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Spindown
When a failed liberation attempt disrupts the Marius 516 mining base on Ganymede, clone worker Fowler 3085 is marked for termination. Fleeing with other workers as their behavior-suppressing drugs wear off, they experience consciousness for the first time while discovering the horrifying truth: all clones are incinerated when no longer useful. Hunted by an AI that has outlived its creators, Fowler must navigate deadly industrial zones and impossible choices to achieve the one thing he's never known—freedom. But in space, freedom always comes with a price.
- GenresScience Fiction
342 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 20, 2013
Clones on the moon of Jupiter!!!! George brought a new and exciting story, you will not be disappointed. A must read!!
December 30, 2014
ABR's full Spindown audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
First thoughts about the cover for Spindown? Oh look, planets! I wonder if there are going to be spaceships. Or aliens! Aliens with tentacles worry me though.
The main character is Fowler 3085 for the most part. He is a clone. Most of the characters in this book are either clones or machines. There are a few non-clones, but they are few and far between. What’s awesome about this story is the clones at first remind me of the machines more humans. As the story goes on, Fowler learns what it is like to be more human with each passing moment.
This story focuses on the clones trying to escape the machines making them ‘Dormant Dead’ by getting to the Superintendent. It is a rather interesting take on what being a human will be, could be, and should be. Before the clones start realizing what they are, who they are, they think about themselves as almost one person per clone type. This is very obvious when they are in a killing chamber and see some of their clone selves dead on slabs.
It is an interesting take on clones, future technologies, and living on a different planet. The clones are the workers that are mining the planet for this rare ore. From start to finish they are in charge of the whole process. The only none-clones are in Superintendent Quarters. The Superintendent is little more than a hostess for anyone that visits the planet, and to watch to make sure the shipments get shipped off planet on schedule.
The narrator is Andrew Mcferrin. His voice is calm and melodic. I like his different voices he uses for the females in this story. Even when they’re thinking to themselves he uses ‘their’ voices. Sholv’s voice had me forgetting that it is a man saying her voice. This book has a lot of graphic scenes. It is a very good read and/or listen. I wouldn’t recommend it to a young audience though. The author is George Wright Padgett. This book is 17 hours and 32 minutes long.
This book left me thinking about the future mankind is creating for itself. Will we eventually make clones of ourselves? Fix our flaws we see in ourselves in each clone we make? Will we consider them ‘people’, family, friends…us? Or will we consider them property, things, tools, and disposable? What’s that thought say about humanity?
Audiobook provided for review by the Publisher.
First thoughts about the cover for Spindown? Oh look, planets! I wonder if there are going to be spaceships. Or aliens! Aliens with tentacles worry me though.
The main character is Fowler 3085 for the most part. He is a clone. Most of the characters in this book are either clones or machines. There are a few non-clones, but they are few and far between. What’s awesome about this story is the clones at first remind me of the machines more humans. As the story goes on, Fowler learns what it is like to be more human with each passing moment.
This story focuses on the clones trying to escape the machines making them ‘Dormant Dead’ by getting to the Superintendent. It is a rather interesting take on what being a human will be, could be, and should be. Before the clones start realizing what they are, who they are, they think about themselves as almost one person per clone type. This is very obvious when they are in a killing chamber and see some of their clone selves dead on slabs.
It is an interesting take on clones, future technologies, and living on a different planet. The clones are the workers that are mining the planet for this rare ore. From start to finish they are in charge of the whole process. The only none-clones are in Superintendent Quarters. The Superintendent is little more than a hostess for anyone that visits the planet, and to watch to make sure the shipments get shipped off planet on schedule.
The narrator is Andrew Mcferrin. His voice is calm and melodic. I like his different voices he uses for the females in this story. Even when they’re thinking to themselves he uses ‘their’ voices. Sholv’s voice had me forgetting that it is a man saying her voice. This book has a lot of graphic scenes. It is a very good read and/or listen. I wouldn’t recommend it to a young audience though. The author is George Wright Padgett. This book is 17 hours and 32 minutes long.
This book left me thinking about the future mankind is creating for itself. Will we eventually make clones of ourselves? Fix our flaws we see in ourselves in each clone we make? Will we consider them ‘people’, family, friends…us? Or will we consider them property, things, tools, and disposable? What’s that thought say about humanity?
Audiobook provided for review by the Publisher.
March 24, 2013
This was a riveting story. It was well written and had multiple facets of philosophy thrown in. How would you describe freedom to someone who has no concept of family or state or of even basic relationships? This book tackles this question. Its not an easy path but the short answer would have to be: You can only be free if you desire it and even then true freedom is not completely attainable.
This story had me up a few late nights wanting to know what would happen next. There was a nice touch that the author provided which was the glossary of terms. I understand some were not happy with the placement of it at the end but since I flipped through the table of contents I was aware of it from the beginning. About midway through I scanned through and found it added to my fascination with the characters and their world. I did find missing the worker types - not sure why as even though some were described in the story - not all were.
The only issues I had was the difficulty in visualizing some of the scenes. I would have like (and this is just a wish not a requirement) to have seen some diagrams of the scanners and of the locations (or station if you will). I think this would have enhanced my enjoyment.
That said - I skimmed over those parts to get to the meat of the plot. I also was bittersweet about the ending. I don't think there was any other way to end it - but that doesn't mean I liked it.
All in all- worth picking up if you enjoy sci-fi with philosophy thrown in.
Many days to you, good reader, many days to you.
This story had me up a few late nights wanting to know what would happen next. There was a nice touch that the author provided which was the glossary of terms. I understand some were not happy with the placement of it at the end but since I flipped through the table of contents I was aware of it from the beginning. About midway through I scanned through and found it added to my fascination with the characters and their world. I did find missing the worker types - not sure why as even though some were described in the story - not all were.
The only issues I had was the difficulty in visualizing some of the scenes. I would have like (and this is just a wish not a requirement) to have seen some diagrams of the scanners and of the locations (or station if you will). I think this would have enhanced my enjoyment.
That said - I skimmed over those parts to get to the meat of the plot. I also was bittersweet about the ending. I don't think there was any other way to end it - but that doesn't mean I liked it.
All in all- worth picking up if you enjoy sci-fi with philosophy thrown in.
Many days to you, good reader, many days to you.
April 2, 2013
What makes us human? That is the question that Spindown by George Wright Padgett tries to answer. This is a science fiction story that takes place in a future where cloned workers that are overseen by a computer learn what it means to be human after being exposed to real people and seeing what happens when the computer decides that they are contaminated. As the story unfolds we learn the possible costs of freedom and questioning the status quo.
March 6, 2014
Give me a book that captures my interest, my brain, and my heart and I am happy. Spindown is such a book - captivating, thought provoking, and emotionally riveting.
A chance encounter with human beings attempting to free the clones results in the implantation of a seed, the idea of freedom. Like any system, the system that manages the clones and the mining work attempts to resolve the disruption caused by the arrival of the humans including eliminating "contaminated" clones. Running for their lives, a group of clones discovers human nature, leadership, the role of "other" and "we," death, and this concept of freedom and living.
Thankfully, Spindown is not a soapbox. Rather the intellectual heart of the story is a timeless examination of the battle between freedom and security, as well as a coming of age story, skillfully wrapped with a fascinating and easy to read plot. It is a story first and a message second. With freedom comes responsibility for our own decisions and the anxiety of the unknown. With security comes the comfort of knowing someone will care for my needs and the relief of routine. Freedom results in self-determination, self-rule. Security results in what others determine is best for me, oversight and ownership of who I am. Both freedom and security hold appeal and it is in this decision that we discover ourselves.
The setting is a reasonably scientifically plausible and self contained world of geology, space science, biology, and artificial intelligence. However, the story is not bound by its science fiction setting. This is an adventure story, a coming of age story, a drama, and even something of a horror story.
