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The Slow Sad Suicide of Rohan Wijeratne
So what were you before?
Astrophysicist, said 116. You?
Alcoholic, said Rohan.
Sixteen light-years from Earth, a black hole spins in the darkness, gravity and rotation flattening it into a Kerr singularity. In Colombo, Sri Lanka, a suicidal alcoholic signs up for the ultimate one-way trip: to be frozen, sent light years away from home, and shot into the black hole itself.
Astrophysicist, said 116. You?
Alcoholic, said Rohan.
Sixteen light-years from Earth, a black hole spins in the darkness, gravity and rotation flattening it into a Kerr singularity. In Colombo, Sri Lanka, a suicidal alcoholic signs up for the ultimate one-way trip: to be frozen, sent light years away from home, and shot into the black hole itself.
38 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2017
13 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Yudhanjaya Wijeratne
29 books239 followersYudhanjaya Wijeratne is a Nebula-nominated science fiction author and data scientist from Colombo, Sri Lanka. By day he is a senior researcher with the Data, Algorithms and Policy team at LIRNEasia, working at the intersection of technology and government policy.
He is the co-founder of Watchdog, a fact-checking organization that sprung up in the wake of the April 2019 bombings in Sri Lanka. He built and operates @osunpoet, an experimental Instagram poet using OpenAI technology to test a human+AI collaboration in art - a thesis currently being explored in an entirely separate trilogy of novels.
Yudhanjaya blogs at Yudhanjaya.com, and has written for Slate, Foreign Policy and more besides.
He is the co-founder of Watchdog, a fact-checking organization that sprung up in the wake of the April 2019 bombings in Sri Lanka. He built and operates @osunpoet, an experimental Instagram poet using OpenAI technology to test a human+AI collaboration in art - a thesis currently being explored in an entirely separate trilogy of novels.
Yudhanjaya blogs at Yudhanjaya.com, and has written for Slate, Foreign Policy and more besides.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
December 31, 2023
So, Rohan Wijeratne is tired of his plush, over privileged, rich and comfortable life. And from the title that's a no brainer, right? He's tried to off himself several times to no avail and then he hears of a project...
He's thinking that this might be the most creative solution to his unsuccessful attempts at ending his life; a one way trip into a Kerr Singularity!
With the above premise, this book starts off as an excellent Hard Sci-Fi short from a new-to-me author that I'll definitely check out more of his offerings.
The pacing is right there on the sweet spot for shorts, along with a thoughtful plot, good writing and some snarky humor. Highly recommended!
He's thinking that this might be the most creative solution to his unsuccessful attempts at ending his life; a one way trip into a Kerr Singularity!
With the above premise, this book starts off as an excellent Hard Sci-Fi short from a new-to-me author that I'll definitely check out more of his offerings.
The pacing is right there on the sweet spot for shorts, along with a thoughtful plot, good writing and some snarky humor. Highly recommended!
February 1, 2024
A perfect sci-fi short story, striking just the right balance among personal emotions, hard science, and religion/philosophy. The pacing is also perfect. What a great story from an immensely talented author!
July 25, 2018
Wow. What a surprise. I mean, I read this only because I was told the author is amazing and I kept on meaning to get to him ... eventually, and once I finally did, I'm pretty much blown away.
This is only a novelette or a short story, but damn. We're talking about suicide, searching for God in all the wrong places, and a one-way trip into the heart of a naked singularity. Because... well... why the hell not?
Derp.
Add a ton of great SF ideas twisting around in both the noggins of both Wijeratnes, from funny and tragic pathos to nanites, physics, and even practical jokes from the internet about time travel, and we've got ourselves something sharp. Very sharp. And the writing is just as sharp.
Do I want to keep reading Wijeratne? Hell yeah. If this is anything to go by, I'd be a fool not to pick up every single thing he's written. :) This is hard SF with a great comic/tragic bite.
This is only a novelette or a short story, but damn. We're talking about suicide, searching for God in all the wrong places, and a one-way trip into the heart of a naked singularity. Because... well... why the hell not?
Derp.
Add a ton of great SF ideas twisting around in both the noggins of both Wijeratnes, from funny and tragic pathos to nanites, physics, and even practical jokes from the internet about time travel, and we've got ourselves something sharp. Very sharp. And the writing is just as sharp.
Do I want to keep reading Wijeratne? Hell yeah. If this is anything to go by, I'd be a fool not to pick up every single thing he's written. :) This is hard SF with a great comic/tragic bite.
September 29, 2024
I disliked this book on so many levels:
▪︎ The story's premise, centered around the physics of black holes which was poorly leveraged, failing to reach its full potential.
▪︎ The incomprehensible writing where paragraphs flow into each other without any clear transition. A jumbled mess.
▪︎ The rather misleading title. Suicide there was. Slow and sad? Not quite. Or maybe it was. I couldn't tell, really, with that awful writing.
▪︎ The flat, one-dimensional protagonist and the empty, irrelevant secondary characters.
▪︎ The predictable, lackluster ending. So painfully dull and obvious, you could see it coming from a mile away.
▪︎ The unnecessary, utterly useless religious elements that didn't serve any purpose in the story except for making it lousy.
▪︎ The story's premise, centered around the physics of black holes which was poorly leveraged, failing to reach its full potential.
▪︎ The incomprehensible writing where paragraphs flow into each other without any clear transition. A jumbled mess.
▪︎ The rather misleading title. Suicide there was. Slow and sad? Not quite. Or maybe it was. I couldn't tell, really, with that awful writing.
▪︎ The flat, one-dimensional protagonist and the empty, irrelevant secondary characters.
▪︎ The predictable, lackluster ending. So painfully dull and obvious, you could see it coming from a mile away.
▪︎ The unnecessary, utterly useless religious elements that didn't serve any purpose in the story except for making it lousy.
April 15, 2017
I can't decide between giving this a 4/5 or a 5/5, but given how it had me hooked right from the beginning, I'm going with the latter.
The novella reminds me a bit of Poe or Hitchcock for some reason, with that melancholic air interspersed with dark snarky wit. Sci-fi isn't really my preferred genre as physics goes over my head at times, but the writing in this was so clear, unpretentious, and comprehensive that it was a pleasure to read.
8000 words I've decided, is just the right length for a gripping short story as well.
Thoroughly impressed with the writing and the presentation. Good on you, Yudhanjaya :D
The novella reminds me a bit of Poe or Hitchcock for some reason, with that melancholic air interspersed with dark snarky wit. Sci-fi isn't really my preferred genre as physics goes over my head at times, but the writing in this was so clear, unpretentious, and comprehensive that it was a pleasure to read.
8000 words I've decided, is just the right length for a gripping short story as well.
Thoroughly impressed with the writing and the presentation. Good on you, Yudhanjaya :D
April 26, 2017
Pathos, humor, and science fiction nerdiness. What's not to love? This short science fiction work is brilliant stuff, and I'm so glad the title caught my eye and I downloaded the book to my reader late last night.
Rohan is a rich, coddled fool, living the life of luxury and ease, but not finding fulfillment in it. He is alcoholic and suicidal, but he has a major problem in fulfilling these illustrious life-goals. His rich parents had him pumped full of injury-repairing nanites, so his multiple suicide attempts become another in a long list of seemingly multiple failures.
Until Rohan hears about the call for volunteers to travel to a Black Hole - not just a chance to expand scientific knowledge, because you know Rohan is down for that, but a no-way-out suicide.
Wijeratne, in my opinion, does a tremendous job in finding balance within the heavy themes that this short work carries. Ponderous hard science is explained easily enough, and the depressing nature of Rohan's personality is balanced by the use of subtle - and not so subtle - humor.
Here's one of favorite passages, an early one when Rohan is being tested to see if he's capable for the journey:
"...so we'll pre-seed your flight path and slingshot you through fuel caches here and here to start the engine. You won't notice, of course- we'll freeze you here, on earth, and you'll be Thawed out by the computer at a safe distance from the Eye.
Sounds like fun, said Rohan.
Skeptical Type gave him a Look. We're going to freeze you and slingshot your unconscious body into a black hole, he tried.
Like I said, said Rohan, I'm up for it."
And here's another one, when Rohan meets his fellow traveler on his journey to the black hole:
"So what were you, before?
Astrophysicist, said 116. You?
Alcoholic.
There was a pause. Right. So how long to the Eye?"
And, to satisfy the inner science nerd within us all, the author has a nice afterword, with links to black hole goodness. Here's one of my favorites, showing a detailed video rendering of what it might look like to pass through a black hole.
http://jila.colorado.edu/~ajsh/inside...
Rohan is a rich, coddled fool, living the life of luxury and ease, but not finding fulfillment in it. He is alcoholic and suicidal, but he has a major problem in fulfilling these illustrious life-goals. His rich parents had him pumped full of injury-repairing nanites, so his multiple suicide attempts become another in a long list of seemingly multiple failures.
Until Rohan hears about the call for volunteers to travel to a Black Hole - not just a chance to expand scientific knowledge, because you know Rohan is down for that, but a no-way-out suicide.
Wijeratne, in my opinion, does a tremendous job in finding balance within the heavy themes that this short work carries. Ponderous hard science is explained easily enough, and the depressing nature of Rohan's personality is balanced by the use of subtle - and not so subtle - humor.
Here's one of favorite passages, an early one when Rohan is being tested to see if he's capable for the journey:
"...so we'll pre-seed your flight path and slingshot you through fuel caches here and here to start the engine. You won't notice, of course- we'll freeze you here, on earth, and you'll be Thawed out by the computer at a safe distance from the Eye.
Sounds like fun, said Rohan.
Skeptical Type gave him a Look. We're going to freeze you and slingshot your unconscious body into a black hole, he tried.
Like I said, said Rohan, I'm up for it."
And here's another one, when Rohan meets his fellow traveler on his journey to the black hole:
"So what were you, before?
Astrophysicist, said 116. You?
Alcoholic.
There was a pause. Right. So how long to the Eye?"
And, to satisfy the inner science nerd within us all, the author has a nice afterword, with links to black hole goodness. Here's one of my favorites, showing a detailed video rendering of what it might look like to pass through a black hole.
http://jila.colorado.edu/~ajsh/inside...
April 27, 2017
I am not really a reader of Science Fiction, it doesn't come naturally to me. But liked this story because though it is sciency, it is also very very human. (The science was a bit mind boggling and I'm bad at science anyway) I loved the fact that Rohan was not a nice man at all, but my heart broke for him regardless. I enjoyed (can I say that?) the glimpse of Colombo through his eyes and felt that little frizzle of excitement you feel when you know the place the character is at. That's rare for me and I now want to try God's own prawn toast. But I digress. I was intrigued by how raw and painful the writing was, like an exposed nerve. And the best thing was that it didn't feel fake, it felt real. Like I was feeling everything along with the character, his pain was mine and I could relate to him. That need for everything to end and for things to just stop, I've been there. I think most of us have at some point or the other and Yudhanjaya is merciless when it comes to his prose; no hiding, no back tracking, or sugar coating. The ugly truth is laid bare for everyone to see and there is nothing noble or romantic about it. What do you do when you want to die, but you can't? What can you do when all you want is oblivion but all you have is time? What can you possibly hope for when your life is no longer yours anymore? I think this story tried to address all those questions, and I for one, am quite happy with the answers it provided.
April 15, 2017
Rohan Wijeratne is not likeable. He's entitled, ungrateful, and definitely not a hero you can get behind and cheer on, but his story gets under your skin.
A clever, clever book, with subtle layers of commentary that can either be taken at face value or coaxed out over multiple readings. Hints of Douglas Adams shine through, but it has a flavour all its own. I love that it doesn't read like a 'Lankan' story, but still is clearly local. It doesn't read as heavy material, with the science clearly set out for the layperson, illustrated with metaphors by the scientists for Rohan's (and our) sake, but it's a sharp book, all angles and prickles that'll jolt you out of complacency if you try to get too comfy with it.
Why then four stars instead of five? Because I feel that with a little more polishing it could shine more. Yes, it was done in two days, and is stupendous for that, but that doesn't really affect my experience as a reader.
Like science fiction? Read this book. Want to go away asking some difficult questions about life, the universe, and people in general? Read the book.
Looking for a soothing read that lulls you out of the real world? Then what are you doing trying to read a book with suicide in its title?
A clever, clever book, with subtle layers of commentary that can either be taken at face value or coaxed out over multiple readings. Hints of Douglas Adams shine through, but it has a flavour all its own. I love that it doesn't read like a 'Lankan' story, but still is clearly local. It doesn't read as heavy material, with the science clearly set out for the layperson, illustrated with metaphors by the scientists for Rohan's (and our) sake, but it's a sharp book, all angles and prickles that'll jolt you out of complacency if you try to get too comfy with it.
Why then four stars instead of five? Because I feel that with a little more polishing it could shine more. Yes, it was done in two days, and is stupendous for that, but that doesn't really affect my experience as a reader.
Like science fiction? Read this book. Want to go away asking some difficult questions about life, the universe, and people in general? Read the book.
Looking for a soothing read that lulls you out of the real world? Then what are you doing trying to read a book with suicide in its title?
April 16, 2017
Sri Lankan Douglas Adams in the Making
A Sci Fi Comedy from a Sri Lankan author was something I never expected. Maybe I haven't read much written by Sri Lankan Sci Fi authors.
I've known the author through his hard hitting blog posts on social issues,and may have accidentally bumped into him once at a Comic Con. One thing I knew for sure is the guy can write well.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. The protagonist Rohan Wijeratne reminded me so much of Arthur Dent with a little sprinkling of Zaphod Beeblebrox's personality.
The writing was witty and the Science part didn't overwhelm the Lite-Sci Fi fan in me. Many thanks for the footnotes too.
Look forward to his future publications and wish him the Best.
May he seek new frontiers !
A Sci Fi Comedy from a Sri Lankan author was something I never expected. Maybe I haven't read much written by Sri Lankan Sci Fi authors.
I've known the author through his hard hitting blog posts on social issues,and may have accidentally bumped into him once at a Comic Con. One thing I knew for sure is the guy can write well.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. The protagonist Rohan Wijeratne reminded me so much of Arthur Dent with a little sprinkling of Zaphod Beeblebrox's personality.
The writing was witty and the Science part didn't overwhelm the Lite-Sci Fi fan in me. Many thanks for the footnotes too.
Look forward to his future publications and wish him the Best.
May he seek new frontiers !
April 14, 2017
It's a wonderful read. It's a very Clarkian short story in it's structure IMO. Circa the middle of Clarke's career when he started to really find a balance between the soft narrative/philosophy and the hard science in his stories. If you know me at all, you know it's a big deal for me to be comparing anyone to Arthur C. Clarke.
The science is good. The plot is good. While I'm sure Interstellar gave it some direction, what Rohan is going through is a very original crisis to me and it was quite the experience to connect with that. And you can connect because the writing is excellent. If there's any criticism to be had, a little more exploration of this would have been nice, but I suppose then this would have been 16000 words instead of 8000.
I loved the hell out of this. It's one of the best things I've read in Sri Lankan English literature. Ever. It's definitely one of the best science fiction short stories I've read from anywhere. That's a big statement and an almost knee-jerk reaction but hell Im'ma say it anyway.
The science is good. The plot is good. While I'm sure Interstellar gave it some direction, what Rohan is going through is a very original crisis to me and it was quite the experience to connect with that. And you can connect because the writing is excellent. If there's any criticism to be had, a little more exploration of this would have been nice, but I suppose then this would have been 16000 words instead of 8000.
