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MindField
What would happen if most of the people in America became deaf almost overnight? Chaos? Financial collapse? Anarchy? None of the above? MindField is a thrill ride with a message; a premise torn right out of today's headlines. A terrorist cell ignites an aerosol dispersion of what is thought to be deadly bacteria-spinal meningitis. It quickly spreads from a small town in Montana to nearly 30 states, eventually affecting more than three million people-an epidemic of nation-threatening proportions. However, the problem isn't death-it's deaf. The physical symptoms of the disease disappear after three weeks, the only remaining tragedy is all those who are stricken become permanently deaf-a common side effect of spinal meningitis. The United States is turned inside out, now a country where millions of the inhabitants can't hear. An underground government is formed deep beneath the NORAD facilities in Colorado. A catastrophe of unimaginable proportions-or is it? MindField is a fast paced, plot driven suspense novel with a pleasant surprising, and incredibly potent message about the way we might live our lives if we all had to listen with our eyes and hearts, and how the world might be a much better place for it.
- GenresFiction
314 pages, Paperback
First published November 22, 2006
1 person is currently reading
347 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 18, 2007
This review was originally posted on DeafDC.com on August 17, 2007:
Late last year, John F. Egbert (yes, the guy behind the protest of AG Bell and the Deaf Bilingual Coalition) self-published MindField, a novel about a mysterious strain of meningitis unleashed by terrorists that leaves untold numbers of Americans deaf.
I’d bought my copy several months ago, but waited until I had a free summer moment to read. Hearing about positive reviews that spurred several friends to buy their copy and one friend who’d already dived into his, I moved it to the top of my to-read list. Now I wish I’d waited longer.
Perhaps the biggest letdown is being led to believe, even hope, that a deaf person writing about deaf people could actually do it: write a great American novel in which the complexity of the deaf community is finally fairly represented, or, at the very least, portrayed in an innovative manner. Sure, the premise alone is enough to lift those hopes sky-high.
By page six I wanted to throw the book in the trash.
Though usually I have a 100-page rule in which authors have a hundred pages with which to capture my attention, the spelling and grammar errors and typos alone were frustrating enough without the stilted and artificial dialogue style and the unimaginative wording that felt cribbed from a dozen other conspiracy theory novels and stitched together here.
There’s a reason for the editing process that publishing houses use; by choosing the self-publishing route, Egbert did himself and his audience a grave disservice here.
English 101 gripes aside, it does get easier to ignore these mistakes as one keeps reading. Usually that’s a good thing for people who really want to sit back and enjoy a good yarn. Unfortunately, for this reader, who desperately wanted to root for a deaf author, it just made the other weaknesses of the book more glaring.
As a story, the book’s substance is spread thin.
There is zero character development. Each character serves a minute purpose; that one became deaf, that one’s a mom of deaf kids, that one’s an audist, that one’s a clueless politician or militiaman, that one’s money-hungry. Further than that purpose, there’s nothing remarkable about any of the characters.
Egbert fails to dig into the psyche of any of his creations, even with Nathan, one of the apparent protagonists who eventually becomes deaf. The narration of his sudden deafness is filled with cliche and both does nothing to move the story forward and nothing to tell us about who he is as a person. Often, the things they say are only bits of information Egbert wants the reader to know but couldn’t seem to figure out a way to show (hence, the ASL 101 lecture one teacher of the deaf gives her mother-in-law).
Usually, when stories have little in the way of character development, that means the story is found in the plot or theme itself. But here as well, MindField is weak. In the first half or so, terrorists unleash meningitis; martial law ensues and deaf people are interned in camps with cute government-inspired labels. In the latter part, people, laymen and politicians both (including the new president of the US with the interesting surname: Jordan), try and figure out the “right” thing to do with this newly deafened population.
(For the rest of the review, click here: [http://www.deafdc.com/blog/?p=1001]
Late last year, John F. Egbert (yes, the guy behind the protest of AG Bell and the Deaf Bilingual Coalition) self-published MindField, a novel about a mysterious strain of meningitis unleashed by terrorists that leaves untold numbers of Americans deaf.
