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Normal #2
Normal: Book 2
Some people call it ""abyss gaze."" Gaze into the abyss all day and the abyss will gaze into you.
There are two types of people who think professionally about the future: Foresight strategists are civil futurists who think about geoengineering and smart cities and ways to evade Our Coming Doom; strategic forecasters are spook futurists, who think about geopolitical upheaval and drone warfare and ways to prepare clients for Our Coming Doom. The former are paid by nonprofits and charities, the latter by global security groups and corporate think tanks.
For both types, if you're good at it, and you spend your days and nights doing it, then it's something you can't do for long. Depression sets in. Mental illness festers. And if the abyss gaze takes hold there's only one place to recover: Normal Head, in the wilds of Oregon, within the secure perimeter of an experimental forest.
When Adam Dearden, a foresight strategist, arrives at Normal Head, he is desperate to unplug and be immersed in sylvan silence. But then a patient goes missing from his locked bedroom, leaving nothing but a pile of insects in his wake. A staff investigation ensues; surveillance becomes total. As the mystery of the disappeared man unravels in Warren Ellis's Normal, Adam uncovers a conspiracy that calls into question the core principles of how and why we think about the future--and the past, and the now."
- GenresFictionScience Fiction
35 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 16, 2015
18 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
Warren Ellis
1,972 books5,773 followersWarren Ellis is the award-winning writer of graphic novels like TRANSMETROPOLITAN, FELL, MINISTRY OF SPACE and PLANETARY, and the author of the NYT-bestselling GUN MACHINE and the “underground classic” novel CROOKED LITTLE VEIN, as well as the digital short-story single DEAD PIG COLLECTOR. His newest book is the novella NORMAL, from FSG Originals, listed as one of Amazon’s Best 100 Books Of 2016.
The movie RED is based on his graphic novel of the same name, its sequel having been released in summer 2013. IRON MAN 3 is based on his Marvel Comics graphic novel IRON MAN: EXTREMIS. He is currently developing his graphic novel sequence with Jason Howard, TREES, for television, in concert with HardySonBaker and NBCU, and continues to work as a screenwriter and producer in film and television, represented by Angela Cheng Caplan and Cheng Caplan Company. He is the creator, writer and co-producer of the Netflix series CASTLEVANIA, recently renewed for its third season, and of the recently-announced Netflix series HEAVEN’S FOREST.
He’s written extensively for VICE, WIRED UK and Reuters on technological and cultural matters, and given keynote speeches and lectures at events like dConstruct, ThingsCon, Improving Reality, SxSW, How The Light Gets In, Haunted Machines and Cognitive Cities.
Warren Ellis has recently developed and curated the revival of the Wildstorm creative library for DC Entertainment with the series THE WILD STORM, and is currently working on the serialising of new graphic novel works TREES: THREE FATES and INJECTION at Image Comics, and the serialised graphic novel THE BATMAN’S GRAVE for DC Comics, while working as a Consulting Producer on another television series.
A documentary about his work, CAPTURED GHOSTS, was released in 2012.
Recognitions include the NUIG Literary and Debating Society’s President’s Medal for service to freedom of speech, the EAGLE AWARDS Roll Of Honour for lifetime achievement in the field of comics & graphic novels, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire 2010, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and the International Horror Guild Award for illustrated narrative. He is a Patron of Humanists UK. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.
Warren Ellis lives outside London, on the south-east coast of England, in case he needs to make a quick getaway.
The movie RED is based on his graphic novel of the same name, its sequel having been released in summer 2013. IRON MAN 3 is based on his Marvel Comics graphic novel IRON MAN: EXTREMIS. He is currently developing his graphic novel sequence with Jason Howard, TREES, for television, in concert with HardySonBaker and NBCU, and continues to work as a screenwriter and producer in film and television, represented by Angela Cheng Caplan and Cheng Caplan Company. He is the creator, writer and co-producer of the Netflix series CASTLEVANIA, recently renewed for its third season, and of the recently-announced Netflix series HEAVEN’S FOREST.
He’s written extensively for VICE, WIRED UK and Reuters on technological and cultural matters, and given keynote speeches and lectures at events like dConstruct, ThingsCon, Improving Reality, SxSW, How The Light Gets In, Haunted Machines and Cognitive Cities.
Warren Ellis has recently developed and curated the revival of the Wildstorm creative library for DC Entertainment with the series THE WILD STORM, and is currently working on the serialising of new graphic novel works TREES: THREE FATES and INJECTION at Image Comics, and the serialised graphic novel THE BATMAN’S GRAVE for DC Comics, while working as a Consulting Producer on another television series.
A documentary about his work, CAPTURED GHOSTS, was released in 2012.
Recognitions include the NUIG Literary and Debating Society’s President’s Medal for service to freedom of speech, the EAGLE AWARDS Roll Of Honour for lifetime achievement in the field of comics & graphic novels, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire 2010, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and the International Horror Guild Award for illustrated narrative. He is a Patron of Humanists UK. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.
Warren Ellis lives outside London, on the south-east coast of England, in case he needs to make a quick getaway.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
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July 22, 2016This isn't really a book, but if its sold as such I feel justified in including it in its solo form on Goodreads. I'm going to finish the series before I rate and review though.
(But so far so good).
(But so far so good).
July 19, 2016
Long on excellent dialogue, short on story progress.
August 12, 2023
We delve deeper into the future and what it holds depending on our actions
August 2, 2016
Abyss Gaze, a bad case of it.
Taking of planing and of futurists all mixed up with the need of a investigation regarding the weird event of the last part.
Some of the things discussed truly make sense of the need of Normal Head station and its residents.
Abyss Gaze, didn't like what I saw and it was more of a Glimpse. I can understand easily why a bad case of Abyss Gaze would be so harmful to someone's mind.
Taking of planing and of futurists all mixed up with the need of a investigation regarding the weird event of the last part.
Some of the things discussed truly make sense of the need of Normal Head station and its residents.
Abyss Gaze, didn't like what I saw and it was more of a Glimpse. I can understand easily why a bad case of Abyss Gaze would be so harmful to someone's mind.
October 13, 2016
Solid part 2
Ellis amps up the paranoia in part 2 of "Normal". A new patient disappears and the staff of Normal believes that another patient has helped with his escape. So far, the story has been equal parts satire and science fiction. It's funny and extremely dark. Once again, looking forward to the next part of the story.
Ellis amps up the paranoia in part 2 of "Normal". A new patient disappears and the staff of Normal believes that another patient has helped with his escape. So far, the story has been equal parts satire and science fiction. It's funny and extremely dark. Once again, looking forward to the next part of the story.
September 12, 2016
Didn't really get anywhere with this one. If it were a chapter in a book that had a plot, it would work better, but since it's in an in-between state, it doesn't really lend itself to a $1.99 paid serial. Should have waited for the finished version.
July 27, 2016
Widens out the weird pocket world of Normal and and gives us more mystery.
July 26, 2016
Mindbending
This just gets better and better. Highly original and chock full of thought provoking ideas. Highly recommended and great fun. Can't wait for more.
This just gets better and better. Highly original and chock full of thought provoking ideas. Highly recommended and great fun. Can't wait for more.
August 13, 2016
This is a great read!
October 10, 2016
???? What pray tell will....
What pray tell will happen next in Mr. Dearden's odd, new environment? Will he find his sanity through this venture at Normal Head?
What pray tell will happen next in Mr. Dearden's odd, new environment? Will he find his sanity through this venture at Normal Head?
October 26, 2016
Another little piece of the novella.
It's well rendered, but short.
It's well rendered, but short.
November 22, 2016
Enjoying this mystery so far. Beginning to wish that he would write more set in this near-future world.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews