Emergence: Dave vs. the Monsters

David Hooper #1

by John Birmingham

For fans of Jim Butcher and Kevin Hearne comes an action-packed new urban fantasy series featuring a tough, bleakly funny, down-on-his luck oil rig worker with an unlikely destiny as a monster-slayer and savior of the planet.
 
“Monsters,” said Vince Martinelli. “There are monsters on the rig, Dave.”
 
Dave Hooper has a hangover from hell, a horrible ex-wife, and the fangs of the IRS deep in his side. The last thing he needs is an explosion at work. A real explosion. On his off-shore oil rig.
 
But this is no accident, and despite the news reports, Dave knows that terrorists aren’t to blame. He knows because he killed one of the things responsible.
 
When he wakes up in a hospital bed guarded by Navy SEALs, he realizes this is more than just a bad acid trip. Yeah, Dave’s had a few. This trip is way weirder.
 
Killing a seven-foot-tall, tattooed demon has transformed the overweight, balding safety manager into something else entirely. A foul-mouthed, beer-loving monster slayer, and humanity’s least worthy Champion.


From the Paperback edition.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, Fiction, Action, Paranormal

418 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 23, 2014

About the author

John Birmingham grew up in Ipswich, Queensland and was educated at St Edmunds Christian Brother's College in Ipswich and the University of Queensland in Brisbane. His only stint of full time employment was as a researcher at the Defence Department. After this he returned to Queensland to study law but he did not complete his legal studies, choosing instead to pursue a career as a writer. He currently lives in Brisbane.

While a law student he was one of the last people arrested under the state's Anti Street March legislation. Birmingham was convicted of displaying a sheet of paper with the words 'Free Speech' written on it in very small type. The local newspaper carried a photograph of him being frogmarched off to a waiting police paddy wagon.

Birmingham has a degree in international relations.

Reviews

[Carole (Carole's Random Life)]

DNF @ 19%

I just can't force myself to read anymore of this book. This has to be the most vulgar book that I have ever attempted to read. I absolutely hate the main character and cannot think of any possible way that he can be redeemed. He is a vile and disgusting man. I don't want to spend another moment in his head.

I requested this book because it was recommended for fans of Jim Butcher. Let me warn you - Dave is nothing like Harry Dresden.

ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group - Del Ray via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

~2.5
This is one of those books that can actually be summarized by its title.

In retrospect, I can see that it's not the book that was the problem, but my expectations. I assumed that a book with the title "Dave vs the Monsters" had to be at least a little tongue-in-cheek. I was expecting something funny, fluffy, genre-savvy, and a bit clever.

In actuality, this has to be one of the purest cases of "what it says on the tin" that I've ever encountered. Basic plot: Dave works on an oil rig. Said oil rig is attacked by monsters. Dave kills one of the monsters, mysteriously gains incredible powers and knowledge, spends about half the book angsting about it and being examined by the military, and waits for the monsters to attack again. The monsters attack again.
Yep, that's a pretty good chunk of the book.

In spirit, Dave versus the Monsters is rather like Monster Hunter International, although with even less characterization, worldbuilding, and theme exploration and even more graphic violence. Don't expect a good explanation for any of the events in the book because you won't get them.
Why did Dave's killing cause supertalents, other than book convenience? Well, we eventually get the answer that he absorbed the daemon's talents, but that's weak at best. If it were true, every time the monsters kill each other, they should power up. And none of them have hyperacceleration.

There's nothing wrong with a bit of mindless action-oriented UF, but I prefer mine to be a little lighter on the sexism, homophobia, and racism. Dave is pretty much an unapologetic bigot. Gay jokes are his worst form of insult, wives are there to be cheated on, and he's definitely not winning Father of the Year award. As for women, apart from all the time Dave spends thinking about the prostitutes he uses, we have lovely quotes like this:

"Dave found that he wanted to hold on to the splitting maul. It felt natural the way a really beautifully crafted baseball bat did. Or a pool cue. Or a fine piece of ass… or anything, really. Any tool that had been carefully crafted by a skilled maker with one purpose in mind."

Because that's what women are, obviously. Carefully crafted tools with one purpose in mind.

Other than the issues mentioned above--and bear in mind that they're endemic in UF, even if not necessarily to this extent--there's not much wrong with the book, but it's not a good fit for me. I like my worldbuilding intricate, my violence meaningful, my characters redeemable, and my narrators genre-savvy. Even though I love the idea of an oil rigger wreaking havoc with a splitting maul, I think I'll leave Dave to his monsters and find my UF kicks elsewhere.

**Note: quotes are taken from an uncorrected advanced reader copy and may not reflect the final wording. However, I believe they speak to the character of the novel as a whole.**

~~I received a copy of this ebook through Netgalley from the publisher, Random House- Del Ray Spectra, in exchange for my (depressingly) honest review.~~

[atmatos]

For fans of Jim Butcher and Kevin Hearne

Nope, not even close. Dave is nothing like Harry or Atticus, nothing. He is an disgusting asshole.
I'll pass, thanks.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you get when you cross Jim Butcher with Kevin Hearne, and add a dash of good ole Australian dark humour, and loads of violence, sarcasm and wit… why John Birmingham’s Emergence of course!

Dave is your average joe. He works hard, and plays even harder. A legend in his own lunchtime, Dave is facing divorce and mounting tax debt when things turn upside down. Monsters from another realm invade Dave’s oil-rig, and his encounter with them changes him into something else entirely. A superhero… a goddamn superhero!

Warning… this review will contain language that might be offensive to some… but it is necessary to convey my opinion of Emergence.

You have been sufficiently warned….

So where do I begin… I fucking loved this book!!! It is evil… evil and hilariously entertaining. Birmingham has someone managed to craft a tale that is not only morrish and addictive but also hilariously dark and offensive at the same time. I can’t recall laughing as much as I did from reading Emergence (raging demon boners and Dave’s facebook statuses spring to mind as examples of humour… seriously… you have to read it to understand). I was grabbed from the start with Dave’s hangover monologue, and I ploughed through it like a Viking at a wedding feast! Birmingham has taken some of the best elements of urban fantasy and merged them with what I can only describe as bloody hilarious humour, cracking action and witty dialogue. His protagonist Dave is a rip snortingly funny hero, whose actions and language made my face hurt from the roars of laughter that exploded from my lungs. Emergence is not solely a comedy however, and Birmingham has masterfully weaved plenty of military detail and action (for fans his previous books, like me, this will come as no surprise) into the text to keep the story moving along nicely. The world building was top notch, with Birmingham cleverly incorporating monsters and the UnderRealms alongside modern elements like Barack Obama, Facebook, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Emergence is fast paced and easy to read. Before I knew it I had ripped through military engagements, maul smashing fights and blood fuelled rage and turned the final page. I yearned (yes John… yearned) for more! The climax left things brilliantly open for the next instalment (entitled Resistance, due out in March), and I can’t wait to see what is going to happen when Earth faces the armies of the UnderRealms with Dave (even his name makes me chuckle) as our champion. Emergence reminded me of the first time I read Stormfront (Jim Butcher). It is just a bucket of monster filled fun, action and wit that you will remember reading twenty years from now (not because it is a literary masterpiece, but because it fucking hilarious and incredibly entertaining!).

In the immortal words of Oliver Twist… please sir (or king… or God… whatever they call you these days John)… I want some more!

A bloody good read!

5 out of 5 stars.

smashdragons.blogspot.com.au

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well....humm. I've seen this compared to Harry Dresden. I can see that, however Dave is nothing like Harry. But then I suppose that's not what the "comparers" meant. I'd say the book may be a little like Harry Dresden meets Monster Hunter International...sort of.

Dave is a Jerk, he's also an idiot and worse he is often the kind of idiot who doesn't realize he's an idiot until he's already done or said too much. Maybe the first quarter to half of the book Dave is a whiny ne'er-do-well who's screwed up being a husband, a father and pretty much everything else. However he is good at his job. We meet Dave headed out to the deep sea drilling platform where he works. He's on a chopper, hungover and sick. He's also realizing that he posted pictures of himself with two imported hookers on Facebook where his soon to be ex-wife AND his kids can see them.

Also lets not forget that he spent most of what he'd made while the IRS is hunting him down over back taxes and unfiled tax returns.

Get the picture?

Then the chopper gets the call that there's a fire on the oil rig...then word of what seems to be a terrorist attack.

It's not.

From there the book takes an upturn into it's true genre as an action urban fantasy. The book is not funny in the vein of Harry Dresden Dave is simply too big a jerk.. But it's a good read. I can recommend it.

[Steven]

Emergence: Dave vs. the Monsters by John Birmingham
Published 2015, Del Rey
Stars: ☆☆☆☆☆ (DNF)
Review also posted at: Slapdash & Sundry

I'm just not going to be able to finish this book. I've read around 20%, and I can't find a single thing redeemable or potentially redeemable about the main character, and the gratuitous abuse of crude humor and curse words, which isn't a problem for me in general, is so beyond excessive that it's disgusting... and borderline "trying too hard."

It's a shame really, because the concept is an awesome one -- beefy guy, rough around the edges, rugged, messy life, forced into being a hero when a bunch of monsters spring up from under the sea. Unfortunately for Dave Hooper, I won't be there for his adventure nor for his path to becoming a real hero.

I think what really turned me off was the comment in the first chapter, about the three things he tasted when he burped up the night before -- liquor, snack food, and lady parts. But it was much more graphic in description than that. I gave it a few more chapters, but had to DNF. Just wasn't for me, with the MC as a racist, a misogynist, a homophobe, a deadbeat, a potty mouth, a druggie, a tax evader, an adulterer, and all around gross. This author seems to be seeing how much he can get away with, and it doesn't work with this reader.

Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this galley. Wish it had worked more for me.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dave is a self-centered racist sexist homophobic jerk who just spent his holiday bonus on top-flight hookers instead of paying his wife the child support money that she needs to feed and clothe his two sons. He's also the chief safety engineer on a deep-drilling BP oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico that somehow manages to open a portal to the "Underworld", freeing a troupe of demons to slaughter and eat Dave's co-workers. When Dave stumbles upon a "Hunn" chowing down on one of his friends, Dave becomes so enraged that he somehow manages to kill the monster, thereby acquiring magical powers.

The creatures of the Underworld, it turns out, used to prey regularly on humans, but many millenia ago they were forced underground (or into another dimension; it's not entirely clear) by the "Sky Lords." Now, perhaps because of deep sea drilling, the boundaries between the Underworld and the human world are wearing thin. The Underworld demons are formidable enemies who'd love nothing more than to disembowel us and eat us alive, but, on the other hand, the Iron Age weapons that once served them so well are now a bit dated.

Even if their weapons aren't au courant, the demons have brute strength and unquenchable ferocity on their side. Can humanity keep them in check? Not without Dave.

That's OK. Sometimes we need a superhero, even when the superhero is also a super jerk.

What's worst about Dave is not that there's so much to despise about him, but that the author seems to think (a) that the audience will see Dave as an average working class Joe [and, I should add, perhaps this *is* how Aussies like Birmingham see the average American man], (b) that the audience will identify a bit with Dave's unsavory views (particularly those having to do with "banging" women) even if they wouldn't dream of acting or talking like Dave, and (c) that the audience will forgive Dave his jerkiness once he comes to his senses and starts acting less like a hedonistic monster and more like a human being. (This does not happen in Book 1, but there are many hints it will happen by Book 3.) At least that's the impression I get from the politically correct undercurrents that seem to run through Dave's mind even while he's trashing people.

There are also problems with the way a working class African American portion of New Orleans is portrayed in the final chapters of the book. People talk funny, they do stupid things, and the only prominent local character is a gang leader.

So, Birmingham may have problems with racism, sexism, and homophobia, but if you can forgive that, he does succeed in other areas. Though the plot evolves way too slowly in the first half of the book, it does eventually pick up steam. The world building is not terribly original, but it is effective. In particular, Birmingham does a reasonable job of giving his demonic characters alien modes of thought without making those modes of thought opaque or silly. There's nothing magical about his writing but he is perfectly capable of stringing together readable sentences and paragraphs -- a feat that many published authors today can't seem to manage.

What's the bottom line? I feel dirty saying this, but I'm actually interested in what happens next. I absolutely would not recommend this book to everyone, and if you're a racist sexist homophobe the most polite thing I can recommend is that you go get your head examined. So, I guess I won't recommend it to anyone. Caveat emptor.

Note: I received an advance copy of "Emergence" via Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennybeast · Rating 1 out of 5]

I see why this series is marketed towards people who love Kevin Hearne and Jim Butcher -- it's paranormal, it's fast-paced, in some ways it's a guys book.

However, _I_ love Kevin Hearne and Jim Butcher because they write smart-ass, funny, dialogue, and their heros, while flawed, are also inherently lovable. They are always trying to right the wrongs, whether they caused them or not. I find Dave to be sardonic and self-hating, and I can't really fault him for that, because he's quite unappealing. I suspect that if I was willing to power through the first book he might gain some character, but I'm a couple hundred pages in and I have better things to do.

Advanced readers copy provided by edelweiss.

[Stephen Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silly. Overblown. Ridiculous beyond even what Matthew Reilly would write. But, that's entirely the point. Birmingham knows what he's doing, and why.

Full of Birmo's typical nods to politics, journalism, nerd culture and such, Emergence is a chuckle-filled weekend of nonsense. You should read it.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sometimes you can just tell early on when this straight, conservative author does not belong on your reading list. Putting down Green Peace? Primal fear of an erect penis? Please.

[Chompa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the hell out of this book. Lots of action, a good main character and an unusual setting for even urban fantasy.

Dave Hooper is a guy who enjoys drinking, hookers and avoiding his soon to be ex-wife. Then he becomes the next thing to a super-hero. A quick fun read.

[Bookwyrm Speaks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the Publisher through Netgalley free in return for an honest review, as well as buying a copy of my own on Audible. I wasn't sure what to make of this one when I first got it, but it was great! I like John Birmingham's alternative history books, but Urban Fantasy is a whole other ball of wax. Well, this is a home run! The story centers around Dave Hooper, the Safety Manager of an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. After a booze, drug and hooker filled week off on vacation, he goes back to the rig on the company helicopter hungover and just wishing the day was already over. On the way out to the rig, the call comes in that theres a fire on the rig, a safety guys worst nightmare. When they get to the rig, the workers are scrambling around trying to get off the rig. The reason for this is that the fire isn't really big, but the Demons who are slaughtering people on the rig are. Dave goes looking for the source of the trouble and he finds it: a big demon 7 foot tall demon that kind of looks like an Orc. He grabs one of his coworkers splitting maul, and in a fit of rage, kills the demon, who was drunk on the blood of one of his fellow workers. Dave wakes up in the hospital, on an IV drip. Dave rips out the IV, and long story short, ends up showing he now has super strength, super senses, and an increased healing factor.The Navy Spec ops team that has been tasked with discovering whats going on recruits him on the spot to help them check out the rig. In addition to everything else, Dave has all the knowledge of the Demon he killed, kind of a monsterpedia. They discover that the rig drilled through a dimensional breach, and the demons are escaping to our world, which they were banished from when humans were still wearing animal skins and living in caves. Dave has to help stop the Demon invasion with his trusty splitting maul, which is now charmed sort of like Thor's hammer (can't be picked up by anyone else, unbreakable, has a sort of sentience and energy) Dave faces off with the Demons in New Orleans, and after a heavy duty battle in which Dave finds his limitations, the Demons are stopped, at least for the moment. What happens next? Read book 2, Resistance: Dave vs. The Monsters to find out. Mark Zeisler did a fantastic job of narration. He got all the different voices and accents right, and I felt like I was right there in the middle of the action. I definitely recommend this for fans of Simon R. Green, Jim Butcher and Kevin Hearne.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reminds me a lot of Monster Hunter International, but I like it better. Dave Hooper is a mess, but a fun hero. He's almost 40 & still acting like a horny teenager, although he's managed to climb high in his profession & is the head safety officer of an oil rig. He's partying too hard & not happy with himself or his life when everything changes. He just stumbles in & winds up becoming the go-to guy for dealing with an invasion of monsters.

What I like best is the realism of most of the story. There's just the one supernatural element that plays into our real world, but Birmingham plays it for all its worth & well. The rest of reality is still the same, especially the government & its ponderous idiocies. Dave gets a bit too much of a pass through some of it, but that's not awful & it's necessary to keep the story moving, of course.

The only thing I really disliked was Dave's calculations toward the end. They make no sense in the context of the story. OK, he has new abilities from the monster he killed, but the monster would never think of jumping angles, numbers, & such. It should have been an instinctive, natural ability. How could Dave calculate the amount of force to exert? A big deal is made out of how poorly he does with that normally.