I loved the hell out of this. It's one of the best things I've read in Sri Lankan English literature. Ever. It's definitely one of the best science fiction short stories I've read from anywhere. That's a big statement and an almost knee-jerk reaction but hell Im'ma say it anyway.
April 21, 2017
What this story benefits from is concise, clear language. It's very easy to read, and explains a lot about black holes without being too complex. And this is key for me because I'm relatively new to the world of sci-fi. It's nice to see more Sri Lankans getting into this genre.
The strong point for me therefore was the science and how it was explained. Rohan Wijeratne himself was... strangely familiar. And perhaps it was his very familiarity that led so many to describe him as unlikeable. We know a lot of Rohan Wijeratnes.
I couldn't help but giggle about the prawn toast though. And it's nice to see an explorer putting a good shot of arrack.
The strong point for me therefore was the science and how it was explained. Rohan Wijeratne himself was... strangely familiar. And perhaps it was his very familiarity that led so many to describe him as unlikeable. We know a lot of Rohan Wijeratnes.
I couldn't help but giggle about the prawn toast though. And it's nice to see an explorer putting a good shot of arrack.
April 21, 2017
An imaginative sci-fi tale with some interesting science relating to Black holes, space travel and the human condition. Was a page turner, kept me focused and invested. Really enjoyed Rohan's personal revelations and opinion expositions.
Would be interesting to see what Yudhanjaya will have under his author belt 10-20 years down the line. See a lot of promise.
P.S I made a toast couple of days back. It fell the jam side up. So not always.
Would be interesting to see what Yudhanjaya will have under his author belt 10-20 years down the line. See a lot of promise.
P.S I made a toast couple of days back. It fell the jam side up. So not always.
April 17, 2017
Well that was interesting
A read for the intellectual, the right amount of science and emotions. The references to the native environment kept it grounded in a very local and believable context.
A read for the intellectual, the right amount of science and emotions. The references to the native environment kept it grounded in a very local and believable context.
April 14, 2017
Simply put, Yudhanjaya's weekend has your weekend beaten.
I just finished reading the short story he wrote over the weekend and I must say I am quite impressed.
Not that I expected any less form him.
But that is the point, isn't it? I had a very high bar for his writings and he cleared it without breaking a sweat.
Given that I am heartlessly critical of EVERYTHING, I would say that, it is not something that happens with a lot of people or very frequently.
I want to write this spoiler free so I won't say anything about the story.
But know that it was a page turner. I read it in one go.
I empathize with the protagonist, for obvious reasons.
There were points where I thought the story would go one way but it went in another; that by itself is a one big reason I like this.
The flow is good and the science seems sound*.
The only warning I need to give is that the protagonist is kind of a nihilist. Happy people might not be able to find common ground with him at first.
Anyway, if you do have time, I highly suggest you give it a try.
Thank you and well done to Yudhanjaya and here's to hope that "the novel" will come sooner rather than later.
*Wait I think that line is from a research paper review I wrote
I just finished reading the short story he wrote over the weekend and I must say I am quite impressed.
Not that I expected any less form him.
But that is the point, isn't it? I had a very high bar for his writings and he cleared it without breaking a sweat.
Given that I am heartlessly critical of EVERYTHING, I would say that, it is not something that happens with a lot of people or very frequently.
I want to write this spoiler free so I won't say anything about the story.
But know that it was a page turner. I read it in one go.
I empathize with the protagonist, for obvious reasons.
There were points where I thought the story would go one way but it went in another; that by itself is a one big reason I like this.
The flow is good and the science seems sound*.
The only warning I need to give is that the protagonist is kind of a nihilist. Happy people might not be able to find common ground with him at first.
Anyway, if you do have time, I highly suggest you give it a try.
Thank you and well done to Yudhanjaya and here's to hope that "the novel" will come sooner rather than later.
*Wait I think that line is from a research paper review I wrote
April 14, 2017
The author wrote an awesome story, though the literary style (no quotations for the dialog) got in my way. Some may like that, but I liked the story and the whit of the author! Well done Yudha, I'll buy your next book for sure!
January 3, 2022
Going to re-read this when drunk.
May 6, 2023
A short sci-fi piece by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne.
Rohan Wijerante is fed up with his rich and over privileged life and has even attempted on multiple occasions to end his life, but his parents got him injected early with nanites that has the ability to heal wounds and illnesses fast.
“Certain it did him no good, being rich. Being rich meant you had to think of all the cars, the servants, the maintenance, the whatnot. Being rich got you augmented. Being rich meant your parents thought of you as a fucking asset and got you injected early on with the nanite equivalent of Wolverine's healing factor. Nobody ever said it would be fun.”
So one day Rohan decides to buy a tuk tuk (keke) because he considered it'd be nice to be poor a little bit.
“Maybe life was only worth living if you had something to struggle against.”
One day, while driving his tuk tuk, he hears about a program that needed volunteers to be shot into the black hole, and what better way to die than that?
“You're not here, said Rohan. This is a dream. Everything is a dream, she said sadly. We're just God's nightmare.”
Rohan Wijerante is fed up with his rich and over privileged life and has even attempted on multiple occasions to end his life, but his parents got him injected early with nanites that has the ability to heal wounds and illnesses fast.
“Certain it did him no good, being rich. Being rich meant you had to think of all the cars, the servants, the maintenance, the whatnot. Being rich got you augmented. Being rich meant your parents thought of you as a fucking asset and got you injected early on with the nanite equivalent of Wolverine's healing factor. Nobody ever said it would be fun.”
So one day Rohan decides to buy a tuk tuk (keke) because he considered it'd be nice to be poor a little bit.
“Maybe life was only worth living if you had something to struggle against.”
One day, while driving his tuk tuk, he hears about a program that needed volunteers to be shot into the black hole, and what better way to die than that?
“You're not here, said Rohan. This is a dream. Everything is a dream, she said sadly. We're just God's nightmare.”
April 20, 2017
It was a solid read. The writing was brilliant. But sometimes it confused me. But overall a well written novella.
April 18, 2017
Mindblowing
Superb read, exciting and even though its a short I learned a lot about black holes, loved every bit. If you love science and open minded this one is at the top.
Superb read, exciting and even though its a short I learned a lot about black holes, loved every bit. If you love science and open minded this one is at the top.
April 15, 2017
A very enjoyable science fiction novella that contains both elements of science fiction and plain ol science with a dash of arrack.
The story has a nice flow and interesting characters. It has interesting story elements and likable moments.
It is a must read for the fans of science fiction and anyone who is interested in the genre of sci-fi.
The story has a nice flow and interesting characters. It has interesting story elements and likable moments.
It is a must read for the fans of science fiction and anyone who is interested in the genre of sci-fi.
May 27, 2017
Any book that describes itself as 'for fans of Douglas Adams' is setting a pretty high bar for itself. When it comes to comedic sci fi, Douglas Adams is the best. Maybe not an official recognition, but in this reader's mind, there is none better.
In the beginning, I could see hints of Douglas Adams peeking through. The idea of insurance-prevented suicide was great. I was so taken by the novelty of life insurance companies making a business decision to prevent death to increase revenue that I mentioned the book to several other readers. It was a fabulous plot and the book was off to a 5 star start.
Honestly, my rating might have been 4 stars if my expectations weren't so high. I spent the book in the 'Douglas Adams' mindset, and it that one this book is a 3 star. As a standalone, existing on its on plane, I would consider it a 4. Alas, Goodreads is not a half-star generator, so 3 it is.
In the beginning, I could see hints of Douglas Adams peeking through. The idea of insurance-prevented suicide was great. I was so taken by the novelty of life insurance companies making a business decision to prevent death to increase revenue that I mentioned the book to several other readers. It was a fabulous plot and the book was off to a 5 star start.
Honestly, my rating might have been 4 stars if my expectations weren't so high. I spent the book in the 'Douglas Adams' mindset, and it that one this book is a 3 star. As a standalone, existing on its on plane, I would consider it a 4. Alas, Goodreads is not a half-star generator, so 3 it is.
September 19, 2017
Was deciding between a 4/5 or 5/5, but finally went with the former. Not because the read didn't have me hooked form the very beginning (it did), but because as sci-fi isn't particularly a genre I reach for, much of the references seemed a tad too long-winded and went over my head.
Other than that, I enjoyed this read immensely, and the melancholic tone was wonderfully relatable.
Other than that, I enjoyed this read immensely, and the melancholic tone was wonderfully relatable.
April 16, 2017
To me, relating suicide to black holes is the most interesting aspect of The Slow Sad Suicide of Rohan Wijeratne. I would have preferred to read a more detailed analogy between the state of mind at suicide (possibly more to footnotes from psychology to complement cosmology) and state of universe at a black hole, to me a missed opportunity. The end was somewhat expected and somewhat Asimovian. Nevertheless I really enjoyed not only science and the flow of this novella but also the sarcastic views on certain social elements of life. As a debut I see a true potential in hard sci-fi.
January 14, 2023
This is an older book from one of my favorite authors. It’s a fascinating piece of work, one that is both as bleak as the name implies but also surprisingly uplifting and subtly funny. There were little rough patches as well, and I had the impression this was very much an experiment--that the author may have started from an idea, rather than than a fully-finished concept. If so, it worked well.
Rohan is effectively death-proof, thanks to an infusion of nanobots from his insurance company. The results have been…not great. It turns out that not being able to easily die is a fairly steep burden to bear. Rohan can’t even properly crumble under the pressure of enforced life, when he hears about an opportunity to crew a probe going to the event horizon of a black hole.
The journey here, maybe predictably, is not just through space. At the literal and figurative destination, at the moment of discovery, we get an unexpected and oddly affirming conclusion. Science fades and a larger mystery comes into play. “God” or something like God may have always been near Rohan — although not where or in the form you might expect.
Wijeratne is playing with big ideas and basic questions with his usual creativity and insight. It’s striking that the author and protagonist share a last name. The struggle perhaps is or was very real? (After all, not all nanobots are necessarily literal.) If so, and not to make light of another’s inner struggle, it sounds like he came by it honestly and put it to good use. For all that, the title is a bit morbid (it could as easily have been called “The Weltschmerz of Young Rohan”) but Wijeratne wraps it all up in a way I found satisfying and almost delightful.
April 15, 2018
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
This is an interesting story about a man destined to committee suicide, but finds out that he can't due to nanobits in his system. He then decides to do it by joining a scientific project that's sending humans into space toward a black hole. Funny, insightful. and entertaining.
This is an interesting story about a man destined to committee suicide, but finds out that he can't due to nanobits in his system. He then decides to do it by joining a scientific project that's sending humans into space toward a black hole. Funny, insightful. and entertaining.
May 25, 2018
I feel I'm not the target market for this rambling slightly incoherent story of an trust fund baby grown up to be an alcoholic who ends up on a one way trip to investigate a black hole. I kind of enjoyed it. Content notes: drug abuse, suicide.
May 29, 2021
Is it weird to say I liked this more than Salvage Crew?
Because I liked it more than Salvage Crew, and that was a fun story too.
Especially loved the ending. Good stuff, very good stuff. Now where's the arrack?
Because I liked it more than Salvage Crew, and that was a fun story too.
Especially loved the ending. Good stuff, very good stuff. Now where's the arrack?
December 29, 2022
Nice little book, although the basic premise looks quite far-fetched, to be honest. Still, I think this has a potential for a full-blown novel if expanded and presented correspondingly for the audience. In the current shape, it's neither chicken nor egg, but that might have been the point.
September 2, 2017
There were parts of this story that were brilliant and beautiful, but I found it hard to connect to any of the characters and the lack of inverted commas made it a bit hard to read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews