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Monk
A cybernetic monk travels the galaxy performing acts of penance for its murderous namesake. Its duty…its function, is to heal the damage caused by its sadistic progenitor. But during the dangerous journey, it discovers unsettling facts that force it to question its real purpose...and the true nature of its own existence. Dodging death and disassembly, the monk uncovers a disturbing secret hidden by its religious masters. A secret that could threaten the fragile balance of power in the galaxy. A secret they will kill to protect.
138 pages, Paperback
First published March 5, 2012
6 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Gregg Vann
14 books8 followersGregg Vann is a writer, teacher, polyglot, and perennial student. He has a M.Ed. in Teaching English as a Second Language, and a BA in Asian Studies. When not writing, he can usually be found on the sunny beaches of Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 26, 2013
I picked this up because I've always been very fond of the Electric Monk in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, and this take on futuristic Buddhism struck me as quite inspired:
"as an alternative to successive rebirths, continually cleansing the karma until a perfect soul was achieved . . . transfer the soul directly into a new body with the original consciousness intact . . . Instead of starting over in ignorance, we could continue to atone for the transgressions of our past lives, and more importantly, avoid making new ones; in essence, create a direct path to enlightenment."
There are several sections of rather egregious info-dumping, so I got the impression of an outline for an unfinished novel, rather than a short story. A few of the paragraphs towards the beginning of the book were a bit lumpy and self-conscious, but the writing soon smoothed out and was generally unexceptional.
I had some issues with the portrayal of the female characters.
So we have a futuristic universe in which the female characters' roles are defined by their being subjects for sexual violence, or vessels for reproduction. (Or both. Yay). There are no Buddhist nuns. There are no women guards or space marines on any planet or spaceship. No women directors of the Musicians' Guild. No women administrators. No women scientists. No women hotel concierges. We meet Idra's father, but not her mother.
I actually don't think this is good enough. For the purposes of the story I understand we have to have had a perpetrator who committed horrible crimes, otherwise there is no atonement, but to fail to incorporate women in any other capacity at all in this storyworld is something I would have expected from a book published in 1972, not 2012.
I also could not get on board with the ending. I found it bloody annoying.
Two point five stars, rounded up for the very interesting premise.
"as an alternative to successive rebirths, continually cleansing the karma until a perfect soul was achieved . . . transfer the soul directly into a new body with the original consciousness intact . . . Instead of starting over in ignorance, we could continue to atone for the transgressions of our past lives, and more importantly, avoid making new ones; in essence, create a direct path to enlightenment."
There are several sections of rather egregious info-dumping, so I got the impression of an outline for an unfinished novel, rather than a short story. A few of the paragraphs towards the beginning of the book were a bit lumpy and self-conscious, but the writing soon smoothed out and was generally unexceptional.
I had some issues with the portrayal of the female characters.
So we have a futuristic universe in which the female characters' roles are defined by their being subjects for sexual violence, or vessels for reproduction. (Or both. Yay). There are no Buddhist nuns. There are no women guards or space marines on any planet or spaceship. No women directors of the Musicians' Guild. No women administrators. No women scientists. No women hotel concierges. We meet Idra's father, but not her mother.
I actually don't think this is good enough. For the purposes of the story I understand we have to have had a perpetrator who committed horrible crimes, otherwise there is no atonement, but to fail to incorporate women in any other capacity at all in this storyworld is something I would have expected from a book published in 1972, not 2012.
I also could not get on board with the ending. I found it bloody annoying.
Two point five stars, rounded up for the very interesting premise.
March 12, 2014
Sci-fi at it's most imaginative!
This story kept me guessing constantly at where it was headed, at no point did it feel like a chore to get through. Some truly imaginative sci-fi concepts propelling a truly human story. Nice ending! This should also appeal to any interested in Buddhist concepts, great find!
This story kept me guessing constantly at where it was headed, at no point did it feel like a chore to get through. Some truly imaginative sci-fi concepts propelling a truly human story. Nice ending! This should also appeal to any interested in Buddhist concepts, great find!
August 12, 2016
An interesting premise with some interesting characters, but the length of the book parts, especially the ending, seem very rushed. I am interested in checking out the book listed at the end to see who and what else is available in this universe.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews