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Darkside Earther #1
Darkside Earther
All they want is love. Now they wonder if they'll be able to survive it.
Axel Stahl wants to marry, have kids. Maybe not today, but he sure has eyes on one girl.
Between massively immersive virtuals, games to entertain nearly eighteen billion people in the Solar System, living aboard a 41 thousand kilometer long space station encircling the Earth, and highly-placed parents in the Spacer organization, you'd think he had it made, but things are never as simple as it seems.
Most "normal" people see Axel as a failure, a lost hope for having children in space. A failure even though he actually did survive his birth. His childhood was full of so much pain.
Helen Kenostaphos doesn't care about failures or, indeed, what anyone else thinks. Nano infusions for speeded perceptions isn't everything. Neither is surviving the pure harshness of space.
Life is precious. It's so much more than that. Life is for the living.
Unfortunately, war has come to haunt them all. The invasion of the Ring, driven by an unimaginable exodus, has got the teens caught on two sides of the conflict.
This is their horrible reality. Soon it will be filled with lies, fear, and desperate hope.
Axel Stahl wants to marry, have kids. Maybe not today, but he sure has eyes on one girl.
Between massively immersive virtuals, games to entertain nearly eighteen billion people in the Solar System, living aboard a 41 thousand kilometer long space station encircling the Earth, and highly-placed parents in the Spacer organization, you'd think he had it made, but things are never as simple as it seems.
Most "normal" people see Axel as a failure, a lost hope for having children in space. A failure even though he actually did survive his birth. His childhood was full of so much pain.
Helen Kenostaphos doesn't care about failures or, indeed, what anyone else thinks. Nano infusions for speeded perceptions isn't everything. Neither is surviving the pure harshness of space.
Life is precious. It's so much more than that. Life is for the living.
Unfortunately, war has come to haunt them all. The invasion of the Ring, driven by an unimaginable exodus, has got the teens caught on two sides of the conflict.
This is their horrible reality. Soon it will be filled with lies, fear, and desperate hope.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 8, 2018
3 people are currently reading
312 people want to read
About the author
Bradley Horner
9 books4,886 followersBrad Horner is a world’s most-renowned Science Fiction author, but unfortunately, we still haven't discovered which world it is.
On a positive note, his works have been translated into 26 languages, one of which is of human origin, and he's been invited to purely notional and internotational events around the world.
He rose from humble zygotic beginnings in 1974 and now shares a dose of sunshine with over 8 billion people daily.
He is currently looking for readers for his writing.
Please feel free to Direct Message him. I'm sure he'd love your help.
Reach him at bradhorner@arctunn.com or a direct message in GR.
https://www.arctunn.com
On a positive note, his works have been translated into 26 languages, one of which is of human origin, and he's been invited to purely notional and internotational events around the world.
He rose from humble zygotic beginnings in 1974 and now shares a dose of sunshine with over 8 billion people daily.
He is currently looking for readers for his writing.
Please feel free to Direct Message him. I'm sure he'd love your help.
Reach him at bradhorner@arctunn.com or a direct message in GR.
https://www.arctunn.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
December 31, 2018
The sequel is out! But for all ya'll who are still on the fence or just want a little push, I made some video trailers for BOTH books!
You can check them both out on my author page or:
http://danrymes.blogspot.com/p/blog-p...
Degrading Oribis is a hard-SF sequel inside a networked jungle IN space. Assassins are on Axel's heels and we are treated to an unfolding tale of duty, desire, and destruction. It's an unfolding dark destiny sparked by a love story. It picks up seamlessly from where Darkside Earther leaves off.
If you need to catch up with the first in the trilogy, here are the links:
Audible version:
Get the audio version here!
Amazon, both paperback and Kindle:
Get Here
The SF is bloody. It's Space-Opera, a YA romance, full of virtual worlds and Space Battles. :)
Just a reminder, though! I'm trying to get the word out!
Every review helps. Good or bad, I don't care, as long as it is honest! Don't forget Amazon for reviews!
(AND, as always, I am always open to honest review requests. Just message me and I'll send you an electronic copy of the novel.)
Degrading Orbit's link:
Degrading Orbits:
Link to book
Thank you, everyone, for helping me make this happen! Your support is absolutely necessary. Right now I'm completely independent and making little to nothing for all the effort.
Consider telling others about my books, get the word out. I have no budget for adverts... only the kindness of everyone here.
Thank you!
You can check them both out on my author page or:
http://danrymes.blogspot.com/p/blog-p...
Degrading Oribis is a hard-SF sequel inside a networked jungle IN space. Assassins are on Axel's heels and we are treated to an unfolding tale of duty, desire, and destruction. It's an unfolding dark destiny sparked by a love story. It picks up seamlessly from where Darkside Earther leaves off.
If you need to catch up with the first in the trilogy, here are the links:
Audible version:
Get the audio version here!
Amazon, both paperback and Kindle:
Get Here
The SF is bloody. It's Space-Opera, a YA romance, full of virtual worlds and Space Battles. :)
Just a reminder, though! I'm trying to get the word out!
Every review helps. Good or bad, I don't care, as long as it is honest! Don't forget Amazon for reviews!
(AND, as always, I am always open to honest review requests. Just message me and I'll send you an electronic copy of the novel.)
Degrading Orbit's link:
Degrading Orbits:
Link to book
Thank you, everyone, for helping me make this happen! Your support is absolutely necessary. Right now I'm completely independent and making little to nothing for all the effort.
Consider telling others about my books, get the word out. I have no budget for adverts... only the kindness of everyone here.
Thank you!
January 28, 2018
What in the holy crow did I just read?
I knew this was going to blow me away a bit.
I really want to find out more about Axel and Helen's story. They are classmates in this virtual - you know what? I'm not even going to try to explain it. Anyhoo, they end up getting together. Axel has actually been crushing on Helen for awhile now. But there are some things with their parents and the cosmos, space, and whatever else that are against them.
You have Earthers and Spacers. The Earth is overpopulated so the Spacers are supposed to be helping out with stuff and there are these nanos and things I just can't even explain. Lol. Why do I 9 times out of 10 like books that I have no clue half of what is going on!? I'm just weird I guess. I mean it's a good kind of not knowing. None of this is making any sense. You're just going to have to read the book and see for yourself!
I enjoyed my romp through yet another author's crazy little mind =D
Lets see where the next one is going to take us!
Happy Reading!
Mel ♥
I knew this was going to blow me away a bit.
I really want to find out more about Axel and Helen's story. They are classmates in this virtual - you know what? I'm not even going to try to explain it. Anyhoo, they end up getting together. Axel has actually been crushing on Helen for awhile now. But there are some things with their parents and the cosmos, space, and whatever else that are against them.
You have Earthers and Spacers. The Earth is overpopulated so the Spacers are supposed to be helping out with stuff and there are these nanos and things I just can't even explain. Lol. Why do I 9 times out of 10 like books that I have no clue half of what is going on!? I'm just weird I guess. I mean it's a good kind of not knowing. None of this is making any sense. You're just going to have to read the book and see for yourself!
I enjoyed my romp through yet another author's crazy little mind =D
Lets see where the next one is going to take us!
Happy Reading!
Mel ♥
June 3, 2021
i have been gr friends with baby groot/bradley horner for a long time. long enough that he should know that i am of medium intelligence at BEST and that there are pretty clearly defined lines drawn around the things my brain can understand and the things that will pass through it as whole and unabsorbed as a buffalo nickel through a toddler. and yet he asked me to read this book, which is either very flattering or very cruel, depending on whether he thinks i have suddenly come to understand nanotech and space travel and virtual reality or whether he thinks i’ve still got some self-confidence that needs flattening. joke’s on him either way - i got none of those things.
as someone who is determined to channel my readers’ advisory training into an actual career (feel free to hire me!), it’s imperative that i explore genres outside of my comfort zone, and i actually enjoy the challenge of trying new things. but that doesn’t mean i always understand those things. science fiction and fantasy have always been my personal genre-hurdles. with fantasy, i struggle to keep all the unfamiliar bits straight - the invented names, topographies, social systems, rituals, languages, rivalries, and maps. oh god, the maps… with sci-fi, i just straight-up have no aptitude for science. biology, sure, i get you. genetics, you make sense. chemistry? i think we could hang if i took the time to get to know you better. but physics? cosmology? "quantum" followed by anything but “leap?” not in this brain, pal!
despite my repeated and very accurate assessments of my own limitations, people still overestimate my puny brain and assure me that i will totally be able to understand this book or that book, etc. and i keep falling for it. bird brian wanted me to read Blood Music by greg bear. i did. i did not get it. alfonso wanted me to read Midnight Tides by steven erikson. i did. i did not get it. brad wanted me to read this. i did. i did not get it.
if i’m feeling generous towards myself, i can write this one and the erikson off as people misunderstanding what is and is not a standalone book. you can lead a horse to water, or you can catapult it into the middle of a lake and see what happens.
despite what alfonso might tell you about you not needing to read the first four books in order to enjoy book five in the lengthy malazan book of the fallen series, whether you’re adhering to the malazan authors’ suggested reading order or the ultimate reading order suggested by members of the malazan empire forum series or the publishing date order, or whatever these ADDITIONAL reading orders are, ain’t none of them suggesting you start with book five. for a reason.
and it’s the same thing here. i'd be reading and trying to keep the worldbits straight in my head, but then i’d get to things like this,
”If we ever lose the eV, our very cells will be consumed by our nanotech, our bodies will be overrun by disease or sepsis, and even the plants growing between our buildings will die just as quickly because they’re just as augmented as us. Weren’t you just talking about water dominance? This is even worse. The eV and our need for it is absolutely everywhere thanks to our being overrun by the ábhar-cliste nanotech ever since the First Cryptocollapse. Do I need to even mention what it was used for?”
and i’m like YES PLEASE you need to mention it please!
because although this claims to be book one in a series, there are two books (Saul and Syzygy) that precede it, which would probably have gone a long way towards making me understand some of the concepts this book is pretty confident you either already know or don’t need to know, but which kept nagging at me because i wanted to know.
the good news is that it’s not all made-up stuff like “ábhar-cliste*," “eV batteries” and “kilometers.” some of it is just a good old-fashioned coming-of-age story about a boy and a girl whose families are very opposed to the blossoming of their romance because of political differences of a magnitude befitting a space opera. and for the most part, i understood that - some of the politics is linked to historical situations covered here as a quickgloss and are probably more richly detailed in previous works, but star-crossed lovers do not actually involve astronomy, so at least i understood that part.
if you are smarter than i am, or if you have a better relationship with both science and science fiction, you probably won’t even be a little bit confused. i was so paranoid about missing something that i went back again and again, rereading big chunks hoping that some mental curtain would lift and i would suddenly understand all of the things. you are likely more confident and able to put unfamiliar things aside to reexamine later without getting bogged down.
i did try, but sometimes you try and you fail and bloop under the water anyway.
i appreciate the opportunity to read this, and i hope that someday neil degrasse tyson will come to my house in his little vest and explain how outer space works while spoon-feeding me chilled pudding cups.
thank you, mister horner, for your faith in my abilities. my shortcomings would apologize, but they are busy laughing at a rock that sort of looks like a butt.