I’d bought my copy several months ago, but waited until I had a free summer moment to read. Hearing about positive reviews that spurred several friends to buy their copy and one friend who’d already dived into his, I moved it to the top of my to-read list. Now I wish I’d waited longer.
Perhaps the biggest letdown is being led to believe, even hope, that a deaf person writing about deaf people could actually do it: write a great American novel in which the complexity of the deaf community is finally fairly represented, or, at the very least, portrayed in an innovative manner. Sure, the premise alone is enough to lift those hopes sky-high.
By page six I wanted to throw the book in the trash.
Though usually I have a 100-page rule in which authors have a hundred pages with which to capture my attention, the spelling and grammar errors and typos alone were frustrating enough without the stilted and artificial dialogue style and the unimaginative wording that felt cribbed from a dozen other conspiracy theory novels and stitched together here.
There’s a reason for the editing process that publishing houses use; by choosing the self-publishing route, Egbert did himself and his audience a grave disservice here.
English 101 gripes aside, it does get easier to ignore these mistakes as one keeps reading. Usually that’s a good thing for people who really want to sit back and enjoy a good yarn. Unfortunately, for this reader, who desperately wanted to root for a deaf author, it just made the other weaknesses of the book more glaring.
As a story, the book’s substance is spread thin.
There is zero character development. Each character serves a minute purpose; that one became deaf, that one’s a mom of deaf kids, that one’s an audist, that one’s a clueless politician or militiaman, that one’s money-hungry. Further than that purpose, there’s nothing remarkable about any of the characters.
Egbert fails to dig into the psyche of any of his creations, even with Nathan, one of the apparent protagonists who eventually becomes deaf. The narration of his sudden deafness is filled with cliche and both does nothing to move the story forward and nothing to tell us about who he is as a person. Often, the things they say are only bits of information Egbert wants the reader to know but couldn’t seem to figure out a way to show (hence, the ASL 101 lecture one teacher of the deaf gives her mother-in-law).
Usually, when stories have little in the way of character development, that means the story is found in the plot or theme itself. But here as well, MindField is weak. In the first half or so, terrorists unleash meningitis; martial law ensues and deaf people are interned in camps with cute government-inspired labels. In the latter part, people, laymen and politicians both (including the new president of the US with the interesting surname: Jordan), try and figure out the “right” thing to do with this newly deafened population.
(For the rest of the review, click here: [http://www.deafdc.com/blog/?p=1001]
April 25, 2022
technically i did dnf this but don’t tell my professor that
December 6, 2016
Like 2.8 really? Almost a 3, but I didn't really like it all that much. I think if you are someone who knows nothing about ASL and Deaf culture, you'd probably enjoy it more than I did. As a current student at Gallaudet, the information was all old hat to me. The way it was written didn't work for me, either. Too many points of view - I never felt connected with any of the characters. I got 2/3 done with it and thought it would be much better if it was set of kids telling the story from inside and outside the Habitats. But that may just be more in line with what I tend to read. The story was mostly narrative-driven, each character mostly doing their own thing. More interaction between characters might have helped, though it would have changed a fair bit of the story. Calling AGBell "the organization" might have been a stylistic choice? To make it more ominous or foreboding or whatever. I thought it was weird - better to name them, be direct. Some characters seemed to be simcom-ing (voicing while signing) but the ramifications of this (ASL suffering, become not a full language) was never touched on. Overall, I am a hearing person, so stories of the deaf aren't mine to tell. There's so few books about Deaf issues or with Deaf characters. I appreciate John F. Egbert for taking the time to write this and hope it helps some hearing people come to understand the Deaf Way.
August 3, 2024
Read this for a class and really enjoyed it!! Even though the grammar, plot, and characters could use some extra work, it was still very enjoyable. Good read for people who have no previous experience or knowledge in Deaf culture or Deaf gain. The author combines fiction and education so nicely, from the beginning I was captivated and read it all in one sitting.
December 31, 2017
So much wasted potential here. A great story idea but not executed well. Poor editing, plot holes, and a weird story arc almost made this a DNF, but as a strong supporter of the Deaf community I committed to finishing this. Don’t waste your time; it doesn’t get better as it goes on!
November 24, 2024
i wish that the entire book was like the last 50 ish pages. before then i felt like the book had no point and it was really hard to pick up
September 14, 2007
This was quite an interesting read. It's a sci-fi book, set in the very near future. The premise is that a not-really-evil Russian scientist was forced by the KGB once upon a time to make a bioterrorist/chemical weapon that gives everyone a strain of meningitis. Some terrorists (from some stereotypical Middle Eastern nation--Iran, I think?) then proceed to steal and set off said weapon in the continental U.S. But instead of killing everyone, as it's supposed to, the bacteria mutated, and now it just makes everyone deaf.
So enter a cast of characters that often act more like caricatures. There's the lead guy, Nathan Bannister, perpetual do-gooder. There's journalist Hop Brody (the only character I actually liked), who is Nathan's "pardner" in crime, championing free speech and human rights everywhere he goes! There's a pathetically weak, completely CLUELESS president. And then there's Halley, the evil, evil oralist/presidential cabinet member, who tries to take over the country by convincing the president that hearing aids & speech therapy is the best way to make everyone "normal" again.
(Umm...if something like 30 MILLION people --1/3 of the population in the book-- are Deaf, doesn't that change the status quo? And if a whole lot of hearing people *just* lost their hearing, wouldn't it make sense to teach them lipreading?)
As for the book itself, the writing style was a little hackneyed...too much explanation on some bits of information (probably just because I know this topic already), too little in others. Also, the whole "ASL/Oralism" debate was treated, on the whole, in such a clear-cut, black-and-white way. This is a horribly complicated issue, and it was boiled down again to "this way of communication/life/culture/etc. is really good, this way's really bad," but which way's which depends on who you listen to!!
If you know that the author's deaf. you can figure out before the story begins which is the way that's really good. But really, I felt that ASL didn't get enough credit. The author goes on and on about how beautiful it is (and yes it is), but mentions once that ASL is a unique language with it's own grammar, not just English that's signed, which, mind you, isn't quite the same as S.E.E. (Read the book if you're confused. Or better yet, try a "better" source...like Wikipedia. Even something that notoriously unreliable can probably paint a better picture of all the subtleties of the "sign language continuum"--which even contains ::gasp:: PSE, a mixture of prestigious ASL and evil signed English!)
The author also paints an all-too-rosy picture of every single "formerly-hearing" person giving up English and embracing a completely new language (ASL), and being oh-so-happy about it! I know both languages, and if I were in that situation, I probably wouldn't give up my spoken English. I've got some friends who ARE in that situation and haven't given up their spoken language abilities either! That's great that everyone turns to ASL as the savior, but, if 2/3 of the population still don't know ASL, wouldn't the whole idea of being bilingual still be necessary? IE, using both ASL and the evil failing Oral idea of speechreading? Especially for people who *already* know what English sounds/looks/feels like?!
::Sigh:: Well, judging by the length of my rant, I suppose that means that the author has achieved his stated purpose of getting this book to act as a point for discussion. Despite being a bit tired, and overtly political, and a little bit *too* feel-good by the end, it was an interesting concept for a novel. It got me thinking, and it made me want to share this with all my hearing and deaf coworkers and friends, just to see their take on this issue. So, I guess I have to begrudgingly say that I liked the book, for the mere fact that it accomplished what it set out to do. Kudos to Egbert, and I hope this succeeds as his tipping point.
So enter a cast of characters that often act more like caricatures. There's the lead guy, Nathan Bannister, perpetual do-gooder. There's journalist Hop Brody (the only character I actually liked), who is Nathan's "pardner" in crime, championing free speech and human rights everywhere he goes! There's a pathetically weak, completely CLUELESS president. And then there's Halley, the evil, evil oralist/presidential cabinet member, who tries to take over the country by convincing the president that hearing aids & speech therapy is the best way to make everyone "normal" again.
(Umm...if something like 30 MILLION people --1/3 of the population in the book-- are Deaf, doesn't that change the status quo? And if a whole lot of hearing people *just* lost their hearing, wouldn't it make sense to teach them lipreading?)
As for the book itself, the writing style was a little hackneyed...too much explanation on some bits of information (probably just because I know this topic already), too little in others. Also, the whole "ASL/Oralism" debate was treated, on the whole, in such a clear-cut, black-and-white way. This is a horribly complicated issue, and it was boiled down again to "this way of communication/life/culture/etc. is really good, this way's really bad," but which way's which depends on who you listen to!!
If you know that the author's deaf. you can figure out before the story begins which is the way that's really good. But really, I felt that ASL didn't get enough credit. The author goes on and on about how beautiful it is (and yes it is), but mentions once that ASL is a unique language with it's own grammar, not just English that's signed, which, mind you, isn't quite the same as S.E.E. (Read the book if you're confused. Or better yet, try a "better" source...like Wikipedia. Even something that notoriously unreliable can probably paint a better picture of all the subtleties of the "sign language continuum"--which even contains ::gasp:: PSE, a mixture of prestigious ASL and evil signed English!)
The author also paints an all-too-rosy picture of every single "formerly-hearing" person giving up English and embracing a completely new language (ASL), and being oh-so-happy about it! I know both languages, and if I were in that situation, I probably wouldn't give up my spoken English. I've got some friends who ARE in that situation and haven't given up their spoken language abilities either! That's great that everyone turns to ASL as the savior, but, if 2/3 of the population still don't know ASL, wouldn't the whole idea of being bilingual still be necessary? IE, using both ASL and the evil failing Oral idea of speechreading? Especially for people who *already* know what English sounds/looks/feels like?!
::Sigh:: Well, judging by the length of my rant, I suppose that means that the author has achieved his stated purpose of getting this book to act as a point for discussion. Despite being a bit tired, and overtly political, and a little bit *too* feel-good by the end, it was an interesting concept for a novel. It got me thinking, and it made me want to share this with all my hearing and deaf coworkers and friends, just to see their take on this issue. So, I guess I have to begrudgingly say that I liked the book, for the mere fact that it accomplished what it set out to do. Kudos to Egbert, and I hope this succeeds as his tipping point.
October 13, 2015
I received this book as part of Goodreads Giveaways.
This book shouldn't really be labeled as a "thriller." I waited and waited, but the most thrilled I got was when they started internment camps and what may happen after.
The dialogue was awful. There were too many instances in which the author started new paragraphs when someone spoke and it was confusing and a bit uninteresting. The characters themselves served only single purposes and we're otherwise 2D. Two big gripes was Stella constantly, and I mean CONSTANTLY, calling her mother in law "mom." She couldn't seem to speak to her mother in law without saying mom at least once a sentence. Another was how Hop seemed to sign "pardner." How does one do that?
Overall the book had potential but just kept falling flat. Many times it was clear the author was trying to get a certain point apart. I do appreciate the author attempting to do what he did with this book, and yes, it has inspired me to look into sign language a little more, but I just felt like so much more could have been done with this novel.
This book shouldn't really be labeled as a "thriller." I waited and waited, but the most thrilled I got was when they started internment camps and what may happen after.
The dialogue was awful. There were too many instances in which the author started new paragraphs when someone spoke and it was confusing and a bit uninteresting. The characters themselves served only single purposes and we're otherwise 2D. Two big gripes was Stella constantly, and I mean CONSTANTLY, calling her mother in law "mom." She couldn't seem to speak to her mother in law without saying mom at least once a sentence. Another was how Hop seemed to sign "pardner." How does one do that?
Overall the book had potential but just kept falling flat. Many times it was clear the author was trying to get a certain point apart. I do appreciate the author attempting to do what he did with this book, and yes, it has inspired me to look into sign language a little more, but I just felt like so much more could have been done with this novel.
June 11, 2009
This book was recommended to me through my Deaf Culture class. I really enjoyed the book and the message behind it. What would happen if millions of people lost their hearing over a short period of time? It really addresses the misconceptions there are over the Deaf Culture.
February 27, 2008
Excellent read.
June 25, 2010
Terrible. Bad editing, bad writing, no character development. I got about 100 pages in and just couldn't do it anymore.
January 1, 2014
This book had a slow start, but it was definitely worth the wait!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews