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Colossus
For fans of psychological SF novels like THE GONE WORLD and SIX WAKES
Economics professor Clay West has always explained the world through the lens of his profession. But after his girlfriend Karla takes Dying Wish—a drug that supposedly reveals the nature of reality moments before it claims your life—Clay is devastated. No amount of rationalization can explain Karla's actions.
Distraught, Clay joins a mission into the dark emptiness of space where answers are promised to reside. But when the ship begins to malfunction, Clay and the surviving crew members suspect there's more to the mission than they've been told. They've been lied to, and they're drifting into dead space.
Clay's memories of Karla haunt him even more than the ship's chaos, and there's something wrong with his he has too many. The ship's Al tells Clay his false memories are a normal side-effect of the hibernation, but to Clay, the memories suggest something far more insidious.
He's been on this ship before...
Economics professor Clay West has always explained the world through the lens of his profession. But after his girlfriend Karla takes Dying Wish—a drug that supposedly reveals the nature of reality moments before it claims your life—Clay is devastated. No amount of rationalization can explain Karla's actions.
Distraught, Clay joins a mission into the dark emptiness of space where answers are promised to reside. But when the ship begins to malfunction, Clay and the surviving crew members suspect there's more to the mission than they've been told. They've been lied to, and they're drifting into dead space.
Clay's memories of Karla haunt him even more than the ship's chaos, and there's something wrong with his he has too many. The ship's Al tells Clay his false memories are a normal side-effect of the hibernation, but to Clay, the memories suggest something far more insidious.
He's been on this ship before...
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First published March 1, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
January 12, 2024
(I received an ARC from the publisher. This did not affect my review.)
Well, Ryan Leslie has done it again, the magnificent bastard. After twisting our brains (and fear nuggets*) into pretzels in THE BETWEEN, he goes and puts those same brains onto the ol’ taffy twister in COLOSSUS.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: while sci-fi and I get along just fine, we’re more passing acquaintances than dear friends. We’ll stop and say hello if we see each other at the grocery store, but we don’t generally make dinner plans and I don’t even know sci-fi’s kids’ names (though I know one of them is a real asshole at school, apparently, because that kid is in my kid’s class).
And yet, COLOSSUS had me engrossed. I already knew that Leslie could do creepy and unsettling exceptionally well, but here he adds layers of character-driven narrative and mind-lovemakery (this is a PG review page, folks…well, except for the fact that I used a swear up above, but ignore that) that result in a distinctively different kind of story.
The humans have always found the topic of consciousness fascinating. I suspect that won’t change as we confront the question of what it means to be conscious, sentient, and aware in new ways.
Let’s hope all such literary forays are as engaging as this one.
*This is the part of your body that shrinks up and feels icky when you’re scared. For me, it’s my sigmoid colon. Yours may be different.
Well, Ryan Leslie has done it again, the magnificent bastard. After twisting our brains (and fear nuggets*) into pretzels in THE BETWEEN, he goes and puts those same brains onto the ol’ taffy twister in COLOSSUS.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: while sci-fi and I get along just fine, we’re more passing acquaintances than dear friends. We’ll stop and say hello if we see each other at the grocery store, but we don’t generally make dinner plans and I don’t even know sci-fi’s kids’ names (though I know one of them is a real asshole at school, apparently, because that kid is in my kid’s class).
And yet, COLOSSUS had me engrossed. I already knew that Leslie could do creepy and unsettling exceptionally well, but here he adds layers of character-driven narrative and mind-lovemakery (this is a PG review page, folks…well, except for the fact that I used a swear up above, but ignore that) that result in a distinctively different kind of story.
The humans have always found the topic of consciousness fascinating. I suspect that won’t change as we confront the question of what it means to be conscious, sentient, and aware in new ways.
Let’s hope all such literary forays are as engaging as this one.
*This is the part of your body that shrinks up and feels icky when you’re scared. For me, it’s my sigmoid colon. Yours may be different.
January 22, 2024
From my blurb:
“COLOSSUS is one of those books that rewires your brain as you read it—a stellar work of intelligence and imagination that had me flipping pages almost quicker than I could read them. This is science fiction that harnesses the wonder of the universe and I will read anything else that Ryan Leslie conjures.”
But let me add that you can feel Ryan's passion for the subjects and concepts in the book. It's a love story, sure, but it's not just about the one between the main characters. This exploration of human knowledge, potential and tragedy feels like a love letter to the the universe.
“COLOSSUS is one of those books that rewires your brain as you read it—a stellar work of intelligence and imagination that had me flipping pages almost quicker than I could read them. This is science fiction that harnesses the wonder of the universe and I will read anything else that Ryan Leslie conjures.”
But let me add that you can feel Ryan's passion for the subjects and concepts in the book. It's a love story, sure, but it's not just about the one between the main characters. This exploration of human knowledge, potential and tragedy feels like a love letter to the the universe.
January 28, 2024
ARC for review. To be published March 26, 2024.
Clay West is an economics professor at the University of Texas. He’s dating Karla, one of his students (ick) and she becomes enthralled with and then takes a drug called Dying Wish which allegedly allows one to see the meaning behind it all just before one’s immediate death. Once Karla is dead Clay is devastated and joins a space mission to get answers.
On board the Child in the Dark Clay’s deep sleep pod wakes him and several other crewmates eight years too early. The rest of the crew is killed, and that includes anyone who might have known their real purpose. The remaining crew, along with AI Justine are left to muddle on. But are they really alone on the ship?
Sounds pretty good, huh? Well, this is only a small portion at the beginning of the book. Then cut to a huge section about quantum mechanics and the scientists who love it. Then back to Clay. Kind of. It’s all very meta. And confusing. I struggled with it and this was definitely a miss for me.
Clay West is an economics professor at the University of Texas. He’s dating Karla, one of his students (ick) and she becomes enthralled with and then takes a drug called Dying Wish which allegedly allows one to see the meaning behind it all just before one’s immediate death. Once Karla is dead Clay is devastated and joins a space mission to get answers.
On board the Child in the Dark Clay’s deep sleep pod wakes him and several other crewmates eight years too early. The rest of the crew is killed, and that includes anyone who might have known their real purpose. The remaining crew, along with AI Justine are left to muddle on. But are they really alone on the ship?
Sounds pretty good, huh? Well, this is only a small portion at the beginning of the book. Then cut to a huge section about quantum mechanics and the scientists who love it. Then back to Clay. Kind of. It’s all very meta. And confusing. I struggled with it and this was definitely a miss for me.
March 26, 2024
Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.
Pros: Epic, visionary, intriguing blend of fringe science, parallel realities and horror.
Cons: Complex. Requires suspension of disbelief (which is pretty much the norm with sci-fi anyway). Some characters aren't exactly likeable. The ending is open to interpretations.
WARNING! Horror and gore/body horror/bodily fluids. Violence/murder. Drugs/suicide. Heavy drinking.
Will appeal to: Those who have a thing for parallel realities. Those who enjoy tense and imaginative science fiction that pushes the limits.
First off...DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary eARC from the author, since I had already enjoyed and reviewed his debut novel The Between in 2021. This didn't influence my review in any way.
LARGER THAN LIVES
On his site, Ryan Leslie states that it took him ten years to complete this novel, and let me tell you, I'm not at all surprised. Colossus is an ambitious blend of genres and ideas, spanning Earth, space and parallel universes/converging realities, clones and AI wars, science and philosophy, and last but not least, love and loss. It could have gone very well or very badly, but luckily, the result is impressive, and far less challenging that one might think (I mean, it's still a complex book, but you won't get lost while reading it). Putting his own twist on quantum science and the many-worlds theory, Leslie came up with a story where the scientific angle is just as prominent as the human one, since the two characters/forces that clash during the course of the novel and ultimately engage in a life-or-death battle are - net of the science and the technology that laid the groundwork for such a battle - the product of very human emotions. And I found it fit that the author would devote the first two thirds of his story respectively to the hero's and the villain's genesis (though Clay's section is a mix of real-time plot and flashbacks) - I mean, the general consensus seems to be that Part 2 is a tad too long, or too complex, or less intriguing, but after a couple of chapters, I started to vibe with it, and I ended up finding it both necessary and enjoyable...not to mention, funny at times. The last third is kind of an acid trip in the best way (which I suppose it indeed is, since the infamous Dying Wish makes an apparition 😂), a poignant yet sharp climax steeped in quantum physic and wrapped in a horror nightmare, and if you're into this sort of stuff, it's guaranteed to make your pulse race. [...]
Whole review here.
Pros: Epic, visionary, intriguing blend of fringe science, parallel realities and horror.
Cons: Complex. Requires suspension of disbelief (which is pretty much the norm with sci-fi anyway). Some characters aren't exactly likeable. The ending is open to interpretations.
WARNING! Horror and gore/body horror/bodily fluids. Violence/murder. Drugs/suicide. Heavy drinking.
Will appeal to: Those who have a thing for parallel realities. Those who enjoy tense and imaginative science fiction that pushes the limits.
First off...DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary eARC from the author, since I had already enjoyed and reviewed his debut novel The Between in 2021. This didn't influence my review in any way.
LARGER THAN LIVES
On his site, Ryan Leslie states that it took him ten years to complete this novel, and let me tell you, I'm not at all surprised. Colossus is an ambitious blend of genres and ideas, spanning Earth, space and parallel universes/converging realities, clones and AI wars, science and philosophy, and last but not least, love and loss. It could have gone very well or very badly, but luckily, the result is impressive, and far less challenging that one might think (I mean, it's still a complex book, but you won't get lost while reading it). Putting his own twist on quantum science and the many-worlds theory, Leslie came up with a story where the scientific angle is just as prominent as the human one, since the two characters/forces that clash during the course of the novel and ultimately engage in a life-or-death battle are - net of the science and the technology that laid the groundwork for such a battle - the product of very human emotions. And I found it fit that the author would devote the first two thirds of his story respectively to the hero's and the villain's genesis (though Clay's section is a mix of real-time plot and flashbacks) - I mean, the general consensus seems to be that Part 2 is a tad too long, or too complex, or less intriguing, but after a couple of chapters, I started to vibe with it, and I ended up finding it both necessary and enjoyable...not to mention, funny at times. The last third is kind of an acid trip in the best way (which I suppose it indeed is, since the infamous Dying Wish makes an apparition 😂), a poignant yet sharp climax steeped in quantum physic and wrapped in a horror nightmare, and if you're into this sort of stuff, it's guaranteed to make your pulse race. [...]
Whole review here.
January 27, 2024
I got this book from Netgalley.. And the thoughts I've shared here is completely my own.
I rarely read science fiction, once or twice a year and this was the first one. Ryan, you literally blew my mind. Even when I was working I'd be eager to read it.
Part 1: Clay was our usual hero. I actually liked the fact that by the end of Part 1 he decided to go into the TET because he had had enough. Justine is my favorite. She is a good AI and loved how she was loyal to Clay. Never liked Eric and Susan. I felt bad for father K. And Mirable was strong. The last part where Justine said in a muffled voice was sad.
Part 2: This one was taken from Esteban's journal. We read about Lisa, Gabriel, Julian and Esteban. I believe that this was required. We needed more background info. I liked the Shakespeare, Harry Potter the most here. Project Oberon was an interesting read. Well, in between the past we get back to present on the child in the dark as well but it is terrifying to read. Here, my fav ch was ch 27, the video transcript.
Part 3: Clay is back, we see Justine in her interface. Justine tries to explain how, what was it. So initially clay and Justine are dead, they now clay-many and Justine-many. Disheartening to read but interesting. He sees Karla again. Justine saves him and they are on their way to Colossus. When Esteban came back, I guess it was obvious that he wanted to be a human again. Well, Susan's death is horrific. Clay is really smart. Because as u read towards the end you'll get a better clarity on it! Esteban as demon was just wow! Father K really gave the priestly vibes in here. The end, was just... I don't have exact words but yes it made me want more.. So many things happen here. I liked the epilogue too.
The most shocking thing for me is towards the end when Karla says that Esteban protected her and tried to send her back to Clay.
The nano plague was terrifying and I hate spiders.
This part is crazy.. I liked the references made of Airavat and Indra, savitri and satyavan.
Tip: Give it a read but read it slowly, don't rush or just skim through it. Every single thing in here is important.
I rarely read science fiction, once or twice a year and this was the first one. Ryan, you literally blew my mind. Even when I was working I'd be eager to read it.
Part 1: Clay was our usual hero. I actually liked the fact that by the end of Part 1 he decided to go into the TET because he had had enough. Justine is my favorite. She is a good AI and loved how she was loyal to Clay. Never liked Eric and Susan. I felt bad for father K. And Mirable was strong. The last part where Justine said in a muffled voice was sad.
Part 2: This one was taken from Esteban's journal. We read about Lisa, Gabriel, Julian and Esteban. I believe that this was required. We needed more background info. I liked the Shakespeare, Harry Potter the most here. Project Oberon was an interesting read. Well, in between the past we get back to present on the child in the dark as well but it is terrifying to read. Here, my fav ch was ch 27, the video transcript.
Part 3: Clay is back, we see Justine in her interface. Justine tries to explain how, what was it. So initially clay and Justine are dead, they now clay-many and Justine-many. Disheartening to read but interesting. He sees Karla again. Justine saves him and they are on their way to Colossus. When Esteban came back, I guess it was obvious that he wanted to be a human again. Well, Susan's death is horrific. Clay is really smart. Because as u read towards the end you'll get a better clarity on it! Esteban as demon was just wow! Father K really gave the priestly vibes in here. The end, was just... I don't have exact words but yes it made me want more.. So many things happen here. I liked the epilogue too.
The most shocking thing for me is towards the end when Karla says that Esteban protected her and tried to send her back to Clay.
The nano plague was terrifying and I hate spiders.
This part is crazy.. I liked the references made of Airavat and Indra, savitri and satyavan.
Tip: Give it a read but read it slowly, don't rush or just skim through it. Every single thing in here is important.
January 24, 2024
Absolutely mind bending!
I don't tend to read a lot of sci-fi but the synopsis caught my attention. And wow! This hard sci-fi book encompasses everything! From cryogenic space travel, AI, and quantum physics; to psychodelic drugs and philosophy, to parallel universes, and beyond! I won't go into the plot because I believe this is the type of novel which is best read going in blind.
Leslie seems to know his science. And it is explained so well that it's easy to comprehend, unlike some other hard sci-fi novels. I could go on and on about this novel as there were so many layers and complexities to it. The only thing I had a little trouble with was the middle of the story when things got a little bit slow, when we're given the backstory, and there were even (cringe) footnotes. However, even though they slowed the story down even more, I thought they ultimately did add to the story.
If you love sci-fi, get this novel!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I don't tend to read a lot of sci-fi but the synopsis caught my attention. And wow! This hard sci-fi book encompasses everything! From cryogenic space travel, AI, and quantum physics; to psychodelic drugs and philosophy, to parallel universes, and beyond! I won't go into the plot because I believe this is the type of novel which is best read going in blind.
Leslie seems to know his science. And it is explained so well that it's easy to comprehend, unlike some other hard sci-fi novels. I could go on and on about this novel as there were so many layers and complexities to it. The only thing I had a little trouble with was the middle of the story when things got a little bit slow, when we're given the backstory, and there were even (cringe) footnotes. However, even though they slowed the story down even more, I thought they ultimately did add to the story.
If you love sci-fi, get this novel!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 24, 2024
Actual Rating: 2.5/5 stars
I’ve been on a “cerebral-sci-fi-kick” for a few months now, so when this independently published novel’s synopsis came to my attention, I immediately felt like it might just scratch that itch. Although I was fascinated and by the themes and ideas explored here, I was ultimately left with mixed feelings overall.
The Story:
We follow Clay, an economics professor whom rationally centered life is uprooted by the passing of his wife Karla, by her own hand. Karla, equally filled with scientific curiosity as himself, has taken an elusive drug called Dying Wish, which supposedly reveals the nature of reality moments before it claims your life. This loss drives Clay on a quest for answers. A quest that will eventually lead him to the deepest recesses of space, and his own memory alike…
What I loved:
Our story is told in three parts, and throughout the first part I was utterly engrossed. We are introduced to Karla and Clay, as well as the world and the themes that will be explored throughout. Without going into full-spoilers; this book dives heavily into the philosophical and cerebral side of science fiction. There are no gun-blazing space-battles here. Instead, we’re quickly entrapped in a web of multiverses, parallel realities and the concept of “quantum immortality”. The set-up is fascinating and hooked me in. Unfortunately, the story didn’t fully fulfill the promise of its premise.
What I didn’t love:
In the second part, we find Clay as one of the few survivors of a hibernation-failure aboard a space-vessel; his only companion being an AI that prompts him to question everything he thinks he knows. The interactions between the AI and Clay are supposed to feel philosophical, but due to the way they’re written, felt extremely flat and tedious to me. I honestly lost a lot of steam throughout this second part and had to push myself to keep reading, hoping for a satisfying ending. That only partially delivered…
Overall, this novel does a great job of asking questions, and a rather poor one at answering any of them. That might be by design, but I’m not sure Colossus pulled it off. Often, leaving unanswered questions only works if the story convinced me enough that the author knows the answers, but deliberately choses to withhold them from the reader. In this case, I wasn’t convinced the author knew that himself…
Additionally, it didn’t help that the author tried to cram in so many classic sci-fi themes into one story. Every new element subtracted from the strength and coherence of it all, rather than adding to it. I’d have preferred if the author had chosen a single topic to explore in depth, rather than skimming over so many briefly.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve been on a “cerebral-sci-fi-kick” for a few months now, so when this independently published novel’s synopsis came to my attention, I immediately felt like it might just scratch that itch. Although I was fascinated and by the themes and ideas explored here, I was ultimately left with mixed feelings overall.
The Story:
We follow Clay, an economics professor whom rationally centered life is uprooted by the passing of his wife Karla, by her own hand. Karla, equally filled with scientific curiosity as himself, has taken an elusive drug called Dying Wish, which supposedly reveals the nature of reality moments before it claims your life. This loss drives Clay on a quest for answers. A quest that will eventually lead him to the deepest recesses of space, and his own memory alike…
What I loved:
Our story is told in three parts, and throughout the first part I was utterly engrossed. We are introduced to Karla and Clay, as well as the world and the themes that will be explored throughout. Without going into full-spoilers; this book dives heavily into the philosophical and cerebral side of science fiction. There are no gun-blazing space-battles here. Instead, we’re quickly entrapped in a web of multiverses, parallel realities and the concept of “quantum immortality”. The set-up is fascinating and hooked me in. Unfortunately, the story didn’t fully fulfill the promise of its premise.
What I didn’t love:
In the second part, we find Clay as one of the few survivors of a hibernation-failure aboard a space-vessel; his only companion being an AI that prompts him to question everything he thinks he knows. The interactions between the AI and Clay are supposed to feel philosophical, but due to the way they’re written, felt extremely flat and tedious to me. I honestly lost a lot of steam throughout this second part and had to push myself to keep reading, hoping for a satisfying ending. That only partially delivered…
Overall, this novel does a great job of asking questions, and a rather poor one at answering any of them. That might be by design, but I’m not sure Colossus pulled it off. Often, leaving unanswered questions only works if the story convinced me enough that the author knows the answers, but deliberately choses to withhold them from the reader. In this case, I wasn’t convinced the author knew that himself…
Additionally, it didn’t help that the author tried to cram in so many classic sci-fi themes into one story. Every new element subtracted from the strength and coherence of it all, rather than adding to it. I’d have preferred if the author had chosen a single topic to explore in depth, rather than skimming over so many briefly.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
March 22, 2024
Down the Rabbit Hole....
I honestly don't know what to make of this book. Some parts are brilliant, some parts are very confusing and some parts are downright boring. It's a strange mixture, and I get the impression that it's more of a thought experiment than a story. At least that's how it felt to me.
Clay - not just a name, of course, because life on Earth originated from clay minerals that served as catalysts - wakes up alone on a spaceship. His fiancée has died from some kind of mind-altering drug - Dying Wish - that allows you to contemplate everything in the universe. Since it is a one-time trip and leads to death immediately after ingestion, it is the last thing you can do.
So Clay wakes up eight years early from a 'glass sleep' caused by a malfunction on the ship that was on its way to the Van Oort Cloud. Some of other crewmembers died in their ‘tombs.’
This is not a problem in itself, as there is also an ‘mirror’ AI that has stored these people in nano-thin slices in the library, which it can use to create a kind of 'replicant' that can ‘function’ for a few months.
Meanwhile, questions arise as to what went wrong on the ship, why Clay woke up too soon, and why people died.
The author incorporates logical questions into the narrative. As a reader I sometimes wondered in which (‘mirror?’) reality I was in, the world before, the reality of Dying Wish or on the ship?
I found parts fascinating and enjoyed the conversations with Justine, as a female HAL2000. A rather philosophical, labyrinthine SF , with mirror multiverses , - hinting towards Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) and Borges perhaps, and appearing to be some kind of mix between Interstellar & Space Odyssey.
Although the book has an interesting theme, I can only give it three stars because of its complexity. At times, it reads like a physics lecture or a thesis in philosophy of science, which makes it difficult to follow. I initially found the complexity intriguing. Sometimes I just want a lovely story to sink into, and this was too confusing at times for that.
I honestly don't know what to make of this book. Some parts are brilliant, some parts are very confusing and some parts are downright boring. It's a strange mixture, and I get the impression that it's more of a thought experiment than a story. At least that's how it felt to me.
Clay - not just a name, of course, because life on Earth originated from clay minerals that served as catalysts - wakes up alone on a spaceship. His fiancée has died from some kind of mind-altering drug - Dying Wish - that allows you to contemplate everything in the universe. Since it is a one-time trip and leads to death immediately after ingestion, it is the last thing you can do.
So Clay wakes up eight years early from a 'glass sleep' caused by a malfunction on the ship that was on its way to the Van Oort Cloud. Some of other crewmembers died in their ‘tombs.’
This is not a problem in itself, as there is also an ‘mirror’ AI that has stored these people in nano-thin slices in the library, which it can use to create a kind of 'replicant' that can ‘function’ for a few months.
Meanwhile, questions arise as to what went wrong on the ship, why Clay woke up too soon, and why people died.
The author incorporates logical questions into the narrative. As a reader I sometimes wondered in which (‘mirror?’) reality I was in, the world before, the reality of Dying Wish or on the ship?
I found parts fascinating and enjoyed the conversations with Justine, as a female HAL2000. A rather philosophical, labyrinthine SF , with mirror multiverses , - hinting towards Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) and Borges perhaps, and appearing to be some kind of mix between Interstellar & Space Odyssey.
Although the book has an interesting theme, I can only give it three stars because of its complexity. At times, it reads like a physics lecture or a thesis in philosophy of science, which makes it difficult to follow. I initially found the complexity intriguing. Sometimes I just want a lovely story to sink into, and this was too confusing at times for that.
May 12, 2024
One Sentence Review: Leslie adroitly explores complicated questions of identity, God, and love within a tightly plotted novel that doesn’t shy away from asking impossible questions that will never have final answers.
When I was teaching at a large state university, I designed a Nature Writing course. The course was divided into four units that focused on different kinds of writing about nature, and each was connected with a different kind of relationship humanity has with nature (including a unit on what nature even is). One of the units was on nature and technology, i.e., how technology mediates nature to us from very simple technologies like trail markers to more complex things like virtual reality. During one of our classes, we started talking about AI (which at that point was more theoretical than the ChatGPT et al. we are familiar with in 2024), and I posed the question to them if God is an AI, trying to push them to think more abstractly, critically, and creatively. For students who wanted to explore that question more, I would’ve recommended this book if it had been available for that’s (one of) the core question(s) of the book.
The back of this book does not even begin to capture the true spirit of this book. Yes, this book is about Clay, the ramifications of the drug Dying Wish on the world, and the complexity of memory and identity, but the plot of this book (while gripping, especially the third act) serves to confront the reader with some of the most difficult questions of our present moment. My copy of the book is marked up with notes and underlines because I found my mind going a mile a minute trying to keep up with each new element. As some might know, I’m very taken with discussions of religion in science fiction. So many science fiction novels seem to assume religion has just died out in the future as if humanity has “evolved” beyond the need for faith. But I strongly doubt this will be true. In fact, I think the opposite will be true. The more we supposedly “know” about the universe, the more we “reveal” the mysteries of space and time the more we will rely on religion for comfort and security in the face of the increasingly knowable. The infinite is incomprehensible and the more humans attempt to understand it the more fully we will grasp the incomprehensibility. For me, that was the most interesting exploration in this book. Being vague to avoid spoilers, humanity develops the ability to communicate with parallel universes (on the theory that every decision spawns a parallel universe where a different decision was made), and this ability is both incredible and overwhelming for the human mind—but not for the AI minds who are seeking singularity across all the universes.
Underneath all of the theoretical physics, insane philosophy, and murderous AIs, the core of this novel is one man’s love for a woman. The book centers Clay and Karla, and Clay’s quest to find his way back to the woman he loves, crossing as many universes as necessary to do that. I did think that having their relationship not only be an age gap romance but also between a professor and student was unnecessary and didn’t really add anything to the plot in any meaningful way. There were plenty of other ways for Clay to lose everything without having unethical goings-on.
There were some inconsistencies in the book that should’ve been caught during line editing, but I know that for these small presses, there’s a lot of unpaid work being done by only a handful of people. There were also some printing errors, which isn’t the fault of the press at all but was annoying. My biggest criticism is definitely with the relationship dynamics. There were a couple of small plot holes, but nothing that I found too distracting from the main force of the book.
My comps for this book are Prophet by Sin Blaché and Helen Macdonald and This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar. Colossus has the same complicated mix of romance, thriller, lit fic, and sf that Prophet does, and it shares the romance against all odds in a mind-bending setting with This is How You Lose The Time War. If you’re looking for something that philosophical, confusing in the best possible way, grounded by the relationship between two people, I would highly recommend Colossus (and those other two books).
When I was teaching at a large state university, I designed a Nature Writing course. The course was divided into four units that focused on different kinds of writing about nature, and each was connected with a different kind of relationship humanity has with nature (including a unit on what nature even is). One of the units was on nature and technology, i.e., how technology mediates nature to us from very simple technologies like trail markers to more complex things like virtual reality. During one of our classes, we started talking about AI (which at that point was more theoretical than the ChatGPT et al. we are familiar with in 2024), and I posed the question to them if God is an AI, trying to push them to think more abstractly, critically, and creatively. For students who wanted to explore that question more, I would’ve recommended this book if it had been available for that’s (one of) the core question(s) of the book.
The back of this book does not even begin to capture the true spirit of this book. Yes, this book is about Clay, the ramifications of the drug Dying Wish on the world, and the complexity of memory and identity, but the plot of this book (while gripping, especially the third act) serves to confront the reader with some of the most difficult questions of our present moment. My copy of the book is marked up with notes and underlines because I found my mind going a mile a minute trying to keep up with each new element. As some might know, I’m very taken with discussions of religion in science fiction. So many science fiction novels seem to assume religion has just died out in the future as if humanity has “evolved” beyond the need for faith. But I strongly doubt this will be true. In fact, I think the opposite will be true. The more we supposedly “know” about the universe, the more we “reveal” the mysteries of space and time the more we will rely on religion for comfort and security in the face of the increasingly knowable. The infinite is incomprehensible and the more humans attempt to understand it the more fully we will grasp the incomprehensibility. For me, that was the most interesting exploration in this book. Being vague to avoid spoilers, humanity develops the ability to communicate with parallel universes (on the theory that every decision spawns a parallel universe where a different decision was made), and this ability is both incredible and overwhelming for the human mind—but not for the AI minds who are seeking singularity across all the universes.
Underneath all of the theoretical physics, insane philosophy, and murderous AIs, the core of this novel is one man’s love for a woman. The book centers Clay and Karla, and Clay’s quest to find his way back to the woman he loves, crossing as many universes as necessary to do that. I did think that having their relationship not only be an age gap romance but also between a professor and student was unnecessary and didn’t really add anything to the plot in any meaningful way. There were plenty of other ways for Clay to lose everything without having unethical goings-on.
There were some inconsistencies in the book that should’ve been caught during line editing, but I know that for these small presses, there’s a lot of unpaid work being done by only a handful of people. There were also some printing errors, which isn’t the fault of the press at all but was annoying. My biggest criticism is definitely with the relationship dynamics. There were a couple of small plot holes, but nothing that I found too distracting from the main force of the book.
My comps for this book are Prophet by Sin Blaché and Helen Macdonald and This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar. Colossus has the same complicated mix of romance, thriller, lit fic, and sf that Prophet does, and it shares the romance against all odds in a mind-bending setting with This is How You Lose The Time War. If you’re looking for something that philosophical, confusing in the best possible way, grounded by the relationship between two people, I would highly recommend Colossus (and those other two books).
December 11, 2024
I’m a big fan of horror and sci-fi mashups, so the premise of this book immediately caught my attention. There were definitely some eerie, suspenseful moments that kept me turning the pages, eager to see what would happen. That said, I struggled to connect with the characters. None of them felt particularly likable or compelling, which made it hard to care about their fates.
The surprise addition of footnotes partway through was a miss for me—I found them distracting and ended up skipping over them entirely. There were also moments when the dialogue between characters felt awkward and overly simplistic, almost as though it was written for a much younger audience.
Still, I think the author has a lot of potential and brings fresh, creative ideas to the genre. I’d be open to reading another one of their books in the future—hopefully without the footnotes! Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy.
The surprise addition of footnotes partway through was a miss for me—I found them distracting and ended up skipping over them entirely. There were also moments when the dialogue between characters felt awkward and overly simplistic, almost as though it was written for a much younger audience.
Still, I think the author has a lot of potential and brings fresh, creative ideas to the genre. I’d be open to reading another one of their books in the future—hopefully without the footnotes! Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy.
January 24, 2024
I won’t even begin to pretend that I understood much of the science in this book. It’s never been my best subject and I’ve never even taken a physics course. And this is a VERY science-y book.
However, I absolutely adored it. While the sci fi goes fairly hard at times, Leslie does a great job of putting it into words that make it obtainable for a non-science person such as myself. The book itself is pretty wild but the story is more of a slow burn. I was absolutely invested but did struggle a bit with part 2. Lisa was a super strange but very lovable character. I enjoyed Clay, Father K and Justine as well.
While the sci fi aspect was difficult at times, the themes in this book (converging realities) is something I’ve always loved and as a result I would definitely recommend this book.
I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
However, I absolutely adored it. While the sci fi goes fairly hard at times, Leslie does a great job of putting it into words that make it obtainable for a non-science person such as myself. The book itself is pretty wild but the story is more of a slow burn. I was absolutely invested but did struggle a bit with part 2. Lisa was a super strange but very lovable character. I enjoyed Clay, Father K and Justine as well.
While the sci fi aspect was difficult at times, the themes in this book (converging realities) is something I’ve always loved and as a result I would definitely recommend this book.
I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 18, 2024
I was so excited about jumping into another book by Ryan after how much I loved The Between - whilst I didn't love it as much, I still really enjoyed it. As per usual, Ryan's world building is something else and he paints such vivid imagery.
I loved watching the story unfurl on the ship, trying to figure out which AI I trusted more. I enjoyed following along with Clay and seeing how his approach changed over time and how he dealt with the idea of parallel universes. A great mix of sci-fi, philosophy, and psychology.
I found the pace a bit slow at times and thought it would be better read physically (the e-book was frustrating swiping back and forth for some footnotes). Also, I was a little frustrated by the ending as I felt I still had questions.
Overall, another clever story that had me questioning what I would do in that situation. And now I wait for The Between sequel...
*I received a complimentary copy of the e-book from BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I loved watching the story unfurl on the ship, trying to figure out which AI I trusted more. I enjoyed following along with Clay and seeing how his approach changed over time and how he dealt with the idea of parallel universes. A great mix of sci-fi, philosophy, and psychology.
I found the pace a bit slow at times and thought it would be better read physically (the e-book was frustrating swiping back and forth for some footnotes). Also, I was a little frustrated by the ending as I felt I still had questions.
Overall, another clever story that had me questioning what I would do in that situation. And now I wait for The Between sequel...
*I received a complimentary copy of the e-book from BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Read
February 14, 2024I really tried but I'm giving up at 30% I find this painfully boring and I don't think I'm smart enough for this book 😂
January 21, 2024
Fun work ! I totally liked the vibe the entire time and it was very mind bending and so I would very much rec. thanks for the arc
February 20, 2024
thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advance copy of this book to review.
sadly, I did not like this one very much. I was drawn in by the comparison to The Gone World, one of my favorite books of all time, but The Gone World it ain't. I do think this book had some really thrilling moments, especially in the last third or so, but where it failed for me was the lack of character work. I did not care about any of these characters, from the lead to the supporting characters who were basically just names + maybe one personality quirk to, oh my god, the supposedly epic romance at the center of this book. I think that's where this book really fell apart. Karla is such a non-character I kept expecting a big twist that would tie her and Clay's "love" into the bigger picture, but... nope.
add in the fact that this book is divided into thirds, and the middle third is a bunch of honestly unnecessary, rambling backstory, and yeah. not exactly awful, especially since the pacing is pretty good, but not for me.
sadly, I did not like this one very much. I was drawn in by the comparison to The Gone World, one of my favorite books of all time, but The Gone World it ain't. I do think this book had some really thrilling moments, especially in the last third or so, but where it failed for me was the lack of character work. I did not care about any of these characters, from the lead to the supporting characters who were basically just names + maybe one personality quirk to, oh my god, the supposedly epic romance at the center of this book. I think that's where this book really fell apart. Karla is such a non-character I kept expecting a big twist that would tie her and Clay's "love" into the bigger picture, but... nope.
add in the fact that this book is divided into thirds, and the middle third is a bunch of honestly unnecessary, rambling backstory, and yeah. not exactly awful, especially since the pacing is pretty good, but not for me.
November 28, 2024
Thank you Net Galley for this ARC. The blurb compares this to Gone World and Six Wakes. I read both and can say that the story line is less coherent but more complex in terms of world-building and ideas than Gone World, which I really enjoyed. Six Wakes was a DNF because, well, confused distrustful paranoids waking up disoriented after decades in cryogenic-sleep on a space ship which malfunctioned and the first thing they do is cave in to suspicion anger and violence was just not my thing.
This book, unlike Six Wakes, doesn’t focus primarily on the paranoia of woken-up survivors on a space ship. It is a lot more than that. The story slowly draws its lens out to evolving AIs and the multiverse, all the while anchored by a central love story that weaves throughout the many threads. The writing is fast-paced and superb, giving different voices to Clay, Esteban, Julian and Lisa. I don’t read fast but I finished it in only two or three days. I consider this binge-worthy or a pretty good page turner.
As all complicated and ambitious stories try to go big, plot holes and gaps developed later on especially in the latter part of the second section and things just go off the rails in the third section. I shall name a few issues:-
- The dynamic between Esteban, Julian and Lisa was wonderful. We are treated to a drawn out arc of how Oberon came to be. But how did Justine come to be? She just showed up in a box one day. And we were never given an explanation of why the two AIs began war on each other.
- I admit I got a bit lost from how they went from Oberon and the multiverse to inventing the Dying Wish in pill form.
- The Dying Wish pill took a giant leap for the sake of plot development when it went from certainly killing everyone who took it to being the god pill that gave you superpowers. The Dying Wish pill in itself held so much promise if we could have explored more about why people chose to take it and how such an “out” to life would change society in general. This was something that I wished the book fleshed out a bit more.
- It seemed to me that Esteban, the human, was the most realistically drawn character, full of brilliance and flaws. But he was no monster that was to become of Oberon. In fact, Oberon was never truly Esteban in a true sense, but only imprinted with the voice and superficial resemblance to a personality.
- It also made little sense to the reader why Esteban the AI went rogue or went all evil. I was never too clear on why he killed the crew.
- Why did Esteban the AI need a human at the point of entry to the All-Thing? I didn’t totally understand. If the All-Thing swallowed each and every Esteban in all of the multiverses that showed up, then how would bringing a live human change anything?
