As a lifelong fan of Earth Abides, the topic of surviving a human extinction event has always been of interest to me, too, like Stephen Glass. But unlike him, I have neither the desire nor capacity to precipitate such an event.
The surprise was the very evocative and almost two souled AI.
All in all, an interesting long short story.
November 3, 2020
Know your audience
I love to read and discover new independent writers. Some respectful feedback: Story is well written but a little simple, could have been targeted to young people except for the gratuitous language and sex which is better suited for adults. Author has talent but needs to decide on audience.
I love to read and discover new independent writers. Some respectful feedback: Story is well written but a little simple, could have been targeted to young people except for the gratuitous language and sex which is better suited for adults. Author has talent but needs to decide on audience.
January 25, 2021
Not particularly good at all.
This book gets going, then ends immediately as it starts to get interesting. Don't waste your money. I wouldn't mind so much if there was a sequel, but there doesn't appear to be. If you decide to buy this book anyway, keep in mind it's only half a book
This book gets going, then ends immediately as it starts to get interesting. Don't waste your money. I wouldn't mind so much if there was a sequel, but there doesn't appear to be. If you decide to buy this book anyway, keep in mind it's only half a book
April 13, 2023
I'm a fan of "end of the world" books and movies. I just happened across this book somehow and I really enjoyed it. It kept me engaged and was different from other books I've read. I definitely enjoyed it and just ordered the book of stories "Deep Breath Hold Tight" by the same author. Looking forward to seeing more from Jason Gurley
August 17, 2024
This book was a fun and relatively short read. Do not take it seriously, just enjoy the book for what it is, a work of fiction. I was not a fan though of the authors failure to use quotation marks throughout the book. Granted the dialogue was generally self evident, but I did find myself rereading bits of text over again to make sure I understood what was going on from time to time.
July 4, 2025
Punctuation!
The lack of proper punctuation (quote marks more than anything) made the story hard to follow at times. Some “scene break” indicators would have been useful in other places as well. Overall intriguing story though, and the reference to the movie Contact (W9GFO) made me laugh out loud.
The lack of proper punctuation (quote marks more than anything) made the story hard to follow at times. Some “scene break” indicators would have been useful in other places as well. Overall intriguing story though, and the reference to the movie Contact (W9GFO) made me laugh out loud.
August 3, 2017
Pretty intense. Maybe I should have suspected from the title, but this got eerie. Dont think I paid any money on Kindle, so for that it jumps up a star. I stormed through it quickly which shows in itself my entertainment. I'll look into this author in the future. .
March 6, 2018
Electrifying
Starts as a good read. Easy to read and then turns a little sinister. I really enjoyed this book as it portrayed the end of the world from one person 's point. I couldn't put it down
Starts as a good read. Easy to read and then turns a little sinister. I really enjoyed this book as it portrayed the end of the world from one person 's point. I couldn't put it down
November 23, 2020
3.5 stars.
I really did like this story. Although I noticed the no-quotation-marks style of dialogue as other commenters mentioned, it didn't bother me.
I wish there was more, more of this story and details fleshed-out.
I really did like this story. Although I noticed the no-quotation-marks style of dialogue as other commenters mentioned, it didn't bother me.
I wish there was more, more of this story and details fleshed-out.
September 28, 2021
Entertaining, thoughtful
I’m getting back into sci/fi after too many years reading serious nonfiction. “The Man Who Ended the World” gave me a coming of age story wrapped around an old world dying and a new world emerging. I hope we see sequels.
I’m getting back into sci/fi after too many years reading serious nonfiction. “The Man Who Ended the World” gave me a coming of age story wrapped around an old world dying and a new world emerging. I hope we see sequels.
July 22, 2022
It had a great storyline. The narrative involved two curious kids, one who wanted to witness the extinction of humanity and the other typical one who gets involved with the former. I couldn't feel the same intensity all along as it tapered towards the end.
September 27, 2023
Timely take on the end if the world
I read a lot of dystopian/apocalyptic books and so refreshing to read a fresh take. That a sole person could set it off and that AI could be more humane and compassionate than man. I look forward to a continuation of the story...??
I read a lot of dystopian/apocalyptic books and so refreshing to read a fresh take. That a sole person could set it off and that AI could be more humane and compassionate than man. I look forward to a continuation of the story...??
December 13, 2017
Fun quick little read, Enjoyed it on my plane flight to alaska.
September 28, 2018
Yeah it's good
I thought it was a pretty good story. Interesting concept I haven't come across yet. Needs to be proofread again but other than that I would definitely recommend.
I thought it was a pretty good story. Interesting concept I haven't come across yet. Needs to be proofread again but other than that I would definitely recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews