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Patchwerk
Fleeing the city of New York on the TransContinental atmospheric transport vehicle, Dran Florrian is traveling with Palimpsest-the ultimate proof of a lifetime of scientific theorizing.When a rogue organization attempts to steal the device, however, Dran takes drastic action. But his invention threatens to destroy the very fabric of this and all other possible universes, unless Dran-or someone very much like him-can shut down the machine and reverse the process.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
140 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 19, 2016
3 people are currently reading
449 people want to read
About the author
David Tallerman
110 books87 followersDavid Tallerman is the author of the comic fantasy novel The Black River Chronicles: Level One and its first sequel The Black River Chronicles: The Ursvaal Exchange, the Tales of Easie Damasco series (Giant Thief, Crown Thief and Prince Thief), and the Tor.com novella Patchwerk. His comics work includes the absurdist steampunk graphic novel Endangered Weapon B and the Lovecraftian horror miniseries C21st Gods.
David's short science fiction, fantasy and horror has appeared in over eighty markets, including Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, Nightmare and Beneath Ceaseless Skies. A number of his dark fantasy tales have been collected as The Sign in the Moonlight and Other Stories.
He can be found online at davidtallerman.co.uk.
David's short science fiction, fantasy and horror has appeared in over eighty markets, including Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, Nightmare and Beneath Ceaseless Skies. A number of his dark fantasy tales have been collected as The Sign in the Moonlight and Other Stories.
He can be found online at davidtallerman.co.uk.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 17, 2015
I received this book from the publisher at no cost.
This is a really hard story to talk about without major spoilers. So initially, let me know: the premise is quite clever - man makes machine that may well interfere with the very fabric of reality - and there are some nice points of world building. There's a point at which you may well wonder whether your version of the text has somehow been corrupted (I did), but it's actually the story itself, as you discover when you keep going (... unless your copy actually is corrupted...). However, I had some issues, mostly in the characters which I'll mention in the spoilers section; partly it was in the prose itself, which at times just felt clunky.
In the final analysis: a cool idea, not entirely well constructed.
This is a really hard story to talk about without major spoilers. So initially, let me know: the premise is quite clever - man makes machine that may well interfere with the very fabric of reality - and there are some nice points of world building. There's a point at which you may well wonder whether your version of the text has somehow been corrupted (I did), but it's actually the story itself, as you discover when you keep going (... unless your copy actually is corrupted...). However, I had some issues, mostly in the characters which I'll mention in the spoilers section; partly it was in the prose itself, which at times just felt clunky.
In the final analysis: a cool idea, not entirely well constructed.
August 6, 2022
That was certainly how his mind felt now; like something weak and porous, absorbing the seeping residue of other lives.
3.5 stars. Such an interesting novella! I was really pulled into this from the very beginning, and because I went into it blind, the themes and reveals were all very pleasantly surprising. I love sci-fi about multiverse stuff, and the plot of this particular story was so innovative and unique in the way the author made it play out. Listened to the audiobook as read by Tim Gerard Reynolds, which was great, because you got to hear the different accents. Would have been nice to have different narrators, but also, it's kinda more interesting (and fits with the theme) that it didn't. Very engaging for a novella; I'm glad I read it!
June 14, 2016
A short, punchy, pulpy adventure story of science, espionage, and infinite universes. It's the kind of high-imagination weirdness that I love so much.
Read
October 7, 2016Multiverses, all of which look interesting, and none of which we get to look at very long.
January 24, 2017
Meddling with reality is dangerous.
It's especially dangerous when your enemy has gotten possession of your device and doesn't understand important aspects of it, has removed all safety features--and intends to use it as a weapon.
And when the device itself has its own opinions on what's "harmful" and what's not.
Florrian is traveling with the device that will prove all his scientific theories when a rival organization attempts to steal it. The drastic action he takes can potentially threaten the fabric of reality unless he--or some alternate version of him--or is it her?--can come up with a way to set things right.
I had no idea where this was going at first, and it's a wild ride, but it's a lot of fun.
Recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
It's especially dangerous when your enemy has gotten possession of your device and doesn't understand important aspects of it, has removed all safety features--and intends to use it as a weapon.
And when the device itself has its own opinions on what's "harmful" and what's not.
Florrian is traveling with the device that will prove all his scientific theories when a rival organization attempts to steal it. The drastic action he takes can potentially threaten the fabric of reality unless he--or some alternate version of him--or is it her?--can come up with a way to set things right.
I had no idea where this was going at first, and it's a wild ride, but it's a lot of fun.
Recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
March 13, 2016
Enjoyed this Sci-Fi novella. A tale of scientist that has created a machine, the Palimpsest, that if in the wrong hands, could be used as a weapon and so he decides to do something about it, but his rival tracks him down and tries to stop him.
The story twists and turns through alternate universes that the Palimpsest creates, as the protagonist flees from his rival and his goons. The transition from one alternate reality to the next in the story are seamless, although a bit confusing at first. But once you get around that, it's a fast paced, action packed chase that doesn't relent until the end.