The writing is easy to read with enough detail to provide context without boredom. My main complaint is that there are elements that are a bit disjointed. The story does eventually come together, the but the beginning is especially disjointed by leaping through various periods of time without explanation. Stick with it. The story is exciting. The ending is appropriate though a little unsatisfying. I will not say more so as not to spoil this worthwhile read.
A chance encounter with human beings attempting to free the clones results in the implantation of a seed, the idea of freedom. Like any system, the system that manages the clones and the mining work attempts to resolve the disruption caused by the arrival of the humans including eliminating "contaminated" clones. Running for their lives, a group of clones discovers human nature, leadership, the role of "other" and "we," death, and this concept of freedom and living.
Thankfully, Spindown is not a soapbox. Rather the intellectual heart of the story is a timeless examination of the battle between freedom and security, as well as a coming of age story, skillfully wrapped with a fascinating and easy to read plot. It is a story first and a message second. With freedom comes responsibility for our own decisions and the anxiety of the unknown. With security comes the comfort of knowing someone will care for my needs and the relief of routine. Freedom results in self-determination, self-rule. Security results in what others determine is best for me, oversight and ownership of who I am. Both freedom and security hold appeal and it is in this decision that we discover ourselves.
The setting is a reasonably scientifically plausible and self contained world of geology, space science, biology, and artificial intelligence. However, the story is not bound by its science fiction setting. This is an adventure story, a coming of age story, a drama, and even something of a horror story.
The writing is easy to read with enough detail to provide context without boredom. My main complaint is that there are elements that are a bit disjointed. The story does eventually come together, the but the beginning is especially disjointed by leaping through various periods of time without explanation. Stick with it. The story is exciting. The ending is appropriate though a little unsatisfying. I will not say more so as not to spoil this worthwhile read.
April 11, 2013
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The future that Padgett has created here is a scarily believable, one where big Corporations are the ones that wield the highest power. Though we see little of that future outside of the Gannymede Moon Base where this book is set, the reading between the lines paints a very frightening picture. Spindown is not the first book to feature clones in such a situation as is presented here, but it is certainly one of the first in a while to ask such pertinent questions as it does. Last year, C.K. Burch’s Icarus Void, which I also reviewed for TBR, was my favorite Sci-fi novel of 2012. Though 2013 has barely begun, I very much doubt that I will read any other Sci-fi this year that will be able to compare to Spindown!
Spindown is amazing, it is thought provoking, emotional and mere words fail to describe how highly I recommend this debut novel. I predict George Wright Padgett will be an author to watch in the future.
The future that Padgett has created here is a scarily believable, one where big Corporations are the ones that wield the highest power. Though we see little of that future outside of the Gannymede Moon Base where this book is set, the reading between the lines paints a very frightening picture. Spindown is not the first book to feature clones in such a situation as is presented here, but it is certainly one of the first in a while to ask such pertinent questions as it does. Last year, C.K. Burch’s Icarus Void, which I also reviewed for TBR, was my favorite Sci-fi novel of 2012. Though 2013 has barely begun, I very much doubt that I will read any other Sci-fi this year that will be able to compare to Spindown!
Spindown is amazing, it is thought provoking, emotional and mere words fail to describe how highly I recommend this debut novel. I predict George Wright Padgett will be an author to watch in the future.
September 21, 2015
This story leaves you thinking about life. Human clones live their entire lives with their only purpose and joy to "be productive". They never know of anything outside of their limited existence and so they never have a reason to question it. Of course, in this story something happens and they do learn there is something else and they do question the situation.
The first chapter is only an introduction to characters that become important later. It is not what the book is about. You must continue on to the story of the clones before getting a real feel for the story.
The first chapter is only an introduction to characters that become important later. It is not what the book is about. You must continue on to the story of the clones before getting a real feel for the story.
July 18, 2013
There are books you read and love but cringe when someone suggests they make it a movie. What if they screw with the magic? What if they ruin it? But there are some books that as you read, before you even finish the book, just BEG you to become a movie one day. That’s Spindown.
Visually striking, the novel drops you right into the action from the first page...
Read my full review here: http://anakalianwhims.wordpress.com/2...
Visually striking, the novel drops you right into the action from the first page...
Read my full review here: http://anakalianwhims.wordpress.com/2...
September 19, 2017
As clones, their lives heretofore had been closely controlled by the AI Prinox. They went to their jobs and did their work each day and then did it again, albeit at a different location, the next day.
Then something outside their experience happens and suddenly they are on the run for their lives.
George Wright Padgett has done a masterful job of showing just what it could mean for cloned men and women to suddenly have to think for themselves / figure out things on their own for the first time ever. I've read a lot of books about both robots and androids. I really enjoyed Padgett's fresh take on the subject (even though the clones were not mechanical but rather flesh and blood beings).
I highly recommend Spindown to anyone who enjoys stories about beings striving to be more than the sum of their programming while, of course, at the same time doing their best to try to stay one step ahead of their enemy!
Then something outside their experience happens and suddenly they are on the run for their lives.
George Wright Padgett has done a masterful job of showing just what it could mean for cloned men and women to suddenly have to think for themselves / figure out things on their own for the first time ever. I've read a lot of books about both robots and androids. I really enjoyed Padgett's fresh take on the subject (even though the clones were not mechanical but rather flesh and blood beings).
I highly recommend Spindown to anyone who enjoys stories about beings striving to be more than the sum of their programming while, of course, at the same time doing their best to try to stay one step ahead of their enemy!
April 3, 2013
Spindown is set in a future where clones are being used as ‘slave labour’ to mine valuable resources from Jupiter’s largest moon, Ganymede. Genetically engineered and educated to perform specific jobs unquestioningly, the clones live to work and be ‘productive’ but are quietly disposed of when they outlive their usefulness. For a handful of clones, this seemingly mundane life is shattered by an unknown group who enter the colony to try and free the slaves.
I had very high hopes for this book as I thought it had a really good premise. Things get off to a good start with the setting and main character, Fowler 3085, introduced quickly in the first chapter. Fowlers’ world is soon in chaos as strangers appear, telling the confused clones they are there to rescue them. As brutal fighting ensues between this unknown group and robot security, controlled by Prinox, the supercomputer tasked with running and protecting the colony, Fowler finds himself on the run and for the first time forced to think for himself.
This is where things start to go wrong in my opinion, as the story just turns into a tedious series of chases and escapes. Fowler is joined by a few other clones,but perhaps understandably, these characters don’t really have a lot of personality. They also fit quite neatly into stereotypes, with Fowler being the obvious hero. There is a ‘bad guy’ clone that ends up being somewhat of a comic book villain whose motivation is difficult to understand. And, unfortunately, as with so many science fiction novels, the female characters are all typically weak, seeming to spend most of the book in tears. Despite so much action I felt bored by the clones flight and if I hadn’t been reviewing the book would probably have given up.
BUT...
Suddenly, around two thirds of the way through the book, everything gets much better. The clones finally find sanctuary and meet Martin, a ‘normal’ non-cloned human, and his robot, Buck. Things immediately get more interesting as we learn more about the moon and the purpose of the colony. The clones also get to learn more about themselves and begin to consider who they are and what freedom is. This is the more philosophical side of the story and in my opinion, the books saving grace. Fowlers’ personality starts to grow and Martin and Buck are also great, memorable characters. I thought the ending was very good and was left wanting to know what happened next. So in the end I did enjoy Spindown. I just feel it could have done with some editing and for the author to consider that action doesn’t necessarily equate excitement.
I had very high hopes for this book as I thought it had a really good premise. Things get off to a good start with the setting and main character, Fowler 3085, introduced quickly in the first chapter. Fowlers’ world is soon in chaos as strangers appear, telling the confused clones they are there to rescue them. As brutal fighting ensues between this unknown group and robot security, controlled by Prinox, the supercomputer tasked with running and protecting the colony, Fowler finds himself on the run and for the first time forced to think for himself.
This is where things start to go wrong in my opinion, as the story just turns into a tedious series of chases and escapes. Fowler is joined by a few other clones,but perhaps understandably, these characters don’t really have a lot of personality. They also fit quite neatly into stereotypes, with Fowler being the obvious hero. There is a ‘bad guy’ clone that ends up being somewhat of a comic book villain whose motivation is difficult to understand. And, unfortunately, as with so many science fiction novels, the female characters are all typically weak, seeming to spend most of the book in tears. Despite so much action I felt bored by the clones flight and if I hadn’t been reviewing the book would probably have given up.
BUT...
Suddenly, around two thirds of the way through the book, everything gets much better. The clones finally find sanctuary and meet Martin, a ‘normal’ non-cloned human, and his robot, Buck. Things immediately get more interesting as we learn more about the moon and the purpose of the colony. The clones also get to learn more about themselves and begin to consider who they are and what freedom is. This is the more philosophical side of the story and in my opinion, the books saving grace. Fowlers’ personality starts to grow and Martin and Buck are also great, memorable characters. I thought the ending was very good and was left wanting to know what happened next. So in the end I did enjoy Spindown. I just feel it could have done with some editing and for the author to consider that action doesn’t necessarily equate excitement.
April 15, 2013
The description of Spindown drew my interest. A story about clones working in mines inside Granymede (one of Jupiter's moons). I thought, OK this is a Sci-Fi story with social commentary about forced labor. Let's see where it goes.
As a read about the clones escaping from the evil computer bent on making them 'dormant dead', I was reminded of Logan's Run, where Logan and Jessica try to find Sanctuary because they needed to escape their society limit on how long a person was allowed to live. The clone characters were interesting, and it did not take long for me to hope they escaped from the murderous AI system that had no problem killing as many clones as it needed to maintain the status quo. As the plot prodded on, with the clones desperately trying to outwit the computer, while blind themselves about what they were searching for, the story slowed at points, then picked up again as more obstacles crossed their path, including themselves.
While the story does comment on the greedy-evil corporation that sees only the bottom-line and has no issue using the cloned humans as if they were nothing more than a resource to be disposed when not useful, and some clones slowly waking up to the real plight that they were nothing better than one of the tools used during mining, this commentary takes a back seat to the action in the story.
However, the ending was less than satisfying for me. It did leave an opening for a sequel, or an unhappy/hopeful ending (depends on the reader's mood). However, the ending leans on belief that cloned or not (hey, nature has been making clones for much longer than we dreamed of them--they are called twins, triplets, etc), human beings will always demand their right to freedom and can only be kept shackled for so long (or as evil Prinox was programmed, only if kept artificially blindfolded).
Still I recommend this story. The details were well worked out by the author: how the clones lived, how Prinox reacted, all dolled out in little bits that slowly filled in the whole picture. Maybe the author will write more stories in this universe, since he seems to have spent some time developing it, making the ending more palatable to me.
*** received book for an honest review.
As a read about the clones escaping from the evil computer bent on making them 'dormant dead', I was reminded of Logan's Run, where Logan and Jessica try to find Sanctuary because they needed to escape their society limit on how long a person was allowed to live. The clone characters were interesting, and it did not take long for me to hope they escaped from the murderous AI system that had no problem killing as many clones as it needed to maintain the status quo. As the plot prodded on, with the clones desperately trying to outwit the computer, while blind themselves about what they were searching for, the story slowed at points, then picked up again as more obstacles crossed their path, including themselves.
While the story does comment on the greedy-evil corporation that sees only the bottom-line and has no issue using the cloned humans as if they were nothing more than a resource to be disposed when not useful, and some clones slowly waking up to the real plight that they were nothing better than one of the tools used during mining, this commentary takes a back seat to the action in the story.
