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The Omega Point Beyond 2012
2012 came and went. The world prepared itself for impending disaster--and nothing happened. Or so it seemed. Â
But by 2020, energy from a supernova is disrupting the sun. Solar storms ravage the globe with unprecedented ferocity, and debris in the form of comets and asteroids threaten to end life on earth. The wealthy of the world hide in vast underground bunkers, but even they know that they cannot survive without a miracle.Â
It all comes down to one man—a young psychiatrist named David Ford—who may hold the power to save the world. Newly employed at the extravagant Acton Clinic, Ford encounters people who seem to understand what's happening… some may even possess an extraordinary knowledge of what’s to come. One of them is the beautiful and enigmatic Caroline Light, who demands more from Ford than he could possibly give… another is cunning ex-CIA operative Mack Graham, a skilled killer with questionable loyalties…
December 21, 2012 was not the end. Â
The end is The Omega Point: where time stops.Â
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2010
11 people are currently reading
366 people want to read
About the author
Whitley Strieber
149 books1,246 followersAmerican writer best known for his novels The Wolfen,The Hunger and Warday and for Communion, a non-fiction description of his experiences with apparent alien contact. He has recently made significant advances in understanding this phenomenon, and has published his new discoveries in Solving the Communion Enigma.
Strieber also co-authored The Coming Global Superstorm with Art Bell, which inspired the blockbuster film about sudden climate change, The Day After Tomorrow.
His book The Afterlife Revolution written with his deceased wife Anne, is a record of what is considered to be one of the most powerful instances of afterlife communication ever recorded.
Strieber also co-authored The Coming Global Superstorm with Art Bell, which inspired the blockbuster film about sudden climate change, The Day After Tomorrow.
His book The Afterlife Revolution written with his deceased wife Anne, is a record of what is considered to be one of the most powerful instances of afterlife communication ever recorded.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
October 4, 2013
By the end of Chapter 10, I couldn't find it within myself to continue reading.
Dear Author, By the time I get through 40% of the book, something should have happened. Aside from one person getting killed in the very beginning and another getting knocked out.
And how much sense does this make?
- You're lost, confused, and damn near helpless.
- The only person that seems to know what's going on tells you to trust Girl A.
- It becomes obvious to you that Girl A has information you need.
- So you lock Girl A away into a padded room for a few days and give her the silent treatment, hoping she'll give you an excuse to keep her locked up.
- You recognize that you need to trust Girl A and get the facts about your situation so you can like, save humanity and stuff.
- So you leave Girl A locked up and give her the silent treatment.
WHAT. THE. FUCK. IS. THAT.
Dear Author, By the time I get through 40% of the book, something should have happened. Aside from one person getting killed in the very beginning and another getting knocked out.
And how much sense does this make?
- You're lost, confused, and damn near helpless.
- The only person that seems to know what's going on tells you to trust Girl A.
- It becomes obvious to you that Girl A has information you need.
- So you lock Girl A away into a padded room for a few days and give her the silent treatment, hoping she'll give you an excuse to keep her locked up.
- You recognize that you need to trust Girl A and get the facts about your situation so you can like, save humanity and stuff.
- So you leave Girl A locked up and give her the silent treatment.
WHAT. THE. FUCK. IS. THAT.
abandoned
June 29, 2011Sorry, couldn't do it. Tried for 100 pages, had to give up. Strieber's painfully strained and ZOMG! prose was killing me. He ended every. single. chapter. with a sentence like, "we are all in the same situation: we no longer have time" or "Before God, I could not previously have imagined a sense of helplessness this profound" or "Not their enemies, though hidden, aggressive, and lethally effective. Obviously, they were not alone" and a dozen other examples of the most breathlessly exaggerated hooks I've ever seen.
Aside from that, the book focuses on "white powder gold", a New-Age fantasy dust that can help you move through time as well as levitate, and which you can quite literally buy online - but is so ... I don't know, secretive? terribly important? incredibly fake? that it doesn't even have its own Wikipedia entry.