*google informs me that ábhar-cliste is irish for “matter-clever.”
come to my blog!
as someone who is determined to channel my readers’ advisory training into an actual career (feel free to hire me!), it’s imperative that i explore genres outside of my comfort zone, and i actually enjoy the challenge of trying new things. but that doesn’t mean i always understand those things. science fiction and fantasy have always been my personal genre-hurdles. with fantasy, i struggle to keep all the unfamiliar bits straight - the invented names, topographies, social systems, rituals, languages, rivalries, and maps. oh god, the maps… with sci-fi, i just straight-up have no aptitude for science. biology, sure, i get you. genetics, you make sense. chemistry? i think we could hang if i took the time to get to know you better. but physics? cosmology? "quantum" followed by anything but “leap?” not in this brain, pal!
despite my repeated and very accurate assessments of my own limitations, people still overestimate my puny brain and assure me that i will totally be able to understand this book or that book, etc. and i keep falling for it. bird brian wanted me to read Blood Music by greg bear. i did. i did not get it. alfonso wanted me to read Midnight Tides by steven erikson. i did. i did not get it. brad wanted me to read this. i did. i did not get it.
if i’m feeling generous towards myself, i can write this one and the erikson off as people misunderstanding what is and is not a standalone book. you can lead a horse to water, or you can catapult it into the middle of a lake and see what happens.
despite what alfonso might tell you about you not needing to read the first four books in order to enjoy book five in the lengthy malazan book of the fallen series, whether you’re adhering to the malazan authors’ suggested reading order or the ultimate reading order suggested by members of the malazan empire forum series or the publishing date order, or whatever these ADDITIONAL reading orders are, ain’t none of them suggesting you start with book five. for a reason.
and it’s the same thing here. i'd be reading and trying to keep the worldbits straight in my head, but then i’d get to things like this,
”If we ever lose the eV, our very cells will be consumed by our nanotech, our bodies will be overrun by disease or sepsis, and even the plants growing between our buildings will die just as quickly because they’re just as augmented as us. Weren’t you just talking about water dominance? This is even worse. The eV and our need for it is absolutely everywhere thanks to our being overrun by the ábhar-cliste nanotech ever since the First Cryptocollapse. Do I need to even mention what it was used for?”
and i’m like YES PLEASE you need to mention it please!
because although this claims to be book one in a series, there are two books (Saul and Syzygy) that precede it, which would probably have gone a long way towards making me understand some of the concepts this book is pretty confident you either already know or don’t need to know, but which kept nagging at me because i wanted to know.
the good news is that it’s not all made-up stuff like “ábhar-cliste*," “eV batteries” and “kilometers.” some of it is just a good old-fashioned coming-of-age story about a boy and a girl whose families are very opposed to the blossoming of their romance because of political differences of a magnitude befitting a space opera. and for the most part, i understood that - some of the politics is linked to historical situations covered here as a quickgloss and are probably more richly detailed in previous works, but star-crossed lovers do not actually involve astronomy, so at least i understood that part.
if you are smarter than i am, or if you have a better relationship with both science and science fiction, you probably won’t even be a little bit confused. i was so paranoid about missing something that i went back again and again, rereading big chunks hoping that some mental curtain would lift and i would suddenly understand all of the things. you are likely more confident and able to put unfamiliar things aside to reexamine later without getting bogged down.
i did try, but sometimes you try and you fail and bloop under the water anyway.
i appreciate the opportunity to read this, and i hope that someday neil degrasse tyson will come to my house in his little vest and explain how outer space works while spoon-feeding me chilled pudding cups.
thank you, mister horner, for your faith in my abilities. my shortcomings would apologize, but they are busy laughing at a rock that sort of looks like a butt.
*google informs me that ábhar-cliste is irish for “matter-clever.”
come to my blog! 
February 11, 2018
2.5 stars
This really just isn't my kind of book. I'm a sci-fi lite kind of gal, and I just didn't understand what was happening in this world. Perhaps you need to have more of a background in real science fiction books than I do to get the most out of the story? At any rate, not my cuppa.
This really just isn't my kind of book. I'm a sci-fi lite kind of gal, and I just didn't understand what was happening in this world. Perhaps you need to have more of a background in real science fiction books than I do to get the most out of the story? At any rate, not my cuppa.
January 31, 2018
The usual disclaimer, this time at the begining of the review: I know the author personally but although we are friends and I received a free copy of this book, I was in no way influenced when giving this rating / writing this review.
Darkside Earther is the third story set in the same futuristic version of our Earth where people can shape molecules and bend reality. In this, we get to experience life on the Ring, a space station surrounding Earth and the place where eV (the power source we already know from the previous stories) is made.
On the Ring, there live a boy and a girl. Axel was the only human to ever be born in space (although the experiment failed since he is a genetic dead-end). Helen is the daughter of a powerful family from Earth. Both are trapped in the net of their parents‘ politics. And, naturally, they fall in love.
Sounding familiar? That‘s because it is. This is Romeo & Juliet in space. And as much as I love Shakespeare, R&J I hated despite how beautifully it was crafted. Two dumb teenagers who think they have all the answers while the people around them are supposedly all dumb and bad. Self-centered creatures that pretend to hold moral highground and constantly express their undying love for each other while in reality it‘s all hypocrisy and hyperbole.
Yep, it‘s the same here.
I don‘t much care for YA, let alone sappy romance stories between teenagers but at least there is no love triangle here. *lol* Also, it was nice how the author managed to paint a detailed picture of the Ring and the tensions between the space colonies, Earth, and the Ring for various reasons. Basically, Brad was able to dumb it down and extrapolate the rose-tinted view as much as the harsh realistic one. Which side you‘re on remains for you to decide.
What I love about the writing is the technology. The author knows his stuff and manages to bring to life complex concepts of influencing time perception (slowing down or speeding up), shaping molecules for everything from space suits to space ships, and having an almost entirely digital world. So much in the universe he created is - don‘t laugh - fake news. Perception is shaped as easily as the molecules and in this digital world where a number of catastrophes supposedly ensured there would be no more secrets it‘s even worse.
So despite me hating the pining and the whining and the stupidity of the teenagers, I enjoyed the world, the technology, as well as the outbreak of the war very much.
Darkside Earther is the third story set in the same futuristic version of our Earth where people can shape molecules and bend reality. In this, we get to experience life on the Ring, a space station surrounding Earth and the place where eV (the power source we already know from the previous stories) is made.
On the Ring, there live a boy and a girl. Axel was the only human to ever be born in space (although the experiment failed since he is a genetic dead-end). Helen is the daughter of a powerful family from Earth. Both are trapped in the net of their parents‘ politics. And, naturally, they fall in love.
Sounding familiar? That‘s because it is. This is Romeo & Juliet in space. And as much as I love Shakespeare, R&J I hated despite how beautifully it was crafted. Two dumb teenagers who think they have all the answers while the people around them are supposedly all dumb and bad. Self-centered creatures that pretend to hold moral highground and constantly express their undying love for each other while in reality it‘s all hypocrisy and hyperbole.
Yep, it‘s the same here.
I don‘t much care for YA, let alone sappy romance stories between teenagers but at least there is no love triangle here. *lol* Also, it was nice how the author managed to paint a detailed picture of the Ring and the tensions between the space colonies, Earth, and the Ring for various reasons. Basically, Brad was able to dumb it down and extrapolate the rose-tinted view as much as the harsh realistic one. Which side you‘re on remains for you to decide.
What I love about the writing is the technology. The author knows his stuff and manages to bring to life complex concepts of influencing time perception (slowing down or speeding up), shaping molecules for everything from space suits to space ships, and having an almost entirely digital world. So much in the universe he created is - don‘t laugh - fake news. Perception is shaped as easily as the molecules and in this digital world where a number of catastrophes supposedly ensured there would be no more secrets it‘s even worse.
So despite me hating the pining and the whining and the stupidity of the teenagers, I enjoyed the world, the technology, as well as the outbreak of the war very much.
April 3, 2018
I am friends with the author on GR, but this in no way influenced my review.
It’s been suggested that I like my sci-fi like I like my men: smart, fast-moving, and hard (I know this because I said it in my review of Mr. Horner’s Saul)—of course, that assumption turned out to be erroneous for a number of reasons.
Well, it’s also been suggested by parties who shall remain unnamed that I like my YA Romance like I like my coffee: daily, iced, and with lots of chocolate. This is also a false assumption, in part because it’s ridiculous (who likes iced YA?) and in part because I hardly ever read YA (though I do enjoy chocolate in copious quantities in both cases).
So, as a guy who doesn’t habitually read hard sci-fi (due in part to having the intellectual capacity of a cupcake) or YA Romance, I’m decidedly NOT the core audience for Darkside Earther.
Why, then, did I read it? Does the author have some blackmail material on me? Probably. Did I get confused and think I was reading a biography of Pink Floyd? Maybe. Was I high on too many iced mochas and incapable of making rational decisions? Most likely.
The main reason, though, is because I know Horner to be both highly intelligent and a gifted storyteller, which makes me inclined to check out his stuff even when it’s not in my wheelhouse.
Both of those attributes are on display here, with a Shakespearean doomed romance dressed up in the trappings of a futuristic space community where advanced technology and a sanitized public narrative obscure some very fundamental societal problems that threaten to tear apart a system that’s keeping 17 billion people alive. I can’t offer much insight as to the relative merits of Axel and Helen’s love affair compared to other YA Romance, and I’m still struggling to figure out how to set the clock on my VCR, so I’m not sure you want me opining as to the merits of the scientific foundation for the tech.
But, this story is at its best, for me, when it’s digging into the conspiracies and cover-ups that not only prevent our hero and his lady love from being together, but pose a very real existential threat to the world Horner has created in Saul and this story. The story’s particularly cogent (and timely) dissection of the dissemination of misinformation and people’s willingness and ability to believe it over hard facts and data is chilling (albeit perhaps not as chilling as people’s willingness and ability to do that in real life).
Merging hard sci-fi and YA Romance is not, I suspect, a common endeavor, so this may be a difficult story to find your way into in some ways, but for those that do, they’ll be rewarded by discovering a writer whose brain is sharp, gift for language is obvious, and potential is considerable.
Looking forward to more…
It’s been suggested that I like my sci-fi like I like my men: smart, fast-moving, and hard (I know this because I said it in my review of Mr. Horner’s Saul)—of course, that assumption turned out to be erroneous for a number of reasons.
Well, it’s also been suggested by parties who shall remain unnamed that I like my YA Romance like I like my coffee: daily, iced, and with lots of chocolate. This is also a false assumption, in part because it’s ridiculous (who likes iced YA?) and in part because I hardly ever read YA (though I do enjoy chocolate in copious quantities in both cases).
So, as a guy who doesn’t habitually read hard sci-fi (due in part to having the intellectual capacity of a cupcake) or YA Romance, I’m decidedly NOT the core audience for Darkside Earther.
Why, then, did I read it? Does the author have some blackmail material on me? Probably. Did I get confused and think I was reading a biography of Pink Floyd? Maybe. Was I high on too many iced mochas and incapable of making rational decisions? Most likely.
The main reason, though, is because I know Horner to be both highly intelligent and a gifted storyteller, which makes me inclined to check out his stuff even when it’s not in my wheelhouse.
Both of those attributes are on display here, with a Shakespearean doomed romance dressed up in the trappings of a futuristic space community where advanced technology and a sanitized public narrative obscure some very fundamental societal problems that threaten to tear apart a system that’s keeping 17 billion people alive. I can’t offer much insight as to the relative merits of Axel and Helen’s love affair compared to other YA Romance, and I’m still struggling to figure out how to set the clock on my VCR, so I’m not sure you want me opining as to the merits of the scientific foundation for the tech.
But, this story is at its best, for me, when it’s digging into the conspiracies and cover-ups that not only prevent our hero and his lady love from being together, but pose a very real existential threat to the world Horner has created in Saul and this story. The story’s particularly cogent (and timely) dissection of the dissemination of misinformation and people’s willingness and ability to believe it over hard facts and data is chilling (albeit perhaps not as chilling as people’s willingness and ability to do that in real life).
Merging hard sci-fi and YA Romance is not, I suspect, a common endeavor, so this may be a difficult story to find your way into in some ways, but for those that do, they’ll be rewarded by discovering a writer whose brain is sharp, gift for language is obvious, and potential is considerable.
Looking forward to more…
February 17, 2018
Reminiscent of Anne Lecke or Nnedi Okorafor, author Bradley Horner has created an intricately woven science fiction work that also harkens back to the hard science fiction of Robert Silverberg.
Earth is hopelessly overpopulated in a Malthusian dilemma and a Ring of a satellite encircles the planet, colonized by the cream of this world’s crop. But for Alex, a unique child having been born in space, life is far from utopia and Horner creates a dramatic tension of fragile hope being threatened by necessity and desperate need.
Horner has also given us a glimpse into a far future world where nanotechnology and virtual reality have changed the way we think and interact. The socio-political culture he describes is almost post cyberpunk in its Spartan minimalism and of resources spread hopelessly thin.
At its heart, though, this is a love story, and Horner’s charming narrative and excellent world building make this an absorbing and enjoyable experience.
Earth is hopelessly overpopulated in a Malthusian dilemma and a Ring of a satellite encircles the planet, colonized by the cream of this world’s crop. But for Alex, a unique child having been born in space, life is far from utopia and Horner creates a dramatic tension of fragile hope being threatened by necessity and desperate need.
Horner has also given us a glimpse into a far future world where nanotechnology and virtual reality have changed the way we think and interact. The socio-political culture he describes is almost post cyberpunk in its Spartan minimalism and of resources spread hopelessly thin.
At its heart, though, this is a love story, and Horner’s charming narrative and excellent world building make this an absorbing and enjoyable experience.
October 25, 2017
This is another great novel from Bradley Horner. I've been impressed by his 'Great Curve' world in its two previous outings (Saul and Syzygy) and in this third installment Horner has added greater depth and more humanity to it. This one has it all: action, romance, strife between families, violence, space battles, mindbending future tech, enormous sea creatures and graffiti on a grand scale.
To be honest, I feel a little mean not giving this book five stars (it's definitely worth at least four and a half). The main reason I haven't is because I feel like Horner is going to write a book; maybe his next one, maybe the one after that; that is going to absolutely blow my smegging mind and I want to save the five star review for that one! I know, I know; I'm being miserly...
There's one chapter in particular that I loved involving the protagonist saving his own skin in a way that I can only call absolutely ingenious. I'll just say 'blood' and leave it to other readers of this impressive tale to see what I'm talking about. Kudos to the author for coming up with this one.
If I had one piece of constructive criticism it would be that I'd like Horner to describe things physically a little more. I'm not saying his writing isn't descriptive; it most certainly is; but I want more description... I want to feel the protagonist's heartbeat, smell the sweat on his girlfriend's lips, run my imaginary fingers along the texture of the space elevator's walls... Basically, I want the moon on a stick but I'm an entitled reader, so I have no qualms about asking for it!
Anyway, if you like intelligent science fiction with a heart that will set your pulse pounding, you could do a lot worse than to pick up this book. Do it!
To be honest, I feel a little mean not giving this book five stars (it's definitely worth at least four and a half). The main reason I haven't is because I feel like Horner is going to write a book; maybe his next one, maybe the one after that; that is going to absolutely blow my smegging mind and I want to save the five star review for that one! I know, I know; I'm being miserly...
There's one chapter in particular that I loved involving the protagonist saving his own skin in a way that I can only call absolutely ingenious. I'll just say 'blood' and leave it to other readers of this impressive tale to see what I'm talking about. Kudos to the author for coming up with this one.
If I had one piece of constructive criticism it would be that I'd like Horner to describe things physically a little more. I'm not saying his writing isn't descriptive; it most certainly is; but I want more description... I want to feel the protagonist's heartbeat, smell the sweat on his girlfriend's lips, run my imaginary fingers along the texture of the space elevator's walls... Basically, I want the moon on a stick but I'm an entitled reader, so I have no qualms about asking for it!
Anyway, if you like intelligent science fiction with a heart that will set your pulse pounding, you could do a lot worse than to pick up this book. Do it!
February 28, 2018
Axel Stahl is a normal young man. He has school he's not overly interested in, parents who are often too busy to spend time with him, and a crush on a girl he doesn't think has ever even noticed him. The things that set Axel apart are that he's the failed hope of mankind and he lives aboard a giant space station called the Ring. One day everything is looking up for Axel and the young woman he's been dreaming about, Helen, has been watching him watching her and she likes him. All seems grand until war brakes out on many fronts.
Darksider Earther is at it's core a young adult book about love. Axel loves Helen and Helen loves Axel, they're ready to fight for it against anyone who stands in their way. There was a time in my life that I found scenarios like these engaging and sweet, but now as a parent I fear the pairs naivete and question their feelings. Undoubtedly my next time facing such love in real life, I'll be the bad guy poking holes in the undying love of the young. I'm getting off topic. For me the love fest between Helen and Axel is one I can relate to in the past, but I react in a much more cynical fashion to now. The first two thirds or so of the story revolved around the kids love for one another.
When the true war struck I was engaged even if I found myself not totally understanding how most of the weapons and tools worked. The last third of the book was filled with heart pounding fear as it's far from certain what will happen.
I found myself feeling as though the teen love and war aspect felt smashed together like a car accident. The two parts of the story didn't feel as though they belonged together. The teen love was largely light and airy with defiance and devotion. I didn't feel as though it was evident war would break out at any point. There were some brief mentions of the tensions between Space Ops and the Earthers, but that was largely glossed over in the wave of love. As for the other war, there was little indication to expect it at all.
To be fair to Darkside Earther I have to admit that young adult and space based science fiction are far from my preferred genres. I tend to avoid young adult at any cost. That being said I feel as though a good bit of the stories strong points just don't particularly appeal to me personally.
Darkside Earther is a space based science fiction young adult love story that shows some creativity and promise.
2.5 out of 5 stars
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Darksider Earther is at it's core a young adult book about love. Axel loves Helen and Helen loves Axel, they're ready to fight for it against anyone who stands in their way. There was a time in my life that I found scenarios like these engaging and sweet, but now as a parent I fear the pairs naivete and question their feelings. Undoubtedly my next time facing such love in real life, I'll be the bad guy poking holes in the undying love of the young. I'm getting off topic. For me the love fest between Helen and Axel is one I can relate to in the past, but I react in a much more cynical fashion to now. The first two thirds or so of the story revolved around the kids love for one another.
When the true war struck I was engaged even if I found myself not totally understanding how most of the weapons and tools worked. The last third of the book was filled with heart pounding fear as it's far from certain what will happen.
I found myself feeling as though the teen love and war aspect felt smashed together like a car accident. The two parts of the story didn't feel as though they belonged together. The teen love was largely light and airy with defiance and devotion. I didn't feel as though it was evident war would break out at any point. There were some brief mentions of the tensions between Space Ops and the Earthers, but that was largely glossed over in the wave of love. As for the other war, there was little indication to expect it at all.
To be fair to Darkside Earther I have to admit that young adult and space based science fiction are far from my preferred genres. I tend to avoid young adult at any cost. That being said I feel as though a good bit of the stories strong points just don't particularly appeal to me personally.
Darkside Earther is a space based science fiction young adult love story that shows some creativity and promise.
2.5 out of 5 stars
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 5, 2018
This book is third book that happens in ‘Great Curve’ and like authors’ two previous novels ‘Saul’ and ‘Syzygy’ this is another great story. As this is a YA book it has more of everything action, romance and politics.
The plot happens in Ring, it is the future for humanity as the earth is over populated and ready to explode. Story starts with Axel, the protagonist and narrator. He is the only human born in the space and as he’s kind of failure he has lots of limitation using technologies others easily use. To me that made him perfect main character. Helen is his classmate and the daughter of a powerful family from the earth and Alex’s crush. At some point it reminded me of ‘West Side Story’ but in a complete different scale and of course environment/time. Two young people fell for each other that should not. And then there are political and personal pressures on both of them as political balance shifts between Earth and Ring.
At start this book might seem difficult as there are lots of new phrases if you haven’t read the previous books but as it goes on, everything becomes more clear and story gets on speed. I really liked the world built in these books and it’s been enhanced in Darkside Earther alot. This world has so much potential and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
The plot happens in Ring, it is the future for humanity as the earth is over populated and ready to explode. Story starts with Axel, the protagonist and narrator. He is the only human born in the space and as he’s kind of failure he has lots of limitation using technologies others easily use. To me that made him perfect main character. Helen is his classmate and the daughter of a powerful family from the earth and Alex’s crush. At some point it reminded me of ‘West Side Story’ but in a complete different scale and of course environment/time. Two young people fell for each other that should not. And then there are political and personal pressures on both of them as political balance shifts between Earth and Ring.
At start this book might seem difficult as there are lots of new phrases if you haven’t read the previous books but as it goes on, everything becomes more clear and story gets on speed. I really liked the world built in these books and it’s been enhanced in Darkside Earther alot. This world has so much potential and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
February 12, 2018
(This book has been kindly given to me by the author and I don't regret it!)
So, here it is. I didn't give a full five stars (it's 4.5 for me) but it's not because I didn't like it. I mean, I finished it last night, full of fury over what was happening, hoping stubbornly I would have more pages to read even though my ereader was saying '100%'. Damn.
The main reason I gave a 4.5 rating is because I was lost for the most of the beginning. Lost in the vocabulary, lost in what was going on and lost in virtuals. I'm a rather reality loving person and not sure about living in a life full of virtuals and nanobots. It felt alien and I had lots of difficulties to immerse myself in the book.
BUT.
And this is a big but. I fell rapidly for the kids in the story. They were the one that kept me hooked even when I wasn't fully understanding what was happening.
And then I decided I couldn't put down the book. I am mad at everything that happened at the end and now I want to read what will happened next.
There is a feel of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ but without the feeling of 'we will die together'. Those kids have fire in them, they want to tear the flesh out of the life they were given.
And the parents? I swear to be NOT like those. I have lots of term I cannot use here but it’s burning my lips.
So, conclusion? This was the first book from Bradley, and I want more. I didn’t know where I was going even though I love his quirky review. But ready his work was mind blowing, his characters are alive and you want to love or hate them, easily. Do not hesitate to take this book and read it. Although, for those like me that don’t like ending in a cliffhanger, perhaps wait for the rest of the books to come out… or have the rest near you so that you can continue reading.
So, here it is. I didn't give a full five stars (it's 4.5 for me) but it's not because I didn't like it. I mean, I finished it last night, full of fury over what was happening, hoping stubbornly I would have more pages to read even though my ereader was saying '100%'. Damn.
The main reason I gave a 4.5 rating is because I was lost for the most of the beginning. Lost in the vocabulary, lost in what was going on and lost in virtuals. I'm a rather reality loving person and not sure about living in a life full of virtuals and nanobots. It felt alien and I had lots of difficulties to immerse myself in the book.
BUT.
And this is a big but. I fell rapidly for the kids in the story. They were the one that kept me hooked even when I wasn't fully understanding what was happening.
And then I decided I couldn't put down the book. I am mad at everything that happened at the end and now I want to read what will happened next.
There is a feel of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ but without the feeling of 'we will die together'. Those kids have fire in them, they want to tear the flesh out of the life they were given.
And the parents? I swear to be NOT like those. I have lots of term I cannot use here but it’s burning my lips.
So, conclusion? This was the first book from Bradley, and I want more. I didn’t know where I was going even though I love his quirky review. But ready his work was mind blowing, his characters are alive and you want to love or hate them, easily. Do not hesitate to take this book and read it. Although, for those like me that don’t like ending in a cliffhanger, perhaps wait for the rest of the books to come out… or have the rest near you so that you can continue reading.
March 11, 2018
Probably a 3.5 rounded up.
The author and I are friends on GRs and he asked me to read and review his new novella. First off, as he knows, I’m not really a reader of YA or romance, both of which play a part in this story. But I felt the description and behavior of the characters were spot on for young teens.
The world building is very interesting and the tech is pretty cool. Particularly the ability of the kids to switch to their own ‘wave length’ communication to talk privately while their parents had an uncomfortable dinner together, or during a boring class at school.
The ending went on a bit too long and the story landed on a cliff-hanger. My suggestions are to add a glossary of tech terms and a timeline of the history to clarify some of what’s going on.
The author and I are friends on GRs and he asked me to read and review his new novella. First off, as he knows, I’m not really a reader of YA or romance, both of which play a part in this story. But I felt the description and behavior of the characters were spot on for young teens.
The world building is very interesting and the tech is pretty cool. Particularly the ability of the kids to switch to their own ‘wave length’ communication to talk privately while their parents had an uncomfortable dinner together, or during a boring class at school.
The ending went on a bit too long and the story landed on a cliff-hanger. My suggestions are to add a glossary of tech terms and a timeline of the history to clarify some of what’s going on.
January 21, 2018
The first chapter was the only that I could describe as a bit challenging. At that very start, it was a bit of a challenge to connect all the dots but it got easier with time. The world created in Darkside Earther is a very interesting and dynamic one. I found parallels with our civilization, and that is what makes it so interesting. It is set in imaginable future- or at least it feels like it. The issues like overpopulation and immigrations were explored rather well. Some things never change. The balance of power is always a rather delicate thing and we have no reason to believe that the development of technology will put an end to political differences. It will probably just make them more complex. In this case that potential complexity was a source of an enjoyable plot and read. What I loved most about this novel was exactly the complexity of the world created. This is some wonderful world building. The organization of society, the transport, the political system, it is all well though trough. The people living on planet Earth are the ones most disadvantaged in this world (due to serious overpopulation). They all want out, but only capable workers are allowed to relocate to the Ring. Is there a way to do it, to reduce the population pressure of Earth by moving more people to the Ring? Not really, that much is clear from the start. It is one of the problems that don’t seem easily fixable.
The narrative is told from the first person point of view. The narrator is Axel, a teenager who happens to be the first person born into space. It is a while since I read anything that could be classified as YA, but I honestly didn’t mind having a teenage protagonist. I suppose it could be said that the reader learns about the complexity of this world through Axel who is trying to figure out things himself. Axel is special on account of being the only human being born in space (people living in space can’t reproduce and must rely on Earthlings for new blood). This rather unique position puts him under a lot of political and personal pressure, especially since the things aren’t working out that well between the overpopulated Earth and The Ring (where he happens to live). The balance of power gets shaken and the political unrest increases even more once he falls into love with Helen, a girl from Earth, born into an influential and possibly quite rebellious family. Both of their families aren’t happy about the connection between them two. Another thing that is interesting is that Axel is a bit of an outcast, because he is unable to use most of technology ( nano implants don’t work on him for reasons unclear). This makes him both vulnerable and different. I liked the fact that he was an artist, I felt like it added some depth to his character. His actions felt convincing enough. Like most teenagers, Axel is not the most confident person out there, but he’s not the type to whine much either. He makes for a good protagonist, even if he feels a bit passive at times.
I would say that the way Darkside Earther is written is quite clever. We get more and more information as we follow along and it makes for an entertaining read. At the start of the novel there is an upsetting episode in which our protagonist Axel witness civilian casualties and finds out that things aren’t really what they seem in his idealized space society, followed by a virtual classroom with professor Bojowski which proves a perfect place to discuss all the ideas. I rather liked the description of professor Bojowski. Some of the students dare to contradict the professor, new characters get introduced, and we learn a bit more about the protagonist and so on. Then we get to the romance part, and witness a developing relationship between Axel and Helen (a girl from Earth) followed by a series of events. I’ve never been fan of the romance genre, but this ‘puppy love’ was fun to follow, probably because it also sets the plot in motion. Helen and Axel come from very different words but they seem to have everything in common. There was a short period in the narrative when I felt that things seemed to go a bit too smoothly for your lovers, but it all ends rather suddenly and our narrator finds himself in a midst of a whole new level of problems. There is a fair amount of action and a quite a few moral dilemmas that keep popping up.
I liked the way the dialogues were written. If I were to split hairs, I would say that there were a few instances in which Helen (linguistically speaking) sounded a bit like a guy, but nothing major, like I said, just a couple of times. Most of the time she does sound like a girl- she is a pretty adorable girl character really. I rather liked her a lot and wished we could see more of Helen’s development. There were a lot of dialogues in this novel. Perhaps the longest ones are between Axel and his parents that have a lot of explaining to do. They are the ones who seem to be ‘on to things’, but they portion the information they have at disposal carefully- and one wonders (together with the protagonist) what are they hiding. One feels Axel’s isolation, as he gets stuck between conflicting worlds, that of his influential parents and that of his girlfriend’s equally powerful parents. Those conversations felt realistic enough. I had a feeling that both parents were characters in their own right. Anyhow, the dialogues, for most part felt natural and were well fitted into the plot. The narrative flows quite effortlessly in this one. The episode with the nerve-racking dinner party with both Axel's and Helen's parents present was particularly well written.
I really liked the word styling. Not just the newly constructed words, i.e. the terms that the author had to make up to explain new concept in this world of his creation (I’ll get to those a bit later), but the vocabulary in general. There are no repeated words. Sentences are nice and neat, really fitting the narrative. The writing is quite descriptive and straightforward for most part, but it also retains its charm. Vocabulary was definitely a plus for me in this one. The sentences felt crafted with care. I tend to notice these kind of details, so this is something I enjoyed. Newly introduced words like eV, Space-OPs ,She-lathe , NAI and so on were well selected. There is a lot of vocabulary that is familiar (links, avatars, mindspace, Shapers, dust etc) but takes new meaning within this more technically advanced world. I’m not sure I got the technicalities of one episode (that scene with blood and sailing through space), but the rest seemed to made sense.
There isn’t a proper ending to this novel, but that is probably due to the fact that there will be a sequel (that I wouldn’t mind reading because I do find this world fascinating). I can imagine that this novel might be hard to follow for lazy readers (because of all new concepts) or those completely unfamiliar with this genre but what sf novel wouldn’t? There are a lot of new concept introduced, so ‘keeping up’ with all the terms might take a bit of concentration, but as far as the plot and the character development goes, the novel is pretty straightforward and easy to follow. With just enough ‘food for the thought’, it is a wonderful science fiction novel.
The narrative is told from the first person point of view. The narrator is Axel, a teenager who happens to be the first person born into space. It is a while since I read anything that could be classified as YA, but I honestly didn’t mind having a teenage protagonist. I suppose it could be said that the reader learns about the complexity of this world through Axel who is trying to figure out things himself. Axel is special on account of being the only human being born in space (people living in space can’t reproduce and must rely on Earthlings for new blood). This rather unique position puts him under a lot of political and personal pressure, especially since the things aren’t working out that well between the overpopulated Earth and The Ring (where he happens to live). The balance of power gets shaken and the political unrest increases even more once he falls into love with Helen, a girl from Earth, born into an influential and possibly quite rebellious family. Both of their families aren’t happy about the connection between them two. Another thing that is interesting is that Axel is a bit of an outcast, because he is unable to use most of technology ( nano implants don’t work on him for reasons unclear). This makes him both vulnerable and different. I liked the fact that he was an artist, I felt like it added some depth to his character. His actions felt convincing enough. Like most teenagers, Axel is not the most confident person out there, but he’s not the type to whine much either. He makes for a good protagonist, even if he feels a bit passive at times.
I would say that the way Darkside Earther is written is quite clever. We get more and more information as we follow along and it makes for an entertaining read. At the start of the novel there is an upsetting episode in which our protagonist Axel witness civilian casualties and finds out that things aren’t really what they seem in his idealized space society, followed by a virtual classroom with professor Bojowski which proves a perfect place to discuss all the ideas. I rather liked the description of professor Bojowski. Some of the students dare to contradict the professor, new characters get introduced, and we learn a bit more about the protagonist and so on. Then we get to the romance part, and witness a developing relationship between Axel and Helen (a girl from Earth) followed by a series of events. I’ve never been fan of the romance genre, but this ‘puppy love’ was fun to follow, probably because it also sets the plot in motion. Helen and Axel come from very different words but they seem to have everything in common. There was a short period in the narrative when I felt that things seemed to go a bit too smoothly for your lovers, but it all ends rather suddenly and our narrator finds himself in a midst of a whole new level of problems. There is a fair amount of action and a quite a few moral dilemmas that keep popping up.
I liked the way the dialogues were written. If I were to split hairs, I would say that there were a few instances in which Helen (linguistically speaking) sounded a bit like a guy, but nothing major, like I said, just a couple of times. Most of the time she does sound like a girl- she is a pretty adorable girl character really. I rather liked her a lot and wished we could see more of Helen’s development. There were a lot of dialogues in this novel. Perhaps the longest ones are between Axel and his parents that have a lot of explaining to do. They are the ones who seem to be ‘on to things’, but they portion the information they have at disposal carefully- and one wonders (together with the protagonist) what are they hiding. One feels Axel’s isolation, as he gets stuck between conflicting worlds, that of his influential parents and that of his girlfriend’s equally powerful parents. Those conversations felt realistic enough. I had a feeling that both parents were characters in their own right. Anyhow, the dialogues, for most part felt natural and were well fitted into the plot. The narrative flows quite effortlessly in this one. The episode with the nerve-racking dinner party with both Axel's and Helen's parents present was particularly well written.
