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The O.D.
A virgin landmass is ‘extruded’ into the Bay of Biscay by a solar-tidal magmatic pulse. Waiting to claim the emerging island are 80 people in a flotilla of trussed up barges with supplies to last a year. Who are these accidental tourists? How did they know the island would be surfacing? And what do they plan to do with it if their claim to sovereignty is accepted by the world community? Racy and thought-provoking, The O.D. paints a picture of how humanity’s rush to self-destruction could be halted, given the global will to take a colossal leap… backwards.
- GenresScience Fiction
373 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 11, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 15, 2022
When impecunious Lonnie Pilot, from the backwaters of Cornwall, is offered a job by Forrest Vaalon, Director of the Institute for Geophysical Projections and a former work colleague of his grandfather, he’s interested. He’s given £50,000 to cover his initial preparation expenses, so why wouldn’t he be? The details of the ‘unique social experiment’ he’s being asked to lead are mind-boggling to say the least, but Pilot’s hooked, despite the possibility of an early death if the calculations for the venture are off in any way.
Which is why he, and 80-plus other souls, are found on a certain date sitting aboard a fleet of vessels in the Bay of Biscay awaiting the emergence of a landmass from beneath the waters. Eighty-six people hand-picked for their particular skills as experts in their profession of doctor, dentist or whatever, as well as their creativity and drive, to name but a few of the qualities needed to qualify for inclusion. In what? An attempt to create a new society, free of the corruption and poison of the existing world, the ills of which are documented through insertions into the main narrative showing climate change, air pollution and mankind’s gradual extinction of the natural world, to name but a few.
The attempts of Lonnie and his companions in farming and animal husbandry are documented, but this is no mere story of attempted self-sufficiency. A great percentage of their efforts go into fighting off the attempts, legal or otherwise, of the existing world to lay claim to this newly-emerged island. The strong-arm tactics of existing states, the underhand murder plots of criminals and the unwelcome incursion of religious fanatics all need to be met and repulsed in the years before the inhabitants of the new land lay out their conclusions on how to save the planet to a sceptical audience of representatives from the old world. Will it happen?
This book was recommended to me, and I never let a recommendation go unaddressed. Being a student of literature rather than science—because I was good at the former and lousy at the latter at school—much of the initial information on magnetic field loops, solar tides and heliospheric sheets went over my head. But I hung in there, and at a certain point the story grabbed me to the extent that I didn’t want to put it down. The machinations of governments to deprive these settlers of their new home disgusted me and yet didn’t surprise me. It’s a political book, and you may agree or wildly disagree with the suggestions of the measures needed to save the planet; it convinced me, though, and I have nothing but respect for the author in putting it together. Recommended.
Which is why he, and 80-plus other souls, are found on a certain date sitting aboard a fleet of vessels in the Bay of Biscay awaiting the emergence of a landmass from beneath the waters. Eighty-six people hand-picked for their particular skills as experts in their profession of doctor, dentist or whatever, as well as their creativity and drive, to name but a few of the qualities needed to qualify for inclusion. In what? An attempt to create a new society, free of the corruption and poison of the existing world, the ills of which are documented through insertions into the main narrative showing climate change, air pollution and mankind’s gradual extinction of the natural world, to name but a few.
The attempts of Lonnie and his companions in farming and animal husbandry are documented, but this is no mere story of attempted self-sufficiency. A great percentage of their efforts go into fighting off the attempts, legal or otherwise, of the existing world to lay claim to this newly-emerged island. The strong-arm tactics of existing states, the underhand murder plots of criminals and the unwelcome incursion of religious fanatics all need to be met and repulsed in the years before the inhabitants of the new land lay out their conclusions on how to save the planet to a sceptical audience of representatives from the old world. Will it happen?
This book was recommended to me, and I never let a recommendation go unaddressed. Being a student of literature rather than science—because I was good at the former and lousy at the latter at school—much of the initial information on magnetic field loops, solar tides and heliospheric sheets went over my head. But I hung in there, and at a certain point the story grabbed me to the extent that I didn’t want to put it down. The machinations of governments to deprive these settlers of their new home disgusted me and yet didn’t surprise me. It’s a political book, and you may agree or wildly disagree with the suggestions of the measures needed to save the planet; it convinced me, though, and I have nothing but respect for the author in putting it together. Recommended.
July 2, 2018
"A group of international idealists, led by a Cornish teacher, strap themselves to some barges, land on an emerging land mass in the Bay of Biscay, and create Utopia." That quote from a character, explaining who they are and what they are attempting to do neatly summarizes the book.
The notion of an emerging island, and its symbolism as a staging arena for a total redirecting of human culture, is fascinating, but in the end it just isn't very well written. The scope of what is being attempted is simply too unwieldy to be swallowed in one gulp, and the likelihood of humanity actually accepting the solutions proposed is infinitesimal.
The notion of an emerging island, and its symbolism as a staging arena for a total redirecting of human culture, is fascinating, but in the end it just isn't very well written. The scope of what is being attempted is simply too unwieldy to be swallowed in one gulp, and the likelihood of humanity actually accepting the solutions proposed is infinitesimal.
September 28, 2020
The O.D. came out in 2014 — and it’s ideas are more pertinent and pressing than ever. Not that this is a ‘preachy’ book. On the contrary, it’s a fast-paced speculative fiction, salted with convincing seagoing detail and science. A compelling cast of characters carry the story. Their quest, to create a better social order on an island newly risen off the coast of France (‘the beginning of the world is nigh!’)— makes this is a Swiss Family Robinson for our times. I found it massively enjoyable. Having read it, I straight away Googled the scientific propositions — and felt duly better informed. All in all a marvellous book.
January 16, 2020
Office of dismantlement, I didn’t know that was a word. The end of the world is nigh, no doubt about that. Not sure what I think, but completely sure old white men don’t have the answer.
August 25, 2015
This was an armageddon read! The end of the world story, the story of the decaying world in which we live, and how the spiraling of our world is now on its course. Can anything stop it, can this Eydos be the answer, can Pilot and his gang have the answers? These are many unanswered questions which the world population is not ready to address. The thought of it alone is so traumatizing that rather than address it, they would prefer to wallow and die in their state of fear than face and solve the problem of extinction staring them in the face.
Having said this, I must say that in as much as fearful as this story is, the underlying factor I see is that God, and His place in this story was not present. Whether we like it or not, this Earth was not formed by us. See how the Island of Eydos came up from nowhere, albeit from down under as the scientist tell us, but Pilot and his gang who took it over and populated it, did not control it, nor did they know how to keep it from returning to where it came from. That is where God comes into the picture. Even though at Eydos, one of the first thing they did was to eliminate God from their existence on the Island. Come on, you find yourself on an Island that rose from the bottom of the sea, over which you have no control, and the first thing you do is eliminate God?
That our world will eventually be quenched as you do a candle, snuffed out, is not a secret. The Holy books, no matter from which religion, have foretold it, so we know what is coming. Can we stop it? Why not! Take Nineveh for example. If only the people of the world will stop and repent and retrace their feet, and trust God. When we take God out of His world, out of the equation, then the world is on its own. It loses the hands holding it together. This is a book that leaves a lot for the thought. I believe that we can stop the spiraling of the world toward perdition, but not until we bring God back into the world He created. Until then, we all better get ready, for it will surely come. And when it happens, there will be no hiding place.
Having said this, I must say that in as much as fearful as this story is, the underlying factor I see is that God, and His place in this story was not present. Whether we like it or not, this Earth was not formed by us. See how the Island of Eydos came up from nowhere, albeit from down under as the scientist tell us, but Pilot and his gang who took it over and populated it, did not control it, nor did they know how to keep it from returning to where it came from. That is where God comes into the picture. Even though at Eydos, one of the first thing they did was to eliminate God from their existence on the Island. Come on, you find yourself on an Island that rose from the bottom of the sea, over which you have no control, and the first thing you do is eliminate God?
That our world will eventually be quenched as you do a candle, snuffed out, is not a secret. The Holy books, no matter from which religion, have foretold it, so we know what is coming. Can we stop it? Why not! Take Nineveh for example. If only the people of the world will stop and repent and retrace their feet, and trust God. When we take God out of His world, out of the equation, then the world is on its own. It loses the hands holding it together. This is a book that leaves a lot for the thought. I believe that we can stop the spiraling of the world toward perdition, but not until we bring God back into the world He created. Until then, we all better get ready, for it will surely come. And when it happens, there will be no hiding place.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2015
When a virgin landmass is extruded into the Bay of Biscay due to solar tidal magmatic pulses, 80+ people are waiting and ready to claim it as their own. With the backing of a rich and powerful ally, "Eydos" is thrown into a political maelstrom within hours of its birth. A near-penniless Cornish lad, Lonnie Pilot, ends up being the president of this small new country. Their aim is a simple one: to save planet earth from the destructive actions of man. This is a highly political book, with a premise that many will question, some will abhor, and others will love. Although lots of information is imparted within this novel, the author does it in such a way that it never feels like an information dump, or overload. The book is a fictional political treatise on saving the planet, but a cracking good read for all of that. I enjoyed this immensely, and the only thing that spoiled that enjoyment for me were the many instances of missing spaces between words, backwards quote marks, or missing quote marks. Otherwise, the narrative is well written and cleanly presented. Another annoyance was the constant name dropping within dialogue. This appears to be the author's first book, other than a collection of short stories from the 70s, and I have to give a huge thumbs up for such a great debut novel. I am eagerly awaiting the publication of his second book some time this year. Even with such a political book, and one filled with information, the pace is steady and offers a level of suspense and anticipation throughout, and the author managed to keep me guessing all the way. The O.D. gets a strong 4 stars from me.
March 28, 2016
We know that islands are still being formed through volcanic activity and mantel shifts. One video has been making its rounds on youtube which captured the birth of one of those. When that happens, it has the potential of being a new independent nation since it could possibly be out of the claims of nearest shores. Now imagine being able to predict its formation and being the first to lay claim to it. What sort of government would you set up? What would the terrain be like, and how could you develop it so it could support life? Could you protect it from profiteers, both corporate and political? James does an excellent job in unraveling a tale of such an opportunity. This scenario is what drew me to picking up this book. I want to underscore that I found the book well written bringing together the right balance of research, imagination, and style.
However, I found it ironic that he felt compelled to reject all societal systems—especially those of faith—but create his own savior of the world. That direction became apparent in the first chapter or two of the book. Had I known this and the fact James is an environmental activist promoting his philosophy in this story earlier, I might not have chosen this book to read. In the end, I enjoyed the journey and can recommend it to my friends but with that one plot spoiler.
However, I found it ironic that he felt compelled to reject all societal systems—especially those of faith—but create his own savior of the world. That direction became apparent in the first chapter or two of the book. Had I known this and the fact James is an environmental activist promoting his philosophy in this story earlier, I might not have chosen this book to read. In the end, I enjoyed the journey and can recommend it to my friends but with that one plot spoiler.
December 4, 2016
I thought it was interesting, but I can't believe mankind will let the world get to this point. It's not just greed and the 1% causing some of our issues, but let me get back to the book.
The formation of the island off the coast of France is interesting, and the suspicion of when it will occur, and how those in the know prepare for it, all is very interesting.. They know this place will last a few hundred years before it returns to the sea, which occurs at the end.
But you don't know if the world has changed, or if it is the same, or maybe even worse.
So, from my perspective, the author has an issue, which he wraps into a story. When you get to the end of this long story, there is no ending, except for the short lived island. Does mankind survive, or not?
Don't get me wrong, I agree the issue is very important, but for the length of time spent reading, I expect an ending, either good or bad. The novel On the Beach is about the end of man after a nuclear war. A great book that ends badly for man.
This is headed in the same direction, but the author stops and leaves me hanging.
The formation of the island off the coast of France is interesting, and the suspicion of when it will occur, and how those in the know prepare for it, all is very interesting.. They know this place will last a few hundred years before it returns to the sea, which occurs at the end.
But you don't know if the world has changed, or if it is the same, or maybe even worse.
So, from my perspective, the author has an issue, which he wraps into a story. When you get to the end of this long story, there is no ending, except for the short lived island. Does mankind survive, or not?
Don't get me wrong, I agree the issue is very important, but for the length of time spent reading, I expect an ending, either good or bad. The novel On the Beach is about the end of man after a nuclear war. A great book that ends badly for man.
This is headed in the same direction, but the author stops and leaves me hanging.
August 11, 2014
Full Review: http://www.thebookwormslibrary.com/?p...
This is one book that started out strong and deteriorated the father I went. It certainly has its good points — but it also has things about it that were simply annoying. I think the thing that I found particularly irritating was the fact that it is more a forum for political statements than fiction. James would have done better writing a political treatise, as opposed to trying to incorporate all of his political assertions into novel format. The political commentary covers everything from global warming to zero population — with every hot button in between. In the end, I started to feel like his only purpose in writing was to make blanket assertions on how to solve the world’s problems, with very little consideration for developing the story. I suspect that ultimately — those who agree with his political assertions will really love this book, while those that don’t (or don’t have an opinion about many of the issues) will find it only passingly interesting, if not outright horrible.
This is one book that started out strong and deteriorated the father I went. It certainly has its good points — but it also has things about it that were simply annoying. I think the thing that I found particularly irritating was the fact that it is more a forum for political statements than fiction. James would have done better writing a political treatise, as opposed to trying to incorporate all of his political assertions into novel format. The political commentary covers everything from global warming to zero population — with every hot button in between. In the end, I started to feel like his only purpose in writing was to make blanket assertions on how to solve the world’s problems, with very little consideration for developing the story. I suspect that ultimately — those who agree with his political assertions will really love this book, while those that don’t (or don’t have an opinion about many of the issues) will find it only passingly interesting, if not outright horrible.
August 12, 2014
I'm quite mixed on this book.
The O.D., by Chris James, begins as a bit of a thriller. Lonnie Pilot, a brilliant slacker is presented secret information in cloak-and-dagger meetings with a billionaire. New identities, a group formed in the shadows, leaving their lives behind, begins their journey into the open seas to await the arrival of their new home.
Then the thriller is completely abandoned, and this book takes on its ultimate objective: To present Earth's bleak future if all remain status-quo. James illustrates a pragmatic group of individuals who quietly find solutions to overpopulation, limited resources, and the direction humanity must take to survive.
The book shines light on the world's clashes of politics, culture, religion, and inequality. I don't think this book will have a broad appeal, but if you like the book description and/or any of the reviewer's comments - then why not give it a shot? I found it enjoyable, but lacking in action. It is interesting, for sure!
James is a capable writer and the editing was decent.
Read August 2014; Kindle Freebie
The O.D., by Chris James, begins as a bit of a thriller. Lonnie Pilot, a brilliant slacker is presented secret information in cloak-and-dagger meetings with a billionaire. New identities, a group formed in the shadows, leaving their lives behind, begins their journey into the open seas to await the arrival of their new home.
Then the thriller is completely abandoned, and this book takes on its ultimate objective: To present Earth's bleak future if all remain status-quo. James illustrates a pragmatic group of individuals who quietly find solutions to overpopulation, limited resources, and the direction humanity must take to survive.
The book shines light on the world's clashes of politics, culture, religion, and inequality. I don't think this book will have a broad appeal, but if you like the book description and/or any of the reviewer's comments - then why not give it a shot? I found it enjoyable, but lacking in action. It is interesting, for sure!
James is a capable writer and the editing was decent.
Read August 2014; Kindle Freebie
August 9, 2014
Boring
Boring
have you ever watched a movie and kept giving it ten more minutes to see if it would get better, or you'd have a better understanding of the plot?
That's what kind of book this is.
There is far too much talking, plotting, and planning, and non existent action or excitement. Even when the island emerges, it is so anticlimactic, I should have taken it as a sign to stop reading. Instead, I gave it ten minutes more.
But when I started skipping chapters, I had to concede that there was nothing about the story to waste any more time on. The characters are dull, and even the main one lends no endearing qualities to attach the reader to him or cheer him on. The plot of a new world growing in the fog of a dying one is lacklustre at best..
If you find the idea of sitting in on a meeting at the UN exciting, perhaps this is a book for you. Otherwise don't bother.
Boring
have you ever watched a movie and kept giving it ten more minutes to see if it would get better, or you'd have a better understanding of the plot?
That's what kind of book this is.
There is far too much talking, plotting, and planning, and non existent action or excitement. Even when the island emerges, it is so anticlimactic, I should have taken it as a sign to stop reading. Instead, I gave it ten minutes more.
But when I started skipping chapters, I had to concede that there was nothing about the story to waste any more time on. The characters are dull, and even the main one lends no endearing qualities to attach the reader to him or cheer him on. The plot of a new world growing in the fog of a dying one is lacklustre at best..
If you find the idea of sitting in on a meeting at the UN exciting, perhaps this is a book for you. Otherwise don't bother.
March 25, 2024
I can not stop recommending this book. Definitely 5 stars!!!!
If you are an environmentalist this is the book for you.
What may come...
2024. Book club read this: Lively discussion even with those who did not finish. READ THIS BOOK
If you are an environmentalist this is the book for you.
What may come...
2024. Book club read this: Lively discussion even with those who did not finish. READ THIS BOOK
August 18, 2014
Unique storyline
Unique storyline
Very unique story. My interest did wane in the middle of the story though. Would consider reading other books by this author.
Unique storyline
Very unique story. My interest did wane in the middle of the story though. Would consider reading other books by this author.
August 9, 2014
Interesting premise that leaves you wondering if it would work.
August 19, 2014
A good story that's well written. If it just hadn't ended up being about all that Agenda 21 bull.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews