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Usu
Humans are gone and bloody good riddance to the lot of them. The planet, left barren and lifeless by the long extinct species, has since been inherited by their own creations. Now all that roams the hollow cities and landscapes of man are the various machinations left bestowed with intelligent (or in some cases barely functional) programming, including the likes of janitorial robots, violently affectionate androids, and one very unfortunate stuffed rabbit.
Separated by distance and time, two unlikely soul mates, Usu and Rain have been rekindled by fate only to struggle once again to hold onto their fragile union. To save a friendship that has stretched across lifetimes they must trek across a land as exotic as it is unforgiving, joined in their adventure by cleaning droids, cannibal robots, and holograms from an era long past. Fighting against time, forgotten memories, and their own design at the hands of their former creators, they will find a way to be together forever, at any cost.
'Usu' is a heartwarming sci-fi adventure from the mind of South African writer Jayde Ver Elst that tells the tale of two very dear friends; a stuffed rabbit and his android girl.
Separated by distance and time, two unlikely soul mates, Usu and Rain have been rekindled by fate only to struggle once again to hold onto their fragile union. To save a friendship that has stretched across lifetimes they must trek across a land as exotic as it is unforgiving, joined in their adventure by cleaning droids, cannibal robots, and holograms from an era long past. Fighting against time, forgotten memories, and their own design at the hands of their former creators, they will find a way to be together forever, at any cost.
'Usu' is a heartwarming sci-fi adventure from the mind of South African writer Jayde Ver Elst that tells the tale of two very dear friends; a stuffed rabbit and his android girl.
- GenresScience FictionHumor
180 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
3 people are currently reading
288 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 5, 2015
USU is reminiscent of Wall-e (disguised as 3cpo) meets Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets Romeo and Juliet.
I enjoyed and appreciated reading a fresh, brilliantly unpredictable and clever voice, and found myself chuckling at the many caustic, cynical gems scattered throughout- several eliciting loud guffaws. As much as I hate to liken one author to another, the structure and voice is very akin to Douglas Adams in the wry asides to the reader and otherwise wry perspective throughout.
That said, I most appreciated the smaller moments when the author shares his more poignant voice ---the one that speaks of love and heartache, courage and sacrifice. The one that speaks from the heart, and not the mind. It is for these most beautifully written, authentic moments that I rated the book 4 stars---when a more intimate, truly authentic voice is heard.
I look forward to following Ver Elst. I believe he will become masterful as his voice matures and consequently, becomes more uniquely his own. While I discovered this book through a Goodreads Giveaway, I would gladly have purchased it.
End note: intentionally placed last by order of importance. I hope this publisher takes the time to more carefully proof the interior file before placing books on the market. The few incidences of double commas, inappropriate use of lower case, dropped prepositions, and large gap in a sentence (created by justification) proved distracting enough to diminish my overall reading experience.
I enjoyed and appreciated reading a fresh, brilliantly unpredictable and clever voice, and found myself chuckling at the many caustic, cynical gems scattered throughout- several eliciting loud guffaws. As much as I hate to liken one author to another, the structure and voice is very akin to Douglas Adams in the wry asides to the reader and otherwise wry perspective throughout.
That said, I most appreciated the smaller moments when the author shares his more poignant voice ---the one that speaks of love and heartache, courage and sacrifice. The one that speaks from the heart, and not the mind. It is for these most beautifully written, authentic moments that I rated the book 4 stars---when a more intimate, truly authentic voice is heard.
I look forward to following Ver Elst. I believe he will become masterful as his voice matures and consequently, becomes more uniquely his own. While I discovered this book through a Goodreads Giveaway, I would gladly have purchased it.
End note: intentionally placed last by order of importance. I hope this publisher takes the time to more carefully proof the interior file before placing books on the market. The few incidences of double commas, inappropriate use of lower case, dropped prepositions, and large gap in a sentence (created by justification) proved distracting enough to diminish my overall reading experience.
September 6, 2016
Wow! Mr. Elst, you are a talented soul. I enjoyed every moment and more of Usu, and I only wish there had been more. It was over before I knew it and I was left with a profound sense of wonder regarding Usu's little world and the inhabitants that still exist there. I'd love to learn more. In fact, I hope that one day a certain narrator may make a return in book two.
August 27, 2016
I didn't know what to expect from this book as I've never heard of the author before. And according to Goodreads, that many people really haven't heard about him. Which, as I found out, is a great shame.
This book must probably be categorized as scifi. It definitely happens in the future and has really highly evolved robots and androids in it. At the same time the story feels like a fable. In some books the most important thing is what is said and in some books the most important part is how it is said. In Usu the story is short but really nice and interesting. But I really, really liked the way the author tells the story. How he says things. It really seems like linguistic art, not just the telling of a story. From the start I was mesmerised by the flow of the english language.
As already said the story has elements from scifi and fables, it is really cute and fun but at the same time terrible things happen. This is such a great mix styles that I really hope people would find this book.
Highly recommended!
This book must probably be categorized as scifi. It definitely happens in the future and has really highly evolved robots and androids in it. At the same time the story feels like a fable. In some books the most important thing is what is said and in some books the most important part is how it is said. In Usu the story is short but really nice and interesting. But I really, really liked the way the author tells the story. How he says things. It really seems like linguistic art, not just the telling of a story. From the start I was mesmerised by the flow of the english language.
As already said the story has elements from scifi and fables, it is really cute and fun but at the same time terrible things happen. This is such a great mix styles that I really hope people would find this book.
Highly recommended!
September 3, 2022
Andrew Stanton first conceived the idea for Wall-E way back in 1994, but didn't really know how to develop the story. With other projects on the go, he let it linger for years, and didn't take another serious crack at the script until 2002.
Just for a second, imagine just what might have happened if Douglas Adams had been asked to take a crack at it in the meantime, only to have his darker, weirder, more mature take on the script be shelved upon his death in 2001.
Now, imagine if you will, that a strange writing chap by the name of Jayde Ver Elst got his hands upon that version of script, loved the direction, but decided to make a few changes of his own - such as exchanging the cute little robot for a stuffed bunny, replacing Eve with a very Marvin-like love android, putting a tragic spin on the love story at its heart, and dropping the entire last act where humanity returns to reclaim the Earth.
That gives you a good introduction into the world of Usu . . . but it actually gets weirder and more delightful.
This is the tale of oddly mismatched soul mates with a friendship that has stretched across lifetimes. Usu is a stuffed bunny, very much self-aware and deeply contemplative, but unable to communicate due to the fact his mouth is just a line of stitching. Forced out of his den by hilarious circumstance, he meets up with a frantic, over-excited cleaning droid named Modbot. After an extended series of disasters and misunderstandings, they set off on a journey across their garbage-strewn world to find Rain, the android Usu loves, who has been waiting atop a mountain for him for ages. Once together, and reminded of their shared purpose, Usu and Rain set off for the ruins of Old Francisco to learn about their past and the end of humanity
That's about all I will say about the plot, because it's not something that can be described. Distilled like that, it sounds simple and generic, but experienced through the narrative of Jayde Ver Elst it's complex, entertaining, and surprisingly emotional.
As you might expect, there is a great deal of Douglas Adams and Monty Python style humor to be found here. How you react to the narrative depends on how much you enjoy those influences. This is an author who constantly breaks the fourth wall to talk to the reader, often to point out how he's about to make use of a cliched plot device, almost becoming a character himself. If you like that kind of approach, it's quite clever and amusing, and works well to explain the actions of a stuff rabbit who cannot speak for himself. If that sounds like an annoying sort of taboo . . . well, give it a shot anyway and prepare to be surprised.
Despite the comic narrative and the absurdities of the plot, this is also the story with a heart and a soul. The more we learn of Usu, Rain, and what's come before, the more we share in their melancholy sorrow and desperate need to answer the cruelties of fate. Yes, it's a story of stuffed bunnies, sentient (sometimes crazy) robots, holograms, electronic cannibals, and post-apocalyptic landscapes. Yes, it's a story of fourth-wall humor, horrible puns, slapstick disasters, and nonsensical diversions. Beneath all that - actually, entwined in all that - however, is a story about love, friendship, memories, and the meaning of life.
I wasn't sure what to expect after the first chapter. I wasn't sure if I was amused or annoyed. I'm glad I stuck with it. Usu is a very funny, very clever book that sets out to accomplish what it's author set out to do, and which (most importantly) doesn't overstay its welcome. It's a short read, somewhere between a novella and a novel, but Jayde Ver Elst makes every scene - indeed, every word - count.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Just for a second, imagine just what might have happened if Douglas Adams had been asked to take a crack at it in the meantime, only to have his darker, weirder, more mature take on the script be shelved upon his death in 2001.
Now, imagine if you will, that a strange writing chap by the name of Jayde Ver Elst got his hands upon that version of script, loved the direction, but decided to make a few changes of his own - such as exchanging the cute little robot for a stuffed bunny, replacing Eve with a very Marvin-like love android, putting a tragic spin on the love story at its heart, and dropping the entire last act where humanity returns to reclaim the Earth.
That gives you a good introduction into the world of Usu . . . but it actually gets weirder and more delightful.
This is the tale of oddly mismatched soul mates with a friendship that has stretched across lifetimes. Usu is a stuffed bunny, very much self-aware and deeply contemplative, but unable to communicate due to the fact his mouth is just a line of stitching. Forced out of his den by hilarious circumstance, he meets up with a frantic, over-excited cleaning droid named Modbot. After an extended series of disasters and misunderstandings, they set off on a journey across their garbage-strewn world to find Rain, the android Usu loves, who has been waiting atop a mountain for him for ages. Once together, and reminded of their shared purpose, Usu and Rain set off for the ruins of Old Francisco to learn about their past and the end of humanity
That's about all I will say about the plot, because it's not something that can be described. Distilled like that, it sounds simple and generic, but experienced through the narrative of Jayde Ver Elst it's complex, entertaining, and surprisingly emotional.
As you might expect, there is a great deal of Douglas Adams and Monty Python style humor to be found here. How you react to the narrative depends on how much you enjoy those influences. This is an author who constantly breaks the fourth wall to talk to the reader, often to point out how he's about to make use of a cliched plot device, almost becoming a character himself. If you like that kind of approach, it's quite clever and amusing, and works well to explain the actions of a stuff rabbit who cannot speak for himself. If that sounds like an annoying sort of taboo . . . well, give it a shot anyway and prepare to be surprised.
Despite the comic narrative and the absurdities of the plot, this is also the story with a heart and a soul. The more we learn of Usu, Rain, and what's come before, the more we share in their melancholy sorrow and desperate need to answer the cruelties of fate. Yes, it's a story of stuffed bunnies, sentient (sometimes crazy) robots, holograms, electronic cannibals, and post-apocalyptic landscapes. Yes, it's a story of fourth-wall humor, horrible puns, slapstick disasters, and nonsensical diversions. Beneath all that - actually, entwined in all that - however, is a story about love, friendship, memories, and the meaning of life.
I wasn't sure what to expect after the first chapter. I wasn't sure if I was amused or annoyed. I'm glad I stuck with it. Usu is a very funny, very clever book that sets out to accomplish what it's author set out to do, and which (most importantly) doesn't overstay its welcome. It's a short read, somewhere between a novella and a novel, but Jayde Ver Elst makes every scene - indeed, every word - count.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
May 7, 2019
Normally I give a book I can't finish only one star, but I decided to give two for this one since it was more that I was just annoyed by it than I couldn't stand to finish it. At first I thought it was kind of cute the way the author talked directly to the ready and said little clever, funny things. But clever, funny, self-indulgent, witty remarks get very old, very quickly.I think there may be people who could continue thinking that they were a positive aspect of the novel, but I am not one of them.You may be. If you think you are, give it a whirl. I'm not sure exactly what the plot was, so hopefully you can find that out.
January 23, 2017
The story is good and the humor is great but the self-impressed prose makes it a little difficult to decipher.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews