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Worlds of the Union #1
The Ultra Thin Man
In the twenty-second century, a future in which mortaline wire controls the weather on the settled planets and entire refugee camps drowse in drug-induced slumber, no one—alive or dead, human or alien—is quite what they seem. When terrorists manage to crash Coral, the moon, into its home planet of Ribon, forcing evacuation, it’s up to Dave Crowell and Alan Brindos, contract detectives for the Network Intelligence Organization, to solve a case of interplanetary consequences. Crowell’s and Brindos’s investigation plunges them neck-deep into a conspiracy much more dangerous than anything they could have imagined.
The two detectives soon find themselves separated, chasing opposite leads: Brindos has to hunt down the massive Helk alien Terl Plenko, shadow leader of the terrorist Movement of Worlds. Crowell, meanwhile, runs into something far more sinister—an elaborate frame job that puts our heroes on the hook for treason.
Crowell and Brindos are forced to fight through the intrigue to discover the depths of an interstellar conspiracy. And to answer the all-important question: Who, and what, is the Ultra Thin Man?
The two detectives soon find themselves separated, chasing opposite leads: Brindos has to hunt down the massive Helk alien Terl Plenko, shadow leader of the terrorist Movement of Worlds. Crowell, meanwhile, runs into something far more sinister—an elaborate frame job that puts our heroes on the hook for treason.
Crowell and Brindos are forced to fight through the intrigue to discover the depths of an interstellar conspiracy. And to answer the all-important question: Who, and what, is the Ultra Thin Man?
336 pages, Hardcover
First published August 12, 2014
7 people are currently reading
846 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Swenson
18 books50 followersPatrick is a writer, publisher, editor, and teacher. His first novel is entitled The Ultra Thin Man, forthcoming from Tor in 2014. He has sold stories to the anthology Like Water for Quarks, and magazines such as Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Fantasy Magazine, Figment, and others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
August 17, 2014
This is a light, action-oriented spy thriller with a sci-fi setting.
It moved along quickly, but I ended up having a lot of issues with it.
The beginning (featuring a gratuitous lesbian make-out scene) wasn't promising, but with the exception of one, mercifully brief (but still cringe-inducing) sex scene, the bad romance is minimal. The women are still written throughout as if they're something out of a teenage boy's imagination (and WHY do most of them work in a brothel, when prostitution is 100% irrelevant to the plot?) but while the portrayal of women here is not what one could call feminist, we don't go into offense-worthy territory.
Two agents, Brindos and Crowell, while investigating a rebellious terrorist group called 'The Movement,' uncover a deeper plot to tear the Union of planets apart.
The writing style seems to ask that the reader zip through, not stopping to think too deeply about anything. This is a good thing, because if you do stop to consider the plot elements, none of it makes much sense.
A particle accelerator that can be used both to control the weather and to do some kind of person-copying trick? OK. Just accept that at face value. (A lot of the characters hand-wave away the science by saying 'I don't understand it,' so I think we're expected to just do the same.)
But people's motivations and actions here don't compute. I kept saying, "OK - but WHY would she team up with him?" (for example). Or - "WHAT is the point of this whole conspiracy, anyway?"
It's hard to keep zipping over the holes when there are also speedbumps in the way. One of these is that both of the main POV characters are really similar. I often had a hard time distinguishing between them. On top of that, the book gets to a point where no one's identity is certain - and when characters' behaviors are somewhat mystifying to start with, it makes it even harder to keep track....
I like the cover a lot.
Advance copy of this book provided by NetGalley. Much appreciation for the opportunity to read.
It moved along quickly, but I ended up having a lot of issues with it.
The beginning (featuring a gratuitous lesbian make-out scene) wasn't promising, but with the exception of one, mercifully brief (but still cringe-inducing) sex scene, the bad romance is minimal. The women are still written throughout as if they're something out of a teenage boy's imagination (and WHY do most of them work in a brothel, when prostitution is 100% irrelevant to the plot?) but while the portrayal of women here is not what one could call feminist, we don't go into offense-worthy territory.
Two agents, Brindos and Crowell, while investigating a rebellious terrorist group called 'The Movement,' uncover a deeper plot to tear the Union of planets apart.
The writing style seems to ask that the reader zip through, not stopping to think too deeply about anything. This is a good thing, because if you do stop to consider the plot elements, none of it makes much sense.
A particle accelerator that can be used both to control the weather and to do some kind of person-copying trick? OK. Just accept that at face value. (A lot of the characters hand-wave away the science by saying 'I don't understand it,' so I think we're expected to just do the same.)
But people's motivations and actions here don't compute. I kept saying, "OK - but WHY would she team up with him?" (for example). Or - "WHAT is the point of this whole conspiracy, anyway?"
It's hard to keep zipping over the holes when there are also speedbumps in the way. One of these is that both of the main POV characters are really similar. I often had a hard time distinguishing between them. On top of that, the book gets to a point where no one's identity is certain - and when characters' behaviors are somewhat mystifying to start with, it makes it even harder to keep track....
I like the cover a lot.
Advance copy of this book provided by NetGalley. Much appreciation for the opportunity to read.
August 25, 2014
My thanks to Tor and NetGalley for providing me with a digital review copy. No compensation was provided for this review, and all opinions are my own.
Warning: you are now entering a rant-filled zone.
The Ultra Thin Man introduces us to the interplanetary Union, a political body comprised of a handful of planets – including Earth – and uniting several species. Humans live among Memors and Helks, alien species that made contact with Earth’s scientists. The Network Intelligence Organization is tasked with monitoring political dissent and combatting terrorism; unfortunately they’ve been kept quite busy this year, as the terrorist Terl Plenko attempts to dismantle the Union by sowing seeds of discontent. The NIO is so busy, in fact, that they hire former private detectives Alan Brindos and Dave Crowell as consultants on the case.
Although the political landscape has shifted and the threats to dominant powers have changed, some things remain the same: people still have a tough time dealing with difference and as a result there’s considerable animosity directed towards these non-humans. There is particular prejudice directed towards Helks, who cannot blend into society the way that humanoid Memors can. A Helk’s physical appearance is closer to that of a gorilla than a human being, with their muscular bodies, incredible stature, and of course their fur. Many humans call them “Hulks,” a derogatory word referring to both their size and the super hero of yore. It doesn’t help matters that the infamous Terl Plenko is a Helk.
The examination of prejudice and difference was the strongest aspect of the novel, particularly since it was basically the only way we got any world building. 99% of what’s revealed about Memors and Helks comes through a massive info dump after someone uses the term “Hulk.”
Oh, we’re told that there are hyper-speed jumps to other planets (heavily controlled, TSA style), machines that regulate weather, and cloning. How? Why? Science. “Our narrators aren’t scientists and don’t understand it, so why should we?” is not an excuse for laziness. World build, damn it!
As you can probably tell, I thought Swenson’s writing left a lot to be desired. The very first page of The Ultra Thin Man contains the phrase “the private detective biz.” Biz. BIZ. How did this get past an editor? Does that not set your teeth on edge? AM I CRAZY?*
As if the use of “biz” wasn’t gag-worthy enough, when Brindos visits a woman in the hospital he notes that:
“She was attractive the way a pretty librarian seems sexy with her glasses off.”
Now maybe it’s just me, but that line does not put me in a very forgiving mood. Maybe it’s the librarian dig. Or maybe it’s the fact that apparently glasses aren’t sexy (salient point: I wear glasses). But it’s probably the fact that these things combine to objectify a woman IN THE HOSPITAL.
There’s also some confusion about exactly who’s narrating and when. Alan Brindos and Dave Crowell’s voices are almost completely identical. Tough, emotionally closed-off, and cerebral bachelors, these two are the quintessential private detectives. It’s no surprise that they once ran their own business. Oops, I mean biz. There are also several instances where the narration inexplicably changes from first to third person. Now, I read an uncorrected proof so this will probably be fixed, but it definitely took away from my reading experience.
In terms of character development, there is none. Swenson very sloppily gathers some personality traits to put together two very stereotypical private investigators, including the requisite loner status and abandonment issues. Swenson uses a little aside quite early in The Ultra Thin Man to tell us that Brindos doesn’t like the feeling of instability because he was a foster kid. Seriously, he does it just like that. One sentence.
Crowell’s character is similarly developed: in one of the chapters he narrates, Crowell states that he “sort of loved [Clara] but never really told her” and now he has regrets. He sort of loved her but never really told her. Personally I think it’s a good idea to pass on declaring your "sort of" love for someone, but hey, what do I know?
I’m sure that some of the more obvious problems with The Ultra Thin Man will be solved after a thorough copy edit but I wouldn’t bother picking up a finished copy of this book to double check. Honestly I probably should’ve DNFed this book but my NetGalley ratio is dismal so I slogged through.
The Ultra Thin Man: don’t say I didn’t warn you.
*Not a rhetorical question.
Warning: you are now entering a rant-filled zone.
The Ultra Thin Man introduces us to the interplanetary Union, a political body comprised of a handful of planets – including Earth – and uniting several species. Humans live among Memors and Helks, alien species that made contact with Earth’s scientists. The Network Intelligence Organization is tasked with monitoring political dissent and combatting terrorism; unfortunately they’ve been kept quite busy this year, as the terrorist Terl Plenko attempts to dismantle the Union by sowing seeds of discontent. The NIO is so busy, in fact, that they hire former private detectives Alan Brindos and Dave Crowell as consultants on the case.
Although the political landscape has shifted and the threats to dominant powers have changed, some things remain the same: people still have a tough time dealing with difference and as a result there’s considerable animosity directed towards these non-humans. There is particular prejudice directed towards Helks, who cannot blend into society the way that humanoid Memors can. A Helk’s physical appearance is closer to that of a gorilla than a human being, with their muscular bodies, incredible stature, and of course their fur. Many humans call them “Hulks,” a derogatory word referring to both their size and the super hero of yore. It doesn’t help matters that the infamous Terl Plenko is a Helk.
The examination of prejudice and difference was the strongest aspect of the novel, particularly since it was basically the only way we got any world building. 99% of what’s revealed about Memors and Helks comes through a massive info dump after someone uses the term “Hulk.”
Oh, we’re told that there are hyper-speed jumps to other planets (heavily controlled, TSA style), machines that regulate weather, and cloning. How? Why? Science. “Our narrators aren’t scientists and don’t understand it, so why should we?” is not an excuse for laziness. World build, damn it!
As you can probably tell, I thought Swenson’s writing left a lot to be desired. The very first page of The Ultra Thin Man contains the phrase “the private detective biz.” Biz. BIZ. How did this get past an editor? Does that not set your teeth on edge? AM I CRAZY?*
As if the use of “biz” wasn’t gag-worthy enough, when Brindos visits a woman in the hospital he notes that:
“She was attractive the way a pretty librarian seems sexy with her glasses off.”
Now maybe it’s just me, but that line does not put me in a very forgiving mood. Maybe it’s the librarian dig. Or maybe it’s the fact that apparently glasses aren’t sexy (salient point: I wear glasses). But it’s probably the fact that these things combine to objectify a woman IN THE HOSPITAL.
There’s also some confusion about exactly who’s narrating and when. Alan Brindos and Dave Crowell’s voices are almost completely identical. Tough, emotionally closed-off, and cerebral bachelors, these two are the quintessential private detectives. It’s no surprise that they once ran their own business. Oops, I mean biz. There are also several instances where the narration inexplicably changes from first to third person. Now, I read an uncorrected proof so this will probably be fixed, but it definitely took away from my reading experience.
In terms of character development, there is none. Swenson very sloppily gathers some personality traits to put together two very stereotypical private investigators, including the requisite loner status and abandonment issues. Swenson uses a little aside quite early in The Ultra Thin Man to tell us that Brindos doesn’t like the feeling of instability because he was a foster kid. Seriously, he does it just like that. One sentence.
Crowell’s character is similarly developed: in one of the chapters he narrates, Crowell states that he “sort of loved [Clara] but never really told her” and now he has regrets. He sort of loved her but never really told her. Personally I think it’s a good idea to pass on declaring your "sort of" love for someone, but hey, what do I know?
I’m sure that some of the more obvious problems with The Ultra Thin Man will be solved after a thorough copy edit but I wouldn’t bother picking up a finished copy of this book to double check. Honestly I probably should’ve DNFed this book but my NetGalley ratio is dismal so I slogged through.
The Ultra Thin Man: don’t say I didn’t warn you.
*Not a rhetorical question.
July 16, 2014
I received an advanced copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley.
This fast-paced read is a private detective noir set in a space opera. The sci-fi element is integral to the story, and adds deep, twisty-turny elements to the plot. As I read, I had a sense that I could be really confused at several points, but Swenson's pacing is perfect--he knows just when to slow things down and allow his character some introspection before all hell breaks loose again.
Dave Crowell is the first-person narrator. True to noir form, he still burns a torch for a woman off-world, but he's a man now married to his job more than anything. Until that job seems intent on killing him. Alan Brindos, his partner, is a likeable guy whose plight in the book is heart-breaking to read at time. The two men split up to conduct their investigation. The pacing--yes, I keep coming back to that--is even as it switches back and forth. Their revelations even line up well, and it doesn't feel contrived at all.
It's a fun ride. I read half the book in one sitting. To me, this is what space opera should be--intelligent action at thriller-like speed.
This fast-paced read is a private detective noir set in a space opera. The sci-fi element is integral to the story, and adds deep, twisty-turny elements to the plot. As I read, I had a sense that I could be really confused at several points, but Swenson's pacing is perfect--he knows just when to slow things down and allow his character some introspection before all hell breaks loose again.
Dave Crowell is the first-person narrator. True to noir form, he still burns a torch for a woman off-world, but he's a man now married to his job more than anything. Until that job seems intent on killing him. Alan Brindos, his partner, is a likeable guy whose plight in the book is heart-breaking to read at time. The two men split up to conduct their investigation. The pacing--yes, I keep coming back to that--is even as it switches back and forth. Their revelations even line up well, and it doesn't feel contrived at all.
It's a fun ride. I read half the book in one sitting. To me, this is what space opera should be--intelligent action at thriller-like speed.
August 17, 2014
I have to admit that sometimes I hate reviewing first-time novels. Not those first-time novels where you can't believe this was a first foray into novel writing and not the product of an experienced author using a pen name. And not those first-time novels where you can't believe no one — an editor, a reading group, a spouse — suggested that perhaps the book wasn't quite ready for prime time (or late, late night even). And certainly not those first novels that are so painfully, obviously trying to cash in on an ongoing publishing trend. No, I hate reviewing those first-time novels where the author is utterly sincere and earnest, has a good idea, has created some interesting characters, and shows some real promise for the future, but just isn't quite there yet. When every criticism feels like an undeserved punch in the gut to some nice-seeming stranger you just passed on the street. So apologies ahead of ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
October 10, 2014
Two private detectives who are working for the government's spy agency uncover some kind of conspiracy after a terrorist attack on a distant planet kills millions of people.
Full disclosure, I won a free copy of this through a giveaway (although not one through Goodreads). This did not affect my review.
I should also note that this is a first novel, and traditionally I give those a little more leeway... however, even with that leeway, I can't say I really enjoyed it very much.
The book is a somewhat awkward fusion of noir tropes and SF. I say awkward because it doesn't really work. Not being particularly into noir, I can't really say how well that angle was handled.. to me it seemed to be nothing particularly special, but not terribly bad, either. It's when you combine them with SF that it doesn't work.
The major problem is that the SF elements, for the most part, feel clumsy and poorly thought out. The technology doesn't feel like an organic whole... there seem to be two categories of new technology: there is stuff that only works the way it does because that's what the plot requires, and there's normal stuff with a science word thrown on. Otherwise, it might as well be present day, or even the past. The world (or conspiracy) has access to wondrous technology that does (spoiler intentionally left out), but it only works when (convenient restriction) applies. This happens again and again, so often I found myself rolling my eyes and saying "really?" several times. And a guy doesn't take the bus, he takes the Holo-bus! That's not an actual example, that's just a exaggerated illustration of the types of nods to technological advancement given (although, to be fair, it's at the worst at the start of the book... once the story gets going they don't grate quite so much). There's no sense of how technology and society all fit together in this new society, and I never got the sense that it was a real, living world. The biggest problem is where things like communications come in... it's a world where hardly anybody seems to actually communicate, except for face-to-face. They have tools that enable that (except planet-to-planet, because the plot requires them to be out of communication... this is a forgivable use of those convenient technology rules that pervade the book), but people just don't seem to use them, not good guys, not bad guys, except in the most simplistic of cases.
I can see an argument being made that this is deliberate, to evoke the noir part of the setting, like an old detective movie set in the 40s, before the omnipresent internet. And in more skilled hands, it might have even worked, given a believable, well-thought out justification or just conveyed that this is an alternate world where these are the rules, maybe becoming noirpunk (like steampunk, but with noir aesthetics replacing the Victorian trappings), but here... it just lead to a world I could not buy into.
In terms of the rest of the writing? Well, the novel alternates between two points of view, one first person, one third person, which is pretty distracting, and, furthermore, kind of sets up how one of those points of view ends. More damning, both point of views, aside from the difference of first/third person... felt pretty much the same. They were both male detectives. I couldn't, now, tell you which one was which name or any of their distinctive personality traits, save one who was in love with a girl he met in a bar long ago, and one who the most significant physical changes happen to. They might as well be clones (that might actually have made a more interesting story). The rest of the characters don't especially stand out either... a few make a little bit of an impact, but I'm not going to remember them very long either. There's also a weird laid backness to the level of urgency... the book starts with a terrorist attack that threatens to kill or displace millions... granted, it's on a different planet from the main characters, but they're involved in the investigation, and, from all we see of their emotional reaction, it might as well be just a random murder they're investigating. As the story progresses, there's far too many convenient twists, some related to technologies that only work the way the author needs them to, some just plain plot. The criminals seem to have a bizarrely elaborate and yet simultaneously slipshod and not-particularly-strategic plan for what they're capable of. Leaving that aside, the storytelling seems competent enough, the action works, and the story mostly goes at a decent pace... if he was writing straight noir, and avoiding all the interplanetary conspiracies high-technology... it certainly wouldn't be my thing, but I could see it potentially being called "good"... there was just too much that failed for me as a SF reader to do anything but leave a bad taste in my mouth... it reminded me more of TV sci-fi, which is okay in its place, but for books (and especially books published by a major SF publisher), I've come to expect a lot better.
Oh, and there are aliens. Here's where I at least have something genuinely good to say. While the aliens themselves (the ones that are just part of the background setting, I mean, the ones that would take us into spoilery territory just made me roll my eyes) aren't particularly novel, the author DOES do a good job at sprinkling in little details that make you think that there actually is a culture there, and makes you want to know more. For the most part they never get successfully fleshed out in a way I wanted them to be, but it does add a lot of texture to those scenes, and it's presumably something to look forward to if he did a sequel and you were to read it. I say you, because... I don't think I will be, personally. But I could see him potentially growing past the awkward first novel stage and developing a talent for SF, and if he does, I suspect alien cultures will be something he should focus on.
In my scoring, I teeter between one and two stars here, between 'okay' and 'did not like it'. But even though my review's harsh and I'd probably say, outloud, that I didn't really like it... it's not offensively bad or hard to get through. It's readable in the same way TV SF is watchable, if you turn off your brain some and just roll with it... as a book, it's ultimately forgettable, and doesn't live up to it's potential, but it was never a chore, even if I didn't entirely like it. And honestly, I liked it a little more than the first book of another SF writer I'll not name who writes similar types of spy-space-opera with, apparently, a decent-sized audience. So with that and the traditional first novel leniency, I'll score it a two.
Full disclosure, I won a free copy of this through a giveaway (although not one through Goodreads). This did not affect my review.
I should also note that this is a first novel, and traditionally I give those a little more leeway... however, even with that leeway, I can't say I really enjoyed it very much.
The book is a somewhat awkward fusion of noir tropes and SF. I say awkward because it doesn't really work. Not being particularly into noir, I can't really say how well that angle was handled.. to me it seemed to be nothing particularly special, but not terribly bad, either. It's when you combine them with SF that it doesn't work.
The major problem is that the SF elements, for the most part, feel clumsy and poorly thought out. The technology doesn't feel like an organic whole... there seem to be two categories of new technology: there is stuff that only works the way it does because that's what the plot requires, and there's normal stuff with a science word thrown on. Otherwise, it might as well be present day, or even the past. The world (or conspiracy) has access to wondrous technology that does (spoiler intentionally left out), but it only works when (convenient restriction) applies. This happens again and again, so often I found myself rolling my eyes and saying "really?" several times. And a guy doesn't take the bus, he takes the Holo-bus! That's not an actual example, that's just a exaggerated illustration of the types of nods to technological advancement given (although, to be fair, it's at the worst at the start of the book... once the story gets going they don't grate quite so much). There's no sense of how technology and society all fit together in this new society, and I never got the sense that it was a real, living world. The biggest problem is where things like communications come in... it's a world where hardly anybody seems to actually communicate, except for face-to-face. They have tools that enable that (except planet-to-planet, because the plot requires them to be out of communication... this is a forgivable use of those convenient technology rules that pervade the book), but people just don't seem to use them, not good guys, not bad guys, except in the most simplistic of cases.
I can see an argument being made that this is deliberate, to evoke the noir part of the setting, like an old detective movie set in the 40s, before the omnipresent internet. And in more skilled hands, it might have even worked, given a believable, well-thought out justification or just conveyed that this is an alternate world where these are the rules, maybe becoming noirpunk (like steampunk, but with noir aesthetics replacing the Victorian trappings), but here... it just lead to a world I could not buy into.
In terms of the rest of the writing? Well, the novel alternates between two points of view, one first person, one third person, which is pretty distracting, and, furthermore, kind of sets up how one of those points of view ends. More damning, both point of views, aside from the difference of first/third person... felt pretty much the same. They were both male detectives. I couldn't, now, tell you which one was which name or any of their distinctive personality traits, save one who was in love with a girl he met in a bar long ago, and one who the most significant physical changes happen to. They might as well be clones (that might actually have made a more interesting story). The rest of the characters don't especially stand out either... a few make a little bit of an impact, but I'm not going to remember them very long either. There's also a weird laid backness to the level of urgency... the book starts with a terrorist attack that threatens to kill or displace millions... granted, it's on a different planet from the main characters, but they're involved in the investigation, and, from all we see of their emotional reaction, it might as well be just a random murder they're investigating. As the story progresses, there's far too many convenient twists, some related to technologies that only work the way the author needs them to, some just plain plot. The criminals seem to have a bizarrely elaborate and yet simultaneously slipshod and not-particularly-strategic plan for what they're capable of. Leaving that aside, the storytelling seems competent enough, the action works, and the story mostly goes at a decent pace... if he was writing straight noir, and avoiding all the interplanetary conspiracies high-technology... it certainly wouldn't be my thing, but I could see it potentially being called "good"... there was just too much that failed for me as a SF reader to do anything but leave a bad taste in my mouth... it reminded me more of TV sci-fi, which is okay in its place, but for books (and especially books published by a major SF publisher), I've come to expect a lot better.
Oh, and there are aliens. Here's where I at least have something genuinely good to say. While the aliens themselves (the ones that are just part of the background setting, I mean, the ones that would take us into spoilery territory just made me roll my eyes) aren't particularly novel, the author DOES do a good job at sprinkling in little details that make you think that there actually is a culture there, and makes you want to know more. For the most part they never get successfully fleshed out in a way I wanted them to be, but it does add a lot of texture to those scenes, and it's presumably something to look forward to if he did a sequel and you were to read it. I say you, because... I don't think I will be, personally. But I could see him potentially growing past the awkward first novel stage and developing a talent for SF, and if he does, I suspect alien cultures will be something he should focus on.
In my scoring, I teeter between one and two stars here, between 'okay' and 'did not like it'. But even though my review's harsh and I'd probably say, outloud, that I didn't really like it... it's not offensively bad or hard to get through. It's readable in the same way TV SF is watchable, if you turn off your brain some and just roll with it... as a book, it's ultimately forgettable, and doesn't live up to it's potential, but it was never a chore, even if I didn't entirely like it. And honestly, I liked it a little more than the first book of another SF writer I'll not name who writes similar types of spy-space-opera with, apparently, a decent-sized audience. So with that and the traditional first novel leniency, I'll score it a two.
May 8, 2015
There are two things almost guaranteed to bog down any SF story: clones/replicants and the use of unobtainium as a key plot element. This book has both.
As others have noted, we have cardboard characters that don't develop.
And there are other issues:
There are a few decent ideas here, but not enough. And Swenson can tell a story, no matter how implausible. I think he might could do a book with an experienced co-writer before soloing again.
p.s. Anyone think the author's dad was a hotel concierge? I kinda liked Joseph's "no sweat, I can do that, I am Concierge Man!" attitude.
As others have noted, we have cardboard characters that don't develop.
And there are other issues:
There are a few decent ideas here, but not enough. And Swenson can tell a story, no matter how implausible. I think he might could do a book with an experienced co-writer before soloing again.
p.s. Anyone think the author's dad was a hotel concierge? I kinda liked Joseph's "no sweat, I can do that, I am Concierge Man!" attitude.
October 18, 2016
Pros: interesting plot, mostly fast paced, new aliens species
Cons: confusing opening, slow beginning
Memor technology allows humans to colonize several worlds. The Network Intelligence Office has been trying to catch Terl Plenko, leader of the Movement terrorist group. Plenko has been encouraging the colonies to leave the Union, using violent methods. The death of Plenko’s mate during an NIO mission on the Ribon colony puts investigative partners Dave Crowell and Alan Brindos on Plenko’s trail. His top henchmen (or maybe one of his alias’s) have potentially been seen on the vacation planet of Temonus, and Dave sends Alan there. Split up, they each learn that there’s a conspiracy going on, that they can’t trust the NIO, and that Plenko is more than he seems.
The book is narrated in alternating chapters by Dave Crowell, in first person, and Alan Brindos, in third person. While it makes it clear when you’re with the different protagonists, it took me several minutes of hunting through the text to figure out who the first narrator was (since he was “I” in the text) and properly understand what was going on. At the same time a lot of new terms are thrown at the reader, including a fair amount of tech terms, which didn’t help. Once I knew who the narrators were, I reread the first few chapters again to make sure I didn’t miss any clues with regards to the plot.
The first few chapters are quite slow as there’s a lot of exposition going on. After that, the narrative structure of quickly passing back and forth between the protagonists creates tension and interest, and the rest of the book was a rush of trying to figure out the mystery.
The mystery was very interesting. There are a lot of great twists and turns. So much happened that I could not have guessed in advance, which kept me on my toes, wondering how this was all going to end.
I enjoyed reading about both Alan and Dave. They’re proper noir PIs - thinking fast and cleverly inserting themselves where they need to be to get the information they want, though in the story they’ve contracted with the NIO and so have advanced resources. The supporting cast was varied and interesting, including several women and Helks (another alien race). I thought both Dorie and Jennifer were well written and intriguing.
While there weren’t many alien races, the Helks and Memors were kind of interesting. You learn more about the Helks, who are giant like humanoids.
If you like noir science fiction, this book has a great mystery and is a relatively quick read.
Cons: confusing opening, slow beginning
Memor technology allows humans to colonize several worlds. The Network Intelligence Office has been trying to catch Terl Plenko, leader of the Movement terrorist group. Plenko has been encouraging the colonies to leave the Union, using violent methods. The death of Plenko’s mate during an NIO mission on the Ribon colony puts investigative partners Dave Crowell and Alan Brindos on Plenko’s trail. His top henchmen (or maybe one of his alias’s) have potentially been seen on the vacation planet of Temonus, and Dave sends Alan there. Split up, they each learn that there’s a conspiracy going on, that they can’t trust the NIO, and that Plenko is more than he seems.
The book is narrated in alternating chapters by Dave Crowell, in first person, and Alan Brindos, in third person. While it makes it clear when you’re with the different protagonists, it took me several minutes of hunting through the text to figure out who the first narrator was (since he was “I” in the text) and properly understand what was going on. At the same time a lot of new terms are thrown at the reader, including a fair amount of tech terms, which didn’t help. Once I knew who the narrators were, I reread the first few chapters again to make sure I didn’t miss any clues with regards to the plot.
The first few chapters are quite slow as there’s a lot of exposition going on. After that, the narrative structure of quickly passing back and forth between the protagonists creates tension and interest, and the rest of the book was a rush of trying to figure out the mystery.
The mystery was very interesting. There are a lot of great twists and turns. So much happened that I could not have guessed in advance, which kept me on my toes, wondering how this was all going to end.
I enjoyed reading about both Alan and Dave. They’re proper noir PIs - thinking fast and cleverly inserting themselves where they need to be to get the information they want, though in the story they’ve contracted with the NIO and so have advanced resources. The supporting cast was varied and interesting, including several women and Helks (another alien race). I thought both Dorie and Jennifer were well written and intriguing.
While there weren’t many alien races, the Helks and Memors were kind of interesting. You learn more about the Helks, who are giant like humanoids.
If you like noir science fiction, this book has a great mystery and is a relatively quick read.
July 22, 2014
http://koeur.wordpress.com/2014/07/22...
Publisher: Tor
Publishing Date: August 2014
ISBN: 9780765336941
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 1.6/5
Publisher Description: In the twenty-second century, a future in which mortaline wire controls the weather on the settled planets and entire refugee camps drowse in drug-induced slumber, no one—alive or dead, human or alien—is quite what they seem. When terrorists manage to crash Coral, the moon, into its home planet of Ribon, forcing evacuation, it’s up to Dave Crowell and Alan Brindos, contract detectives for the Network Intelligence Organization, to solve a case of interplanetary consequences.
Review: Cover art is well done.
This was a DNF. This was boring as heck due to the endless dialogue. Even the aliens engage in this perpetual dialogue-ing. The aliens are not believable as to be rendered human-like in function and alien in form.
Good idea with just too much dialogue to get through to make this attempt to finish mildly interesting.
Publisher: Tor
Publishing Date: August 2014
ISBN: 9780765336941
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 1.6/5
Publisher Description: In the twenty-second century, a future in which mortaline wire controls the weather on the settled planets and entire refugee camps drowse in drug-induced slumber, no one—alive or dead, human or alien—is quite what they seem. When terrorists manage to crash Coral, the moon, into its home planet of Ribon, forcing evacuation, it’s up to Dave Crowell and Alan Brindos, contract detectives for the Network Intelligence Organization, to solve a case of interplanetary consequences.
Review: Cover art is well done.
This was a DNF. This was boring as heck due to the endless dialogue. Even the aliens engage in this perpetual dialogue-ing. The aliens are not believable as to be rendered human-like in function and alien in form.
Good idea with just too much dialogue to get through to make this attempt to finish mildly interesting.
December 23, 2018
The Ultra Thin Man is a first novel by Patrick Swenson. I tend to cut first timers a lot of slack-all credit to them they wrote a book something I have never done. And give Swenson props for trying to write a story in which the action is constant-it is hard to sustain that kind of momentum. Sadly despite Swenson's best efforts we have a mediocre story with a too convenient ending. Three stars is the best I can do.
April 29, 2024
A fun read, but flawed. The two main characters alternate chapters throughout the book. The trouble is, there is nothing to distinguish them other than their names. The complicated conspiracy plot requires more than one detective to unravel it, but this technique did not work for me.
February 16, 2016
A couple hundred years in the future, humanity has formed an eight-planet Union alongside two sentient alien races. A terrorist group called the Movement of Worlds runs around blowing things up to foment unrest and destroy the Union. Two agents of the NIO (basically the interplanetary CIA) hunt the Movement's bin Laden figurehead.
First, I gotta say that The Ultra Thin Man needed a much better editor. There were far too many typos and jarring disconnects:
"On the facing page was a photo of five scientists: two humans, a Helk, and a Memor." (See, I require that my scifi authors be able to count to at least five. Bare minimum.)
"It can't have been an antimatter weapon, the amount of antimatter needed has never been created." "What's going to happen to the living things still on the planet?" "They're all going to die because of the rays from the antimatter weapon." (o_O)
After 120 pages of discussing First-, Second-, and Third-Clan Helks (varieties of aliens), I suddenly encountered some Second-CLASS Helks. Oops. And there were plenty of other examples.
Then there were the logic gaps and motive failures. Why are the bad guys constantly capturing people, detailing their evil master plans, and then leaving them alive to escape and save the day? "Bwahahaha! Now that you know everything, I think I'll kill you later." How do you disappear several tens of thousands of law-abiding citizens and no one in eight worlds seems to wonder where they are? Why are there no rescue missions to a dying world when it's only six hours away by press shuttle?? Ye gods, you could drive a truck through some of the plot holes.
So why three stars? Swenson excels at setting a hook. Probably three chapters out of four ended with a cliffhanger so good that I couldn't stop reading. That's it. Even when I was rolling my eyes I had a hard time putting it down. I don't have much respect for The Ultra Thin Man, but I did have fun reading it.
First, I gotta say that The Ultra Thin Man needed a much better editor. There were far too many typos and jarring disconnects:
"On the facing page was a photo of five scientists: two humans, a Helk, and a Memor." (See, I require that my scifi authors be able to count to at least five. Bare minimum.)
"It can't have been an antimatter weapon, the amount of antimatter needed has never been created." "What's going to happen to the living things still on the planet?" "They're all going to die because of the rays from the antimatter weapon." (o_O)
After 120 pages of discussing First-, Second-, and Third-Clan Helks (varieties of aliens), I suddenly encountered some Second-CLASS Helks. Oops. And there were plenty of other examples.
Then there were the logic gaps and motive failures. Why are the bad guys constantly capturing people, detailing their evil master plans, and then leaving them alive to escape and save the day? "Bwahahaha! Now that you know everything, I think I'll kill you later." How do you disappear several tens of thousands of law-abiding citizens and no one in eight worlds seems to wonder where they are? Why are there no rescue missions to a dying world when it's only six hours away by press shuttle?? Ye gods, you could drive a truck through some of the plot holes.
So why three stars? Swenson excels at setting a hook. Probably three chapters out of four ended with a cliffhanger so good that I couldn't stop reading. That's it. Even when I was rolling my eyes I had a hard time putting it down. I don't have much respect for The Ultra Thin Man, but I did have fun reading it.
March 5, 2016
The premise of the book got me to pick it up. PI's in space, caught up in conspiracies. Sounds interesting.
But it never became interesting. The characters are thin. The aliens act like humans. I couldn't tell the Helk from the human he's running around with. The two main human characters come off as flat. The book flips between a first person perspective of one, then a third person for the other. It didn't work well for me.
There isn't a lot that is adequately explained. The biggest one is how do the bad guys know where to find the good guys. In such books, it is assumed this happens. But how? One of the alien cultures is barely mentioned, but they are the primary reason for the ability of humans to reach the stars with FTL travel and communication. More time is spent going through the effects of RuBy, the drug, than the feelings of the main characters. A big bang of a plot point should have rocked one of the characters, but very little is mentioned and he rolls on.
I wanted it to be good. I wanted to learn more about the worlds involved, with better resolved characters. But it is as thin as the title.
But it never became interesting. The characters are thin. The aliens act like humans. I couldn't tell the Helk from the human he's running around with. The two main human characters come off as flat. The book flips between a first person perspective of one, then a third person for the other. It didn't work well for me.
There isn't a lot that is adequately explained. The biggest one is how do the bad guys know where to find the good guys. In such books, it is assumed this happens. But how? One of the alien cultures is barely mentioned, but they are the primary reason for the ability of humans to reach the stars with FTL travel and communication. More time is spent going through the effects of RuBy, the drug, than the feelings of the main characters. A big bang of a plot point should have rocked one of the characters, but very little is mentioned and he rolls on.
I wanted it to be good. I wanted to learn more about the worlds involved, with better resolved characters. But it is as thin as the title.
Read
October 23, 2016With a starred review from Publisher's Weekly and an interesting-sounding description, I was looking forward to a good read, but I gave up after 50 pages. The plot does sound promising, but the writing is too unpolished. WAY too often I find myself saying, "Huh"? and having to re-read a sentence that does not quite make sense or that is very awkward. This severely interrupts the flow for me. This happened often enough that I read some of the sentences aloud to my husband, who agreed that they were poorly constructed. I am not talking grammar; I am talking word choice or similar semantic elements. I am surprised at the professional review praise; they should have higher standards for writing. I am also surprised that the various friends who read Swenson's draft did not give him more input.
Unfortunately I already bought book 2, which was on a really cheap special. I wonder if the writing gets any better?
I won't rate this, since I only read 4 chapters.
Unfortunately I already bought book 2, which was on a really cheap special. I wonder if the writing gets any better?
I won't rate this, since I only read 4 chapters.
August 5, 2014
Enjoyed jumping between planets with two Private Investigators who find themselves embroiled in a complex inter-world conspiracy. The characters are many, as are the locations, but Swenson managed to write in a way that you do keep up with who is who and where is where. The chapters flop back and forth between the two main characters as they mostly work separately on this case. They are constantly in danger and take some serious damage as they stumble closer to knowing what is really happening to the Union. Read it.
January 8, 2015
I almost stopped reading a third of the way in, and now I wish I had. The story is borderline nonsensical, the characters are bland and forgettable, the action is weak and inconsistent, and fights have no real sense of danger or pacing (a battle against supposedly overwhelming odds ends quickly, with the enemy completely defeated, and the good guys practically unscathed). The bad guys are laughably incompetent, and the world-building is incredibly shoddy.
Do not read this book.
Do not read this book.
September 16, 2014
I very much enjoyed this debut novel. Patrick Swenson has created a believable and interesting noir SF world, and I'm ready to read a sequel.
November 17, 2018
The books started off strong - scifi private detective novel, a seeming government conspiracy with a twist. Somewhere on the way, however, I lost the personal connection with the heroes, perhaps when the one of the supposed villains the heroes were on the run from became the very thing they were trying to save with the assumption that it was a great good.
It seemed like much of what was going on was just happening to the protagonists instead of a result of their choices and there was a strange emotional disconnect I felt by the time the story ends, in part do to a protagonist's non-reaction to the loss of a character that had been somewhat developed as a person he'd care about...
That said, plotting was quick and had enough twists and turns to be unpredictable. Characterization was especially engaging about locations, less so about characters.
It seemed like much of what was going on was just happening to the protagonists instead of a result of their choices and there was a strange emotional disconnect I felt by the time the story ends, in part do to a protagonist's non-reaction to the loss of a character that had been somewhat developed as a person he'd care about...
That said, plotting was quick and had enough twists and turns to be unpredictable. Characterization was especially engaging about locations, less so about characters.
October 12, 2025
What a find in an off the grid general store in Olympic National Forest. Although I am not a big fan of alternate chapters about alternate character and leaving cliff hangers at the end of eah chapter, it was a captivating story.
January 19, 2020
I enjoy a good noir mystery, and adding a science fiction setting with competent world-building should have made this a home run for me, but the story and its protagonist never really drew me in.
January 29, 2024
It started off ok but it just meandered after that. I finally, completely, just lost complete interest in the book. I skipped to the end but I didn’t even care about finishing that.
February 13, 2018
I don't normally read this genre, so I didn't know what to expect. After a slow start, I did get involved in the book and I wanted to know how it ended.
November 16, 2014
Mon avis en Français
My English review
When I received the book, I admit that I was not expecting much about it. I’m not a big fan of science fiction. It’s not a genre that appeals to me particularly, but I like to try something different from time to time and sometimes it can surprise me. I did not really know much about this book or the author but I must say that planets, aliens, and the whole thing are usually a bit difficult for me. But it is true that I was still curious by the survey regarding the two detectives. I love a good mystery and I could not wait to discover this one. And I must say that I finally had a good time.
Crowell and Brindos are two detectives working together but who will be separated to work better on different tracks. Yet their case that seemed pretty simple at first is far more complex and dangerous than they could have thought. Becoming wanted terrorists, they will try to figure out what exactly is going on. We follow alternately the two heroes in their stories. Brindos is looking for Plenko, a Helk responsible of a large number of events. Yet this story might make him lose everything he owned. Crowell goes rightful to the woman he loved to realize that something strange is happening in the nation and that the people around them are perhaps not what they seem to be.
We have a story mixing terrorism, planets, clones, aliens and a key that everyone seems to want. I admit that I was pretty taken away by the novel trying to figure out what was going on. I was surprised by some purpose for the characters but the whole thing was very well done. The author presents a rich world here but it’s true that I have sometimes wondered if the novel was not a Volume 2, I do not know if I missed some points but it’s true that I was surprised not to understand exactly how this world was governed. As I said, the author has created something very complex and I think I did not have enough explanations about it. It’s not very annoying in itself but it’s true that I wanted to understand a little more, a little more development on it.
In all cases it was a different and interesting novel and I will try something else from the author if I get the chance to.
My English review
When I received the book, I admit that I was not expecting much about it. I’m not a big fan of science fiction. It’s not a genre that appeals to me particularly, but I like to try something different from time to time and sometimes it can surprise me. I did not really know much about this book or the author but I must say that planets, aliens, and the whole thing are usually a bit difficult for me. But it is true that I was still curious by the survey regarding the two detectives. I love a good mystery and I could not wait to discover this one. And I must say that I finally had a good time.
Crowell and Brindos are two detectives working together but who will be separated to work better on different tracks. Yet their case that seemed pretty simple at first is far more complex and dangerous than they could have thought. Becoming wanted terrorists, they will try to figure out what exactly is going on. We follow alternately the two heroes in their stories. Brindos is looking for Plenko, a Helk responsible of a large number of events. Yet this story might make him lose everything he owned. Crowell goes rightful to the woman he loved to realize that something strange is happening in the nation and that the people around them are perhaps not what they seem to be.
We have a story mixing terrorism, planets, clones, aliens and a key that everyone seems to want. I admit that I was pretty taken away by the novel trying to figure out what was going on. I was surprised by some purpose for the characters but the whole thing was very well done. The author presents a rich world here but it’s true that I have sometimes wondered if the novel was not a Volume 2, I do not know if I missed some points but it’s true that I was surprised not to understand exactly how this world was governed. As I said, the author has created something very complex and I think I did not have enough explanations about it. It’s not very annoying in itself but it’s true that I wanted to understand a little more, a little more development on it.
In all cases it was a different and interesting novel and I will try something else from the author if I get the chance to.
February 8, 2015
Review written for and published by Portland Book Review on January 28th:
In a future world where new technology can control the weather, and humanity has discovered it’s not alone in the vast reaches of space, a terrorist organization threatens the galactic peach by slamming a moon into the planet of Ribon. Dan Crowell and Alan Brindos, previously private detectives turned contract agents for the NIO (Network Intelligence Organization), are sent to investigate. Separated and alone, Crowell and Brindos quickly realize they are hugely out of their depths and caught in the middle of a vast conspiracy. The two must dodge betrayals and piece together the larger puzzle, before everything comes crashing down.
The premise of The Ultra Thin Man is an engaging one, as is the world in which the story is built, however, so much of the story is left in an ephemeral state that the reader is left somewhat confused. Descriptions of the setting, characters, and technology are so generalized that the entire book feels painted with a large roller brush, leaving very little detail for readers to grab on to. The two main characters, Crowell and Brindos, are never described and their mannerisms were so identical that they often feel like the exact same person. The most obvious way to tell them apart is that the point of view changes from first person (Crowell) to third person (Brindos), but this point of view swapping is so distracting that it can easily remove readers from the story. The aliens are briefly described, but are largely referred to in the story through negatively inclined racial generalities. This makes it very difficult to even begin to empathize with the aliens as they are eternally “other” despite Brindos’ rather unfortunate personal Helk encounter.
The plot is easily the strongest part of the book – the layered politics could have been quite engaging – and yet it is incredibly difficult to care about the stakes involved because of how removed from the action and characters readers become due to the style of writing. The Ultra Thin Man is very much a book that had a great premise, and potential, but the author dropped the ball when it came down to creating the necessary detail required for readers to develop emotional attachments to characters, setting, or plot.
In a future world where new technology can control the weather, and humanity has discovered it’s not alone in the vast reaches of space, a terrorist organization threatens the galactic peach by slamming a moon into the planet of Ribon. Dan Crowell and Alan Brindos, previously private detectives turned contract agents for the NIO (Network Intelligence Organization), are sent to investigate. Separated and alone, Crowell and Brindos quickly realize they are hugely out of their depths and caught in the middle of a vast conspiracy. The two must dodge betrayals and piece together the larger puzzle, before everything comes crashing down.
The premise of The Ultra Thin Man is an engaging one, as is the world in which the story is built, however, so much of the story is left in an ephemeral state that the reader is left somewhat confused. Descriptions of the setting, characters, and technology are so generalized that the entire book feels painted with a large roller brush, leaving very little detail for readers to grab on to. The two main characters, Crowell and Brindos, are never described and their mannerisms were so identical that they often feel like the exact same person. The most obvious way to tell them apart is that the point of view changes from first person (Crowell) to third person (Brindos), but this point of view swapping is so distracting that it can easily remove readers from the story. The aliens are briefly described, but are largely referred to in the story through negatively inclined racial generalities. This makes it very difficult to even begin to empathize with the aliens as they are eternally “other” despite Brindos’ rather unfortunate personal Helk encounter.
The plot is easily the strongest part of the book – the layered politics could have been quite engaging – and yet it is incredibly difficult to care about the stakes involved because of how removed from the action and characters readers become due to the style of writing. The Ultra Thin Man is very much a book that had a great premise, and potential, but the author dropped the ball when it came down to creating the necessary detail required for readers to develop emotional attachments to characters, setting, or plot.
August 18, 2014
Let me first dissuade you - if you want to read this book because you expect Nick, Nora, and Asta to make an appearance, this isn’t that kind of Thin Man. Nor is this “Gumshoe - In Space!” - not quite. There is a certain homage to Dashiell Hammett in this novel, a flair of the noir in its tongue in cheek references to fedoras and trenchcoats, private investigators, and hunting down criminal masterminds in modern speakeasies. It is very much a science fiction novel, though, of that variety of thriller that was popular at the end of the pulp era. Good guys vs bad, agents on the run and the fate of society in their hands.
Set nearly a century away, humanity has made contact with two other sentient species, acquired FTL travel, and colonized other planets. A political movement has risen up that threatens the peace of the Union, and our two gumshoes, hired on as contractors by a government agency, are trying to track down the location of the leader of the Movement, the alien Helk known as Terl Plenko. Things go from bad to worse when a terrorist attack causes the moon Ribon to crash into the planet it orbits, destroying settlements on both worlds.
The mystery is light, but the tension is kept steady in this science fiction thriller. What may cause some issues for some readers is the disorienting switch in POV between chapters. The novel is written from the perspective of our two chief protagonists, but only one of them is in the first person. The other character’s story is written loosely in the third person. In the ARC, this perspective slipped a few times, and I really hope this is an artifact of the pre-edit condition of the novel and not something that made it to print. Because without that detraction, the novel was a lot of fun, fully earning the four stars I’ve given it. Although the post-climax epilogue ties off some threads while ignoring others, I think that’s just Swenson hedging his bets. I’m sure this volume will do well enough to garner more gumshoe stories set in his Union universe.
Special thanks to Tor Books, who allowed me to read an ARC of this novel on netgalley.
Set nearly a century away, humanity has made contact with two other sentient species, acquired FTL travel, and colonized other planets. A political movement has risen up that threatens the peace of the Union, and our two gumshoes, hired on as contractors by a government agency, are trying to track down the location of the leader of the Movement, the alien Helk known as Terl Plenko. Things go from bad to worse when a terrorist attack causes the moon Ribon to crash into the planet it orbits, destroying settlements on both worlds.
The mystery is light, but the tension is kept steady in this science fiction thriller. What may cause some issues for some readers is the disorienting switch in POV between chapters. The novel is written from the perspective of our two chief protagonists, but only one of them is in the first person. The other character’s story is written loosely in the third person. In the ARC, this perspective slipped a few times, and I really hope this is an artifact of the pre-edit condition of the novel and not something that made it to print. Because without that detraction, the novel was a lot of fun, fully earning the four stars I’ve given it. Although the post-climax epilogue ties off some threads while ignoring others, I think that’s just Swenson hedging his bets. I’m sure this volume will do well enough to garner more gumshoe stories set in his Union universe.
Special thanks to Tor Books, who allowed me to read an ARC of this novel on netgalley.
September 4, 2015
This novel badly needed an editor. Ironic, considering the flyleaf asserts the author is a publisher and presumably knows one or two.
The first half of the story is nearly incoherent. For no apparent dramatic reason, the two protagonists present different vantages: Alan Brindos is written in the third person, Dave Crowell in the first. The two stories interleave chapter by chapter. Continuity lacks even within the two narratives, never mind between them.
No character development or arcs occur, apart from agonizing death. The writing is ham-handed and hilariously overwrought ("On top of that, he had to pee so bad it felt like he'd wolfed down ten pots of coffee."). Even the basics are wrong -- a continent-spanning wire network stretched across six half-mile high towers would touch ground because planets are round and have horizons. The Helk alien characters are recycled Wookies (albeit with better English skills), the science-y Memor aliens are irrelevant (from planet Memory, get it? so why do Helks have better recall?), and any SF technology presentation is weirdly detailed but locked into a 1970s Star Trek vibe.
Inferring from the prefaced acknowledgement, the book started as a "buddy" writing exercise in the mid-1980s. Each person wrote one character, the partially completed tales were duct-taped together, and the manuscript left to rot. Resurrected from its forgotten tomb (likely a stack of floppies), the author banged out the final chapters and shipped it, warts and all, to Tor. Someone paid Nancy Kress to write a jacket endorsement and there we are.
The book gets not one but two stars only because I went through all 300-odd pages to find out where the author was going. Nowhere is the answer apparent, especially with the "All's well that ends well, oh well I guess" epilogue. It's a car wreck; you have to slow down and look.
If you want a noir thriller, re-read James M. Cain or Elmore Leonard.
The first half of the story is nearly incoherent. For no apparent dramatic reason, the two protagonists present different vantages: Alan Brindos is written in the third person, Dave Crowell in the first. The two stories interleave chapter by chapter. Continuity lacks even within the two narratives, never mind between them.
No character development or arcs occur, apart from agonizing death. The writing is ham-handed and hilariously overwrought ("On top of that, he had to pee so bad it felt like he'd wolfed down ten pots of coffee."). Even the basics are wrong -- a continent-spanning wire network stretched across six half-mile high towers would touch ground because planets are round and have horizons. The Helk alien characters are recycled Wookies (albeit with better English skills), the science-y Memor aliens are irrelevant (from planet Memory, get it? so why do Helks have better recall?), and any SF technology presentation is weirdly detailed but locked into a 1970s Star Trek vibe.
Inferring from the prefaced acknowledgement, the book started as a "buddy" writing exercise in the mid-1980s. Each person wrote one character, the partially completed tales were duct-taped together, and the manuscript left to rot. Resurrected from its forgotten tomb (likely a stack of floppies), the author banged out the final chapters and shipped it, warts and all, to Tor. Someone paid Nancy Kress to write a jacket endorsement and there we are.
The book gets not one but two stars only because I went through all 300-odd pages to find out where the author was going. Nowhere is the answer apparent, especially with the "All's well that ends well, oh well I guess" epilogue. It's a car wreck; you have to slow down and look.
If you want a noir thriller, re-read James M. Cain or Elmore Leonard.
August 10, 2015
So the title is misleading. There is no character that is extremely thin. Thin in this world refers to the actual size of wires used in building a weather device called the Conduit. Ultra in this world refers to an alien race that is far superior to our own. This story, therefore, follows what happens when a superior alien race wants to introduce their technology in a sinister way to take over society.
Society as most people know it consists of three races: helks, memors, and humans. They are scattered across a small union of worlds and generally work together, though the helks are a bit hostile and belligerent.
The story is told from the point of view of two characters: Dave Crowell (from first person) and Alan Brindos (from third person). The characters are remarkably similar and a bit hard to distinguish, even with the change in reference. Both are working for an investigative service, having been PIs back in Seattle. They stumble upon things they don't know about but people in high places want to eliminate them. What follows is a police mystery that collects side characters and either uses them and loses them or are encountered and someone ends up dying. Overall it was a good story, but the consequence of death is never really felt especially when some relationships should be much deeper than perceived...object of love, friendship etc.
The cover art is amazing and does not really tell anything of the story. In fact I am not sure what scene this is supposed to be depicting...maybe New Venasaille? Maybe the Conduit disaster? Maybe just a scene on Ribon?
Society as most people know it consists of three races: helks, memors, and humans. They are scattered across a small union of worlds and generally work together, though the helks are a bit hostile and belligerent.
The story is told from the point of view of two characters: Dave Crowell (from first person) and Alan Brindos (from third person). The characters are remarkably similar and a bit hard to distinguish, even with the change in reference. Both are working for an investigative service, having been PIs back in Seattle. They stumble upon things they don't know about but people in high places want to eliminate them. What follows is a police mystery that collects side characters and either uses them and loses them or are encountered and someone ends up dying. Overall it was a good story, but the consequence of death is never really felt especially when some relationships should be much deeper than perceived...object of love, friendship etc.
The cover art is amazing and does not really tell anything of the story. In fact I am not sure what scene this is supposed to be depicting...maybe New Venasaille? Maybe the Conduit disaster? Maybe just a scene on Ribon?
August 14, 2014
This review and others are available on my blog.
The Ultra Thin Man is a space opera noir following Dave Crowell and Alan Brindos, contract detectives for the Network Intelligence Organization as they attempt to unravel an interstellar conspiracy that stretches from the highest rungs of society to the terrorist Movement of Worlds, led by an alien giant, Terl Plenko.
Swenson effortless adapts a number of noir tropes to his twenty-second century setting. Dave Crowell could have stepped out of the pages of a Dashiell Hammett novel, appropriate given the title. The narrative style emulates hardboiled detective fiction without becoming pastiche or loosing sight of the futuristic setting. Indeed, this is a richly detailed interplanetary world, filled with aliens, terrorists, refugee camps, crashing moons, and the titular Thin Men. This combination of pitch perfect noir and genuine world building is often attempted, but rarely with this degree of success.
The mystery itself is engaging and suitably full of twists and turns. Dave Crowell and Alan Brindos split up to pursue congruent, ultimately connected investigations and this serves to keep the pace moving.
The Ultra Thin Man gestures towards deeper questions, especially with regards to the Thin Men and Brindos’ arc, but is content to remain within its comfort zone and be exactly what it is—an intelligent, fast-moving slice of sci-fi noir.
**Received copy from NetGalley for Review
The Ultra Thin Man is a space opera noir following Dave Crowell and Alan Brindos, contract detectives for the Network Intelligence Organization as they attempt to unravel an interstellar conspiracy that stretches from the highest rungs of society to the terrorist Movement of Worlds, led by an alien giant, Terl Plenko.
Swenson effortless adapts a number of noir tropes to his twenty-second century setting. Dave Crowell could have stepped out of the pages of a Dashiell Hammett novel, appropriate given the title. The narrative style emulates hardboiled detective fiction without becoming pastiche or loosing sight of the futuristic setting. Indeed, this is a richly detailed interplanetary world, filled with aliens, terrorists, refugee camps, crashing moons, and the titular Thin Men. This combination of pitch perfect noir and genuine world building is often attempted, but rarely with this degree of success.
The mystery itself is engaging and suitably full of twists and turns. Dave Crowell and Alan Brindos split up to pursue congruent, ultimately connected investigations and this serves to keep the pace moving.
The Ultra Thin Man gestures towards deeper questions, especially with regards to the Thin Men and Brindos’ arc, but is content to remain within its comfort zone and be exactly what it is—an intelligent, fast-moving slice of sci-fi noir.
**Received copy from NetGalley for Review
September 25, 2014
This book started out strong. The premise is that a weather-control system actually has a sinister purpose. Two parallel plotlines follow a pair of investigators as they try to identify the culprits, uncovering a massive plot to subvert the governments of the galactic union. A clever plot and strong action writing propel the characters through this mystery, even when their minds are swapped to alien bodies.
Where the book falls short is in the conclusion. We never find out who is responsible for what happened. All we really know is that their fingers glow. Is this a setup for a sequel? The author writes a great action sequence, but ends up repeating gunfight situations where our heroes always make their mark, while their opponents are shot down. That throwaway secondary characters also lose their lives doesn't really move the reader or motivate the plot. If these characters had more life, maybe we would feel emotional when they die in a gunfight. The repetitive nature of these conflicts ruin the climactic moments of the book.
On the other hand, this is a fun read. If you like Timothy Zahn, this will remind you of the threat of the Modri in the Quadrail series, or some of the space mysteries of Jack Chalker, minus the strong female characters. As a first offering from this author, we can hope for a stronger plot in his next novel. Good writing, but doesn't go the distance.
Where the book falls short is in the conclusion. We never find out who is responsible for what happened. All we really know is that their fingers glow. Is this a setup for a sequel? The author writes a great action sequence, but ends up repeating gunfight situations where our heroes always make their mark, while their opponents are shot down. That throwaway secondary characters also lose their lives doesn't really move the reader or motivate the plot. If these characters had more life, maybe we would feel emotional when they die in a gunfight. The repetitive nature of these conflicts ruin the climactic moments of the book.
On the other hand, this is a fun read. If you like Timothy Zahn, this will remind you of the threat of the Modri in the Quadrail series, or some of the space mysteries of Jack Chalker, minus the strong female characters. As a first offering from this author, we can hope for a stronger plot in his next novel. Good writing, but doesn't go the distance.
November 22, 2014
rather on the fence about this book. On one hand, this an intricate conspiracy story set on multiple planets with aliens and duel narration. On the other hand, the narrators are so identical they’re almost interchangeable and the world building is woeful low on details.
Breaking it down, looking at characters first. The story is narrated by two old-school private investigators in alternating chapters. One has a first person narrative while the other has a third person narrative. That’s about the only difference between them. Other than that, the characters are super similar. At times, I found the only way to decipher whose chapter it was involved looking at the verb tense used. Not good.
Regarding the world building, the main thing I enjoy about space-centric stories is the ability to create anything. In this case, every world was very Earth-like, and the details of everything were rather unexplained. There was very little space-feel to the story. The whole thing could have taken place on Earth, and it would have changed nothing.
The plot itself had some interesting twists and turns to it. I like conspiracy stories, and this one had several layers to it. I wasn’t able to guess everything that would happen, which is good.
Overall, this book had a classic detective story feel, with a modern space adventure setting. Unfortunately, I don’t think everything meshed well together, and it left me feeling rather ambivalent towards the book.
Breaking it down, looking at characters first. The story is narrated by two old-school private investigators in alternating chapters. One has a first person narrative while the other has a third person narrative. That’s about the only difference between them. Other than that, the characters are super similar. At times, I found the only way to decipher whose chapter it was involved looking at the verb tense used. Not good.
Regarding the world building, the main thing I enjoy about space-centric stories is the ability to create anything. In this case, every world was very Earth-like, and the details of everything were rather unexplained. There was very little space-feel to the story. The whole thing could have taken place on Earth, and it would have changed nothing.
The plot itself had some interesting twists and turns to it. I like conspiracy stories, and this one had several layers to it. I wasn’t able to guess everything that would happen, which is good.
Overall, this book had a classic detective story feel, with a modern space adventure setting. Unfortunately, I don’t think everything meshed well together, and it left me feeling rather ambivalent towards the book.
December 8, 2014
The year is 2113. Our heroes are two agents of the Network Intelligence Organization, gumshoes of the highest order. After the apparent suicide of a probable associate, and an antimatter attack that destroyed a moon and wrecked an entire planet, Gumshoe #1 is on the trail of the alien leader of the terrorist Movement of Worlds. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, his partner, Gumshoe #2, is on the hunt for those responsible for framing him and his partner for treason most foul. And just who, or what, is behind it all? That, my dear friends, is the question. Ultra Thin Man is a mystery-thriller wrapped in science fiction, a Fantastic First practically gift-wrapped for Mysterious Galaxy. Interstellar conspiracy, enigmatic aliens, bizarre drugs, body-morphing technology, “Thin Men,” and the fate of the Union … just of few of the elements that make Ultra Thin Man awesomeyay. I just love this stuff.
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