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The God Wave Trilogy #1
Die Gotteswelle: Wissenschaftsthriller
Neurowissenschaftler Chuck Brenton möchte Menschen helfen. Er arbeitet an einem Verfahren, das es erlaubt, über Gehirnströme unmittelbar mit Computern zu interagieren, und so etwaige Einschränkungen des menschlichen Körpers durch Krankheit oder Verletzung zu überwinden.
Als sich unerwartete Erfolge einstellen, werden mächtige Gruppierungen mit unbegrenzten Ressourcen auf das Forschungsvorhaben aufmerksam. Doch einige wollen die neuen Möglichkeiten für ihre Zwecke missbrauchen und so sehen sich Chuck und seine Mitstreiter schließlich einer nie geahnten Bedrohung gegenüber. Eine Bedrohung, die das Ende der Welt bedeuten könnte, wie wir sie kennen …
"Die Gotteswelle ist ein erwachsener Sci-Fi-Thriller in bester Michael-Crichton-Tradition."
Barnes & Nobles Sci-Fi & Fantasy-Blog
"Hemstreet feiert die Naturwissenschaften in seinem fesselnden, ungemein überzeugenden Debüt."
Kirkus Reviews
Als sich unerwartete Erfolge einstellen, werden mächtige Gruppierungen mit unbegrenzten Ressourcen auf das Forschungsvorhaben aufmerksam. Doch einige wollen die neuen Möglichkeiten für ihre Zwecke missbrauchen und so sehen sich Chuck und seine Mitstreiter schließlich einer nie geahnten Bedrohung gegenüber. Eine Bedrohung, die das Ende der Welt bedeuten könnte, wie wir sie kennen …
"Die Gotteswelle ist ein erwachsener Sci-Fi-Thriller in bester Michael-Crichton-Tradition."
Barnes & Nobles Sci-Fi & Fantasy-Blog
"Hemstreet feiert die Naturwissenschaften in seinem fesselnden, ungemein überzeugenden Debüt."
Kirkus Reviews
449 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 17, 2016
139 people are currently reading
1280 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Hemstreet
5 books58 followersPatrick Hemstreet is a novelist, neuro-engineer, entrepreneur, patent-pending inventor, special warfare-trained Navy medic, standup comic, and actor. He lives in Houston, Texas with his wife and sons. The God Wave is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
May 26, 2016
What is the potential of the human brain? We have all heard the line about how people use only 10% of our capacity, which is almost certainly not true. But what if people could be trained to harness the untapped portion, whatever percentage that might be? What might the limits be for the human brain? Telekinesis? How strong? How far? What else might the human brain be able to do unleashed from our current limitations? Telepathy? Mind control? If that brain is suddenly empowered, what does that imply about the humanity of the enhanced? Are they still human, or a new type of human, say homo invictus? What might that mean for the rest of us?
Patrick Hemstreet
Chuck Benton, a neuroscience researcher and professor at Johns Hopkins, wants to be able to translate the brain waves that everyone generates into real world application. If brain waves could move the needle on an EEG printout, why couldn’t those waves be harnessed to real-world purposes? Why not drive a car with brain power alone, or paint a picture? All that would be needed is the proper interface. And therein lies the challenge. Benton may be a genius in his field, but he needs a higher understanding of math in order to translate brain waves into commands, let alone actions.
MIT professor Matt Streegman is not exactly the most social person on the planet. But when he hears Benton being interviewed on an episode of Ira Flatow’s Science Friday, a lightbulb flashes on. Streegman might be a bit more social but for one thing. His wife, Lucy, lies in a hospital, comatose, but still possessing active brain waves. What if he could use Benton’s work to try to actually communicate with Lucy? Streegman has the math. His work on robotics interfaces gives him a unique appreciation for communication challenges. When he goes to see Benton a few days later, solution in hand, it is the beginning of a giant leap for mankind.
Chuck and Matt set to work straight away. A diverse group of subjects is recruited, including a gamer, a martial arts specialist, an artist, a construction worker and others, and the game is on. Progress is intermittent and challenges many, but if they did not accomplish something special, the author would have had to come up with a very different title for his book. Three books actually. The copy I read was an ARE, and there is no indication, at least none that I spotted, that The God Wave is the first book in a trilogy. That it was not intended to be a stand-alone was pretty clear as I kept getting closer to the end and it seemed that the story-telling possibilities kept expanding. The God Wave of the title refers to a brain wave (like alpha, beta or gamma) that operates at an inhumanly high frequency, a state some of the test subjects achieve. Once there, they manifest abilities that are cool, impressive, and scary.
The ramp up in the story-telling is a bit slow, but once underway the action is fast-paced and very engaging. Tension builds nicely. When their sugar daddy super-secret military group, Deep Shield, gets more involved than is comfortable, it does not take enhanced brain waves to see that our intrepid scientists and their team could be in some deep poo. There are internal tensions as well, with Chuck’s starry-eyed vision of helping humanity running into Matt’s desire for a very large payday. We see the growth of the test subjects, and the alarming abilities the interface is nurturing. And no, they are not using Professor Harold Hill’s Think system. We also see the increasing control being exercised by the baddies. Hemstreet injects a bit of humor, as the scientists and their team refer to the ever more numerous security personnel as Smiths, a Matrix ref. There will be battles. The force will be used.
Smiths - from The Enquirer
So, a nifty sci-fi, maybe twenty minutes into the future. Hemstreet uses tropes of the genre, which is perfectly ok if done well, and they are. And there are plenty of references to other material of this sort, from a scene that offers a nod to Aliens to scenes that will feel familiar to fans of the original Robo-Cop. One would have to suspect that a character named Kobayashi would be a reference to the infamous Star Trek training mission And there are plenty more overt mentions. Independence Day and Transformers pop to mind. So, a bit of fun in this.
I did have some gripes, of course. While I do not expect from a book of this sort the degree of character development one might find in a literary novel, I thought his two primaries were a touch thin. I found it not at all credible that a scientist would enter into a major business contract without having his lawyer check it out. I felt that the condition of Matt’s wife, raised early as a significant motivational factor, seemed to get lost a bit. A more regular update would have been welcome. Early on there is a concept tossed off that I found a bit dodgy. “..the human brain is an interpretative interface between the mind and the human body.” Really? If there even is such a thing as the mind there has been no evidence I am aware of that demonstrates its existence without a human brain to generate it. Tossing out this notion of the mind as an independent entity as a universally accepted fact seems disingenuous. I don’t mind a bit of truthiness in a work of science fiction, but it seemed unnecessary to go there, at least in this volume.
Hemstreet has had a hand in the neurodiagnostics biz, (although his Linked In page indicates only a BA in liberal arts) so we presume he knows a thing or two about gray matter, and what may or may not be possible. But he does not limit his look to the purely scientific, however speculative. He offers adult consideration of diverse perspectives. I was particularly impressed with his dialectic on security versus openness. Considering that this is Hemstreet’s first novel, it is pretty impressive. He keeps things moving along nicely, ramps up tensions with aplomb, tosses in a fair number of surprises, brings considerable creativity to bear, offers some adult perspective on real-world issues and looks at theoretical sources of potential ethical conflict as well. I was disappointed when the book ended and I hope that volume 2 will be in print before too long. Maybe if I concentrate really, really hard…
Review posted – 1/29/16
Publication date – 5/17/16
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s Twitter and FB pages
Ira Flato’s Science Friday is a real show and definitely worth checking out
The 10% myth - a wiki and a nifty look by Neuroscience for Kids
Experiments on Tibetan Buddhist monks have shown a correlation between transcendental mental states and gamma waves
Patrick Hemstreet
Chuck Benton, a neuroscience researcher and professor at Johns Hopkins, wants to be able to translate the brain waves that everyone generates into real world application. If brain waves could move the needle on an EEG printout, why couldn’t those waves be harnessed to real-world purposes? Why not drive a car with brain power alone, or paint a picture? All that would be needed is the proper interface. And therein lies the challenge. Benton may be a genius in his field, but he needs a higher understanding of math in order to translate brain waves into commands, let alone actions.
MIT professor Matt Streegman is not exactly the most social person on the planet. But when he hears Benton being interviewed on an episode of Ira Flatow’s Science Friday, a lightbulb flashes on. Streegman might be a bit more social but for one thing. His wife, Lucy, lies in a hospital, comatose, but still possessing active brain waves. What if he could use Benton’s work to try to actually communicate with Lucy? Streegman has the math. His work on robotics interfaces gives him a unique appreciation for communication challenges. When he goes to see Benton a few days later, solution in hand, it is the beginning of a giant leap for mankind.
Chuck and Matt set to work straight away. A diverse group of subjects is recruited, including a gamer, a martial arts specialist, an artist, a construction worker and others, and the game is on. Progress is intermittent and challenges many, but if they did not accomplish something special, the author would have had to come up with a very different title for his book. Three books actually. The copy I read was an ARE, and there is no indication, at least none that I spotted, that The God Wave is the first book in a trilogy. That it was not intended to be a stand-alone was pretty clear as I kept getting closer to the end and it seemed that the story-telling possibilities kept expanding. The God Wave of the title refers to a brain wave (like alpha, beta or gamma) that operates at an inhumanly high frequency, a state some of the test subjects achieve. Once there, they manifest abilities that are cool, impressive, and scary.
The ramp up in the story-telling is a bit slow, but once underway the action is fast-paced and very engaging. Tension builds nicely. When their sugar daddy super-secret military group, Deep Shield, gets more involved than is comfortable, it does not take enhanced brain waves to see that our intrepid scientists and their team could be in some deep poo. There are internal tensions as well, with Chuck’s starry-eyed vision of helping humanity running into Matt’s desire for a very large payday. We see the growth of the test subjects, and the alarming abilities the interface is nurturing. And no, they are not using Professor Harold Hill’s Think system. We also see the increasing control being exercised by the baddies. Hemstreet injects a bit of humor, as the scientists and their team refer to the ever more numerous security personnel as Smiths, a Matrix ref. There will be battles. The force will be used.
Smiths - from The Enquirer
So, a nifty sci-fi, maybe twenty minutes into the future. Hemstreet uses tropes of the genre, which is perfectly ok if done well, and they are. And there are plenty of references to other material of this sort, from a scene that offers a nod to Aliens to scenes that will feel familiar to fans of the original Robo-Cop. One would have to suspect that a character named Kobayashi would be a reference to the infamous Star Trek training mission And there are plenty more overt mentions. Independence Day and Transformers pop to mind. So, a bit of fun in this.
I did have some gripes, of course. While I do not expect from a book of this sort the degree of character development one might find in a literary novel, I thought his two primaries were a touch thin. I found it not at all credible that a scientist would enter into a major business contract without having his lawyer check it out. I felt that the condition of Matt’s wife, raised early as a significant motivational factor, seemed to get lost a bit. A more regular update would have been welcome. Early on there is a concept tossed off that I found a bit dodgy. “..the human brain is an interpretative interface between the mind and the human body.” Really? If there even is such a thing as the mind there has been no evidence I am aware of that demonstrates its existence without a human brain to generate it. Tossing out this notion of the mind as an independent entity as a universally accepted fact seems disingenuous. I don’t mind a bit of truthiness in a work of science fiction, but it seemed unnecessary to go there, at least in this volume.
Hemstreet has had a hand in the neurodiagnostics biz, (although his Linked In page indicates only a BA in liberal arts) so we presume he knows a thing or two about gray matter, and what may or may not be possible. But he does not limit his look to the purely scientific, however speculative. He offers adult consideration of diverse perspectives. I was particularly impressed with his dialectic on security versus openness. Considering that this is Hemstreet’s first novel, it is pretty impressive. He keeps things moving along nicely, ramps up tensions with aplomb, tosses in a fair number of surprises, brings considerable creativity to bear, offers some adult perspective on real-world issues and looks at theoretical sources of potential ethical conflict as well. I was disappointed when the book ended and I hope that volume 2 will be in print before too long. Maybe if I concentrate really, really hard…
Review posted – 1/29/16
Publication date – 5/17/16
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s Twitter and FB pages
Ira Flato’s Science Friday is a real show and definitely worth checking out
The 10% myth - a wiki and a nifty look by Neuroscience for Kids
Experiments on Tibetan Buddhist monks have shown a correlation between transcendental mental states and gamma waves
March 10, 2017
A group of scientists and research subjects experiment with using brain waves to cause physical outcomes on objects, computer programs, etc. Their research is promising enough that they set up a company to further the research and exploit its practical applications. Some of the subjects develop abilities that are way beyond the original scope of the experiments. Naturally their work attracts the attention of a shadowy governmental operation that hires them to train its operatives. Of course this doesn't end well. The build up in this book is somewhat slow but the last 20% or so has a lot of action, and then it just ends.
As the author's first book, it's not the most artfully drafted book I've ever read, but it was entertaining. This sci fi thriller is the first of a trilogy and so far I'm interested enough to want to continue with the second book. Unfortunately, that's pretty much required, since nothing is resolved here. This book is just a set up for the next book and ends with a cliff hanger. Enter shadowy organization number 2.
As the author's first book, it's not the most artfully drafted book I've ever read, but it was entertaining. This sci fi thriller is the first of a trilogy and so far I'm interested enough to want to continue with the second book. Unfortunately, that's pretty much required, since nothing is resolved here. This book is just a set up for the next book and ends with a cliff hanger. Enter shadowy organization number 2.
May 21, 2023
This is an okay book, but it has too much of a been-there-done-that feel coupled with cardboard characters. It doesn’t help that it has been overhyped. On the cover a Kirkus quote screams: “A flat-out astonishing debut!”
It’s not.
This is well-trod territory. Even the concept has been used innumerable times before. It’s just another “technology unleashes superpowers” story, in this case telepresence leading to telekinesis. Which is fine, but you really need stellar writing to sell such a well-worn trope. At best this is serviceable prose.
I’m even okay with it being Fantasy masquerading as Science Fiction since that’s essentially what most superhero comics do. I just can’t get past the stock characters saying routine things while following a bog-standard plot.
It’s not.
This is well-trod territory. Even the concept has been used innumerable times before. It’s just another “technology unleashes superpowers” story, in this case telepresence leading to telekinesis. Which is fine, but you really need stellar writing to sell such a well-worn trope. At best this is serviceable prose.
I’m even okay with it being Fantasy masquerading as Science Fiction since that’s essentially what most superhero comics do. I just can’t get past the stock characters saying routine things while following a bog-standard plot.
November 3, 2017
The God Wave is a perfect storm of tech-fi infused with plausible reality. Author Patrick Hemstreet, a neuroengineer has crafted a dynamic and thought provoking tech thriller that, true to the blurb, captures the imagination and possibilities of Limitless and bumps it up a notch or two into X-Men territory by giving his characters superhuman abilities straight from the pages of superhero comics. It reads so damn real it's scary.
Neuroscientist Chuck Brenton and MIT Professor Matt Streegman make a scientific breakthrough when they uncover the untapped potential of the God Wave (or Alpha Wave), a heightened brainwave that allows humans to control inanimate objects and move them by thought.
Naturally the military catch wind of this tech and want a piece of it. Matt and Chuck (who's reluctant to get into bed with anyone wanting to weaponize the tech and is eventually convinced by Matt) are happy to seize the dollars for the betterment of their fledgling company but have no idea what's in store for them and their 'alphas' once they start questioning the black ops Government agency about their intentions and the unwanted surveillance the team is put under.
I couldn't read this book quick enough and loved the way it evolved from a tech-fi into thriller into superhero-like territory with seamless ease. My only gripe is that the book didn't quite read as a complete story given the title is the first in a trilogy, I expect the threads to be picked up in book 2, The God Peak (published August 2017) which is on my to-buy list.
My rating: 4/5 stars.
Neuroscientist Chuck Brenton and MIT Professor Matt Streegman make a scientific breakthrough when they uncover the untapped potential of the God Wave (or Alpha Wave), a heightened brainwave that allows humans to control inanimate objects and move them by thought.
Naturally the military catch wind of this tech and want a piece of it. Matt and Chuck (who's reluctant to get into bed with anyone wanting to weaponize the tech and is eventually convinced by Matt) are happy to seize the dollars for the betterment of their fledgling company but have no idea what's in store for them and their 'alphas' once they start questioning the black ops Government agency about their intentions and the unwanted surveillance the team is put under.
I couldn't read this book quick enough and loved the way it evolved from a tech-fi into thriller into superhero-like territory with seamless ease. My only gripe is that the book didn't quite read as a complete story given the title is the first in a trilogy, I expect the threads to be picked up in book 2, The God Peak (published August 2017) which is on my to-buy list.
My rating: 4/5 stars.
January 5, 2026
The concept of this book was intriguing to me, or at least what I knew about it – a neuroscientist has tapped a region in the brain that allows humans a new ability. Well, a neuroscientist along with a mathematician and a robotics engineer – it took a team, plus the research subjects from various fields.
After their initial success the mathematician Matt, became the business driver of their new start-up, Forward Kinetics. Matt was relentless in wanting a good contract with deep pockets and when a military contract was offered Matt pushed the team to sign on. Of course this goes in a direction most the rest of the company founders wasn’t interested in.
A good portion of the book was about how the new technology was developed and starting up the business. It ended with quite a lot unresolved, but not quite a cliffhanger.
Most of the characters feel somewhat flat and not fully fleshed out, although there were a few attempts, which did not work well, making me grimace. Not stellar writing and with the ending, it felt like part one of a two part book, so I’m continuing on for now.
After their initial success the mathematician Matt, became the business driver of their new start-up, Forward Kinetics. Matt was relentless in wanting a good contract with deep pockets and when a military contract was offered Matt pushed the team to sign on. Of course this goes in a direction most the rest of the company founders wasn’t interested in.
A good portion of the book was about how the new technology was developed and starting up the business. It ended with quite a lot unresolved, but not quite a cliffhanger.
Most of the characters feel somewhat flat and not fully fleshed out, although there were a few attempts, which did not work well, making me grimace. Not stellar writing and with the ending, it felt like part one of a two part book, so I’m continuing on for now.
May 21, 2023
Cool ideas, and good narration, but, ultimately, I found it boring.
May 10, 2016
The God Wave by Patrick Hemstreet
This novel may be a authentic peek into the future. Consider the brain operated drones for a moment and how experiments are progressing with the brain operating prosthesis hands. This book goes a large but not inconceivable step forward in the direction of the main character in the movie Lucy. The thesis is the mind can be trained into using more of its potential.
Hemstreet postulated two believable characters in Matt and Chuck. Matt as a bereaved pragmatic genius and Chuck as a naive near genius. The two of them interact in a predictable manner for their personalities. The addition of the team provides the necessary counterpoints to the conflict between those diverse personalities.
The books premise is both exciting and daunting. Exciting for the possibilities inherent in greater control of our own brain and daunting for how that control could be co-opted by outside malevolent forces.
This book appears to be the first in a series and it should be a hit series as the book was fast moving, extremely interesting and provides a ray of hope for the future.
I highly recommend it.
Web site: https://www.facebook.com/Patrick-Hems...
This novel may be a authentic peek into the future. Consider the brain operated drones for a moment and how experiments are progressing with the brain operating prosthesis hands. This book goes a large but not inconceivable step forward in the direction of the main character in the movie Lucy. The thesis is the mind can be trained into using more of its potential.
Hemstreet postulated two believable characters in Matt and Chuck. Matt as a bereaved pragmatic genius and Chuck as a naive near genius. The two of them interact in a predictable manner for their personalities. The addition of the team provides the necessary counterpoints to the conflict between those diverse personalities.
The books premise is both exciting and daunting. Exciting for the possibilities inherent in greater control of our own brain and daunting for how that control could be co-opted by outside malevolent forces.
This book appears to be the first in a series and it should be a hit series as the book was fast moving, extremely interesting and provides a ray of hope for the future.
I highly recommend it.
Web site: https://www.facebook.com/Patrick-Hems...
April 17, 2019
This inaugural novel is another example of the paranoid military-gone-amok trope.
A neuroscientist, Chuck Brenton, has discovered a means to train individuals to change brain waves to the newly-named zeta waves, which has the potential effect physical reality, similar to psychokinesis. Such technology would permit individuals trapped in their immobile bodies, such as Stephen Hawking, to manipulate their physical space. When mathematician Matt Streegman teams up with Chuck he encourages the newly formed company to seek financial backers and to market their product. Who should some knocking at their door with an offer to good to turn down but a clandestine US military organization. Quicker than you can say, "World domination", the military officer over this company abandons his promised defensive use for the research for its offensive capabilities.
I found the plot of this sci-fi novel predictable: scientific technology discovered which can benefit mankind, technology usurped by nefarious entity, scientists confront the military and win back the day. The characters were essentially stereotypes of stock characters. The plot was so plodding, I almost stopped reading it a couple of times. I wish I would have listened to my inner voice. A sequel has been released but I doubt seriously that I will read it.
A neuroscientist, Chuck Brenton, has discovered a means to train individuals to change brain waves to the newly-named zeta waves, which has the potential effect physical reality, similar to psychokinesis. Such technology would permit individuals trapped in their immobile bodies, such as Stephen Hawking, to manipulate their physical space. When mathematician Matt Streegman teams up with Chuck he encourages the newly formed company to seek financial backers and to market their product. Who should some knocking at their door with an offer to good to turn down but a clandestine US military organization. Quicker than you can say, "World domination", the military officer over this company abandons his promised defensive use for the research for its offensive capabilities.
I found the plot of this sci-fi novel predictable: scientific technology discovered which can benefit mankind, technology usurped by nefarious entity, scientists confront the military and win back the day. The characters were essentially stereotypes of stock characters. The plot was so plodding, I almost stopped reading it a couple of times. I wish I would have listened to my inner voice. A sequel has been released but I doubt seriously that I will read it.
November 13, 2020
I enjoyed the pace of the book. The character development was one dimensional and Chuck was so anxious I was having sympathy anxiety. The idea of the God Wave is great. The execution of how the God Wave exists seemed limited and the bulk of the story focused on the ethics,contracts and friendships as a result. The last few chapters were a fun ride. Overall, fun with a bit missing in the middle.
February 1, 2019
just finished this one, the 1st of february 2019 friday evening, two stars it was okay kindle library loaner the first half was relatively...boring...scientist/lab types working with science lab stuff gizmos and gadgets...dry stuff. you say car...store...shed...beach...woods...people get it. this stuff? meh. still, interesting so you keep going. the last 20% of the story, i dunno, strange days, the pace picked up and it all got to be a bit much, you realize okay this is #1 of more to come, but you have this strange maybe government person maybe not and all his rank and file...then you have this mountain that materialized out of no where, lights blinking off at bases in...upper volta? naw, russia maybe it was.
seemed to have hit a few bummers lately. interesting premise poor execution.
seemed to have hit a few bummers lately. interesting premise poor execution.
January 31, 2019
Great book. I binged all three in the trilogy one after another. It was very well written and I loved the direction the books took. I highly recommend them.
July 18, 2016
Die Gotteswelle von Patrick Hemstreet. Band 1 der God-Wave Trilogie. Erschienen im HarperCollins Verlag am 18. Juli 2016
Der Neurowissenschaftler Chuck Brenton forscht an der John Hopkins University. Er versucht Gehirnwellen direkt nutzbar zu machen. Als Matt Streegman, ein Mathematiker, dazu kommt, kommt Bewegung in die Sache und sie dringen in Bereiche des Gehirns vor, in dem noch nie ein Mensch zuvor gewesen ist. Als sie ihre Forschungsergebnisse anfangen der Welt zu zeigen, meldet sich schnell eine Gruppe die ihre Ergebnisse für sich nutzen wollen. Exklusiv nutzen wollen.
Patrick Hemstreet hat mit seinem Debüt einen mitreisenden SF-Thriller geschrieben der einfach ein Bestseller werden muss. Überzeugend geschrieben, witzige Dialoge und viele Hinweise auf Bücher und Filme die inzwischen Klassiker sind und ein Plot der an Spannung kaum zu überbieten ist.
Die Charaktere sind vielfältig, vielschichtig und jeder ist ganz besonders und so besonders sind auch ihre Fähigkeiten. Der Thriller beginnt etwas behäbig und erklärt uns die technische Seite des SF. Da wir zum großen Teil keine Neurowissenschaftler sind, wird es einfach gehalten und verständlich erklärt. Die Zeit muss man sich einfach nehmen. Im Verlauf der Geschichte werden diese „Erklärungen“ und die genaue Beschreibung der einzelnen Charaktere uns so vertraut wie ein alter Handschuh. Wir haben jetzt das Grundwissen und wir bekommen richtig Spaß mit den Protagonisten. Ab etwa der Hälfte des Buchs wird es sehr spannend und man fiebert richtig mit. Sie werden dieses Buch zu Ende lesen egal ob es Mitternacht oder später ist. Dieses Buch nimmt sie mit auf die Reise durch das Gehirn und stellt uns den Menschen 2.0 vor.
Dieses Buch hat mich atemlos und mit Herzrasen zurück gelassen und ich warte jetzt darauf, dass der nächste Band erscheint. Ich muss wissen wie es weiter geht. Dieses Buch ist mein Sommerhit 2016.
Der Neurowissenschaftler Chuck Brenton forscht an der John Hopkins University. Er versucht Gehirnwellen direkt nutzbar zu machen. Als Matt Streegman, ein Mathematiker, dazu kommt, kommt Bewegung in die Sache und sie dringen in Bereiche des Gehirns vor, in dem noch nie ein Mensch zuvor gewesen ist. Als sie ihre Forschungsergebnisse anfangen der Welt zu zeigen, meldet sich schnell eine Gruppe die ihre Ergebnisse für sich nutzen wollen. Exklusiv nutzen wollen.
Patrick Hemstreet hat mit seinem Debüt einen mitreisenden SF-Thriller geschrieben der einfach ein Bestseller werden muss. Überzeugend geschrieben, witzige Dialoge und viele Hinweise auf Bücher und Filme die inzwischen Klassiker sind und ein Plot der an Spannung kaum zu überbieten ist.
Die Charaktere sind vielfältig, vielschichtig und jeder ist ganz besonders und so besonders sind auch ihre Fähigkeiten. Der Thriller beginnt etwas behäbig und erklärt uns die technische Seite des SF. Da wir zum großen Teil keine Neurowissenschaftler sind, wird es einfach gehalten und verständlich erklärt. Die Zeit muss man sich einfach nehmen. Im Verlauf der Geschichte werden diese „Erklärungen“ und die genaue Beschreibung der einzelnen Charaktere uns so vertraut wie ein alter Handschuh. Wir haben jetzt das Grundwissen und wir bekommen richtig Spaß mit den Protagonisten. Ab etwa der Hälfte des Buchs wird es sehr spannend und man fiebert richtig mit. Sie werden dieses Buch zu Ende lesen egal ob es Mitternacht oder später ist. Dieses Buch nimmt sie mit auf die Reise durch das Gehirn und stellt uns den Menschen 2.0 vor.
Dieses Buch hat mich atemlos und mit Herzrasen zurück gelassen und ich warte jetzt darauf, dass der nächste Band erscheint. Ich muss wissen wie es weiter geht. Dieses Buch ist mein Sommerhit 2016.
June 14, 2016
Man oh man, books like this are why I love being a Harper Voyager Super Reader. Just think, they sent me this book for free with the only requirement being that I give them an honest review. Sweeeeeeeeet!!!
Ok, so the official blurb is "Limitless meets James Rollins" but to tell you the truth, Patrick Hemstreet out-James-Rollins' James Rollins. I say this because over the last 8 or 10 years Rollins has just flooded the market with works revolving around the same characters, to the point that (in comparison to his early stand-alone works) he's become cliche and boringly repetitive. I can't blame him, if I found a machine that printed money I'd run that sucker till the wheels fell off, too. It just makes for sub-par reading.
Hemstreet, on the other hand, is a breath of fresh air. Sure, everyone has done the "tap into the power of the human mind" thing, but he grounds the book solidly in current tech and (much like Edward Ashton in -his- debut last year, 3 Days in April) takes a diverse cast and spins them into a yarn that you just can't walk away from. I burned through it in a weekend and am seriously jonesing for the next installment (supposedly one a year through 2018 according to the literature).
All I can say is next summer can't get here fast enough.
Ok, so the official blurb is "Limitless meets James Rollins" but to tell you the truth, Patrick Hemstreet out-James-Rollins' James Rollins. I say this because over the last 8 or 10 years Rollins has just flooded the market with works revolving around the same characters, to the point that (in comparison to his early stand-alone works) he's become cliche and boringly repetitive. I can't blame him, if I found a machine that printed money I'd run that sucker till the wheels fell off, too. It just makes for sub-par reading.
Hemstreet, on the other hand, is a breath of fresh air. Sure, everyone has done the "tap into the power of the human mind" thing, but he grounds the book solidly in current tech and (much like Edward Ashton in -his- debut last year, 3 Days in April) takes a diverse cast and spins them into a yarn that you just can't walk away from. I burned through it in a weekend and am seriously jonesing for the next installment (supposedly one a year through 2018 according to the literature).
All I can say is next summer can't get here fast enough.
July 12, 2016
THE GOD WAVE
by Patrick Hemstreet
You have to love 'What If' Science-Fiction. Taking something we know as a jump-off point and casting everything into a whirlwind of possibility. One of my favorite stories to date is "Star Man", posing the question: what if someone answered the invitation we put in our space probe?
Patrick Hemstreet takes the concept of the EEG and takes it into the Fourth Dimension! Turning the pages, I found myself thinking, "Well, what would happen if..." and isn't that the whole point?! I appreciated the group concept instead of the single character because seldom does a story-line lend itself to that perspective. The dialog was smooth, catchy and even edgy in some unexpected places. I came away wanting to read more of their exchanges!
My only takeaway is that I was craving greater depth from the antagonist. However, as we are all so often proving, sometimes we are our own worst enemy. Personal agendas (credible and earnest) did a VERY good job making the group both accessible and vulnerable. I'm interested to see where the next book will take us! Good Job, Mr. Hemstreet!
by Patrick Hemstreet
You have to love 'What If' Science-Fiction. Taking something we know as a jump-off point and casting everything into a whirlwind of possibility. One of my favorite stories to date is "Star Man", posing the question: what if someone answered the invitation we put in our space probe?
Patrick Hemstreet takes the concept of the EEG and takes it into the Fourth Dimension! Turning the pages, I found myself thinking, "Well, what would happen if..." and isn't that the whole point?! I appreciated the group concept instead of the single character because seldom does a story-line lend itself to that perspective. The dialog was smooth, catchy and even edgy in some unexpected places. I came away wanting to read more of their exchanges!
My only takeaway is that I was craving greater depth from the antagonist. However, as we are all so often proving, sometimes we are our own worst enemy. Personal agendas (credible and earnest) did a VERY good job making the group both accessible and vulnerable. I'm interested to see where the next book will take us! Good Job, Mr. Hemstreet!
September 26, 2016
Good book, interesting premise, well developed. I'm very critical of ending in book these days, I'm usually disappointed by them, this one's ok and set's up a sequel so we'll see how it progress. I will read the sequel (if there is one) as it was interesting enough to continue. Good work for a first book Patrick.
February 23, 2016
For readers of Robin Cook and those who miss Michael Crichton. Science, action, and suspense fill the first book in the God Wave Trilogy. The characters are a little thin, but the story is interesting. Has the group jumped from the frying pan into the fire? Find out in the second book!
September 6, 2016
Too much a "please, Hollywood, buy me and turn me into a mediocre action movie, pleeeeeeeease!".
If the American Military were this stupid, we'd be all speaking Russian by now.
Flat and stereotyped characters, linear predictable plot, kinda sad.
If the American Military were this stupid, we'd be all speaking Russian by now.
Flat and stereotyped characters, linear predictable plot, kinda sad.
Want to read
April 26, 2023Did not finish
April 2, 2025
Per questo libro voglio scostarmi leggermente dal sintetico "pro e contro" che uso per dire la mia, prendendo come spunto di partenza dal commento che si trova in sovracopertina:
"Un thriller esplosivo, che ha tutti gli ingredienti che amo: personaggi complessi, una trama ricca d'azione e una rivoluzionaria scoperta scientifica. Un romanzo che ti investe con una potenza incredibile, da leggere tutto d'un fiato. Non vedo l'ora di scoprire cosa accadrà dopo."
- Thriller esplosivo/trama ricca d'azione: in questo libro non succede assolutamente nulla che crei "brivido" o "senso d'azione" fino almeno a p. 230 su 360. Forse una leggera curiosità, quel "ma succederà qualcosa?" che però non definirei per nulla "thrilling"
- Ha tutti gli ingredienti che amo: ha semplicemente tutti gli ingredienti possibili, lessati in un pentolone di riferimenti a serie, film, scienza, cultura pop, in una smania che ho percepito come la sola intima urgenza dell'autore di far sapere quanto egli "ne sappia" su ogni cosa
- Personaggi complessi: nemmeno uno dei personaggi riesce (vuole?) uscire minimamente dai canoni dello stereotipo di appartenenza. Lo scienziato idealista e coscienzioso, la cinese meditativa che fa kung fu, la giovane artista goth/fantasy, il programmatore di videogiochi svalvolato e con deficit sociali, il padre manovale duro e forte che pensa sempre a moglie e figli
- Ti investe con una potenza incredibile: la vera azione, considerabile coinvolgente, si svolge nelle ultime 40-50 pagine. A mio avviso il libro sarebbe potuto essere di 200-250 pagine, e ne avrebbe giovato
- Da leggere tutto d'un fiato: il vero punto critico del romanzo è il tedio, la lungaggine, le ripetitive e inutili descrizioni tecnico/nerd che come gia detto paiono più una necessità autoriale che parte della storia. I dialoghi spesso si potrebbero risolvere in meno battute, invece partono dei botta e risposta superflui che spianano il terreno solo all'inserimento di qualche altra citazione forzata di Star Wars, del funzionamento tecnico di un dispositivo, di un tale tipo di bevanda orientale, bla bla bla...non tutti hanno così tanto fiato da poter trattenere
- Cosa accadrà dopo: avendo ricevuto il libro in regalo, l'ho letto a scatola chiusa, non consapevole da subito che fosse parte di una trilogia. Senza spoiler, conclude con un cliffhanger che chiunque abbia visto almeno un finale di stagione di, per dirne uno, The Walking Dead, conosce alla perfezione (per il tipo di personaggi/situazioni/pattern narrativi), rendendo di fatto la trama incompleta salvo leggere i capitoli successivi. Evito ancora gli spoiler, ma mi chiedo seriamente se la fase finale del romanzo volesse essere originale o se fosse sottintesa la citazione a Metal Gear Solid
+ finiamo con un "pro": un libro che non consiglierei, ma non il peggiore che abbia mai letto. Chi cerca una lettura leggera e che si riesca ad appassionare alle continue citazioni e riferimenti geek potrebbe trovarlo piacevole. Quello che ha guastato la mia esperienza è forse l'hype con cui mi era stato preannunciato prima dalle recensioni e poi da quel commento (commercialissimo) da copertina
"Un thriller esplosivo, che ha tutti gli ingredienti che amo: personaggi complessi, una trama ricca d'azione e una rivoluzionaria scoperta scientifica. Un romanzo che ti investe con una potenza incredibile, da leggere tutto d'un fiato. Non vedo l'ora di scoprire cosa accadrà dopo."
- Thriller esplosivo/trama ricca d'azione: in questo libro non succede assolutamente nulla che crei "brivido" o "senso d'azione" fino almeno a p. 230 su 360. Forse una leggera curiosità, quel "ma succederà qualcosa?" che però non definirei per nulla "thrilling"
- Ha tutti gli ingredienti che amo: ha semplicemente tutti gli ingredienti possibili, lessati in un pentolone di riferimenti a serie, film, scienza, cultura pop, in una smania che ho percepito come la sola intima urgenza dell'autore di far sapere quanto egli "ne sappia" su ogni cosa
- Personaggi complessi: nemmeno uno dei personaggi riesce (vuole?) uscire minimamente dai canoni dello stereotipo di appartenenza. Lo scienziato idealista e coscienzioso, la cinese meditativa che fa kung fu, la giovane artista goth/fantasy, il programmatore di videogiochi svalvolato e con deficit sociali, il padre manovale duro e forte che pensa sempre a moglie e figli
- Ti investe con una potenza incredibile: la vera azione, considerabile coinvolgente, si svolge nelle ultime 40-50 pagine. A mio avviso il libro sarebbe potuto essere di 200-250 pagine, e ne avrebbe giovato
- Da leggere tutto d'un fiato: il vero punto critico del romanzo è il tedio, la lungaggine, le ripetitive e inutili descrizioni tecnico/nerd che come gia detto paiono più una necessità autoriale che parte della storia. I dialoghi spesso si potrebbero risolvere in meno battute, invece partono dei botta e risposta superflui che spianano il terreno solo all'inserimento di qualche altra citazione forzata di Star Wars, del funzionamento tecnico di un dispositivo, di un tale tipo di bevanda orientale, bla bla bla...non tutti hanno così tanto fiato da poter trattenere
- Cosa accadrà dopo: avendo ricevuto il libro in regalo, l'ho letto a scatola chiusa, non consapevole da subito che fosse parte di una trilogia. Senza spoiler, conclude con un cliffhanger che chiunque abbia visto almeno un finale di stagione di, per dirne uno, The Walking Dead, conosce alla perfezione (per il tipo di personaggi/situazioni/pattern narrativi), rendendo di fatto la trama incompleta salvo leggere i capitoli successivi. Evito ancora gli spoiler, ma mi chiedo seriamente se la fase finale del romanzo volesse essere originale o se fosse sottintesa la citazione a Metal Gear Solid
+ finiamo con un "pro": un libro che non consiglierei, ma non il peggiore che abbia mai letto. Chi cerca una lettura leggera e che si riesca ad appassionare alle continue citazioni e riferimenti geek potrebbe trovarlo piacevole. Quello che ha guastato la mia esperienza è forse l'hype con cui mi era stato preannunciato prima dalle recensioni e poi da quel commento (commercialissimo) da copertina
April 22, 2019
Inhalt
Der Neurologe Chuck Brenton arbeitet an einem Verfahren um mittels Hirnwellen Maschinen zu beeinflussen – Hauptziel ist dabei Unterstützung des medizinischen Sektors. Nach einer Radiosendung wird der Mathematiker Matt auf Chuck und seine Vision aufmerksam und gemeinsam beginnen sie eine Schnittstelle zu entwickeln. Matt hat die Formel, die es möglich macht, die Schnittstelle von Chuck nutzbar zu machen. Als sich erste Erfolge einstellen, werden mächtige Gruppierungen auf die Erfindung aufmerksam. Nach der Zusammenarbeit mit der militärisch organisierten Organisation Deep Shield, die vor allem durch Geheimhaltung, Kontrolle und Überwachung geprägt ist, werden langsam aber sicher einige moralische Fragen aufgeworfen. Die Lage spitzt sich zu, als einzelne Mitarbeiter die wahre Intention von Deep Shield aufdecken und aus dem Projekt aussteigen wollen.
Eindruck
Ich würde den Roman eher als Science Fiction, denn als Thriller einstufen. Eigentlich mag ich das Genre ganz gerne und die Idee hörte sich toll an. Leider habe ich den Zugang zum Text nicht wirklich gefunden. Spannung kam auch nicht wirklich auf. Wie ich aber bin, lese ich wenn möglich zu Ende, um einem Werk die Chance der Entwicklung zu belassen. Gegen Ende hin wurde das Buch doch noch spannend.
Die vielen wissenschaftlichen Erklärungen fand ich ganz interessant und ich konnte ihnen problemlos folgen. Man erfährt einiges zur Neurologie, aber auch zur Robotertechnik und anderes Fachwissen. Da ich von Natur aus ein neugieriger Mensch bin, mag ich das sehr.
Die Charaktere wirken authentisch, sind vielschichtig und durchdacht. Matt, der pragmatische Mathematiker; Chuck, der humanitäre Idealist; Howard, der abgeklärte Leiter von Deep Shield. Auch die Nebencharaktere sind sehr interessant. Zum Beispiel die Alpha-Zetas Sarah, Lanfen, Tim, Mini und Mike haben bedingt durch ihre beruflichen Tätigkeiten und Charaktereigenschaften ganz eigene Ansichten und Blickwinkel in diese visionäre Entwicklung eingebracht.
Das Ende kam dann doch etwas abrupt und einige Fragen bleiben offen. Der Thriller ist der Debütroman des Autors und außerdem Band 1 einer Trilogie. Das lässt darauf hoffen, dass einiges dann später noch geklärt wird. Interessiert bin ich natürlich vorallem, was es mit dem neuen Labor von Lorstad auf sich hat und wohin die Geschichte geht. Ob ich es dann wirklich lesen werde, lasse ich noch offen, denn wie gesagt, hat mich das Buch jetzt nicht so gepackt wie das bei anderen Lesern offenbar der Fall war.
Der Neurologe Chuck Brenton arbeitet an einem Verfahren um mittels Hirnwellen Maschinen zu beeinflussen – Hauptziel ist dabei Unterstützung des medizinischen Sektors. Nach einer Radiosendung wird der Mathematiker Matt auf Chuck und seine Vision aufmerksam und gemeinsam beginnen sie eine Schnittstelle zu entwickeln. Matt hat die Formel, die es möglich macht, die Schnittstelle von Chuck nutzbar zu machen. Als sich erste Erfolge einstellen, werden mächtige Gruppierungen auf die Erfindung aufmerksam. Nach der Zusammenarbeit mit der militärisch organisierten Organisation Deep Shield, die vor allem durch Geheimhaltung, Kontrolle und Überwachung geprägt ist, werden langsam aber sicher einige moralische Fragen aufgeworfen. Die Lage spitzt sich zu, als einzelne Mitarbeiter die wahre Intention von Deep Shield aufdecken und aus dem Projekt aussteigen wollen.
Eindruck
Ich würde den Roman eher als Science Fiction, denn als Thriller einstufen. Eigentlich mag ich das Genre ganz gerne und die Idee hörte sich toll an. Leider habe ich den Zugang zum Text nicht wirklich gefunden. Spannung kam auch nicht wirklich auf. Wie ich aber bin, lese ich wenn möglich zu Ende, um einem Werk die Chance der Entwicklung zu belassen. Gegen Ende hin wurde das Buch doch noch spannend.
Die vielen wissenschaftlichen Erklärungen fand ich ganz interessant und ich konnte ihnen problemlos folgen. Man erfährt einiges zur Neurologie, aber auch zur Robotertechnik und anderes Fachwissen. Da ich von Natur aus ein neugieriger Mensch bin, mag ich das sehr.
Die Charaktere wirken authentisch, sind vielschichtig und durchdacht. Matt, der pragmatische Mathematiker; Chuck, der humanitäre Idealist; Howard, der abgeklärte Leiter von Deep Shield. Auch die Nebencharaktere sind sehr interessant. Zum Beispiel die Alpha-Zetas Sarah, Lanfen, Tim, Mini und Mike haben bedingt durch ihre beruflichen Tätigkeiten und Charaktereigenschaften ganz eigene Ansichten und Blickwinkel in diese visionäre Entwicklung eingebracht.
Das Ende kam dann doch etwas abrupt und einige Fragen bleiben offen. Der Thriller ist der Debütroman des Autors und außerdem Band 1 einer Trilogie. Das lässt darauf hoffen, dass einiges dann später noch geklärt wird. Interessiert bin ich natürlich vorallem, was es mit dem neuen Labor von Lorstad auf sich hat und wohin die Geschichte geht. Ob ich es dann wirklich lesen werde, lasse ich noch offen, denn wie gesagt, hat mich das Buch jetzt nicht so gepackt wie das bei anderen Lesern offenbar der Fall war.
January 2, 2022
This started out well enough, with an interesting premise (read synopsis as this sums it up nicely). However, it's very disjointed. It doesn't flow. The disagreements and lack of cohesion of purpose between the two main characters - which, I guess reflects what might happen in real life - is really irritating, especially when carried through as far as one character keeping secrets from the other so as to advance the material gain to be had at the expense of the subjects of the experiments to attain the so called 'God Wave', maintain it, harness it for profit and risk their brains in the pursuit. Think awakening the 'X-men' potential within us all. Sounds intriguing. It would be if only the action didn't leap forward in time with huge gaps in substance. I read as far as chapter 10.
Then I discovered that this is the first book of a trilogy. Sigh. Nope. There are too many other books on my 'To be read' list of a similar nature on this theme for me to want to continue ploughing through this book and read the rest through to conclusion.
I understand all too well the premise - harnessing the ability to go into the mental/spiritual zone and staying there in order to manipulate the physical world and technology around us. It could have untold advantages and advance ways for, say, people with physical disabilities to interact with the world. A thinking reader will also discern that there are drawbacks and dangers. I wish that the author of this book had been more succinct. I didn't like the materialistic main character called Max, who is only seeking fame and fortune, and found the subservience of the other, Chuck, very irritating. There's no way I'd want to carry on reading about their conflicting exploits to conclusion through three books.
Then I discovered that this is the first book of a trilogy. Sigh. Nope. There are too many other books on my 'To be read' list of a similar nature on this theme for me to want to continue ploughing through this book and read the rest through to conclusion.
I understand all too well the premise - harnessing the ability to go into the mental/spiritual zone and staying there in order to manipulate the physical world and technology around us. It could have untold advantages and advance ways for, say, people with physical disabilities to interact with the world. A thinking reader will also discern that there are drawbacks and dangers. I wish that the author of this book had been more succinct. I didn't like the materialistic main character called Max, who is only seeking fame and fortune, and found the subservience of the other, Chuck, very irritating. There's no way I'd want to carry on reading about their conflicting exploits to conclusion through three books.
February 17, 2022
At first, I was a bit put off by the title The God Wave. That was until I read the synopsis. I didn’t want anything to do with some religious tome. While the book did touch on religion just a tad, that wasn’t the focus of the book at all. It turned out to be a fascinating science fiction tale.
It was written in solid third-person past-tense. It wasn’t limited point of view and the author tended to head-hop at will, instead of isolating each character into chapters and scenes, though overall, he sort of kept to that rule. It was an irritant to me as I’m a stickler for clean POV. On the other hand, the narrative was mostly brisk, though the chapters and scenes tended to be a bit long at times.
The other issue was the very slow buildup. It was very technical at the beginning, which I’m sure to some was probably boring. It didn’t bother me all that much, but I did notice it. It wasn’t until well past halfway to two thirds before mayhem finally ensued. I would hesitate to call this a full-blown thriller, but more of a thinking person’s story.
The premise was fascinating, yet at the same time, I still saw plenty of logic issues in the story line. I won’t go into that here, but since I’m a huge B-movie lover, whatever slips in logic or science the author introduced were pretty mild in comparison to what I normally encounter.
Overall, I had a decent time though the ending was also a bit flat given that it was a huge setup for book number two. Still recommended.
It was written in solid third-person past-tense. It wasn’t limited point of view and the author tended to head-hop at will, instead of isolating each character into chapters and scenes, though overall, he sort of kept to that rule. It was an irritant to me as I’m a stickler for clean POV. On the other hand, the narrative was mostly brisk, though the chapters and scenes tended to be a bit long at times.
The other issue was the very slow buildup. It was very technical at the beginning, which I’m sure to some was probably boring. It didn’t bother me all that much, but I did notice it. It wasn’t until well past halfway to two thirds before mayhem finally ensued. I would hesitate to call this a full-blown thriller, but more of a thinking person’s story.
The premise was fascinating, yet at the same time, I still saw plenty of logic issues in the story line. I won’t go into that here, but since I’m a huge B-movie lover, whatever slips in logic or science the author introduced were pretty mild in comparison to what I normally encounter.
Overall, I had a decent time though the ending was also a bit flat given that it was a huge setup for book number two. Still recommended.
December 28, 2020
Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but...
1. Did I put the book down?
No. I was supposed to do something else, found this book, listened to it all the way through. 🌟
2. What about the characters?
I like the multicultural aspect, but it still lacked a little bit in that department, and some silly names...it's a yes and no at the same time. Half star.
3. Structure?
A bit predictable...sadly. I was happy about the development of tech and the exploration of the human brain, all that was awesome. And then here we go again with the evil secret military. Can we please have some other forms of conflict? Shame. Half star.
4. Writing?
Fits the genre. I don't expect poetic prose in a hard/military sci-fi book. To some it's dry, to me it was engaging and realistic. Nothing to pull out an award but, I finished the book. 🌟
5. Subjective stuff?
Yeah, I want to see more about brainwaves and the development of extra-sensory skills. Maybe in the next book? Hopefully? 🌟
I wanted this to be my new favourite book, but evil military robots got in the way so...it was alright I guess. I might read the next one to see how the premise recovers itself from all that evil overlord chase and such.
1. Did I put the book down?
No. I was supposed to do something else, found this book, listened to it all the way through. 🌟
2. What about the characters?
I like the multicultural aspect, but it still lacked a little bit in that department, and some silly names...it's a yes and no at the same time. Half star.
3. Structure?
A bit predictable...sadly. I was happy about the development of tech and the exploration of the human brain, all that was awesome. And then here we go again with the evil secret military. Can we please have some other forms of conflict? Shame. Half star.
4. Writing?
Fits the genre. I don't expect poetic prose in a hard/military sci-fi book. To some it's dry, to me it was engaging and realistic. Nothing to pull out an award but, I finished the book. 🌟
5. Subjective stuff?
Yeah, I want to see more about brainwaves and the development of extra-sensory skills. Maybe in the next book? Hopefully? 🌟
I wanted this to be my new favourite book, but evil military robots got in the way so...it was alright I guess. I might read the next one to see how the premise recovers itself from all that evil overlord chase and such.
March 18, 2017
When I read the back cover about the genetic advancements in telepathy and how that could change our world, I thought this book is exactly what I want to read. Checking out the author’s background made me even more excited because the book to come would have authentic scientific reasoning behind the advancements. The first third of the book reinforced these hopeful predictions. The gamma waves, zeta waves, and how each experimental lab rat developed their powers was fascinating science. I loved the idea of how they could build a company with this advancement, and which industries they’d serve first.
While I enjoyed the book from there to the end, there’s something about the direction that left me disappointed. It started to feel like too much science, and as we passed the halfway point and well into the second half and still more discussions of the technology, I began to lose interest. The action at the end was very cool, but I don’t think there’s really a character in here that I left feeling emotionally impacted by. This was disappointing because the technology and potential for how that would shape society is really exciting story fodder, it just turned out that the story might have taken too much time on the technology development and not enough exploration for my expectations.
I listened to the audiobook, produced by HarperAudio and Nick Podehl, and thought the narrator did an excellent job. Very professional delivery that did everything possible to enhance to experience. I’m already a fan of his from his work on the Apocalypse Z series, so it was great to hear him again.
While I enjoyed the book from there to the end, there’s something about the direction that left me disappointed. It started to feel like too much science, and as we passed the halfway point and well into the second half and still more discussions of the technology, I began to lose interest. The action at the end was very cool, but I don’t think there’s really a character in here that I left feeling emotionally impacted by. This was disappointing because the technology and potential for how that would shape society is really exciting story fodder, it just turned out that the story might have taken too much time on the technology development and not enough exploration for my expectations.
I listened to the audiobook, produced by HarperAudio and Nick Podehl, and thought the narrator did an excellent job. Very professional delivery that did everything possible to enhance to experience. I’m already a fan of his from his work on the Apocalypse Z series, so it was great to hear him again.
August 5, 2017
I think I was hoping for a little more from this book... like a deeper dig into the unforeseen or existential consequences of the premise... But that being said, it was an enjoyable light SF read for the most part. The premise was cool enough, but the story felt very surface level and the characters were pretty one dimensional. It reminded me a bit of Blake Crouch's Dark Matter - stylistically especially. It sacrifices the inner experience of the characters to keep the plot moving (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, depending on your mood and preferences).
I will admit that the ending kind of hooked me. I mean, what are those mysterious people doing in this crazy lab? What is their endgame? It made me feel like this book was a super long act one to something that could potentially be much more interesting.
I will admit that the ending kind of hooked me. I mean, what are those mysterious people doing in this crazy lab? What is their endgame? It made me feel like this book was a super long act one to something that could potentially be much more interesting.
October 26, 2017
Patrick Hemstreet tells of neuroscientist Chuck Brenton who works with advanced EEGs created from creative volunteers. Then he has a bright idea that the EEGs could be used to allow direct manipulation of computer effects. Working with a mathematician Matthew Streegman and others they soon discover that their subjects can create what they call a zeta brain wave, The God Wave (paper from HarperCollins Publishers), allows subjects to do impossible things like telekinesis. Unfortunately their company signs a contract to train members with what they think is the US Army but is actually a paramilitary group. The first half of the tale is a lot of fun, but then things go dark. It is the first book of a trilogy which I bought when I read that the tv and film right had been picked up. It should make for a great tv or movie series.Review printed by Philadelphia Free Press
August 22, 2017
The premise sounded so cool: humans unlocking radical mind powers and progressing to the next state of human evolution! Awesome!
The story ended up plodding along, laboriously, with some technical details thrown in that likely would impress someone who had never used a computer before and didn't know the difference between a wifi router and a microwave oven, and then some Michael Bay-style over the top stuff starts happening around page 300, and you know what, I don't think I'll be tuning in for the rest of the trilogy.
For a much cooler treatment of similar subject matter, with a bigger scope, and which is 'actual sci-fi' by comparison, maybe try A.E. Van Vogt's "Slan," which is probably like 70 years old at this point but is a lot more fun.
The story ended up plodding along, laboriously, with some technical details thrown in that likely would impress someone who had never used a computer before and didn't know the difference between a wifi router and a microwave oven, and then some Michael Bay-style over the top stuff starts happening around page 300, and you know what, I don't think I'll be tuning in for the rest of the trilogy.
For a much cooler treatment of similar subject matter, with a bigger scope, and which is 'actual sci-fi' by comparison, maybe try A.E. Van Vogt's "Slan," which is probably like 70 years old at this point but is a lot more fun.
August 5, 2017
Started 7-27-17; finished 8-4-17. Good science fiction thriller about the not-too-distant future. If brain waves can move a needle on a graph, what else can brain waves move or control? Two men become partners in this endeavor: one sees science as bettering mankind, the other bettering his wallet. Then of course a "super secret" military unit becomes involved, and we all know how that will turn out! Lots of action in the 2nd half of this debut novel, including car chases, explosions, you know, the usual exciting mayhem. The second book in the series is The God Peak, and I just started that one.
May 5, 2017
Eh. 2.5 stars. Don't get the rave reviews. Kinda silly, and very unrealistic. For example (a) the concept of how people were able to make the jump to (avoiding spoilers) use of the God Wave for basically absolutely whatever wasn't remotely thought out or explained - silly, (b) the idea that either of the two main founders would (or could) spring such material surprises on each other - silly, and (c) (again, vague so as to avoid spoilers) the whole story with General Howard - extra-silly.
Basically a lightweight, less thoughtful Robert J Sawyer book.
Basically a lightweight, less thoughtful Robert J Sawyer book.
May 29, 2019
This was an interesting book, filled with interesting characters. The premise is what happens when an interface between humans and machines becomes possible? And then what happens when one of the creators decides they should be making as much money as possible from the concept? The book's pace is too slow for me and filled with a lot of scientific jargon. I have no doubt it is well researched. And with the "gimme" of the initial premise, it is pretty believable. I just didn't find it compelling; and certainly not compelling enough to read any further into the trilogy.
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