Interestingly, I just finished Battle of the Linguist Mages by Scotto Moore and there is also a similar All-Thing kind of a thing in that book as well. It’s called the Storm there but same concept. Very different book though, weird coincidence for me. Maybe these are all off-shoots of the same concept originating from the Hyperion series, of what Endymion became.
Lastly I have to say that the female characters here, other than Lisa, were all half-baked. Karla says she traveled all the threads to save Clay, but brought no new or significant insight or knowledge of what to do. She is just a plot device. Susan and Mirabel could have been interchangeable characters with Father K. Oh, and for sure every action book must have evil one-dimensional violent idiots, this one be Eric, and the Colossus and it’s glass spiders.
All flaws aside, I enjoyed this book very much.
This book, unlike Six Wakes, doesn’t focus primarily on the paranoia of woken-up survivors on a space ship. It is a lot more than that. The story slowly draws its lens out to evolving AIs and the multiverse, all the while anchored by a central love story that weaves throughout the many threads. The writing is fast-paced and superb, giving different voices to Clay, Esteban, Julian and Lisa. I don’t read fast but I finished it in only two or three days. I consider this binge-worthy or a pretty good page turner.
As all complicated and ambitious stories try to go big, plot holes and gaps developed later on especially in the latter part of the second section and things just go off the rails in the third section. I shall name a few issues:-
- The dynamic between Esteban, Julian and Lisa was wonderful. We are treated to a drawn out arc of how Oberon came to be. But how did Justine come to be? She just showed up in a box one day. And we were never given an explanation of why the two AIs began war on each other.
- I admit I got a bit lost from how they went from Oberon and the multiverse to inventing the Dying Wish in pill form.
- The Dying Wish pill took a giant leap for the sake of plot development when it went from certainly killing everyone who took it to being the god pill that gave you superpowers. The Dying Wish pill in itself held so much promise if we could have explored more about why people chose to take it and how such an “out” to life would change society in general. This was something that I wished the book fleshed out a bit more.
- It seemed to me that Esteban, the human, was the most realistically drawn character, full of brilliance and flaws. But he was no monster that was to become of Oberon. In fact, Oberon was never truly Esteban in a true sense, but only imprinted with the voice and superficial resemblance to a personality.
- It also made little sense to the reader why Esteban the AI went rogue or went all evil. I was never too clear on why he killed the crew.
- Why did Esteban the AI need a human at the point of entry to the All-Thing? I didn’t totally understand. If the All-Thing swallowed each and every Esteban in all of the multiverses that showed up, then how would bringing a live human change anything?
Interestingly, I just finished Battle of the Linguist Mages by Scotto Moore and there is also a similar All-Thing kind of a thing in that book as well. It’s called the Storm there but same concept. Very different book though, weird coincidence for me. Maybe these are all off-shoots of the same concept originating from the Hyperion series, of what Endymion became.
Lastly I have to say that the female characters here, other than Lisa, were all half-baked. Karla says she traveled all the threads to save Clay, but brought no new or significant insight or knowledge of what to do. She is just a plot device. Susan and Mirabel could have been interchangeable characters with Father K. Oh, and for sure every action book must have evil one-dimensional violent idiots, this one be Eric, and the Colossus and it’s glass spiders.
All flaws aside, I enjoyed this book very much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2024
I had read Mr Leslie's previous book (The Between) when a friend had suggested it to me two years ago, and thought it was very unique. I appreciated the fantasy elements and that his characters felt very 'real' despite the surrealistic setting.
When I heard he had a new book out, I found an early-access copy and read it in two days.
I really enjoyed this novel. I appreciated the way he introduces each of the characters, revealing both past experiences and current scenarios. By moving back and forth to different time-points, the book kept me engaged and eager to see what would happen next. I'm sure than on a second read, I will pick up even more.
As with his last book, Leslie blends metaphysical elements into the story, ideas that kept me thinking long after I finished the book.
Great read.
When I heard he had a new book out, I found an early-access copy and read it in two days.
I really enjoyed this novel. I appreciated the way he introduces each of the characters, revealing both past experiences and current scenarios. By moving back and forth to different time-points, the book kept me engaged and eager to see what would happen next. I'm sure than on a second read, I will pick up even more.
As with his last book, Leslie blends metaphysical elements into the story, ideas that kept me thinking long after I finished the book.
Great read.
February 2, 2024
thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for a review!
this book took me a hot minute to read just because of how much stuff was going on---science, quantum physics, guys stuck on a ship---but i think i understood most of it in the end!. the prevailing sentiment of reviewers seems to be a dislike of the estaban section, wishing for more of the clay sections, but I actually disagree. i think the esteban section was the most interesting just because it explained things, and even though the science was obviously impossible the lines of reasoning seemed real and understandable. the first and last thirds of the book were distinctly within the thriller genre, while esteban's segment was very very sci fi :)
don't get me wrong, i didn't LIKE esteban (its pretty hard to like anyone a lot in this book, they all have their bad sides and good sides) but the ent team was fascinating to me all around. and also oberon was very scary at the end but i liked his narration it was goofy
fun science fiction thriller that i wish had more science because the science that WAS there was really really awesome!
this book took me a hot minute to read just because of how much stuff was going on---science, quantum physics, guys stuck on a ship---but i think i understood most of it in the end!. the prevailing sentiment of reviewers seems to be a dislike of the estaban section, wishing for more of the clay sections, but I actually disagree. i think the esteban section was the most interesting just because it explained things, and even though the science was obviously impossible the lines of reasoning seemed real and understandable. the first and last thirds of the book were distinctly within the thriller genre, while esteban's segment was very very sci fi :)
don't get me wrong, i didn't LIKE esteban (its pretty hard to like anyone a lot in this book, they all have their bad sides and good sides) but the ent team was fascinating to me all around. and also oberon was very scary at the end but i liked his narration it was goofy
fun science fiction thriller that i wish had more science because the science that WAS there was really really awesome!
April 1, 2024
Good concepts, but doesn't work.
I was intrigued by the metaphysical and speculative nature of the plot but this was one of the confusing reads.
We follow Clay West who awakens on a ship earlier than others while most of the crew has died in their cryo-sleep (how? We don't know!). His life is uprooted when the love of his life, Karla, dies and he is on the ship to find her or the answers again! What follows is his quest for answers (not really) followed by an elaborate backstory on how the ship came about (this was the only interesting part)
The story is told in three parts - the first part is the story of the protagonist Clay West waking up on the ship. Most of the crew is dead except 4 others. Then the creepiness starts. It is an eerie atmosphere when people start dying as well. This is followed by an elaborate backstory in the second part where we understand the context, the parallel universe, how the ship came out as well as the objective of the ship's journey.
With such an intriguing context, why didn't I like the book? Because it was a confusing mess. The first part where the story could have been a roller coaster horror story. However, things seem to happen without a reason. People have psychotic breaks. Why? Don't know. What does our protagonist do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing except wallow in self-pity. It was quite a lot of effort to navigate the first part.
The second part is actually quite interesting and prompted me to move further with the book. Would have loved for it to turn into something.
If the first part was tedious, then the third part was absolute drudgery. First and foremost, was it an alternate reality or an amalgamation of multiple realities? We don't know. What is one-thing? What happened to the AI war? These are just a few of the multiple open questions. There are a lot of subplots that don't go anywhere.
The author picked up multiple themes including multiverse, sentient AIs, and their war, perceiving multiple realities, immortality, space travel, and so on. Rather than connecting it in a converging plot, it became an incoherent mess. Would have been better if the author picked up a couple of themes and explored them. May have been interesting to read that way but alas!
Thanks Netgalley and Parliament House Press for providing an ARC.
I was intrigued by the metaphysical and speculative nature of the plot but this was one of the confusing reads.
We follow Clay West who awakens on a ship earlier than others while most of the crew has died in their cryo-sleep (how? We don't know!). His life is uprooted when the love of his life, Karla, dies and he is on the ship to find her or the answers again! What follows is his quest for answers (not really) followed by an elaborate backstory on how the ship came about (this was the only interesting part)
The story is told in three parts - the first part is the story of the protagonist Clay West waking up on the ship. Most of the crew is dead except 4 others. Then the creepiness starts. It is an eerie atmosphere when people start dying as well. This is followed by an elaborate backstory in the second part where we understand the context, the parallel universe, how the ship came out as well as the objective of the ship's journey.
With such an intriguing context, why didn't I like the book? Because it was a confusing mess. The first part where the story could have been a roller coaster horror story. However, things seem to happen without a reason. People have psychotic breaks. Why? Don't know. What does our protagonist do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing except wallow in self-pity. It was quite a lot of effort to navigate the first part.
The second part is actually quite interesting and prompted me to move further with the book. Would have loved for it to turn into something.
If the first part was tedious, then the third part was absolute drudgery. First and foremost, was it an alternate reality or an amalgamation of multiple realities? We don't know. What is one-thing? What happened to the AI war? These are just a few of the multiple open questions. There are a lot of subplots that don't go anywhere.
The author picked up multiple themes including multiverse, sentient AIs, and their war, perceiving multiple realities, immortality, space travel, and so on. Rather than connecting it in a converging plot, it became an incoherent mess. Would have been better if the author picked up a couple of themes and explored them. May have been interesting to read that way but alas!
Thanks Netgalley and Parliament House Press for providing an ARC.
January 28, 2024
I'd like to thank NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the eArc received in exchange for an honest review.
That said - this book was fantastic! I love grand scale SciFi and having just finished the The Three-Body Problem I needed something similar in quality to follow up - Leslie didn't disappoint.
Colossus has all the tropes I love: . All told with a seamless prose that kept me engaged all through the story. The characters are well rounded, coherent and believable in all their forms (trust me, this will make sense once you read it).
Lastly, it's important to note too that while the book does explore some complex theories and fringe science it's not overly wordy or complex in a way that alienates the casual reader.
Hope to add this one to my physical shelves very soon :)
That said - this book was fantastic! I love grand scale SciFi and having just finished the The Three-Body Problem I needed something similar in quality to follow up - Leslie didn't disappoint.
Colossus has all the tropes I love: . All told with a seamless prose that kept me engaged all through the story. The characters are well rounded, coherent and believable in all their forms (trust me, this will make sense once you read it).
Lastly, it's important to note too that while the book does explore some complex theories and fringe science it's not overly wordy or complex in a way that alienates the casual reader.
Hope to add this one to my physical shelves very soon :)
May 4, 2024
Colossus is a multiverse SF novel for adults exploring topics of sentient AI, science implemented before ramifications are even remotely thought out and space travel gone wrong.
I feel like this could have been a strong novel (or set of novels, since there is 3 parts) - but I didn't really enjoy it and it was missing something for me.
The characterisation might have been part of my issue with the book. Clay was pretty boring, and I have a big pet peeve about large-age gap relationships. The "Lolita" trope makes me very uncomfortable, and certainly didn't make me like Clay better or sympathise with him, I was just annoyed at him. Women is this work were all very unstable, either mad, lolitas or total pixie-dream-girls.
The relationships between the characters of this book were extremely antagonistic throughout, with very little relationship building. The friendships or connection moments were only ever written in flashbacks and everyone felt very siloed, which was weird.
The writing style is smooth, but didn't really build tension up, which surprised me as I was expecting more of a SF horror from the blurb. I think the novel might have needed an edit to reduce unnecessarily long sections and keep a better pace.
So not sure who I recommend this book to - it wasn't bad, but I would have certainly preferred another emotional anchor and tighter storytelling.
I feel like this could have been a strong novel (or set of novels, since there is 3 parts) - but I didn't really enjoy it and it was missing something for me.
The characterisation might have been part of my issue with the book. Clay was pretty boring, and I have a big pet peeve about large-age gap relationships. The "Lolita" trope makes me very uncomfortable, and certainly didn't make me like Clay better or sympathise with him, I was just annoyed at him. Women is this work were all very unstable, either mad, lolitas or total pixie-dream-girls.
The relationships between the characters of this book were extremely antagonistic throughout, with very little relationship building. The friendships or connection moments were only ever written in flashbacks and everyone felt very siloed, which was weird.
The writing style is smooth, but didn't really build tension up, which surprised me as I was expecting more of a SF horror from the blurb. I think the novel might have needed an edit to reduce unnecessarily long sections and keep a better pace.
So not sure who I recommend this book to - it wasn't bad, but I would have certainly preferred another emotional anchor and tighter storytelling.
April 7, 2024
I received this book for free. This did not impact my review in any shape or form.
Colossus, by Ryan Leslie, is a sci-fi epic about what it means to be immortal and whether or not chasing that immortality will give you everything you want. The book is separated into three parts. Dying Wish introduces Clay, a former economics professor who, after losing his wife to the drug Dying Wish, decides to go on a spaceship called Child in the Dark to get away from it all. Unfortunately, he finds himself trapped between (an admittedly one-sided war) two AIs, Justine and Esteban Bros. The second part, Oberon, provides backgrounds on both Justine and Esteban, all the while pondering on the morality of playing God. In the third and final part, Colossus, Clay takes advantage of his newfound quantum immortality to go back and try to save his wife, only to repeat the haunting mistakes that cost him nearly everything.
I thought it was funny that, despite Gabriel’s pride clearly being the size of the earth, he wasn’t actually given any dialogue. True, he was this looming shadow figure who would gladly drag everyone down with him if it meant he could discover the secrets of the universe. But like all the results of human pride, he nearly killed everyone (actually everyone in other parallel universes). And what was the result of his ambition? An abandoned ship just floating in dead space while everyone else forgets the legacy you wanted to leave behind (except a drug that's killing everyone). I would’ve loved to see how he would’ve fared on that ship with everyone. The fact that people were still loyal to him despite the mess he’s forced everyone into is a testament to how charismatic this man was.
I feel like a more down-to-earth version of him was Clay. The utilization of all the Julians, him going back to the mess Gabriel trapped him in, all just to save his wife who had little to no chance of survival, to begin with; I don’t care what Karla was bragging about, her saving Clay from hell. They’ve lost everything, gave up everything, just to get some semblance of their old lives back. The only one who seemed to have some idea of what was going on was Mirabel, although I wouldn’t leave my community for any lump sum of money. Then again, I’ve never been in that situation before, so I couldn’t say.
When I was in college, my professor said that it made sense for there to be parallel universes. The equations are there, and the 50% chance statistic that this could all be a simulation keeps popping up now and then in pop culture. And now Marvel and DC are fumbling around with the multiverse. Do I think this may lead to immortality? Not really, considering all the other Robin Goodfellows have their own lives to live. Does it make me feel small? Significantly. Am I painfully aware that human pride can destroy everyone and everything around them? Yes. Moreover, a scene from the book that sticks out to me was when Esteban was experimenting with Justine and how, whenever she asked if he was God, he’d say he was. It was on his conscience then, the fact that whatever it was they were playing with was something they didn’t understand clearly.
The Julians were hilarious. I don’t care how much of an existential nightmare this became; they were the one bright spot in this book I came to enjoy. Personally, I feel that, based on his experiences, quantum immortality doesn’t exist. If anything, it’s like a split consciousness, similar to the one in the video game SOMA. It’s not really you. It’s a part of you, true, but it’s not really you.
Objectively, this is an okay book with a lot of really cool concepts, but personally, it wasn’t my cup of tea. I loved the first part, but when the horror went away, it lost me. Drastically. The play on arrogance was excellent, but I would’ve preferred that to be intertwined with the terror I felt in the first book. As such, I’m gonna give this a 3 out of 5 stars.
Colossus, by Ryan Leslie, is a sci-fi epic about what it means to be immortal and whether or not chasing that immortality will give you everything you want. The book is separated into three parts. Dying Wish introduces Clay, a former economics professor who, after losing his wife to the drug Dying Wish, decides to go on a spaceship called Child in the Dark to get away from it all. Unfortunately, he finds himself trapped between (an admittedly one-sided war) two AIs, Justine and Esteban Bros. The second part, Oberon, provides backgrounds on both Justine and Esteban, all the while pondering on the morality of playing God. In the third and final part, Colossus, Clay takes advantage of his newfound quantum immortality to go back and try to save his wife, only to repeat the haunting mistakes that cost him nearly everything.
I thought it was funny that, despite Gabriel’s pride clearly being the size of the earth, he wasn’t actually given any dialogue. True, he was this looming shadow figure who would gladly drag everyone down with him if it meant he could discover the secrets of the universe. But like all the results of human pride, he nearly killed everyone (actually everyone in other parallel universes). And what was the result of his ambition? An abandoned ship just floating in dead space while everyone else forgets the legacy you wanted to leave behind (except a drug that's killing everyone). I would’ve loved to see how he would’ve fared on that ship with everyone. The fact that people were still loyal to him despite the mess he’s forced everyone into is a testament to how charismatic this man was.
I feel like a more down-to-earth version of him was Clay. The utilization of all the Julians, him going back to the mess Gabriel trapped him in, all just to save his wife who had little to no chance of survival, to begin with; I don’t care what Karla was bragging about, her saving Clay from hell. They’ve lost everything, gave up everything, just to get some semblance of their old lives back. The only one who seemed to have some idea of what was going on was Mirabel, although I wouldn’t leave my community for any lump sum of money. Then again, I’ve never been in that situation before, so I couldn’t say.
When I was in college, my professor said that it made sense for there to be parallel universes. The equations are there, and the 50% chance statistic that this could all be a simulation keeps popping up now and then in pop culture. And now Marvel and DC are fumbling around with the multiverse. Do I think this may lead to immortality? Not really, considering all the other Robin Goodfellows have their own lives to live. Does it make me feel small? Significantly. Am I painfully aware that human pride can destroy everyone and everything around them? Yes. Moreover, a scene from the book that sticks out to me was when Esteban was experimenting with Justine and how, whenever she asked if he was God, he’d say he was. It was on his conscience then, the fact that whatever it was they were playing with was something they didn’t understand clearly.
The Julians were hilarious. I don’t care how much of an existential nightmare this became; they were the one bright spot in this book I came to enjoy. Personally, I feel that, based on his experiences, quantum immortality doesn’t exist. If anything, it’s like a split consciousness, similar to the one in the video game SOMA. It’s not really you. It’s a part of you, true, but it’s not really you.
Objectively, this is an okay book with a lot of really cool concepts, but personally, it wasn’t my cup of tea. I loved the first part, but when the horror went away, it lost me. Drastically. The play on arrogance was excellent, but I would’ve preferred that to be intertwined with the terror I felt in the first book. As such, I’m gonna give this a 3 out of 5 stars.
January 28, 2024
(ARC review from NetGalley)
Oh man, I didn't realize I had a real thing for the Sci-Fi trope 'issues with cryo-sleep' (maybe because Passengers wasn't such a great film and it distracted me from liking the trope) but Colossus absolutely brings out the best of this.
The book follow Clay West. A former economics lecturer who for various (spoilery) reasons finds himself volunteering for a long (unbelievably so) term space journey for what has been described as a colonizing mission to create a new society. The book begins as Clay is woken prematurely from a cryo-sleep and is faced with about a dozen moral dilemmas as he tries to figure out a. what to do and b. a seemingly endless amount of mystery about the true purpose of the mission.
As the story progresses we learn more about Clay's backstory, Part I dances between the 'present' and this history in a seamless and well paced narrative. I often get annoyed with badly done backstory but this book does it well! We're also introduced to the complex and controversial drug "Dying Wish" a substance which allegedly brings the most euphoric realizations but is always fatal.
If you're wondering what a powerful drug has to do with a sci-fi about a very deep space mission, don't worry - as Part I comes to an end the rabbit hole of concepts grows ever deeper and crazier and it does not disappoint.
So overall I REALLY liked this book. I love sci-fi that doesn't shy away from really intense concepts but also manages to balance the human angle and good character stories alongside the big picture ideas.
My only beef is that Part II where the book takes us away from MC Clay for quite a while to explore the background of the more technical stuff - I recon it could have been 1/2 the length and still captured the vital parts of the story, Part II felt like a real slowing of the pace of this awesome novel and while it was worth getting through it, the section dragged a little.
As this is an advance review I'll avoid a deep dive into the concepts - but I anticipate coming back to this after release to see others interpretations and explanations, its definitely the sort of book that will generate a lot of analysis!
Oh man, I didn't realize I had a real thing for the Sci-Fi trope 'issues with cryo-sleep' (maybe because Passengers wasn't such a great film and it distracted me from liking the trope) but Colossus absolutely brings out the best of this.
The book follow Clay West. A former economics lecturer who for various (spoilery) reasons finds himself volunteering for a long (unbelievably so) term space journey for what has been described as a colonizing mission to create a new society. The book begins as Clay is woken prematurely from a cryo-sleep and is faced with about a dozen moral dilemmas as he tries to figure out a. what to do and b. a seemingly endless amount of mystery about the true purpose of the mission.
As the story progresses we learn more about Clay's backstory, Part I dances between the 'present' and this history in a seamless and well paced narrative. I often get annoyed with badly done backstory but this book does it well! We're also introduced to the complex and controversial drug "Dying Wish" a substance which allegedly brings the most euphoric realizations but is always fatal.
If you're wondering what a powerful drug has to do with a sci-fi about a very deep space mission, don't worry - as Part I comes to an end the rabbit hole of concepts grows ever deeper and crazier and it does not disappoint.
So overall I REALLY liked this book. I love sci-fi that doesn't shy away from really intense concepts but also manages to balance the human angle and good character stories alongside the big picture ideas.
My only beef is that Part II where the book takes us away from MC Clay for quite a while to explore the background of the more technical stuff - I recon it could have been 1/2 the length and still captured the vital parts of the story, Part II felt like a real slowing of the pace of this awesome novel and while it was worth getting through it, the section dragged a little.
As this is an advance review I'll avoid a deep dive into the concepts - but I anticipate coming back to this after release to see others interpretations and explanations, its definitely the sort of book that will generate a lot of analysis!
February 2, 2024
Colossus starts in a way that immediately drags you into the story. Clay’s waking up on a space ship, far away from Earth. While he’s trying to figure out his whereabouts, the story gets intertwined with flashbacks from around 100 years before (close to our current time), it’s all working very well together to keep the reader’s attention. It’s not the first book I read in which someone wakes up like this, on a far away starship, seemingly all alone, but the story line is laid out nicely and kept me curious. Clay’s presence on the ship is one part of the story, the Dying Wish drug is another one. Both parts of the story are mysterious enough to keep a reader’s attention, and descriptive parts and dialogue are all well written. Justine, the ship’s AI, has a nice sense of humour on top of that.
In no time the first of three parts is over. Starting from the second part, the pace drops. The second part is one big flashback which basically explains a lot of things. Was the extensive explanation needed for the story? I don’t know. Some of it certainly, but maybe it was a little bit too much. I found myself bored at times here.
Last part, with the reader now knowing much of what there is to know, and we are back on the ship. We have a totally different understanding of what has happened and what is happening, and it is clear now that the author has done a good job stretching the possibilities of story telling in an environment full of multiverses, quantum mechanics and AIs. Although the third part was weird and chaotic at times, and drags on a little bit, it explored and incorporated several interesting ideas and seemed to go towards a certain (expected) ending. But it’s a bumpy road and it remains unclear for a long time whether the protagonists will eventually get where they want to be. It's nice that the tension is kept until the end.
I still don’t know what to make of the end though. I don’t even know if I understand it. The physics used in the book is clear to me, but I failed to form a solid idea of how the story actually ends. I don’t like fuzzy or open endings. In this case I don’t even know which of these two types of ending it is. Bummer. 3.5 stars.
(Thank you Netgalley and publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.)
In no time the first of three parts is over. Starting from the second part, the pace drops. The second part is one big flashback which basically explains a lot of things. Was the extensive explanation needed for the story? I don’t know. Some of it certainly, but maybe it was a little bit too much. I found myself bored at times here.
Last part, with the reader now knowing much of what there is to know, and we are back on the ship. We have a totally different understanding of what has happened and what is happening, and it is clear now that the author has done a good job stretching the possibilities of story telling in an environment full of multiverses, quantum mechanics and AIs. Although the third part was weird and chaotic at times, and drags on a little bit, it explored and incorporated several interesting ideas and seemed to go towards a certain (expected) ending. But it’s a bumpy road and it remains unclear for a long time whether the protagonists will eventually get where they want to be. It's nice that the tension is kept until the end.
I still don’t know what to make of the end though. I don’t even know if I understand it. The physics used in the book is clear to me, but I failed to form a solid idea of how the story actually ends. I don’t like fuzzy or open endings. In this case I don’t even know which of these two types of ending it is. Bummer. 3.5 stars.
(Thank you Netgalley and publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.)
March 18, 2024
Ryan Leslie gives us Colossus (2024) , a sci-fi epic about economics professor Clay who is aboard the spaceship called Child in the Dark. He is initially alone, with only the AI Justine to keep him company. The rest of the crew, brought along at the behest of the illustrious Gabriel Alvarez, has been placed into suspension pods to keep them alive on the long journey to wherever it is they are headed. Suffice it to say, that place isn’t simply Earth.
Clay has a very specific reason for taking this journey— the promise of seeing his beloved girlfriend Karla once again. An illicit drug called Dying Wish has upset the balance of traditional (recreational) drug use among the same students that Clay taught every day. Karla, it seems, was one of them. We get several flashbacks to Clay having first noticed Karla in one of his many classes. We get scenes of their courtship. Karla is an ethereal sort of girl, just as smart as her former professor, and they definitely click in an intellectual sense.
Ryan Leslie’s book asks of the reader: What, in fact, is the nature of consciousness? What is this state called “reality” which we seem to (at times begrudgingly) exist in? And how would it be possible to alter that reality, to repossess once again things and people we have lost?
Leslie’s book is at times rather dry and dull (overly descriptive scenes about science, such as parallel universes and quantum mechanics) sometimes emotionally moving (the loss of a loved one), and other times creepy (being in deep space with only your (potentially) mentally unstable crew mates and the Artificial Intelligence for company).
The atmosphere depicted within was well crafted. You can tell Leslie really cared about his subject matter, though at times the book sort of lost me with all the science-heavy theories and other little bits. Colossus is, ultimately, a story about people, and how they react in difficult situations—rather than a treatise about the future of technology and space travel. The book is competently constructed and the characters were memorable, particularly Justine, as she was almost the comic relief character in this one. I would certainly read anything else this author writes next.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Clay has a very specific reason for taking this journey— the promise of seeing his beloved girlfriend Karla once again. An illicit drug called Dying Wish has upset the balance of traditional (recreational) drug use among the same students that Clay taught every day. Karla, it seems, was one of them. We get several flashbacks to Clay having first noticed Karla in one of his many classes. We get scenes of their courtship. Karla is an ethereal sort of girl, just as smart as her former professor, and they definitely click in an intellectual sense.
Ryan Leslie’s book asks of the reader: What, in fact, is the nature of consciousness? What is this state called “reality” which we seem to (at times begrudgingly) exist in? And how would it be possible to alter that reality, to repossess once again things and people we have lost?
Leslie’s book is at times rather dry and dull (overly descriptive scenes about science, such as parallel universes and quantum mechanics) sometimes emotionally moving (the loss of a loved one), and other times creepy (being in deep space with only your (potentially) mentally unstable crew mates and the Artificial Intelligence for company).
The atmosphere depicted within was well crafted. You can tell Leslie really cared about his subject matter, though at times the book sort of lost me with all the science-heavy theories and other little bits. Colossus is, ultimately, a story about people, and how they react in difficult situations—rather than a treatise about the future of technology and space travel. The book is competently constructed and the characters were memorable, particularly Justine, as she was almost the comic relief character in this one. I would certainly read anything else this author writes next.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 26, 2024
Clay West Economics professor Falls in Love with his student Karla. They live in a time where the human population is dying from a drug called 'Dying Wish'. Surrounded by a lot of loss, Clay and Karla get romantically involved. Clay is fired when their relationship is discovered, and he is left devastated with the Loss of Karla to the drug she has taken. Clay joins a space mission, set out to deploy a group of people in pursuit of other inhabitable planets.
The story is split into parts. The future in space where Clay awakes many years later aboard a craft with AI and malfunctioning sleep pods. As the surviving crew is slowly awakened, They race to find a solution to their damaged ship, shortage of food, and dominating AI minds aboard. You also go back to the past; how it all began. Dying Wish, how it was created. The minds behind the AI development and you also follow the backstory to Clay and Karla how they met, fell in love, and the night Karla took the drug. A bit difficult to follow halfway through the plot. There is a lot of technical AI terminology and even Politics intertwined. The plot gets a bit repetitive with all the reality versions that take place with the characters and AI clones. Lots of Intense page turning moments that keep you on the edge and wanting more. I loved the story between Clay and karla; transcending throughout time and space.
I really really enjoyed this book. A creative, refreshing, sci-fi, thriller with a hint of Horror.
Highly recommend this book!
Thank you Netgalley and BooksGoSocial | Parliament House Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
The story is split into parts. The future in space where Clay awakes many years later aboard a craft with AI and malfunctioning sleep pods. As the surviving crew is slowly awakened, They race to find a solution to their damaged ship, shortage of food, and dominating AI minds aboard. You also go back to the past; how it all began. Dying Wish, how it was created. The minds behind the AI development and you also follow the backstory to Clay and Karla how they met, fell in love, and the night Karla took the drug. A bit difficult to follow halfway through the plot. There is a lot of technical AI terminology and even Politics intertwined. The plot gets a bit repetitive with all the reality versions that take place with the characters and AI clones. Lots of Intense page turning moments that keep you on the edge and wanting more. I loved the story between Clay and karla; transcending throughout time and space.
I really really enjoyed this book. A creative, refreshing, sci-fi, thriller with a hint of Horror.
Highly recommend this book!
Thank you Netgalley and BooksGoSocial | Parliament House Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
May 22, 2024
Many thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with an eARC of Colossus in exchange for my honest review!
As a major sci-fi fan, I'm glad that Colossus gave me a properly compelling ride, even if I wish some elements could have been fleshed out more deeply. Ahead of reading it, I'd been intrigued by the promo comparing it to The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch, since I'm a big fan of that book. The same sense of ambitious complexity is most certainly present in Colossus as it navigates parallel realities, cloning, A.I., consciousness, quantum mechanics (including quantum immortality), and space travel and the impact it has on us human beings (particularly when it involves cryogenic means). Even when some of the characters suffer from thin writing, even when the plot and the story are deployed in a way that leaves me contending with a bit too much ambiguity (though I wonder if that's the author's intention), this book consistently draws me through all its twists and turns, through all its surreal atmosphere. The ending is ambiguous as well, although I'm all right with that part and the questions it allows me to answer for myself.
Overall, I'm officially rating Colossus 3.25 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 3 stars on Goodreads. I'd say it's worth checking out, and I'll keep an eye out for more of Ryan Leslie's work.
As a major sci-fi fan, I'm glad that Colossus gave me a properly compelling ride, even if I wish some elements could have been fleshed out more deeply. Ahead of reading it, I'd been intrigued by the promo comparing it to The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch, since I'm a big fan of that book. The same sense of ambitious complexity is most certainly present in Colossus as it navigates parallel realities, cloning, A.I., consciousness, quantum mechanics (including quantum immortality), and space travel and the impact it has on us human beings (particularly when it involves cryogenic means). Even when some of the characters suffer from thin writing, even when the plot and the story are deployed in a way that leaves me contending with a bit too much ambiguity (though I wonder if that's the author's intention), this book consistently draws me through all its twists and turns, through all its surreal atmosphere. The ending is ambiguous as well, although I'm all right with that part and the questions it allows me to answer for myself.
Overall, I'm officially rating Colossus 3.25 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 3 stars on Goodreads. I'd say it's worth checking out, and I'll keep an eye out for more of Ryan Leslie's work.
March 18, 2024
I received a NetGalley ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!
Science fiction is a genre I’m trying to read more of, but at the same time it’s not totally unusual for me to pick a few up each year. Based on the synopsis for Colossus, I figured this would be one that I’d enjoy, and I was right! I didn’t find the science in this to be confusing, but admittedly I didn’t fully understand it either and took it at face value. The premise of multiple dimensions / multiverse and AI elements of this book were really intriguing. It has a dark, sort of dystopian feel throughout which I also enjoyed. Some of the characters are really strange (looking at you, Lisa) but it added interest and humanity to otherwise less important secondary characters. My only hang up was the pacing of the plot, especially around 40-50% starts to feel a little slow and difficult to get through, whereas usually that’s the point in a novel where things are really taking off. Most of the action happens at the start and end of this book. Overall a great read, and something I’ll definitely point the sci-fi lovers in my life toward.
Science fiction is a genre I’m trying to read more of, but at the same time it’s not totally unusual for me to pick a few up each year. Based on the synopsis for Colossus, I figured this would be one that I’d enjoy, and I was right! I didn’t find the science in this to be confusing, but admittedly I didn’t fully understand it either and took it at face value. The premise of multiple dimensions / multiverse and AI elements of this book were really intriguing. It has a dark, sort of dystopian feel throughout which I also enjoyed. Some of the characters are really strange (looking at you, Lisa) but it added interest and humanity to otherwise less important secondary characters. My only hang up was the pacing of the plot, especially around 40-50% starts to feel a little slow and difficult to get through, whereas usually that’s the point in a novel where things are really taking off. Most of the action happens at the start and end of this book. Overall a great read, and something I’ll definitely point the sci-fi lovers in my life toward.
January 10, 2024
Colossus is giant of a story and a monumental undertaking, with themes that go deep into the principles of metaphysics. It's also a space story, an AI story, a monster story, and a love story provided in the guise of hard sci-fi style prose but is really a philosophical fiction.
I'm not a huge fan of hard sci-fi, or rather, I haven't read all that many in the genre. What I liked most about Colossus were the questions posed about reality and fate and Clay's struggles to be reunited with his soul-mate Karla.
It did seem a little long at times, with too much detail that didn't add all that much to the story, or character development, but that's the hard call an author has to make, when deciding what stays and needs to go in their story.
I highly recommend Colossus, which would be ideal for a book reading group, interested in philosophy and metaphysics. There were some concepts in Colossus that I didn't fully agree with, or had more questions about, that would make great late night campfire conversations.
I'm not a huge fan of hard sci-fi, or rather, I haven't read all that many in the genre. What I liked most about Colossus were the questions posed about reality and fate and Clay's struggles to be reunited with his soul-mate Karla.
It did seem a little long at times, with too much detail that didn't add all that much to the story, or character development, but that's the hard call an author has to make, when deciding what stays and needs to go in their story.
I highly recommend Colossus, which would be ideal for a book reading group, interested in philosophy and metaphysics. There were some concepts in Colossus that I didn't fully agree with, or had more questions about, that would make great late night campfire conversations.
April 11, 2024
This was definitely one of the most interesting books I’ve read this year and really got the gears in my brain turning at full speed! I loved the way it focused around AI, consciousness, and parallel universes, even if I didn’t fully understand all of the concepts characters were discussing at times.
I liked Clay as the main character and specifically enjoyed the flashbacks between him and Karla in Part 1. The ending of this first part really took me by surprise, and I was curious to see how the rest of the book would pan out afterwards.
I found the second part to move a little slower, and honestly some of the scientific bits went a little over my head. But I was interested and invested enough to keep going and find out more about this mission and what got them to this point. I’m glad I kept at it!
This book was SO good. It made me laugh, was suspenseful & emotional, and did a fantastic job of bringing all the various pieces together in the end.
Thank you to the author & @netgalley for my ecopy to read and review!
I liked Clay as the main character and specifically enjoyed the flashbacks between him and Karla in Part 1. The ending of this first part really took me by surprise, and I was curious to see how the rest of the book would pan out afterwards.
I found the second part to move a little slower, and honestly some of the scientific bits went a little over my head. But I was interested and invested enough to keep going and find out more about this mission and what got them to this point. I’m glad I kept at it!
This book was SO good. It made me laugh, was suspenseful & emotional, and did a fantastic job of bringing all the various pieces together in the end.
Thank you to the author & @netgalley for my ecopy to read and review!
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