Just couldn't bring myself to read further.
Aside from that, the book focuses on "white powder gold", a New-Age fantasy dust that can help you move through time as well as levitate, and which you can quite literally buy online - but is so ... I don't know, secretive? terribly important? incredibly fake? that it doesn't even have its own Wikipedia entry.
Just couldn't bring myself to read further.
June 21, 2010
I won this as a First Reads giveaway.
We find ourselves quickly immersed in a world 8 years past the date that was foretold to be the end of the world: Dec. 21, 2012. Events unfold to place David, the leader, in the undesirable position of not being able to remember what he was taught to do. He is supposed to be the one who helps shepherd the good into a new world, leaving the dying earth of the present behind.
I feel that if I say much more, I will reveal plot elements that are best left to be found by the reader. I will say that I did enjoy this story and it was a very easy, quick read for me (4 hours or so). The author does a good job of progressing the story along, though at times it feels like he is rushing things and really leaves the reader confused and wondering what exactly is going on. Perhaps this is done because our main character, David, is just being swept along for most of the story while he too does not really know what is happening.
All in all it is an interesting take on the whole 12/21/2012 disaster stories that are rampant right now. I feel like there were a lot of things that could have, and really should have, been more elaborated on, but if you are interested in a quick read for fun I don't think you will be too disappointed.
(I must note that I read the uncorrected proof and found myself annoyed at typos and some word problems, but that should be cleared up once the novel is released for sale.)
We find ourselves quickly immersed in a world 8 years past the date that was foretold to be the end of the world: Dec. 21, 2012. Events unfold to place David, the leader, in the undesirable position of not being able to remember what he was taught to do. He is supposed to be the one who helps shepherd the good into a new world, leaving the dying earth of the present behind.
I feel that if I say much more, I will reveal plot elements that are best left to be found by the reader. I will say that I did enjoy this story and it was a very easy, quick read for me (4 hours or so). The author does a good job of progressing the story along, though at times it feels like he is rushing things and really leaves the reader confused and wondering what exactly is going on. Perhaps this is done because our main character, David, is just being swept along for most of the story while he too does not really know what is happening.
All in all it is an interesting take on the whole 12/21/2012 disaster stories that are rampant right now. I feel like there were a lot of things that could have, and really should have, been more elaborated on, but if you are interested in a quick read for fun I don't think you will be too disappointed.
(I must note that I read the uncorrected proof and found myself annoyed at typos and some word problems, but that should be cleared up once the novel is released for sale.)
July 12, 2010
Bought The Omega Point this on the 10th and was finished on the 11th. Almost didn't want to go to bed -- that's how good of a page turner this book was. While a bit far fetched in some area's. And occasionally long winded on character development the overall topic of the book is a pleasant surprise. Highly suggested to anyone who likes science fiction, especially those interested in 2012 "prophecies".
July 24, 2010
The Omega Point
by Whtiley Strieber was provided to me by Tor Books on GoodReads.
Nothing happened in 2012, but by 2020 the world is quickly falling apart due to intense solar activity and an impending interstellar disaster the Mayans saw thousands of years ago. David Ford becomes the director of a lonely clinic for the a group of people supposedly suffering from different psychoses. Unknown to David, he will lead humanity into the future as he fights to avoid a killer government operative, neighbors crazed from the end of the world, and a woman scorned.
Without going into my personal beliefs, this novel works a fast moving apocalyptic suspense story. The government has gone into hiding to save themselves. People are struggling to survive without electricity, without vehicles for the most part, without government assistance. The Internet is down, communication lines are non-existent. Solar activity causes power lines and electrical wiring to burst into flame, causing fires that no one is around to extinguish. Auroras are seen around the world. People kill to get what they need to survive.
Now add in my own beliefs and I'll say that this book reads like a New Age Left Behind
. David and most of the people in the clinic are the hope of the few people world-wide somehow deemed to have lived their lives good enough to be taken into the next age. Crazy things happen in this book, for no apparent reason, unless you're aware of the new age message. At one point the government operative in the clinic sees a painting and thinks to himself that the painting looks too realistic and must instead be a portal to another reality. People who have not lived good enough become marked with dark stains growing on their bodies. UFOs fly around beaming unmarked people up in a glorious shaft of light, while some of those watching try to join them but can't. Those with the mark can't go through the painting portal and suffer a horrendous death, while those that are to start fresh in the next age go easily through into a happy nature scene and are reunited with other good people.
The Omega Point gets a two out of five.
by Whtiley Strieber was provided to me by Tor Books on GoodReads. Nothing happened in 2012, but by 2020 the world is quickly falling apart due to intense solar activity and an impending interstellar disaster the Mayans saw thousands of years ago. David Ford becomes the director of a lonely clinic for the a group of people supposedly suffering from different psychoses. Unknown to David, he will lead humanity into the future as he fights to avoid a killer government operative, neighbors crazed from the end of the world, and a woman scorned.
Without going into my personal beliefs, this novel works a fast moving apocalyptic suspense story. The government has gone into hiding to save themselves. People are struggling to survive without electricity, without vehicles for the most part, without government assistance. The Internet is down, communication lines are non-existent. Solar activity causes power lines and electrical wiring to burst into flame, causing fires that no one is around to extinguish. Auroras are seen around the world. People kill to get what they need to survive.
Now add in my own beliefs and I'll say that this book reads like a New Age Left Behind
. David and most of the people in the clinic are the hope of the few people world-wide somehow deemed to have lived their lives good enough to be taken into the next age. Crazy things happen in this book, for no apparent reason, unless you're aware of the new age message. At one point the government operative in the clinic sees a painting and thinks to himself that the painting looks too realistic and must instead be a portal to another reality. People who have not lived good enough become marked with dark stains growing on their bodies. UFOs fly around beaming unmarked people up in a glorious shaft of light, while some of those watching try to join them but can't. Those with the mark can't go through the painting portal and suffer a horrendous death, while those that are to start fresh in the next age go easily through into a happy nature scene and are reunited with other good people. The Omega Point gets a two out of five.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2019
A Notable Difference in the Omega Point
Whitley Strieber seeks answers through writing. Through a brilliant progression of books over the past quarter century, he has continued to ask and offer answers to some of life's most mystifying questions. It is to his credit that he can accomplish that feat by utilizing the vehicle of spell-binding fiction, much of it empathically linked to his personal encounters of the fourth kind. [See Communion 1987]
As another male of the Baby Boomer generation, I can personally relate to his evolution of consciousness. Strieber's personal path to wisdom has run a crooked path through a paranormal labyrinth, often causing him and his readers to question their grasp on reality - and to ask the disturbing question first put forth by anomaly investigator, Charles Fort: "If there is a universal mind, must it be sane?"
In 2012: The Omega Point, the author weaves a good Hollywood tale. As with his earlier collaboration with Art Bell on The Day After Tomorrow, this latest work begs a screenplay adaptation. For the sake of extended sales, Strieber is smart to speculate that Winter Solstice 2012 marks only the beginning of a decade-long deterioration in the physical dynamics of our solar system.
Readers experience through Strieber's colorful characters the manner in which individuals psychologically deal with eminent collapse of the world as they know it. To do so, provides more food for thought than your standard, annihilation-by-the-billions apocalypse.
A notable difference in The Omega Point is Whitley Strieber's personal attempt to make peace with his Creator. To that end, he has added twenty-two pages of Author's Notes to the end of the book seemingly as clarification and explanation not only to the prophetic and spiritual ramifications of this novel but of the total body of his works - post-Communion - and how it has shaped his current syncretic theology.
Yet, this too is indicative of the threshold where we Boomers now stand. With the vanguard of our generation entering their mid-sixties, we must face the naked truth of our own mortality. The Peter Pan Generation that never wanted to grow up is now growing old - and maybe, just maybe, we are not so damned special that the whole world is going to collapse when we croak.
