Captain Jacob Thomas USMC is a divorced combat veteran just trying to get his life back on track. Returning to the Marine Corps after a failed attempt at reconciliation with his estranged wife, Jake volunteers for a DARPA experiment that catapults him into a future where humanity has been stripped of 200 years of technological advancements and more than half its population. With the help of a faceless benefactor named AL:ICE (Artificial Life: Intelligent Computing Environment), he escapes the confines of an abandoned lab facility and starts a journey to put earth back on a path to recovery. Jake's path begins in the rich farmlands of central California and eventually places him in orbit and face to face with the very evil that started it all.
The end was disappointing. For all of the military terminology, there were fundamental errors. For instance, Marines do not use Strykers; they use LAVs. Also, a commissioned officer can simply enlist personnel, then promote them to fill needs.
Finally, the bad: the big weapon against the enemy is radio waves. This showed a fundamental lack of understanding of cosmic phenomenon. Heck, it's a failure of science...in science fiction!!!
All of this was wrapped up in wish-fulfillment prose. Superman and his harem. Magic sleep-teaching tech. Super AI computers.
Why wait 80yrs to revive the only military person left? Why wait until the nearest AI was about to fail?
I was barely hanging in there, then they deployed their super radio bombs. I cannot recommend anyone read this.
This is a not a very good book. It was clearly written by a horny teenage boy with a lot of fantasies he wishes to play out. Jake is a soldier put into stasis for a test that accidentally runs 150-odd years too long. No explanation ever as to why Jake was stuck in stasis for all of this time because having a real reason in the plot for that would just been too hard. But, you have to start ignoring silliness like that or you will ask why a well-trained military with all of the spacecraft, weapons, and resources that Jake has available 80 years later was no match at all for aliens that Jake trivially wipes the floor with. Or you may wonder why the aliens have ignored the planet for decades (yes, I know there's a theory in the book, but it's pretty ludicrous).
There is no tension here at all. Everything always works exactly as planned. If there is any deviation from plan, it only goes even better for them. Until the final battle, nobody gets hurt and the two pilots who die are clearly anonymous redshirts. There's always a magical solution for every problem from the unlimited ALICE brains and their unlimited supplies. Aircraft and spacecraft that have sat unattended for 80 years work perfectly, but main circuit breakers require humans to replace them? The ending was seriously deus ex machina. And after a while you get tired of hearing about his sexual exploits and the number of children he keeps conceiving. What is this, Cinemax? Oh, and the big bad aliens are pretty much directly from bad gangster movies.
This started out so promising. I even told my hubby about it. What's not to love about a guy waking up out of stasis to find the science crew are mummies, he's been under for who knows how long, and that he's trapped in an underground facility with only his wits to help him survive and find his way out?!
And then... we find out he's super-special; he's handsome, he's super-strong, he's the most powerful man in the world, he's perfect and all the ladies want him. In fact all the ladies want to be in a harem with him. And it's their idea! (If it was his idea it would be creepy. This way it isn't creepy you see.)
The protagonist isn't a cardboard cut-out. He's a black hole. You'd expect him to have some reaction when he finds out You'd think when he's in a military situation that he'd "wish Larry was here, he was always great backup". But nope. Apparently he had no friends before everything. Poor guy didn't even have a dog. He has no thoughts. No feelings. No goal. No wait, correction, he has goals. To get it on with as many ladies as he can.
Poor writing to say the least. How do people get crap like this published? I really want to know.
So back to the harem. What did I do to deserve this? Did I sleepwalk and kill a puppy? This is the third book in a row with this kind of creepy male wish-fulfillment. To be clear, I want to read about the author's sexual fantasies about as much as I want to read about his diarrhoea.
Edit: One of the biggest tragedies in life is that... there are 3 more books in this series.
Certainly not what I expected. I was a bit put off at the mid part of the book when the willing and ready women came into the picture but then realized my expectations for this kind of sci-fi were just too common and the harem of women added quite a bit of humour to the book.
The post minor apocalypse version of humanity reminded me of a less devastating Fallout 4, especially considering the humour. The main hero is also a very positive character which in this book is really nice - with the best intentions at the core.
Not sure why, but by the feel it is also very distantly reminiscent of reading about Staineless Steel Rat. =) But with the completely opposite type of character.
I'm going to save myself some trouble and quit while I'm ahead. It's a shame because it sounded like it could have been good, too.
I was irritated by the odd writing style, and then the AI that spoke an exclamation (!, seriously). I thought I might be acting the part of an unreasonable reader, so I did my due diligence and just looked at the reviews. So I DNF at 8%.
**Alice: Alice Series #1** by Charles Lamb, narrated by David Drummond, is an audiobook that takes listeners on a journey through a post-apocalyptic world where humanity is on the brink of extinction. The story follows Captain Jacob Thomas, USMC, a combat veteran who volunteers for a DARPA experiment that propels him into a future devoid of 200 years of technological progress and more than half of the human population.
The narrative begins with Jake's return to the Marine Corps after a failed attempt to reconcile with his estranged wife. His life, already in disarray, is further complicated when the DARPA experiment goes awry, sending him into a desolate future. Here, he encounters Alice, a faceless benefactor who aids him in navigating this new, harsh reality. Together, they embark on a mission to restore Earth to its former state, a journey that takes them from the fertile farmlands of California to the very orbit of the planet, confronting the evil that has ravaged humanity.
Charles Lamb's writing is commendable for its pacing and focus on action. The author avoids getting bogged down in excessive world-building, which keeps the story moving at a brisk pace. However, this also serves as a double-edged sword, as some listeners may find the lack of detailed world-building a shortfall when compared to other titles in the genre. The relationships between characters are another point of contention; while they drive the narrative forward, they can sometimes feel distracting or underdeveloped.
David Drummond's narration brings a distinct voice to the story, though some listeners have noted a lack of character differentiation in his performance. Despite this, his delivery captures the essence of the protagonist, imbuing him with a sense of rugged determination that aligns well with the character's military background.
The audiobook's production quality, provided by Tantor Audio, ensures a clear and immersive listening experience. The sound is consistent, and the editing is seamless, allowing listeners to fully engage with the story without distraction.
Fans of military science fiction and post-apocalyptic narratives will find much to enjoy in this audiobook. However the story is simplistic, and there is no real enemy that is worth mentioning, and women are too willing “to jump in the sack” with our hero. However, subsequent books appear to be rated better. However, I think I’ll give them a pass.
Overall, **Alice: Alice Series #1** is a solid entry in the military science fiction genre. While it may not delve as deeply into its world as some might like, its focus on action and the central narrative provides a compelling tale of survival and determination in the face of overwhelming odds. However, the MC could have been better developed, with real feelings and obstacles.
It had a good premise and different take on a wasteland theme. However, anything good about the book was all in the front. It just got worse and worse. It had some horrid 'last man on earth' syndrome, and nearly everything is based on it. It's like Jake was in stasis, the rest of the world basically was too.
Everything below is spoilers - but, lets be honest, it doesn't matter.
Suffers even worse from everything "Gone Horribly Right" - it ALL WORKS. Nothing goes wrong. Anything that vaguely appears to be an issue is always turned into more good things happening. The Brady bunch had more disaster and chaos then the main characters deal with in this 'end of the world' paradise.
Beating that dead horse a little, the "enemies" thought, lets face it, they're target practice. The 'mounting threat'is just more target practice with foreigners LITERALLY being killed by Rock Radio. Because, you know, guns were to easy.
Kicking the horse... everyone is easily vetted by the Al:ice machines, everyone who is brought in is a model soldier, no one is ever jealous. I've seen scripted video games with more deviation among the characters then this book had. Truly a never ending litany of people with typical american names, who all form up exactly has needed filling all the necessary roles perfectly.
Skip it, skip it hard. And I kind of get this is kind of the B-movie equivalent of a Sci-fi book, but I think it takes itself too serious, too often, and gets too far into the weeds regarding tactical locations and personal exchanges and procurement of materials... c'mon. The stupid cliches don't even work, they're trite and obvious.
Parts of the book did work for me, personally, and I did finish it, and the opening was pretty good, even though the author fell off the truck and broke himself.... so it manages eek out 2 stars.
A wonderfully crafted story and premise-one I really want to see as a Netflix or Amazon might I series...You can't go wrong with suspended animation, artificial life,sort of burnt earth space,sex aliens, wild west style women,and guns. What more can you ask for...I really enjoyed this read and can't wait for the next one. (Grammer and editing Nazi warning ALICE is a bit rough in some areas...she still needs another set of eyes looking at her for some minor tense and spell check errors.... but still is a wonderful story like I said I can't wait for the next book)
i wasnt sure what to expect, the main character its hard not to like, while this story lacked some polish. it was also very engaging. I love the way the Author unfolds the story. i did feel that jakes life was a little too charmed.
Charles Lambs first book is a classic space opera! A man alone after waking up after a stasis experiment. To him, it was a nap. For everyone else it was 150 years. ALien invasion? You bet. All modern amenities are gone except for his underground base. Then come the ladies! Many more females survive than males.
Before buying this book I read the reviews on Amazon. One griped about male fantasies and their women. Pulease! Hundreds of Reverse Harem books are out there for all us girls. This is a tasteful novel with NO GRAPHIC SEX! None, zip, nada!
A great story with an engaging soldier and lots of action! What's not to love!
A sometimes amusing story, this one's plagued with issues. The end really pushes plausibility - if you stop for 30 seconds to think about the science of it, it makes absolutely 0 sense. But then, the same can be said for most of the personal relationships that the main character develops throughout the story. There's a lot of (sometimes creepy) wish fulfillment in this hero fantasy of a sci fi book.
I may check some reviews on the follow-ups to this one and see if the author appears to get any better, but I kinda suspect it's not worth the time.
3½ stars. I'll hide most of this since it's a bit spoilerish. I had problems with this book though it started strong with an interesting premise. It became a bit predictable, and I wondered what audience this book is aimed at.
My own pet peeve involved simple writing style. Most authors have quirks, and it's an editor's job to downplay them. Here it is: seemingly every other line of dialogue is followed by he said or she said "with a smile", "with a grin", or "with a laugh." There is no way everyone is this happy all the time. In fact, it sometimes seemed like they were fake smiles masking true feelings of the characters that the author was unwilling to discuss.
Still, looking forward to continuing the series.["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
It is a nice and enjoyable story, I do enjoy reading it. However, this book mostly a story about a guy with his harem girls, with some bits of action and space battles.
It's just a matter of personal taste really. I much more prefer story about tech improvements, space battles and space politics. And the romances/harem at most 3 girls max, more than that is simple unrealistic, no woman willing share a guy without any jealousy or ambitious (can I use the word "gold digger"?).
Seriously, I lost count how many girls he has, after the 6th girl, I just skip most of the romances, it seem fakes to me, nothing real and tangible. The guy does not really love the girls, and the girls like or "love" the guy only for safety and his social authority (basically he is a Mary Sue or Gary Sue in this case).
If not for the last space battle at the end I would rate this book 3/5. However the last space fight excite and left me intrigue for the next book. I hope they will have more space battles and become the major power of the sector. And please... no more girls added to the harem...
Lamb says this is his first book. If so, it's a pretty good first! At one point I feared the story line was going to devolve in to one of those cheap pulp fiction novels, but while it did have that aspect it was handled well. If there is one suggestion I would make it is this: A victor can be no better than the enemy they vanquish. These bad guys seemed like a bunch of wimps! Bullies, yes but big, bad, terrible, intelligent, dangerous - no. That said, it is fun to be the top gun. Overall a fun story and an outstanding first attempt.
As an early work from this author it is a little rougher than he's newer titles but still I enjoy the story.I'm reading the entire series and This book that's the premise that is quite enjoyable. I hope the author takes the series up again and adds more books now that he has more experience and has some other titles. Looking forward to more Jake and Alice's and see whether the universe is ready for them.
A Marine is bought out of stasis in a future where aliens have bombed the Earth back 150 years in technology. A group of artificial intelligence computers called ALICE help Jake to start bringing humanity back forward by recruiting helpers and by educating humans back into their previous abilities. An interesting story.
An enjoyably laughable Mary Sue MC. I know a Mary Sue is not held in much esteem, but this guy embodies inoffensively larger than life unintentional silliness. I can just see the plot as a daydream of an average guy. Adventure, heroism, he doesn't just get the girl, but he gets ALL the girls. Ha! And they don't mind sharing. Guffaw. It was a very fun read, but it does not compel me to to continue the series.
This book has a good idea / futuristic story of someone going forward in time all of a sudden being in charge of a bunch of futuristic technology, artificial intelligence, with not much left of a human population. The author does seem a bit preoccupied with the main character’s efforts in assisting the repopulation efforts with his harem of women, but it does add a humorous content to the storyline. I picked this up for free using my Kindle Unlimited borrow vs. the normal price of $2.99, and I certainly received more than $2.99 worth of entertainment value out of this one.
Quite readable,,an interesting concept. I enjoyed this book an will read the sequels . The potential for problems with the survivor alone is going to be interesting to follow. Men can be such rapacious ornery beasties that Jake has his work cut out for him. I will be curious to see what the author comes up with.
When Jake first signed on to be the first human to be in a stasis chamber, little did he know what was going to happen... Al:ice is a brilliantly designed and very additive story for sci-fi buffs out there. There is no techno-babble, and everything reads very smoothly.
A fantastic story and one I throughly enjoyed. I always appreciate good writers and you fall completely in the bracket. Thank you for picking up the proverbial pen. I am already excited about what comes next and thank you in advance.
Not totally what you would expect from a sci-fi novel. That does not make it bad. It is just different and entertaining especially for a first book for an author. Enough humor to lighten it up and action to spice it up🙄🙄
This wasn’t a sophisticated read by any means, although I do take umbrage at some of the low ratings. All of the themes in the book are pretty common, and the few males/many females thing is a pretty old trope that was actually handled in a more tongue-and-cheek way than many books that veer into this territory. My only gripe is that Jake could do no wrong and nothing negative ever happened, making any potential conflict nonexistent.