Farmers and Cannibals

by Eric James-Olson

Enter the world of Farmers and Cannibals where limited resources, worldwide conflict, and great leaps in weapons technology have cut a deep fissure between those who have taken power, and those that struggle to survive on the margins of civilization. The deadly struggle continues as the dispossessed gather together, as the men and women robbed of their livelihood recognize the inherent power of their numbers. Join Francisco Cain, Director for Security on Farm-Colony 984, as he finds himself in the center of the conflict. Bear witness as this tool for control, as this mechanism for power begins to recognize the hand that subtly controls his every action.

Genres: Science Fiction, Novels

328 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 2013

About the author

Eric James-Olson writes novels and short stories. His first five books, But the Angels Never Came, Farmers and Cannibals, Just After the Fall, The Church Peak Hotel: Revisited, and Whom Cain Slew (November 2016) exist within the same fictional universe and are written by the same fictional author. Currently, James-Olson is working on a coming-of-age novel set in central Maryland.

In addition to writing, James-Olson is a high school English teacher, an outdoor enthusiast, and an amateur woodworker. He lives with his wife and daughter in West Virginia.

Check out the website: http://ericjamesolson.com/

And don't forget the Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/ericjamesolson

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this from the author, Eric James-Olson, in exchange for an honest review! I've also read and reviewed another book from this series, Just After the Fall. Read my review HERE - http://blueeyebooks.blogspot.com/2014....

If my kindle hadn't broken, I probably would have read this one all in one night it was so good! The plot, the characters, everything was just marvelous.

So. I loved Cain. His mind was just a fascinating place to be! And that part at the end. THAT was unforgettable my friends!

While we're on the topic of the ending, let me just say I loved how all the politics played into it and the big explanation. It was so elaborate and cunning and so exactly like something that could happen (sadly).

As I said above, I've also read another book in the series - Just After the Fall. This book filled it SO much that I was wondering about. It says in the blurb that they can be read separately but it helped me a lot to have a bit of background on the whole drone thing and such.

The only reason this is 4 stars instead of 4.5 or maybe even 5 is because it did drag a bit in the middle/end of the beginning. The end is where it really picks up so if you are bored with the beginning, hang in there!

The Final Verdict:
An amazing plot, characters, and ending had me totally engrossed. It did drag a bit in the middle section.
4 stars

[Fei Mei · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read the title of this book, I thought it would be about farmers and cannibals battling it out. After I started reading it, I quickly realized it was about a lot more. The book is about a lot of things including dependence on technology, corporate corruption, government corruption, media's manipulation of the public, and society's indifference.

The story takes place in a dystopian society where farms are run by large corporations and Africa is a giant farm. Cain, a former mercenary, arrives at a farm to begin his new job as assistant to the Directory of Security. Things are not as they seem on the farm and Cain needs to uncover a plot.

I would have liked to know more about how we went from our current society to the farm colonies. Perhaps that is covered in another book? I also would have liked to know more about the cannibals' way of life. Jeff's and Big Frank's role in the plot is pretty obvious right away. I am not sure what role the doctor played. He has not fully bought into Big Frank's scheme so maybe he was just spying on the colonist. I thought there would be more to Cain's mechanical arm other than it shows that society is so self absorbed or assists the reader in identifying Cain as a survivor of the attack. I guess I was looking for more of a wow moment.

Overall, it was an interesting read that made me think.

[Jola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the books by Eric James-Olson I've read so far, this one I enjoyed the most. It has everything: action, compelling main character and political intrigue. The narrative told from many different viewpoints is very thrilling, especially the search for the mole in the farm although I thought Jeff was suspicious from the beginning . It was nice to see Abraham again too.

Thanks again to Eric James-Olson for sending me the free copy of the book!

[Nathan Wall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to start?

"Farmers and Cannibals" is an incredibly smart read. The language in which it is written is precise, descriptive, and crisp. It's not a book that pulls any punches, and assumes a certain level of intelligence from it's reader. That's not to say it makes you feel stupid, but I read a lot of books that go out of their way to explain things to you, like you're a toddler in need of having their hand held. This book doesn't do that. If you can't cope through a work of literary fiction on your own without the author spoon feeding you, then this book isn't for you.

That said, let's delve into it.

Though this book touts Francisco Cain as it's main character, I wonder if he is no more than just a reference by which certain plot points are revealed to the reader. Cain certainly envelopes the old-time traits of classical detectives; he's hard nosed, to the point, secretive, and bad ass. Other than a few sparse insights into his past, and they are brief, we're not given much to latch onto with Cain. He's simply there to propel the story forward.

For whatever lack of attachment you get from Cain, you get plenty from everyone else. The most interesting character-arch's came from this book's villains: Abraham and Dingane. Needless to say, if you like a good villain, this book will certainly feed your cravings...pun intended (if you count that as a pun...think about it). A question this book asks is: who is really the villain? On one hand you have invaders who have made themselves at home, and the other you have helpless natives struggling to get by. The viewpoint and narrative certainly make it clear who to root for, but a few lines of description here and there could easily switch that up.

Cain's support characters at the farm also offer a compelling insight into human nature and the change we're capable of. The author continues to develop character attachment through these individuals, using Cain as their vehicle of change. This a reversal of what is common in fiction. Typically the secondary characters are the measuring stick by which the protagonist's change is measured. I like the curve ball thrown in this book.

I didn't find this to be a difficult read, despite the amount of time it took me to finish it. I just got swept up with the holidays and my own work. I look forward to continuing this series with the next installment "But the Angels never came."

I highly recommend "Farmers and Cannibals" to be added to your to-read shelf.

[Tsubaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
-

Well, 10 pages in and I was hooked. Not to mention a little mind blown. Saying the story was profound would be an understatement. The world building was brilliant. Strike that. The whole thing was brilliant. The story was set in the ruins of one society, at the hands of, and for the gain of, another. The story features one hell of a crazy dystopian future.

I liked a lot of things about this book. The characters were quite entertaining, unique even. While the focus is on the farm (as that's where majority of the story unfolds at), we still get glimpses of everyone else involved. I loved that the story jumped viewpoints so the reader got to see the events unravel from every sides' perspective. It's a story that makes you question your own morality as neither side was right or wrong, good or evil. Simply dancing to the tunes of a malicious puppeteer.

In light of all this, Cain was tasked with keeping the farm colony safe after the death of Jim, the previous head of security. Jim warned him not to trust anyone, but tension skyrockets as one incident after another occurs as soon as he arrived. Cain can't keep the farm safe on his own, but trusting the wrong person could very well end the lives of everyone involved. And as he toils in semi-secrecy, accusations were thrown all around, and no one knows who was really ally or foe.

The book was atmospheric, dark, and oppressive without being brooding and monotonous. The shadow of the traitor was always present, looming, but buried under more pressing matters. And there it sits, unseen, but felt all around. There were so many fractal and metaphysical layers to this story, philosophical overtones, religious allegories that I doubt I grasped the significance of everything. Not to mention that there was something extremely off about the narrator. It's really not a story to be taken at face value.

The one glaring problem I had with the book (and why I knocked a star off, sadly) was the editing. Or lack thereof. Mostly minor, but there were a lot of grammatical issues. Wrong or missed words/punctuation and typos mostly. But I can't forgive the lackluster editing, especially in the presence of an otherwise perfect piece of literature.

For anyone interested, here's my review for the next book, Just After the Fall .

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

First I must confess that I was asked to read this and provide a review. I have actually had this on my "too read" list for awhile now. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. The story started off very quickly and kept rolling. It has good action and political intrigue.Nothing is what it seems to be. I like that it brings Africa into the "forefront" . We especially in the U.S. completely discount any relevance that continent might have. Although...we are not very nice in the book. I will say that this book makes a person think and reflect upon what is going on now. And is not a bad thing. I will be seeking out this authors other books. Thanks James!

[Daniale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. This book was a real page-turner. From the start there is drama and intrigue. I just couldn't put it down. The name of the book kind of gave me pause at first. It's so simple it just makes it seem like it may be a flop. Farmers and Cannibals almost makes it seem like a documentary. But it's really good. The story is set in the future and to be honest portrays things that we could really be facing one day. Definitely want to read more from this author.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Farmers and Cannibals is the first book of the Farmers and Cannibals series. I must admit that the first book of the series I read was Just After the Fall, the third book in the series, and a lot of the references that I hadn’t fully understood were explained in this book.

The book follows the lives of the colonists living on farming colony 984, mainly Cain, and the lead up to the “cannibal Siege” that is being orchestrated elsewhere, by the unknown EL.

The story is good and does manage to keep you interested in who is doing what and will it be discovered.

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read from Eric James-Olson and I love the way he writes. It's a combination of Science Fiction, Literary Fiction and a little mystery. I love the way he pulls you into the story by telling it from different points of view. This story is filled with action and government and political corruption. This story is set in the future, but some of the aspects of the story could unfold in our present time. The end of the book was really intriguing and was hard to put down!! I will be looking at more of his books!

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great dystopian novel from Eric James-Olson. This one is set somewhere in Africa after the locals have been wiped out to make way for farm colonies. The survivors have turned to cannibalism and survive by ambushing trucks and farmers. The colonists have been protected from the cannibals by drones, but the government has voted to cut the funding for the program, so the colonists must defend their farm from a united cannibal army.

[Brooke Stehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from Goodreads Giveaway. So id like to thank you for that. When i first started reading it i was unsure if i was going to really love it BUT then i really got in the story and i found it hard to put it down!
Eric James-Olson is a talented author and i am looking forward to reading more of his books.

I recommend this book to anyone with an interest of distopian like feelings to their stories.
Thanks


*Sorry it took a long time, was having school exams*

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eric was kind enough to give me the whole series to read and review. Farmers and Cannibals was my favorite in the series so far. Although I have read them out of order, one can quickly figure out the storyline.
It was great to finally read about the characters you meet in the later novels.
If you like sci fi with a good story and interesting characters I would recommend reading Eric James-Olson's series.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from Goodreads First Reads. I was leery at first when I won this book but after starting to read it made sense. Was hard to put down. Sorry took me long time to review. I recommend you read this book to imagine that this could be in our future. The way things are going I don't know how we will feed the world in the future.

[Jacek Slay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I'm through it at last. And I'm somehow disappointed. A great regress comparing to 'Just After the Fall'. It was kinda painful to read it, it didn't have the "thing". Can't say it was a bad book but it was nothing out of ordinary. Pretty slow, pretty tiring, a mediocre book at most.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Farmers and Cannibals, by Eric James-Olsen is a multi-layered treat. It’s a sci-fi adventure, murder mystery, and interesting mirror on today. And it’s set up as an annotated version of an important story written four hundred years earlier. The two voices – that of the original authors, Victor Moody and Caleb Jeffries, writing as Eric James-Olsen, and the somewhat snooty literary voice of McCarthy Gables, pointing out verb tense problems and content errors – make a great counterpoint. Some parts of the commentary are delightfully overblown. (“In the previous two chapters we see one of the first notable shifts in social commentary. Although common in literature today, authors of the late 21st century were often afraid to make negative statements about the world they lived in… EJO, at least throughout the 2090’s, was the only author whose socially critical works squeezed by the censors. I find delightful irony in this.”)

The story begins with Cain arriving at his new post on one of the giant farm operations set up in Africa after taking the land from the indigenous people. On his way to the farm, Cain barely survives an explosion, which he’s told is the work of the “Cannibals” or “terrorists,” the natives.
Shortly afterwards, the chief is found dead of an apparent suicide, and one of the farmers is found killed. The hunt is on, then, for Cain to find out what’s really behind these events. And he has many suspects.

There are, of course, many parallels to current-day situations, including the legacy of colonialism, and the use of war as the ultimate propaganda tool. When certain parties want to make sure the drone warfare program is reinstated by the government, they know the easiest way to convince people is to scare them.

I also enjoyed the many Biblical references, including Cain and Abel, and Abraham, and the offering, “El” as God and the importance of doing God’s will even if it doesn’t seem to be the best choice at the time. (“You must have faith in El. No man can claim to have knowledge greater than His infinite wisdom. El will provide.”)

In the end, the most interesting and complex figure is Cain. While he is a capable fighter, he seems new to judging the worth of ideas. The book is his journey of understanding.

Very interesting read.

[Brenda Mohammed · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book starts off with the main character Cain accepting a post as Assistant Director of Security by Cannibals for a farming colony in Africa. He takes along a travelling companion who he met at the airport and who was also offered a job at that place. After an ambush by Cannibals in which his travelling companion is killed, Cain is rescued by his new associates at the farming colony..
Jim, the Director of Security, was impressed by Cain’s verbal expansion of his resume and he is given the job. Jim’s main concern was to detect the source of the Cannibals ‘weaponry.
He told Cain to investigate who was supplying the weapons to the Cannibals.
Cain received a letter from the previous head of security, Jim, shortly thereafter, asking him to keep the farm colony safe. The letter was written to Cain prior to Jim’s alleged suicide.
In the letter Jim warned Cain not to trust anyone.
However, there was a lot of conflict and one incident led to another.
Cain was suspicious of Mac and soon discovered that Jeff was the culprit.
After the big siege by the Cannibals on the farmers, there were few survivors.
Of course Cain with a robotic hand was one of them.
There is a surprise twist of events in the end and the real culprits are unmasked.
The author has a vivid imagination and his writing is very descriptive.
All of his books are based on an imaginary world.
I commend the author on his ability to portray such events so vividly and to grasp the reader’s attention.
This is not the type of book I would normally read but I found it rather interesting.

[Martin Perks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book free in return for an honest review. It is a sci-fi novel set at the end of the century and concerns our hero Cain who takes up a post in a giant farm complex, only to be caught up in an explosion at the complex, which causes untold damage. Of course, it is his job to find the culprits, and bring them to justice.
It’s not your usual fare of aliens and monsters, but a serious attempt to predict what might happen in a world of gigantic corporations and even bigger governments. It raises a lot of issues that could well happen, should not something be done in time.
The author has a way with words and to story zips along at a blistering pace. I never saw the end coming and must say it surprised me. First class sci-fi thriller, that is highly recommended.

[Katrina Cope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the forth book I have read in this series. I like how each book within the series can be read at any time without reading the first book first. In saying this though, you get a clearer picture of what happens with each character and their individual lives if you read the whole series. This particular book is the first written within the series. The series so far includes: But the Angels Never Came, Farmers and Cannibals, Just After the Fall, The Church Peak Hotel: Revisited.
In this book, James-Olson has done a wonderful job of weaving the different twists through the plot which keeps you guessing who is the perpetrator. A very enjoyable read that keeps your mind ticking.

[Cruikshank · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of satirical references between the dystopian world of these novels and the real world in which we live in, and Eric James-Olson delivers a real treat with this story. There are a lot of things that reflect society today and some of the problems we are facing, and it gives a grim view of where life could be heading if we don't turn things around sometime in the near future.

Cain is an interesting character, and the situations he's put into are fascinating and interesting. I found myself engrossed in the story and the writing was excellent.

[Books by Sheree Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a genre I tend to read and the title name almost makes you think twice but after this book was suggested to me, I must admit I was quite surprised how much I enjoyed it.
Cain is quite a deep character. He is dark and moody. The plot is quite fast paced which keeps you interested with plenty of action. I was surprised how quickly the action started. My only criticism is the author 'Gables' notes which occur throughout the book. I found these interrupted the flow of the main story especially at the beginning.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.I was intrigued by the title of this book & couldn't wait to read it.i thoroughly enjoyed this book.The characters are well developed & I was never sure who I wanted to prevail.The author created a compelling scenario of fear and distrust in future dystopian society.The book has some religious overtones,but not in an overpowering way.I would highly recommend this book.

[J.A. Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Sci-Fi, so a future world was right up my alley. Olson draws you into the story quickly. His narrative is easy to follow and Cain, the main character is immediately involved in an ambush, thus setting the tone of the story early on. Action packed and fast paced, we encounter terms like Dones, rail guns, and telepathic communcitoin. This book has a well-written plot and in my opinion, a satisfying ending. Thoroughly recommend. Perhaps Cain's story will continue.

[Akshay Hattiholi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Worth the read

This was an engaging story, set well off in the future, with well defined characters and a great plot. It has plenty of action and will get you thinking, looking at the problems of society today and wondering what is in store for us. I love the perspective that Cain has, he is really cool and kind of a future role model! Well done

[Julian Irving · Rating 2 out of 5]

pretty good

[Steven Sheeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and thoughtful, I rather enjoyed this book. The characters are engaging and the story well written.

I have read other works by this author and have enjoyed them all.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a great book. couldnt put it down. looking forward to a sequel.