There was a bit too much repetition in places, but it wasn't too bad & I'm quite sensitive to it, especially in audio format where I can't skim. This was well read & I think I'll listen to the second next. It's not really a 4 star book, more of a 3.5, but it is definitely the beginning of a fun series.

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

rip roaring great first instalment. Not meant to be taken too seriously, and the main character is definitely unlikeable - which is nice and different

[Sachin Dev · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dave vs the Monsters, Emergence is the first book in the Dave Hooper trilogy featuring a middle-aged oil-rig safety officer who gets dragged into a fight between humans and monsters who live in the ‘under-realm’ – the first book details the war that starts off when the monsters ‘emerge’ onto Earth, when some accidental portals are opened between the two realms.

Now Dave Hooper is the ultimate cad, a worthless jerk who loves nothing more than holidaying off the rig with exotic women, bowlful of cocaine and other such stuff that lets him forget his responsibilities in the real world. Not only on the job but to his kids and wife. A frequent guilt-trip when Dave thinks about his wife, soon to be divorced but never really making any dent on the selfish pleasure-trip that he always gravitates to. It’s kind of sad that there are absolutely no redeeming qualities about this character that could make us like him – since the future of the world – facing this otherworldly horde on a marauding blood-feverish rampage - now rests on him.

I liked the beginning of the book and in fact was intrigued by the initial chapters, tracing the blazing inferno on the oil rig that signals the first sighting of the monsters. The first battle scene as well is fantastically portrayed. In fact, the change in POV – to that of Battle master of the Horde, Hurgon – was a total scream. But then things went downhill from there on.

Dave kills monster in a stroke of luck. Dave inherits super powers. And then on, it’s a drag where the military ( Joint Special Operations Centre, JSOC) takes Dave under their wing and we spend a lot of time just jetting from one location to the other or undergoing tests that prove Dave is in fact the Avenging Angel that the world has been blessed with.

Dave never rises above himself. And that for me, was the dampener. He still is fixated on women and having sex, is a complete racial stereotype and yaks his mouth off inappropriately at all times. Nobody calls him out on his views – in fact one of the lead women actually may even like this jerk! (If by book two and three, this ‘liking’ goes that way of romance, then I swear to god, I will go ape shit on Dave!)

The interesting concept of the otherworldly hierarchy – of Grymms, Fangr, Hunns, Battlemasters and their Queen – was pretty nicely fleshed out. In fact, the POV change to a minor demon by the middle of the book – was a nice touch and is one saving feature. There is nothing wrong with John Birmingham’s writing – it just wasn’t hitting me in the right manner.

Overall, a book that was hyped by the internet about bringing in a certain freshness to the stale urban fantasy genre – that brings in underworld and otherworldly Monsters into the fray – that is ultimately let down by an oaf of a prime narrator in Dave Hooper who ticks off all the boxes against the ultimate jerk title.

[Andrew Carr · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, I really did. Unfortunately despite admiring much of what Birmingham puts out, and the underlying ideas behind his action books I struggle to devour them as I should.

The basic premise is cool: Functioning alcoholic loser coming back to his job as saftey advisor on a rig in the Florida Gulf that is at never-before-reached depths. After they break through a new layer, something demonic comes crawling up the drill. Our protagonist Dave manages to defeat one of them, and in doing so takes on superhero powers. And a superhero sized appetite. Of course, once the hole is open, more are on the way.

This is the second of Birmingham's books I have read (I also read the first in the After America trilogy), and it was while reading this one I realised it suffered from the same the issue I had with his other work, but until now couldn't quite specify: Pacing.

For an author who talks gleefully of the amount of 'splodey' fun, these books tend to fairly plod along. This one has short actions scenes at the start, about 1/3rd of the way in, and then the final 40 or so pages. Leaving around 200+ pages of dialogue, movement and introspection that isn't quite deep enough to feel useful, nor fast enough to carry you through to the next big set piece.

This is of course the first in a trilogy (as was the other I had read) so maybe it's necessarily slower, but like any good trilogy, unless the first grabs you by the balls you'll never get to the latter ones. I have friends who rate this book, and there's enough here that i'll probably give the second a go. But I won't be racing for it.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the "May" Urban Fantasy pick from my local independent bookstore: Mysterious Galaxy. It sounded interesting - as I enjoy Urban Fantasy so I picked it up this week. I read the first chapter before going to bed, figuring I'd see how it was. I ended up staying up all night and basically devouring the book.

The main character is snarky, funny and just a normal guy - with doubts, problems and attitude problems, and then *WHAM* he's got to step up and basically deal with things that make most run screaming for the hills, along with new abilities that he just doesn't understand. We learn slowly along with him about how his world has now changed - with lots of teases for future books. The book was quite descriptive with well placed actions and character motivations. And while death and gore were described - it wasn't lingered on or described in excruciating detail (a fact I'm quite glad of and wish more books would do).

I am definitely looking forward to future books in this series.

[Brenda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This could've been epic. Instead, it focuses on racist and sexist drivel with gaping plot holes and far too much deus ex machina. I held out reading this one from my Comic Con 2015 stash, thinking it would be a perfect end to the pile. Turns out I should've read it first just to get it off my shelf as fast as possible.

It's a bummer, really. I expected it to be like Hounded but instead of gallivanting with mythical monsters, Dave would fight Godzilla-type monsters. Not even that was delivered.

[Laura Bradley-Twinning · Rating 3 out of 5]

What can I say about Dave? It did drag on in the beginning, but when it picked up, it was a really, really bad, good read. I know that won't make much sense. But it is so bad, it is good. Dave is a bit of a arse but he is funny with it. I even had it on audio so I could listen to it at work. I missed my turn-off because I was laughing. It is bloody awful but awfully amazing all in one. Still only 3 stars because it is terrible and good all in one.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is another one of the free books I picked up at the Del Rey table at Phoenix Comicon '15. New author, cool. Oh, monster book, those are fun. Right? Right?

No.

This sentence off the back cover should have clued me in, but I didn't realize just HOW UNLIKABLE the character would be: "A foul-mouthed, beer-loving, monster-slayer, and humanity's least worthy champion." All true. And not in a fun way. In an incredibly unlikable way.

By page three, when the author was describing the use of the word "exemplar" by the female pilot, "having read it in one of the unreadable werewolf romances she immersed herself in between flights," I found myself longing to read THAT book and not the one I had in my hands.

The protagonist is a terrible person and the author makes sure that you know THAT HE IS A TERRIBLE PERSON. Constantly. Prostitutes? Check. Drugs? Check. IRS tax evasion? Check. Terrible father? Check. Nasty divorce? Check. Worked for a big oil corporation and blew his money on hookers and drugs? Check. The list just goes on and on and on.

The book was unreadable. Around Chapter 14, I just started skimming chapters to see if anything actually happens. Spoiler: no.

The basic concept - monsters emerge from this underworld - could be done in a really interesting way. But the author spent too much time setting up the story arc for future books when the protagonist will eventually become Earth's Hero or, I guess, continue to be a terrible person who happens to be able to kill the monsters. Either way, it'll be too late for me. He's too unlikeable for me to want to waste any more of my free time with him. Sorry, Dave. Good luck with the monsters.

NOT for fans of Jim Butcher or Kevin Hearne.

Edit: For the record, my husband says "It's not as bad as you make it out to be, but I can see why you wouldn't like it."

[Nancy D Miz-Firefly aka Sparky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first John Birmingham. I don't know what his other work is like, But I had one helova good time reading Emergence. It is gritty and exciting. I couldn't put it down.

The Safety officer on an Oil Rig Dave Hooper is an aging hellraiser on the downward spiral to even warmer climes. Dave's world shifts on it's axis when he shows up to work (hungover of course) and steps into pandemonium. Except it isn't a blow out or an oil fire. "It"........ he's not sure exactly WHAT it is, but it sure aint human.

And it and several of it's friends have killed or eaten several of Dave's friends. Dave takes this personally. Being too hung over and too pissed off to realize taking on a whatever the hell this is probably doesn't do much for his life expectancy Dave takes on the monster and much to his surprise is the last one standing. He is even more surprised when he realizes he came out of the encounter with a lot more than he had to begin with.

Dave Hooper isn't especially likable. It is easy to see why he is a divorced all-but-deadbeat-dad. But his transition from hellraiser to hero is so compelling it was impossible not to invest in his character. I can't wait for the next one.

[Joe Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pulp fiction at its best updated for today. Dave is the most unlikely hero and yet you can't help but root for him. He has his faults. Probably more than his share, but when the Monsters break through he doesn't hesitate to step in. Even when he has no idea what he is doing. Book two is out already and book three comes out later this month. Count me in for reading them!

[Eric · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bad

I bought this book before a long airplane flight. I like to read mindless crap when I'm on a plane. This over-delivered. Other than the Casca series of novels, it's been several decades since I read anything this bad.

I'm honestly not sure how this book managed to land an actual publisher contract, much less a sequel.

Save your money. Our just send it to a friend instead.

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlikeable but engaging protagonist makes for a fun-filled romp through monster central.
Very cool stuff.

[Jag · Rating 1 out of 5]

What should be really, really, REALLY stupid fun just ends up being tedious and stupid.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Upon reread, I'm changing the review score to 3 from 4. There are hints that the author might be racist-ish and definitely a rightwinger. I just can't get behind that shit.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes the main character is a nasty, misogynist bigot, but who says the hero has to be nice. Personally my favourite character is the little monster with his thinkings and feelings.
The writing does start repetitively but if you stick with it and the story isn't half bad.

[Murat · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun

[Philipp Schluter · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m giving this three book series one star.

Harsh, I know, and not really applicable to the first book in isolation. However the series as a whole is tremendously disappointing and off putting.

I initially enjoyed the read, wanted to know how The Dave wins his fight. So much so that I made it through to the second half of the third book.

By then the lack of character development, the repetition of adjectives, the not funny anymore and beyond redemption misogynism that turned from character flaw to sad to repulsive made me abort this read.

I recommend you look elsewhere for your reading. And if you do read this and enjoy it I hope my daughters will recognise and steer well clear of you.

[Rt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Free review copy. I guess John Birmingham felt that his previous work was insufficiently on the nose for the white male power fantasy market? If this book has a thesis, here it is: “Dave Hooper flew, and the city passed beneath him. Failed husband, absent father, wastrel, and asshole, he flew through the night air …. Beneath his boots slipped the rusted roofs of the shotgun shacks and cinder block apartments, some of them slumped and all but tumbled down, others maintained with the best of intentions in the face of the crushing, relentless weight that bore down every day on those millions of people, those countless millions, who lived at the bottom of the heap. Dave Hooper flew over them all.”

The protagonist is a cheating jerk who spends his money, literally, on hookers and blow instead of supporting his two young sons or paying his taxes. He is also the chief safety officer for a drill rig drilling further under the ocean than anyone’s ever gone. When monsters invade the rig, he’s the only one who fights back, and in the process somehow takes on the lead monster’s knowledge, as well as gaining incredible powers of healing, strength, speed, vertical leap (63 feet!), and sexual prowess to go with his suddenly hot bod, such that blonde military nurses throw themselves at him. Although he was an abused child and can’t help thinking in racist, sexist terms, he knows that’s not okay, and fundamentally he is a good guy whose prowess is needed to save us all from monster invasion. (At this point even John Ringo may be saying OH JOHN BIRMINGHAM NO.) Also there are a lot of brand references I found distracting, though in fairness I don’t mind when Stephen King does it, so I could just be looking for icing on the cake.

Many people react badly to Mary Sues; I occasionally do myself, when I’m not there for her. But give her credit: Mary Sue is rarely a tax-dodging bad dad before she enters the narrative and rearranges it to suit herself. (P.S.: Another book with the same title, David Palmer’s Emergence, is a highly enjoyable Mary Sue in which a pubescent genius survives the viral apocalypse and then saves the world. I loved it as a teen, though I suspect it holds up less well in adulthood, judging by my reaction to the 2008 sequel, which I recently tracked down.) I feel like there’s a material difference between older John Wayne type male power fantasies and ones I see now: the older heroes were isolated from society; they might have broken women’s hearts, but they didn’t present as ongoing failed attempts to participate in society the way guys like Birmingham’s protagonist do, or the white guy on The Strain (who was also failing his kid) or even John Travolta’s character in Face Off (likewise). There’s a lot to be said about the change from the fantasy “failing as a partner is okay because you are really a hero underneath” to “failing as a father is okay because ditto,” though I’m not sure I can say anything but that I find it depressing. If you can suppress your urge to guffaw, this is a briskly executed power fantasy, but I liked his earlier work better because it wasn’t so specifically directed at an id that is not mine.