What do you think?
Rate this book
The Technicians: Return to the Dirt : Book One
An unfortunate intellectual resigned to a grisly, blue-collar life. Disenchanted with his life and distanced from his family, how much blood will it take to put his existence into perspective?
42 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 5, 2016
7 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 21, 2016
9/10
lots of things i liked about this novella. what stood out the most was the originality of the story. it had a dark fight club movie feel to it. the numbered principles added a cool effect. the violence was unique and exciting. i was hooked quick. i think the second "meh" might have done it. that dialogue quirk was excellent. the writing was very clever and tight. there were many side stories woven in into the main story. the main character often reflects on his marriage, his career path, and why he's jaded.
there were a few parts that didn't hit the mark for me or were over my head but mostly this was great and unique storytelling. i could see it being adapted into a movie. i look forward to reading more of geoff's work. highly recommend it.
lots of things i liked about this novella. what stood out the most was the originality of the story. it had a dark fight club movie feel to it. the numbered principles added a cool effect. the violence was unique and exciting. i was hooked quick. i think the second "meh" might have done it. that dialogue quirk was excellent. the writing was very clever and tight. there were many side stories woven in into the main story. the main character often reflects on his marriage, his career path, and why he's jaded.
there were a few parts that didn't hit the mark for me or were over my head but mostly this was great and unique storytelling. i could see it being adapted into a movie. i look forward to reading more of geoff's work. highly recommend it.
October 25, 2022
One star because of this:
“The man, African American, age indeterminate due to his current condition, looks as though Alex had struck him two dozen times. One of our little rules, not acknowledged in methodology, for the sake of political correctness is not to bash African Americans as they are thought to have particularly durable heads. PHA does not condone or tolerate racial insensitivity but [this rule]is implied.”
“The man, African American, age indeterminate due to his current condition, looks as though Alex had struck him two dozen times. One of our little rules, not acknowledged in methodology, for the sake of political correctness is not to bash African Americans as they are thought to have particularly durable heads. PHA does not condone or tolerate racial insensitivity but [this rule]is implied.”
May 12, 2016
This was a great story. It reminded me of the old tales from the crypt stories, and had a fun twist at the end that kind of sneaks up on you. My kind of story!
September 24, 2017
There is a lesson in this DO NOT put off tomorrow what you can and should have done today you never know when it might be too late. These men get very high pay for doing their job but if you mess up as one did you might be done. The story is based around two techs that do their job with pride, as you will come to see the jobs they do aren’t something most of us would like to do or enjoy doing. I saw the ending coming just as it unfolds and my heart went out to one of these men. The narration was great, the characters voices were great. I loved the accent, and the emotions given to each character. I could hear the emotion in their voice when a job goes bad or even went good.
The narration was wonderful I loved his character voices they really fit the character and pull you in. I had no trouble picturing each scene as it unfolded. The narrator really puts a lot of emotion into this audio. I just loved it and plan to listen to this one again. There were not any background noises, no place where the volume changed just a wonderful delightful audio that I got lost in.
The author is something else. Each story is unique, interesting and really pulls the reader in. I found the stories to be delightful, fun and shocking along with thrilling. I laughed, chuckled and felt sorry for a few. I sure hope my job never turns out like these did. I have never read anything by this author and look forward to listening to more of his audio and read more of his books.
The narration was wonderful I loved his character voices they really fit the character and pull you in. I had no trouble picturing each scene as it unfolded. The narrator really puts a lot of emotion into this audio. I just loved it and plan to listen to this one again. There were not any background noises, no place where the volume changed just a wonderful delightful audio that I got lost in.
The author is something else. Each story is unique, interesting and really pulls the reader in. I found the stories to be delightful, fun and shocking along with thrilling. I laughed, chuckled and felt sorry for a few. I sure hope my job never turns out like these did. I have never read anything by this author and look forward to listening to more of his audio and read more of his books.
May 16, 2016
In time-honoured fashion, this taut tale of work and death employs humour to highlight the worst aspects of human behaviour. Tt's a sharp, savage slice of smartly observed social satire, with humour so bleak it raises blisters, so black it casts a sinister shadow on a superficially sunny existence.
Author Geoff Sturtevant writes in an engaging, easy going tone which lulls the reader into believing these might be benign interludes of banter spiced up with a bit of bad boy business…
Then the sucker punch sneaks up on your synapses. One moment you’re giggling about the waste of a college education on ‘The Technician’ (a man who spends his days sweating in a badly-cut corporate uniform) and in the next heartbeat, there’s dying bloke on the floor having his brains mushed up with a screwdriver. It’s deliberately outlandish and provocative. And hugely entertaining.
This gruesome and graphic story may be short but it hasn’t been just dashed off in a couple of hours to fill a few pages with pretty prose. The precisely-planned storyline features credible, well-developed three-dimensional characters. They move through fully realised alternate realities, crammed with convincing detail, like the matchbooks, a lovely touch.
A pitch-perfect combination of gob-smacking chutzpah and intelligent moral comment, where absurdity and outrage are deftly employed to illustrate some very human truths. Can’t wait to see what this guy could deliver in the shape of a full length novel.
8/10
I read this story as part of the 'Return To The Dirt' anthology. Full review here:
https://murdermayhemandmore.wordpress...
Author Geoff Sturtevant writes in an engaging, easy going tone which lulls the reader into believing these might be benign interludes of banter spiced up with a bit of bad boy business…
Then the sucker punch sneaks up on your synapses. One moment you’re giggling about the waste of a college education on ‘The Technician’ (a man who spends his days sweating in a badly-cut corporate uniform) and in the next heartbeat, there’s dying bloke on the floor having his brains mushed up with a screwdriver. It’s deliberately outlandish and provocative. And hugely entertaining.
This gruesome and graphic story may be short but it hasn’t been just dashed off in a couple of hours to fill a few pages with pretty prose. The precisely-planned storyline features credible, well-developed three-dimensional characters. They move through fully realised alternate realities, crammed with convincing detail, like the matchbooks, a lovely touch.
A pitch-perfect combination of gob-smacking chutzpah and intelligent moral comment, where absurdity and outrage are deftly employed to illustrate some very human truths. Can’t wait to see what this guy could deliver in the shape of a full length novel.
8/10
I read this story as part of the 'Return To The Dirt' anthology. Full review here:
https://murdermayhemandmore.wordpress...
August 9, 2018
well, this was good but headed for 3 stars. But the last sentence sent it to 4 stars even though I had just guessed what the last sentence would be. dark and.violent but also goofy black comedy
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews