What do you think?
Rate this book
The Stratosphere: The Birth of Nostradamus
Big Brother is dead.
The real threat is not government.
It is not big business.
It is not artificial intelligence.
It is not your friends, your colleges or your neighbors.
It is not climate change, a comet, or a supernova.
It is not an EMP, WWIII, terrorism or a nuclear accident.
And it certainly is not an alien invasion or zombies.
The threat is imminent, and it lies waiting where you least expect…
The real threat is not government.
It is not big business.
It is not artificial intelligence.
It is not your friends, your colleges or your neighbors.
It is not climate change, a comet, or a supernova.
It is not an EMP, WWIII, terrorism or a nuclear accident.
And it certainly is not an alien invasion or zombies.
The threat is imminent, and it lies waiting where you least expect…
360 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 24, 2016
11 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 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 10, 2024
Beware of the Printers
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2016
What would happen if anything can be printed? In the The Stratosphere: The Birth of Nostradamus, Mr. Cox speculates on this question, and takes you along a journey where his characters and the terror of a post-apocalypse world remains vividly alive.
The book is written in a longer prose. You get to feel the many characters' strengths and flaws in the detailed narration, and the humored by the dialogue. Yes, there are editing mistakes, but that's what makes us human--or taking a lesson from his book, I will be an unemotional StratBot that couldn't tell the the difference of a good book and not. Or I will be telling a lie by visiting the Strat, if I would say that I didn't enjoy it. Kudos, Mr. Cox, I will be following you.
Received a free copy of this book to give an honest review.
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2016
What would happen if anything can be printed? In the The Stratosphere: The Birth of Nostradamus, Mr. Cox speculates on this question, and takes you along a journey where his characters and the terror of a post-apocalypse world remains vividly alive.
The book is written in a longer prose. You get to feel the many characters' strengths and flaws in the detailed narration, and the humored by the dialogue. Yes, there are editing mistakes, but that's what makes us human--or taking a lesson from his book, I will be an unemotional StratBot that couldn't tell the the difference of a good book and not. Or I will be telling a lie by visiting the Strat, if I would say that I didn't enjoy it. Kudos, Mr. Cox, I will be following you.
Received a free copy of this book to give an honest review.
April 20, 2016
SOME reviews are easier to write than others. This is not one of the easy ones to write - but why is it so hard? Because there is so much promise ready to burst out of this book. Let me start with, what I readily admit, is an imperfect analogy.
Years ago, I used to play the Magic: The Gathering card game. And I was rubbish. I used to build great big towering decks of cards stuffed full with cards that I just found interesting. Every time, I got beaten all ends up by sleek, trimmed-down decks that were designed to do exactly what they needed to do. I was just too attached to the host of different things in my deck to make it what it needed to be to be successful. There's something of that in the way that Brian Cox has created this book.
The future he envisions is a horrible, but brilliantly realised, one. The consumption of resources by 3D printers has left the future world ragged and scraping to get by. The day-to-day life of people is so spartan and unhappy that the majority of them escape to the virtual world of the Stratosphere whenever they can - a place where the body suits they wear in the real world allows them to experience the full range of sensation, almost as if the whole thing is real. But it is a place without imagination, it is a place where talent is fake and success is but a comfort blanket to make up for the paucity of genuine substance inside the Strat.
This contrast between the real world and the virtual one is striking - with Strat users taking to the system as an escape, and acting like addicts needing a fix when they can't get online. Real world problems are neglected, few people are looking for a solution, and communities survive by scavenging or trading for the print they need, while the military complex uses the remaining print machines to spit out helicopters to send into battle.
As a world, it's a fascinating one, and the characters that Cox creates, from Nancy, a square peg in the round hole of this world who discovers she is the key to unlocking its future to the crippled Gus, who puts the right thing and his love for others above his own health, are compelling, and struggling with the flaws that make them who they are. Tragedy hangs heavy in the air over these characters, as bad decisions spiral into the worst of consequences.
In all of that, the novel is a success - so where does it stack its own deck against itself? Well, we learn a bit too much about too many characters. There are characters that come and go within the novel that we dive into the heads of to discover their motivations, their ambitions and aspirations - and yet we barely see some of these characters again. It takes quite a while to figure out who the lead characters of the book are as a result, and even then, the focus remains a little confused. It needs slimming down, streamlining to become more effective.
The hardest part though is the opening, which is a very lengthy piece of exposition, couched as a lecture by the professor trying to find a resolution to the world's problems. He tells the audience - and by extension the reader - the history of the world, and it feels very much a chore to get through. If you get through that, the rest of the book is a page-turner, but I imagine more than a few readers won't reach that part.
And so a hard review to give - because the world is fascinating, but the structure just doesn't quite let it shine. For the world alone, I would give the book five stars, but overall I have to settle for giving it three. I look forward to more from Brian Cox, though, brilliant ideas are always worth following.
Years ago, I used to play the Magic: The Gathering card game. And I was rubbish. I used to build great big towering decks of cards stuffed full with cards that I just found interesting. Every time, I got beaten all ends up by sleek, trimmed-down decks that were designed to do exactly what they needed to do. I was just too attached to the host of different things in my deck to make it what it needed to be to be successful. There's something of that in the way that Brian Cox has created this book.
The future he envisions is a horrible, but brilliantly realised, one. The consumption of resources by 3D printers has left the future world ragged and scraping to get by. The day-to-day life of people is so spartan and unhappy that the majority of them escape to the virtual world of the Stratosphere whenever they can - a place where the body suits they wear in the real world allows them to experience the full range of sensation, almost as if the whole thing is real. But it is a place without imagination, it is a place where talent is fake and success is but a comfort blanket to make up for the paucity of genuine substance inside the Strat.
This contrast between the real world and the virtual one is striking - with Strat users taking to the system as an escape, and acting like addicts needing a fix when they can't get online. Real world problems are neglected, few people are looking for a solution, and communities survive by scavenging or trading for the print they need, while the military complex uses the remaining print machines to spit out helicopters to send into battle.
As a world, it's a fascinating one, and the characters that Cox creates, from Nancy, a square peg in the round hole of this world who discovers she is the key to unlocking its future to the crippled Gus, who puts the right thing and his love for others above his own health, are compelling, and struggling with the flaws that make them who they are. Tragedy hangs heavy in the air over these characters, as bad decisions spiral into the worst of consequences.
In all of that, the novel is a success - so where does it stack its own deck against itself? Well, we learn a bit too much about too many characters. There are characters that come and go within the novel that we dive into the heads of to discover their motivations, their ambitions and aspirations - and yet we barely see some of these characters again. It takes quite a while to figure out who the lead characters of the book are as a result, and even then, the focus remains a little confused. It needs slimming down, streamlining to become more effective.
The hardest part though is the opening, which is a very lengthy piece of exposition, couched as a lecture by the professor trying to find a resolution to the world's problems. He tells the audience - and by extension the reader - the history of the world, and it feels very much a chore to get through. If you get through that, the rest of the book is a page-turner, but I imagine more than a few readers won't reach that part.
And so a hard review to give - because the world is fascinating, but the structure just doesn't quite let it shine. For the world alone, I would give the book five stars, but overall I have to settle for giving it three. I look forward to more from Brian Cox, though, brilliant ideas are always worth following.
April 28, 2016
When the professor in the beginning chapters railed against “The Stratosphere,” that nebulous artificial world that is shallow and adulatory, I was cheering him on. I, too, dread a world where human interaction, support, and camaraderie are nullified in favour of each individual as he or she, no longer needing to work to earn a living or to maintain relationships, simply escape into a dream world with thousands of compliant avatars, all doing his or her bidding.
After that strong philosophical and moral point, the book grew confusing for me. There seems to be no lead character in this book, leaving assorted chapters to various characters as they deal with danger. The first hint of action occurs when one of the main characters, Nancy, seeks a water heater in a dangerous part of town. But if the new world has futuristic and high-tech replicators that can mass-produce anything (at one point it said it could mass-produce helicopters) why could the replicators (the author calls them “printers” which makes me think of desktop paper printers) not produce a water heater for Nancy? This subplot — leading to an assault on Nancy’s life — was important, so that bewildered me. I didn’t like Nancy's constant swearing, as there seemed to be no justification for it being so in-your-face all the time, every time. I mean, come on, she swears every second sentence she says, and her swear words are often capitalized, as if we somehow missed them.
Similarly, if replicators can produce anything, why is another important subplot the hunger and desperation of Logan, another main character, and her preteen son? Why didn’t she get food from the replicator? Star Trek did it all the time.
