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Dancing With The Dead
2015 INDIEFAB BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD FINALIST
BLUEINK REVIEW BEST BOOK AWARD
CIPA EVVY MERIT AWARD
“For me, to live is to die,” Fahd al-Sharfa said. “I want to destroy Luna City and the space stations and become a martyr for truth.”
But Fahd, a brilliant astrophysicist, never counted on falling in love with Doctor Quenby, his Antal coworker, whom he was now about to kill.
Nor had he realized the tenacity of Vice-Marshal Natil’s Eagle Legion, determined to stop him.
And especially Aidan Good…who dances with the dead.
A boy genius is taken from his family and trained for a suicide mission on the moon. But he falls in love with just the wrong person. This powerful and gripping novel explores questions of redemption, truth, love, and life beyond death. Richly detailed, imaginative and evocative, Dancing with the Dead blends science and spiritual fiction. Filled with vivid and convincingly drawn characters, this gripping tale is at once a poignant human/alien love story and a foray into the realms beyond.
BLUEINK REVIEW BEST BOOK AWARD
CIPA EVVY MERIT AWARD
“For me, to live is to die,” Fahd al-Sharfa said. “I want to destroy Luna City and the space stations and become a martyr for truth.”
But Fahd, a brilliant astrophysicist, never counted on falling in love with Doctor Quenby, his Antal coworker, whom he was now about to kill.
Nor had he realized the tenacity of Vice-Marshal Natil’s Eagle Legion, determined to stop him.
And especially Aidan Good…who dances with the dead.
A boy genius is taken from his family and trained for a suicide mission on the moon. But he falls in love with just the wrong person. This powerful and gripping novel explores questions of redemption, truth, love, and life beyond death. Richly detailed, imaginative and evocative, Dancing with the Dead blends science and spiritual fiction. Filled with vivid and convincingly drawn characters, this gripping tale is at once a poignant human/alien love story and a foray into the realms beyond.
- GenresScience Fiction
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 22, 2015
6 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
About the author
Charles Freedom Long
4 books82 followersCharles Freedom Long, a psychologist who is also a medium, talks with deceased people all the time. So, with the help of some friends on both sides of the veil called death, he began writing speculative fiction from a spiritualist point of view.
He writes about what might be on this or other worlds. Awareness and ongoing communication between the living and the dead as a fact of daily life, and how that might affect the life and philosophy of a world are a centerpiece of his award-winning work.
He writes about what might be on this or other worlds. Awareness and ongoing communication between the living and the dead as a fact of daily life, and how that might affect the life and philosophy of a world are a centerpiece of his award-winning work.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
May 18, 2017
I found this to be both an exciting and philosophical science-fiction action-adventure story set far into the future. The diverse alien, paranormal, and human characters are vividly described and the world-building is excellent.
For me, the main focus of the story is one man's struggle between good and evil, or love and duty. Though I feel the outcome is satisfactory, I would prefer it ended in the way Fahd wanted. He had learned so much and come so far and did the right thing in those final moments. However, this isn't a fairy tale. It's a moral dilemma with actual tactics and beliefs already written in the pages of human world history.
For me, the main focus of the story is one man's struggle between good and evil, or love and duty. Though I feel the outcome is satisfactory, I would prefer it ended in the way Fahd wanted. He had learned so much and come so far and did the right thing in those final moments. However, this isn't a fairy tale. It's a moral dilemma with actual tactics and beliefs already written in the pages of human world history.
April 10, 2017
In Dancing with the Dead, Charles Freedom Long has successfully wedded a tense techno-thriller plot to the deliberate pace and detailed world-building one expects in epic fantasy, including supernatural elements. As if that weren't enough, he has woven in a great deal of philosophy on what it means to be human.
Set in the future, the story finds Earth—Terra—in active contact with technologically advanced beings from several planets. Humanity is on probation until we can demonstrate that we've gotten over our violent ways. Meanwhile, there's a populated mining base on the moon, with plans afoot for Mars colonization. Aerospace engineer Fahd al-Sharfa has trained for 12 years to carry out a secret terrorist plot to destroy the moon base and two space stations. When he falls in love with an alien, he sees he has been led astray, but if he doesn't follow through, he and his entire clan will be killed. It's a dilemma he can solve only by keeping a new secret.
When the plot is discovered, an interspecies team (including the dead of several worlds and Terran psionics with thought-reading and teleportation abilities) must overcome conflicts and work against the clock to prevent the attack and capture the real mastermind without giving away what they know or suspect. The fate of the planet may be at stake. This third-person thriller plot is interspersed with first-person scenes from the afterlife of one of the participants; an unusual touch that Long makes work and uses to set up a possible sequel.
If I have a complaint about this book, it's that these characters are memorable enough that it seems unnecessary to constantly remind the reader of their hair or eye color. But that's a tiny nitpick. Throughout the book, details of culture and language ground the story in a universe that feels real. A helpful glossary provides English translations for terms in existing and invented languages, though most of these are made clear in context as well. It all comes together in a satisfying, even uplifting, read.
Set in the future, the story finds Earth—Terra—in active contact with technologically advanced beings from several planets. Humanity is on probation until we can demonstrate that we've gotten over our violent ways. Meanwhile, there's a populated mining base on the moon, with plans afoot for Mars colonization. Aerospace engineer Fahd al-Sharfa has trained for 12 years to carry out a secret terrorist plot to destroy the moon base and two space stations. When he falls in love with an alien, he sees he has been led astray, but if he doesn't follow through, he and his entire clan will be killed. It's a dilemma he can solve only by keeping a new secret.
When the plot is discovered, an interspecies team (including the dead of several worlds and Terran psionics with thought-reading and teleportation abilities) must overcome conflicts and work against the clock to prevent the attack and capture the real mastermind without giving away what they know or suspect. The fate of the planet may be at stake. This third-person thriller plot is interspersed with first-person scenes from the afterlife of one of the participants; an unusual touch that Long makes work and uses to set up a possible sequel.
If I have a complaint about this book, it's that these characters are memorable enough that it seems unnecessary to constantly remind the reader of their hair or eye color. But that's a tiny nitpick. Throughout the book, details of culture and language ground the story in a universe that feels real. A helpful glossary provides English translations for terms in existing and invented languages, though most of these are made clear in context as well. It all comes together in a satisfying, even uplifting, read.
June 23, 2017
Dancing with the Dead, is more original and complex (in a good way) from the science fiction I've been reading lately. The basic theme of those books is * Aliens attack earth, hero saves earth by defeating aliens* Wash rinse, repeat for the most part in the next book.. Obviously I like that sort of thing, but Dancing with the Dead, offers a great deal more to science fiction readers. The theme is original and the plot is complex. The characters have a great deal of depth and are quite a bit more sensual:) When reading Dancing with the Dead, I get the feeling of classic science fiction. Long gives the same sensational reading experience as when I enjoyed Asimov, Zelazny and other classic sci fi writers. I would highly recommend this book to any serious science fiction fan.
February 9, 2016
A sci-fi fantasy multi world political novel
Dancing With the Dead is a sci-fi book with a bit of everything in it. There is intrigue, fantasy, communication with the dead, aliens, living on other worlds, jihadist groups, and romance. The plot is well thought out and creative. The characters are well developed and fascinating. Enjoyed the book greatly.
Dancing With the Dead is a sci-fi book with a bit of everything in it. There is intrigue, fantasy, communication with the dead, aliens, living on other worlds, jihadist groups, and romance. The plot is well thought out and creative. The characters are well developed and fascinating. Enjoyed the book greatly.
November 29, 2017
Well done! This was a universe-spanning science fiction that I found reminiscent of Frank Herbert’s Dune with perhaps a little of C.J. Cherryh’s ability to write aliens thrown in.
One of the most pleasant parts of this book was that I was introduced to so many different alien species, including spirits of the dead (human and otherwise) which, in a manner of thinking, qualifies as another “alien” species. They were each different, well portrayed and interesting. I was especially intrigued by Quenby, an alien from Antal – she was a “person” I could relate to and wished to know. In my work as a lawyer, I was trained to see the “gray areas,” but as an honorable human being (or at least I’d like to think so), I really appreciated Quenby’s view that “Wrong is wrong.”
Outside of the many characters, the plot was very intriguing, spanning worlds, species, governments and religions. In a nutshell, Earth (and humans) are on “probation” with the Seven Worlds waiting to see if we can overcome millennia of being the warlike creatures we are. Needless to say, a group of humans is about to commit an act of destruction that will put Earth (and possibly another world) at risk of civil war or even destruction. The numbers of people, human and otherwise, who work together to thwart this plan is amazing and suggests a level of acceptance and tolerance that we should all strive for. Throw in a little interspecies “romance,” and this book has it all.
Very enjoyable. Needless to say, I’m picking up the sequel!
One of the most pleasant parts of this book was that I was introduced to so many different alien species, including spirits of the dead (human and otherwise) which, in a manner of thinking, qualifies as another “alien” species. They were each different, well portrayed and interesting. I was especially intrigued by Quenby, an alien from Antal – she was a “person” I could relate to and wished to know. In my work as a lawyer, I was trained to see the “gray areas,” but as an honorable human being (or at least I’d like to think so), I really appreciated Quenby’s view that “Wrong is wrong.”
Outside of the many characters, the plot was very intriguing, spanning worlds, species, governments and religions. In a nutshell, Earth (and humans) are on “probation” with the Seven Worlds waiting to see if we can overcome millennia of being the warlike creatures we are. Needless to say, a group of humans is about to commit an act of destruction that will put Earth (and possibly another world) at risk of civil war or even destruction. The numbers of people, human and otherwise, who work together to thwart this plan is amazing and suggests a level of acceptance and tolerance that we should all strive for. Throw in a little interspecies “romance,” and this book has it all.
Very enjoyable. Needless to say, I’m picking up the sequel!
December 9, 2015
Shades of the Great Isaac Asimov appear.
Charles Freedom Long has written an exceptional book in Dancing With The Dead. The writing is crisp, clear, and powerful. The science fiction world he creates contains sufficient remnants of today to capture readers with honesty, believability, and trust. In this respect, shades of the great SF writer, Isaac Asimov, appear. I once asked Asimov, over lunch, how he could create his worlds of the future with such honesty. He told me to read the non-fiction university textbooks he wrote. Truth is always borne of reality. Even piercing the veil of death, Charles Freedom Long manages to hold our credibility. He coats the sometime-overbearing spiritualism of the afterlife with intelligence, change, growth, and love. He turns Scandinavian traits into an alien race of goddesses. And because his writing approaches literary magic, he makes us believe in languages we have never heard and ideas we can only hope to grasp. Well done, Charles Freedom Long. – Temple Emmet Williams, former editor at The Readers Digest, award-winning journalist and author
Charles Freedom Long has written an exceptional book in Dancing With The Dead. The writing is crisp, clear, and powerful. The science fiction world he creates contains sufficient remnants of today to capture readers with honesty, believability, and trust. In this respect, shades of the great SF writer, Isaac Asimov, appear. I once asked Asimov, over lunch, how he could create his worlds of the future with such honesty. He told me to read the non-fiction university textbooks he wrote. Truth is always borne of reality. Even piercing the veil of death, Charles Freedom Long manages to hold our credibility. He coats the sometime-overbearing spiritualism of the afterlife with intelligence, change, growth, and love. He turns Scandinavian traits into an alien race of goddesses. And because his writing approaches literary magic, he makes us believe in languages we have never heard and ideas we can only hope to grasp. Well done, Charles Freedom Long. – Temple Emmet Williams, former editor at The Readers Digest, award-winning journalist and author
July 25, 2016
Keeping this many knives in the air, and balancing the momentum is no small feat. This novel reminded me why I always struggled to read sci-fi myself, because it takes a heartfelt commitment from the reader to pull all of the strings together as they move along with the characters through the story. When the final push comes, the rhythm and notes come together into a pummeling crescendo that is as deftly and skillfully woven together as any author I've read.
September 21, 2019
Charles Freedom Long presents a gripping sci fi moral plot with Dancing with the Dead! Fahd has been training his whole life for a suicide mission on the moon, but when he falls in love he must decide whether to follow his training or follow his heart. I love the depth that Long always laces his stories with and the realism he presents them through. This novel is meaningful and exciting, perfect for all you sci fi lovers out there!
November 23, 2015
This book was great. I was taken away by the story line and the characters. This book was exciting and gripping. I was taken in by this book from beginning to end. * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
November 16, 2015
Read the original review over at http://www.chantolaspinall.com
Being in the Caribbean school system, I remembered being introduced to other religions and cultures. It seemed very strange and the experience came from either the text book or the mouth of the religious education teacher. Back then we didn’t take the time to dig deeper to investigate outside of the concrete walls of school. We clung to the short summaries and synopsis as if they were ‘good food’.
Dancing with the Dead is based on Islamic traditions and teachings tied together with a scientific ribbon. I’m going to be honest, I read this book wanting to spread my wings and take a break from Romance Novels. I was experiencing Romance Overload!!! Don’t misquote me, there were mentions of affairs of the heart or as Mr. Long would put it; ålska kön between Fahd (the human) and Quenby (the Antal alien).However, this was no Romance Fest. The author categorized it as science and spiritual fiction. Enough with the techie and blah stuff let’s get into the juicy meat of this novel.
To kill ALL life on Luna City was the young Fahd’s aim. He was on a kick ass, nope, more like kill ass mission if you will. Ready to die in the very process, willing to become a martyr. How was he prepared for such a mission you ask? Believe me, I won’t lie to you. For twelve years, count ‘em, twelve, he was trained which included him being physically struck. All of this was done in order to produce an emotionless, stone cold killer for religious ‘truth’. Yet, his conscience remained and he began questioning the meaning of truth, honour, right and wrong.
Everything went as expected. He passed his test to be an aerospace engineer on Luna and he smuggled the explosives without drawing any suspicion to himself. He was set and ready to die in the name of Allah, in the name of ‘truth’. But then life happened and with it came an unexpected love, an unconditional love. Life and death were the roads stretched ahead of him, the choice was his, only his. To die meant he would harm the one he loved, Quenby. To live still equaled death, which would also extend to his entire family.
This story will take you on a trip, from dealings with the dead, to hostage situations, to blood and guts. Then when you feel as though you have the story all figured out, the end causes you to stub your flipping toe. You won’t see it coming, I sure didn’t. Happy Reading!
-Chantol Aspinall
Being in the Caribbean school system, I remembered being introduced to other religions and cultures. It seemed very strange and the experience came from either the text book or the mouth of the religious education teacher. Back then we didn’t take the time to dig deeper to investigate outside of the concrete walls of school. We clung to the short summaries and synopsis as if they were ‘good food’.
Dancing with the Dead is based on Islamic traditions and teachings tied together with a scientific ribbon. I’m going to be honest, I read this book wanting to spread my wings and take a break from Romance Novels. I was experiencing Romance Overload!!! Don’t misquote me, there were mentions of affairs of the heart or as Mr. Long would put it; ålska kön between Fahd (the human) and Quenby (the Antal alien).However, this was no Romance Fest. The author categorized it as science and spiritual fiction. Enough with the techie and blah stuff let’s get into the juicy meat of this novel.
To kill ALL life on Luna City was the young Fahd’s aim. He was on a kick ass, nope, more like kill ass mission if you will. Ready to die in the very process, willing to become a martyr. How was he prepared for such a mission you ask? Believe me, I won’t lie to you. For twelve years, count ‘em, twelve, he was trained which included him being physically struck. All of this was done in order to produce an emotionless, stone cold killer for religious ‘truth’. Yet, his conscience remained and he began questioning the meaning of truth, honour, right and wrong.
