黑殼

by J. Kent Messum, 力耘 (Translator)

二〇三〇年，長生不死已是金錢可換的商品，首富們砸下大筆財富，只求肉身腐朽之後將靈魂數位化，永遠保留在虛擬世界，然而這樣的來生沒有想像中美好，他們還是嚮往真實世界的紙醉金迷。名為「黑殼」的非法職業應運而生，俊男美女出借軀殼讓不死富豪寄居，出租期間，殼的意識進入沉睡，富豪全權操控肉體，瘋狂縱慾，只為再次感受真正活著的感覺。

年輕俊美的羅德茲是肉體銀行的紅牌，儘管黑殼社會地位比娼妓還低，他仍然鋌而走險，因為他窮怕了，眼前的世界，沒錢的人無自來水可用，只能在水霧中擦身、吃工廠培養的人造肉。

某次借殼後，羅德茲腦海中閃現不屬於他的記憶片段，他從來不想知道客戶用他的身體幹了什麼，也反覆告訴自己那不干他的事，直到發現最近鬧得沸沸揚揚凶殺案中的被害人曾出現在那些零碎記憶中、直到他開始意識到無法完全掌控自己的言行……而別的黑殼也紛紛出事：有人因客戶過了三天期限還不肯從他身體裡出來，不幸慘死；有人借殼後精神崩潰，覺得這個肉體不是他的，想拔出自己的牙齒和眼珠。一名故意自行毀容好脫離黑殼這行的同業告誡羅德茲：

肉體是棟房子，在裡頭待過的靈魂都是鬼，房子是會鬧鬼的。

但使用過他肉體的靈魂不計其數，怎麼知道是誰在搞鬼？羅德茲想金盆洗手，但現在回頭已經太遲，肉體銀行的老闆絕不肯放過最炙手可熱的商品、活死人對他的軀殼垂涎覬覦，他也即將窺見這個世界最黑暗骯髒的祕密……

Genres: Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller, Dystopia, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery

352 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 2015

About the author

J. Kent Messum is an author & creative writing instructor who always bets on the underdog. His first novel BAIT (August 2013, Penguin Books) won the 2014 Arthur Ellis Award for ‘Best First Novel.’ His second novel HUSK (July 2015, Penguin Books) was optioned for an international TV series by Warp Films in the UK.

Messum lives in Toronto with his wife, dog, and a pair of cats. He is currently working on his third and fourth novels. He teaches Creative Writing at the University Of Toronto, and is also a book critic for the New York Journal Of Books.

PRAISE FOR 'BAIT'

“Reading J. Kent Messum’s Bait is like taking a high dive into black water. What you find in its murky depths is disturbing, pulse-pounding and utterly surprising. An exhilarating debut.” –Megan Abbott, Edgar-Award-winning author of 'Dare Me' and 'The Fever'

“The stakes could be no higher in this crisply written, fast-paced novel that examines the shifting line between right and wrong, good and evil. Bait will keep readers turning pages late into the night.”
Lori Roy, Edgar-Award-winning author of 'Bent Road' and 'Until She Comes Home'

"Jaws meets Lord of the Flies meets Drugstore Cowboy! A powerhouse debut. The horror dawns on the reader as it dawns on the characters, making for a mesmerizing, one-sitting read." - Steve Ulfelder, Edgar-Award finalist author of 'Purgatory Chasm' and 'The Whole Lie'

"Bait reads faster than a feeding frenzy - I was hooked from the very first page. A terrific debut from a talented new writer!" - Daniel Palmer, author of 'Stolen' and 'Desperate'

"A brilliantly written novel. Bait makes Jaws look like a frolic in the pool." - DJ McIntosh, bestselling author of 'The Witch Of Babylon'

PRAISE FOR 'HUSK'

"Raw, visceral, powerful... may just make you question what it is to be human." - Nick Cutter, author of 'The Troop' & 'The Deep'

"Addictive and thrilling yet laced with such terrifying menace, J. Kent Messum’s HUSK is an absolute must-read! (5-Stars)" - Horror Cult Films

"Pacy and surprising, Husk is a showcase for a wild and frightening imagination." - Andrew Pyper, author of 'The Demonologist' & 'The Damned

Reviews

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

TICK, TOCK!!!!

this is FINALLY being made available to US readers. kindle-only, but it’s a good first step. you can have it on may 1, and if you PREorder, you can have it for $2.99.this is your link!

"We're all whores now, kid."

this is another great book by the man who gifted the world with Bait - the best "junkies vs. sharks" novel of all time. sadly, this book has zero sharks in it, but it features the same kind of imaginative setup and barreling pace as Bait, which is some consolation for its stubborn refusal to be about sharks.

i feel like this book would be friends with Shovel Ready, although they would agree to disagree on a few issues. both books take place in a near-future new york where things are horrible, the class divide is even more pronounced than it is in the real world, and both feature an occupy central park situation and their own version of virtual living. but while Shovel Ready manages to find a dark comedy in these things, this book is all business.

here, we have a technology-gone-too-far situation where the one-percenters have the option to be downloaded after their deaths and remain in a virtual world of their choosing until they want to take a vacation into the world of the living again by renting out a husk - a living person who gets paid very handsomely to put themselves on hold into a chemically-induced coma while allowing their client full access to their bodies and minds.

what could go wrong with that??

husking is a profession which most regular folk assume is just an urban legend, but it is very real. as real and as kept-from-the-public as the cure for AIDS, which is crucial to husks, whose bodies get up to all sorts of shenanigans while they are being borrowed by people who have only a limited time to fit in all the debauchery they are unable to experience now that they're dead and all. renting out one's body can lead to embarrassing misunderstandings in the husk's personal life, when it's unclear who's driving the body, but sometimes the drivers get into far more sinister things. and so begins our tale.

in order to remain viable for husking, the hosts have to be very attractive and keep their bodies - the merchandise - in mint condition. therefore, there are some rules for general care of the bodies for their temporary inhabitants. following the old "you break it, you buy it" system, those who are test-driving the husks are not permitted to use it too recklessly and visible injuries to the husk are costly. it's in the renter's best interests to keep the husk in good condition, since they frequently have a favorite husk and it's smart to keep them viable for re-use. husks may be rented out as frequently as the client chooses, but they are limited to a maximum 72-hour rental period. anything longer risks too much disorientation to the husk's mind upon re-entry. with vaccines for stds and rapid detox meds ready for the husk upon their return to their own bodies, the physical risks are diminished somewhat, but not knowing what acts were performed when someone else was wearing your face can leave the husk vulnerable to physical attacks from parties wronged during the rental period.

rhodes is an attractive man in a crazy world. a childhood of poverty taught him to take whatever opportunities came his way, and after some time spent as a regular prostitute, he turned to husking, with "no kiddie stuff" being his only hard limit. his sort-of girlfriend ryoku is also a husk, and their professions make their relationship complicated, but there is genuine affection between the two, despite the occasional awkwardness of occasionally encountering other people wearing the skin of their partner.

everything is working out as well as it can in a messed-up world where the government watches over its citizens with drones, meat is grown in labs, people can become homeless in the blink of an eye, and women are going missing all over manhattan. thousands of people are living in central park, poor and protesting and plotting revolution, but rhodes gets fancy new suits and other expensive gifts from his clients and is able to stockpile money away, ensuring that he never has to return to the deprivation of his childhood - his biggest fear.

but then rhodes' friend and fellow husk miller is killed during a job that was originally supposed to be rhodes'. and rhodes begins having visions, weird brief glitches of faces and violence following his jobs. his husking equipment does not seem to be malfunctioning, and rhodes writes off the phenomenon to overwork and too many jobs with too little recovery time in-between. however, as the glitches continue, rhodes begins to investigate, discovering similar complaints from other husks that seem to all originate after being hired by the same client.

i'm not saying anything else.

this is a fantastic fast-paced thriller that combines sci-fi, horror and psychological suspense into a truly original story that hits its mark every step of the way. i truly loved it, despite its lack of sharks. great concept, great execution and a very strong second novel.

come to my blog!

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you ready for one look into our futures?


I'm usually middle ground on science fiction. I can read it and enjoy it but dang..this one had me turning pages. It just happened that I was trying to read it over Thanksgiving when the dang people I live with thought for some reason I should cook.


In this future the rich guys that have already died have found a way to come back. They just save themselves in digital form.


Then find themselves a "husk" to download themselves into for a period of either one day or up to three days.


Now for the "Husks", they are every day people. Living is hard in these times. No money, water is even rationed. No meat either, unless it's factory "grown"..ewww.

So before you judge what you would whore yourself out now..realize in this existence that "We are all whores now."


You never know or can control what the rich guys do with your body when you are husking either. So keep that in mind.


The main character in the story is, of course a husk. Rhodes is a guy who grew up dirt poor and he is getting by the best he can.
After some odd sessions with a client he starts to have nightmares and weird flashbacks. (you just know that the shit is going to hit the fan)

For the fellow pervs out there-there is even a bit of an orgy scene......

Now I've heard rumors that this book is being talked about as getting made into a tv series or something along those lines. Hells yeah.

I received a copy of this book from the author. He did not specify what I should do with it. I decided to read it..and I enjoyed every second. Don't be hating.



My friend Trudi also got a copy of this little book in her clutches. Check out her review if you don't believe me..well check it out anyways.

[Delee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just because we can...does it mean we should??

I knew even before I cracked open HUSK- it was going to be a challenge for me to review it without sounding preachy. I am a person who is usually the last one on board for anything new...or modern. I was one of the last people I knew to hop on board the internet train...buy a DVD player...get an e-reader. I didn't cave to Blu-ray until I got one last year for my birthday... I refuse to buy anything "i."..ipod....iphone... I use homeopathic remedies for almost everything. I live a simplified life, and for the most part (other than my obsession with buying waaaaay too many books) I ask myself...do I need this to be happy? Just because I can...is this something I should do? And more often than not- the answer is no...

Do I like cats? Yes...Do I live in a world where it is possible to look like a cat???...Yes. Should I? No.



See how easy that was?

HUSK- asks some tougher questions...

When will we know that we've taken technology too far? What will the future look like- when so many live lives of excess? What boundaries should never be crossed?

...What if those who could afford it...could choose to live forever?

London:



A beautiful woman is having a drink in a pub- when a young boy approaches her. He is beyond upset. He loves her...he can't understand why she did this to him..."Why?" he asks- before he falls to the pavement.

Paris:



At an outdoor cafe- an older woman throws scalding coffee at a man- disfiguring his handsome face...in return- he beats her to a bloody pulp.

..and in

Manhattan:



At an upscale strip joint, a man lashes out at the staff- killing one- and then smashes his own face repeatedly against the table...

Three different cities. Unexplained violence and death- with no obvious connections...or is there?



Rhodes- sees the connection- but can he fix what is broken before it is too late for him....or the woman he loves?



I would like to thank J. Kent Messum for thinking of me, when he was handing out copies of HUSK for review!! This book was amazing!! And *hint hint* Jamie ... please think of me again when you write your next one...and the next one...and the one after that.... :D

[Kemper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this for review from the author.

**I'm reposting the review because this is now being published as a Kindle e-book on May 1, and it's only $2.99 if you pre-order.**

In a dystopian near future a handsome young man named Rhodes has a lucrative illegal business as a Husk which means that he essentially rents out his body to rich people No, not like that, you perverts. These are dead rich people…OK, now I'm gonna have to ask you to leave because that’s just sick. Go on. Close the door on your way out.

Where were we? Right, so the deal is that the richest people have found a way to cheat death and download their consciousness into computers, but playing Halo and trolling on Twitter gets boring after a while so they can rent a Husk and have a human body for a few days. Rhodes enjoys the money plus it’s a lot better than being one of the millions of suckers who can’t earn a living at a regular job, but his clients seem to be increasingly less concerned with damaging the merchandise. (You know how nobody really cares what happens to a rental car they’re driving? Same principle.) Plus, he’s started having weird flashes to things that aren’t his memories.

Most of the book is essentially a sci-fi conspiracy thriller, and it functions pretty well as that. I was a little let down that it didn’t do a bit more contemplation about identity and its relation to the physical body. However, Messum does a lot in the first person narrative that has Rhodes becomingly increasingly aware that while he thought he was just renting out his physical self that he might have been peddling something far more precious so essentially it becomes an extended metaphor on prostitution. So we do get some deeper themes on the idea that you can’t entirely separate the body from the mind.

The third act seemed like it was in jeopardy of turning into a pretty standard action and revelation style plot, but it swung back around to deliver some genuine surprise at the end. Overall, even though some elements are familiar it ends up being an entertaining story with enough meat on the bone to give your brain something to chew on.

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/



I was lucky enough to score a reader copy of this about a year and a half ago and was more than happy to shout from the rooftops how everyone else should read it too. Unfortunately, some technical difficulties happened leaving Husk unavailable to readers in the U.S. But now!!!!! Now it will finally be making its debut on this side of the pond come May 1 (with a seriously killer new cover to boot) and is currently available at a discounted pre-sale rate of $2.99. It's like American Gigolo meets the Matrix and it's by a guy who wrote a book about heroin addicts having to swim through shark infested waters to get their next fix. You know you want it. Go get you some!


ORIGINAL REVIEW:

“There is a vast difference between those that seek to live forever, and those who are simply too scared to die.”

In the future death isn’t necessarily the end. Well, at least it isn’t for the top one percent of the one percenters . . . .



For those with champagne wishes and caviar dreams, there is a form of life after death . . . .



Which leads us to the introduction of our leading man, Rhodes . . . .



Rhodes is a “husk” – a member of the Version 2.0 model of the world’s oldest profession. Rhodes offers his body up for 24, 48 or 72 hour periods in a new and improved type of Matrix. During the rental, Rhodes is placed in limbo of sorts while his clients use his body for not only sex, but also nearly whatever else they may have in mind . . . .



The only rule? Don’t bruise the merchandise.

In a world where meat is created in a lab, mass amounts of people are engaged in “Occupy Central Park,” and it’s nearly impossible to get your hands on coveted pop culture items . . . .



Rhodes is living the good life. That is, until he starts noticing a strange clicking sound and begins experiencing horrifying flashes of things that may have happened while he was husking.

If asked my opinion of Sci-Fi thrillers, I would have to say they don’t rank real high on my list of “must reads.” Probably a pretty good thing I never bother reading a synopsis, huh? Nope, Husk was added to my TBR because I fell hard for Mr. Messum after experiencing a delicious lil’ sumthin’ sumthin’ called Bait one Shark Week. While thrilled I had discovered a new author for me, I was bummed to discover he was a new author in general. When I heard Messum had another book coming out, I was on that sucker like track marks on a husk. I’m thrilled to say I was not disappointed. Talk about a real page turner. And that ending?????



Since I’m bound to be labeled a shill for the author due to the freebie status referred to below, here’s the one thing that irked me about this book. It took place in NYC and there was no reference to any of the characters being anything but ‘Murican. However, “Queen’s English” was used (i.e., kerb instead of curb, neighbhourhood, favour, etc.). A minor complaint, but one that did occasionally get my tiny pea-brain sidetracked about whether I had missed reference to the MC being from across the pond (that’s from Canada, in Ron 2.0 speak).

Endless thanks to the author for providing a copy of this book.

ORIGINAL “REVIEW”:

First, this happened . . .



Then THIS happened . . .



And now something kinda like this is happening . . . .

[Sean Barrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you get out of bed in the morning and get ready before the mirror what do you see? Is it yourself? Is it the flesh and blood staring back at you that defines who you are? Or is it something else? Is it your consciousness and by extension your soul that is the essence of you?

It’s not hard to answer these questions, but in a world in which human consciousness can be uploaded and downloaded from a computer, and transferred to another host, the response becomes more difficult to consider. At the moment of death we cease to exist in the physical sense, but if we can retain that mind, that sentience, then we can live forever in the hard drive of a computer. But what is truly left of the original individual? Are there emotions left in the technological cage that harbours the remnants of a being? It’s hard to imagine it, but for these post-mortems they want nothing more than a taste of real life; they can no longer breathe, eat or sleep: they want to feel again.

Enter the Husks

Husks are the hosts of a stored mind. They rent their bodies in an ultimate form of prostitution in which the dead can have a ride for a few days. Rhodes has been doing this for quite a while. Money is tight so he needed a solid income even if it meant someone else had control of his body. He is a man who simply has to survive in world in which society is falling apart. If you can’t find a way to make any money, then you are utterly screwed. So he could quite possibly star in his own special episode of “The World’s Most Dangerous Jobs.”

At times the writing reminded me of the movie “Crank” – in which Jason Stratham runs around trying to prevent his heart from exploding if it beats to slow. This just felt that fast. The adrenaline was pumped up by lots of drugs, sex and violence as the post-mortem rode Rhodes (an interesting phrase!) to near obliteration. Some have little care for the wares they are renting, and use them and use them without any though of the cost. And perhaps this is the point. There no longer is any cost for them, and some may have motives beyond that of technological immortality.

This could only ever end badly.

Rhodes gets a rather interesting client, one who leaves him with some rather nasty dreams. The psychological trauma begins and worsens as the novel rushes towards its conclusion. Things go from bad to worse to damn right crazy. I had to read the last chapter again after finishing, and then the ones that came before it after that to see if I could notice the subtlety. I’m saying no more other than that the ending brought all the questions together in a final burst of surprising action. This one was excitement throughout, never a dull moment; it's a good thrilling read.

-The author sent me this copy in exchange for an honest review. (I just love it when that happens!)

[Arah-Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen up folks. Husk will be available for sale on May 1, 2018. Available for pre-order n0w at an astonishing low price. Go ahead, treat yourself!

Who do you think you are?

In a popular club in London, a beautiful, young woman leans against an oak bar with her companion.  Meanwhile a fifteen year old boy, with red rimmed eyes, avoiding detection enters the club and approaches the beautiful woman.  He tells her he loves her and needs her and cannot live without her.  He pleads with her, how could she have spent the last two days in his intimate embrace only to leave him now.  The young woman looks dumbfounded.  She does not know this kid, what is he on about?  He slumps to the floor in front of her blood pooling at his wrists.
Husk
Outside a Paris cafe an attractive woman approaches a handsome man enjoying his coffee.  She speaks sternly to him and is clearly irate.  When he does not respond to her liking she flies into a rage, spittle flying from her lips.  As the man attempts to explain that he does not know who she is or what she wants, the woman leans in and slaps him hard across the face just before grabbing his coffee and splashing the scalding drink in his face.  The man screams in pain, confusion and rage.  He beats the woman to a pulp.  Seeing his reflection in the cafe window,the second degree burns now covering half his face, he puts up his hands to cover his face and emits a low, melancholy moan of despair.  He is ruined.
Husk
In an upscale Manhattan strip club, a rugged, good looking mid-thirties guy is absent mindedly handing out hundred dollar bills to the dancers vying for his attention.  His head feels as though it might explode, his left eyelid is fluttering and a twitch has developed in both his cheeks.  It is like he is fighting an inner demon.  When a bouncer inquires about his well being he drives his fists into the bouncer's face and then as others stare in shock the rugged, good looking man starts smashing his own face into the table top, again and again and again.
Husk

Welcome to a future where many are starving and disillusioned.  Losing your job could be but a heartbeat away.  Meat is grown in laboratories for those who are fortunate enough to be able to afford it.  Police watch over all the unfortunates with drones and now women are going missing all over Manhattan.

And death is not necessarily the end for all.  For those post mortem individuals that have amassed a huge fortune another option is available.  For a significant fee they can upload their digital essence into the living body of another, allowing them to live another day.  Their hosts are called Husks and Rhodes our perpetrator is one of them.

Rhodes comes from an impoverished background.  One he has no desire to revisit. He is tall, well built and impossibly good looking,  all the attributes our wealthy post mortems demand.  Renting out his body to the well off deceased is not something that Rhodes enjoys but it is a means to an end.  The payoffs are lucrative and Rhodes plans to earn as much as he can while he is is still young and desirable; enough  to buy him security for his future. Only lets face it, Husks have no real control over how the post mortems are using their bodies during the rental period, but judging from the after effects he has no doubt that his body  is being engaged in some questionable, perhaps deplorable and no doubt carnal activities.  

But right now he has bigger concerns.  His last client leaves him with a bad feeling, an unsavoury taste in his mouth.  And what is up with that click in his head, not to mention the visions that leave him horrified, even though he somehow cannot seem to remember them.  And back in the real world  one of his close friends and colleagues has been found dead, while another one has been badly disfigured and is currently under arrest.  

There’s  something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear
There’s a man with a gun over there
Telling me i got to beware

I think it’s time we stopped, children, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down.

        Buffalo Springfield

As Rhodes learns more about his friend’s death and becomes increasingly concerned with the hard to hold, but morally disturbing visions he is experiencing; coping with life and the demands of his job become too much to bear.  He feels as though his mind might just explode.  What is it about these visions, are they arbitrary or god forbid, could they possibly be memories?.  

Wow!  What a thrill ride.  Husk is a Science Fiction / Thriller/ Horror mix with an adrenaline laced plot and a whole lot more depth, than honestly speaking, I was expecting.  It is impossible to put down!  And that ending………...KABOOM!  

It boggles my mind that goodreads only reflects 107 ratings for this book.  It is deserving of so much more, so come on people, make some noise, get a copy and read this as soon as possible.  You can thank me later.

A quick nod, once again, to karen brissette for bringing this one to my attention.

My sincere thanks to J. Kent Messum for providing me with a free, (eat your hearts out) signed copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Five heart pounding, pulse racing, stars.  

[PirateSteve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Near future Sci-Fi or perhaps a bit of prophecy ... could be it's a well written hunch.
(greed of existence + oldest profession)
multiplied by
(a great advancement in neurology + dark tech)
= there's an alarming story of our future here but really ... Who are you?

[Trudi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-posting this review to tell you that the US/Canada Kindle Edition of HUSK is now available (and for a limited time a steal for just 2.99). I'm also jazzed by the new cover which features a blurb by none other than Nick Cutter himself: "Raw, visceral, powerful...may just make you question what it is to be human."



HUSK (which every time I see that title I'm overcome with the urge to shout "Tusk!") is not horror per se, but it is a thrilling, page-turning nightmare vision of the near future. Reading this I couldn't help be reminded of King's early Bachman books, especially The Running Man. Both are set in a bleak future where people are struggling to eat and live, so much so that it is driving them to do desperate, dangerous things for money.

In HUSK's case, people are being driven to "rent out" their bodies to the very, very rich -- the 1% of the 1% -- to inhabit and do with as they please for periods of up to 72 hours. I don't even like to lend someone my jacket or use my bathroom. Imagining someone taking over my body and using it up in any porny, germy, physically punishing way they can think of gives me the heebie jeebies. Unclean! Unclean!

As if all the drug-fueled orgies and exposure to all kinds of STD's isn't bad enough, not to mention the cuts and bruises and dehydration and sheer exhaustion from lack of sleep (talk about being rode hard and put away wet), our protagonist Rhodes begins to suspect his body is being used for more sinister and nefarious purposes. ::cue ominous music::

It's especially worrisome when other Husks begin to show up dead or missing.

All the elements are present and accounted for here to make for a gripping read. Messum -- author of the unputdownable BAIT -- has a keen sense of where the pressure points of tension live in his story and how to exploit them. This isn't as fast or burning a read as BAIT -- it takes its time a bit more with world-building and character development and unraveling the mystery at the heart of the story, but these are all good things.

It wasn't surprising for me to read then that HUSK's been optioned by a UK company to adapt into a television series. The tone and themes are very similar to another show I adore and can't wait to get more of -- Black Mirror. That HUSK would make a great Black Mirror episode is probably the highest praise I can give it.

***The author was gracious enough to provide me with a free copy for review.

[Ɗẳɳ 2.☊ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death is not the end.

Well, not for those “in the know” at least. You know the type - those one-percenters who’ve cultivated all the right connections and amassed a fortune to rival the Rockefellers. For those select individuals, death is merely a casting off of the old, worn out, and desiccated vessel (or husk, if you will), and embracing a shiny new reality. A reality free from the troublesome problems that plague the living, like death and taxes. A reality with infinite possibilities and limitless time. You see, technology has advanced to the point where your entire consciousness can be digitally downloaded. The only problem is that this so-called afterlife is not all that it’s cracked up to be.

Most Post-Mortems can tolerate no more than a few months of virtual reality without seriously considering permanent deletion. That’s where the husk comes in - a modern-day prostitute, willing to rent out the use of his or her body for an exorbitant amount of money for up to 72 hours. Essentially, the husk’s mind is put into a deep sleep while the Post-Mortem consciousness is uploaded into the body. Granted a new lease on life, the formerly deceased clients typically want to party like it’s 2099! And everything, within reason, is on the table. The only rule is don’t damage “the merchandise.”

Husk is set in a near-future dystopian NYC and conveyed via the first-person account of a husk named Rhodes. We’re shown a society in decay, crumbling around the edges. Crime runs rampant, with mass unemployment, pollution, water shortages, government censorship, and oppression. To maintain some modicum of control, the government keeps the public in the dark. Most are entirely unaware of important scientific advancements, such as cures and vaccines for all major diseases. Pirate radio is the only source of unfiltered news. There’s never been a greater gap between the haves and the have-nots. The U.S. is “just like every corrupt, poor, overpopulated country we ever looked down on.” But the existence of Post-Mortems and husks may be the biggest secret of all.

As a husk, Rhodes is one of the fortunate few earning enough to maintain a lifestyle above the fray. Which, in his mind at least, justifies all the dangers of renting out his body to be used and abused. He believes the risk is worth the reward, until he learns of the untimely deaths of a few of his brethren, and begins to experience terrifying flashes of things his clients may have been doing with his body . . .

I’ve always been a fan of these near-future sci-fi stories. It’s fun to ponder where our species is headed, and what advancements in technology might help to guide us along our way. I really enjoyed that side of the story. It was also interesting to consider the potential downsides to eternal life. “There’s a vast difference between those who seek to live forever and those who are simply too scared to die.”

This story, while highly entertaining, never quite reached that five-star brilliance, for me. The world-building was well done, but the character development, excluding Rhodes, seemed a bit lacking. And there’s not a lot of action until the third act, but the intrigue and mystery are nicely portioned out. I’d say this is more of a mystery than a thriller.

Nonetheless, this was a well-crafted story, deserving of a larger audience, in my opinion. This is a book that will make you think and keep you guessing. All I know is if this is the future we’re destined for, we’re in for a bumpy ride. What’s truly terrifying is how plausible it all seemed.

Many thanks to the author for passing along a free autographed copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Terence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhodes is the type of man that even other men would begrudgingly admit is good looking. He seemingly has it all with money, friends, and a girl he wants to make his own. He even has a lucrative yet abnormal job, Rhodes is a Husk. Husk's for an expensive fee provide their bodies to be used by very special clients. These clients are the wealthy dead who've had their brains digitized. They wear Rhodes like a tux to the prom and everyone is happy until the visions and nightmares start. Rhodes can't let the images go and insists on learning if these nightmares are actually memories.

Husk was one unexpected ride from the very beginning. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into, but the prologue quickly disabused me of that notion. Getting a glimpse of what life looks like for Husk's after their rental time has ended was shocking. It's a crazy notion looking into the eyes of a person you've been intimate with and having no recollection of them. Because while your body was there, your mind was not. This would be well and good if the rich treated this individual well, but it can be a horror if they did not.

The writing was excellent and kept me compelled from start to finish. The world was similar, but had enough nuance to make it into something uniquely intriguing. The characters were strong enough to provide a real sense of them as individuals, especially Rhodes as the story is told from his perspective. Rhodes isn't a great man by any extent, he's a jaded man doing his best to take care of himself. Despite his flaws I found myself caring about what would happen to Rhodes as the story went on.

Though I enjoyed the story immensely, it did have one weak spot. I wasn't entirely satisfied with the way the story ended. The reason being was the ending opened up an additional nagging question that's unlikely to be answered, but one in which seems particularly valid in my mind because of the lead up events. I can't give any other information without giving too much away, but the story was still a good one.

Husk is a strong story perfectly suited for anyone who enjoys horror with a science fiction twist.

4 out of 5 stars

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[J. Kent Messum]

"Raw, visceral, powerful... may just make you question what it is to be human." - Nick Cutter, author of 'The Troop'

Hey everyone,

It's official folks! The US/Canada Kindle Edition of HUSK is now available! I'm absolutely thrilled that my 2nd novel is finally being released in North America for readers to enjoy.



Click the link to read more or grab your copy today: https://amzn.to/2HAHgFb

[PUMPKINHEAD · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I'm reposting this review due to the fact that this book is FINALLY available in North America on Kindle. HUSK was easily one of the best books I read a couple years ago, and is currently in my top ten favorite books. It was exceptionally well-written and fast paced. I couldn't recommend it enough!

"Remember, there is a vast difference between those who seek to live forever, and those who are simply too scared to die...”

So, I finished this book, closed it, let out a long breath, and the words out of my mouth were literally: "Whoa"

Let me start by saying this novel really, really SCARED me. Not in a horror kinda way, but in a fearful of the future kinda way. The author makes this whole story feel incredibly real, like it all could already be happening. I really loved J. Kent Messum's debut 'BAIT'. His writing, story, and relentless pace was so freaking good that I hoped it wasn't a fluke. Husk proves it wasn't, and then some.

So, in the near future, the rich don't have to die like the rest of us. Those with the most $$$ get to upload their consciousness and become immortal. But after doing so, they just want to live again like real people. Unfortunately, they can't. But they can do the next best thing: Rent a Husk.

A Husk is basically a hooker who rents their body and brain out to billionaires for a high price. These clients take over the Husk's mind and 'pilot' them around, engaging in all kinds of shenanigans while the Husk's consciousness is in a dormant state. The Husk wakes up after sessions with no recollection of what has happened, but has to deal with the results of the client's indulgences (injuries, STDs, wronged individuals, etc). The novel follows Rhodes, a good-looking Husk who basically starts to investigate himself and his whereabouts on the job after he is struck with schizophrenic episodes and horrible feelings after his sessions. Where this investigation eventually leads him is some truly frightening territory.

The cast of characters in the book are really great (The bad guys are hella creepy), the world is so believable and unsettling, and the story has some serious depth to it, posing a lot of questions about the state of our world and what it means to be human, both now and in the future. Highly recommend this book if you're looking for something sharp, thrilling, and thought-provoking.

And that ENDING... OH MY GOD. Someone please tell me there will be a sequel!!!

[Char · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5*

HUSK was a fast paced, science fiction, political, mysterious, horror-show and I loved it!

Let me set the scene. We're in NYC at some point in the future. The political landscape is a mess. The Occupy movement has relocated from Wall Street to Central Park and has grown beyond all expectations. Our economy has gone to hell, people are out of work and out of patience. We now grow almost all of our own food, which sounds great, but it's not. We are growing our own meats, (yes, we grow meats, UGH), and vegetables in warehouses, with who knows what chemicals and additives. There is a severe water shortage that allows us to only "mist" not shower. Our technology has outpaced us and the best of the best of it is only available to the super rich.

One of these technologies is the ability to upload your essence, (your mind, emotions, thoughts-everything that makes you YOU), into a computer or server when you die. You then become a POST MORTEM. As a PM, you can live in your own virtual reality, you can be downloaded into a robot of sorts, or if you're SUPER-SUPER rich you can hire someone to loan you their body. These hirees are called HUSKS. Rhodes, the subject of this story is one of them.

Rhodes is having some trouble husking lately. He's returning to his body to find it beaten up, scratched and bruised. Nothing that would violate his husking contract, but definitely things that devalue him to a post-mortem looking for a good time. When Rhodes starts having hallucinations and memories that are not his own, he begins thinking about leaving husking behind and finding another line of work. Will he be able to extract himself from this business? Will he be able to return to a somewhat normal life and his pregnant girlfriend? You'll have to read this to find out!

The mystery here is quite engaging, and it's hard to figure out what's going on at first, until you get the feel for how husking works. It's basically high tech prostitution. With the lack of jobs and the tanking economy, Rhodes lacks the skill set to do much else-I felt for the guy. Most people I know, including myself, are a few paychecks or one major illness away from being out on the street.

Aside from the mystery surrounding Rhodes, the politics and observations regarding our climate and environment, the rich vs. the poor, cloned foods and the lack of fresh foods are sharp, on point and all too realistic. Messum has envisioned a scary and dark world that has no time or room for the poor, the uneducated and/or the unlucky. This is where the horrific aspects come in. (Other than the horror of lending out your very body and mind, of course.)

I was impressed by this story. The world-building is not only fascinating but prescient and did I mention all too realistic? The characters were mostly well drawn, though I feel like I didn't get to know Rhodes quite as much as I wanted to. Perhaps that's because Rhodes didn't even know Rhodes? I'm not sure, but I deducted half a star for something I felt was missing in Rhodes, in his girlfriend Ryoko, and in Phineas, a friend to them both.

That said, between the vision of the world presented, the technological ideas, the fast pace and the action that occurs during the second half? I totally enjoyed this experience and I ripped through it quickly and with much pleasure!

Highly recommended!

You can get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2BwRVvy

*I received a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*

[Zoeytron · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an all-too-possible future, the affluent have the means to escape death by having their consciousness digitally converted and uploaded to a server. It’s not really living, but rather an artificial type of limbo. People who do this are called Post-Mortems.

'Who do you think you are?'

This is an apt question when one earns his paycheck by renting out his body to a Post-Mortem. Husks allow their bodies to be used by Post-Mortems for 24, 48, or 72 hour periods of time. The accompanying risks can be dire. Too many rentals take a toll on the body. More importantly, the psyche can end up tainted, split, or it can completely implode.

Clicks, dreams, flashbacks, memories. Where are they coming from, and to whom do they belong? The husk or the Post-Mortem? There should not be any overlap at all, but nothing in this world (or ours!) works perfectly. Great story!

[mark monday · Rating 3 out of 5]

- it was like the pages moved themselves, turning turning turning must find out what happens next because this book is a PAGE TURNER PAGE TURNER - a real or should that be "real" flashback or should that be "flashback" to certain cyberpunk novels I've enjoyed, the grimy atmosphere the feeling of a society degrading itself a civilization that doesn't realize it has become a dystopia - the downloading of the dead rich into the beautiful living dead, husks, we're all potential husks if we're pretty enough and dead inside enough - oh the dank and glittering horror of it all, the waste - J. Kent Messum knows how to construct an addictive narrative, the cover describes it as "pacy" and it is definitely that, it was almost like the book downloaded its imperative right into my head forcing me to turn the page turn the page must find out what happens next - oh boy Messum sure likes to write a sex scene and he sure knows what rough hardcore porn looks like - oh man all that anger at The Powers That Be and the New Money and the Old Money, I dig it man let's get angry together - oh geez not too partial to those flashbacks and backstories, much too much of the les misérables if you know what I mean so I'll just turn the page turn the page - nice to see a small glimmer of humanity amidst all the sewage, not all rich people are assholes, it's almost hard to believe but I believed it; that was a sweet section and just short enough not to be saccharine - liked the Occupy stuff, loved that whole terrible scene in the park - ah that's a nice bleak ending but not so bleak that it doesn't allow some hope that not all paths lead shitward and it does allow some hope or should that be "hope" for revenge down the line - you take that body and run sister! turn that page turn that page! change that life! - thank you for sending me this book, J. Kent Messum, cheers to you - this sorta book is not usually my cuppa but I gulped it down I gulped it down -

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exceptional, disturbing view of a possible future, a future that could be very likely. Secretive government, lab-grown meat and meals, Occupy Central Park, and the possibility of saving our minds (before death) by uploading them to a server with the ability to "download" into "husks", people that have volunteered to receive the disembodied consciousness. Pretty bleak, no?

Aside from the cyberpunk aspect (with a touch of The Matrix and Johnny Mnemonic), there is a noir feel to the book the further it goes. Good guy unwittingly gets involved in some pretty bad stuff, and has to find his way out with the help of a few people who may or may not be entirely trustworthy.

This book would be a good read for a group, with discussions centering around what price people are willing to pay to survive, and like the blurb says, what it means to be human.

Highly recommended!

[Paul Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the future, death doesn't mean the end for everyone, if you have the readies, your memories and your very essence can remain for as long as you see fit or until your computerized sanity finally flips and initiates a master reset. Mapping of the brain makes copying the human mind a reality that is of course exiting and a touch worrying.
 
Digitization of the brain is a decision that must be made before flat-lining, only for the extremely wealthy is this choice available. A real time copy can be kept alive via computer support and algorithmic programs. A post-mortem can then upload to a husk through a Ouija, a converter mechanism that allows them limited visitations in the flesh. The dead can live in computer generated realities or beam me up Scotty, over to a lifelike robot via a wireless connection.
 
A husk is a prostitute, hiring out their body to any client with the necessary means, they have to invest in the operation to install the device that allows another's conscience to take control of their body, a risky procedure that not everyone survives. A husk is usually a pretty attractive specimen, it's an illegal enterprise where the dead pick the prettiest and abuse their bodies for a few days. Drugs, sex, the things they crave most and there are no limits nor recollection.
 
Rhodes is a husk, so is his girlfriend Ryoko, he's chosen a lucrative career selling his body, not being in control of his body or his actions for days at a time and things start to go askew when he starts to get visions, flashbacks and then a woman he's never seen before attacks him in a bar. His perfect life is peeling at the edges, he has no idea what his clients do with him and he starts to realise that it might not all be good.
 
'My last controlled thought wonders where Winslade will go with my body. I settle down in the recesses of my mind, cocooned by the dark for what seems like ages, unmoving, unthinking. When the dreams finally come they are vivid, like memories playing on a movie screen.'
 
There's no overloading on the technological aspect of this vision of the future, enough to explain what's needed for the plot and it's full of intrigue. The emphasis is on the characters and that is always a major positive for me. Although there's holographic TV's, fancy guns, cures for cancer, Aids and every STI that a well-used prostitute is likely to catch. Yet people still smoke, drink expensive brandy and travel by car, life doesn't change too much it seems.
 
Husk is a darkly vivid portrayal of future life, seedy in places, sexually charged, full of power hungry people clinging to an idea of life via a line of program code but things are ever changing, adapting. All told an extremely well written thriller with excellent characterization, plenty of depth and world building that is easily imaginable. Certainly an exciting page turner that you will not want to put down, an intrepid imagination definitely helps and brings a dark mental image of human nature and power that accepts no limits. I really enjoyed Husk and shall definitely seek out his award winning debut novel Bait.
 
Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one that was really hard to put down. Great idea for a story and brilliantly executed. A very scary vision of the future that all seems not too far removed from where we are now and is very believable.
Nice twist at the end which all the best books have as well.

Cannot understand why this book has only 32 ratings but extremely grateful to the 3 Goodreads friends of mine who gave it 4 stars or more and alerted me to it ! A quick and easy read as long as you're not adverse to some pretty graphic sex scenes. I'm off to find the author's first book "Bait" now but reckon that this one is well set up for a sequel so will look forward to that too. See that it has been optioned for a TV series as well - would make a great movie though !

PS. Here's a really interesting interview with Husk author, J Kent Messum:
http://lithiummagazine.com/2015/10/20...

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Husk"is a brilliantly imaginative, high tech thriller with some great characters which is very dark and totally addictive - speculative fiction with a real world authentic feel.

So if you are rich you don't have to die. You can be downloaded into a virtual life and occasionally hire a "Husk" - basically a prostitute really, whose body you can reside in for up to 3 days. Not common knowledge in the world but it happens. Rhodes is one such Husk - driven by a determination to never again be poor, he allows himself to be used and often abused, never knowing what his client may or may not have been up to. Then he begins to get startling and horrific visual moments that he can't quite hold onto....

This is a very clever concept executed really well - the author managing to balance great characterisation with highly compelling world building to create a fantasy that could oh so easily be a reality (I mean perhaps it is, how would we know?) - therein lies the real beauty in this one.

It fairly rocks along, Rhodes is a really terrific main protagonist, backed up by a great supporting "cast" and a rather unique and terrifying "bad guy" who truly gave me the creeps. Along with that we have some really gorgeous descriptive prose when it comes to the setting, the techno aspects of it are completely fascinating, defined brilliantly and never fall into the trap of becoming distracting babble.

All in all a terrific piece of storytelling. And if there is not a sequel I shall probably sob into my pillow.

Highly Recommended.

Happy Reading Folks!

[J. Kent Messum]

Folks, I was going to make my second novel free during these tough times, but haven't been able to because Amazon Kindle won't let me. So I've dropped the price of #HUSK as low as it will go: $2.99

Hope it makes being stuck inside a little more enjoyable!

As for why I can't drop the price, unless you're part of the Amazon Select program the minimum you're allowed to drop it to is $2.99. Personally I think they should allow us to make it free while we're all stuck in this situation. Should it change, I'll happily do so.

Until then, please remember that we creatives often make a portion of our living off of sales of our products. With things being the way they are, we're struggling too.

It's time to come together and help out in whatever ways we can. Be kind to one another & stay healthy. Please pass this info on to anyone who would enjoy a good book! It's a speculative thriller that currently holds a 95% approval rating and scores an average of 4.1 out of 5. If you're into stuff like Silence Of The Lambs or Black Mirror, check it out at the link below:

amzn.to/3d9xEhJ

#books #freebook #reading #read


Cheers,

J. Kent Messum

[kostas vamvoukakis · Rating 5 out of 5]

χωρίς αμφιβολία ο Μεσαμ έχει ταλέντο. γραφει με ταχυτητα πολυ κινηματογραφικα με ιδεες ειτε πρωτοτυπες (ι ιδεα του ξενιστη πολυ καλή) ειτε παραλαγμενες αλλα πολύ καλα διασκευασμενες...το ζητημα ηταν εδω να εχει παει ενα σκαλι πανω απο το δολομα ...η αισθηση που παιρνω ειναι οτι κάθετε στη επιτυχια του πρωτου βιβλίου...εχει θεμα στο τελος που απλα το κλεινει....σιγουρα ειναι πολυ καλό και αυτό με τη σκληρη γλώσσα το βιαιο σεξ και γενικα να μην εχε καμια αναστολη για οτιδηποτε αλλα ...4.5*

[Ελενη Ηλιαδου · Rating 5 out of 5]

📕 Η άποψη μου 📕

Τίτλος: Ο ξενιστής

Είναι το δεύτερο βιβλίο του συγγραφέα που διαβάζω μετά το δόλωμα και δηλώνω πλέον φαν !
Μετά από παρότρυνση του φίλου μου Nikos Zaras το αγόρασα και είμαι χαρούμενη που απέκτησα αυτό το διαμαντάκι.
Από την πρώτη σελίδα στην κυριολεξία με απορρόφησε το βιβλίο και μπήκα στο κόσμο του, έναν κόσμο όμοιο με το δικό μας αλλά πιο εξελιγμένο χωρίς να λείπουν οι επιπτώσεις αυτής της εξέλιξης.
Εδώ μπορούν όσοι θέλουν να παρατείνουν την ζωή τους με την βοήθεια της τεχνολογίας κρατώντας το μυαλό τους,όταν πλέον έχει αχρηστευτεί το σώμα τους. Ακούγεται ελπιδοφόρο ; Καθόλου ! Αν αναλογιστούμε ότι αυτοί οι άνθρωποι είναι πολύ πλούσιοι και νομίζουν ότι μπορούν να κάνουν τα πάντα ! Και κάπου εδώ έρχεται η βοήθεια από τους ξενιστές είναι το παιχνιδάκι κάθε πλούσιου, με ένα μίσθωμα μπορούν να χρησιμοποιήσουν το σώμα τους και να πραγματοποιήσουν κάθε τρελή τους φαντασία, να δούνε ανθρώπους που αγαπάνε αλλά και να σκοτώσουν, να βιάσουν, να κάνουν ότι πιο φρικιαστικό και αποτρόπαιο... γιατί πολύ απλά μετά δεν θα βρίσκονται σε αυτό το σώμα και οι πράξεις τους έχουν ακυρωθεί γιαυτους, γιατί οι ξενιστές είναι σπίτια, οι πελάτες φαντάσματα και αυτό που διαδραματίζεται ανάμεσα τους είναι ένα στοίχειωμα!
Το λάτρεψα ! Αγάπησα τον Ροουντς, τον προταγωνιστη με τις ευαισθησίες του και θύμωσα με αυτούς που έχουν την εξουσία....
Ξεκινάει δυναμικά και συνεχίζει με την ίδια ένταση μέχρι το τέλος. Ένα βιβλίο φαντασίας που περιέχει δράση, αγάπη, αποξένωση, βία και πολύ ένταση !
Το συστήνω ανεπιφύλακτα και του βάζω 5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💋

Σύνοψη του βιβλίου "Ο Ξενιστής"

Τον γνωρίσαμε από το τολμηρό, καθηλωτικό ντεμπούτο του Δόλωμα, για το οποίο απέσπασε το βραβείο πρωτοεμφανιζόμενου συγγραφέα "Arthur Ellis" της Ένωσης Καναδών Συγγραφέων. Εκεί, έξι άνθρωποι προσπαθούσαν να επιβιώσουν σε έναν ωκεανό τρόμου. Τώρα, ο Τζ. Κεντ Μέσαμ επιστρέφει με το δεύτερο μυθιστόρημά του και μας ταξιδεύει σ’ έναν κόσμο μελλοντικό, όπου ο θάνατος δεν είναι αναγκαστικά και το τέλος…

Τι μπορεί να συμβεί όταν «δανείζεις» το σώμα και το μυαλό σου σε εκατομμυριούχους που αποζητούν την αιώνια ζωή; Ένα ωμό, αποτρόπαιο, δυνατό μυθιστόρημα, που δε θα μπορέσετε να αφήσετε από τα χέρια σας. Εγγυημένα.

Σ' ένα κοντινό μέλλον, όποιος είναι πολύ πλούσιος δεν είναι απαραίτητο να πεθάνει. Με τη βοήθεια της τεχνολογίας, το μυαλό μπορεί να επιζήσει για πολύ καιρό αφότου το σώμα πάψει να λειτουργεί. Όμως, όποιος έχει τη δυνατότητα να ξεγελάσει το θάνατο, αυτό που αποζητά είναι να ζήσει και πάλι στον πραγματικό κόσμο. Μέσα σ' ένα πραγματικό σώμα. Έστω και ξένο. Έστω και για λίγο. Ο Ρόουντς βγάζει το ψωμί του δουλεύοντας ως Ξενιστής. Είναι μια παράνομη, αμφιλεγόμενη και εξαιρετικά προσοδοφόρα δουλειά –παραχωρεί για λίγες ώρες το σώμα του στον μεγαλύτερο πλειοδότη. Είναι ένας σίγουρος τρόπος να κερδίσει μια καλύτερη ζωή.
Ωστόσο, κάποιοι πελάτες ξεπερνάνε τα όρια. Μερικές φορές, ο Ρόουντς ξυπνάει σημαδεμένος…

Και τότε αρχίζουν τα οράματα –φρικαλέες εικόνες που τον στοιχειώνουν. Μπορεί να είναι όνειρα, ή μπορεί να είναι κάτι πολύ χειρότερο. Μπορεί να είναι απλώς αναμνήσεις…

Ένα ευφάνταστο και συναρπαστικό βιβλίο –το δεύτερο του Τζ. Κεντ Μέσαμ, ο οποίος απέσπασε το βραβείο πρωτοεμφανιζόμενου συγγραφέα "Arthur Ellis" της Ένωσης Καναδών Συγγραφέων για το καθηλωτικό ντεμπούτο του, Δόλωμα.
Κριτικές

«Ωμό, αποτρόπαιο, δυνατό… ίσως σας κάνει να αναρωτηθείτε τι σημαίνει να είσαι άνθρωπος». - Nick Cutter, συγγραφέας

«Γεμάτο δράση και εκπλήξεις, Ο Ξενιστής είναι η προθήκη μιας οργιώδους και τρομακτικής φαντασίας».- Andrew Pyper, συγγραφέας

Συγγραφέας: Messum J. Kent
Κατηγορία: αστυνομική λογοτεχνία
Ημερ/νία έκδοσης: 23/10/2015
Εκδόσεις BELL
Σελίδες: 384
Γλώσσα πρωτοτύπου: Αγγλικά
Τίτλος πρωτοτύπου: Husk
Συντελεστές: Έφη Τσιρώνη (μετάφραση)

[Basia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a mystery of sorts, but not for its content. THAT was composed of a pretty damn good, creepy ass sci fi piece of horror. Perfect for reading while I had zero free time, but not because it's mindless pulp; not at all. The story was heavy and shocking enough to stay with me in between readings. I'm even curious about Bait now....

Definitely recommended. Scary. Great character development--just enough. Good plot line. Fresh topic. And a great pace as well.

The mystery, for me, was related to obtaining a copy of this book. It's not in ebook format anywhere, nor is it available on Amazon, except from "other sellers" on there, and those are predominantly used copies. I've no problem with any of this. I'm just curious why the book was not easy to obtain. Is it out of print? Already?? Hmmm.

Anyway, perhaps one of you has some idea re this.

Happy reading, all.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Won this is through a Goodsreads Giveaway.

Now the story for this sounded good when I read the synopsis but I was not prepared for how good it was or for how many questions it raised as it takes you on a rapid and breathless journey with a professional husker. Messum has weaved a story that hints at a dramatic and almost apocalyptic new world where the gaps between rich and poor is even greater and the super rich have access to food, medicine and technologies that have only ever been a pipe dream for the majority of the world's people. We follow Rhodes, a husker who sells the use of body to those rich who have solved the issue of mortality by becoming digital beings, avoiding that oh so minor detail of death but creating a whole raft of new problems, particularly the boredom of immortality and the lack of physical feeling that makes life interesting. While there are certain rules that supposing regulate these exchanges it becomes apparent to Rhodes that all is not as it seems and that some clients may well be taking advantage of their situations and letting the basest desires, whims and fantasies take over, in some cases rather deliberately too.

Messum's writing flows beautiful and after a slower burn in the opening chapters you are quickly drawn in as Rhodes delves deeper and deeper into what is really going on when someone else is using his body. Rhodes is a complex character whose backstory emerges as the book progresses, and in doing so you find yourself cheering him on more and more, especially as the darker side of many of the other characters is exposed. The use of modern technology as an integral part of the story and the plausibility of it makes this a particularly chilling read too, a very clever move by the author. And the ending, damn and ouch is all I can say on that. An excellent read and an author I will certainly be looking for again in the future.

[Dino-Jess ✮ The Book Eating Dinosaur ✮]

looking forward to reading this one wrong

[Michelle Only Wants to Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had zero, zilch, none, expectations for the book. It took me by surprise. I've been casually interacting with the author in other friend's threads for a while now. He's cool, funny, and witty, and I enjoy his comments. I've been meaning to read Bait for a while, but somehow I haven't made it yet. When he announced Husk was on sale at Amazon, I went for my copy. The blurb seemed interesting, and I haven't had a dose of science-fiction in a while. Why not? After the fiasco I just finished, the chances of something being worse were slim. I didn't know I was in for a goodie-goodie.

Husk takes place in a non-defined future. Far from now, but not too far, considering the popular references discussed by the characters. Rhodes is our main guy. He has a non-traditional job that allows him to make good money in an impoverished NY that's messed up with unemployment, poverty, occupy movements, and where meat is so scarce, it has to be artificially made. It doesn't feel so unrealistic considering the current global political environment. I found this world quite poignant and distressing. As much as basic resources are lacking, technology has thrived, at least for the rich. The filthy rich. It's resonant and evocative.

In Rhode's universe, when you die--if you have the funds for it--you may be digitalized and your essence lives in a virtual universe that can be downloaded for a max of 72hrs into a living body, AKA as a Husk. When a person is downloaded into the Husk, the virtual person can go on and pretend they're alive for a bit. There are rules on how to treat your husk. Keeping your husk in good shape is one of them. Except, not all clients give a shit and the husk has no control over what happens while his or her body is in use.

That's as much as I'll talk about the plot. What I'll say is that I almost finished it in one sitting (stupid real life always interrupting me). It's addicting. The writing is excellent and it flows like water. The characters are well developed and felt multi-dimensional. Not everything is spelled out on how the world came that way, which I enjoyed. Use your imagination, come to your own conclusions. It's a fast-paced story with a good amount of introspection about what means to be human, and what we may do to survive. The story is filled with power and corruption, sex, crime, love, friendship, despair. I kinda would like to see this in a show. Some kind of Black Mirror episode.

Cool concept, tight plot, and resolution. Now, this is what I call a great read!

[Laertes · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Disclaimer: I hate to rate with points or stars. Nevertheless I do it here on Goodreads. To make my measurements transparent: I give three stars when I like the book and would recommend it to friends. I give four stars when I find the book to be exceptionally good. And five stars are reserved for what's in my eyes a masterpiece.]

Everyone knows the famous rule Anton Chekhov supposedly made: "If a gun appears in the first act, it should be used in the third".

In his latest novel, J. Kent Messum proves that he understands this rule - and all the other rules that distinguish good from bad literature.

There is no deus ex machina - everything develops organically and consequentially. Every character, major and minor, has a function for the plot. Their actions are believable. There is not one scene, not a sentence, not a single word too much.

So it all comes down to whether or not you like the plot. I personally enjoyed it very much, because it is exciting, surprising, original, and even politically relevant.

All in all a highly enjoyable read that makes you look forward for the next novel by this gifted writer.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original, brilliant , unique! Best high tech thriller I've read for ages! The most frightening about it , is that it is so close to reality as it is developing nowadays . The world surrounding the story IS our world! The hero is a symbol, his work is what we are doing , the structure of society is what we built day by day! J Kent Messum , keep walking!

[Μπάμπης M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

8,5/10. Στην αρχή μου θύμισε επεισόδιο της σειράς black mirror. Στο σύνολο του είναι ένα δυστοπικό sci-fi θρίλερ με αρκετή δράση. Σε όσους αρέσκονται σε τέτοια αναγνώσματα το συστήνω αφού μπορεί να βρεθεί εύκολα και σε καλή τιμή η συγκεκριμένη έκδοση.