There is a state of war throughout the book, with commandos fighting off insurgents. How did that happen? Are there factions in the society, each with its own army, or is this a dystopian society where the rich live in enclaves and the poor fight over whatever is left? In that case, the rich wouldn’t venture out in the ghettos, and the poor wouldn’t have troops stationed near them unless there was some sort of martial law as the army wanted to maintain a society where more or less everyone went on about within a decent civilization. That wasn’t clear. I think there has to be some sort of understanding regarding the “printers” (or replicators, as I call them) — perhaps there are too few, and the powerful zealously guard control over them. The book should clarify the essential questions: who has the power? What does he or she want with that power, and how does that ambition create problems for someone with whom we can identify?
For a well-written book that seems to explore the same issues of a cyber illusory world co-existing uneasily with the real world, I am reminded of “False Idols” by Alexis Grove.
For me, the professor’s railing against humanity forgetting its best attributes and losing its fibre was by far the best part of the book. Now it needs a consistent framework surrounding this and a good lead character, and thorough world-building (the real world, not the illusory one, which has been very well-described) to know what's possible and what's not possible.
After that strong philosophical and moral point, the book grew confusing for me. There seems to be no lead character in this book, leaving assorted chapters to various characters as they deal with danger. The first hint of action occurs when one of the main characters, Nancy, seeks a water heater in a dangerous part of town. But if the new world has futuristic and high-tech replicators that can mass-produce anything (at one point it said it could mass-produce helicopters) why could the replicators (the author calls them “printers” which makes me think of desktop paper printers) not produce a water heater for Nancy? This subplot — leading to an assault on Nancy’s life — was important, so that bewildered me. I didn’t like Nancy's constant swearing, as there seemed to be no justification for it being so in-your-face all the time, every time. I mean, come on, she swears every second sentence she says, and her swear words are often capitalized, as if we somehow missed them.
Similarly, if replicators can produce anything, why is another important subplot the hunger and desperation of Logan, another main character, and her preteen son? Why didn’t she get food from the replicator? Star Trek did it all the time.
There is a state of war throughout the book, with commandos fighting off insurgents. How did that happen? Are there factions in the society, each with its own army, or is this a dystopian society where the rich live in enclaves and the poor fight over whatever is left? In that case, the rich wouldn’t venture out in the ghettos, and the poor wouldn’t have troops stationed near them unless there was some sort of martial law as the army wanted to maintain a society where more or less everyone went on about within a decent civilization. That wasn’t clear. I think there has to be some sort of understanding regarding the “printers” (or replicators, as I call them) — perhaps there are too few, and the powerful zealously guard control over them. The book should clarify the essential questions: who has the power? What does he or she want with that power, and how does that ambition create problems for someone with whom we can identify?
For a well-written book that seems to explore the same issues of a cyber illusory world co-existing uneasily with the real world, I am reminded of “False Idols” by Alexis Grove.
For me, the professor’s railing against humanity forgetting its best attributes and losing its fibre was by far the best part of the book. Now it needs a consistent framework surrounding this and a good lead character, and thorough world-building (the real world, not the illusory one, which has been very well-described) to know what's possible and what's not possible.
April 9, 2016
I enjoyed reading this science fiction adventure set in a perhaps actually soon to come time, in which mankind, or what is left of it, has prostituted itself to hedonistic pleasure. The doctrine of the modern right, of the selfish individual that has no cares for any less advantaged soul, is laid bare with a worst outcome. On-line digital space, has seduced nearly everyone at the cost of progress in, or even maintenance of, the real world. Time in reality is despised and avoided in favour of pretend life inside the computer's generated parallel world. When the players aren't in the machine themselves there, 'ghosts', still acting shadows of themselves, still are. For most people it isn't even possible to know if those they interact with in digital space are really in the machine with them or not.
Meanwhile, in the real world pollution from the '3D printers' that produce the technological hardware of civilisation, is destroying what little is left of the environment. The Professor, that enabled all this, literally reprogrammed human life, has seen the error of his ways, but who is left to listen? Have I said too much, creating spoilers? I hope not; I don't believe I have. It took me a while to grasp all this necessary to understanding stuff, and I didn't consciously miss any words.
The plot is exciting, drawing one relentlessly forward, while at times running a little short on wide background. The dynamic climax is terrific- but very rushed, as though the author was running out of time in an exam. That annoyed me immensely, as a bit of depth in some of the final scenes would really have added a lot. Was Cox already thinking 'film script' rather than book?
Another edit is certainly called for, with perhaps a bit of thought about how the reader could be interpreting the story. At times, I felt the author forgot the reader, leaving script sitting in his head. Poor editing aside, Cox is a very good descriptive writer. I can only give four stars for the book as is. Another couple of months work between editor and writer could make this a classic of modern science fiction- It potentially, really is that good. This is a case of modern publishing being just too easy, being short of 'house' content editors rattling every cage. I really enjoyed this book, which pulls together three or four recent SF themes. And as I say, with more work, this could end-up becoming a classic.
Meanwhile, in the real world pollution from the '3D printers' that produce the technological hardware of civilisation, is destroying what little is left of the environment. The Professor, that enabled all this, literally reprogrammed human life, has seen the error of his ways, but who is left to listen? Have I said too much, creating spoilers? I hope not; I don't believe I have. It took me a while to grasp all this necessary to understanding stuff, and I didn't consciously miss any words.
The plot is exciting, drawing one relentlessly forward, while at times running a little short on wide background. The dynamic climax is terrific- but very rushed, as though the author was running out of time in an exam. That annoyed me immensely, as a bit of depth in some of the final scenes would really have added a lot. Was Cox already thinking 'film script' rather than book?
Another edit is certainly called for, with perhaps a bit of thought about how the reader could be interpreting the story. At times, I felt the author forgot the reader, leaving script sitting in his head. Poor editing aside, Cox is a very good descriptive writer. I can only give four stars for the book as is. Another couple of months work between editor and writer could make this a classic of modern science fiction- It potentially, really is that good. This is a case of modern publishing being just too easy, being short of 'house' content editors rattling every cage. I really enjoyed this book, which pulls together three or four recent SF themes. And as I say, with more work, this could end-up becoming a classic.
July 28, 2016
***DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ***
Near-future dystopic sci-fi novels are all the rage these days. I was a huge fan of the Hunger Games when it came out, because it felt so fresh and different. Since then, it seemed that everybody and their muttation came out with a new trilogy of dystopics promising to be the next big thing. I wearied of all the minor variations vying for attention. So, just when I thought the band-wagon of this genre was about to collapse, aboard climbs newcomer, Brian Cox, offering yet another take.
...Then again, this isn't just another take. After reading "The Stratosphere: The Birth of Nostradamus", I discovered a masterful effort of frighteningly realistic fiction. Cox managed to convince me of the possibility of a near-future, where a virtual reality world called The Stratosphere has become not just a temporary escape from the real world, but an all-consuming aspect of human life. Americans have seemed to completely forget the importance of their society altogether. What results is a dangerous level of vanity, selfishness, and narcissism which Cox paints with a plausibility that makes the reader wonder whether the author is the second coming of Nostradamus.
Not only does Cox do a great job at selling this sci-fi story as completely realistic, he does it with characters that are colorful and believable. Heroes, like Gus, Nancy, and Katherine are flawed, while villains are so evil, it made me wonder how Cox even conceived of some of the monstrosities committed by scoundrels like the Boss, Trevor and Carl. I was impressed to discover that the only character that didn't seem to have any flaws (no names here to avoid spoilers) was appropriately a robot and not a human at all. Well played, Mr. Cox... I should've seen that one coming.
I should also state, since this is a first novel from a self-published author, that the editing is very good. I only found a couple of minor issues along the way. Most Indies get raked for their low quality of editing, but Brian Cox gives the industry some cred there.
Near-future dystopic sci-fi novels are all the rage these days. I was a huge fan of the Hunger Games when it came out, because it felt so fresh and different. Since then, it seemed that everybody and their muttation came out with a new trilogy of dystopics promising to be the next big thing. I wearied of all the minor variations vying for attention. So, just when I thought the band-wagon of this genre was about to collapse, aboard climbs newcomer, Brian Cox, offering yet another take.
...Then again, this isn't just another take. After reading "The Stratosphere: The Birth of Nostradamus", I discovered a masterful effort of frighteningly realistic fiction. Cox managed to convince me of the possibility of a near-future, where a virtual reality world called The Stratosphere has become not just a temporary escape from the real world, but an all-consuming aspect of human life. Americans have seemed to completely forget the importance of their society altogether. What results is a dangerous level of vanity, selfishness, and narcissism which Cox paints with a plausibility that makes the reader wonder whether the author is the second coming of Nostradamus.
Not only does Cox do a great job at selling this sci-fi story as completely realistic, he does it with characters that are colorful and believable. Heroes, like Gus, Nancy, and Katherine are flawed, while villains are so evil, it made me wonder how Cox even conceived of some of the monstrosities committed by scoundrels like the Boss, Trevor and Carl. I was impressed to discover that the only character that didn't seem to have any flaws (no names here to avoid spoilers) was appropriately a robot and not a human at all. Well played, Mr. Cox... I should've seen that one coming.