This reviewer finds somewhat of a spiritual kinsmanship with Strieber, knowing that he has come full circle through the possibilities of the mystical universe and landed right back here on earth, on a wind-swept natural amphitheater in northern Israel where a penniless rabbi is teaching the meek that ultimately they will inherit the Earth - and with it, the Edenic paradise this planet was meant to be.
Truly, with this latest work, Whitley Strieber has now taken us, his readers, from the beginning to the end; the A to the Z; the Alpha Point to the Omega Point.
- Gerald Logan MacLennon, July 30, 2010
Whitley Strieber seeks answers through writing. Through a brilliant progression of books over the past quarter century, he has continued to ask and offer answers to some of life's most mystifying questions. It is to his credit that he can accomplish that feat by utilizing the vehicle of spell-binding fiction, much of it empathically linked to his personal encounters of the fourth kind. [See Communion 1987]
As another male of the Baby Boomer generation, I can personally relate to his evolution of consciousness. Strieber's personal path to wisdom has run a crooked path through a paranormal labyrinth, often causing him and his readers to question their grasp on reality - and to ask the disturbing question first put forth by anomaly investigator, Charles Fort: "If there is a universal mind, must it be sane?"
In 2012: The Omega Point, the author weaves a good Hollywood tale. As with his earlier collaboration with Art Bell on The Day After Tomorrow, this latest work begs a screenplay adaptation. For the sake of extended sales, Strieber is smart to speculate that Winter Solstice 2012 marks only the beginning of a decade-long deterioration in the physical dynamics of our solar system.
Readers experience through Strieber's colorful characters the manner in which individuals psychologically deal with eminent collapse of the world as they know it. To do so, provides more food for thought than your standard, annihilation-by-the-billions apocalypse.
A notable difference in The Omega Point is Whitley Strieber's personal attempt to make peace with his Creator. To that end, he has added twenty-two pages of Author's Notes to the end of the book seemingly as clarification and explanation not only to the prophetic and spiritual ramifications of this novel but of the total body of his works - post-Communion - and how it has shaped his current syncretic theology.
Yet, this too is indicative of the threshold where we Boomers now stand. With the vanguard of our generation entering their mid-sixties, we must face the naked truth of our own mortality. The Peter Pan Generation that never wanted to grow up is now growing old - and maybe, just maybe, we are not so damned special that the whole world is going to collapse when we croak.
This reviewer finds somewhat of a spiritual kinsmanship with Strieber, knowing that he has come full circle through the possibilities of the mystical universe and landed right back here on earth, on a wind-swept natural amphitheater in northern Israel where a penniless rabbi is teaching the meek that ultimately they will inherit the Earth - and with it, the Edenic paradise this planet was meant to be.
Truly, with this latest work, Whitley Strieber has now taken us, his readers, from the beginning to the end; the A to the Z; the Alpha Point to the Omega Point.
- Gerald Logan MacLennon, July 30, 2010
December 22, 2013
I really wanted to like this book more.
The main idea is pretty good. It's a neat new take on the old "saving the world" plot. I liked the more scientific explanation to the the end of the Mayan calendar (Dec. 21, 2012). I liked the infusion of multiple cultures (Aztec, Jewish, Christian) in the explanation of why the world is the way it is. The method of saving the world and the weeding out of the "evil ones" was innovative and unique; and while it was a little far fetched, I was even willing to suspend my disbelief and go with it. After all, that's what makes these kinds of books so interesting.
My issues are primarily with how Strieber wrote this book. First of all, he has a rather interesting prologue to the book, which apparently takes place on Dec. 21, 2012. But the rest of the story is completely disconnected with this prologue. No characters carry over. No plot device is foreshadowed. Nothing. The prologue just sits there. Another issue is his characterization; it is lacking in many aspects. The main male protagonist is rather weak and doesn't really grow. He is injected with a substance and immediately comes to be who he was meant to be. No growth. The main female protagonist almost becomes a round character; almost, but not quite. The fullest character in the book is the bad guy, and he is reasonably flat also.
Some plot issues that could be improved: the world is slowly deteriorating from Dec. 21, 2012 until the time the real story story begins in 2020. In the few weeks the story encompasses, the world goes from not great to ending. This happens too quickly to allow me to suspend my disbelief. While the world is ending, the reader hears nothing of the actual world; we are only told of what is happening is the insane asylum for the uber-rich. These patients are supposedly from a class of young people (now grown) who were selected specifically for their taught abilities to govern the world, once it's been saved. In order to keep them secret from the (not well defined) enemies, they are placed in induced psychoses. However, getting them out from their psychoses is assumed, not explained (even though federal government states that the psychosis was more than they could ever do).
I really wanted to like this book more. I wish I could like it more.
The main idea is pretty good. It's a neat new take on the old "saving the world" plot. I liked the more scientific explanation to the the end of the Mayan calendar (Dec. 21, 2012). I liked the infusion of multiple cultures (Aztec, Jewish, Christian) in the explanation of why the world is the way it is. The method of saving the world and the weeding out of the "evil ones" was innovative and unique; and while it was a little far fetched, I was even willing to suspend my disbelief and go with it. After all, that's what makes these kinds of books so interesting.
My issues are primarily with how Strieber wrote this book. First of all, he has a rather interesting prologue to the book, which apparently takes place on Dec. 21, 2012. But the rest of the story is completely disconnected with this prologue. No characters carry over. No plot device is foreshadowed. Nothing. The prologue just sits there. Another issue is his characterization; it is lacking in many aspects. The main male protagonist is rather weak and doesn't really grow. He is injected with a substance and immediately comes to be who he was meant to be. No growth. The main female protagonist almost becomes a round character; almost, but not quite. The fullest character in the book is the bad guy, and he is reasonably flat also.
Some plot issues that could be improved: the world is slowly deteriorating from Dec. 21, 2012 until the time the real story story begins in 2020. In the few weeks the story encompasses, the world goes from not great to ending. This happens too quickly to allow me to suspend my disbelief. While the world is ending, the reader hears nothing of the actual world; we are only told of what is happening is the insane asylum for the uber-rich. These patients are supposedly from a class of young people (now grown) who were selected specifically for their taught abilities to govern the world, once it's been saved. In order to keep them secret from the (not well defined) enemies, they are placed in induced psychoses. However, getting them out from their psychoses is assumed, not explained (even though federal government states that the psychosis was more than they could ever do).
I really wanted to like this book more. I wish I could like it more.
July 10, 2011
Strieber hits the mark with Omega Point. This is one of those books that uses just enough of a mix of science and religion yet does not go over the head of the reader. And than the authors note at the very end of the book. This was about 22 pages of material that I was willing to add another half of a star to my review. Really it is there, four and a half stars, just kind of hard to see because I cannot post a half of a star on my review. Some may not agree with Mr. Strieber. And others may say he is some kind of a whack job. Yet I think he has some interesting things to say here in the end, even if a person does not totally agree with him. The story itself is a great blend of science fiction and fantasy and should delight readers looking for a good tale about the end of it all as we know it.
May 3, 2011
I was ready to give this book 2 stars until I read the essay that Strieber provides at the end of the book. When I first picked it up, I didn't want to read it because I thought it would be a foreshadowing of some of the problems we have today. But it wasn't. And I was disappointed in the rather far-fetched plot, the shallow characters and the rather unbelievable ending. But when I read his essay which explained many of the characters, plot points and references, I began to understand his reasoning. I still thought it was lacking in reaching his goal, but nonetheless, it helped me grasp the book. I wish other authors did this....
August 1, 2018
If you slog through the first 130 pages of Whitley Strieber's "The Omega Point", you will finally get to a jam packed action story of the end of the world and the fulfillment of many religious prophecies. The story centers on group of people trained as children in the metaphysical sciences, then made to "forget" until the time was right. They can build portal to transport people thousands of years into the future to a time after the world has recovered from the effects of a supernova, but they are being hunted by an agent that will kill to get the secret back to his superiors.
July 29, 2017
About a quarter of it was OK the rest was superficial crap. Somewhat disjointed. Over the top sci fi. I didn't like it. If I thought that someone could paint a portal into a new time 12,500 years into the future ... One of the themes is "Jesus was a scientist" that lived hundreds of previous lives. Ohhh my. The author would have been better off teaming up with Captain Kirk and maximizing warp speed.
November 14, 2010
Whitely is fabulous at grabbing the reader right from the start and he did that for me with Omega Point. The book explores a variety of 2012 topics and flies by the seat of it's pants straight to the end. A rip-roaring fun Whitely read.
December 11, 2012
I like Strieber... suspenseful and imaginative without being too scary. This is a cool story revovling around the Inca forecast of the end of the world a couple weeks from now.
I'm glad I read this before the world ends...
I'm glad I read this before the world ends...
August 27, 2018
described new female character as "a curving pour of extremely feminine milk"
dry and uninspired. first 100 pages are just the main character idly wanting to fuck every woman he encounters and being really confused. do not recommend
dry and uninspired. first 100 pages are just the main character idly wanting to fuck every woman he encounters and being really confused. do not recommend
August 12, 2010
This is a wonderful novel about a possible future. It recognizes the worth of love and tells an interesting story.
I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to others.
I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to others.
November 11, 2010
Strieber has a very unique viewpoint on death, spritiuality, and the end of times. I really must read his book "Communion" which may describe how he came to have his viewpoint.
December 7, 2010
This was an interesting story that meshed world myths and religions, especially Christianity to fit a whole new apocalyptic (or perhaps a very old one)view of the end times.
December 15, 2010
Another great book by Whitley!!!
July 5, 2018
Another excellent thriller by Strieber!
January 28, 2019
Certainly gave me a different perspective on climate change as well as other current worldwide issues...
June 18, 2019
Terrible characterizations, dumb and ridiculous plot.
December 4, 2022
Read in 2010. End of world sci fi thriller.
October 24, 2016
Not my favorite Whitley Strieber book but all of his are scary! This is a 2012 doomsday story.
March 7, 2013
I agree with Kevin, this book was almost a put down and that has happened 2 times to me in my entire history of knowing how to read. The idea behind it is decent except for the white magic pixie dust, the teleporting sex scene between David and Caroline (I'm sorry but how does one have a complete conversation and day dream in the midst of heavy thrusting...?), and the killing at the end by Mack that seemed way too far fetched in my opinion.
The book starts out with a random scene in a news station and then fast forwards 8 years to a completely different plot. The government? or some genius people? take kids to a couple's mansion (with zero explanation of why or how initial contact was given) and teach them stuff you never hear about and then give them severe mental issues to hide them. I THINK. So then this doctor shows back up and doesn't remember much while his loins notice 2 woman. During this time the sun is making people go insane but you don't hear anything about the outside world besides the local toe folk are murderous with rage at this asylum. Although every bit of electronics in existence no longer work except a beeper a crazed Mack has hidden (because thorough searches of people's belongings during admission don't catch it) and informs his military general that Caroline has painted a magical portal and he was pure breeds to live on instead of the not so secret secret class that everyone knows about but doesn't know about. David has not remembered a single thing until he is injected with Tinkerbell dust an suddenly becomes the most caring person ever! In the end, town folk scrape their knees to the bone for whatever reason, Mack is left behind with everyone else that has a mark, and the world is all great and fantabulous.
In other words, this booked stunk like a bathroom after a baseball game. I still don't understand it and there is so many holes it makes Swiss cheese look like a sinner. The characters are under developed and the plot was not thought through.
Luckily I bought this book at the dollar store and Goodwill will be glad to have it.
The book starts out with a random scene in a news station and then fast forwards 8 years to a completely different plot. The government? or some genius people? take kids to a couple's mansion (with zero explanation of why or how initial contact was given) and teach them stuff you never hear about and then give them severe mental issues to hide them. I THINK. So then this doctor shows back up and doesn't remember much while his loins notice 2 woman. During this time the sun is making people go insane but you don't hear anything about the outside world besides the local toe folk are murderous with rage at this asylum. Although every bit of electronics in existence no longer work except a beeper a crazed Mack has hidden (because thorough searches of people's belongings during admission don't catch it) and informs his military general that Caroline has painted a magical portal and he was pure breeds to live on instead of the not so secret secret class that everyone knows about but doesn't know about. David has not remembered a single thing until he is injected with Tinkerbell dust an suddenly becomes the most caring person ever! In the end, town folk scrape their knees to the bone for whatever reason, Mack is left behind with everyone else that has a mark, and the world is all great and fantabulous.
In other words, this booked stunk like a bathroom after a baseball game. I still don't understand it and there is so many holes it makes Swiss cheese look like a sinner. The characters are under developed and the plot was not thought through.
Luckily I bought this book at the dollar store and Goodwill will be glad to have it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2010
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher as part of a pre release give away program for regular readers to give their reviews. It is also how I became acquainted with this website. I actually received the book about two weeks ago,two weeks after it hit the store shelves.
Overall I enjoyed more than I thought I would. I like to think of it as Whitleys Grand Unified Theory of how the world might end. Whitley weaves Alien abduction, white powder gold, time travel, re-incarnation, planet x, mayan prophecy, and the Book of Revelations into one beautifully terrifying Apocalyptic tale. For those of us who are fans of Whitley Strieber and his website unknowncountry.com, all of these influences will make sense and will make for an intersesting take on the too often written "end of the world" novel. If you are new to all of these subjects, you may be a little lost.
The biggest problem I had with the book was its cental charachter David. This character is supposed to be the savior of the human race and the re-incarnated soul of the ancient god Quetzacotl. The problem is he really doesn't act like it. Most of the book he stumbles aimlessly through a state of madness and poor management decisions and never really seems to be one of mankinds greatest leaders to ever walk the planet.
The funnest thing about reading one of Whitleys novels is trying to determine if he is trying to give us a heads up of whats truly in store for the human race. I personally believe that Whitley has had the experiences he claims to have had. He has remained very consistent in his claims and has remained open minded about what they could mean despite tremendous criticsm and ridicule. In the authors note at the end of the book (which could be very helpful to the novice reader) he claims that he has no inside knowledge that the world will end in 2020 but you have to wonder would he tell us if he did. Would anyone believe him?
I cant wait to see what he has next for us!
Overall I enjoyed more than I thought I would. I like to think of it as Whitleys Grand Unified Theory of how the world might end. Whitley weaves Alien abduction, white powder gold, time travel, re-incarnation, planet x, mayan prophecy, and the Book of Revelations into one beautifully terrifying Apocalyptic tale. For those of us who are fans of Whitley Strieber and his website unknowncountry.com, all of these influences will make sense and will make for an intersesting take on the too often written "end of the world" novel. If you are new to all of these subjects, you may be a little lost.
The biggest problem I had with the book was its cental charachter David. This character is supposed to be the savior of the human race and the re-incarnated soul of the ancient god Quetzacotl. The problem is he really doesn't act like it. Most of the book he stumbles aimlessly through a state of madness and poor management decisions and never really seems to be one of mankinds greatest leaders to ever walk the planet.
The funnest thing about reading one of Whitleys novels is trying to determine if he is trying to give us a heads up of whats truly in store for the human race. I personally believe that Whitley has had the experiences he claims to have had. He has remained very consistent in his claims and has remained open minded about what they could mean despite tremendous criticsm and ridicule. In the authors note at the end of the book (which could be very helpful to the novice reader) he claims that he has no inside knowledge that the world will end in 2020 but you have to wonder would he tell us if he did. Would anyone believe him?
I cant wait to see what he has next for us!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
August 30, 2011In short, I would skip the actual story and go to the 25 or so pages of the author's note - in which he discusses his opinions and the ideas he used for this book in a more accessible way.
This is not a sequel to his 2012: The War for Souls, which I thought was at times kooky but a quick, entertaining read (it is, to some degree, about lizard people). There are some Mayan references in this one, but neither of these books is a real examination of changes that might happen to the world, either on a physical or metaphysical level. (Strieber's disaster scenario stems from the effects of a supernova - which scientists have discussed as possible).
The story revolves around the destruction of much of the earth, but oddly, it takes place almost entirely in a clinic that is sequestered from the rest of society. The characters didn't grab me, and he throws some sex and violence in, but it seems there for drama.
His world-wide scenario (as someone else here said) is somewhat a new age interpretation of the Book of Revelations. But flying saucers are taking "good" people away, and it's not even really clear to me (if they are aliens) who's operating them.
There's metallurgical alchemy, and bad guys, and a plan for saving the heroes that seems almost like magic - but one that Strieber says he experienced personally.
Reviews say his earlier fiction is good, and I liked his fictional book The Grays in which he may have utilized his own experiences with aliens (if you even believe that happened).
It's a different plot, but I think what he was doing here was in some ways accomplished better in Glenn Kleier's messianic re-imagining in The Last Day - though some people also take issue with that story's rushed prose style.
This is not a sequel to his 2012: The War for Souls, which I thought was at times kooky but a quick, entertaining read (it is, to some degree, about lizard people). There are some Mayan references in this one, but neither of these books is a real examination of changes that might happen to the world, either on a physical or metaphysical level. (Strieber's disaster scenario stems from the effects of a supernova - which scientists have discussed as possible).
The story revolves around the destruction of much of the earth, but oddly, it takes place almost entirely in a clinic that is sequestered from the rest of society. The characters didn't grab me, and he throws some sex and violence in, but it seems there for drama.
His world-wide scenario (as someone else here said) is somewhat a new age interpretation of the Book of Revelations. But flying saucers are taking "good" people away, and it's not even really clear to me (if they are aliens) who's operating them.
There's metallurgical alchemy, and bad guys, and a plan for saving the heroes that seems almost like magic - but one that Strieber says he experienced personally.
Reviews say his earlier fiction is good, and I liked his fictional book The Grays in which he may have utilized his own experiences with aliens (if you even believe that happened).
It's a different plot, but I think what he was doing here was in some ways accomplished better in Glenn Kleier's messianic re-imagining in The Last Day - though some people also take issue with that story's rushed prose style.
May 18, 2014
There are too many doomsday novels out there so it is understandable that authors are having a hard time to come up with a plot that makes their novel stand out from the crowd. Strieber is one of the authors who try too hard. The Mayan prophecy, reincarnation, alchemistry, even alien abduction(gasp!)... Everything is dumped into the book. The result is a disorienting plot. But Strieber didn't stop at that. He even managed to develop a protagonist who is too meek to be a significant character to center the story (if there is any) around.
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February 22, 2016This is my first book by Strieber - probably wouldn't read another. The story idea had promise, but he just doesn't do a very good job with it. The characters are not very well developed and, at times, seem almost silly. The story is all over the place. In spots, the characters seem to miss obvious points, and other times they solve things out of nothing. There are several plot features that are totally unexplained. Lots of references to interesting things (ancient Egypt, Mayans, UFOs, etc.) but not much actual detail.
February 21, 2011
I read "The Greys" and the "2012: the war for souls" by Strieber years ago and loved them. Unfortunately the last book started to irritate me from the middle; there was too much doom and gloom, very little hope and shocking scenario for the end of the world. I read that the author believes into the alien abduction and claims that he was abducted. There is something unhealthy by his obsession with the subject.
December 21, 2018
This book was extremely bizarre, not because of the content, but rather the lack thereof. There were a lot of strange ideas presented, and it seemed like Strieber was more concerned with getting his ideas down than telling a good story. Many parts of the novel lacked explanation or development, and the writing just didn't keep me interested. I finished purely out of obligation, disappointed that this intriguing idea wasn't handled more effectively.
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