However, the ending was less than satisfying for me. It did leave an opening for a sequel, or an unhappy/hopeful ending (depends on the reader's mood). However, the ending leans on belief that cloned or not (hey, nature has been making clones for much longer than we dreamed of them--they are called twins, triplets, etc), human beings will always demand their right to freedom and can only be kept shackled for so long (or as evil Prinox was programmed, only if kept artificially blindfolded).
Still I recommend this story. The details were well worked out by the author: how the clones lived, how Prinox reacted, all dolled out in little bits that slowly filled in the whole picture. Maybe the author will write more stories in this universe, since he seems to have spent some time developing it, making the ending more palatable to me.
*** received book for an honest review.
February 26, 2015
I switched back and forth between "liked it" and "really liked it" several times before I decided that for me it's a four star book.
It's an interesting premise, a fully automated clone workforce entirely self policing and replicating to mine a mineral unique to Ganymede and ship it where it can be used for an undisclosed purpose.
Padgett's story begins when one small glitch gives a worker the chance to see outside the normal work day box everyone is enclosed in, trapping him within a growing cascade effect that will change his life forever.
Once I was pulled into the story I had trouble breaking away from the action. It reads more like the pure science fiction of the past and I found that refreshing. Our protagonist is just an ordinary worker thrust into a puzzling and frighting world that he must decipher quickly in order to survive.
I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series and cheering Fowler on as he learns more about surviving in the real world, whatever that proves to be, when the ore carrier arrives at it's destination.
It's an interesting premise, a fully automated clone workforce entirely self policing and replicating to mine a mineral unique to Ganymede and ship it where it can be used for an undisclosed purpose.
Padgett's story begins when one small glitch gives a worker the chance to see outside the normal work day box everyone is enclosed in, trapping him within a growing cascade effect that will change his life forever.
Once I was pulled into the story I had trouble breaking away from the action. It reads more like the pure science fiction of the past and I found that refreshing. Our protagonist is just an ordinary worker thrust into a puzzling and frighting world that he must decipher quickly in order to survive.
I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series and cheering Fowler on as he learns more about surviving in the real world, whatever that proves to be, when the ore carrier arrives at it's destination.
April 25, 2013
It took me a long time to finish it. At first it just changes "locations" and characters and you find it difficult to make sense out of it, you have to get quite to the end of the book to be able to link back together the different threads. Some ideas are quite interesting and you get to reflect deeply about freedom and will and self-determination, all the same sometimes you get bored. I found it difficult to follow the long adventures and wanderings of the main characters and the putting together of the pieces was sometimes patchy and incomplete. In the whole the story is nice and worth reading.
February 1, 2016
I painfully finished this book, couldn't really read it through word by word, I basically jumped by fastforwarding the pages. Granted, I didn't grasp all the details, but to me this is a not very successful mix of Logan's Run, Aliens, War of Worlds and (maybe, if you take account of the thin philosophical discussion about freedom), THX. One could also mention The Island (2005), the movie with Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson because of the touch of clones. I know a real original idea in scifi is almost impossible, but this was a really bad mix. The final lines are so inconclusive, imho, but okay. The glossary was the best thing in the book, too bad it was already too late...
March 7, 2015
I got Spindown through an online giveaway and I'm afraid I didn't enjoy it. The plot has the makings of a decent-enough pulp adventure, but the prose lacks invention and the need to describe everything in detail drives disengagement. It's a shame the author's enthusiasm doesn't translate into a tighter, brisker story.
March 14, 2015
world of the future
A most interesting but disturbing science fiction view of what's tomorrow might bring. Corporations and power run amok are described in horrifying terms. Growing in human awareness the fowler grows up in knowledge. Helping and being helped along the way. Enjoyable read.
A most interesting but disturbing science fiction view of what's tomorrow might bring. Corporations and power run amok are described in horrifying terms. Growing in human awareness the fowler grows up in knowledge. Helping and being helped along the way. Enjoyable read.
January 12, 2016
A really excellent story that drew me in.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews