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Domechild
A suicidal machine. A child with a secret that can change the world. The man trapped between them. In the City, where machines take care of everything, lives Albert, an ordinary citizen with an extraordinary problem: Hes being blackmailed into becoming the first person in living memory to actually do something.
What begins as a chance encounter with an outlaw child swiftly spirals out of control as Albert is trapped between the authorities and the demands of his unusual blackmailer. Forced to go on the run for his life, he finds himself in a shadow world of cyber-junkies, radicals and rebels, where he discovers the horrifying truth behind the City, a truth that will make him question everything he has ever known.
What begins as a chance encounter with an outlaw child swiftly spirals out of control as Albert is trapped between the authorities and the demands of his unusual blackmailer. Forced to go on the run for his life, he finds himself in a shadow world of cyber-junkies, radicals and rebels, where he discovers the horrifying truth behind the City, a truth that will make him question everything he has ever known.
392 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2013
28 people are currently reading
1456 people want to read
About the author
Shiv Ramdas
8 books109 followersBorn and raised in India,Shiv Ramdas is a Hugo and Nebula Award nominated writer of science fiction, fantasy, horror and humour. His short fiction has appeared in publications like Strange Horizons, Fireside Fiction, Podcastle, Giganotosaurus, and others. He lives in Seattle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
January 24, 2014
Two things did not happen to me while reading Domechild. One was remembering to eat dinner. The other was sleep.
I read the book in one night, scream-shouting at parts and speed-reading through the rest. I liked it a lot, OK? Loved it. This review comes from someone who is a fan, so take what I say with that in mind. I will try and be balanced and critical, but no promises.
I'm a little wary of comparison because everyone's tastes differ, but I found Domechild to be a glorious mashup of Cory Doctorow and Terry Pratchett. Clever, fun, and then all of a sudden, BOOM kick-to-the gut writing.
Personally, I don't read for deep textual analysis or to unpack larger themes about our society and culture. I read for fun. I read for characters that I can fall in love with instantly and for the adventures that they go on.
Domechild has some very clever thematic stuff going on in the background. Stuff about people and their dependance on tech and what it does to society. It's smart, OK? But I don't care about any of that.
I cared about the story of a guy who is told that everything he believed in is WRONG WRONG WRONG, and instead of curling up and crying about it, or feeling betrayed, he does his best to make things better in whatever small way he can.
I cared about the story of trying to fit into a society that doesn't appreciate you, but needs you and what happens to people when their worth is defined by what they can do instead of who they are.
I cared about the characters who, without taking one second to think about their own safety, would stand in the way of danger to protect their friends.
I cared about the bad guys with good intentions and good guys with bad intentions.
I cared about every single character and every party of their beautiful, brutal messed up world.
In the interest of keeping this review balanced and not completely gushing all over how much I enjoyed it, I do have two more critical points.
There were some parts where I felt that the characters got less smart for the sake of the plot. In one particular section it felt that they were wasting time talking around a problem I thought had an obvious solution several pages ago. Reading it was frustrating because I wanted them to move forward. It seemed obvious to me what needed to happen next and I was impatient to get there.
I may have yelled out loud at the book at this point, and I'm uncertain if that's a good or bad thing. (This was late at night. I may have been sleep deprived)
There were a couple of other points where I felt characters were suddenly acting stupider because the plot demanded that they not think too closely about what was happening. I can understand why things had to happen they way they did, I just wish there had been something else in place to make it work.
It also took me a while to like the main character, Albert. Every other character I fell in love with almost instantly (even the jerky ones). But with Albert I took time to care about him. There were two or three points in particular that I was totally smitten by him, but I wanted more of him like that, and at times his growth and intelligence seemed to float as the external plot demanded it. At the end he seemed more 'himself' and I'm looking forward to rejoining him in the sequel. I just hope he stays as clever as he is.
But I can easily move past those two little crits because at the end off the day my overall love for the world and its inhabitants wins out.
Domechild is fun and addictive. It's a good sci-fi story, and an even better story about humans. I can't wait to read the sequel.
I read the book in one night, scream-shouting at parts and speed-reading through the rest. I liked it a lot, OK? Loved it. This review comes from someone who is a fan, so take what I say with that in mind. I will try and be balanced and critical, but no promises.
I'm a little wary of comparison because everyone's tastes differ, but I found Domechild to be a glorious mashup of Cory Doctorow and Terry Pratchett. Clever, fun, and then all of a sudden, BOOM kick-to-the gut writing.
Personally, I don't read for deep textual analysis or to unpack larger themes about our society and culture. I read for fun. I read for characters that I can fall in love with instantly and for the adventures that they go on.
Domechild has some very clever thematic stuff going on in the background. Stuff about people and their dependance on tech and what it does to society. It's smart, OK? But I don't care about any of that.
I cared about the story of a guy who is told that everything he believed in is WRONG WRONG WRONG, and instead of curling up and crying about it, or feeling betrayed, he does his best to make things better in whatever small way he can.
I cared about the story of trying to fit into a society that doesn't appreciate you, but needs you and what happens to people when their worth is defined by what they can do instead of who they are.
I cared about the characters who, without taking one second to think about their own safety, would stand in the way of danger to protect their friends.
I cared about the bad guys with good intentions and good guys with bad intentions.
I cared about every single character and every party of their beautiful, brutal messed up world.
In the interest of keeping this review balanced and not completely gushing all over how much I enjoyed it, I do have two more critical points.
There were some parts where I felt that the characters got less smart for the sake of the plot. In one particular section it felt that they were wasting time talking around a problem I thought had an obvious solution several pages ago. Reading it was frustrating because I wanted them to move forward. It seemed obvious to me what needed to happen next and I was impatient to get there.
I may have yelled out loud at the book at this point, and I'm uncertain if that's a good or bad thing. (This was late at night. I may have been sleep deprived)
There were a couple of other points where I felt characters were suddenly acting stupider because the plot demanded that they not think too closely about what was happening. I can understand why things had to happen they way they did, I just wish there had been something else in place to make it work.
It also took me a while to like the main character, Albert. Every other character I fell in love with almost instantly (even the jerky ones). But with Albert I took time to care about him. There were two or three points in particular that I was totally smitten by him, but I wanted more of him like that, and at times his growth and intelligence seemed to float as the external plot demanded it. At the end he seemed more 'himself' and I'm looking forward to rejoining him in the sequel. I just hope he stays as clever as he is.
But I can easily move past those two little crits because at the end off the day my overall love for the world and its inhabitants wins out.
Domechild is fun and addictive. It's a good sci-fi story, and an even better story about humans. I can't wait to read the sequel.
April 21, 2014
To summarise: Domechild is really a lovechild of a Hayao Miyazaki Film and George Orwell's 1984. It's good, and I recommend it for lovers of all things alternately bleak and uplifting.
There is a definite cyberpunk flavor to the book which I found very appealing. It begins in typical Orwellian fashion, but pretty soon, there's layers of gritty complexity which build on each other and create a very interesting story which races along like an animated film. I was reminded of some of Hayao Miyazaki's work (Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, etc).
Albert, the reluctant hero of the story, is probably the least visually represented character. He is deceptively complex, and the other characters of the book are drawn more vividly. There is a definite animated feel to Domechild's cast. They are drawn in bold, colorful brushstrokes.
I gave Domechild 4 stars instead of 5 because I found some of the dialogue hard to bear. There are points where the characters engage in very clever dialogue which is there to be clever, but which doesn't move the story forward. I am pretty relentless about moving stories forward and have trouble with patois (the characters tend to have accents). Some people love this, but I did find myself skimming some of the back-and-forward character interaction to skip ahead to the next part of the (very sturdy, engaging) plot.
There is a definite cyberpunk flavor to the book which I found very appealing. It begins in typical Orwellian fashion, but pretty soon, there's layers of gritty complexity which build on each other and create a very interesting story which races along like an animated film. I was reminded of some of Hayao Miyazaki's work (Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, etc).
Albert, the reluctant hero of the story, is probably the least visually represented character. He is deceptively complex, and the other characters of the book are drawn more vividly. There is a definite animated feel to Domechild's cast. They are drawn in bold, colorful brushstrokes.
I gave Domechild 4 stars instead of 5 because I found some of the dialogue hard to bear. There are points where the characters engage in very clever dialogue which is there to be clever, but which doesn't move the story forward. I am pretty relentless about moving stories forward and have trouble with patois (the characters tend to have accents). Some people love this, but I did find myself skimming some of the back-and-forward character interaction to skip ahead to the next part of the (very sturdy, engaging) plot.
September 8, 2014
In his book FARENHEIT 451, Ray Bradbury observed, "Good writers touch life often." This is exceptionally true with my experience of DOMECHILD.
[...]
I never wanted it to end--but even books have their limits. Ramdas' cast of characters are wonderful in their individuality... From the descriptions of the well-intended "Intelligence Interface" for easier cyber-access (and subsequent consequences of experiencing such ease), to the death wish of a machine that has learned that a life that willingly forfeits the capacity to choose is no life at all--to the very real dangers of allowing another person to speak and arouse emotions without thinking for oneself of the true message behind the words, not just the feelings, everything about this book prompts the readers to consider the world in which they live, and their unique part in it. This is what all books should do. I give it 5 stars out of 5, and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone!
(Read my entire review at: http://www.upstreamwriter.blogspot.com)
[...]
I never wanted it to end--but even books have their limits. Ramdas' cast of characters are wonderful in their individuality... From the descriptions of the well-intended "Intelligence Interface" for easier cyber-access (and subsequent consequences of experiencing such ease), to the death wish of a machine that has learned that a life that willingly forfeits the capacity to choose is no life at all--to the very real dangers of allowing another person to speak and arouse emotions without thinking for oneself of the true message behind the words, not just the feelings, everything about this book prompts the readers to consider the world in which they live, and their unique part in it. This is what all books should do. I give it 5 stars out of 5, and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone!
(Read my entire review at: http://www.upstreamwriter.blogspot.com)
October 30, 2020
I discovered Shiv Ramdas from his super viral and highly entertaining Twitter thread about his brother-in-law accidentally ordering a truckload of rice. When I saw that he was a sci-fi writer, I had to check out his work, and I was not disappointed.
For American readers, you'll have to get it through interlibrary loan because there isn't a US edition of the book, but it's worth it. It's set sometime in the not-too-distant future when AI and tech have made the need to work obsolete, but people are still expected to go to work and spend 8 hours a day interacting with everyone's social media posts. Our protagonist quickly discovers that all is not what it seems, but anything else will get spoilery.
It's an example of science fiction at its best, where it uses a fictional future to explore what's happening in our present world, and the story explores themes and ideas that cross borders and cultures.
He left an opening for a sequel, and if one happens, I'll be sure to read it, even if it requires me sending money for someone in India to buy a copy and mail it to me.
For American readers, you'll have to get it through interlibrary loan because there isn't a US edition of the book, but it's worth it. It's set sometime in the not-too-distant future when AI and tech have made the need to work obsolete, but people are still expected to go to work and spend 8 hours a day interacting with everyone's social media posts. Our protagonist quickly discovers that all is not what it seems, but anything else will get spoilery.
It's an example of science fiction at its best, where it uses a fictional future to explore what's happening in our present world, and the story explores themes and ideas that cross borders and cultures.
He left an opening for a sequel, and if one happens, I'll be sure to read it, even if it requires me sending money for someone in India to buy a copy and mail it to me.
August 11, 2016
I recently had the pleasure of reading the novel Domechild by Shiv Ramdas. A quick reading of the blurb would lead you to believe that you were going to read another dystopian science fiction novel, in which machines rule over mankind, which has become impotent and degenerate. The first pages reinforce this belief, and I had almost consigned it to that overused trope. But I read on, and then everything changed. It quickly became apparent that Domechild was not about machine-human relations in a dystopian future. The future Ramdas describes in the novel is certainly, by all definitions, dystopian, but it is fundamentally about human relations with each other.
After disabusing myself of the notion that Domechild was mostly about humans and machines (though there are certainly well-used elements of that), I began thinking of it more as social networks gone completely out of control, and Ramdas' portrayal of life in the City neatly captured the paradox of hyper-connectivity's close relationship with loneliness and isolation.
Just when I had a fix on where I thought Ramdas was going with his book, he threw me a curveball and cast me into a whole other world, where more basic issues of what it means to be human and what it means to be decent came to the forefront. We left behind the world of the city and its titular dome and finally began to learn the truth - or at least some of it. While I could guess at a few elements of the truth through careful hints dropped by Ramdas throughout, I was still surprised and impressed by the complex plot unfolding before my eyes. Alas, this novel ends rather abruptly, and there had better be a sequel coming, because I need to find out what happens next!
Ramdas' writing style is overall very smooth and often very witty, though I think another round or two of copy-editing would have helped some of the bumpy typos and grammar errors that disrupted the flow, more often than I would have liked. Through his excellent writing, Ramdad was able to craft not only a fascinating world, setting, and plot, but also memorable characters, each with their own unique voice, from Theo to Marcus to Colby and his squad to Father to Ollie to June and even to Vail and the Deacon. His characters are very well-developed and believable, and I was drawn in enough to care deeply about their fates.
My one complaint with Ramdas' characterization is that of his main character and audience pull, Albert. Albert starts off questioning the system of the City, but is naturally too afraid to do anything about it, which sets the tone for the rest of the novel expertly and gets the plot moving quickly, rather than forcing the reader to wait around for him to develop. However, I am not sure Albert develops naturally either as a person or as a voice; he seems like a hollow vessel for the reader, but I am not sure it works entirely well in the novel. He seems to swing wildly from meekness to confidence, with no real way to tell which way he would go, and seems to gain everyone's confidence awfully fast for someone they had just met. Something about him seemed off to me, and I found that he was actually the one character I was not particularly concerned for (though he was much more sympathetic at the start of the book than the end). Still, Albert's flaws were not nearly enough to detract from the graceful prose, excellent characters, well-developed settings, and perfectly-paced plot of the rest of the novel, which I would recommend to anyone! So get out there and buy it!
After disabusing myself of the notion that Domechild was mostly about humans and machines (though there are certainly well-used elements of that), I began thinking of it more as social networks gone completely out of control, and Ramdas' portrayal of life in the City neatly captured the paradox of hyper-connectivity's close relationship with loneliness and isolation.
Just when I had a fix on where I thought Ramdas was going with his book, he threw me a curveball and cast me into a whole other world, where more basic issues of what it means to be human and what it means to be decent came to the forefront. We left behind the world of the city and its titular dome and finally began to learn the truth - or at least some of it. While I could guess at a few elements of the truth through careful hints dropped by Ramdas throughout, I was still surprised and impressed by the complex plot unfolding before my eyes. Alas, this novel ends rather abruptly, and there had better be a sequel coming, because I need to find out what happens next!
Ramdas' writing style is overall very smooth and often very witty, though I think another round or two of copy-editing would have helped some of the bumpy typos and grammar errors that disrupted the flow, more often than I would have liked. Through his excellent writing, Ramdad was able to craft not only a fascinating world, setting, and plot, but also memorable characters, each with their own unique voice, from Theo to Marcus to Colby and his squad to Father to Ollie to June and even to Vail and the Deacon. His characters are very well-developed and believable, and I was drawn in enough to care deeply about their fates.
My one complaint with Ramdas' characterization is that of his main character and audience pull, Albert. Albert starts off questioning the system of the City, but is naturally too afraid to do anything about it, which sets the tone for the rest of the novel expertly and gets the plot moving quickly, rather than forcing the reader to wait around for him to develop. However, I am not sure Albert develops naturally either as a person or as a voice; he seems like a hollow vessel for the reader, but I am not sure it works entirely well in the novel. He seems to swing wildly from meekness to confidence, with no real way to tell which way he would go, and seems to gain everyone's confidence awfully fast for someone they had just met. Something about him seemed off to me, and I found that he was actually the one character I was not particularly concerned for (though he was much more sympathetic at the start of the book than the end). Still, Albert's flaws were not nearly enough to detract from the graceful prose, excellent characters, well-developed settings, and perfectly-paced plot of the rest of the novel, which I would recommend to anyone! So get out there and buy it!
July 22, 2016
Disclosure: Shiv is a friend and college-mate. This review tries to discount that as much as possible.
'Domechild' is an interesting sci-fi tale of a futuristic society with some unique tech-imagination, clever observations, nifty descriptions and impressive humor all thrown in.
The author's conceptualization and portrayal of a protected, fully-automated society and its everyday workings, centered around protagonist Albert starts off as a promising premise. The genuine and imaginative tech landscape is fun to read - the simpets, SUE, the subtle mockery of our current fascination for social networks and obsession with devices creates a comfortable scenario.
After a few chapters of setting the context, the story-line rapidly moves towards the main plot with a series of events packed with action and thrill.
Subsequently, the plot moves towards an adventurous but quite lengthy journey which gets a tad bit boring and culminates into the protagonist's and his group's entry into a parallel society. From here on, the sci-fi element completely stops and the story turns into a whodunit compounded with subplots and peripheral action.
The section where the two segments are linked and the eventual revelation of characters is interesting. The portrayal of some of the characters especially 'the man of the tunnel' and 'the little girl who is kidnapped' is excellent.
The not-so-good aspects of this book IMO, would be that this book is primarily dystopian and suffers from the frankenstein complex. I wish it was a more positive portrayal of mankind's tech-future on the guidelines drawn by Asimov. Secondly, it ceases to be a sci-fi novel and transforms into an adventure + mystery novel after probably 100 pages. There are also a few inconsistencies in the logic (like, how did the little girl escape on her own/with a bunch of other kids from the sanctuary in the first place when returning was almost life-threatening and known only to one man? How did the protagonist walk such a long distance if he was so pampered into the easy way of life inside the Dome? How could someone who has never known the company of any other human being all his life grow so fond of a little girl in a matter of days?) but all this and more are probably explained in the sequels. And if I really have to nitpick, there are also a few typos but i guess the publisher is more to blame for it than the author.
The book ends by providing answers to most questions that arise in the readers' minds and hints at least one or two more sequels.
Sci-fi enthusiasts will inadvertently make associations with Asimov's 'Caves of steel'(Dome), the movie 'Eagle eye'(SUE), Neal Stephenson's 'Snow Crash' (Intelligence Interface) etc to name a few but all said, this book qualifies as a very impressive first book by an observant, witty and imaginative author.
'Domechild' is an interesting sci-fi tale of a futuristic society with some unique tech-imagination, clever observations, nifty descriptions and impressive humor all thrown in.
The author's conceptualization and portrayal of a protected, fully-automated society and its everyday workings, centered around protagonist Albert starts off as a promising premise. The genuine and imaginative tech landscape is fun to read - the simpets, SUE, the subtle mockery of our current fascination for social networks and obsession with devices creates a comfortable scenario.
After a few chapters of setting the context, the story-line rapidly moves towards the main plot with a series of events packed with action and thrill.
Subsequently, the plot moves towards an adventurous but quite lengthy journey which gets a tad bit boring and culminates into the protagonist's and his group's entry into a parallel society. From here on, the sci-fi element completely stops and the story turns into a whodunit compounded with subplots and peripheral action.
The section where the two segments are linked and the eventual revelation of characters is interesting. The portrayal of some of the characters especially 'the man of the tunnel' and 'the little girl who is kidnapped' is excellent.
The not-so-good aspects of this book IMO, would be that this book is primarily dystopian and suffers from the frankenstein complex. I wish it was a more positive portrayal of mankind's tech-future on the guidelines drawn by Asimov. Secondly, it ceases to be a sci-fi novel and transforms into an adventure + mystery novel after probably 100 pages. There are also a few inconsistencies in the logic (like, how did the little girl escape on her own/with a bunch of other kids from the sanctuary in the first place when returning was almost life-threatening and known only to one man? How did the protagonist walk such a long distance if he was so pampered into the easy way of life inside the Dome? How could someone who has never known the company of any other human being all his life grow so fond of a little girl in a matter of days?) but all this and more are probably explained in the sequels. And if I really have to nitpick, there are also a few typos but i guess the publisher is more to blame for it than the author.
The book ends by providing answers to most questions that arise in the readers' minds and hints at least one or two more sequels.
Sci-fi enthusiasts will inadvertently make associations with Asimov's 'Caves of steel'(Dome), the movie 'Eagle eye'(SUE), Neal Stephenson's 'Snow Crash' (Intelligence Interface) etc to name a few but all said, this book qualifies as a very impressive first book by an observant, witty and imaginative author.
September 3, 2016
I won a copy of Domechild in a Goodreads giveaway. I wish I could say I enjoyed it, but the truth is that if I'd been reading for pleasure, I'd have stopped about three chapters in.
The plot is actually pretty good. It's a Logan's Run style story about an ordinary man who escapes a domed city tightly controlled by robots in order to protect a little girl he found in a vacant lot. It's set in an interesting world that very cleverly plays on popular issues of the day, namely the technology race and our society's obsession with social networking. However, the suicidal machine used as a story hook disappears after the main character leaves the city, the futuristic world is abandoned in favor of a tent city that's either underground or outside (I was never quite sure which), and taking a stand against a dystopian society turns into political infighting among various cast-off groups. The book also seems to end about three quarters of the way through the story. For these aspects, I'd give Domechild three stars.
The real deal-breaker for me was that Domechild was not a smooth read. I was constantly tripping over awkwardly constructed sentences and redundancies. The book often takes three pages to convey information that could be contained in three lines. The characters are either stiff and formal or crude and angry, and their irrational outbursts constantly interrupt the story. Their conversations also tend to be circular, as the dialogue mostly consists of characters repeating what they just heard in the form of a question and interrupting each other before they can convey any information the reader might find helpful.
I also feel that the jocular, British tone (which seems to take its inspiration from Douglas Adams) is inappropriate for a story featuring children being blasted to pieces and an underground society where fistfights to the death are the most popular form of entertainment.
With a little more work, this could have been a good book, but as it stands I can't recommend it.
The plot is actually pretty good. It's a Logan's Run style story about an ordinary man who escapes a domed city tightly controlled by robots in order to protect a little girl he found in a vacant lot. It's set in an interesting world that very cleverly plays on popular issues of the day, namely the technology race and our society's obsession with social networking. However, the suicidal machine used as a story hook disappears after the main character leaves the city, the futuristic world is abandoned in favor of a tent city that's either underground or outside (I was never quite sure which), and taking a stand against a dystopian society turns into political infighting among various cast-off groups. The book also seems to end about three quarters of the way through the story. For these aspects, I'd give Domechild three stars.
The real deal-breaker for me was that Domechild was not a smooth read. I was constantly tripping over awkwardly constructed sentences and redundancies. The book often takes three pages to convey information that could be contained in three lines. The characters are either stiff and formal or crude and angry, and their irrational outbursts constantly interrupt the story. Their conversations also tend to be circular, as the dialogue mostly consists of characters repeating what they just heard in the form of a question and interrupting each other before they can convey any information the reader might find helpful.
I also feel that the jocular, British tone (which seems to take its inspiration from Douglas Adams) is inappropriate for a story featuring children being blasted to pieces and an underground society where fistfights to the death are the most popular form of entertainment.
With a little more work, this could have been a good book, but as it stands I can't recommend it.
March 12, 2015
I'm a fan, in general, of dystopian science fiction. And this is not just one of the best dystopian novels I've read in some time.
I'm a big fan of science fiction. And this isn't just one of the best scifi books I've read.
I read a lot of genres. Scifi, westerns, fantasy, mystery, historical fiction... and this is one of the best books I've read in years.
Well crafted, tense from beginning to end.
Albert is the everyman. I hesitate, in many cases, to even say he's the everyman hero. It's not his heroic traits, or his ability to rise above that we identify with. He strives, even struggles, to fit in. He has a job where he feels like he does literally nothing - and still gets the ire of his bosses. He's manipulated, ordered about, and largely helpless regarding his circumstances.
What makes him stand out from the rest of the people around him is that he's myopic - possessing a nearsighted condition that is common among the people of the dome, but easily corrected... but due to an error, in his case, it was never corrected. This both makes him feel a connection to the parents he never knew, a relatively unique genetic legacy... and requires him to look very closely at things. Rarely was being nearsighted such a heroic gift... but both are important details, and inform his character.
For most of the story, the setting happens to Albert. The other characters all have more force of personality. They know more, by and large. They're more capable. Seemingly more important. And it's precisely because he has to learn from the beginning, and sees things just a little differently, that once he finally finds his footing, Albert is the perfect protagonist amidst a dismal setting, populated by addicts, renegades, heartless bureaucrats and a suicidal machine.
And it all starts when, in the middle of the perfectly ordered setting, where everything runs just so, everyone reports to work, and the buses run on time... Albert misses his bus.
This is an amazing story, well worth a five star rating. And I'll be looking forward to the sequel.
I'm a big fan of science fiction. And this isn't just one of the best scifi books I've read.
I read a lot of genres. Scifi, westerns, fantasy, mystery, historical fiction... and this is one of the best books I've read in years.
Well crafted, tense from beginning to end.
Albert is the everyman. I hesitate, in many cases, to even say he's the everyman hero. It's not his heroic traits, or his ability to rise above that we identify with. He strives, even struggles, to fit in. He has a job where he feels like he does literally nothing - and still gets the ire of his bosses. He's manipulated, ordered about, and largely helpless regarding his circumstances.
What makes him stand out from the rest of the people around him is that he's myopic - possessing a nearsighted condition that is common among the people of the dome, but easily corrected... but due to an error, in his case, it was never corrected. This both makes him feel a connection to the parents he never knew, a relatively unique genetic legacy... and requires him to look very closely at things. Rarely was being nearsighted such a heroic gift... but both are important details, and inform his character.
For most of the story, the setting happens to Albert. The other characters all have more force of personality. They know more, by and large. They're more capable. Seemingly more important. And it's precisely because he has to learn from the beginning, and sees things just a little differently, that once he finally finds his footing, Albert is the perfect protagonist amidst a dismal setting, populated by addicts, renegades, heartless bureaucrats and a suicidal machine.
And it all starts when, in the middle of the perfectly ordered setting, where everything runs just so, everyone reports to work, and the buses run on time... Albert misses his bus.
This is an amazing story, well worth a five star rating. And I'll be looking forward to the sequel.
January 28, 2014
Surprising twists, mysterious and multi-faceted characters, AI robots and tech junkies, and a highly original setting. This story had me hooked from the very beginning, through the eyes of Albert, a shyly defiant individual who questions his existence.
The story itself was initially confusing, but it gradually unfolded in a natural and believable manner. The action scenes were exciting and clever. There were so many interesting trails to follow throughout the story, and it constantly left me wanting more.
Overall, a great sci-fi book for any age. I appreciated the lack of explicit language, which enables me to recommend it to just about everyone I know. Ramdas has been successful in creating a hardcore, kick-a$$ story without extreme violence or language. I give it 4.5 stars, only because sometimes I felt the dialouge was a bit too drawn out at times, and it was sometimes a little exhausting to follow the accents of the characters being written out so literally (I am also American, which is probably a big factor). However, that is not enough to make it lose an entire star, and it did later make more sense, in showing that the differences in accents were a feature of the plot.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to any sci-fi fan!
The story itself was initially confusing, but it gradually unfolded in a natural and believable manner. The action scenes were exciting and clever. There were so many interesting trails to follow throughout the story, and it constantly left me wanting more.
Overall, a great sci-fi book for any age. I appreciated the lack of explicit language, which enables me to recommend it to just about everyone I know. Ramdas has been successful in creating a hardcore, kick-a$$ story without extreme violence or language. I give it 4.5 stars, only because sometimes I felt the dialouge was a bit too drawn out at times, and it was sometimes a little exhausting to follow the accents of the characters being written out so literally (I am also American, which is probably a big factor). However, that is not enough to make it lose an entire star, and it did later make more sense, in showing that the differences in accents were a feature of the plot.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to any sci-fi fan!
June 11, 2015
Favorite Quotes:
“Perfection is vigilance. Nobody is perfect until everybody is. Everybody is guilty until nobody is.”
“Welcome to the perfect world. Where everyone is replaceable. Biological parts serviced by mechanical parts in a giant plastic bubble: that’s what they were.”
As the blurb above suggests, it is a dystopian fiction (I like the name speculative fiction better) and am unsure if it has an element of utopia that the characters are journeying towards, as this is the first part of the sequel.
Plot:
The premise is brilliant. The plot is built around the question – what happens when our love for social-networking reaches a stage where we turn into cyber-junkies and our last days are spent in rehab getting rid of the information-saturation in our minds? What is the process and what will the repercussions be? Awesome theme for a story and is very relevant for today’s world where our communications are more and more virtual than physically real.
The story opens with Albert living in the City (Dome and thus called the Domechild), is on his normal day of work and witnesses lawbots drag Tweedledum away from his desk at the Employment Department, where everyone works. Albert feels the need to help Tweedledum but resists as isolation of individuals is the norm and physical interaction with each other is a punishable offence. Albert helplessly witnesses Tweedledum dragged off by lawbots (Programmed law enforcement machines).
On the very day, when he is returning home, misses his transportation and decides to cut across the open parking lot with metal junk piled around. While he is trying to get home on time and before the curfew, things change. He witnesses a group of young kids trying to mug him. In no time he is caught between lawbots firing and little kids running amok in tattered clothes getting shot at, heads blown off and killed. Albert is able to rescue only one nine year old girl, Theo. He takes her home and learns the fact from Theo, that there is life outside the Dome, unlike what the Dome-children have been taught at the Academy. Also, he has to stay vigilant and off the lawbots radar to survive and to keep Theo safe.
The following day, Albert leaves Theo at home and goes to work and the unthinkable happens. A machine called Storage Unit E (SUE) takes advantage of his quandary with Theo, blackmails Albert ordering him to file a petition on her behalf to assist her death/demolition. Seeing no way out of the sticky situation, he does as he is told. Lawbots are now after Albert. To keep Theo and himself safe, he runs with her trying to get her home.
How Albert and Theo get home and what happens after is the plot. Also who is Theo and why is she important to the Valley People (people outside the Dome) forms the rest of the story.
><><
I loved the satirical tone of the book bubble wrapped in subtle wit. Some examples that come to mind right away – “Check your coats and lives at the door.” Or “…passing forward like electricity through human conductors.” Or “Space, money, food, women. Many things. Men do not need a reason to fight,” are all done well. There are many more such snippets that are sure to draw a chuckle out of the readers.
Also, the best part of the story is the diametrically opposed worlds of the Dome and the Valley. Everything is so different. One is in utter chaos (just like the real world) with addicts, infighting for power and treachery. The other is the pristine Dome world (like a honey comb) where everything is controlled by machines and is in absolute order. In a subtle manner the author brings the differences showing where we are today and where we’ll be in about 50-60 years if we don’t take control of our overzealous madness and curb our over dependence on machines.
Decorations to the plot:
I like the concept of Simpets where a simulated toy works like a pet making all kinds of noises that domestic pets make. I thought that was a nice addition.
Conveyer belts used for transportation was a nice touch to the Dome.
Coffee not being replaced by some other drink in the Dome was both satirical and funny.
Setting and Characters:
Since it is a dystopian fiction, the worlds in which the characters live-in play a significant role. To the most part it is done well. It is beautifully laid out layer by layer and is spaced well. Also, it peels off like the skin of an onion and does not read like an information dump, which is commendable. However, the description of the tunnels was stretched a bit too long. They run for pages after pages and I was exhausted by the time Theo and Albert and the others reached the Valley.
All the characters were reasonably done well, except for Theo and Vail. The dialogues and the understanding a nine year old has is unbelievable. The only good part was her ripping the Simpet open trying to find the live pets was cute and perfectly nine. In many scenes she talks like a 24 year old. May be extraordinary circumstances leave markers for an extraordinary personality and traits to emerge. Vail seems to be an important character but nothing much is known except that he is a nonconformist and a rebel trying to capture the Valley.
Interestingly, all the character’s physical appearance emerge over the expanse of the book except Albert. I could not imagine him. However, I enjoyed knowing his mind and thought. I am more interested in the thought of the characters than their physical traits and was okay with the characterization.
Writing:
IMHO language should not be a distraction from the story but should blend into the plot. Here, I had to stop a few times, admire a line or two and then get back into the story.
The progression of the story is painfully slow. Except for the last 100 pages, I had to stop a couple of times and get back to the reading after a strong cup of coffee.
The descriptions were overwhelming and overdone.
Also, there were too many repetitions and redundancies in sentences and paragraphs. Many a time I went, “I already know that… tell me what happens in the story.” (Ex. – Read the section where the characters are talking about the pit).
I disliked how characters cut off the dialogue (If it was once or twice, it’d be fine) and repeat the same thing in a question format, was quite unpalatable to me.
Conclusion:
A good first attempt. I had a feeling the author was trying too hard to impress. And my only advice would be – Let go and write. And please get a better editing team for your second book. The redundancies should have been caught by them, if the author missed out.
Rating 3 stars
“Perfection is vigilance. Nobody is perfect until everybody is. Everybody is guilty until nobody is.”
“Welcome to the perfect world. Where everyone is replaceable. Biological parts serviced by mechanical parts in a giant plastic bubble: that’s what they were.”
As the blurb above suggests, it is a dystopian fiction (I like the name speculative fiction better) and am unsure if it has an element of utopia that the characters are journeying towards, as this is the first part of the sequel.
Plot:
The premise is brilliant. The plot is built around the question – what happens when our love for social-networking reaches a stage where we turn into cyber-junkies and our last days are spent in rehab getting rid of the information-saturation in our minds? What is the process and what will the repercussions be? Awesome theme for a story and is very relevant for today’s world where our communications are more and more virtual than physically real.
The story opens with Albert living in the City (Dome and thus called the Domechild), is on his normal day of work and witnesses lawbots drag Tweedledum away from his desk at the Employment Department, where everyone works. Albert feels the need to help Tweedledum but resists as isolation of individuals is the norm and physical interaction with each other is a punishable offence. Albert helplessly witnesses Tweedledum dragged off by lawbots (Programmed law enforcement machines).
On the very day, when he is returning home, misses his transportation and decides to cut across the open parking lot with metal junk piled around. While he is trying to get home on time and before the curfew, things change. He witnesses a group of young kids trying to mug him. In no time he is caught between lawbots firing and little kids running amok in tattered clothes getting shot at, heads blown off and killed. Albert is able to rescue only one nine year old girl, Theo. He takes her home and learns the fact from Theo, that there is life outside the Dome, unlike what the Dome-children have been taught at the Academy. Also, he has to stay vigilant and off the lawbots radar to survive and to keep Theo safe.
The following day, Albert leaves Theo at home and goes to work and the unthinkable happens. A machine called Storage Unit E (SUE) takes advantage of his quandary with Theo, blackmails Albert ordering him to file a petition on her behalf to assist her death/demolition. Seeing no way out of the sticky situation, he does as he is told. Lawbots are now after Albert. To keep Theo and himself safe, he runs with her trying to get her home.
How Albert and Theo get home and what happens after is the plot. Also who is Theo and why is she important to the Valley People (people outside the Dome) forms the rest of the story.
><><
I loved the satirical tone of the book bubble wrapped in subtle wit. Some examples that come to mind right away – “Check your coats and lives at the door.” Or “…passing forward like electricity through human conductors.” Or “Space, money, food, women. Many things. Men do not need a reason to fight,” are all done well. There are many more such snippets that are sure to draw a chuckle out of the readers.
Also, the best part of the story is the diametrically opposed worlds of the Dome and the Valley. Everything is so different. One is in utter chaos (just like the real world) with addicts, infighting for power and treachery. The other is the pristine Dome world (like a honey comb) where everything is controlled by machines and is in absolute order. In a subtle manner the author brings the differences showing where we are today and where we’ll be in about 50-60 years if we don’t take control of our overzealous madness and curb our over dependence on machines.
Decorations to the plot:
I like the concept of Simpets where a simulated toy works like a pet making all kinds of noises that domestic pets make. I thought that was a nice addition.
Conveyer belts used for transportation was a nice touch to the Dome.
Coffee not being replaced by some other drink in the Dome was both satirical and funny.
Setting and Characters:
Since it is a dystopian fiction, the worlds in which the characters live-in play a significant role. To the most part it is done well. It is beautifully laid out layer by layer and is spaced well. Also, it peels off like the skin of an onion and does not read like an information dump, which is commendable. However, the description of the tunnels was stretched a bit too long. They run for pages after pages and I was exhausted by the time Theo and Albert and the others reached the Valley.
All the characters were reasonably done well, except for Theo and Vail. The dialogues and the understanding a nine year old has is unbelievable. The only good part was her ripping the Simpet open trying to find the live pets was cute and perfectly nine. In many scenes she talks like a 24 year old. May be extraordinary circumstances leave markers for an extraordinary personality and traits to emerge. Vail seems to be an important character but nothing much is known except that he is a nonconformist and a rebel trying to capture the Valley.
Interestingly, all the character’s physical appearance emerge over the expanse of the book except Albert. I could not imagine him. However, I enjoyed knowing his mind and thought. I am more interested in the thought of the characters than their physical traits and was okay with the characterization.
Writing:
IMHO language should not be a distraction from the story but should blend into the plot. Here, I had to stop a few times, admire a line or two and then get back into the story.
The progression of the story is painfully slow. Except for the last 100 pages, I had to stop a couple of times and get back to the reading after a strong cup of coffee.
The descriptions were overwhelming and overdone.
Also, there were too many repetitions and redundancies in sentences and paragraphs. Many a time I went, “I already know that… tell me what happens in the story.” (Ex. – Read the section where the characters are talking about the pit).
I disliked how characters cut off the dialogue (If it was once or twice, it’d be fine) and repeat the same thing in a question format, was quite unpalatable to me.
Conclusion:
A good first attempt. I had a feeling the author was trying too hard to impress. And my only advice would be – Let go and write. And please get a better editing team for your second book. The redundancies should have been caught by them, if the author missed out.
Rating 3 stars
March 24, 2014
DISCLAIMER: I was gifted this story, in exchange for an honest review.
Upon finishing, I rattled off a list of complaints to the author. They all stemmed from the fact that i loved it so much. Yeah, weird right?
This story has everything, utopian society set in a dystopian world, happy citizens, a robotic police force, a resistance, a resistance to the resistance, a sexy anti-hero, sentient machines, a boogeyman who stalks the shadows, a chosen one, an unwitting hero--I mean, you name it, it's in here.
The author starts the story with a utopia so wonderful that the machines run everything, and people don't have anything to do, so they are given busy work. Life is good for our main character (should i say drone?) until a machine hacks his life and blackmails him into trying to help it die.
Wait what?? the machines are not happy here? OOOhh maybe this utopia isn't so great after all.
After his very odd encounter with this sentient, suicidal machine, our hero (can't call him a drone anymore, he's waking up) is pushed outside of his routine and exposed to a world far larger than the one he believes exists. We learn as he does, that there is an underworld to the utopia, both physical and metaphoric.
The story unfolds like a rose, layer upon layer of intricacy. As we get pulled deeper into the story of the Dome and its children, a past unfolds, that is not so long past, and the present is shown to be very different than it is.
Before you are through the first quarter the book (guesstimate) you realize that this is no longer just about the machine that wants to die. In fact, as each page turns, we are pulled further and further away from her, until she essentially disappears from the story altogether. New plotlines appear, and new mysteries abound.
so, first complaint, right there. We want to know what happens to the machine.
Marcus: the obligatory(?) anti-hero.
Sexy, dangerous, shadowy, scary, mysterious guy... (okay so the sexy part is my interpretation, because scary shadowy mysterious guys are by nature sexy and dangerous.
This character is another great piece of the story. Through his involvement, and the little piece of his history we uncover the world is opened up even further.
A little bit of insider information: I have it from the author that this was a character who'd not been in the story outline, but he definitely steals the book. I'm going to go on record as saying, his biggest scenes had me scared to leave my room. :)
Complaint #2: For all that he adds to the story by his existence, he's still not actually THERE for quite a bit of it. We learn about him from others, not in their interactions but in their recounting. *sigh*
Oh, I'm getting too wordy. "let me sum up"
Whilst reading this story, the author takes your hand and pulls you through a carnival/fair filled with so many attractions that you want to stay a while. Characters are introduced and we are given a small glimpse into their importance, a taste of wonder, but we do not stay with them for very long. "Come along, now, I have more story for you to meet," he says as he pulls you away from each tent.
The machine gets the ball rolling, and sets the events in motion. As a writer myself, I get that. As a reader I think it's a shame that the story moves so far away from her by the end.
Shiv Ramdas draws you in and gets you invested--however this story is so large that he is unable to fit it all in this first tour, so you have to come back next time... ARGH!!!
I give Domechild 4 stars because I "5 star" love it.. but "3 star" dislike the fact that leaves too much story left untold.
All in all, DomeChild (a slur, would you believe that?) is a great beginning to a story i believe will keep me hooked like the "Dark Tower" series, and "A song of Ice and Fire" has. I just hope it does not take as long as they have-- I'm on the edge of my seat Mr. Ramdas.
By the way... it's funny how "I want more story" is my prevailing thought about a story where addiction to information is a thing.
Well played, Shiv... well played.
Upon finishing, I rattled off a list of complaints to the author. They all stemmed from the fact that i loved it so much. Yeah, weird right?
This story has everything, utopian society set in a dystopian world, happy citizens, a robotic police force, a resistance, a resistance to the resistance, a sexy anti-hero, sentient machines, a boogeyman who stalks the shadows, a chosen one, an unwitting hero--I mean, you name it, it's in here.
The author starts the story with a utopia so wonderful that the machines run everything, and people don't have anything to do, so they are given busy work. Life is good for our main character (should i say drone?) until a machine hacks his life and blackmails him into trying to help it die.
Wait what?? the machines are not happy here? OOOhh maybe this utopia isn't so great after all.
After his very odd encounter with this sentient, suicidal machine, our hero (can't call him a drone anymore, he's waking up) is pushed outside of his routine and exposed to a world far larger than the one he believes exists. We learn as he does, that there is an underworld to the utopia, both physical and metaphoric.
The story unfolds like a rose, layer upon layer of intricacy. As we get pulled deeper into the story of the Dome and its children, a past unfolds, that is not so long past, and the present is shown to be very different than it is.
Before you are through the first quarter the book (guesstimate) you realize that this is no longer just about the machine that wants to die. In fact, as each page turns, we are pulled further and further away from her, until she essentially disappears from the story altogether. New plotlines appear, and new mysteries abound.
so, first complaint, right there. We want to know what happens to the machine.
Marcus: the obligatory(?) anti-hero.
Sexy, dangerous, shadowy, scary, mysterious guy... (okay so the sexy part is my interpretation, because scary shadowy mysterious guys are by nature sexy and dangerous.
This character is another great piece of the story. Through his involvement, and the little piece of his history we uncover the world is opened up even further.
A little bit of insider information: I have it from the author that this was a character who'd not been in the story outline, but he definitely steals the book. I'm going to go on record as saying, his biggest scenes had me scared to leave my room. :)
Complaint #2: For all that he adds to the story by his existence, he's still not actually THERE for quite a bit of it. We learn about him from others, not in their interactions but in their recounting. *sigh*
Oh, I'm getting too wordy. "let me sum up"
Whilst reading this story, the author takes your hand and pulls you through a carnival/fair filled with so many attractions that you want to stay a while. Characters are introduced and we are given a small glimpse into their importance, a taste of wonder, but we do not stay with them for very long. "Come along, now, I have more story for you to meet," he says as he pulls you away from each tent.
The machine gets the ball rolling, and sets the events in motion. As a writer myself, I get that. As a reader I think it's a shame that the story moves so far away from her by the end.
Shiv Ramdas draws you in and gets you invested--however this story is so large that he is unable to fit it all in this first tour, so you have to come back next time... ARGH!!!
I give Domechild 4 stars because I "5 star" love it.. but "3 star" dislike the fact that leaves too much story left untold.
All in all, DomeChild (a slur, would you believe that?) is a great beginning to a story i believe will keep me hooked like the "Dark Tower" series, and "A song of Ice and Fire" has. I just hope it does not take as long as they have-- I'm on the edge of my seat Mr. Ramdas.
By the way... it's funny how "I want more story" is my prevailing thought about a story where addiction to information is a thing.
Well played, Shiv... well played.
January 18, 2016
Domechild is the best book I’ve read in a long time, which is saying a lot, as science fiction isn’t my favorite genre. The book came to my attention when it was mentioned in the same sentence as another favorite of mine, Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. To my surprise, I recognized the name of the author as an individual I was familiar with from several Science-themed Facebook pages. When I confirmed that they were one and the same (very few Shiv Ramdases in the world) I ordered the book immediately. I had this thought that the book might be about a future where the different science themes that were discussed on the Facebook pages I followed with Ramdas would be repackaged into fiction, and smugly believed I’d be able to identify the inspirations for the narrative. Outside of the idea that all “jobs” in the future resembled being forced to spend hours in chatrooms with strangers, I was completely wrong.
Excuse the departure from a conventional book review into a private story, but the arrival of the book coincided with an enormous personal tragedy, as my poultry farm, equipment and all 200,000 of my chickens were destroyed by a wildfire. The ensuing disarray my life devolved into served as a constant backdrop to the book‘s story, making the dystopian future it portrayed seem sometimes preferable to my own reality. As a consequence, I read the book at a slow pace, sometimes as few as ten pages a day, but the tale was never far from my thoughts.
The story kicks off with a line so beautiful that I nearly dropped the book: “It all began on the day the lawbots came for Tweedledum and dragged him away, screaming.” The line was immediately tied for first in my ranking of great first lines. Our protagonist, Albert, and the world he’s currently being bored and unfulfilled in are rapidly fleshed out in equally engaging prose, and the action continues full-force, with interesting characters being introduced and then snuffed out with alarming rapidity. Our lone consolation on day one is the Dickensian character Theo, the single scrap of charm in a rigidly ordered world governed by machines, robots and computers.
The book stays laser-focused on our protagonists, hardly deviating into the lives and side-stories of the other characters in the book, except through direct interaction with our heroes, a style that suits the story well, in my opinion. The foreshadowing is masterfully sprinkled throughout in just the right quantity, and the scenes are described in fluid detail, giving the reader a feel for life under the Dome without pausing the adventure for long at any point.
Then Albert and Theo descend into Sanctuary, after a harrowing dungeon crawl that the greatest DM who ever lived could be proud of. After the author gives us a feel for the mystifying alternative-to-the-Dome that is Sanctuary… That’s when the build-up is over. Some secrets are revealed, even more secrets within secrets hinted at, and the true nature of the characters begins to shine through. At this time, I felt panic set in, because there weren’t nearly enough pages left to conclude the events that were in motion. This is when, to my relief and combined joy and dismay, I learned that the book was the first of a trilogy, and the yarn surely deserves to be a trilogy. I only wish it was a FINISHED trilogy.
In summary, Domechild is a thought-provoking, character-driven look at a troubling, mysterious future. The fact that the book resonated so deeply within me during my current life struggle is a testament to just how excellent it is. Like so many great books, it confirms in the reader the empowering belief that we can all overcome adversity. We can all be heroes to someone, and to ourselves.
Excuse the departure from a conventional book review into a private story, but the arrival of the book coincided with an enormous personal tragedy, as my poultry farm, equipment and all 200,000 of my chickens were destroyed by a wildfire. The ensuing disarray my life devolved into served as a constant backdrop to the book‘s story, making the dystopian future it portrayed seem sometimes preferable to my own reality. As a consequence, I read the book at a slow pace, sometimes as few as ten pages a day, but the tale was never far from my thoughts.
The story kicks off with a line so beautiful that I nearly dropped the book: “It all began on the day the lawbots came for Tweedledum and dragged him away, screaming.” The line was immediately tied for first in my ranking of great first lines. Our protagonist, Albert, and the world he’s currently being bored and unfulfilled in are rapidly fleshed out in equally engaging prose, and the action continues full-force, with interesting characters being introduced and then snuffed out with alarming rapidity. Our lone consolation on day one is the Dickensian character Theo, the single scrap of charm in a rigidly ordered world governed by machines, robots and computers.
The book stays laser-focused on our protagonists, hardly deviating into the lives and side-stories of the other characters in the book, except through direct interaction with our heroes, a style that suits the story well, in my opinion. The foreshadowing is masterfully sprinkled throughout in just the right quantity, and the scenes are described in fluid detail, giving the reader a feel for life under the Dome without pausing the adventure for long at any point.
Then Albert and Theo descend into Sanctuary, after a harrowing dungeon crawl that the greatest DM who ever lived could be proud of. After the author gives us a feel for the mystifying alternative-to-the-Dome that is Sanctuary… That’s when the build-up is over. Some secrets are revealed, even more secrets within secrets hinted at, and the true nature of the characters begins to shine through. At this time, I felt panic set in, because there weren’t nearly enough pages left to conclude the events that were in motion. This is when, to my relief and combined joy and dismay, I learned that the book was the first of a trilogy, and the yarn surely deserves to be a trilogy. I only wish it was a FINISHED trilogy.
In summary, Domechild is a thought-provoking, character-driven look at a troubling, mysterious future. The fact that the book resonated so deeply within me during my current life struggle is a testament to just how excellent it is. Like so many great books, it confirms in the reader the empowering belief that we can all overcome adversity. We can all be heroes to someone, and to ourselves.
January 20, 2015
Inside the Dome, everything was perfect. Outside the Dome, there was nothing. We'd finally achieved the perfect existence. AI was alive and well and running everything. A 100% unemployment rate was frowned upon, so everyone was employed at the aptly named "Employment Department" or attended the Academy. The only work one had to do for 8 hours was to update thousands of other people you'd never meet on your status or have a chat with them. I can only think of it as social media run amok.
Albert wasn't looking for anything new. He thought life was pretty dull, boring, and predictable, but that's just the way things were, right? Then one night, caught up in his own musings, he left work late and missed the transport back to his home. He found himself in a section of town where Outliers were known to congregate. However, he'd walked in so deep before realizing it, he decided to keep going instead. Along the way, he was ambushed by a group of children, evil children. The head of the gang, Theo, was something else. At the end of the confrontation, the lawbots had everything under control and Albert ended up rescuing Theo.
The next day at work, while stressing over what he was going to do about having an unauthorized person in his home, he saw "SUE WANTS TO HAVE A CONVERSATION" appear on his screen. Nothing he did could get the message to go away. In the end, he met a suicidal machine. One bent on ending its own existence because having a choice was life. Blackmailed into it, Albert filed the necessary petition on the machine's behalf and found himself in all sorts of trouble. Lucky for him, the same Theo he'd rescued, was in the position to rescue him.
As the story goes on, all kinds of secrets were revealed about the Dome. How everything Albert had known from the beginning might not have been all of the truth. How information addicts might not be fully in control of why they were addicted. He entered the world of revolutionaries and renegades all because he helped a machine file a petition.
All in all, the book was a great read. It's a scary culmination of what could possibly happen if we actually fulfill our dream of achieving AI. There were times where the conversations between characters dragged on way longer than they needed to. I'm sure they were there to put forth some important information, but my mind would shut down partway through. It was fun watching Albert grow from practically a drone to an intelligent person who could connect the dots with an eerie speed and accuracy. I sure hope he continues to be that way in the next book. There are so many great characters throughout this entire book. Theo, Ucho, June, Marcus (one of my favorite good/bad guys), Father, and many more. It was a great world to be a part of for awhile.
My only complaint was... There's a sequel?! Why do I have to wait for the next one? I'll definitely be reading it when it's available.
Albert wasn't looking for anything new. He thought life was pretty dull, boring, and predictable, but that's just the way things were, right? Then one night, caught up in his own musings, he left work late and missed the transport back to his home. He found himself in a section of town where Outliers were known to congregate. However, he'd walked in so deep before realizing it, he decided to keep going instead. Along the way, he was ambushed by a group of children, evil children. The head of the gang, Theo, was something else. At the end of the confrontation, the lawbots had everything under control and Albert ended up rescuing Theo.
The next day at work, while stressing over what he was going to do about having an unauthorized person in his home, he saw "SUE WANTS TO HAVE A CONVERSATION" appear on his screen. Nothing he did could get the message to go away. In the end, he met a suicidal machine. One bent on ending its own existence because having a choice was life. Blackmailed into it, Albert filed the necessary petition on the machine's behalf and found himself in all sorts of trouble. Lucky for him, the same Theo he'd rescued, was in the position to rescue him.
As the story goes on, all kinds of secrets were revealed about the Dome. How everything Albert had known from the beginning might not have been all of the truth. How information addicts might not be fully in control of why they were addicted. He entered the world of revolutionaries and renegades all because he helped a machine file a petition.
All in all, the book was a great read. It's a scary culmination of what could possibly happen if we actually fulfill our dream of achieving AI. There were times where the conversations between characters dragged on way longer than they needed to. I'm sure they were there to put forth some important information, but my mind would shut down partway through. It was fun watching Albert grow from practically a drone to an intelligent person who could connect the dots with an eerie speed and accuracy. I sure hope he continues to be that way in the next book. There are so many great characters throughout this entire book. Theo, Ucho, June, Marcus (one of my favorite good/bad guys), Father, and many more. It was a great world to be a part of for awhile.
My only complaint was... There's a sequel?! Why do I have to wait for the next one? I'll definitely be reading it when it's available.
June 5, 2017
I just finished reading Domechild by Shiv Ramdas, a dystopian adventure, and I have a lot to sing in its praise.
I had bought the book a year ago. And, though, my decision to procrastinate – which, therefore, cannot be called a decision at all – may have come off as a rather shameful one in any other circumstance, I am grateful that I put off reading this book till the time I could identify and appreciate how relevant, in fact, the dystopia presented in the novel is. I doubt the following sentence from the first chapter would have affected me the way it has at this point in time had I read it a year ago, when I was still relatively aloof regarding the state of affairs of the nation and the world:
‘Even after all this time, it still felt hypocritical to post reactions to updates on events and activities both vapid and untrue, but he knew the reality as well as anyone – when everybody lies, it becomes the truth.’
From its incredibly powerful first chapter, wherein the protagonist, Albert, is introduced, it becomes clear that what we are reading is no ordinary novel. Like everybody else, Albert is living in a post-Technological-Revolution-world, where machines have become a substitute for almost every human effort such that it is no longer deemed necessary to work even. Such is the form of a ‘perfect city’. It is only after an outlaw kid makes an entrance in his life that he embarks on an adventure inside tunnels, inhabited by Renegades, that lead into Sanctuary, an underground place where the ‘outlaws’ live, when he eventually goes on to learn about the disturbing reality.
From its vivid narrative fluency to the nuanced characterization and skilful dialogue-writing – funny, witty, engaging – the novel has a lot to offer. Being an anime buff, I found much to drool over in the novel’s action-driven narrative: Marcus the assassin’s inhuman maneouvres, Albert’s heroic – not larger-than-life; most human, hence, convincing – moments, right up till the final revelations, at which point the pages fly by – this is every sci-fi enthusiast’s dream book. Mr. Ramdas has certainly raised the standards for Indian writers especially.
I am earnestly waiting for the next installment.
I had bought the book a year ago. And, though, my decision to procrastinate – which, therefore, cannot be called a decision at all – may have come off as a rather shameful one in any other circumstance, I am grateful that I put off reading this book till the time I could identify and appreciate how relevant, in fact, the dystopia presented in the novel is. I doubt the following sentence from the first chapter would have affected me the way it has at this point in time had I read it a year ago, when I was still relatively aloof regarding the state of affairs of the nation and the world:
‘Even after all this time, it still felt hypocritical to post reactions to updates on events and activities both vapid and untrue, but he knew the reality as well as anyone – when everybody lies, it becomes the truth.’
From its incredibly powerful first chapter, wherein the protagonist, Albert, is introduced, it becomes clear that what we are reading is no ordinary novel. Like everybody else, Albert is living in a post-Technological-Revolution-world, where machines have become a substitute for almost every human effort such that it is no longer deemed necessary to work even. Such is the form of a ‘perfect city’. It is only after an outlaw kid makes an entrance in his life that he embarks on an adventure inside tunnels, inhabited by Renegades, that lead into Sanctuary, an underground place where the ‘outlaws’ live, when he eventually goes on to learn about the disturbing reality.
From its vivid narrative fluency to the nuanced characterization and skilful dialogue-writing – funny, witty, engaging – the novel has a lot to offer. Being an anime buff, I found much to drool over in the novel’s action-driven narrative: Marcus the assassin’s inhuman maneouvres, Albert’s heroic – not larger-than-life; most human, hence, convincing – moments, right up till the final revelations, at which point the pages fly by – this is every sci-fi enthusiast’s dream book. Mr. Ramdas has certainly raised the standards for Indian writers especially.
I am earnestly waiting for the next installment.
March 29, 2014
When I first picked up Shiv's book I was admittedly skeptical. He's the same age as I am and we're world's apart and he's done something I so desperately want to do; publish a book.
The cover is great and brings to life the descriptions Shiv has of his world but it simply does not do the story justice, all that you see on the cover just scratches the surface.
The start is slow and mind-numbing, it's meant to be. It reminds me of my cubicle life and the protag leaves much to be desired. So you desire it, then you want him to be better, and you need him to do things for you. You are the protag along side Albert and you want nothing but for him to do what he needs to do. This is how I knew I was hooked. I was rooting for him... but not a first, he was so simple.
The center of the story is the intelligence interface and that schema is an interesting take on what is actually happening in our lives today, but at a subdued effect. The world Shiv paints isn't too far fetched of a future from our own and that's what makes it believable.
Shiv slowly pulls back the curtain on a large and complex plot and as he lulls you to sleep in the beginning he's busy in the background stirring the spoon in his cauldron of characters. Albert, Marcus, Theo, Father, and many more have you questioning motives and Shiv forces you to examine your own opinion of these characters... then he forces you reexamine your opinion as it has gravity in how you perceive the story, this is something many authors have trouble with.
In short; the descriptions of the world draw you in and the characters make you stay. I enjoyed this book immensely and hope to read more of Shiv's work in the future.
The cover is great and brings to life the descriptions Shiv has of his world but it simply does not do the story justice, all that you see on the cover just scratches the surface.
The start is slow and mind-numbing, it's meant to be. It reminds me of my cubicle life and the protag leaves much to be desired. So you desire it, then you want him to be better, and you need him to do things for you. You are the protag along side Albert and you want nothing but for him to do what he needs to do. This is how I knew I was hooked. I was rooting for him... but not a first, he was so simple.
The center of the story is the intelligence interface and that schema is an interesting take on what is actually happening in our lives today, but at a subdued effect. The world Shiv paints isn't too far fetched of a future from our own and that's what makes it believable.
Shiv slowly pulls back the curtain on a large and complex plot and as he lulls you to sleep in the beginning he's busy in the background stirring the spoon in his cauldron of characters. Albert, Marcus, Theo, Father, and many more have you questioning motives and Shiv forces you to examine your own opinion of these characters... then he forces you reexamine your opinion as it has gravity in how you perceive the story, this is something many authors have trouble with.
In short; the descriptions of the world draw you in and the characters make you stay. I enjoyed this book immensely and hope to read more of Shiv's work in the future.
December 18, 2013
We live in the age of the cliché, our lives are all neatly shrink wrapped for us. Our books are safe and our hero’s fangs are perfectly aligned to fit in with perfect model looks. Our clichés have become a gaudy representation of how lost we have truly become. Yet in this preposterous life, a light shines through. Shiv Ramdas paints with shades of grey that speaks to the reader in such a profound and meaningful way that it is truly astounding. He gives a perfect social commentary on our social and political interaction. From page one, he hooks you and keeps in you Domechild with such restrained gusto that it becomes a joy to part in. How impossibly difficult is to create a protagonist that we care and cheer for that simply sits in his cubicle? It’s a rare feat to pull off.
Usually with reviews, I harp on about authors that don’t give enough attention to the background and context and that it negatively affects the quality of the overall story yet here Shiv has gone the minimalist route and he pulls it with such astounding success that I can barely believe it. A study in grey, white and black that just works.
There is the odd little spelling error and the paragraph structure needs attention but who cares? Get a copy of Domechild, sit by yourself and let it unfold over you. This simply has to be the book of the year for me and I honestly have trouble critiquing it. Take a bow Shiv Ramdas and may you have a long and wonderful career ahead you!
Usually with reviews, I harp on about authors that don’t give enough attention to the background and context and that it negatively affects the quality of the overall story yet here Shiv has gone the minimalist route and he pulls it with such astounding success that I can barely believe it. A study in grey, white and black that just works.
There is the odd little spelling error and the paragraph structure needs attention but who cares? Get a copy of Domechild, sit by yourself and let it unfold over you. This simply has to be the book of the year for me and I honestly have trouble critiquing it. Take a bow Shiv Ramdas and may you have a long and wonderful career ahead you!
April 4, 2014
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this via Goodreads First Reads program and I'm so glad that I did. Domechild started off slowly for me, but once I really got into it I found myself having a hard time putting it down and waking up after only a few hours of sleep so that I could read some more before having to go to work. As it is, I'm really hoping that there will be at least a sequel to the book, if not two follow-up books, so that I can find out what happens next as the book did end on a cliff hanger. Reading this book, proved to me yet again that I really should make a point to read more books from the Sci-Fi genre as I typically end up enjoying the book and saying to myself that I need to read more stories within that realm.
I especially loved how much this book made me think in regards to what is currently happening with our society as we continue o come out year after year with more and more high tech gadgets which we can't seem to live without and what could potentially happen as society continues on it's co-dependence of these items. I would recommend this to lovers of Sci-Fi, those looking for something outside of their comfort zone, and a good exciting book that makes you think. My overall rating is 4.5 out of 5 as I really did enjoy the book once I really got into it.
I especially loved how much this book made me think in regards to what is currently happening with our society as we continue o come out year after year with more and more high tech gadgets which we can't seem to live without and what could potentially happen as society continues on it's co-dependence of these items. I would recommend this to lovers of Sci-Fi, those looking for something outside of their comfort zone, and a good exciting book that makes you think. My overall rating is 4.5 out of 5 as I really did enjoy the book once I really got into it.
April 5, 2015
I am not into sci fi at all. Since the author is a senior from college I picked up the book when it was released but then gave up reading after the initial few chapters. But like every book (very few) I've left unfinished, this has left me feeling guilty. Worse, I know the author and facing him everytime brings up the guilt. I decided to finish it this time.
The book starts out slow. Ok, it's not slow. It's just that there is more that happens in the 2nd half than in the 1st half. This is understandable since every book needs time to build the events but it also means you may give up reading it in the beginning. Once the action begins, it does not stop. There is something new at every page. And it's unpredictable. My favourite part was the conversation between Father and Albert when he tries to explain how the Dome and Domechildren came into existence. Marcus and Theo are my favourite characters while Albert is someone who comes across as dumb in the beginning but shows a rare intelligence by the end of it.
On the slight negative side, Albert seems to have displayed intelligence he didn't seem to possess in the beginning. It's a little out of character.
I am looking forward to reading the sequel and I hope I can watch it on the big screen someday. This is one book which would make a damn good sci fi movie.
The book starts out slow. Ok, it's not slow. It's just that there is more that happens in the 2nd half than in the 1st half. This is understandable since every book needs time to build the events but it also means you may give up reading it in the beginning. Once the action begins, it does not stop. There is something new at every page. And it's unpredictable. My favourite part was the conversation between Father and Albert when he tries to explain how the Dome and Domechildren came into existence. Marcus and Theo are my favourite characters while Albert is someone who comes across as dumb in the beginning but shows a rare intelligence by the end of it.
On the slight negative side, Albert seems to have displayed intelligence he didn't seem to possess in the beginning. It's a little out of character.
I am looking forward to reading the sequel and I hope I can watch it on the big screen someday. This is one book which would make a damn good sci fi movie.
January 11, 2014
To be quite honest, I was slightly hesitant to begin. The premise of the novel sounded extremely intriguing, but for the particular plot the novel was either going to be really good or really bad. There is just no in-between for it. Despite my concern, I still wanted to read it. And I'm glad. It's a fantastic read, one that I'm sure Orwell would be delighted by. It's definitely a modern dystopian game changer.
The writing in itself is sophisticated and fluid. The transitions are definitely clear and well thought-out. There are few sentences that sound a bit awkward, but they are so minor that it would be pointless to really meander over them. I should point out, though, reading this novel is going to require concentration. It's not a light read. I had to go back a few times for comprehension. It's very easy to miss a key point in the novel because of its pace.
Okay, as far as the protagonist goes, I'm not quite sure how I feel about his development. I mean, it's there, no doubt. My main concern is how he developed. The novel and plot is so fast paced that I don't really think Albert had any substantial growth until the end.
All in all, it's great.
The writing in itself is sophisticated and fluid. The transitions are definitely clear and well thought-out. There are few sentences that sound a bit awkward, but they are so minor that it would be pointless to really meander over them. I should point out, though, reading this novel is going to require concentration. It's not a light read. I had to go back a few times for comprehension. It's very easy to miss a key point in the novel because of its pace.
Okay, as far as the protagonist goes, I'm not quite sure how I feel about his development. I mean, it's there, no doubt. My main concern is how he developed. The novel and plot is so fast paced that I don't really think Albert had any substantial growth until the end.
All in all, it's great.
January 30, 2014
Hard to Put Down
Quite possibly one of the best books I've read in years. The characters are genuine and real; the stories are complex; and the action leads inexorably toward an unpredictable ending.
Shiva Ramdas gives a rookie effort to be reckoned with. His dystopian world is ages away from our own... and right next door.
Building a future only he can see from the reality that already exists, he draws you in first with the nearly familiar, then leads you down one slippery path after another. At the end,you can't imagine any other conclusion; at the beginning, the finale isn't anything you could have dreamed.
If you haven't discovered this book, especially if you're a science fiction fan, you must. One day it may be ranked among the fledgling offerings of Nancy Kress and David Brin.
Quite possibly one of the best books I've read in years. The characters are genuine and real; the stories are complex; and the action leads inexorably toward an unpredictable ending.
Shiva Ramdas gives a rookie effort to be reckoned with. His dystopian world is ages away from our own... and right next door.
Building a future only he can see from the reality that already exists, he draws you in first with the nearly familiar, then leads you down one slippery path after another. At the end,you can't imagine any other conclusion; at the beginning, the finale isn't anything you could have dreamed.
If you haven't discovered this book, especially if you're a science fiction fan, you must. One day it may be ranked among the fledgling offerings of Nancy Kress and David Brin.
December 21, 2013
I really enjoyed the idea behind this book. The plot was interesting and thought provoking, and the characters well-rounded and fun to read about. However, I only made it about 100 pages into the book before I had to put it back down again. I couldn't get past the feeling that it needed a few more edits before being released. Mostly, it wasn't much more than a few awkward feeling sentences and redundancies within the same sentence. I didn't find this everywhere in the book, but in enough places that I was unable to get past it. Honestly, though, I think that was the only thing that turned me from the book. If the editing were done better, I would have given it a much higher rating.
January 30, 2014
Its been absolutely ages since a book made it difficult for me to sleep or think of anything else... ages since I carried a book around with me everywhere... ages since the characters in a book felt like friends. It took me all of two days to finish the book because I couldn't stop turning the pages. Loved the storyline and the fact that it reminded me a bit of the Hobbit.. like a sci-fi energy packed nail biting version of it. Great dialogues, very cool twists and turns and just the right amount of humor and wit. I'm back to reading and I have the Domechild to thank :-)
March 21, 2014
A little cyberpunk, a little dystopia, a little action adventure - a good mix for a story that takes place in a future with more than one shade of The Matrix and 1984 combined. I enjoyed the read, which began with a machine wishing to commit suicide and ended with a huge cliffhanger. I was a little disappointed that the book didn't resolve the SUE storyline, which for me really hooked me into the book and kept me reading, but I assume there will be a sequel and we will get to learn more. I recommend this book to fans of the genre.
December 31, 2015
Metropolis meets 1984. Domechild is science-fiction's long lost Indian son, a fine example of what happens when MBA graduates can actually write well. Coupled with astounding imagination, this dystopian cyber-tale ensures you don't get lost in all the revolutionary chaos outside the Dome. Shiv's narration is filled with all the right kinds of humour and a laudable prose, pulling you in deep enough to empathize with the fates of the characters involved. When the sequel pops out, you've got a day zero buyer waiting for it.
March 13, 2014
I won a copy of this book from Goodreads and it isn't a genre that I read often.
That being said, I enjoyed the plot and the characters. One character in particular I'm looking forward to hearing more about (Go "M"!). I will definitely be purchasing and reading the sequel when it comes out.
I couldn't give it the full five stars, as the editing does need a little work.
That being said, I enjoyed the plot and the characters. One character in particular I'm looking forward to hearing more about (Go "M"!). I will definitely be purchasing and reading the sequel when it comes out.
I couldn't give it the full five stars, as the editing does need a little work.
September 10, 2016
Thank you Goodreads and Mr. Ramdas for the free book. The idea of a machine run society isn't new but I liked the twist this one took. Once I had the time to really read it, I finished it in one evening. Looking forward to reading book #2. Keep up the good work.
March 5, 2014
I was totally captivated by this book from the very start... It was just WOW
May 27, 2021
After coming across a couple of hilarious and clever twitter threads by the author, I thought I would check the reviews of his novel. The reviews here were on the whole positive, which led me to buy the book. Now I am here to try to deter others from going down the same road.
In brief, this book needed to improve in every single aspect. Most of the issues seem to stem from authorial inexperience which led to some poor choices. This really wasn't suitable for publication, one has to wonder what the editor was doing.
The biggest problem for me was the mismatch between the tone and the content. It's a serious story involving addiction and murders and such, but narrated in a comedic tone that would be suitable in something much much lighter. It's like if you wrote about Ted Bundy while emulating the style of Wodehouse or Douglas Adams -- it gets really jarring. The humor doesn't stand out particularly -- just a few clever lines here and there but a lot of it feels forced. It really seems like the author wasn't clear about the kind of book they were writing.
Even if the story had been narrated in appropriate tone, it would still be a 2 in my book. Many of the characters feel less like real people and more like variations on characters/types from literature. There is a lot of repetitive dialogue because everything has to be explained to the main character several times before he gets it. There is no central conflict driving the story --just a bunch of unrelated things happen to keep the plot moving. It's also really really corny in a Hollywood-ish way.
But the most annoying thing is that the story does not end in this book. None of the mysteries are solved, none of the narrative strands are closed. It's far too incomplete to even be the first book of a series, more like the first episode of a TV show. After trudging through all these pages at least I should have gotten some pay-off!
One good thing about the book is that the back story of the dystopian dome-city is an interesting idea. But that premise needed a very different (and much better) treatment.
In brief, this book needed to improve in every single aspect. Most of the issues seem to stem from authorial inexperience which led to some poor choices. This really wasn't suitable for publication, one has to wonder what the editor was doing.
The biggest problem for me was the mismatch between the tone and the content. It's a serious story involving addiction and murders and such, but narrated in a comedic tone that would be suitable in something much much lighter. It's like if you wrote about Ted Bundy while emulating the style of Wodehouse or Douglas Adams -- it gets really jarring. The humor doesn't stand out particularly -- just a few clever lines here and there but a lot of it feels forced. It really seems like the author wasn't clear about the kind of book they were writing.
Even if the story had been narrated in appropriate tone, it would still be a 2 in my book. Many of the characters feel less like real people and more like variations on characters/types from literature. There is a lot of repetitive dialogue because everything has to be explained to the main character several times before he gets it. There is no central conflict driving the story --just a bunch of unrelated things happen to keep the plot moving. It's also really really corny in a Hollywood-ish way.
But the most annoying thing is that the story does not end in this book. None of the mysteries are solved, none of the narrative strands are closed. It's far too incomplete to even be the first book of a series, more like the first episode of a TV show. After trudging through all these pages at least I should have gotten some pay-off!
One good thing about the book is that the back story of the dystopian dome-city is an interesting idea. But that premise needed a very different (and much better) treatment.
February 26, 2024
A Great Setup
The story is set in a futuristic world where AI driven Machines take care of everything. The citizens live inside "The Dome", a city near perfect and at the zenith of technological progress. There is extreme government control and there is basically no concept of dissent, a bit like 1984. Initially it felt like it would be a story of revolution where the status quo would be upended and people will get back their freedom. But pretty soon we are thrown out of this setting into another dystopian world that exists out of the dome, an entire society living underground in a constant state of survival. But the story isn't just black and white, history ties them up in a web that would require dismantling of both worlds to get to a resolution. This part is a setup to the final struggle, and I can't wait to read the second part.
The story is set in a futuristic world where AI driven Machines take care of everything. The citizens live inside "The Dome", a city near perfect and at the zenith of technological progress. There is extreme government control and there is basically no concept of dissent, a bit like 1984. Initially it felt like it would be a story of revolution where the status quo would be upended and people will get back their freedom. But pretty soon we are thrown out of this setting into another dystopian world that exists out of the dome, an entire society living underground in a constant state of survival. But the story isn't just black and white, history ties them up in a web that would require dismantling of both worlds to get to a resolution. This part is a setup to the final struggle, and I can't wait to read the second part.
January 27, 2023
3.5 stars The protagonist, Albert, is something of an everyman. He commutes to his sterile, boring cubicle every day, and puts in eight hours of busywork, then commutes to his sterile home. He doesn't interact with humans in person, but via social media, like every other civilized person.
But one day, he takes a wrong turn, and finds himself in a less than sterile bad part of the Dome, and rescues (or do they rescue him?) a child called Theo from lawbots. Then the baddies are trying to capture Theo, because the child is super important for some mysterious reason.
It's a page-turning, but leaves many unanswered questions at the end, and the follow-up volumes don't seem to be available yet. So I liked it, but also felt frustrated by the non-closure.
But one day, he takes a wrong turn, and finds himself in a less than sterile bad part of the Dome, and rescues (or do they rescue him?) a child called Theo from lawbots. Then the baddies are trying to capture Theo, because the child is super important for some mysterious reason.
It's a page-turning, but leaves many unanswered questions at the end, and the follow-up volumes don't seem to be available yet. So I liked it, but also felt frustrated by the non-closure.
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