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Post-Human #1-4
Post-Human Series Books 1-4
We're living in a time where technology is changing the world at an ever faster pace.
New technologies like artificial intelligence and gene editing are going to change everything, but we don't know what. What will happen when humans can live forever? Or die with just a few keystrokes? How will our governments react as they lose control of their citizens' data? And how do you feel about uploading your mind into a computer so that you may live on after death?
The Post-Human Omnibus is the perfect book for these times. It's an epic series of stories that explore all sides of humanity's future through science fiction, from both near-future dystopias to far-future utopias (and everything in between). Written by award winning author & TEDx speaker David Simpson, this collection explores many different genres from thrillers to romances to mysteries and much more.
New technologies like artificial intelligence and gene editing are going to change everything, but we don't know what. What will happen when humans can live forever? Or die with just a few keystrokes? How will our governments react as they lose control of their citizens' data? And how do you feel about uploading your mind into a computer so that you may live on after death?
The Post-Human Omnibus is the perfect book for these times. It's an epic series of stories that explore all sides of humanity's future through science fiction, from both near-future dystopias to far-future utopias (and everything in between). Written by award winning author & TEDx speaker David Simpson, this collection explores many different genres from thrillers to romances to mysteries and much more.
764 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 5, 2014
2174 people are currently reading
3151 people want to read
About the author
David Simpson
19 books344 followersFuturist/Feature Film Director/Bestselling and Award-Winning Author/Film Composer/Actor/TEDX Speaker/Advisor for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO),— just some of David Simpson's professional passions. His TEDX presentation, "Our Post-Human Future," has over 1.7 Million views on Youtube and his debut feature film, a psychological thriller titled, Dangerous to Know, had its World Premiere in London, England in October, 2020 where it became the first 3 hour film ever selected for the prestigious Frightfest, Film Festival, (the largest genre film festival in the English-speaking world) where David's debut film was compared favourably by critics to such film luminaries as David Fincher and Stanley Kubrick.
Meanwhile, the Sixth book in the Post-Human series, Superhuman, was released in late, 2020, and, equal in length to Stephen King's epic, The Stand, Superhuman has taken its place as one of the longest science fiction novels ever written.
Sometimes David Simpson sleeps...but not often.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
April 7, 2017
All four books of this collection are pretty much generic and cheap fodder for the sci-fi omnivore and the further you progress in the series the more it becomes impossible to shake the feeling that this stuff has been hastly thrown together for a quick buck. Throughout all of the four installments Post-Human's protagonists remain one-dimensional, wooden and shallow clichés whose actions are as predictable as author David Simpson's seemingly limited vocabulary. I must admit I quickly lost count on how often certain phrases or even whole sentences were being recycled over and over again, but let me assure it was an awful lot.
Simpson's writing is rather unimaginative as well in its blunt and superficial descriptions and the c-movie dialogues he places in the mouths of his protagonists. And don't even get me started on the major logic holes in the book's mainly outrageous scientific explanations or the downright annoying stupidity of some of the character's actions. Oh, and the multiple deaths and repeated reincarnations of all of the book's characters of course. Seriously, how often can you pull this off before it becomes ridiculous? Jeez...
The only thing saving this book from the lowest possible rating is the undoubtedly fast pace of the story and the few surprising (but in most cases horribly constructed) turns it takes throughout its length. Other than that it is pretty much a waste of time for every serious sci-fi fan and best avoided..
Simpson's writing is rather unimaginative as well in its blunt and superficial descriptions and the c-movie dialogues he places in the mouths of his protagonists. And don't even get me started on the major logic holes in the book's mainly outrageous scientific explanations or the downright annoying stupidity of some of the character's actions. Oh, and the multiple deaths and repeated reincarnations of all of the book's characters of course. Seriously, how often can you pull this off before it becomes ridiculous? Jeez...
The only thing saving this book from the lowest possible rating is the undoubtedly fast pace of the story and the few surprising (but in most cases horribly constructed) turns it takes throughout its length. Other than that it is pretty much a waste of time for every serious sci-fi fan and best avoided..
July 21, 2016
Based on the glowing reviews I'd seen, I bought an ebook omnibus containing the four novels that make up David Simpson's "Post-Human" series, which explores what happens when AI becomes real.
I didn't make it through the first book, "Sub-Human".
"Sub-Human" is packed with informed ideas about AI and its consequences. It has action on every page. The plot is very fast paced. It would make a great comic (Graphic Novel if that makes you feel more grown-up) or a TV series.
As a novel, it is so under-written that it would make the average TV script for "Agents of Shield" seem like densely-written literature.
There is no characterisation, no empathy for the people and their situation, just a dash through action scenes that act as vehicles to test out AI concepts.
The level of insight into what makes people tick was so low that, if there was a Turing Test for novels, this book would fail it.
I didn't make it through the first book, "Sub-Human".
"Sub-Human" is packed with informed ideas about AI and its consequences. It has action on every page. The plot is very fast paced. It would make a great comic (Graphic Novel if that makes you feel more grown-up) or a TV series.
As a novel, it is so under-written that it would make the average TV script for "Agents of Shield" seem like densely-written literature.
There is no characterisation, no empathy for the people and their situation, just a dash through action scenes that act as vehicles to test out AI concepts.
The level of insight into what makes people tick was so low that, if there was a Turing Test for novels, this book would fail it.
May 4, 2015
I actually only read 1-3. I couldn't commit to one more. The characters were amazingly boring. The plot was both slow and plodding, then with bursts of kind of boring action that followed suit in all three books.
I'm glad the character I thought was the main character wasn't because he was immensely boring to read. Not that the actual "Main" character was any better. Add that characters go from strong and passionate about their story to 5th level characters with little actual personality. One simply became a whole new person it seems.
So yeah, made it 75% before throwing in the towel, and don't care at all how the series wraps up.
I'm glad the character I thought was the main character wasn't because he was immensely boring to read. Not that the actual "Main" character was any better. Add that characters go from strong and passionate about their story to 5th level characters with little actual personality. One simply became a whole new person it seems.
So yeah, made it 75% before throwing in the towel, and don't care at all how the series wraps up.
January 25, 2015
Some good yarns, but I couldn't quite suspend my disbelief, due to some of the 'science' and the lack of plausibility in many of the character interactions. Just a few examples:
Dr. Craig Emilson, ambitious Special Forces physician, turns into an amiable, fatherly fellow who nearly everyone calls 'Old-timer'? Never 'Doctor Emilson', rarely 'Craig', but 'Old-timer'! I'd have whipped some of those kids' butts for that!
Nothing can exceed the speed of light, until a book and a half later when the author finally realizes he needs to explain how these people have instantaneous interplanetary communications and tosses out, 'Oh, yeah, we can make wormholes and send signals through them (when it's convenient for the story, of course), we just can't travel through them like you super-advanced aliens can.' Sorry, Mr. Simpson, you lost me on that one in the previous book.
People get immortality and simultaneously decide to abolish divorce and seriously enforce bans against adultery? Where the heck did that come from? I seriously can't see how we get from here to there, and the very thin attempt to explain the logic just makes no sense to me. Even colonial Puritans in New England had occasional divorces, somewhat more frequent affairs, and plenty of premarital sex, so how could post-humans honestly think they could avoid any of that?
Fusion reactors smaller than paperback books implanted in human bodies, powering magnetic systems that can do all sorts of magic, including space flight at a sizable fraction of the speed of light. That's a lot of energy. Someone please tell me, where does all the waste heat go?
However, I was able to ignore these and the other lapses in plausibility enough to enjoy the thriller nature of the stories. I could wish there weren't so many missing words, but it reads fairly smoothly anyway, and I had to keep flipping the pages. Overall, it's worth a read, despite the flaws.
Dr. Craig Emilson, ambitious Special Forces physician, turns into an amiable, fatherly fellow who nearly everyone calls 'Old-timer'? Never 'Doctor Emilson', rarely 'Craig', but 'Old-timer'! I'd have whipped some of those kids' butts for that!
Nothing can exceed the speed of light, until a book and a half later when the author finally realizes he needs to explain how these people have instantaneous interplanetary communications and tosses out, 'Oh, yeah, we can make wormholes and send signals through them (when it's convenient for the story, of course), we just can't travel through them like you super-advanced aliens can.' Sorry, Mr. Simpson, you lost me on that one in the previous book.
People get immortality and simultaneously decide to abolish divorce and seriously enforce bans against adultery? Where the heck did that come from? I seriously can't see how we get from here to there, and the very thin attempt to explain the logic just makes no sense to me. Even colonial Puritans in New England had occasional divorces, somewhat more frequent affairs, and plenty of premarital sex, so how could post-humans honestly think they could avoid any of that?
Fusion reactors smaller than paperback books implanted in human bodies, powering magnetic systems that can do all sorts of magic, including space flight at a sizable fraction of the speed of light. That's a lot of energy. Someone please tell me, where does all the waste heat go?
However, I was able to ignore these and the other lapses in plausibility enough to enjoy the thriller nature of the stories. I could wish there weren't so many missing words, but it reads fairly smoothly anyway, and I had to keep flipping the pages. Overall, it's worth a read, despite the flaws.
November 10, 2015
This was the worst sci-fi book I've read this year. Possibly ever. DO NOT READ IT. Save your time!
Just like the author, I lack the words to describe how bad this was. The flat plot, the clichés, the cardboard characters, their shallow, black/white relationships; the trivial way their binary "emotions" are described; the power-mongering when it comes to the tech. The horribly predictable action.
I have absolutely no idea how this drivel ever ended up with such high ratings on Amazon and elsewhere. Seriously; after the example chapter, I thought it must get better, it couldn't possibly be that bad, and I normally really enjoy space opera et al. It was *worse*.
I don't normally write one star reviews (because why would I spend time on a book that bad), but I'm making an exception here. Hopefully it will save someone else.
Seriously. Do not waste your time, or money, on this "book". Or at least don't say you weren't warned.
Just like the author, I lack the words to describe how bad this was. The flat plot, the clichés, the cardboard characters, their shallow, black/white relationships; the trivial way their binary "emotions" are described; the power-mongering when it comes to the tech. The horribly predictable action.
I have absolutely no idea how this drivel ever ended up with such high ratings on Amazon and elsewhere. Seriously; after the example chapter, I thought it must get better, it couldn't possibly be that bad, and I normally really enjoy space opera et al. It was *worse*.
I don't normally write one star reviews (because why would I spend time on a book that bad), but I'm making an exception here. Hopefully it will save someone else.
Seriously. Do not waste your time, or money, on this "book". Or at least don't say you weren't warned.
April 16, 2014
I really enjoyed this four book bundle. Set in the future, it's a clever mix of technology interwoven with a great plot. The books centre on the development of AI showing both the potential capabilities as well as the negative possibilities which could arise.
I loved the sheer randomness of the first book, books two and three follow the same characters as they fight to save earth and book four is totally different. When I started reading the fourth book, I had to check a couple of times that my Kindle wasn't playing tricks on me. It wasn't. Book four turned out to be incredibly cleverly married with the other three books.
The chapters are short, which leads to plenty of "just one more chapter" syndrome which makes it very readable.
Great work Mr Simpson and I look forward to the next installment.
I loved the sheer randomness of the first book, books two and three follow the same characters as they fight to save earth and book four is totally different. When I started reading the fourth book, I had to check a couple of times that my Kindle wasn't playing tricks on me. It wasn't. Book four turned out to be incredibly cleverly married with the other three books.
The chapters are short, which leads to plenty of "just one more chapter" syndrome which makes it very readable.
Great work Mr Simpson and I look forward to the next installment.
April 12, 2015
I just finished Sub-Human and all I can say is WHOA. A quote from the book sums it up nicely, "The boundary between magic and science had blurred until it was unrecognizable.
To write this kind book, (my favorite kind of sci-fi), the author had to have researched extensively in various areas of science and technology. He pulled it off flawlessly. It is completely believable with enough scientific fact to back up the fiction that there is no need to suspend belief at any point.
I'm moving on to book two and will be back with more review.
To write this kind book, (my favorite kind of sci-fi), the author had to have researched extensively in various areas of science and technology. He pulled it off flawlessly. It is completely believable with enough scientific fact to back up the fiction that there is no need to suspend belief at any point.
I'm moving on to book two and will be back with more review.
July 23, 2023
Good first book. Lots of action, good ideas and fairly tight plotting.
From book 2 onwards, the quality of writing deteriorated dramatically. It’s a shame, I almost DNF due to the grating repetitive and tedious disaster - resolution sequences.
Characters from book 2-4 had very little nuance, extreme reactions, sudden emotional changes and overly descriptive passages with too many unnecessary superlatives made it hard going.
Despite the guy having now made a “major motion picture” (5.5/10 on IMDb!) I don’t rate his storytelling.
Paradoxes and lazy writing abound - things like the following.
“Old-timer tried to get up, performing a maneuver reminiscent of a bodybuilder trying to finish one last sit up—with an exhausted exhale, he failed and fell back against the floor. James gave him his arm and helped him stand back upright. Old-timer kept his right forearm crossed in front of his abdomen and remained hunched over, floating just off the ground in the zero gravity.”
How can he fall back against the floor in zero gravity?? It’s one or the other.
“The pearl vanished into it in a streak of light and vanished.”
Come on!! There’s better ways of expressing that!
And the irony of the following
“She shook her head. “I can’t believe it. Another attempt at humor. You suck at it.”
Yep, not even a smile at any point let alone a laugh at the weak attempts at humour in the books.
Wouldn’t recommend any one else trawl through the whole lot really, stop at the end of book 1!
From book 2 onwards, the quality of writing deteriorated dramatically. It’s a shame, I almost DNF due to the grating repetitive and tedious disaster - resolution sequences.
Characters from book 2-4 had very little nuance, extreme reactions, sudden emotional changes and overly descriptive passages with too many unnecessary superlatives made it hard going.
Despite the guy having now made a “major motion picture” (5.5/10 on IMDb!) I don’t rate his storytelling.
Paradoxes and lazy writing abound - things like the following.
“Old-timer tried to get up, performing a maneuver reminiscent of a bodybuilder trying to finish one last sit up—with an exhausted exhale, he failed and fell back against the floor. James gave him his arm and helped him stand back upright. Old-timer kept his right forearm crossed in front of his abdomen and remained hunched over, floating just off the ground in the zero gravity.”
How can he fall back against the floor in zero gravity?? It’s one or the other.
“The pearl vanished into it in a streak of light and vanished.”
Come on!! There’s better ways of expressing that!
And the irony of the following
“She shook her head. “I can’t believe it. Another attempt at humor. You suck at it.”
Yep, not even a smile at any point let alone a laugh at the weak attempts at humour in the books.
Wouldn’t recommend any one else trawl through the whole lot really, stop at the end of book 1!
February 6, 2018
Interesting concepts, and enjoyable read. I read it because it was really cheap on Amazon Kindle, and kept my interest.
March 21, 2014
The Post-Human book series of 4 books is really a (at this time) a four book set. I am choosing to offer my review on the first 4 book set since I think that better serves the reader.
The first book in the series was really written as the third book. It is a prequel which introduces the characters, primarily the old-timer. I found this book pretty essential in understanding the series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and give it a 5 star rating.
The second and third books are much different from the first. In a prologue from the author, the reader is told that they will need to release any conceptions they have of the future as it is impacted by technology. A very accurate statement as these books are what can happen if Moore's Law is fully accurate. I found the story in these books to take a bit of thought and acceptance. After all, this is a somewhat cerebral science fiction series. What I can tell you is that David Simpson can write and challenge the reader. I surmise that he is a very bright individual that has the ability to speak to the masses. I give these two books 4.5 stars.
The third book is absolutely amazing. The same character set is still involved but you will not know it for some time. There are some very interesting plot changes in this book that should get to you and have you mumbling to yourself that the author has constructed a believable roller coaster of a ride that you could never see coming. I rate this book 5+ stars and look forward to reading his other books.
Highly recommend to science fiction readers that are looking for something other than alien attacks.
The first book in the series was really written as the third book. It is a prequel which introduces the characters, primarily the old-timer. I found this book pretty essential in understanding the series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and give it a 5 star rating.
The second and third books are much different from the first. In a prologue from the author, the reader is told that they will need to release any conceptions they have of the future as it is impacted by technology. A very accurate statement as these books are what can happen if Moore's Law is fully accurate. I found the story in these books to take a bit of thought and acceptance. After all, this is a somewhat cerebral science fiction series. What I can tell you is that David Simpson can write and challenge the reader. I surmise that he is a very bright individual that has the ability to speak to the masses. I give these two books 4.5 stars.
