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Marrow's Pit
Built to encompass the entire range of lifeless mountains, it had always, relentlessly, clanked on and on. Within, vast halls and endless corridors were filled with the sounds of metal on metal, with hissing steam, with squealing gears. In the eyes of its citizens, it was sacred, deified, omniscient. Enshrined in their mythology for innumerable generations, it had gone by countless designations, but its truest name was perhaps its the Machine.
For Ballard, the Machine is a place of tedium, and ignorance, and cruelty. He sees little use in his mundane job and secretly questions the purpose of the Machine. When tragedy strikes, Ballard is forced to embark on a paranoid journey that will take him outside of the Machine, and everything he's ever known, over the edge into darkness, past the point of no return…toward the blackness known as Marrow's Pit.
For Ballard, the Machine is a place of tedium, and ignorance, and cruelty. He sees little use in his mundane job and secretly questions the purpose of the Machine. When tragedy strikes, Ballard is forced to embark on a paranoid journey that will take him outside of the Machine, and everything he's ever known, over the edge into darkness, past the point of no return…toward the blackness known as Marrow's Pit.
126 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
5 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Keith Deininger
24 books112 followersKeith Deininger is an award-winning dark fiction author. His titles include WITHIN, MARROW'S PIT and A GAME FOR GODS. He is best known for blending elements of fantasy with horror in his surreal, literary style. He grew up in the American Southwest and currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico with his wife and daughter.
www.KeithDeininger.com
www.KeithDeininger.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
May 27, 2015
Ballard lives within the mountain, he works the machine, as do they all, too terrified to leave, to travel on the outside into the maelstrom into the constant storm.
Ballard is married to Laura, his own personnel living hell, a woman who walks all over him and constantly reminds him that he’s not a real man, that he couldn’t give her the children she wanted, scorned and not capable of standing up for himself. Best friend Mark who it turns out is anything but, and an accident awaiting him that’s going to make things better or maybe worse, depends which side of the fence you’re sitting on.
Ballard is just ignoring his problems until the day of congregation, the day that Father Etheridge recites “The snake will tempt you to do things that are against the teachings of the machine. He will tell you to skip your duties, to steal, to murder” and when he points at Ballard, there is sure enough a storm about to head his way.
The Machine is an interesting place, a place I wanted to more about, it’s a world, a compound of gigantic structures connected by tubes & bridges and you could travel for weeks and not reach the end.
Marrow’s Pit is a huge opening in the side of the mountain, a pit for the Machines waste and a place where Ballard will visit before the end. Keith Deininger has certainly written an intriguing novella, one that I hope will produce other stories.
Recommended.
Ballard is married to Laura, his own personnel living hell, a woman who walks all over him and constantly reminds him that he’s not a real man, that he couldn’t give her the children she wanted, scorned and not capable of standing up for himself. Best friend Mark who it turns out is anything but, and an accident awaiting him that’s going to make things better or maybe worse, depends which side of the fence you’re sitting on.
Ballard is just ignoring his problems until the day of congregation, the day that Father Etheridge recites “The snake will tempt you to do things that are against the teachings of the machine. He will tell you to skip your duties, to steal, to murder” and when he points at Ballard, there is sure enough a storm about to head his way.
The Machine is an interesting place, a place I wanted to more about, it’s a world, a compound of gigantic structures connected by tubes & bridges and you could travel for weeks and not reach the end.
Marrow’s Pit is a huge opening in the side of the mountain, a pit for the Machines waste and a place where Ballard will visit before the end. Keith Deininger has certainly written an intriguing novella, one that I hope will produce other stories.
Recommended.
December 31, 2014
The Machine. It has always been there. Within its metal walls, there is a working society of sorts. Crime is not tolerated here. In the rare instances when an individual goes against this rule, sentence is meted out and it is the same whether it be vandal, thief, or murderer.
March 2, 2016
This was outstanding, reading like a cross between Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart, Harlan Ellison's I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, and Hugh Howey's Wool Omnibus.
The only drawback I would note is that it wasn't long enough. This could easily be expanded into a series of stories/novellas based on the world of the Machine and the Maelstrom.
Good stuff!
The only drawback I would note is that it wasn't long enough. This could easily be expanded into a series of stories/novellas based on the world of the Machine and the Maelstrom.
Good stuff!
February 11, 2014
Marrow's Pit is an incredible, thought-provoking tale that you will not soon forget!
Ballard is a man whose existence has always been in "The Machine"--a complex network of interconnecting tunnels and sectors.. The Machine is a deity to the people that reside there; they worship it, and spend their entire existence in servitude to it.
When Ballard's everyday life is turned upside down by a tragedy, he begins to look at things in another light--something definitely NOT encouraged in this society.
Keith Deininger has a refreshing voice all of his own. In Marrow's Pit, there is evidence of this in every aspect of the novella. The concept of The Machine completely amazed me with the complexity of the society Deininger created within its confines. His words flow so smoothly, that from the moment you begin reading, you won't want to leave his world until the final page is turned. Even at that point, the characters and details of their lives will not leave you; they will linger on, causing you to re-evaluate everything you've read on multiple levels. This is definitely one that will leave you thinking "outside the box".
This was one of the best novellas I've read recently! When you leave a story and find yourself thinking about it days later, you know you've found a gem with that all too rare "staying power". This is the kind of book that Marrow's Pit is.
Highly recommended!
Ballard is a man whose existence has always been in "The Machine"--a complex network of interconnecting tunnels and sectors.. The Machine is a deity to the people that reside there; they worship it, and spend their entire existence in servitude to it.
When Ballard's everyday life is turned upside down by a tragedy, he begins to look at things in another light--something definitely NOT encouraged in this society.
Keith Deininger has a refreshing voice all of his own. In Marrow's Pit, there is evidence of this in every aspect of the novella. The concept of The Machine completely amazed me with the complexity of the society Deininger created within its confines. His words flow so smoothly, that from the moment you begin reading, you won't want to leave his world until the final page is turned. Even at that point, the characters and details of their lives will not leave you; they will linger on, causing you to re-evaluate everything you've read on multiple levels. This is definitely one that will leave you thinking "outside the box".
This was one of the best novellas I've read recently! When you leave a story and find yourself thinking about it days later, you know you've found a gem with that all too rare "staying power". This is the kind of book that Marrow's Pit is.
Highly recommended!
February 21, 2014
4.5 stars!
The Machine. As in Pink Floyd's Welcome to. But this is Mr. Deininger's Machine and it is unlike any other.
I'm not even going to go into the plot at all, because the book description and a bunch of other reviews already do that. I'm just going with my impressions of this novella here:
Science Fiction
Automatons
Murder
Wastefulness
Laziness
Spousal Abuse
Dark Fantasies
Death of imagination and creativity
Slavery
Endless Boredom
In my mind, this book was about all of the above and more. This is the type of tale that can (partially) morph into whatever you might think it is about. And if you don't feel like thinking, you can do that too and still come away impressed. Which, to me, is impressive by itself. I've read one other book by Mr. Deininger, and to be honest I thought it was just okay. I am so happy that I gave this one a shot, because I would have missed something special. Welcome to the Machine, reader. You are in capable hands with Keith Deininger.
The Machine. As in Pink Floyd's Welcome to. But this is Mr. Deininger's Machine and it is unlike any other.
I'm not even going to go into the plot at all, because the book description and a bunch of other reviews already do that. I'm just going with my impressions of this novella here:
Science Fiction
Automatons
Murder
Wastefulness
Laziness
Spousal Abuse
Dark Fantasies
Death of imagination and creativity
Slavery
Endless Boredom
In my mind, this book was about all of the above and more. This is the type of tale that can (partially) morph into whatever you might think it is about. And if you don't feel like thinking, you can do that too and still come away impressed. Which, to me, is impressive by itself. I've read one other book by Mr. Deininger, and to be honest I thought it was just okay. I am so happy that I gave this one a shot, because I would have missed something special. Welcome to the Machine, reader. You are in capable hands with Keith Deininger.
August 21, 2015
Now here's something you don't read everyday. A horror story masquerading as a dark dystopian fantasy with enough steampunk elements to almost qualify as sci-fi.
In Marrow's Pit Keith Deininger effortlessly describes a future society that is vastly different from our own - revolving as it does around a massive machine which provides food, shelter and clothing for its inhabitants, all of whom in turn work on the machine to keep its various parts running. And all of this occurs within 75 or so pages, while Deininger's battered and beleaguered protagonist does his best to cover-up a hideous crime he commits (albeit by pseudo-accident).
Though it seems the novella is building to a revelation about the society, nothing is more than hinted at while protagonist Ballard's story is drawn to a close in a manner I was not expecting - even if it was not necessarily satisfying.
But the best aspect to Marrow's Pit is Deininger's masterful prose, which flows off the page like warm maple syrup onto early-morning pancakes.
Recommended to those seeking something different that can be devoured in one sitting.
3.5 Brows Beaten for Marrow's Pit.
In Marrow's Pit Keith Deininger effortlessly describes a future society that is vastly different from our own - revolving as it does around a massive machine which provides food, shelter and clothing for its inhabitants, all of whom in turn work on the machine to keep its various parts running. And all of this occurs within 75 or so pages, while Deininger's battered and beleaguered protagonist does his best to cover-up a hideous crime he commits (albeit by pseudo-accident).
Though it seems the novella is building to a revelation about the society, nothing is more than hinted at while protagonist Ballard's story is drawn to a close in a manner I was not expecting - even if it was not necessarily satisfying.
But the best aspect to Marrow's Pit is Deininger's masterful prose, which flows off the page like warm maple syrup onto early-morning pancakes.
Recommended to those seeking something different that can be devoured in one sitting.
3.5 Brows Beaten for Marrow's Pit.
February 11, 2014
This novella wasn't bad. The author did a nice job rounding out his sympathetic and somewhat pathetic protagonist. The story had some interesting twists and turns that made it a decent read.
It did feel at times like two story ideas spliced together- the conflict (and it's resolution) between the main character and his wife running alongside the story of the machine. It felt part horror, part matrix, and part bizarre. It was quick and entertaining. I would imagine the author will continue to get better and better as he polishes his craft.
It did feel at times like two story ideas spliced together- the conflict (and it's resolution) between the main character and his wife running alongside the story of the machine. It felt part horror, part matrix, and part bizarre. It was quick and entertaining. I would imagine the author will continue to get better and better as he polishes his craft.
July 26, 2014
Marrow's pit tells the tale of Ballard who is stuck in a loveless relationship working on the Machine day in, day out. Everyone has their place in the Machine's world and it's one that Ballard is now starting to question. He takes drastic action one day and sets himself on a course that will see him question the existence of the society that has been created.
This novella deals with quite a lot of dark issues, the world that is created is an interesting one but one that was really only touched upon in terms of what the Machine was and the world that had been created around it. As a reader you are only given a glimpse into this new world and it's certainly a frightening one. I also think it says a lot about religion and how easily people can be influenced to act with a mob mentality. The end also felt like it was the beginning of a much bigger story. Hopefully the author will continue this in the near future.
August 3, 2016
In a very short period of time in this story Keith managed to weave an entire society revolving around The Machine and those who live within its walls and worship it as a deity. Beyond the Machine and out into the Maelstrom, there is Marrow’s Pit. Nobody really knows what it is exactly. Ballard is going to find out…one way or another. A very dark and sublime SF/Horror work, from Keith Deininger. Definitely an author to keep an eye on. 3.5 Stars rounded up on Keith's strong writing.
February 11, 2014
I have read all three of Keith's books and enjoyed them all. The main character in this story is Ballard who lives in this world called The Machine. Where everything is provider for them, food, shelter and etc. Outside The Machine is a dead world with Maelstrom, with a constant overcast of grey clouds and storms. Just outside this world(The Machine)is this huge what seems endless hole. This is called Marrow's Pit, this is where everything unwanted is disposed of. This story is about Ballard's life and what happens to him after a tragic event. This is a very good quick read, I read it in one day. This read more SF than horror. The story itself was good, but what did it for me was the ending. I'm looking forward to reading Keith's new book, Ghosts of Eden in November. I gave Marrow's Pit 4 stars.
January 8, 2023
I went into this novella after reading Keith’s Shadow Animals, so perhaps I’d done myself a disservice by starting with a great story.
Marrow’s Pit has a strong sense of world, in so much as most people’s world view is of the Machine they live in. With only a few glimpses of life outside of the machine, it’s hard to know what sort of world the book is set. This could have been an opening to something wonderful or truly horrific.
Ballard is a genuinely dislikable character who has zero backbone. I struggled to feel anything for him, his wife or his friends. While unlikable casts have been done before, you don’t get enough of anything to help you see past the initial dislike of them.
The gore/horror elements were scattered throughout, and while somewhat gruesome, didn’t do much more than offer shock value to a kinda okay story.
The writing was good, but let down by characters I didn’t like or relate to and not enough of a story to really draw me in. Not Keith’s best.
Marrow’s Pit has a strong sense of world, in so much as most people’s world view is of the Machine they live in. With only a few glimpses of life outside of the machine, it’s hard to know what sort of world the book is set. This could have been an opening to something wonderful or truly horrific.
Ballard is a genuinely dislikable character who has zero backbone. I struggled to feel anything for him, his wife or his friends. While unlikable casts have been done before, you don’t get enough of anything to help you see past the initial dislike of them.
The gore/horror elements were scattered throughout, and while somewhat gruesome, didn’t do much more than offer shock value to a kinda okay story.
The writing was good, but let down by characters I didn’t like or relate to and not enough of a story to really draw me in. Not Keith’s best.
January 19, 2014
Life under the “protection” of The Machine may not be all it is touted to be. Gritty, tension-filled, and you just KNOW there is a dark secret being kept by The Machine and those in power. When a cheating wife finally, although accidentally gets killed by her husband, his race for freedom takes him beyond the barriers of The Machine. Will he find the horrors that he has been taught to believe in, or is there more?
Marrow’s Pit by Keith Deininger is a trip through the scrambled maze that is life in a controlled environment when people let fear of the unknown rule them. The main character is not a strong hero who dares to defy the rules, he is weak, frightened but finally determined to survive, to escape the lies he has been told his entire life. Survival at its nerve-wracking best with a frantic pace, and gruesome scenes, this quick read has a touch of horror, love and hate, all twisted up in a few pages.
I received an ARC edition of this novella from DarkFuse in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: March 11, 2014
Publisher: DarkFuse
ISBN: 9781940544243
Genre: Mystery | Sci-fi | Fantasy
Marrow’s Pit by Keith Deininger is a trip through the scrambled maze that is life in a controlled environment when people let fear of the unknown rule them. The main character is not a strong hero who dares to defy the rules, he is weak, frightened but finally determined to survive, to escape the lies he has been told his entire life. Survival at its nerve-wracking best with a frantic pace, and gruesome scenes, this quick read has a touch of horror, love and hate, all twisted up in a few pages.
I received an ARC edition of this novella from DarkFuse in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: March 11, 2014
Publisher: DarkFuse
ISBN: 9781940544243
Genre: Mystery | Sci-fi | Fantasy
March 19, 2014
Marrow's Pit is another book from DarkFuse's novella series. It is a dark 1984-type story taking place in a world where all serve The Machine. Their world is an inhospitable one where they exist serving and worshiping a mechanical contraption whose origin is never quite clear. Our main protagonist is an unhappy man with doubts and resentment that are only increased by his nagging wife. It's a story holding a lot of promise but with a disappointing delivery. Ballard, our protagonist, is a hard man not just to like but to feel any sympathy for. He makes a severe mistake and stupid responses early on and it is difficult to really care about it. We are left waiting for him to leave the relative safety of the Machine yet by the time he does, it become clear that not much is going to come out of it. The novella had the feel of an over-serious Twilight Zone episode with a predictable build-up and a unsatisfactory pay-off. I would call the book mostly dark Sci-Fi but with a touch of psychological thriller in it. Unfortunately there is not enough of one thing to pull in the reader and immerse them into really experiencing the tale. This is the first of Darkfuse's novellas that left me cold. But hopefully something will come up that leads me to read more of Keith Deininger's work because he does have a firm talent, just the wrong idea to display it with.
June 6, 2014
I am in my second year of membership at Darkfuse and novellas like Marrow’s Pit are the reason why I joined and am still a member.
Central to the story is “the machine”—a world-sized mechanism so vast that no one is familiar with more than a few sections and so old that its creators, even its purpose, is lost to history. The machine provides all that one needs to live, and, to some extent, all of society lives to provide for the machine. Marrow’s Pit is a hellish central deposit area that takes all discards, organic and inorganic and somehow processes this matter to feed the machine itself.
Interestingly, and as noted in other reviews, the machine is not so much part of the plot as much as it creates the setting, the landscape. Some were disappointed, and I understand this feeling, but for me all stories, whether sci-fi or horror, or any genre really, are about the people---because human nature never changes. I found the story riveting and the world-building first rate.
I hope that this is only the first story of this dark and fascinating world. I feel that we have not even scratched the surface---the world of the machine would easily support a whole series of compelling novels and novellas.
5 stars.
Central to the story is “the machine”—a world-sized mechanism so vast that no one is familiar with more than a few sections and so old that its creators, even its purpose, is lost to history. The machine provides all that one needs to live, and, to some extent, all of society lives to provide for the machine. Marrow’s Pit is a hellish central deposit area that takes all discards, organic and inorganic and somehow processes this matter to feed the machine itself.
Interestingly, and as noted in other reviews, the machine is not so much part of the plot as much as it creates the setting, the landscape. Some were disappointed, and I understand this feeling, but for me all stories, whether sci-fi or horror, or any genre really, are about the people---because human nature never changes. I found the story riveting and the world-building first rate.
I hope that this is only the first story of this dark and fascinating world. I feel that we have not even scratched the surface---the world of the machine would easily support a whole series of compelling novels and novellas.
5 stars.
June 15, 2014
This is the story of Ballard. As long as he can remember, life has been the Machine. It provides for them and they serve and worship it. Then one day a terrible accident occurs and he must make a perilous journey outside the Machine to the dark and mysterious area known as Marrow's Pit.
I started this with the intention of just reading a bit and then coming back to it. That didn't happen. I devoured the whole novella in one sitting. The story belted along without taking a breath until the end. The characters were likeable and fitted with the story. It wasn't out and out horror, but more what life would be like if we lived, breathed and worshipped the same entity and existed to serve its purpose. another great read from Keith and DarkFuse.
I started this with the intention of just reading a bit and then coming back to it. That didn't happen. I devoured the whole novella in one sitting. The story belted along without taking a breath until the end. The characters were likeable and fitted with the story. It wasn't out and out horror, but more what life would be like if we lived, breathed and worshipped the same entity and existed to serve its purpose. another great read from Keith and DarkFuse.
April 25, 2014
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you DarkFuse!
I have some problems with this short story. Actually a lot of problems. But my biggest one is that I’m fairly certain this story is a ripoff of another short story, The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster. Let me just show you what I mean...
Read the rest of this review at Written Among the Stars
I have some problems with this short story. Actually a lot of problems. But my biggest one is that I’m fairly certain this story is a ripoff of another short story, The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster. Let me just show you what I mean...
Read the rest of this review at Written Among the Stars
August 20, 2014
This is my first time reading anything by Deininger and it certainly won't be the last. While I was a little disappointed that the Machine wasn't the focus of the novella, Deininger's excellent writing style soon made me forget about that and lose myself in the story. Recommended!
February 16, 2014
hmmm. I was disappointed. I was hoping for a story more about The Machine and Marrow's Pit. However this was more of a story of spousal abuse centered around the Machine/Pit. It was OK.
January 24, 2014
This quick read is more like a novella or extended short story than a novel. The Machine provides work, shelter, and food to the people, protecting them from the harsh environment of the Maelstrom. The Machine has few exit points - no one leaves - and they all lead to Marrow's Pit, where the Machine's waste is deposited. Ballard has lived his whole life in the Machine and this story forces him to confront the reality of his deplorable situation after an accident. I enjoyed the pace of the story and learning about this bleak world, and I would have enjoyed even more.
This review is based on an advanced copy from netgalley.com. The book will be released March 11, 2014.
This review is based on an advanced copy from netgalley.com. The book will be released March 11, 2014.
March 28, 2014
The setting is the draw in this short novella. The Machine is a dreary collection of tunnels and sections within a mountain range that has housed a society of people for so long that everybody seems to have accepted their lot in life. Everybody except Ballard, whose father briefly introduced him as a child to Marrow’s Pit and what may exist beyond The Machine. This is a very character driven storyline, The Machine being one of the more intriguing characters. And one I hope to read more about in the future.
And the ending has me really wondering in what type of world this Machine exists. Oh yeah, we must read more about The Machine Mr. Deininger.
And the ending has me really wondering in what type of world this Machine exists. Oh yeah, we must read more about The Machine Mr. Deininger.
June 18, 2014
Marrow’s Pit is the third Keith Deininger work of fiction that I have read. This particular read only reinforced the perception that I have about Mr. Deininger – that he has a wonderfully bizarre and twisted imagination and can produce dynamic tales that you don’t frequently encounter – at least I don’t. Marrow’s Pit probably falls under the genre of Steampunk, a sub-category of fantasy horror that I have not explored (or even have an understanding of).
The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where the human race lives in subterranean dwellings connected by series of claustrophobic tunnels suggestive of interconnected submarines. The entire massive structure is powered by The Machine, some godlike mechanism developed before any of the current residents were born. No one knows what The Machine is or how it lives, but an intense theology surrounds its very essence.
The main character is Ballard, a manager of a maintenance crew who attends to the Machine. Poor Ballard is married to a woman he constantly demeans and emasculates him as a failure. After years of verbal abuse, he snaps and (accidentally) kills her with a single gunshot. There leads to a major problem: in the world of Marrow’s Pit, weapons are not allowed, and all crime is punishable by being tossed into Marrow’s Pit as sacrifice to The Machine. What is Ballard to do? He can’t go above ground where a monstrous storm rages constantly. He is so indecisive that he leaves his wife’s body in their bedroom. Time goes by, and she starts to, well…decay. The plot is on.
The story is a rather simple one. But the emotional turmoil of Ballard is well-described. His anguish and terror is overwhelming, but then so is the smell. Everything is intense in this novella. The feeling of being trapped in this underground world never leaves the reader. I couldn’t escape a feeling of dread as Ballard descended into madness. Even the smell of oil and the sounds of hissing steam and hydraulics permeated Ballard’s account. The author created an entire environment that took hold and wouldn’t let me go. Overall, this short novella is rich in detail and experience. And, the latter is quite creepy. Highly recommended.
The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where the human race lives in subterranean dwellings connected by series of claustrophobic tunnels suggestive of interconnected submarines. The entire massive structure is powered by The Machine, some godlike mechanism developed before any of the current residents were born. No one knows what The Machine is or how it lives, but an intense theology surrounds its very essence.
The main character is Ballard, a manager of a maintenance crew who attends to the Machine. Poor Ballard is married to a woman he constantly demeans and emasculates him as a failure. After years of verbal abuse, he snaps and (accidentally) kills her with a single gunshot. There leads to a major problem: in the world of Marrow’s Pit, weapons are not allowed, and all crime is punishable by being tossed into Marrow’s Pit as sacrifice to The Machine. What is Ballard to do? He can’t go above ground where a monstrous storm rages constantly. He is so indecisive that he leaves his wife’s body in their bedroom. Time goes by, and she starts to, well…decay. The plot is on.
The story is a rather simple one. But the emotional turmoil of Ballard is well-described. His anguish and terror is overwhelming, but then so is the smell. Everything is intense in this novella. The feeling of being trapped in this underground world never leaves the reader. I couldn’t escape a feeling of dread as Ballard descended into madness. Even the smell of oil and the sounds of hissing steam and hydraulics permeated Ballard’s account. The author created an entire environment that took hold and wouldn’t let me go. Overall, this short novella is rich in detail and experience. And, the latter is quite creepy. Highly recommended.
March 22, 2014
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...
After thoroughly enjoying the last few DarkFuse novellas I read, I was slightly dissapointed by Marrow’s Pit. Based on the title and back blurb, you’d expect that the Machine plays a major part in the book. I was hoping to find out more about the Machine, curious to see what it could do, and what its purpose was.
Unfortunately the Machine only plays a minor part in the book. The largest part of the book is about Ballard, an employee who spends his time maintaining the machine. His wife is a horribe person who constantly whines to him and calls him names, so Ballard lives under constant stress, and he’s depressed. But then a tragedy happens, and spineless Ballard is unsure how to handle it, so he…does nothing. That is, until others find out, and he’s forced to do something he never thought he’d do.
Ballard is an unlikeable protagonist. His wife is terrible. She has no good word for anyone, lest alone Ballard. We see glimpses of their past together, of how they fall in love, although I wondered to what end. The people we see today are strikingly different from the people Ballard and his wife were in the past. Due to his wife’s constant nagging, Ballard has become spineless, not truly a man, incapable of making any decisions, not even quite like an adult. When the ‘bad thing’ happens, Ballard tries to cover it up, and most of the story involves about that, and what he does when the truth does come out.
The Machine, the dystopian setting, that’s all just background and scenery that doesn’t really add to the story. The story could’ve been set in the seventies, in the nineties, or even in present day in the ordinary world, and it would still mostly be the same. Dissapointing, because the Machine sounded and its impact on daily life definitely sounded interesting.
The writing was good, but the story felt like ‘been there, done that’. The characters didn’t hold my interest, and I didn’t really care about what happened to Ballard.
After thoroughly enjoying the last few DarkFuse novellas I read, I was slightly dissapointed by Marrow’s Pit. Based on the title and back blurb, you’d expect that the Machine plays a major part in the book. I was hoping to find out more about the Machine, curious to see what it could do, and what its purpose was.
Unfortunately the Machine only plays a minor part in the book. The largest part of the book is about Ballard, an employee who spends his time maintaining the machine. His wife is a horribe person who constantly whines to him and calls him names, so Ballard lives under constant stress, and he’s depressed. But then a tragedy happens, and spineless Ballard is unsure how to handle it, so he…does nothing. That is, until others find out, and he’s forced to do something he never thought he’d do.
Ballard is an unlikeable protagonist. His wife is terrible. She has no good word for anyone, lest alone Ballard. We see glimpses of their past together, of how they fall in love, although I wondered to what end. The people we see today are strikingly different from the people Ballard and his wife were in the past. Due to his wife’s constant nagging, Ballard has become spineless, not truly a man, incapable of making any decisions, not even quite like an adult. When the ‘bad thing’ happens, Ballard tries to cover it up, and most of the story involves about that, and what he does when the truth does come out.
The Machine, the dystopian setting, that’s all just background and scenery that doesn’t really add to the story. The story could’ve been set in the seventies, in the nineties, or even in present day in the ordinary world, and it would still mostly be the same. Dissapointing, because the Machine sounded and its impact on daily life definitely sounded interesting.
The writing was good, but the story felt like ‘been there, done that’. The characters didn’t hold my interest, and I didn’t really care about what happened to Ballard.
March 13, 2014
Here is the synopsis of this book:
Built to encompass the entire range of lifeless mountains, it had always, relentlessly, clanked on and on. Within, vast halls and endless corridors were filled with the sounds of metal on metal, with hissing steam, with squealing gears. In the eyes of its citizens, it was sacred, deified, omniscient. Enshrined in their mythology for innumerable generations, it had gone by countless designations, but its truest name was perhaps its plainest: the Machine.
For Ballard, the Machine is a place of tedium, and ignorance, and cruelty. He sees little use in his mundane job and secretly questions the purpose of the Machine. When tragedy strikes, Ballard is forced to embark on a paranoid journey that will take him outside of the Machine, and everything he's ever known, over the edge into darkness,
past the point of no return…toward the blackness known as Marrow's Pit.
SO, I requested this book on NetGalley because after reading the above description, it sounded intriguing and I thought I might enjoy it. However, the book isn't really about the Machine or Marrow's Pit. They're mentioned. But the book is mainly about Ballard and his relationship with his verbally abusive wife.
I thought that the story was well written. The author is very talented. However, I just wasn't super impressed. It wasn't a bad story.....just not really my cup of tea. I think I might would have liked it more if the story was more about The Machine and less about Ballard and Laura.
I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.
Built to encompass the entire range of lifeless mountains, it had always, relentlessly, clanked on and on. Within, vast halls and endless corridors were filled with the sounds of metal on metal, with hissing steam, with squealing gears. In the eyes of its citizens, it was sacred, deified, omniscient. Enshrined in their mythology for innumerable generations, it had gone by countless designations, but its truest name was perhaps its plainest: the Machine.
For Ballard, the Machine is a place of tedium, and ignorance, and cruelty. He sees little use in his mundane job and secretly questions the purpose of the Machine. When tragedy strikes, Ballard is forced to embark on a paranoid journey that will take him outside of the Machine, and everything he's ever known, over the edge into darkness,
past the point of no return…toward the blackness known as Marrow's Pit.
SO, I requested this book on NetGalley because after reading the above description, it sounded intriguing and I thought I might enjoy it. However, the book isn't really about the Machine or Marrow's Pit. They're mentioned. But the book is mainly about Ballard and his relationship with his verbally abusive wife.
I thought that the story was well written. The author is very talented. However, I just wasn't super impressed. It wasn't a bad story.....just not really my cup of tea. I think I might would have liked it more if the story was more about The Machine and less about Ballard and Laura.
I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.
January 11, 2014
ARC for review.
The Machine is....everything. It's the whole world and the entire population is needed to keep it going. What's beyond The Machine? Anything?
Very much enjoyed parts of this dark fiction novella. Descriptions of The Machine and the Maelstrom were well done and I only wish there had been more of that, less standard story of love gone horribly wrong. I also wasn't crazy about the ending - the ambiguity was fine, and perhaps it needed more, rather than the final scene. Well-written.
The Machine is....everything. It's the whole world and the entire population is needed to keep it going. What's beyond The Machine? Anything?
Very much enjoyed parts of this dark fiction novella. Descriptions of The Machine and the Maelstrom were well done and I only wish there had been more of that, less standard story of love gone horribly wrong. I also wasn't crazy about the ending - the ambiguity was fine, and perhaps it needed more, rather than the final scene. Well-written.
August 13, 2016
i am giving this a 4 star rating because, despite it being gross and creepy and totally NOT my thing, it was compelling and kept me going to the very last paragraph...for someone that enjoys this sort of thing, i imagine they would find it very well executed...plot progression was tight, character development, despite the compressed timeline, was well done and coherent and the world building was interesting and original...
reviewed in exchange for the Arc, my thanks to the author and publisher for the opportunity
reviewed in exchange for the Arc, my thanks to the author and publisher for the opportunity
August 9, 2016
On a planet cursed with endless storms, a city thrives inside The Machine. The Machine is all encompassing. The Machine has always been.
Ballard is a furnace operator inside The Machine. Ballard has a marital problem.
Deininger has some great ideas with this semi-dystopian world. He is very descriptive. You can taste the grit and feel the pains of the workers. But, I thought the story was just okay. He got a little more atmospheric than I normally appreciate.
3 STARS
Ballard is a furnace operator inside The Machine. Ballard has a marital problem.
Deininger has some great ideas with this semi-dystopian world. He is very descriptive. You can taste the grit and feel the pains of the workers. But, I thought the story was just okay. He got a little more atmospheric than I normally appreciate.
3 STARS
July 19, 2014
My first Keith Deininger read and certainly not my last. I was initially confused as to why this was selected as a DarkFuse selection but as I read further there was no question Shane selected wisely. DarkFuse selects novellas and novels that don't fit the mold; that are unique and Marrow's Pit is unique. Only downside was, in my opinion, the abrupt ending but I've made my peace with that as well. On to Fevered Hills by this same author...
July 5, 2015
This novella is set in a dystopian civilization.The protagonist,Ballard,is not happy and satisfied living there and with the life he has.He wants to know what's beyond the limits of it.In this novella,integrated in the Ballard's story are subjects like fanaticism,ignorance..." diseases " that appear when a society doesn't work well.Good and interesting book.Very recommended.
March 17, 2016
Marrow's Pit, like all of Keith Deininger's work is larger on the inside than the outside. Everything in this thought-provoking novel is not as it seems. Turn off the spouse and kids, Put your cell phone in the freezer and prepare to wrap your mind around another excellent novella by one of my favorite authors.
I loved it.
I loved it.
December 11, 2014
This is a book full of invention and all that is original. This is my first read by this author but I will read more written by him. I normally do not read fantasy but this book may convert me. A well written story and fine characters.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review***
I received this book in exchange for an honest review***
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