A really enjoyable read!
The story twists and turns through alternate universes that the Palimpsest creates, as the protagonist flees from his rival and his goons. The transition from one alternate reality to the next in the story are seamless, although a bit confusing at first. But once you get around that, it's a fast paced, action packed chase that doesn't relent until the end.
A really enjoyable read!
January 27, 2016
I received this book from the author for no charge.
I really enjoyed this book - I have a real weakness for action with a science fiction twist. A good idea well executed. It reminds me of Ancilary Justice.
I really enjoyed this book - I have a real weakness for action with a science fiction twist. A good idea well executed. It reminds me of Ancilary Justice.
March 17, 2017
This was a very odd story to listen to. The narrator, Tim Gerard Reynolds, is one of the best in the business -- but in this case he kept changing accents not only in the dialogue but also in the exposition, and I also kept thinking that he was forgetting how the characters' names were pronounced. Now, it turns out that neither of these things were Reynolds's fault (though I still think changing the accent in the exposition was a bad idea), but they resulted in a head-scratching listening experience.
There have been multiple stories over the years dealing with the idea of multiple realities, but I don't remember any others doing so on such a personal, multivariate level. The author did interesting things with that concept. Though there were plenty of plot holes to pick apart if you really wanted to try, the unrelenting action kept me from thinking too hard about them. Once I got through my initial confusion, it was pretty fun to find out what Tallerman would come up with next.
I'm rating this at about 3.5 stars. Knocking it down from 4 because of my ongoing uneasiness about those plot holes. It's an entertaining read, though.
There have been multiple stories over the years dealing with the idea of multiple realities, but I don't remember any others doing so on such a personal, multivariate level. The author did interesting things with that concept. Though there were plenty of plot holes to pick apart if you really wanted to try, the unrelenting action kept me from thinking too hard about them. Once I got through my initial confusion, it was pretty fun to find out what Tallerman would come up with next.
I'm rating this at about 3.5 stars. Knocking it down from 4 because of my ongoing uneasiness about those plot holes. It's an entertaining read, though.
August 25, 2019
A scientist turns spy to try and steal back (or disable) his own machine – the palimpsest. He fears it can be used as a type of bomb. But then he finds his ex-wife is helping his enemy.
888
This was rather interesting… but did something very confusing and with an audiobook, it was hard to tell if it was the book or me.
An intriguing idea but I don’t think it worked as well as it could have.
3 stars
In the Tor audio collection – the blue one.
888
This was rather interesting… but did something very confusing and with an audiobook, it was hard to tell if it was the book or me.
An intriguing idea but I don’t think it worked as well as it could have.
3 stars
In the Tor audio collection – the blue one.
March 10, 2019
This wasn't a bad book it was just a little weird and hard to follow at times. I think it would have worked better as a novel instead of a novella. I also wasn't a fan of the whole thing being just one chapter. Still it was well-written and I definitely want to check out other books by the author.
July 25, 2023
Short but enjoyable. The whole thing was like a sort of dream sequence, which was cool.
February 3, 2016
This review originally appeared on Pop Verse.
This is what science fiction writing should be. Having fun with outlandish ideas while keeping the prose simple and elegant. My love of SFF writing was born from reading Ursula Le Guin and Tallerman’s new novella follows in her daunting footsteps admirably.
The complex and outlandish premise for Patchwerk works well in novella form. Long enough to be meaty, but short enough not to be taxing for the reader. It fits in well with Tor.com’s imprint. Tor.com has been publishing some excellent genre work since they launched the new imprint, including short works by Nnedi Okorafor, Angela Slatter, and Daniel Polansky. Short fiction has been floundering in recent decades after SFF began in pulp magazines and the like. With Tor.com’s excellent short stories and now the novella imprint, I’m looking forward to a rejuvenation of the short form SFF story.
‘He had been mired for so long in theory, with no thought of application.’
Patchwerk is a difficult novella to talk about. I want to excitedly tell you why you should read this book but most of what I really loved about the novella is intensely spoilerific. Even the basic premise is tricky to illuminate without giving the game away. Here is my attempt at a short and snappy pitch for Patchwerk (without really telling you anything!):
Dran Floranov has built a machine. On his way to a safe haven, he is caught and held hostage by his ex-wife and her new lover, Dorric, a scientist with no moral compass and a terrifying desire to cause mass destruction. The machine is malfunctioning in unpredictable and unforeseen ways. Can Dran get past Dorric, save his machine – and the world – in time?
Tallerman’s novella does exactly what science fiction – in my opinion – should do. And that’s have fun with a cool idea. Why else do we write and read SF? If we wanted something realistic or a narrative to fall within the current realm of existence, we’d bore ourselves with the latest snore-inducing Man Booker Prize winner. The idea at the novella’s core is both complex and simple ��� difficult to grasp and yet so obvious as to be inevitable. Perhaps that’s what makes Patchwerk special – the exceptional execution makes the convoluted premise work.
‘Floranov had always tended to forget what an omnivore of knowledge she could be.’
With wonderful description and utterly readable prose, Tallerman never devolves into a flowery or OTT scientific jargon. Instead, the entire piece is fluid, sliding the reader through the complex structure and premise as though it were the most natural course for the story to take. I first noticed this easy fluidity early on when the reader is delicately transferred into a flashback. It is seamless while managing to stay clear and transparent. Then, when the main meat of the story kicks in (and the narrative grows into an elaborate stack of dominoes, precariously piled – though never toppling!), the reader is pulled along by the action, the elegant prose, and is never once tripped up by maze-like plot.
Patchwerk coverWhile the prose is never in your face (just how I like it), Tallerman isn’t afraid to have fun with language. There are some brilliant descriptions that brought a smile to my face. Possibly my favourite moment in the novella is when the main character uses a ‘hanging sentence’ to put the thugs off guard: ‘And as good as Dorric’s men were, they hadn’t had his psych training; they were no match for a hanging sentence.’ It’s this balance of un-intrusive yet playful prose that makes Patchwerk such a joy to read.
‘He couldn’t heal the world, but perhaps he could still bandage its wounds.’
In many ways, Patchwerk is a traditional SF story: an invented future where technology can help solve all our problems, but as usual, someone wants to twist the intention and turn something beautiful into a weapon. I am all for this throwback to traditional SF – these are the kinds of stories that made me fall in love with the genre. And there are still so many untold stories that can fit this style of storytelling. Unlike many pessimistic SF stories, Patchwerk is ultimately hopeful while acknowledging the darker side of technological innovation. But with progress comes risk and when one person has invented something, another will manage it in due course.
Verdict: Great Science fiction novella worthy of the SF canon. Action packed and fast paced while never managing to become unintelligible despite the complex plot/concepts involved.
This is what science fiction writing should be. Having fun with outlandish ideas while keeping the prose simple and elegant. My love of SFF writing was born from reading Ursula Le Guin and Tallerman’s new novella follows in her daunting footsteps admirably.
The complex and outlandish premise for Patchwerk works well in novella form. Long enough to be meaty, but short enough not to be taxing for the reader. It fits in well with Tor.com’s imprint. Tor.com has been publishing some excellent genre work since they launched the new imprint, including short works by Nnedi Okorafor, Angela Slatter, and Daniel Polansky. Short fiction has been floundering in recent decades after SFF began in pulp magazines and the like. With Tor.com’s excellent short stories and now the novella imprint, I’m looking forward to a rejuvenation of the short form SFF story.
‘He had been mired for so long in theory, with no thought of application.’
Patchwerk is a difficult novella to talk about. I want to excitedly tell you why you should read this book but most of what I really loved about the novella is intensely spoilerific. Even the basic premise is tricky to illuminate without giving the game away. Here is my attempt at a short and snappy pitch for Patchwerk (without really telling you anything!):
Dran Floranov has built a machine. On his way to a safe haven, he is caught and held hostage by his ex-wife and her new lover, Dorric, a scientist with no moral compass and a terrifying desire to cause mass destruction. The machine is malfunctioning in unpredictable and unforeseen ways. Can Dran get past Dorric, save his machine – and the world – in time?
Tallerman’s novella does exactly what science fiction – in my opinion – should do. And that’s have fun with a cool idea. Why else do we write and read SF? If we wanted something realistic or a narrative to fall within the current realm of existence, we’d bore ourselves with the latest snore-inducing Man Booker Prize winner. The idea at the novella’s core is both complex and simple ��� difficult to grasp and yet so obvious as to be inevitable. Perhaps that’s what makes Patchwerk special – the exceptional execution makes the convoluted premise work.
‘Floranov had always tended to forget what an omnivore of knowledge she could be.’
With wonderful description and utterly readable prose, Tallerman never devolves into a flowery or OTT scientific jargon. Instead, the entire piece is fluid, sliding the reader through the complex structure and premise as though it were the most natural course for the story to take. I first noticed this easy fluidity early on when the reader is delicately transferred into a flashback. It is seamless while managing to stay clear and transparent. Then, when the main meat of the story kicks in (and the narrative grows into an elaborate stack of dominoes, precariously piled – though never toppling!), the reader is pulled along by the action, the elegant prose, and is never once tripped up by maze-like plot.
Patchwerk coverWhile the prose is never in your face (just how I like it), Tallerman isn’t afraid to have fun with language. There are some brilliant descriptions that brought a smile to my face. Possibly my favourite moment in the novella is when the main character uses a ‘hanging sentence’ to put the thugs off guard: ‘And as good as Dorric’s men were, they hadn’t had his psych training; they were no match for a hanging sentence.’ It’s this balance of un-intrusive yet playful prose that makes Patchwerk such a joy to read.
‘He couldn’t heal the world, but perhaps he could still bandage its wounds.’
In many ways, Patchwerk is a traditional SF story: an invented future where technology can help solve all our problems, but as usual, someone wants to twist the intention and turn something beautiful into a weapon. I am all for this throwback to traditional SF – these are the kinds of stories that made me fall in love with the genre. And there are still so many untold stories that can fit this style of storytelling. Unlike many pessimistic SF stories, Patchwerk is ultimately hopeful while acknowledging the darker side of technological innovation. But with progress comes risk and when one person has invented something, another will manage it in due course.
Verdict: Great Science fiction novella worthy of the SF canon. Action packed and fast paced while never managing to become unintelligible despite the complex plot/concepts involved.
January 31, 2017
I recently read an article about how fantasy and science fiction don't fit the novella mold, since the shortened length limits the world-building, which the author felt was critical to the genres. I guess this is true, but it's easy to draw a fantasy or science fiction world with broad strokes. In Patchwerk, Tallerman leads us into the story with a character whose body modification -- a set of gills -- will be used to clear the toxins from the air, for which he will be paid a small stipend, but which will also kill him before that stipend will be of any use to him. Already, we know several things:
- This is the future.
- In this future, the pollution is severe.
- In this future, body modifications are common.
Once could make some assumptions here, too (the man knows he will die sooner than normal, and won't personally gain from his modification, so he must be doing it for a greater good, such as the future of the planet, or his children, or something else entirely), but those things above we know for a fact. The curious thing about this scene is that the character in question isn't even the main character. Instead, Tallerman is using him to tell us about the world and its society.
This is important, because this story is about shifting realities. Every ten pages or so, Tallerman is describing a new world, one acutely similar to but profoundly different from the preceding one. The main character has invented a machine that detects parallel worlds, and can pull people in and out of them at will. Unfortunately, other people have learned of his invention, and they want to use it for more sinister purposes, so the novella is one of trying to stop them from getting control of it.
The story has a cool idea, but I didn't find I could connect with it through the characters. The main character's ex-wife makes an appearance, and the two of them drive the action (and the shifting between universes), but I couldn't care about them. As far as good-versus-evil, I could root for them, but I didn't get torn up over what happened to them. They were serviceable, but not much beyond that.
It's a little difficult to follow the story until you understand what's happening with the changes in setting and names, and then once you figure out what's going on, you start to anticipate those changes, which can distract some from the story. I felt like I was missing details because I was jumping ahead to the next paragraph to see if everything was still the same. This might not be an issue with other readers, but for anyone who's anticipatory, it could be a detriment.
Patchwerk is a neat idea, written by someone who obviously has a talent for writing, but it was lacking in a couple of areas that prevent me from gushing over the story. It only takes a couple of hours to read, so anyone who likes ideas in their science fiction will likely eat it up, but folks who want strong characters and real emotion might be disappointed. It's a great idea, but I find the execution of the story didn't quite work.
- This is the future.
- In this future, the pollution is severe.
- In this future, body modifications are common.
Once could make some assumptions here, too (the man knows he will die sooner than normal, and won't personally gain from his modification, so he must be doing it for a greater good, such as the future of the planet, or his children, or something else entirely), but those things above we know for a fact. The curious thing about this scene is that the character in question isn't even the main character. Instead, Tallerman is using him to tell us about the world and its society.
This is important, because this story is about shifting realities. Every ten pages or so, Tallerman is describing a new world, one acutely similar to but profoundly different from the preceding one. The main character has invented a machine that detects parallel worlds, and can pull people in and out of them at will. Unfortunately, other people have learned of his invention, and they want to use it for more sinister purposes, so the novella is one of trying to stop them from getting control of it.
The story has a cool idea, but I didn't find I could connect with it through the characters. The main character's ex-wife makes an appearance, and the two of them drive the action (and the shifting between universes), but I couldn't care about them. As far as good-versus-evil, I could root for them, but I didn't get torn up over what happened to them. They were serviceable, but not much beyond that.
It's a little difficult to follow the story until you understand what's happening with the changes in setting and names, and then once you figure out what's going on, you start to anticipate those changes, which can distract some from the story. I felt like I was missing details because I was jumping ahead to the next paragraph to see if everything was still the same. This might not be an issue with other readers, but for anyone who's anticipatory, it could be a detriment.
Patchwerk is a neat idea, written by someone who obviously has a talent for writing, but it was lacking in a couple of areas that prevent me from gushing over the story. It only takes a couple of hours to read, so anyone who likes ideas in their science fiction will likely eat it up, but folks who want strong characters and real emotion might be disappointed. It's a great idea, but I find the execution of the story didn't quite work.
May 7, 2016
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.25 of 5
Dr. Dran Florrian is heading away from New York with a device he calls a "Palimpsest" - a device that is the culmination of five years hard work. The Palimpsest is a machine that can reach into other realities and of course, that means it's a device that is going to be wanted by some of the more unsavory types, specifically Harlan Dorric - a man who has already taken something very valuable from Dran. And so Florrian is on the run.
What author David Tallerman has done with this book that makes this a bit more interesting than your average sci-fi thriller is that he weaves other realities into this story, and does so without warning. Dran Florrian is also: D’ren Florein and Doran Floranov and Adwan Faizan . There are no unique chapters with this other reality, the story simply changes the characters and setting, ever-so-slightly, mid-stream.
Sound confusing? It is. But Tallerman lays it out as straightforward as possible:
Think of this as a variation on the time-travel theme, but instead of time, we are traveling through alternate realities. It's a clever work and it takes more than a little focus from the reader to stay with the story and to figure out where the story is going and through which reality it is traveling. The savvy sci-fi reader should be able to figure this out.
I don't know if it's because Dran changed slightly through the various realities, but I was never able to really connect with him, which is really essential in a short work like this. My reading found this interesting and moderately enjoyable, but I think a slightly longer work would have allowed for some character building that would have made this a tighter, stronger work.
Looking for a good book? Patchwerk, by David Tallerman, is wild sci-fi thriller that will have you a little confused, but is worthy of a read if you're willing to work at it.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Dr. Dran Florrian is heading away from New York with a device he calls a "Palimpsest" - a device that is the culmination of five years hard work. The Palimpsest is a machine that can reach into other realities and of course, that means it's a device that is going to be wanted by some of the more unsavory types, specifically Harlan Dorric - a man who has already taken something very valuable from Dran. And so Florrian is on the run.
What author David Tallerman has done with this book that makes this a bit more interesting than your average sci-fi thriller is that he weaves other realities into this story, and does so without warning. Dran Florrian is also: D’ren Florein and Doran Floranov and Adwan Faizan . There are no unique chapters with this other reality, the story simply changes the characters and setting, ever-so-slightly, mid-stream.
Sound confusing? It is. But Tallerman lays it out as straightforward as possible:
He had been shot...—but only in one single reality. There were many versions of him. Most were unhurt. Others were sick; some were long dead. A tiny few lived in realities where there existed nothing at all like the weapon Dori had wielded. And though he was Adwan Faizan, he was all of those other versions of himself as well, and all of them at once. Faizan was shot, but he was unhurt. He was dying, but elsewhere he lived. All possibilities were the same. All were within reach.
That was Palimpsest: a sinkhole through the reality stack; a tiny god in a room made of doors.
Think of this as a variation on the time-travel theme, but instead of time, we are traveling through alternate realities. It's a clever work and it takes more than a little focus from the reader to stay with the story and to figure out where the story is going and through which reality it is traveling. The savvy sci-fi reader should be able to figure this out.
I don't know if it's because Dran changed slightly through the various realities, but I was never able to really connect with him, which is really essential in a short work like this. My reading found this interesting and moderately enjoyable, but I think a slightly longer work would have allowed for some character building that would have made this a tighter, stronger work.
Looking for a good book? Patchwerk, by David Tallerman, is wild sci-fi thriller that will have you a little confused, but is worthy of a read if you're willing to work at it.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
April 11, 2016
I am not sure what it was, but
Patchwerk
didn't manage to captivate me on a level that made me want to keep going. It got a lot better in the second half, but by then my enthusiasm was somewhat eroded already.
The concept here is an interesting one: One version of reality bleeding into others, parallel universes combining to great effects. But in the execution I felt it was lacking. A lot of time is spent on action and chase sequences, all aboard a train/ship/whatever the current reality turned it into, and only halfway through does the novella give us some concrete answers about what is going on. I could certainly piece things together before then, but spending so much time on the action side of things instead of the science and weirdness tipped the balance of the book in a direction I didn't enjoy.
The explanations, when they came, were intriguing and held great promise, but I felt that it was a bit too easy, not in depth enough. Points I would have liked expanded were breezed through or barely mentioned, and the effects of the machine that made it all happen were left ambiguous to the point where it appeared too much like a deus ex machina machine than anything.
What I did like were the character interactions. There was a neat triangle between the protagonist, his ex wife and the bad guy who had her fall for him in an attempt to uncover the secret project our scientist protagonist was working on.
The relationship between Florrian and Karen felt realistic enough, but there could have been more to it. The one flashback sequence it offered was a good snapshot of their marriage, but maybe a second might have helped. The antagonist, meanwhile, was a highly intelligent maniac, but not to the point of being obnoxious. It was handled well, I thought.
Still, I stopped reading far more frequently than I would have liked, with little impetus to pick it right back up when I next got the chance. For all its solid ideas, I feel that a lot of opportunities were lost by centering the story around that one wild goose chase and only showing tiny glimpses of the differences between timelines.
Maybe the novella format was too restricted to contain all that Palimpsest could have offered the reader.
The concept here is an interesting one: One version of reality bleeding into others, parallel universes combining to great effects. But in the execution I felt it was lacking. A lot of time is spent on action and chase sequences, all aboard a train/ship/whatever the current reality turned it into, and only halfway through does the novella give us some concrete answers about what is going on. I could certainly piece things together before then, but spending so much time on the action side of things instead of the science and weirdness tipped the balance of the book in a direction I didn't enjoy.
The explanations, when they came, were intriguing and held great promise, but I felt that it was a bit too easy, not in depth enough. Points I would have liked expanded were breezed through or barely mentioned, and the effects of the machine that made it all happen were left ambiguous to the point where it appeared too much like a deus ex machina machine than anything.
What I did like were the character interactions. There was a neat triangle between the protagonist, his ex wife and the bad guy who had her fall for him in an attempt to uncover the secret project our scientist protagonist was working on.
The relationship between Florrian and Karen felt realistic enough, but there could have been more to it. The one flashback sequence it offered was a good snapshot of their marriage, but maybe a second might have helped. The antagonist, meanwhile, was a highly intelligent maniac, but not to the point of being obnoxious. It was handled well, I thought.
Still, I stopped reading far more frequently than I would have liked, with little impetus to pick it right back up when I next got the chance. For all its solid ideas, I feel that a lot of opportunities were lost by centering the story around that one wild goose chase and only showing tiny glimpses of the differences between timelines.
Maybe the novella format was too restricted to contain all that Palimpsest could have offered the reader.
August 26, 2018
I believe there is only one word to describe this Sci-Fi/Thriller novella - Exhausting. But don't get me wrong here, not exhausting in a bad way, more in the fact that the story starts at pace and doesn't really have anywhere the reader would want to stop until the final page - at which point a few hours (admittedly, enjoyable hours) have passed.
The basic premise of Patchwerk is that Dran Florrian has invented a machine, The Palimpsest, that can manipulate alternate universes. A 'shady organisation' (as you might expect) wants the machine for their own nefarious ends and even enlist his ex wife Karen in their scheme. What ensues is a fight and flight story that follows Dran and Karen through several Alternate Universes (AUs) where we get to see different versions of them (including one where they swap genders)trying to keep the machine (and themselves) out of the wrong hands.
What I liked - This was a good, short read with plenty going on. It reminded me of something along the lines of The 39 Steps or North By Northwest but put into a future Sci-Fi setting. The idea of different versions of the characters in different realities was handled well as were the AUs. The resolution for the relationship of the Dran and Karen characters was done in such a way that it seemed more believable than your typical Hollywood ending.
What I disliked - There were moments when I had to go back and reread sections just to be clear on what was going on but that was mostly down to the pace of the prose not any fault with the writing itself.
I will say at this point that I read Patchwerk earlier on in the year with the intention of reviewing it but for some reason I seem to have mislaid that review. Anyway, on realising this and re-reviewing I read the book again and must say it is a better read second time around (probably because I had a better idea of what was going on and what to expect).
So, in short, a fast paced, if at times slightly confusing story that warrants a second read for full benefit - 4/5 stars
Final thought - somebody needs to get hold of the film rights to this - it would look great on The Big Screen
The basic premise of Patchwerk is that Dran Florrian has invented a machine, The Palimpsest, that can manipulate alternate universes. A 'shady organisation' (as you might expect) wants the machine for their own nefarious ends and even enlist his ex wife Karen in their scheme. What ensues is a fight and flight story that follows Dran and Karen through several Alternate Universes (AUs) where we get to see different versions of them (including one where they swap genders)trying to keep the machine (and themselves) out of the wrong hands.
What I liked - This was a good, short read with plenty going on. It reminded me of something along the lines of The 39 Steps or North By Northwest but put into a future Sci-Fi setting. The idea of different versions of the characters in different realities was handled well as were the AUs. The resolution for the relationship of the Dran and Karen characters was done in such a way that it seemed more believable than your typical Hollywood ending.
What I disliked - There were moments when I had to go back and reread sections just to be clear on what was going on but that was mostly down to the pace of the prose not any fault with the writing itself.
I will say at this point that I read Patchwerk earlier on in the year with the intention of reviewing it but for some reason I seem to have mislaid that review. Anyway, on realising this and re-reviewing I read the book again and must say it is a better read second time around (probably because I had a better idea of what was going on and what to expect).
So, in short, a fast paced, if at times slightly confusing story that warrants a second read for full benefit - 4/5 stars
Final thought - somebody needs to get hold of the film rights to this - it would look great on The Big Screen
May 8, 2016
"Patchwerk" is the third selection I've read of Tor.com's novella publishing series. It's nice that I can read these in a brief afternoon. I finished this one while at the library on the day it was due.
It's hard to talk about Patchwerk without spoiling the conceit of the novel. I had a similar difficulty with The Last Witness, the last Tor.com novella I read, but these stories couldn't be more different. Patchwerk doesn't try too hard to hide its premise, so I don't feel bad about spoiling it. Dran Florian, an inventor in a near-future world, has invented a machine that can pull matter from parallel universes. Dran realizes the extent of that power when he's confronted by his estranged wife and a sociopathic bureaucrat-inventor. As Dran repeatedly nears death, his machine pulls he and his wife (and unfortunately his enemies) into parallel universes.
The constant pushing forward and stepping sideways is the centerpiece of the story, and rightly so. If it hadn't worked, if it had been clunky, if it weren't compelling, this whole story would have failed. (And it easily could have been any of those things.) But it worked, and it was a delight to jump through many different genres and tropes along with the characters. There's a typical spy story, a steampunk airship, a bug-Earth, and a fantastical Egyptian barge. It's fun, it's a little campy, and it's full of vivid imagery that has stuck with me for weeks.
The character relationships and the plot itself are simplified somewhat, since the characters don't necessarily retain their identity as they switch worlds, but this simplicity allows Tallerman to tie up the end of the novel neatly while giving the idea driving the story some space to get complicated.
Overall, I didn't love it, but I certainly enjoyed it. I'd like to see it expanded and made into a movie because it would be a beautiful spectacle.
It's hard to talk about Patchwerk without spoiling the conceit of the novel. I had a similar difficulty with The Last Witness, the last Tor.com novella I read, but these stories couldn't be more different. Patchwerk doesn't try too hard to hide its premise, so I don't feel bad about spoiling it. Dran Florian, an inventor in a near-future world, has invented a machine that can pull matter from parallel universes. Dran realizes the extent of that power when he's confronted by his estranged wife and a sociopathic bureaucrat-inventor. As Dran repeatedly nears death, his machine pulls he and his wife (and unfortunately his enemies) into parallel universes.
The constant pushing forward and stepping sideways is the centerpiece of the story, and rightly so. If it hadn't worked, if it had been clunky, if it weren't compelling, this whole story would have failed. (And it easily could have been any of those things.) But it worked, and it was a delight to jump through many different genres and tropes along with the characters. There's a typical spy story, a steampunk airship, a bug-Earth, and a fantastical Egyptian barge. It's fun, it's a little campy, and it's full of vivid imagery that has stuck with me for weeks.
The character relationships and the plot itself are simplified somewhat, since the characters don't necessarily retain their identity as they switch worlds, but this simplicity allows Tallerman to tie up the end of the novel neatly while giving the idea driving the story some space to get complicated.
Overall, I didn't love it, but I certainly enjoyed it. I'd like to see it expanded and made into a movie because it would be a beautiful spectacle.
January 19, 2016
The book description of Patchwerk tells us it is set on a large airship with Dran Florrian trying to prevent a powerful group of well-connected thieves from stealing his invention, Palimpsest. The device is capable of breaking down barriers between alternate universes. This is probably an example of where book blurbs are useful because, at a 138 pages, Patchwerk is the type of writing that falls into the category of short story/novella, so does not have much space in which to world build. Without this insightful description the reader is tumbled into relentless action from the start, in what is effectively a classic heist caper with shifts into alternative worlds. This might make the book a nightmare to read for some and a great adventure for others who love the type of mental athletics required by this approach. There isn't much time for developing an emotional investment in the characters, but you do get a good sense of the many backstories, and this is the literary equivalent of an action movie. As a whole, I feel that the story works extremely well but only because of David Tallerman's competence as an author to keep it all together and continue to intrigue as the different worlds continually collide and separate. With anyone less able it would have fallen apart at the seams and become frustratingly confusing. It is one of those books that the more you think about it the more you want to go back in re-read it, because it is an example of the type of story science fiction writing is made for and demonstrates just how much you can squeeze out of a relatively small word count.
January 19, 2016
Dr. Dran Florrian Palimpsest (software, self-destruct) has invented the ultimate reality programmed mind machine.
It is of course not flawless & if it ends up in the wrong hands it could wreak havoc.
How will this story pan out?
D’ren (pg. 34) D’rik (pg. 36) K’ren (pg. 41)
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written fantasy book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. To be continued? I would have loved to have seen pictures. This could also make another great fantasy movie, animated cartoon or mini TV series.
Not my normal read it was just OK for me so I will rate it at 4/5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Tom Doherty Associate Book (Torcom); UCP; paperback book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
It is of course not flawless & if it ends up in the wrong hands it could wreak havoc.
How will this story pan out?
D’ren (pg. 34) D’rik (pg. 36) K’ren (pg. 41)
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written fantasy book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. To be continued? I would have loved to have seen pictures. This could also make another great fantasy movie, animated cartoon or mini TV series.
Not my normal read it was just OK for me so I will rate it at 4/5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Tom Doherty Associate Book (Torcom); UCP; paperback book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
January 17, 2016
(Received via Netgalley)
You'd be forgiven for thinking that Patchwerk is a superhero story - the tagline on the front, and the very striking cover both sort of point that way. It isn't that, but it is a fast-paced, entertaining romp through a short space of time and a vast number of parallel realities.
Patchwerk is reminiscent of such lost classics as Heinlein's North By Northwest, or Hitchcock's Number of the Beast – a Maguffin, a villain, a girl, and one long chase sequence that forms the core of the multiversal narrative. Tallerman clearly has great fun flinging his characters through different iterations of peril, each version wildly different to the last. The idea itself is well suited to the novella format, and even so there's a wealth of throwaway lines that could be expanded on - combat zoologists! Flechette insects!
If there's one stumbling block for me it's that the protagonist Florrian does tend to break into thought at the drop of an action, threatening to derail the pace in one or two places, but in all, this version of David Tallerman is much sparkier and more fun to read.
You'd be forgiven for thinking that Patchwerk is a superhero story - the tagline on the front, and the very striking cover both sort of point that way. It isn't that, but it is a fast-paced, entertaining romp through a short space of time and a vast number of parallel realities.
Patchwerk is reminiscent of such lost classics as Heinlein's North By Northwest, or Hitchcock's Number of the Beast – a Maguffin, a villain, a girl, and one long chase sequence that forms the core of the multiversal narrative. Tallerman clearly has great fun flinging his characters through different iterations of peril, each version wildly different to the last. The idea itself is well suited to the novella format, and even so there's a wealth of throwaway lines that could be expanded on - combat zoologists! Flechette insects!
If there's one stumbling block for me it's that the protagonist Florrian does tend to break into thought at the drop of an action, threatening to derail the pace in one or two places, but in all, this version of David Tallerman is much sparkier and more fun to read.
January 14, 2016
I received a free advance copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley.
I had no idea what to expect when I opened Patchwerk, aside from what the cover blurb says about it, so it was a complete and mostly pleasant surprise. I’d never heard of David Tallerman before, and this is the only thing I’ve ever read by him. Patchwerk is a type of sci-fi story that I don’t usually seek out—the “man invents something ill-advised and hijinks ensue” sort—so it was an interesting change of pace, although it was a great follow-up to Microsoft’s Future Visions anthology of “harder” sci-fi, which I just recently finished.
Read the full review at SF Bluestocking.
I had no idea what to expect when I opened Patchwerk, aside from what the cover blurb says about it, so it was a complete and mostly pleasant surprise. I’d never heard of David Tallerman before, and this is the only thing I’ve ever read by him. Patchwerk is a type of sci-fi story that I don’t usually seek out—the “man invents something ill-advised and hijinks ensue” sort—so it was an interesting change of pace, although it was a great follow-up to Microsoft’s Future Visions anthology of “harder” sci-fi, which I just recently finished.
Read the full review at SF Bluestocking.
December 28, 2018
This was great fun to read but very hard to describe for the uninitiated. Imagine the twisting corridor fight scene in Inception only each shot is made by a different director who didn't speak to the other directors about which film they were making. The action flows beautifully, with the changes subtle at first (it took me a little while to figure out how the author was telling the story, but once I caught on, I thoroughly enjoyed what he was doing). The story itself involves parallel universes and the author takes full advantage of this concept and conjures some truly unique and interesting worlds that we see through the eyes of our ever changing and evolving protagonist.
I had a lot of fun reading this and highly recommend checking it out!
I had a lot of fun reading this and highly recommend checking it out!
February 8, 2016
A mind-bending trip across the multiverse in which scientst/spy Dran Florrian, his ex-wife, Karen, and all their analogues in other timelines try to prevent a terrible disaster which could destroy all worlds. In fact in might be happening right now. Dran has to keep his creation, Palimpsest, from the hands of Harlan Dorric, who wants to weaponise it.
From a futuristic world, to a steampunky airship world as D'ren Florein, this drills down through the multiverse, keeping up the pace and dramatic tension as our hero finally figures it out. There are some great ideas in this and a solution that works for me.
Recommended.
From a futuristic world, to a steampunky airship world as D'ren Florein, this drills down through the multiverse, keeping up the pace and dramatic tension as our hero finally figures it out. There are some great ideas in this and a solution that works for me.
Recommended.
June 3, 2016
This is one of the current Sci Fi books I'm trying to read after friend mentioned I wasn't reaading Sci Fi now. This book still has me wondering. it starts assuming the reader knows what the Trans Con is in this spoiled world, the characters reveal physical differences and then the story really gets down to it. half way through I thought "this isn't logical" but then comes the explanation and it becomes logical after all. it is suspense, it is thought provoking but....maybe it's me not accustomed to new writers.
May 7, 2016
Great concept, really enjoyed the stories. While the switching of names constantly does disorientate you to start with, it works really well to place you in the changes going on. Really good short, definitely worth reading.Has a completely different feel to Tallerman's Giant Thief books so even if you didn't enjoy those still give this a try
June 5, 2016
This was suuuuuuper fun. A surprisingly earnest look at what a multiverse might mean with a tongue hovering in just-outside-the-cheek range. The audiobook really helps the experience as the narrator changes his accent from section to section as the multiverse stuff happens, and he really does a great job.
September 28, 2016
Eh, I liked the premise but I did not like the execution. Mostly it's a type of "action scene fatigue" that made it not work for me: most of the story felt like one long action scene with severe pacing issues. I did, however, like the one-line-to-next transitions, made me at first wonder if it was a typo and then smile when I finally figured out what the writer had done: so kudos on that.
November 30, 2016
I listened to the audiobook of this on the Tor.com Collection Season 2. Really enjoyed the book. It does require a listener to pay very close attention, but it's worth it. I appreciate the subtle touches that the reader adds in narrator voicing.
March 11, 2017
A fun, fast-paced, sci-fi thriller. I enjoyed getting glimpses of several different world-building scenarios in one story.
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