The third book is absolutely amazing. The same character set is still involved but you will not know it for some time. There are some very interesting plot changes in this book that should get to you and have you mumbling to yourself that the author has constructed a believable roller coaster of a ride that you could never see coming. I rate this book 5+ stars and look forward to reading his other books.
Highly recommend to science fiction readers that are looking for something other than alien attacks.
September 10, 2015
Having just read the Post-Human series books 1-4, I need a moment to collect my collective thoughts before I continue my review... Whew... now I feel better!
What I liked about the series: Imaginative, realistic 'future' tech, and a story-line that kept surprising me. Several times I thought a had a bead on where the plot headed, but the twists alternated between "What the hell" and "That's even better". Overall, the story kept me engaged and invested in reading to the end. Many of the characters were fully developed and relate-able. I don't get a lot of time to read, but when I did have time I wanted to finish the book(s) all the way through.
What I didn't like about the series: Some of the characters, mostly minor ones, seemed to be 1 (or maybe 2) dimensional. Even a few of the lead support characters felt a little hollow and flat. The writing, overall, was good. However, I found some phrases and words over-used, or repeated too closely together, throughout the series. And, I apologize for being nit-picky, the use of passive phrases and overly lengthy sentences became a distraction from time to time.
For the reasons above I gave Post-Human Books 1-4 a solid 4 stars. I think the premise would make a great animated TV series.
I'd watch it!
Nicholas Adams
What I liked about the series: Imaginative, realistic 'future' tech, and a story-line that kept surprising me. Several times I thought a had a bead on where the plot headed, but the twists alternated between "What the hell" and "That's even better". Overall, the story kept me engaged and invested in reading to the end. Many of the characters were fully developed and relate-able. I don't get a lot of time to read, but when I did have time I wanted to finish the book(s) all the way through.
What I didn't like about the series: Some of the characters, mostly minor ones, seemed to be 1 (or maybe 2) dimensional. Even a few of the lead support characters felt a little hollow and flat. The writing, overall, was good. However, I found some phrases and words over-used, or repeated too closely together, throughout the series. And, I apologize for being nit-picky, the use of passive phrases and overly lengthy sentences became a distraction from time to time.
For the reasons above I gave Post-Human Books 1-4 a solid 4 stars. I think the premise would make a great animated TV series.
I'd watch it!
Nicholas Adams
February 25, 2015
Technically I have only read three out of the four, but as it seems to have been a Trilogy at one time I'm not bothered!
The tale is a rambling space opera, showing the evolution of the human race from one or two special people up through a major cataclysm to an ultimate metamorphosis. There are times when influences can be seen, especially the Borg from Star Trek in the third book, complete with a collective and assimilation of others.
Throughout this yarn several people - -major characters - die. Then are resurrected in one way or another. Then die again. Then don't.
When things go wrong some major technological god from the machine fixes it.
Why three stars then? There was enough to keep me interested for most of the three books I read. Towards the end though it was almost skimming to get to see what the end would bring. It was free, and the fifth book has just been released for the same price. However, I don't see me reading it in the near future.
The tale is a rambling space opera, showing the evolution of the human race from one or two special people up through a major cataclysm to an ultimate metamorphosis. There are times when influences can be seen, especially the Borg from Star Trek in the third book, complete with a collective and assimilation of others.
Throughout this yarn several people - -major characters - die. Then are resurrected in one way or another. Then die again. Then don't.
When things go wrong some major technological god from the machine fixes it.
Why three stars then? There was enough to keep me interested for most of the three books I read. Towards the end though it was almost skimming to get to see what the end would bring. It was free, and the fifth book has just been released for the same price. However, I don't see me reading it in the near future.
May 18, 2014
Well written and imaginative
Solid writing and editing is always a huge plus, and Mr. Simpson delivers. The storyline is action-packed, Imaginative, and futuristic. Overall, the series thus far is an excellent addition to the sci-fi genre. The books are shorter than I prefer, but reading them in this grouping all at once alleviates some of the chagrin that might have otherwise left me feeling strung along.
Solid writing and editing is always a huge plus, and Mr. Simpson delivers. The storyline is action-packed, Imaginative, and futuristic. Overall, the series thus far is an excellent addition to the sci-fi genre. The books are shorter than I prefer, but reading them in this grouping all at once alleviates some of the chagrin that might have otherwise left me feeling strung along.
April 25, 2015
I enjoyed book 4, but the other 3 were hard to get into. Craig/Old Timer seemed to have forgotten everything that has happened to him from Book 1, and the way the Post-Humans react to the Purists was absurd. It was maybe 100 years since the divide and the Post-Humans act like it was eons. I don't know if I will continue to Book 5.
March 11, 2016
I gave up about 18% into the first book. I found the first few chapters very interesting, but then it quickly got very ridiculous. I'm disappointed as I purchased all 5 books based on so many great reviews.
June 28, 2015
It started off so very well with book one. But book two was so cliche it made my stop reading it. Very disappointing.
August 12, 2024
Watch the Award-Winning, science fiction Post-Human Short Film: post-humannovel.com
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"Wow! Reads like an action film is reeling off in your head!" -JOANNA DANEMAN [#1 HALL OF FAME] [AMAZON VINE VOICE REVIEWER] (Review for Sub-Human)
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"Fantastic series, download and start reading right now!" -Mark Draper [TOP 10 AMAZON REVIEWER]
BOOK DESCRIPTION: David Simpson's bestselling and award-winning Post-Human science fiction adventure series has been downloaded on the Kindle over one million times in the last three years, delighting readers with a blend of thought-provoking philosophy, cutting edge and speculative science fiction, and high-octane, action-packed suspense, mystery, and adventure. Readers have compared it most often with the works of science fiction master Isaac Asimov and have delighted in turning pages filled to the brim with all the best that science fiction and cyberpunk have to offer, like nanobots, A.I., androids, post-humans, cyborgs, and a cast of likeable characters, suspense, and star-crossed love that you won't be able to resist. Ready to get hooked by this science fiction suspense thriller? Then download the Post-Human adventure and experience it for yourself!
BOOK 5 (INHUMAN) AVAILABLE: amzn.to/29p3beB
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ReviewHuman Plus Voice Arts Award: *For Audiobook Narration - Metaphysical, Best Voiceover*
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"Fantastic series, download and start reading right now!" -*Mark Draper *[TOP 10 AMAZON REVIEWER]
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"I read through the books, feeling a strong connection to the characters, wishing at times some of the tech were real, and at others being very thankful that humanity is not quite there." -SFsignal.com--Hugo award winning website
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"Wow! Reads like an action film is reeling off in your head!" -JOANNA DANEMAN [#1 HALL OF FAME] [AMAZON VINE VOICE REVIEWER]* *(Review for Sub-Human)
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"Post-Human, a noteworthy sci-fi novel." -Examiner.com
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"A thought-provoking, energetic sci-fi book, with a robust dose of high-octane exploits." -By A.F. Stewart, author of *Chronicles of the Undead (Review for Trans-Human)*
From the Author
CONTAINS:
SUB-HUMAN (BOOK 1)
POST-HUMAN (BOOK 2)
TRANS-HUMAN (BOOK 3)
HUMAN PLUS (BOOK 4)
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November 17, 2020
This omnibus edition was obtained free. The reviews below are also repeated as reviews for individual books. I have reviewed the books separately as well so that people will see the review, whichever way they come across the book. These reviews also appear on Amazon.
This series of books makes for very interesting reading. It is sci-fi and some of the things in it make you think "I wonder if they will ever achieve that?" while other leave you thinking that certain things are impossible (like a commute to Venus to work!). Having said that, the books are best read with an open mind to get the most out of them. They are quite good reads.
Sub-Human
This story is quite good combining many aspects of science fiction - time travel, parallel universes, nanobots inside a body that can repair it. It also touchs on the moral dilemna of time travel - if you go back in time and could stop a disaster happening should you do so, knowing that it will change the world as you know it. I found the book to be an enjoyable read.
Post-Human
Another entertaining read is the Post Human Apocalypse series. Following a disaster at a science lab on Venus, scientists travel back to Earth to find that most of the population has been wiped out. They have to set about discovering what caused it in order to save both themselves and those that have survived. You have to keep an open mind with these stories because they do tend to push the imagination of what a future Earth might be like to the limit. The reviews are the same in both cases.
Trans-Human
Earth comes under an alien attack where the aliens are trying to save the people on planet Earth from themselves by assimilating them into their culture. But are the problems with Earth that the aliens cite real or is the problem with the aliens themselves? This was an exciting read with lots of twists in the plot that made you want to keep reading to see how it all turned out.
Human Plus
When you start reading this book, having read the others in the series, it is as though this story goes right back to the beginning as does not have a link to the others in the series. However, you will definitely be surprised when you find what that link is! The story is certainly very thought-provoking. One disappointment with it is that I got this series thinking it was complete in itself but, when I got to the end of this book, I found that this wasn't so.
This series of books makes for very interesting reading. It is sci-fi and some of the things in it make you think "I wonder if they will ever achieve that?" while other leave you thinking that certain things are impossible (like a commute to Venus to work!). Having said that, the books are best read with an open mind to get the most out of them. They are quite good reads.
Sub-Human
This story is quite good combining many aspects of science fiction - time travel, parallel universes, nanobots inside a body that can repair it. It also touchs on the moral dilemna of time travel - if you go back in time and could stop a disaster happening should you do so, knowing that it will change the world as you know it. I found the book to be an enjoyable read.
Post-Human
Another entertaining read is the Post Human Apocalypse series. Following a disaster at a science lab on Venus, scientists travel back to Earth to find that most of the population has been wiped out. They have to set about discovering what caused it in order to save both themselves and those that have survived. You have to keep an open mind with these stories because they do tend to push the imagination of what a future Earth might be like to the limit. The reviews are the same in both cases.
Trans-Human
Earth comes under an alien attack where the aliens are trying to save the people on planet Earth from themselves by assimilating them into their culture. But are the problems with Earth that the aliens cite real or is the problem with the aliens themselves? This was an exciting read with lots of twists in the plot that made you want to keep reading to see how it all turned out.
Human Plus
When you start reading this book, having read the others in the series, it is as though this story goes right back to the beginning as does not have a link to the others in the series. However, you will definitely be surprised when you find what that link is! The story is certainly very thought-provoking. One disappointment with it is that I got this series thinking it was complete in itself but, when I got to the end of this book, I found that this wasn't so.
February 4, 2022
I sure wish I had read some reviews before buying this book. I blithely assumed it was hard science fiction when in reality is it better described as young adult science fantasy romance.
The underlying concepts that are explored are interesting but other than that the book is very difficult to get through. The characters are not only one dimensional but they are dumb, dumb, dumb. They face near-certain death a dozen times and in each case they are squabbling and throwing out quips and professing their love for each other until someone says, "You guys we only have second left we have to decide what to do!"
I'm generally fine with hand-waving things like faster-than-light travel and wormholes, which are in here plenty. What I'm not fine with are made-up concepts that violate laws of thermodynamics and physics with no explanation whatsoever, and make no sense.
The crazy twists were so common that they became completely expected. Main characters die over and over again and then somehow three chapters later they're back! Each explanation is crazier than the last.
The women characters in the book are the worst. Each of them seems to have been waiting their whole life for one of the men characters to "gaze" at them and make their lives complete. From that point on they act irrational and say "Oh James" dozens of times and offer to sacrifice themselves and then they pout when their guy is dead . . . until he's magically "back" once again. ("Oh James how are you alive after I saw you burned up in that explosion?")
Throughout the book there are probably at least a dozen scenes where the characters and all of humanity face certain death and then someone thinks of something at the last second.
Plenty of people have given this book very good reviews, which means that there is an audience for it for sure. But that audience is definitely not me and if you are looking for a well-written coherent sci-fi book for adults it probably is not for you, either.
The underlying concepts that are explored are interesting but other than that the book is very difficult to get through. The characters are not only one dimensional but they are dumb, dumb, dumb. They face near-certain death a dozen times and in each case they are squabbling and throwing out quips and professing their love for each other until someone says, "You guys we only have second left we have to decide what to do!"
I'm generally fine with hand-waving things like faster-than-light travel and wormholes, which are in here plenty. What I'm not fine with are made-up concepts that violate laws of thermodynamics and physics with no explanation whatsoever, and make no sense.
The crazy twists were so common that they became completely expected. Main characters die over and over again and then somehow three chapters later they're back! Each explanation is crazier than the last.
The women characters in the book are the worst. Each of them seems to have been waiting their whole life for one of the men characters to "gaze" at them and make their lives complete. From that point on they act irrational and say "Oh James" dozens of times and offer to sacrifice themselves and then they pout when their guy is dead . . . until he's magically "back" once again. ("Oh James how are you alive after I saw you burned up in that explosion?")
Throughout the book there are probably at least a dozen scenes where the characters and all of humanity face certain death and then someone thinks of something at the last second.
Plenty of people have given this book very good reviews, which means that there is an audience for it for sure. But that audience is definitely not me and if you are looking for a well-written coherent sci-fi book for adults it probably is not for you, either.
June 23, 2017
I really enjoyed the concepts in this series, about the evolution of humans to a new life-form. Simpson theorizes about the next steps in human development in a very logical, believable progression, like all the best sci-fi does. When I got to the last book, "Human Plus," I was a bit confused because the story seemed to be a complete departure from the first three. The style of the writing even seemed to change. I was not very pleased with this departure, but I figured it would have to come back at some point, and it did. I think I would have preferred if the POV had switched between the SIM and the "real world" rather than waiting until the end to reveal what was going on.
While I was challenged by Simpson's ideas about how man evolves, I didn't agree with all of his concepts. He seemed overly obsessed with the idea of becoming god-like, or even God-like. I think his view of God is somewhat limited. Just having the ability to create life does not make one a god. He also suggests that our consciousness is nothing more than our unique thought patterns, but I believe there's more to the soul than that. I also don't think it will ever be possible to make humans immortal. Either way, it is still fun and challenging to read these ideas about humanity's progression to a more advanced species. It can also serve as a cautionary tale--full of pitfalls to avoid as we "progress".
On a more technical note, I did find a few grammatical and/or spelling errors in this edition. While I know errors happen, when I run into more than one in a book, I start to get annoyed. I don't know who is responsible for editing, but more care should be taken in the future.
I understand that the author has more books in this series, and I would be interested to see where he takes us.
While I was challenged by Simpson's ideas about how man evolves, I didn't agree with all of his concepts. He seemed overly obsessed with the idea of becoming god-like, or even God-like. I think his view of God is somewhat limited. Just having the ability to create life does not make one a god. He also suggests that our consciousness is nothing more than our unique thought patterns, but I believe there's more to the soul than that. I also don't think it will ever be possible to make humans immortal. Either way, it is still fun and challenging to read these ideas about humanity's progression to a more advanced species. It can also serve as a cautionary tale--full of pitfalls to avoid as we "progress".
On a more technical note, I did find a few grammatical and/or spelling errors in this edition. While I know errors happen, when I run into more than one in a book, I start to get annoyed. I don't know who is responsible for editing, but more care should be taken in the future.
I understand that the author has more books in this series, and I would be interested to see where he takes us.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2020
This was a GoodReads giveaway of a Kindle ebook.
I never know if I should review this Omnibus as four separate books or as a single book. This review will be an overview of the combined Post-Human #1-4.
Overall I liked this, but with some serious reservations. I was very tempted to quit midway on this series. I try not to put books into my DNF stack. I try to read the entire book(s) regardless of how painful it might get.
Book #1 I would rate 3 stars. It introduced some interesting concepts. I thought the science portion was skimpy.
Book #2 rated 2 stars. It just seemed more of the same and started to become ever more fantasy. I did not like the switch in names of our hero to "old-timer". It was just too disrespectful. (It has more to do with a "pet name" someone used to refer to my father. It's cultural.)
Book #3 rated a 1 star. I hated the spin off into fantasy. Just make up anything you want science to do. No logic building to how we got there. The name "old-timer" really irritates me. I slogged my way through this book and was ready to dump it into my DNF series list with a note to not pick it back up.
Book #4 rated 4 stars. I loved how this book started and kept going. It was more along a Matrix story telling. The ending tie up back to the other books was the weakest part.
Overall, I might suggest skipping books #2 and #3. Just read books #1 and #4. I managed to complete the Omnibus, but I don't see myself reading any more of this series. Most of it just seemed to take too long to get anywhere. It was not by style.
Have a GoodReads.
I never know if I should review this Omnibus as four separate books or as a single book. This review will be an overview of the combined Post-Human #1-4.
Overall I liked this, but with some serious reservations. I was very tempted to quit midway on this series. I try not to put books into my DNF stack. I try to read the entire book(s) regardless of how painful it might get.
Book #1 I would rate 3 stars. It introduced some interesting concepts. I thought the science portion was skimpy.
Book #2 rated 2 stars. It just seemed more of the same and started to become ever more fantasy. I did not like the switch in names of our hero to "old-timer". It was just too disrespectful. (It has more to do with a "pet name" someone used to refer to my father. It's cultural.)
Book #3 rated a 1 star. I hated the spin off into fantasy. Just make up anything you want science to do. No logic building to how we got there. The name "old-timer" really irritates me. I slogged my way through this book and was ready to dump it into my DNF series list with a note to not pick it back up.
Book #4 rated 4 stars. I loved how this book started and kept going. It was more along a Matrix story telling. The ending tie up back to the other books was the weakest part.
Overall, I might suggest skipping books #2 and #3. Just read books #1 and #4. I managed to complete the Omnibus, but I don't see myself reading any more of this series. Most of it just seemed to take too long to get anywhere. It was not by style.
Have a GoodReads.
May 13, 2021
Not really science fiction, more like science fantasy
So, this series is a plot driven story that has almost no character development. Worse, most of the characters seem more like caricatures of people in different roles. For example, the female characters all seem to be preoccupied by love and sex. Even the ones who are depicted as scientists are driven by their emotional attachments to the male characters and don't exhibit any logical or rational thought.
The male characters seem mostly like caricatures of mad scientists and exhibit no real sense of humanity. Soldiers are likewise just mindless killing machine. There's a U.S. president who is anti technology but we never learn why or what motivates any of the characters.
That said, there the seed of a good story there, but too much ill explained techno-babble. Across the four volumes there's a lot going on, but relatively little to explain why or how that isn't drowning in techno-babble of one sort or another. Its definitely NOT in the same room as Foundation. However, the story reads quickly due to the author's heavy reliance on dialogue and there are some interesting, but fantastical parts that make it entertaining enough.
Not really my cup of tea, and I won't read any of the next two volumes.
So, this series is a plot driven story that has almost no character development. Worse, most of the characters seem more like caricatures of people in different roles. For example, the female characters all seem to be preoccupied by love and sex. Even the ones who are depicted as scientists are driven by their emotional attachments to the male characters and don't exhibit any logical or rational thought.
The male characters seem mostly like caricatures of mad scientists and exhibit no real sense of humanity. Soldiers are likewise just mindless killing machine. There's a U.S. president who is anti technology but we never learn why or what motivates any of the characters.
That said, there the seed of a good story there, but too much ill explained techno-babble. Across the four volumes there's a lot going on, but relatively little to explain why or how that isn't drowning in techno-babble of one sort or another. Its definitely NOT in the same room as Foundation. However, the story reads quickly due to the author's heavy reliance on dialogue and there are some interesting, but fantastical parts that make it entertaining enough.
Not really my cup of tea, and I won't read any of the next two volumes.
September 20, 2017
I judge my science fiction based upon a modified version of the Baen criteria, and for this one I was looking at is the technology something I can understand, is the storyline plausible (especially in light of the technology), and was it an overall good read. I think Mr. Simpson hits it on those fronts, and he must have done a pretty good job as I have thought about these books for several times after reading it - considering the number of books I read on a monthly basis, that is impressive (to me, at least). Without having a spoiler, this one really focuses in on the technology of the future and doesn't have the shoot `em up aspects of humans vs. aliens that many people enjoy.
It does get strange about the last 15% of the third story in the series - it gets a little crazy and some of it is a big stretch of the imagination - and book 3 of the series is a little bit of a comedown from book 2 which I thought was very good.
I originally picked this up for free vs. its normal price of $2.99: if you are a science fiction fan, you will receive more than $2.99 in entertainment value and I think this is an overall good series despite my "last 15%" comment above.
It does get strange about the last 15% of the third story in the series - it gets a little crazy and some of it is a big stretch of the imagination - and book 3 of the series is a little bit of a comedown from book 2 which I thought was very good.
I originally picked this up for free vs. its normal price of $2.99: if you are a science fiction fan, you will receive more than $2.99 in entertainment value and I think this is an overall good series despite my "last 15%" comment above.
January 3, 2021
To call it "Enid Blyton In Space" is unkind but it's what I said to my wife so it seems as good as any.
I borrowed this set of books from the kindle lending library and whilst I quite enjoyed the first one I started to find the characters of the second one grating on me and I wasn't sure why. As I started in on the third I began to realise what was bugging me. Simpson's main characters seem too simplistic and lack depth; too black and white, the primary characters being too good or bad; and the stories feeling almost as if they are written for a young teen audience. In some ways the books remind me of older science fiction and fantasy, authors like E. E. "Doc" Smith, Edgar Rice Burroughs, L. Ron Hubbard, Andre Norton and Jack Vance only they don't read anywhere near as well.
Don't get me wrong, for the current price (£2.05) they are still a very good deal but as one reviewer wrote it feels like a written version of a comic strip and good books, in my opinion, should be more than that. I will probably finish the books if only to see where they go.
I borrowed this set of books from the kindle lending library and whilst I quite enjoyed the first one I started to find the characters of the second one grating on me and I wasn't sure why. As I started in on the third I began to realise what was bugging me. Simpson's main characters seem too simplistic and lack depth; too black and white, the primary characters being too good or bad; and the stories feeling almost as if they are written for a young teen audience. In some ways the books remind me of older science fiction and fantasy, authors like E. E. "Doc" Smith, Edgar Rice Burroughs, L. Ron Hubbard, Andre Norton and Jack Vance only they don't read anywhere near as well.
Don't get me wrong, for the current price (£2.05) they are still a very good deal but as one reviewer wrote it feels like a written version of a comic strip and good books, in my opinion, should be more than that. I will probably finish the books if only to see where they go.
June 4, 2020
First books ok, second books so-so, third books pure BS and hand waving.
Skip this and find something better.
The first book is an ok adventure that hand waves away all science and has a pleasant if useless hero. The secondary hero is a lunatic who gets tens of thousands murdered due to having a god complex with delusions of moral superiority, and the primary villains are just supposed to be well meaning but misguided zealots.
And that’s one good book.
By the third book we have geniuses acting like fools, and sudden miracle salvations from enemy’s that could not have actually existed without being noticed and purged by basic security within 24 hours of there appearance on scene. Every character is cheating on their spouses, lying to their friends and generally acting like idiots.
I can’t bring myself to care if these character survive anymore so I quit reading.
I want several hours of my life back now.
Skip this and find something better.
The first book is an ok adventure that hand waves away all science and has a pleasant if useless hero. The secondary hero is a lunatic who gets tens of thousands murdered due to having a god complex with delusions of moral superiority, and the primary villains are just supposed to be well meaning but misguided zealots.
And that’s one good book.
By the third book we have geniuses acting like fools, and sudden miracle salvations from enemy’s that could not have actually existed without being noticed and purged by basic security within 24 hours of there appearance on scene. Every character is cheating on their spouses, lying to their friends and generally acting like idiots.
I can’t bring myself to care if these character survive anymore so I quit reading.
I want several hours of my life back now.
June 21, 2017
Almost
The concept, evolution via connection to humans through super advanced computers was ingenious.
However, the "Groundhog Day" manipulation was confusing. Instead of reading a single story, it felt as if I was reading a collection of short stories with the same general subject.
Good stories, but disconnected.
If the last story had been first, for me the premise would have been established. Each subsequent story have followed logically.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the collection very much. The writing was superb and, thank whoever was responsible, the editing was as good as it gets.
Thank you Mr. Simpson. I literally could not put this down from start to finish, not even for dinner.
Cold fried chicken is still really good.
The concept, evolution via connection to humans through super advanced computers was ingenious.
However, the "Groundhog Day" manipulation was confusing. Instead of reading a single story, it felt as if I was reading a collection of short stories with the same general subject.
Good stories, but disconnected.
If the last story had been first, for me the premise would have been established. Each subsequent story have followed logically.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the collection very much. The writing was superb and, thank whoever was responsible, the editing was as good as it gets.
Thank you Mr. Simpson. I literally could not put this down from start to finish, not even for dinner.
Cold fried chicken is still really good.
October 10, 2020
Worse book I have read in a very long time
Characters are flat. They don't behave in a credible way.
The plot is dull.
The science is not plausible.
It is just not well written....
And you might wonder why I read a book I don't like.
I did not finish.
I read the first bookrand found it horrible but it was useful to go to sleep.
It was so boring that I'd fall asleep after 2 or 3 pages .
But there is so much stupidity I can handle, specially in a book that talks about intelligence.
Please don't read it.
There is a lot of good science fiction out there to waste your time with this one.
Characters are flat. They don't behave in a credible way.
The plot is dull.
The science is not plausible.
It is just not well written....
And you might wonder why I read a book I don't like.
I did not finish.
I read the first bookrand found it horrible but it was useful to go to sleep.
It was so boring that I'd fall asleep after 2 or 3 pages .
But there is so much stupidity I can handle, specially in a book that talks about intelligence.
Please don't read it.
There is a lot of good science fiction out there to waste your time with this one.
July 2, 2020
For the reviews who bashed this novel. Go FUCK YOURSELVES! None of you highlighted valid critcism or simply gave a neutral non hostile rundown in a concise point. All of the bssh are vague in description.
Not sure if you guys are negging or just little bitches who have too much time on their hands.
It would be ok to point out the lacking parts, but to actually call for cancellation of the novel just because you are a little bitch who have nothing better to do is just plain hateful.
Side note: Who are you to dictate what other people should read? FUCK YOU!
Not sure if you guys are negging or just little bitches who have too much time on their hands.
It would be ok to point out the lacking parts, but to actually call for cancellation of the novel just because you are a little bitch who have nothing better to do is just plain hateful.
Side note: Who are you to dictate what other people should read? FUCK YOU!
May 25, 2021
This is quite an entertaining series! It allows your imagination to run wild with possibilities about the tech of the future and the character development is excellent. There's just something holding me back from giving it the full five stars. I think it's that throughout the series, the main characters continually face impossible situations and somehow survive AND save the world. There's psychological damage for some more than others but there was a lost opportunity to explore that aspect more.
July 18, 2021
Man with AI injected into him (nice idea). They can speak with each other but human "hears" AI in his mind while AI can "hear" human only if human actually talks (not very convenient when other people around). From various reasons this super-human jumps between parallel universes arriving exactly at important dates. In the first universe he arrives few minutes before Titanic clashed with iceberg, in second universe few minutes before September 11 terrorist attack. On third universe I became bored and decided to quit the book.
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