I really liked the word styling. Not just the newly constructed words, i.e. the terms that the author had to make up to explain new concept in this world of his creation (I’ll get to those a bit later), but the vocabulary in general. There are no repeated words. Sentences are nice and neat, really fitting the narrative. The writing is quite descriptive and straightforward for most part, but it also retains its charm. Vocabulary was definitely a plus for me in this one. The sentences felt crafted with care. I tend to notice these kind of details, so this is something I enjoyed. Newly introduced words like eV, Space-OPs ,She-lathe , NAI and so on were well selected. There is a lot of vocabulary that is familiar (links, avatars, mindspace, Shapers, dust etc) but takes new meaning within this more technically advanced world. I’m not sure I got the technicalities of one episode (that scene with blood and sailing through space), but the rest seemed to made sense.
There isn’t a proper ending to this novel, but that is probably due to the fact that there will be a sequel (that I wouldn’t mind reading because I do find this world fascinating). I can imagine that this novel might be hard to follow for lazy readers (because of all new concepts) or those completely unfamiliar with this genre but what sf novel wouldn’t? There are a lot of new concept introduced, so ‘keeping up’ with all the terms might take a bit of concentration, but as far as the plot and the character development goes, the novel is pretty straightforward and easy to follow. With just enough ‘food for the thought’, it is a wonderful science fiction novel.
January 30, 2018
Review to follow
dnf__no-rating
July 4, 2022❇ This ARC was provided by Groot the author in exchange for marshmallows an honest review or something that has a bunch of sentences in it. ❇
I was supposed to read this centuries ago, when people still lived on a semi-green earth, but better late than never, right? Right.
The reason I DNFed this is because it is not my cuppa. My brain can't brain. No fault of the book. Hence me not rating it.
Thanks to Brad for providing me with a copy! ♥
DNF @ 33%
I was supposed to read this centuries ago, when people still lived on a semi-green earth, but better late than never, right? Right.
The reason I DNFed this is because it is not my cuppa. My brain can't brain. No fault of the book. Hence me not rating it.
Thanks to Brad for providing me with a copy! ♥
July 26, 2020
A wonderful YA SF tale. It is full of amazing tech of the future that truly transforms the way humans live and a corresponding rich political and social world to go with it. Young love is still consuming and believes it can conquer the world. In fact, I thought it was one of the best portrayal of first, young love I've ever read without it being so much about sex. Of course, there are romantic challenges and enough real world drama to keep things interesting as Earth draws closer to a civil war.
I don't mind if things aren't always explained at the beginning and the writer expects the reader to be able to figure things out as it goes along but in this case I never did figure out what some of the initials stood for or some of the tech. A glossary in the back would have helped.
Other than that, I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
I was given a copy of this by netgalley and the author in exchange for a fair review.
I don't mind if things aren't always explained at the beginning and the writer expects the reader to be able to figure things out as it goes along but in this case I never did figure out what some of the initials stood for or some of the tech. A glossary in the back would have helped.
Other than that, I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
I was given a copy of this by netgalley and the author in exchange for a fair review.
January 24, 2018
I was provided a copy of this novel by the author for a fair and honest review.
Darkside Earther is another entry into Brad Horner's challenging and inspiring sci-fi series. In what I consider a clever turn, Horner takes the essentials of Saul and Syzygy and places them in the framework of what is essentially a Young Adult novel. I appreciate authors that are willing to take risks, especially when it comes to (what might be) a fairly lengthy series. It keeps us readers on our toes, and just when we think we have things figured out, or we've grown accustomed to the content and the cadence, everything changes. And though we didn't know we wanted that change, we find that, by the end, we're glad it happened.
This novel, as opposed to Saul and Syzygy, is much easier to digest and follow. That's not a criticism against Darkside or it's predecessors. In fact, I think it's a positive (for all three), and a good example of Horner refining his world, its rules and inhabitants, and his skills as a storyteller. I felt myself able to imagine this world much more clearly, and I was more invested in the political schemes and ethical dilemmas that plague it.
But none of this would've been possible if not for the cast of characters Horner has created. While it took me some time to warm up to Axel, I really enjoyed who he was and what he had to go through, and I'm extremely excited to see what becomes of him in future novels, as the implications for his character and what he represents are huge. Helen was a lot of fun as well. Axel's attraction to her was believable, and I liked the time we got to spend with the two of them together, watching their relationship build at what felt like a believable rate. The barriers between them are barriers we've seen and read about so many times before, but there's a reason for that: it just works so well. And their interactions and the games they engage in hide this familiarity and make it feel special.
Criticisms? None, really. As another reviewer has mentioned, I would love to have some more descriptions of the world. We spend so much time in virtual space and head space and all them spaces that sometimes it's hard to retain an image of the world. These systems they inhabit and manipulate are very real to them, and I'd like to see Horner give them a realness that really engages all the senses.
I greatly enjoyed my time with Darkside Earther, and I was pumped to see there is another book in the series coming out. This universe has so much potential. I feel as if we've only seen a fraction of what's to come. And, oh, how I can't wait to see what's to come.
Darkside Earther is another entry into Brad Horner's challenging and inspiring sci-fi series. In what I consider a clever turn, Horner takes the essentials of Saul and Syzygy and places them in the framework of what is essentially a Young Adult novel. I appreciate authors that are willing to take risks, especially when it comes to (what might be) a fairly lengthy series. It keeps us readers on our toes, and just when we think we have things figured out, or we've grown accustomed to the content and the cadence, everything changes. And though we didn't know we wanted that change, we find that, by the end, we're glad it happened.
This novel, as opposed to Saul and Syzygy, is much easier to digest and follow. That's not a criticism against Darkside or it's predecessors. In fact, I think it's a positive (for all three), and a good example of Horner refining his world, its rules and inhabitants, and his skills as a storyteller. I felt myself able to imagine this world much more clearly, and I was more invested in the political schemes and ethical dilemmas that plague it.
But none of this would've been possible if not for the cast of characters Horner has created. While it took me some time to warm up to Axel, I really enjoyed who he was and what he had to go through, and I'm extremely excited to see what becomes of him in future novels, as the implications for his character and what he represents are huge. Helen was a lot of fun as well. Axel's attraction to her was believable, and I liked the time we got to spend with the two of them together, watching their relationship build at what felt like a believable rate. The barriers between them are barriers we've seen and read about so many times before, but there's a reason for that: it just works so well. And their interactions and the games they engage in hide this familiarity and make it feel special.
Criticisms? None, really. As another reviewer has mentioned, I would love to have some more descriptions of the world. We spend so much time in virtual space and head space and all them spaces that sometimes it's hard to retain an image of the world. These systems they inhabit and manipulate are very real to them, and I'd like to see Horner give them a realness that really engages all the senses.
I greatly enjoyed my time with Darkside Earther, and I was pumped to see there is another book in the series coming out. This universe has so much potential. I feel as if we've only seen a fraction of what's to come. And, oh, how I can't wait to see what's to come.
December 6, 2017
Interesting plot and characters. I'm not much into YA and love stories, but this one kept my interest.
April 11, 2019
--------- April 2019 re-read:
Well... damn. I wanted to jump into Degrading Orbits (That's the book that comes after this one) but after just a couple of pages, I realized I was a little rusty on the storyline. So I re-read Darkside Earther, and now I find myself upgrading my review from 3 to 4 stars. I liked it back when I first read it (quite a bit, actually), but I was turned off by the teenage romance. Those teens kept getting in the way of the larger plot. With a fresh, set of eyes, though, I think maybe I over-exaggerated the goo-goo eyes the first time around.
While there is a very realistic portrayal of a teenage romance in this Darkside Earther, it takes up less than half the book. The rest is hard sci-fi with a dash of down-to-earth humor (no pun intended). There's also a lot of that Saul-brand bullet-time action in the latter half and the finale--that, uh, propulsion system--is really something. ;)
With this plot fresh in my mind again, I now jump into book 2.
--------- February 2018 review:
I liked this book for a variety of reasons, even though I didn't enjoy the principle storyline.
My favorite part about the book was the augmented reality. It seems everyone has nanotech embedded into their very eyeballs that enables the user to summon and interface with what is basically a supercomputer at any time. In today's world, we can hold up a smartphone and, through the lens of the camera, catch a polygonal Pokémon on our lawn. Darkside Earther takes this real technology to a fascinating level, where we can simply twitch and pull up a computer screen that obscures our vision. You could chase a Pokémon across a lawn and think it's really there. If you caught it you'd swear that you felt its fur. You can sit on the toilet and, at the same time, attend a high school class so realistic that you think you're physically there.
This technology is at the forefront of Darkside Earther. The main characters use it to create art. They join their friends in impossibly realistic video games. They eat at restaurants (in space) where they seem to be under the ocean. It's virtual reality to the extreme, and it's part of everyday life.
Sometimes, our irrational, short-sighted, and self-important main characters use it to manufacture their own melodrama (see: the aforementioned undersea restaurant). And later, the AR is used against them in some really interesting ways. One particularly well written passage illustrates how a near-artificial intelligence alters the main characters' ARs to make them think they're looking at other people (Yes, because their parents don't want them to be together, they augment the vision of their respective kids to make their love interests appear to be other people):
More subdued, but also on display in this book is the fact that the main characters live on a gigantic ring that is connected to and encircles Earth. The main character, especially, is interesting in the sense that he's one of the only people to be born in space. And as a result, he's disabled in some significant ways (most noticeably in that he can interface with some of the nanotech).
What I did not like about the book also happened to be the book's main focus: an infatuation between two teenagers who swear their love is both eternal and entirely unique. I had a hard time getting through their conversations because it was hard to relate to. Typically, what teenagers value and fret over is not what I, as a 32-year old man, fret over.
I mean, I remember high school. I remember when being picked to read out loud in class or changing in the locker room felt like life-changing events. I remember the first time I got a boner in class. I remember popping zits and looking forward to the contents under pressure shooting out of my face and onto the mirror I was standing in front of.
Most of all, though, I remember being irrational. I remember being impulsive, short-sighted, self-important, melodramatic. Every time I look back and recall high school me, it sets my teeth on edge. So reading this book was sometimes akin to being an old man in the driver's seat of a minivan, cringing while two hormonal teens in the backseat whisper melodramatic one-liners back and forth.
To borrow (and warp) a sentiment from Tropic Thunder, wherein a blackface Robert Downey Jr. lectures Ben Stiller about his role in Simple Jack, "You should never go full teenager." Well, Axel and Helen went full teenager, man.
Despite my feelings on their juvenile romance, though, Darkside Earther was still a page turner for its setting and technology. I would 100% recommend it to younger readers, but I still think that grown-ups and fans of sci-fi would find a lot to like here as well. I’m happy I read it and look forward to the author's next book!
Well... damn. I wanted to jump into Degrading Orbits (That's the book that comes after this one) but after just a couple of pages, I realized I was a little rusty on the storyline. So I re-read Darkside Earther, and now I find myself upgrading my review from 3 to 4 stars. I liked it back when I first read it (quite a bit, actually), but I was turned off by the teenage romance. Those teens kept getting in the way of the larger plot. With a fresh, set of eyes, though, I think maybe I over-exaggerated the goo-goo eyes the first time around.
While there is a very realistic portrayal of a teenage romance in this Darkside Earther, it takes up less than half the book. The rest is hard sci-fi with a dash of down-to-earth humor (no pun intended). There's also a lot of that Saul-brand bullet-time action in the latter half and the finale--that, uh, propulsion system--is really something. ;)
With this plot fresh in my mind again, I now jump into book 2.
--------- February 2018 review:
I liked this book for a variety of reasons, even though I didn't enjoy the principle storyline.
My favorite part about the book was the augmented reality. It seems everyone has nanotech embedded into their very eyeballs that enables the user to summon and interface with what is basically a supercomputer at any time. In today's world, we can hold up a smartphone and, through the lens of the camera, catch a polygonal Pokémon on our lawn. Darkside Earther takes this real technology to a fascinating level, where we can simply twitch and pull up a computer screen that obscures our vision. You could chase a Pokémon across a lawn and think it's really there. If you caught it you'd swear that you felt its fur. You can sit on the toilet and, at the same time, attend a high school class so realistic that you think you're physically there.
This technology is at the forefront of Darkside Earther. The main characters use it to create art. They join their friends in impossibly realistic video games. They eat at restaurants (in space) where they seem to be under the ocean. It's virtual reality to the extreme, and it's part of everyday life.
Sometimes, our irrational, short-sighted, and self-important main characters use it to manufacture their own melodrama (see: the aforementioned undersea restaurant). And later, the AR is used against them in some really interesting ways. One particularly well written passage illustrates how a near-artificial intelligence alters the main characters' ARs to make them think they're looking at other people (Yes, because their parents don't want them to be together, they augment the vision of their respective kids to make their love interests appear to be other people):
More subdued, but also on display in this book is the fact that the main characters live on a gigantic ring that is connected to and encircles Earth. The main character, especially, is interesting in the sense that he's one of the only people to be born in space. And as a result, he's disabled in some significant ways (most noticeably in that he can interface with some of the nanotech).
What I did not like about the book also happened to be the book's main focus: an infatuation between two teenagers who swear their love is both eternal and entirely unique. I had a hard time getting through their conversations because it was hard to relate to. Typically, what teenagers value and fret over is not what I, as a 32-year old man, fret over.
I mean, I remember high school. I remember when being picked to read out loud in class or changing in the locker room felt like life-changing events. I remember the first time I got a boner in class. I remember popping zits and looking forward to the contents under pressure shooting out of my face and onto the mirror I was standing in front of.
Most of all, though, I remember being irrational. I remember being impulsive, short-sighted, self-important, melodramatic. Every time I look back and recall high school me, it sets my teeth on edge. So reading this book was sometimes akin to being an old man in the driver's seat of a minivan, cringing while two hormonal teens in the backseat whisper melodramatic one-liners back and forth.
To borrow (and warp) a sentiment from Tropic Thunder, wherein a blackface Robert Downey Jr. lectures Ben Stiller about his role in Simple Jack, "You should never go full teenager." Well, Axel and Helen went full teenager, man.
Despite my feelings on their juvenile romance, though, Darkside Earther was still a page turner for its setting and technology. I would 100% recommend it to younger readers, but I still think that grown-ups and fans of sci-fi would find a lot to like here as well. I’m happy I read it and look forward to the author's next book!
July 26, 2018
The opening scene of this new novel, set in one of my favourite hardcore high-tech worlds, was so hard and fast and chock full of his world's exotic terminology I came close to getting lost and confused, bewildered by the action flying around me. With a little Ready Player One vibe in the intro, plus Brad's own Am Tampa vibe from previous novels, the novel then proceeded to slow right down to plain old-earther human pace. I then fell head over heels in love, as I discovered a richly painted and elegant sci-fi novel with a beautifully characterised and disabled (in his societies sense) teen who is unable to join his peers in Am Tampa speed but manages to catch the eye of his lady love.
Just as I was thinking Romeo and Juliet meets high-tech culture, the book goes and makes a joke about Star Crossed Lovers! Your characters and I are on to you Brad, with your meta literature tropes. And in typical star-crossed lover land, just as I was rooting for their elopement or some such, our hero seems to take the advice of his slightly evil, but mostly jaded parents and agree to abandon her to the monsters that are her own family.
Does the story end with true love finding a way, or two teens growing up to learn young love never works without the support of your family? Only time, and next Darkside Earther instalment will tell... I must get on to that!
Just as I was thinking Romeo and Juliet meets high-tech culture, the book goes and makes a joke about Star Crossed Lovers! Your characters and I are on to you Brad, with your meta literature tropes. And in typical star-crossed lover land, just as I was rooting for their elopement or some such, our hero seems to take the advice of his slightly evil, but mostly jaded parents and agree to abandon her to the monsters that are her own family.
Does the story end with true love finding a way, or two teens growing up to learn young love never works without the support of your family? Only time, and next Darkside Earther instalment will tell... I must get on to that!
April 25, 2018
Thanks to Bradley for sending me this book to read. Hard Sci-Fi is not usually my thing, but this epic space novel really kept my interest peaked. I'll admit that the first few chapters were a little sloggy and over descriptive, I found myself sometimes confused and lost in the paragraphs (something I hope he can sort out with another edit as it would be a shame to lose readers before they get to the real meat of the story) but if you stick with it, Bradley really knows how to weave a great storytelling wand to create an action-packed adventure with plenty of fun, humor, romance and kick-ass action to boot. In fact, his storytelling and writing style reminded me a little of the late, great and my fellow Scots writer Iain M banks. And here, with this story, Brad has created two young adult characters in Helen and Axel who will grow on you chapter after chapter and find yourself rooting for long after the final chapter has ended. Nice work Brad and well done on creating a fascinating fantasy world that hooks you in with its two main characters.
June 30, 2017
Review to come! It's just fabulous!
September 14, 2018
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
Axel is a not a typical teen, but he's not a-typical. Hundreds years in the future, he lives on a massive space station in orbit above Earth. His parents are people of influence and importance on the station, and he's being raised to join them. But that's not at all what he wants. He's a middling student, at best, all he really wants to do is make art and fall in love -- hopefully with one particular girl from his classes. Maybe play a few video games (they're far more immersive than anything we can possibly come up with -- and are called something else, but they're essentially what I used to play on an Intellivision).
Helen doesn't have his artistic inclinations or abilities, but she shares his political apathy, his love of video games, his odd sense of humor and other interests (I was tempted to say that she shares his obsession with her appearance, but that's not entirely fair to her). Her family is historically (and currently) a pretty Big Deal on Earth. Her immediate family is on this space station in part to work on behalf of the people on Earth. I don't have as strong of a sense of her as I do Axel -- at least not one I could express. That's primarily on me -- but it's also part of the book, it's Axel's story, and we know him much better.
The book begins spending a little time with their courtship after setting the stage -- it's very easy to get caught up in the happiness and forget about that floating cloud of crap. Then they hit a pretty major road-bump -- and then just when you get caught up in their clever ways around their obstacles, life for everyone on the station plunges into chaos.
Some bar owner once said, "it doesn't take much to see that the problems of ... little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world" with an eye to the horrors of World War II around him. Axel and Helen have a bigger conflict, and more suffering, around them -- and their problems are even smaller in comparison. But that won't stop you from being drawn to their plight (and their joy, determination, and courage, too). What these two (and their friends) go through is enough to derail relationships, families, movements -- and while you'd understand why both of them would bail on their romance, you can't help but root for these crazy kids.
It would've been understandable, and so very easy, to turn the parents into the villains of the piece -- even just one set. But Horner resisted that, and even has Axel realizing they're all just doing what they think is right and best -- even if that's diametrically opposed to what their children want/believe.
This isn't technically YA, but it's YA-friendly. Maybe even MG-friendly, come to think of it. It's suitable for SF readers of all ages, let's just say. Horner writes like the best SF writers used to in a way that's approachable and appealing to all audiences. I wish more did that. I could say a lot about the science of the space station -- and the cultures created by it, both in orbit and on the ground; or the politics; or the technology; the human biology . . . basically the SF-ness of it. I'm not going to, because of time, space required -- and frankly, the human elements, the characters are what counts.
I wasn't that sure this book was going to work for me, but I'm glad I gave it a chance, because this thing won me over (pretty quickly, I should add) -- it had to be Axel and his way of looking at life that drew me in and then pretty much everything else kept me there. It's hopeful, almost optimistic (given the harshness of the reality of humanity's situation, that's an accomplishment), you can enjoy huge swaths of it. It's a love story, it's the beginning of a SF epic, and you will fall under its spell if you give it half a chance. There are some big ideas here, but it's a pretty small story, where people and their feelings are more important (and more interesting) than conflict, technological wonders, and everything else.
---
I really didn’t think it could get any better than this.
But as with all tales of happiness, there’s always a floating cloud of crap over our heads just waiting for the touch of gravity to send it falling.
Axel is a not a typical teen, but he's not a-typical. Hundreds years in the future, he lives on a massive space station in orbit above Earth. His parents are people of influence and importance on the station, and he's being raised to join them. But that's not at all what he wants. He's a middling student, at best, all he really wants to do is make art and fall in love -- hopefully with one particular girl from his classes. Maybe play a few video games (they're far more immersive than anything we can possibly come up with -- and are called something else, but they're essentially what I used to play on an Intellivision).
Helen doesn't have his artistic inclinations or abilities, but she shares his political apathy, his love of video games, his odd sense of humor and other interests (I was tempted to say that she shares his obsession with her appearance, but that's not entirely fair to her). Her family is historically (and currently) a pretty Big Deal on Earth. Her immediate family is on this space station in part to work on behalf of the people on Earth. I don't have as strong of a sense of her as I do Axel -- at least not one I could express. That's primarily on me -- but it's also part of the book, it's Axel's story, and we know him much better.
The book begins spending a little time with their courtship after setting the stage -- it's very easy to get caught up in the happiness and forget about that floating cloud of crap. Then they hit a pretty major road-bump -- and then just when you get caught up in their clever ways around their obstacles, life for everyone on the station plunges into chaos.
Some bar owner once said, "it doesn't take much to see that the problems of ... little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world" with an eye to the horrors of World War II around him. Axel and Helen have a bigger conflict, and more suffering, around them -- and their problems are even smaller in comparison. But that won't stop you from being drawn to their plight (and their joy, determination, and courage, too). What these two (and their friends) go through is enough to derail relationships, families, movements -- and while you'd understand why both of them would bail on their romance, you can't help but root for these crazy kids.
It would've been understandable, and so very easy, to turn the parents into the villains of the piece -- even just one set. But Horner resisted that, and even has Axel realizing they're all just doing what they think is right and best -- even if that's diametrically opposed to what their children want/believe.
This isn't technically YA, but it's YA-friendly. Maybe even MG-friendly, come to think of it. It's suitable for SF readers of all ages, let's just say. Horner writes like the best SF writers used to in a way that's approachable and appealing to all audiences. I wish more did that. I could say a lot about the science of the space station -- and the cultures created by it, both in orbit and on the ground; or the politics; or the technology; the human biology . . . basically the SF-ness of it. I'm not going to, because of time, space required -- and frankly, the human elements, the characters are what counts.
I wasn't that sure this book was going to work for me, but I'm glad I gave it a chance, because this thing won me over (pretty quickly, I should add) -- it had to be Axel and his way of looking at life that drew me in and then pretty much everything else kept me there. It's hopeful, almost optimistic (given the harshness of the reality of humanity's situation, that's an accomplishment), you can enjoy huge swaths of it. It's a love story, it's the beginning of a SF epic, and you will fall under its spell if you give it half a chance. There are some big ideas here, but it's a pretty small story, where people and their feelings are more important (and more interesting) than conflict, technological wonders, and everything else.
January 22, 2018
With Darkside Earther, Brad Horner has provided us with one deep cut of bloody Sci-Fi, rare as hell, and served, if you please, with a nice Romeo y Julieta cigar on the side.
In Horner’s richly imagined future, society lives as much within interactive mind spaces as it does within in the meat and blood world. The disparities of the haves and have nots are stark. “Certain users had priority. Certain people had privilege. Wasn't that always the way?”
However, although he is the only son of daring revolutionaries, sixteen year old Axel is the equivalent of a baseline human, one hundred years out of date with his peers. “Most of them could effectively live three days to my one.”
Self-conscious about his limits, the reluctantly empathetic Axel would prefer to just make art, play video games & be left alone… but when he falls in love, he’s near-simultaneously drawn into revolution. Helen, it turns out, is the daughter of his parents’ sworn enemies.
“What was I going to do, though? Paint our enemies into submission? I wasn't going to pick up a gun, and my sense of duty was as poor as my ability to soak up and use excess eV in the air.”
Axel can do a whole lot, it turns out… but for which side?
“It dawned on me that perhaps I had never had a choice. Ever. Maybe all my choices had always been illusions.”
Helen is “like an ifrit. All fire and desert, a withering stare, a total denial of regard,” and Axel is as attracted to Helen’s intelligence and capability as he is to her flashing looks: “In reality, or virtual reality, she was sitting at her desk with all her analytical work showing and flowing around her, demanding our teacher back down and doing it with nothing but her force of will. It was glorious.”
I’m neither a gamer or a hacker (I’m a whack-my-computer-to-fix-it kinda girl) and so must admit I necessarily doggie-paddled over some of Horner’s techie bits, but loved the heart and the world building here. Darkside looks to be the start of one seriously epic series.
So, ye tech & science-minded anarchists, hackers, engineers and disaffected youth: don’t miss this one! Darkside Earther is the story you’ve been waiting for.
As a magpie, I can’t help but reel off to you a few of my favorite, glinty quotes from Mr. Horner for you below, which you too can enjoy in Darkside Earther.
And my compliments to the author, who provided me with an early copy of his ms. in exchange for my honest review.
“preference-drift.”
“She twirled some sushi between chopsticks at face level and asked, "How high do my heels have to be to keep my toes dry as they wade through river of blood?"
“We were programming mayhem.”
“I love that laugh. It's like a donkey on LSD.”
"Have you ever considered how odd it is that you're recreating me out of thin air?"
"Life is never a clear path. If you think you see one, then you're probably telling yourself a story."
“I didn't have any reaction mass I was willing to spend other than a fart or two.”
Hehe.
Reader, enjoy.
In Horner’s richly imagined future, society lives as much within interactive mind spaces as it does within in the meat and blood world. The disparities of the haves and have nots are stark. “Certain users had priority. Certain people had privilege. Wasn't that always the way?”
However, although he is the only son of daring revolutionaries, sixteen year old Axel is the equivalent of a baseline human, one hundred years out of date with his peers. “Most of them could effectively live three days to my one.”
Self-conscious about his limits, the reluctantly empathetic Axel would prefer to just make art, play video games & be left alone… but when he falls in love, he’s near-simultaneously drawn into revolution. Helen, it turns out, is the daughter of his parents’ sworn enemies.
“What was I going to do, though? Paint our enemies into submission? I wasn't going to pick up a gun, and my sense of duty was as poor as my ability to soak up and use excess eV in the air.”
Axel can do a whole lot, it turns out… but for which side?
“It dawned on me that perhaps I had never had a choice. Ever. Maybe all my choices had always been illusions.”
Helen is “like an ifrit. All fire and desert, a withering stare, a total denial of regard,” and Axel is as attracted to Helen’s intelligence and capability as he is to her flashing looks: “In reality, or virtual reality, she was sitting at her desk with all her analytical work showing and flowing around her, demanding our teacher back down and doing it with nothing but her force of will. It was glorious.”
I’m neither a gamer or a hacker (I’m a whack-my-computer-to-fix-it kinda girl) and so must admit I necessarily doggie-paddled over some of Horner’s techie bits, but loved the heart and the world building here. Darkside looks to be the start of one seriously epic series.
So, ye tech & science-minded anarchists, hackers, engineers and disaffected youth: don’t miss this one! Darkside Earther is the story you’ve been waiting for.
As a magpie, I can’t help but reel off to you a few of my favorite, glinty quotes from Mr. Horner for you below, which you too can enjoy in Darkside Earther.
And my compliments to the author, who provided me with an early copy of his ms. in exchange for my honest review.
“preference-drift.”
“She twirled some sushi between chopsticks at face level and asked, "How high do my heels have to be to keep my toes dry as they wade through river of blood?"
“We were programming mayhem.”
“I love that laugh. It's like a donkey on LSD.”
"Have you ever considered how odd it is that you're recreating me out of thin air?"
"Life is never a clear path. If you think you see one, then you're probably telling yourself a story."
“I didn't have any reaction mass I was willing to spend other than a fart or two.”
Hehe.
Reader, enjoy.
March 7, 2018
I have this weird desire to have myself miniaturized and injected into Bradley Horner’s brain. I want to snoop around a bit, count the neurons, measure the cerebrum (with the miniaturized yardstick I brought along for the task), and have a little walkabout in the colossal expanse of gray matter between his ears.
It’s an impressive brain. No question.
Darkside Earther resides slightly past the farthest perimeter of the type of sci-fi I enjoy reading. You know why? I don’t like to feel dumb. But despite that happening on a few occasions while reading the book, I still enjoyed it very much. The world-building is consummate, and the tech is mind-blowing. I especially loved the concept of nanobots augmenting human biology. It’s all very impressive, and the bonus is there’s a solid storyline entwined within all the science-y stuff. I’m looking forward to reading more from this big-brained author.
It’s an impressive brain. No question.
Darkside Earther resides slightly past the farthest perimeter of the type of sci-fi I enjoy reading. You know why? I don’t like to feel dumb. But despite that happening on a few occasions while reading the book, I still enjoyed it very much. The world-building is consummate, and the tech is mind-blowing. I especially loved the concept of nanobots augmenting human biology. It’s all very impressive, and the bonus is there’s a solid storyline entwined within all the science-y stuff. I’m looking forward to reading more from this big-brained author.
April 16, 2020
When I started reading this I was confused and not sure if this should be sent back to an editor. As I read on it got better and things started to make more sense. An interesting take on a dystopian future that has a reminiscence of the Matrix. The way the book is written it seems like it is not sure if it was trying to be a novel or a script, it seems to be somewhere in the middle. It's got some interesting ideas and would not mind reading the rest of the series. Reading some of the other reviews on this book I'm not sure what I can add that hasn't been said. I would recommend this book if your interesting in Virtual realities and stories like the Matrix.
November 4, 2018
Do SF writers merely predict the future or help shape it?
I can’t help asking myself this after reading another of Horner’s books, Darkside Earther, set in the same cool beans world I first encountered in Saul. In most SF visions of the future, humans interact with advanced technology externally. Captain Kirk and Luke Skywalker may wield phasers and sabers, but they don’t seem that much smarter than we are. Horner toys this underlying premise because in his world, our pumpkin’s processing speed is sped up much like a CPU upgrade and connects its ‘mindspace’ to virtual reality and the Noosphere (cloud) lithely through nanotech. The augmentation of human intelligence in this manner, and the loss of the autonomy of one’s consciousness through ‘connectedness’ it implies, has an inevitable (and scary) feel to it.
In the future, I guess we all become walking iPhones.
In Darkside Earther Horner takes on more than augmented human intelligence and exotic physics. At its heart, it’s a story of young love, with all its teenaged sweaty-palmed obsessing that hasn’t seemed to fizzle over time. Axel has a bad case of it with the girl of his dreams, Helen. At least in this case the love is requited and the two form a strong bond explored in real life and in bloody VR games. A nastier reality intrudes when they discover that their parents belong to warring factions in the ‘Ring’ that circles the Earth and where the privileged have migrated. Axel’s parents are higher ups in the elitist and paternalistic Space-Ops and Helen’s are leaders of the subversive and egalitarian Earthers. The stage is set for the conflict underlying the book when the teens are forbidden from seeing each other. Literally prevented from seeing each other because their parents are able to hack into Axel’s and Helen’s mindspaces and sully their perceptions of each other.
Fortunately, love finds away. But the world intrudes again when war breaks out.
Axel is a likeable flawed protagonist, bearing the weight of his parents’ expectations as the only child to survive a space birth as well as their disappointment because he is not able to fully immerse in the nanotech needed to be able to put his brain in an augmented hyper-drive when needed. This makes him a slow learner by future standards, but he does possess other talents such as artistic aptitude that expresses itself in his Banksy-type street art. In spite of his hardened parents and love of blood sport VR games, he has a surprising level of compassion for others. No wonder why Helen, who could have anyone she wanted, chooses him. The banter between the two is handled well by Horner and it cuts through the complex virtual and real worlds they inhabit.
Naturally, with Horner the reader gets more than particle physics and advanced computing. There are a few literary Easter eggs thrown in. There is T.S. Eliot, “I will show you fear in a handful of dust,” Lewis Carroll, “I believed in six impossible things before breakfast” and the tale itself might said to be inspired by Greek mythology – the elopement of Helen of Troy (Helen) with Alexander (Axel) igniting the Trojan War (Earthers v Space-Ops), with smatterings of Romeo and Juliet. Complaints are few. With no advance reading, the nomenclature and action can be confusing, especially because everything takes place in multiple planes and it’s difficult to get a handle on what’s going on. Perhaps throwing the reader a bone like the glossary at the end of Saul might help. It would be a good refresher even for the initiated. Overall this is a worthy read and the trip to Horner’s vision of the future is intriguing as it is addictive.
I want my … I want my … EM eV.
I can’t help asking myself this after reading another of Horner’s books, Darkside Earther, set in the same cool beans world I first encountered in Saul. In most SF visions of the future, humans interact with advanced technology externally. Captain Kirk and Luke Skywalker may wield phasers and sabers, but they don’t seem that much smarter than we are. Horner toys this underlying premise because in his world, our pumpkin’s processing speed is sped up much like a CPU upgrade and connects its ‘mindspace’ to virtual reality and the Noosphere (cloud) lithely through nanotech. The augmentation of human intelligence in this manner, and the loss of the autonomy of one’s consciousness through ‘connectedness’ it implies, has an inevitable (and scary) feel to it.
In the future, I guess we all become walking iPhones.
In Darkside Earther Horner takes on more than augmented human intelligence and exotic physics. At its heart, it’s a story of young love, with all its teenaged sweaty-palmed obsessing that hasn’t seemed to fizzle over time. Axel has a bad case of it with the girl of his dreams, Helen. At least in this case the love is requited and the two form a strong bond explored in real life and in bloody VR games. A nastier reality intrudes when they discover that their parents belong to warring factions in the ‘Ring’ that circles the Earth and where the privileged have migrated. Axel’s parents are higher ups in the elitist and paternalistic Space-Ops and Helen’s are leaders of the subversive and egalitarian Earthers. The stage is set for the conflict underlying the book when the teens are forbidden from seeing each other. Literally prevented from seeing each other because their parents are able to hack into Axel’s and Helen’s mindspaces and sully their perceptions of each other.
Fortunately, love finds away. But the world intrudes again when war breaks out.
Axel is a likeable flawed protagonist, bearing the weight of his parents’ expectations as the only child to survive a space birth as well as their disappointment because he is not able to fully immerse in the nanotech needed to be able to put his brain in an augmented hyper-drive when needed. This makes him a slow learner by future standards, but he does possess other talents such as artistic aptitude that expresses itself in his Banksy-type street art. In spite of his hardened parents and love of blood sport VR games, he has a surprising level of compassion for others. No wonder why Helen, who could have anyone she wanted, chooses him. The banter between the two is handled well by Horner and it cuts through the complex virtual and real worlds they inhabit.
Naturally, with Horner the reader gets more than particle physics and advanced computing. There are a few literary Easter eggs thrown in. There is T.S. Eliot, “I will show you fear in a handful of dust,” Lewis Carroll, “I believed in six impossible things before breakfast” and the tale itself might said to be inspired by Greek mythology – the elopement of Helen of Troy (Helen) with Alexander (Axel) igniting the Trojan War (Earthers v Space-Ops), with smatterings of Romeo and Juliet. Complaints are few. With no advance reading, the nomenclature and action can be confusing, especially because everything takes place in multiple planes and it’s difficult to get a handle on what’s going on. Perhaps throwing the reader a bone like the glossary at the end of Saul might help. It would be a good refresher even for the initiated. Overall this is a worthy read and the trip to Horner’s vision of the future is intriguing as it is addictive.
I want my … I want my … EM eV.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2018
Brad Horner's debut novel has many notable strengths: he builds likable characters and puts them in belivably stressful situations. Even with a hard science fiction backdrop, he manages to utilize the devices of YA Romance to create a sweet and compelling universal. That is, even though humanity has progressed hundreds or thousands of years from the 21st Century, what's old is a constant. Horner evokes the nervousness of approaching a first crush, the estrangement of parents as one grows up, and the difficulty in reconciling the real world to the honeymoon blush of first love. Layered over that is a truly complex and interesting world with an even more omnipresent sense of politics that choke everything like dust.
Therein lies a problem with Darkside Earther. The camera lens is often pulled back to describe the world, history, and underpinnings to such a degree that the reader loses the sense of immediacy or conflict. For some readers, that may not be a problem as the world is sufficiently well thought out and engineered to carry the story forward. The narrative voice is also consistent enough and enfused with enough pathos that even some of the info dumps have charm. The other thing that drags Horner's first novel is that at its conclusion it resolved in such a way that I just read the prologue to the book. That is, the true story was about to commence and the first book was just set up.
That may be an individual thing though because there is a big space battle, a desperate lurch to safety, and a change in the direction of the protagonist's life that should give the novel sufficient momentousness. Somehow though, for me, it left me wanting more. That' not a bad thing. Often it's a good thing, but I did leave the novel not fully satisfied.
Over all, the book is charming and I'd say it is worth a read if you dig romance and really love to speculate on how technology and the Earth/humanity could evolve. The entire use of dust and virtual life is fascinating. Darkside Earther is a very strong first effort. Horner may be an author worth keeping an eye on... or at least one window open for.
Therein lies a problem with Darkside Earther. The camera lens is often pulled back to describe the world, history, and underpinnings to such a degree that the reader loses the sense of immediacy or conflict. For some readers, that may not be a problem as the world is sufficiently well thought out and engineered to carry the story forward. The narrative voice is also consistent enough and enfused with enough pathos that even some of the info dumps have charm. The other thing that drags Horner's first novel is that at its conclusion it resolved in such a way that I just read the prologue to the book. That is, the true story was about to commence and the first book was just set up.
That may be an individual thing though because there is a big space battle, a desperate lurch to safety, and a change in the direction of the protagonist's life that should give the novel sufficient momentousness. Somehow though, for me, it left me wanting more. That' not a bad thing. Often it's a good thing, but I did leave the novel not fully satisfied.
Over all, the book is charming and I'd say it is worth a read if you dig romance and really love to speculate on how technology and the Earth/humanity could evolve. The entire use of dust and virtual life is fascinating. Darkside Earther is a very strong first effort. Horner may be an author worth keeping an eye on... or at least one window open for.
January 17, 2019
Ever wondered about the future of earth and where it’s headed? Darkside Earther, by Bradley Horner, does just that! Set in the inevitable horrowing future for humans, Horner brings to life a monster of a story that is dismal yet passionate all at the same time. A sci-fi nightmare of a novel, he takes you to a realm of cold dead space and rips your heart from the bowels of your soul.
Why do I speak of such dark undertones for this book? Well, the content speaks for itself. After learning the extensive vocabulary offered in the book, one will find themselves extended to a new voice and tone of spacer mania. With the novel set in the future where the human race is doomed to a fate far worse than dying itself, spacers and Earthers are set apart from one another in this Romeo and Juliet romance, yet completely rely on each other, one for procreation and the other, to mange resources and eV (one of the terms learned in the book). Axel and Hellen, two sweet hearts who meet in class, have a bond unforeseen by either force and by chance one day, meet, which ironically sets off a chain of events far worse than they could ever imagine.
This is the first book I’ve read by Bradley Horner, and at first, I was somewhat intimidated by the content, but as mentioned before, after learning the cadence of language offered, I couldn’t stop reading. There is a definte YA feel to the story that makes this particular sci-fi an orgy of emotion. High technological terms mixed with imaginative settings and space battles and you have a major developing story that can’t be told in one book. In fact, there are others in the series, and I’ll be checking them out.
This story is about fobidden love and sacrifice, choosing sides for those who matter the most and daydreaming. Politics in the sci-fi era leaves for an intense and smart story that can only be done by a master craftsman in the sci-fi genre. I rate this story a 5 out of 5 for it genuine ability to entertain me despite the intense terminology. The passion for Helen is unreal. Thank you Mr. Horner for giving me the opportunity to read it.
Author F. D. Gross
Grelldragon@hotmail.com
Why do I speak of such dark undertones for this book? Well, the content speaks for itself. After learning the extensive vocabulary offered in the book, one will find themselves extended to a new voice and tone of spacer mania. With the novel set in the future where the human race is doomed to a fate far worse than dying itself, spacers and Earthers are set apart from one another in this Romeo and Juliet romance, yet completely rely on each other, one for procreation and the other, to mange resources and eV (one of the terms learned in the book). Axel and Hellen, two sweet hearts who meet in class, have a bond unforeseen by either force and by chance one day, meet, which ironically sets off a chain of events far worse than they could ever imagine.
This is the first book I’ve read by Bradley Horner, and at first, I was somewhat intimidated by the content, but as mentioned before, after learning the cadence of language offered, I couldn’t stop reading. There is a definte YA feel to the story that makes this particular sci-fi an orgy of emotion. High technological terms mixed with imaginative settings and space battles and you have a major developing story that can’t be told in one book. In fact, there are others in the series, and I’ll be checking them out.
This story is about fobidden love and sacrifice, choosing sides for those who matter the most and daydreaming. Politics in the sci-fi era leaves for an intense and smart story that can only be done by a master craftsman in the sci-fi genre. I rate this story a 5 out of 5 for it genuine ability to entertain me despite the intense terminology. The passion for Helen is unreal. Thank you Mr. Horner for giving me the opportunity to read it.
Author F. D. Gross
Grelldragon@hotmail.com
January 29, 2018
I've followed Brad for a few years here on GR and I've told others that I rarely if ever doubt his thoughts. He has a great eye and mind and I've appreciated that for all my reading for quite some time. This is my first foray into his own writings and I walked in with a little trepidation because YA books are not quite my thing. Knowing that I kept having to play an optometrist and toggle between my 14-year-old self and my 41-year-old self.
Better.. Better.. Better now? Try again.. Better.. Better?
Let me first say that this is a really neat book, from either age perspective Mr. Horner has done a bang up job bringing a future world to bear where nanotechnology is literally in everything and without power would pretty much consume everything. Kind of a wicked blade to dance there.
His use of politics both geo, spatial and local make for a dance of perspectives. Then you bifurcate that into the views of Space-Ops which I'd consider the adult view and the YA crowd who basically think they know things but like usual don't know much. Trap the whole thing with a classic need of resources whether it's natural or biological. Add in this Bullet blender of a tale a budding first romance that kept having me feel ol' Romeo and Juliet and we have our landscape to live in.
So--the adult in me found the young-adult side of the tales cringe-worthy. To the point I was biting my finger waiting for certain love/pain of love/mad at parents/pain of missing/youth lack of perspective to pass. Then the adult in me would sing on an EM rainbow at the layers of knowledge, technology, and vast concepts being put out there.
There is a lot of road to travel here and I hope like some other YA books the kiddos grow up enough to allow for perspective and maturation. The rest of this book is really cooking for me and I can't wait to see where it traverses or how deep down certain paths he wants to lead us. I had echoes to later volumes of Old Man's War when we're looking from the kids perspective and thought that if it evolved more into non-YA perspectives it would be pretty fine. The adult dialogues are spot on, clever and I also had this partial Expanse/partial Jean le Flambeur vibes which are incredibly fun to ride.
A worthy read and a worthy continuance. With a guy who has this much under his thumb and held in his head I look forward to seeing where his tales, perspectives, and methods evolve to!
Better.. Better.. Better now? Try again.. Better.. Better?
Let me first say that this is a really neat book, from either age perspective Mr. Horner has done a bang up job bringing a future world to bear where nanotechnology is literally in everything and without power would pretty much consume everything. Kind of a wicked blade to dance there.
His use of politics both geo, spatial and local make for a dance of perspectives. Then you bifurcate that into the views of Space-Ops which I'd consider the adult view and the YA crowd who basically think they know things but like usual don't know much. Trap the whole thing with a classic need of resources whether it's natural or biological. Add in this Bullet blender of a tale a budding first romance that kept having me feel ol' Romeo and Juliet and we have our landscape to live in.
So--the adult in me found the young-adult side of the tales cringe-worthy. To the point I was biting my finger waiting for certain love/pain of love/mad at parents/pain of missing/youth lack of perspective to pass. Then the adult in me would sing on an EM rainbow at the layers of knowledge, technology, and vast concepts being put out there.
There is a lot of road to travel here and I hope like some other YA books the kiddos grow up enough to allow for perspective and maturation. The rest of this book is really cooking for me and I can't wait to see where it traverses or how deep down certain paths he wants to lead us. I had echoes to later volumes of Old Man's War when we're looking from the kids perspective and thought that if it evolved more into non-YA perspectives it would be pretty fine. The adult dialogues are spot on, clever and I also had this partial Expanse/partial Jean le Flambeur vibes which are incredibly fun to ride.
A worthy read and a worthy continuance. With a guy who has this much under his thumb and held in his head I look forward to seeing where his tales, perspectives, and methods evolve to!
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