Everything went as expected. He passed his test to be an aerospace engineer on Luna and he smuggled the explosives without drawing any suspicion to himself. He was set and ready to die in the name of Allah, in the name of ‘truth’. But then life happened and with it came an unexpected love, an unconditional love. Life and death were the roads stretched ahead of him, the choice was his, only his. To die meant he would harm the one he loved, Quenby. To live still equaled death, which would also extend to his entire family.
This story will take you on a trip, from dealings with the dead, to hostage situations, to blood and guts. Then when you feel as though you have the story all figured out, the end causes you to stub your flipping toe. You won’t see it coming, I sure didn’t. Happy Reading!
-Chantol Aspinall
January 5, 2018
Positively Fascinating.
March 7, 2016
I received this novel free for an honest review. This is not the normal genre that I read and I had a little trouble getting started because I thought it was going to be another story painting all people that practice the Islam religion as terrorists.
I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would when I first started reading it. There is a totally different view of Islam that, Fahd must deal with when he starts having conversations with the dead. I thought it was a little strange when the story went from third person to first when he is speaking with the dead, but after getting through that first chapter, I saw the reason for it.
The story takes place on a space station that Fahd is trained as a child to destroy when he arrives. His entire world view gets changed when he meets, and falls in love with the Antal Quenby. The alien sex scenes didn't bother me, but almost every sentence when Quenby has either white, silver, or claws in it and it got a little tedious to read after a while because she had already been described several chapters before. I'm also not quite sure what it was about Fahd that makes her fall in love with him that leads her to make a decision later on in the novel. She left her planet and is a more permanent fixture on the Luna space station. Her race essentially goes into heat like a cat and must mate. We meet her first when she has already chosen Fahd to mate with when she is in the "kon". We don't see what made her choose him or really, why she loves him so much.
The other aliens in the story were well written and described well enough that I could picture them in my head. There is also a glossary in the back with all of the alien and Islamic terms, which I appreciated when I saw it at the end.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, I just wish we could have seen more about why Quenby chose Fahd in the first place because initially it just seemed like it was about sex and suddenly, they are in love
I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would when I first started reading it. There is a totally different view of Islam that, Fahd must deal with when he starts having conversations with the dead. I thought it was a little strange when the story went from third person to first when he is speaking with the dead, but after getting through that first chapter, I saw the reason for it.
The story takes place on a space station that Fahd is trained as a child to destroy when he arrives. His entire world view gets changed when he meets, and falls in love with the Antal Quenby. The alien sex scenes didn't bother me, but almost every sentence when Quenby has either white, silver, or claws in it and it got a little tedious to read after a while because she had already been described several chapters before. I'm also not quite sure what it was about Fahd that makes her fall in love with him that leads her to make a decision later on in the novel. She left her planet and is a more permanent fixture on the Luna space station. Her race essentially goes into heat like a cat and must mate. We meet her first when she has already chosen Fahd to mate with when she is in the "kon". We don't see what made her choose him or really, why she loves him so much.
The other aliens in the story were well written and described well enough that I could picture them in my head. There is also a glossary in the back with all of the alien and Islamic terms, which I appreciated when I saw it at the end.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, I just wish we could have seen more about why Quenby chose Fahd in the first place because initially it just seemed like it was about sex and suddenly, they are in love
January 1, 2016
In Dancing with the Dead, Charles Freedom Long explores the life and death of Fahd Abdul al-Sharfa, a jihadist from the Mahrat mountains trained as a scientist to infiltrate the elite Luna base. Bartered for gold as a child, he was sold to a terrorist by his clan and raised in the Western style, moulded to be the perfect fit for recruitment by the powerful Lumina Corporation. His mission: to destroy the works of Satan - Luna City and both Earth’s space stations. However, both on Earth and beyond, the ripples of the plot are spreading, and alien and psionic peacekeepers are circling in on Fahd’s identity. At stake are death, truth ... and the continued existence of humanity.
The premise of Dancing with the Dead is fascinating and unique, theorising the presence of the dead beside and among the living cultures, both human and alien, respected for their insight and consulted at the personal and political level. This social integration of the dead, new to Earth, is skillfully developed by Charles Freedom Long and convincingly integrated into the story. In some ways, the worlds of the dead overshadow that of the living in this story, as the motivations of the living jihadist and his trainers specifically to destroy the space installations are not made entirely clear, although the influence of the dead on the sides of both law enforcement and the terrorists is striking. Equally, Fahd’s growing self-doubt in regards to his mission, in many ways the keystone of the story, is rooted in his brief romantic encounter with a stunning alien, after having dedicated most of his life to the terrorist cause. Overall, however, the book is definitely worth the read for the thought-provoking philosophical questions it opens and the originality of the ideas on offer.
The premise of Dancing with the Dead is fascinating and unique, theorising the presence of the dead beside and among the living cultures, both human and alien, respected for their insight and consulted at the personal and political level. This social integration of the dead, new to Earth, is skillfully developed by Charles Freedom Long and convincingly integrated into the story. In some ways, the worlds of the dead overshadow that of the living in this story, as the motivations of the living jihadist and his trainers specifically to destroy the space installations are not made entirely clear, although the influence of the dead on the sides of both law enforcement and the terrorists is striking. Equally, Fahd’s growing self-doubt in regards to his mission, in many ways the keystone of the story, is rooted in his brief romantic encounter with a stunning alien, after having dedicated most of his life to the terrorist cause. Overall, however, the book is definitely worth the read for the thought-provoking philosophical questions it opens and the originality of the ideas on offer.
February 3, 2016
Mehreen Ahmed's Review: PDF copy
This subliminal book by Charles Freedom Long tells a sad tale of a child who is brought up to receive a good education, a western-style living, all for a devious purpose to lead a life of a lie and deception. Fahd-al-Sharfa is a jihadist trained for a mission impossible otherwise. He is brilliant in what he does but his life is a one way journey to hell - suicide bomber trained to bomb satan's followers. The drama unfolds with many layers of complexity such as his philosophy of truth, beauty, love, an array of human emotions that come to play to distract him from his task. The journey ends in life for the character only to take him off course into a spiritual realm of heavenly music where another dance begins with more stability into peace. It is a typical sci-fi with an exotic lunar setting, (Character is commanded to blow up a station here)and falling in love with an alien. However, where it changes direction is in a mixture with deep philosophy and spiritualism.
This subliminal book by Charles Freedom Long tells a sad tale of a child who is brought up to receive a good education, a western-style living, all for a devious purpose to lead a life of a lie and deception. Fahd-al-Sharfa is a jihadist trained for a mission impossible otherwise. He is brilliant in what he does but his life is a one way journey to hell - suicide bomber trained to bomb satan's followers. The drama unfolds with many layers of complexity such as his philosophy of truth, beauty, love, an array of human emotions that come to play to distract him from his task. The journey ends in life for the character only to take him off course into a spiritual realm of heavenly music where another dance begins with more stability into peace. It is a typical sci-fi with an exotic lunar setting, (Character is commanded to blow up a station here)and falling in love with an alien. However, where it changes direction is in a mixture with deep philosophy and spiritualism.
March 17, 2016
Dancing with the Dead sweeps you from the Yemeni desert to a manufacturing outpost on the moon. It plunges you into a conflict among the forces of progress, faith, revenge, and greed.
Making the novel special among space operas, in this one the hallmark of “civilization” is the integration of the dead into the affairs of the living. Startlingly, the “passed beyond” have as many factions as the living, both on Earth and the planets of the elder races.
Initially, I found it difficult to submerge myself into Long’s universe because of (i) head-hopping in the second and third chapters; and (ii) a scene in the fourth chapter where an alien co-worker, later turned love-of-the-jihadist-protagonist’s-life, chemically rapes him.
But starting with the wonderful evocation of the desert and the raging dead in the sixth chapter, the story captured me in the conflicts among its characters. From there, the novel compels you to read until you finish, wishing for more.
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Making the novel special among space operas, in this one the hallmark of “civilization” is the integration of the dead into the affairs of the living. Startlingly, the “passed beyond” have as many factions as the living, both on Earth and the planets of the elder races.
Initially, I found it difficult to submerge myself into Long’s universe because of (i) head-hopping in the second and third chapters; and (ii) a scene in the fourth chapter where an alien co-worker, later turned love-of-the-jihadist-protagonist’s-life, chemically rapes him.
But starting with the wonderful evocation of the desert and the raging dead in the sixth chapter, the story captured me in the conflicts among its characters. From there, the novel compels you to read until you finish, wishing for more.
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
March 6, 2016
This novel tries to be multi-faceted. Instead of forming a unique chemical mix, it ended up being somewhat of a stew. There's nothing wrong with stews, and I tried to enjoy this one, but it really didn't work for me.
I believe the reason is because no one component was convincing enough to take center stage. The spirituality seemed canned. I was a student of comparative religion in college and studied quite a bit about Islam. The novel addressed the decadent and abused form of Islam through the introduction of terrorism and suicide bombers, which gave the novel its political thriller flavor. Luckily, characters who dwell in realm of the dead represented the mystical aspects of Islam, using quotes and guidance of Sufi saints such as Rumi. The intent of the dead mystics was to guide Fahd from his semi-chosen, destructive path. That was an intriguing aspect of the novel, yet the background story irritated me because the details were too stereotypical and unexplored. I've studied that subject, and there should have been more.
My irritation with the novel increased with the alien-human sex scene. Sex scenes are difficult to write, but here, the sudden flood of over-the-top adverbs and repetition of certain descriptions caused me to laugh, at first. I might have cursed. Most writing books/classes/blogs etc suggest that writers lose the adverbs and dig deeper for the right verb. For good reason. The big sex scene (and most every scene with Quenby) was ruined because of the sudden flood of adverbs (luckily this did not plague the rest of the novel quite as much), and certain ill-chosen words were repeated over and over until well, I guess I did curse. I suspect that the prose of a novel is more important for me than for many readers. Since most of the writing was utilitarian enough, I would not erect a barrier of yellow tape around this novel to warn readers away. Certain scenes were written in such a way that soured the story for me. There it is. I don't deny that I feel finicky about prose.
Of the characters, Quenby was the most interesting. She and Fahd almost formed a romance, but again, not quite. First, the choice of a mate for a female in an intense estrus is not usually very selective. Although Quenby appeared to enjoy males outside her species, her rational for considering Fahd anything but a one or two night stand was unconvincing. The moment her thoughts are explained, she sees the opposite--that he is not being honest with her, nor is he as innocent as he seems. In fact, he is counter to everything she knows to be true. Now, women certainly do this, but Quenby is suppose to be brilliant, experienced, and all the other qualities that usually lift women beyond irrational adolescent crushes. As much as I liked Quenby's character, I was never sold on the physical, intellectual, nor spiritual connection with Fahd.
I could go on, but I won't. While the craft of writing can be reduced to calculations and guidelines, much of the experience of reading is emotional, and digested in the subconscious. Some works jive with who the reader is, what they believe, and how they experience the world. Others do not. This doesn't mean the book is bad, which is why I'll award it 3 stars and wish the author best of luck with the series.
I believe the reason is because no one component was convincing enough to take center stage. The spirituality seemed canned. I was a student of comparative religion in college and studied quite a bit about Islam. The novel addressed the decadent and abused form of Islam through the introduction of terrorism and suicide bombers, which gave the novel its political thriller flavor. Luckily, characters who dwell in realm of the dead represented the mystical aspects of Islam, using quotes and guidance of Sufi saints such as Rumi. The intent of the dead mystics was to guide Fahd from his semi-chosen, destructive path. That was an intriguing aspect of the novel, yet the background story irritated me because the details were too stereotypical and unexplored. I've studied that subject, and there should have been more.
My irritation with the novel increased with the alien-human sex scene. Sex scenes are difficult to write, but here, the sudden flood of over-the-top adverbs and repetition of certain descriptions caused me to laugh, at first. I might have cursed. Most writing books/classes/blogs etc suggest that writers lose the adverbs and dig deeper for the right verb. For good reason. The big sex scene (and most every scene with Quenby) was ruined because of the sudden flood of adverbs (luckily this did not plague the rest of the novel quite as much), and certain ill-chosen words were repeated over and over until well, I guess I did curse. I suspect that the prose of a novel is more important for me than for many readers. Since most of the writing was utilitarian enough, I would not erect a barrier of yellow tape around this novel to warn readers away. Certain scenes were written in such a way that soured the story for me. There it is. I don't deny that I feel finicky about prose.
Of the characters, Quenby was the most interesting. She and Fahd almost formed a romance, but again, not quite. First, the choice of a mate for a female in an intense estrus is not usually very selective. Although Quenby appeared to enjoy males outside her species, her rational for considering Fahd anything but a one or two night stand was unconvincing. The moment her thoughts are explained, she sees the opposite--that he is not being honest with her, nor is he as innocent as he seems. In fact, he is counter to everything she knows to be true. Now, women certainly do this, but Quenby is suppose to be brilliant, experienced, and all the other qualities that usually lift women beyond irrational adolescent crushes. As much as I liked Quenby's character, I was never sold on the physical, intellectual, nor spiritual connection with Fahd.
I could go on, but I won't. While the craft of writing can be reduced to calculations and guidelines, much of the experience of reading is emotional, and digested in the subconscious. Some works jive with who the reader is, what they believe, and how they experience the world. Others do not. This doesn't mean the book is bad, which is why I'll award it 3 stars and wish the author best of luck with the series.
June 7, 2016
Note: Sorry for my English, it is not my prime language.
Firstly I would like to comment something about book rating. Is it supposed to be about technical quality or about reader’s taste? I mean, can one badly rate a book because he did not like it even if the book is good by itself?
Well my rate on this book is the mix of my own taste and the quality of the book itself.
It is not my type of reading, I’m an old school sci-fi/fantasy fan, and I must admit, Dancing with the dead is one of the strangest pieces I have ever read. It is absolutely original, but to make it like that the author had to go beyond the frontier of imagination. I totally understand this, we are in 21 century and it is very difficult to make something really original nowadays. The fact is that the story is really strange, and with strange I don’t mean bad, I really mean strange! The alien races are not the ones we are used to see in sci- fi, some are animal like, they have deep personalities and their interactions with the characters are very sophisticated. There is a Islamic explosive plot, in a base in Moon!
The description of the ship arrival in the moon station on the beginning of the book reminded me of 2001: A space odyssey. Beautiful, I must say. I got myself imagining it all, and my mind floated calmly like the ship in space.
Interracial sex was shocking for me, but repeating, this is just about my style, I’m not saying it was odd or awkward, it was just shocking.
There is something really interesting about this book, it is how the author describe the scenes and emotions gently, plunging the reader in a subtle aura while revealing an explosive plot about attack and death. It is like caressing someone with a metal sanding. I mean, the main character is about to make something explosive, and by the same time his emotions and feelings are described very subtly, that was disturbing and kept a confusion during the book, and this is good, it was a good resource used by the author, and he did it really well. I got like “What the heck is this guy after all? What he is really going to do?”
Religion and spirituality are mixed in this book, it is a whirlwind of concepts. Islam, tradition, and as the title says, talking with the dead. Strange, but provocative.
Now the thing I did not like about the writing, and that does not conflict with what I said before, the entire book is too descriptive, its lyrical and poetic and I have nothing against it, except when it is too much like that! Now, again, that does not mean it is bad, it is just not my style.
Dancing with the dead is a worth read if you are really looking for something different. I recommend it for people who wants something innovative, but if you are old school like me, then you better be warned that this book is far too different from anything else, it is strange, really strange.
Firstly I would like to comment something about book rating. Is it supposed to be about technical quality or about reader’s taste? I mean, can one badly rate a book because he did not like it even if the book is good by itself?
Well my rate on this book is the mix of my own taste and the quality of the book itself.
It is not my type of reading, I’m an old school sci-fi/fantasy fan, and I must admit, Dancing with the dead is one of the strangest pieces I have ever read. It is absolutely original, but to make it like that the author had to go beyond the frontier of imagination. I totally understand this, we are in 21 century and it is very difficult to make something really original nowadays. The fact is that the story is really strange, and with strange I don’t mean bad, I really mean strange! The alien races are not the ones we are used to see in sci- fi, some are animal like, they have deep personalities and their interactions with the characters are very sophisticated. There is a Islamic explosive plot, in a base in Moon!
The description of the ship arrival in the moon station on the beginning of the book reminded me of 2001: A space odyssey. Beautiful, I must say. I got myself imagining it all, and my mind floated calmly like the ship in space.
Interracial sex was shocking for me, but repeating, this is just about my style, I’m not saying it was odd or awkward, it was just shocking.
There is something really interesting about this book, it is how the author describe the scenes and emotions gently, plunging the reader in a subtle aura while revealing an explosive plot about attack and death. It is like caressing someone with a metal sanding. I mean, the main character is about to make something explosive, and by the same time his emotions and feelings are described very subtly, that was disturbing and kept a confusion during the book, and this is good, it was a good resource used by the author, and he did it really well. I got like “What the heck is this guy after all? What he is really going to do?”
Religion and spirituality are mixed in this book, it is a whirlwind of concepts. Islam, tradition, and as the title says, talking with the dead. Strange, but provocative.
Now the thing I did not like about the writing, and that does not conflict with what I said before, the entire book is too descriptive, its lyrical and poetic and I have nothing against it, except when it is too much like that! Now, again, that does not mean it is bad, it is just not my style.
Dancing with the dead is a worth read if you are really looking for something different. I recommend it for people who wants something innovative, but if you are old school like me, then you better be warned that this book is far too different from anything else, it is strange, really strange.
March 18, 2016
Multi-Themed, with All that Implies both Good and Bad
My gut tells me that many authors today are experimenting with combinations of what previously would have been separate and distinct genres. But Dancing with the Dead appears to take this trend to new heights, as it seems to me to be a Science Fiction/Fantasy Erotica Thriller...or something to that effect.
It’s not all confusing and overwhelming in its mixture of memes and subjects. For example, I did start to develop a feel for the general cultural norms of a couple of the alien races we encounter. And, in somewhat typical male fashion, I liked the battle scenes toward the end of the book. It was worth most of the effort to get to that point.
But much of the book had the feel of being dropped into book #12 of a long, complex sci-fi series, without any of the background. There were multiple alien races, with varying physical and predominant worldviews. And there were the dead of these races. And there were individuals, including Terrans, with supernatural powers, and a teenager, with powers even beyond them. And the list goes on.
One reviewer likened the book to a “genre stew,” and I like the comparison. But in places, it was more like a mixture of oil and water. For example, much of the plot is based on human greed and long-standing, earth-based ideological hatreds. The fact that we discovered we were not alone in the universe seems to have had no impact on how we see one another. Nor does the technological advances we had experienced. Nor does counsel with the dead...or even being dead, for that matter, seem to have an effect on our perception of...anything, really. It’s hatred and greed, as usual.
In the end, the book brought enough themes together to seem more than just disparate notions to me. It is an attempt at something new and different, which alone makes it worth a look. And it made me wonder...who’ll be the first to write that great dystopian action romance mystery in adult coloring book format; it has to be taking shape on someone’s laptop even now.
My gut tells me that many authors today are experimenting with combinations of what previously would have been separate and distinct genres. But Dancing with the Dead appears to take this trend to new heights, as it seems to me to be a Science Fiction/Fantasy Erotica Thriller...or something to that effect.
It’s not all confusing and overwhelming in its mixture of memes and subjects. For example, I did start to develop a feel for the general cultural norms of a couple of the alien races we encounter. And, in somewhat typical male fashion, I liked the battle scenes toward the end of the book. It was worth most of the effort to get to that point.
But much of the book had the feel of being dropped into book #12 of a long, complex sci-fi series, without any of the background. There were multiple alien races, with varying physical and predominant worldviews. And there were the dead of these races. And there were individuals, including Terrans, with supernatural powers, and a teenager, with powers even beyond them. And the list goes on.
One reviewer likened the book to a “genre stew,” and I like the comparison. But in places, it was more like a mixture of oil and water. For example, much of the plot is based on human greed and long-standing, earth-based ideological hatreds. The fact that we discovered we were not alone in the universe seems to have had no impact on how we see one another. Nor does the technological advances we had experienced. Nor does counsel with the dead...or even being dead, for that matter, seem to have an effect on our perception of...anything, really. It’s hatred and greed, as usual.
In the end, the book brought enough themes together to seem more than just disparate notions to me. It is an attempt at something new and different, which alone makes it worth a look. And it made me wonder...who’ll be the first to write that great dystopian action romance mystery in adult coloring book format; it has to be taking shape on someone’s laptop even now.
April 19, 2018
Author Long has a unique combination of science fiction and psychic drama. The story takes place in the future and is about middle eastern terrorists who plans to destroy the city on the Moon & the two space stations orbiting the Earth. The reason for the destruction is the fact that all these features were built by a combination Earth and alien cultures. This mixture is seen as an insult to the philosophy of the middle-easterns, thus the terrorists. Only the lead character(one of the terrorists) meets and falls in love with one of the alien females. And things get interesting from there. Mix in psychic powers, spirits of the dead, and the search of truth over training; and Charles Long's novel carries the reader from beginning to end. Enjoy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2016
This book was uneven for me, at times the author gave me too much detail and at other times the details were so thin that I didn't fully understand what was going on. Probably the best aspect of the book was the explanation of the "afterlife". It was unique and thought provoking. Also there were a couple of spots where the time line jumped around and that threw me a little as well. I'd recommend it just to see what the author has to say about being dead.
December 15, 2016
Dancing with the Dead by Charles Freedom Long is both a science fiction thriller and a spiritual journey. The narrative would make a good film rendering. The story takes us into the near future, although not too distant, when the moon is colonized and mankind is stretching its presence to other worlds. The reader is quickly introduced to new races of aliens, the diplomatic interrelationships which exist and the delicate and tenuous balance as these races see man as rather visceral, uncultured, warlike and difficult to predict - if only tolerable. The complexity and interaction between human beings and the wraithlike Nords, the bombastic and militaristic Kriegs, and the intoxicatingly beautiful and sensuous Antals, women of such perfection that few can resist their allure, makes this a very interesting read. The story revolves around a terrorist-plot, one which would inevitably pitch humanity at war with other races of aliens who already view human beings with distinct distrust. There is a touching interracial love story weaved into this book, one which reminds us that the power of love supersedes all else. Moreover, there is a very pervasive message in Dancing with the Dead – one which paints a deep and eternal picture of our spiritual essence. The author tactfully weaves this message into the fabric of the book while keeping it an edgy thriller. The writing is clear and colorful, the dialogues are engaging, and overall, the pace and rhythm of the book builds up, inextricably catching the reader in its momentum, like the leading wave of a tsunami.
May 15, 2019
I had a little trouble getting into this book at first. The world-building seemed incomplete. About a quarter of the way in it hit me that I had selected the second book in a series (my bad), and a lot of world-building and character development had already been done. I pushed on though, and it turned into a good SF-thriller. (I recommend reading the glossary at the back of the book before starting it.)
In Dancing With The Dead, We get a deep conspiracy involving terrorists, multiple races, and the dead. "The Dead?", you say. Yup, they still exist on the other side of "The Veil", and some of them are interested in the activities of the living. We also get some characters with psychic, even fantastical abilities. (Throw-back to some tropes that were popular back in the 1950s and '60s.)
The tale includes a love story involving quite a bit of inter-species sex, and there is some spiritual/philosophical stuff that may or may not appeal.
3.5 stars rounded up.
In Dancing With The Dead, We get a deep conspiracy involving terrorists, multiple races, and the dead. "The Dead?", you say. Yup, they still exist on the other side of "The Veil", and some of them are interested in the activities of the living. We also get some characters with psychic, even fantastical abilities. (Throw-back to some tropes that were popular back in the 1950s and '60s.)
The tale includes a love story involving quite a bit of inter-species sex, and there is some spiritual/philosophical stuff that may or may not appeal.
3.5 stars rounded up.
March 12, 2016
For fans of detailed world building, this worth a look. Fans of action and storytelling not so much.
A story is as long as it needs to be, is a good guide in writing. This book wasn't. I'm not sure if it needed to be longer and broken up into a series, or shorter and had all the concepts condensed.
It's clear the author did a lot of world building to make this novel. The details of those worlds were lovingly described. However, they seemed to pull me out of the story.
The world building didn't just stop at "Worlds" but he truly explored the different cultures and alien societies value systems. Not just a quick glance at them. While fascinating it did slow down the progression of the story.
This book could lead into a great series, with the very solid world building serving as a backdrop. As a stand alone I felt it had too many indepth concepts being thrown at me.
If you want to explore so great ideas of alternative societies and cultures, this is worth a look. If you're looking for an action story, which the blurb implied, then this book has too much going on that slows it down.
A story is as long as it needs to be, is a good guide in writing. This book wasn't. I'm not sure if it needed to be longer and broken up into a series, or shorter and had all the concepts condensed.
It's clear the author did a lot of world building to make this novel. The details of those worlds were lovingly described. However, they seemed to pull me out of the story.
The world building didn't just stop at "Worlds" but he truly explored the different cultures and alien societies value systems. Not just a quick glance at them. While fascinating it did slow down the progression of the story.
This book could lead into a great series, with the very solid world building serving as a backdrop. As a stand alone I felt it had too many indepth concepts being thrown at me.
If you want to explore so great ideas of alternative societies and cultures, this is worth a look. If you're looking for an action story, which the blurb implied, then this book has too much going on that slows it down.
April 10, 2016
Superbly written!
I quit serious reading about 50 years ago. Read on vacation mainly. I had the good fortune to retire three years ago and within the last few months have started reading again. This book epitomizes what I have always liked about Sci-Fi. When you can visualize what you read, you have returned. Thank you!
I quit serious reading about 50 years ago. Read on vacation mainly. I had the good fortune to retire three years ago and within the last few months have started reading again. This book epitomizes what I have always liked about Sci-Fi. When you can visualize what you read, you have returned. Thank you!
May 15, 2016
This book reminds me of the Honor Harrington series in some ways. An interesting read full of politics, power plays, and action. The dialogue flows well, and I didn't see anything wrong grammatically, though admittedly grammar is not my strongest suit. Still, an excellent read if you are looking to reach high Earth orbit. 5/5
April 25, 2017
A nice indie read. Charles dabbles in some interesting sci-fi topics here including spirituality, telepathy, and an active afterlife - "beyond the veil".
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