I should also state, since this is a first novel from a self-published author, that the editing is very good. I only found a couple of minor issues along the way. Most Indies get raked for their low quality of editing, but Brian Cox gives the industry some cred there.
April 13, 2016
For me, this book had elements of Rand's Atlas Shrugged and Carpenter's Escape from New York. No, there wasn't a Snake Plisskin character, but the surviving city of New York (actually Old New Jersey) held the corrupt, albeit free, citizens and government. That combined with the societal structure of the post-apocalyptic aftermath, it is the collective of average and shirking of innovation that looks to ultimately destroy the human race. It isn't one person being dropped behind enemy lines. Rather, it is the need for some to actually escape its hold.
When virtual reality provides the only desire to live, forcing the shrinking masses to perform basic functions to sustain the human body and wellness - well, it become a group of strangers doing minimal effort to get back to their virtual lives. No, this is not some ground-breaking concept. It also isn't a topside version of The Matrix.
Nostradamus - a computer built to predict probability that is comprised of more computing power than thought possible - has no emotion or investment - but those behind the super-brain don't like the odds of survival. What can one person do to save humanity when humanity doesn't want, or care to, listen?
What is left of humanity is tossed back into a world with hardly any technology (some vehicles and medicine), except for the virtual realm. There are land-wars, greed, and deception.
Cox is NOT afraid to kill characters. This is refreshing. Brutally refreshing. The book has a full conclusion - but it does leave room for future development. Author provided a digital copy of his book for review.
When virtual reality provides the only desire to live, forcing the shrinking masses to perform basic functions to sustain the human body and wellness - well, it become a group of strangers doing minimal effort to get back to their virtual lives. No, this is not some ground-breaking concept. It also isn't a topside version of The Matrix.
Nostradamus - a computer built to predict probability that is comprised of more computing power than thought possible - has no emotion or investment - but those behind the super-brain don't like the odds of survival. What can one person do to save humanity when humanity doesn't want, or care to, listen?
What is left of humanity is tossed back into a world with hardly any technology (some vehicles and medicine), except for the virtual realm. There are land-wars, greed, and deception.
Cox is NOT afraid to kill characters. This is refreshing. Brutally refreshing. The book has a full conclusion - but it does leave room for future development. Author provided a digital copy of his book for review.
April 11, 2016
I was asked to read this book and found it to be thought provoking, intriguing and disturbing.
This story is set in the future, one that has a relatively small population and limited infrastructure, and yet one that sees humanity at its worst. Virtual reality has stripped the majority of its compassion, leaving only a hedonistic road to destruction.
There is a great cast of characters - both good and bad - which bring alive the tale and I experienced a gamut of emotions, as they battled this harsh and unfeeling world.
It is disturbing because I can alredy see this very real future has already begun with today's world rooted in technology and the demands for instant gratification - scary.
It is well written, despite needing a thorough proofread, but then, as a writer, I sympathise with such difficulty in capturing all those gremlins. It was a story told well and I was hooked from the beginning.
An excellent subject, well researched and mind blowing; what more could you want?
Highly recommended to those who wish to think.
This story is set in the future, one that has a relatively small population and limited infrastructure, and yet one that sees humanity at its worst. Virtual reality has stripped the majority of its compassion, leaving only a hedonistic road to destruction.
There is a great cast of characters - both good and bad - which bring alive the tale and I experienced a gamut of emotions, as they battled this harsh and unfeeling world.
It is disturbing because I can alredy see this very real future has already begun with today's world rooted in technology and the demands for instant gratification - scary.
It is well written, despite needing a thorough proofread, but then, as a writer, I sympathise with such difficulty in capturing all those gremlins. It was a story told well and I was hooked from the beginning.
An excellent subject, well researched and mind blowing; what more could you want?
Highly recommended to those who wish to think.
October 9, 2016
Threats are imminent!
This book is interesting, thought provoking and in turn, ultimately disturbing. It's not disturbing because of the writing, that is definitely done well, but the content. The characters are part of a post-apocalypse and there is a small society of survivors, and the human race is definitely an endangered species, with a future of possible annihilation. The desire for freedom may come at a cost. Great read and journey to a place that one hopes is not possible.
This book is interesting, thought provoking and in turn, ultimately disturbing. It's not disturbing because of the writing, that is definitely done well, but the content. The characters are part of a post-apocalypse and there is a small society of survivors, and the human race is definitely an endangered species, with a future of possible annihilation. The desire for freedom may come at a cost. Great read and journey to a place that one hopes is not possible.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews