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The Society Builders: 1984 was a frightening vision, The Society Builders is a disturbing prophecy.
***This version is no longer available. The complete and revised edition will be available June 28, 2018. If you enjoy the story telling of Blake Crouch, this novel should meet your satisfaction!
***
Timeline:
May 17, 2017-
The Society Builders (rough edit edition) was a last minute entry into the Amazon StorytellerUK2017 contest. All reviews showcase this.
***
June 5, 2017-
Did not win contest, though lasted the first two rounds. Not bad for a pen to paper in twenty days. However; odds were against me, not refined enough.
***
June 10, 2017-
Watching my two-month-old, working on a full novel version. Not sure when it will be finished and released. I will put a date when it's ready!
***
Timeline:
May 17, 2017-
The Society Builders (rough edit edition) was a last minute entry into the Amazon StorytellerUK2017 contest. All reviews showcase this.
***
June 5, 2017-
Did not win contest, though lasted the first two rounds. Not bad for a pen to paper in twenty days. However; odds were against me, not refined enough.
***
June 10, 2017-
Watching my two-month-old, working on a full novel version. Not sure when it will be finished and released. I will put a date when it's ready!
236 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 18, 2017
1 person is currently reading
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 1, 2017
I was gifted this ARC by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. As an advanced copy it is also a pre-edited edition.
Society Builders is a science fiction account about a world on the cusp of total technological immersion. There are no more cell phones. Citizens now have usb style chips ported directly into their brains. This allows them to access the entirety of the internet with just their thoughts, including calling and messaging others- all from their brains. Jason Mendes works for the company powering this endeavor, Matson Cybertech. But he is also a double agent working on getting intel for his true allegiance, PAC, an organization developed to stop what they view to be a breach of ethics and morality. Matson's latest edition, The Thin Chip, may have more behind it than just to bring together humanity- something much more nefarious.
I'll start with my only real criticism and I don't want to say much so you can make your own decision once you've read it. I really didn't like how the relationship between the love interests in the book played out. I wanted more and I also thought more time could have been put into developing their relationship. It was sudden and very quick.
On the whole, I quite enjoyed this one. I'm a big fan of sci fi, especially that dealing with future societies and the toll technology can take on them. The thing that really impressed me with the whole concept of the book is how real it seems and the way humanity is evolving alongside tech. In a lot of ways, this story is kind of prophetic and because of that also truly terrifying. I found many similarities and parallels to our current society and the technology we are already trying to develop. Jason is a great main character, he's passionate about the morals his dear grandmother instilled at him and he doesn't sway from those even when confronted with things like love and as an every man type he's relatable.
I recommend this book to any fan of sci fi. If you like things like the Terminator franchise, this will appeal to you. There's a lot of action and after the first few chapters I couldn't put it down. I give this a 4.5 out of 5. This was without taking the editing mistakes into account because the author made it clear this was pre-editing review copy. I gave it this score because I really enjoyed the plot but I thought there were a few things that needed more development and I don't care for how the romantic sub plot played out.
Society Builders is a science fiction account about a world on the cusp of total technological immersion. There are no more cell phones. Citizens now have usb style chips ported directly into their brains. This allows them to access the entirety of the internet with just their thoughts, including calling and messaging others- all from their brains. Jason Mendes works for the company powering this endeavor, Matson Cybertech. But he is also a double agent working on getting intel for his true allegiance, PAC, an organization developed to stop what they view to be a breach of ethics and morality. Matson's latest edition, The Thin Chip, may have more behind it than just to bring together humanity- something much more nefarious.
I'll start with my only real criticism and I don't want to say much so you can make your own decision once you've read it. I really didn't like how the relationship between the love interests in the book played out. I wanted more and I also thought more time could have been put into developing their relationship. It was sudden and very quick.
On the whole, I quite enjoyed this one. I'm a big fan of sci fi, especially that dealing with future societies and the toll technology can take on them. The thing that really impressed me with the whole concept of the book is how real it seems and the way humanity is evolving alongside tech. In a lot of ways, this story is kind of prophetic and because of that also truly terrifying. I found many similarities and parallels to our current society and the technology we are already trying to develop. Jason is a great main character, he's passionate about the morals his dear grandmother instilled at him and he doesn't sway from those even when confronted with things like love and as an every man type he's relatable.
I recommend this book to any fan of sci fi. If you like things like the Terminator franchise, this will appeal to you. There's a lot of action and after the first few chapters I couldn't put it down. I give this a 4.5 out of 5. This was without taking the editing mistakes into account because the author made it clear this was pre-editing review copy. I gave it this score because I really enjoyed the plot but I thought there were a few things that needed more development and I don't care for how the romantic sub plot played out.
August 16, 2018
WHY’D YOU READ THIS BOOK?
The author has an affable personality online, and I like dystopian novels.
WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT THE STORY?
I liked that I was entertained and at no point was ever bored while reading the story. I also liked the protagonist Jason Mendez. He was never pretentious or obnoxious. He’s simply a good guy to spend a few hours with.
Furthermore, I like the book cover, even though I read the ebook version on my Paperwhite, which is black and white, but I did see the cover in color online.
SO, IS THAT ALL YOU LIKED ABOUT IT?
Well, no, I like the author’s attempts at provoking us to think about the cross-section of human behavior and technology as well as the imbalance of power among citizens, government, and corporations. Furthermore, the story ends with an advocacy for leading a more simple life, one closer to nature, which made me think of Ted Kaczynski’s Industrial Society and It’s Future, a.k.a. the Unabomber Manifesto, and even though Kaczynski is vile beyond belief, he called for a return to nature, and I hear that call daily in the background of my mind.
Naturally, 101 debate points raced through my mind while reading Society Builders, and I like that, so I applaud the author for providing fodder for debate. I won’t debate here, but I will say that I don’t feel entirely aligned with Mendez’s inclination to blame authority for the ills of the world, especially when it comes to environmental degradation. It’s fitting here to cite the old saying, “We have seen the enemy. The enemy is us.”
DO YOU RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO OTHERS?
Yes.
The author has an affable personality online, and I like dystopian novels.
WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT THE STORY?
I liked that I was entertained and at no point was ever bored while reading the story. I also liked the protagonist Jason Mendez. He was never pretentious or obnoxious. He’s simply a good guy to spend a few hours with.
Furthermore, I like the book cover, even though I read the ebook version on my Paperwhite, which is black and white, but I did see the cover in color online.
SO, IS THAT ALL YOU LIKED ABOUT IT?
Well, no, I like the author’s attempts at provoking us to think about the cross-section of human behavior and technology as well as the imbalance of power among citizens, government, and corporations. Furthermore, the story ends with an advocacy for leading a more simple life, one closer to nature, which made me think of Ted Kaczynski’s Industrial Society and It’s Future, a.k.a. the Unabomber Manifesto, and even though Kaczynski is vile beyond belief, he called for a return to nature, and I hear that call daily in the background of my mind.
Naturally, 101 debate points raced through my mind while reading Society Builders, and I like that, so I applaud the author for providing fodder for debate. I won’t debate here, but I will say that I don’t feel entirely aligned with Mendez’s inclination to blame authority for the ills of the world, especially when it comes to environmental degradation. It’s fitting here to cite the old saying, “We have seen the enemy. The enemy is us.”
DO YOU RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO OTHERS?
Yes.
May 22, 2017
Read this!
I read through 70% of this in the first sitting! It could definitely use some fine tuned editing but overall I really enjoyed the story. Its believable for the most part (hovercrafts? Not so much). The elite wanting to implant the masses for their own benefit, however, I can see as a scary reality some day. I kinda think of the "Thin chip" as the biblical warning about receiving the mark of the beast. All in all, a very enjoyable read that will give me much food for thought! Read it!
I read through 70% of this in the first sitting! It could definitely use some fine tuned editing but overall I really enjoyed the story. Its believable for the most part (hovercrafts? Not so much). The elite wanting to implant the masses for their own benefit, however, I can see as a scary reality some day. I kinda think of the "Thin chip" as the biblical warning about receiving the mark of the beast. All in all, a very enjoyable read that will give me much food for thought! Read it!
May 29, 2017
I like the premise of this book. It needs some editing for spelling and grammar. I found the story to read more as a screenplay or overview of a story. I wanted to know more about some of the characters. I was never sure about Myra because I didn't know her. Over all, I enjoyed the story.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews