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The Measurements of Decay
In the far future, Earth's nearby star systems have been colonized. Outfitted with a device that allows them to escape into hallucinations at will, people spend most of their time withdrawn into their own minds. Tikan Solstafir, a renegade who refuses the illusory life enjoyed by others, lives in self-imposed exile on a starship. When a mysterious enemy attacks the ship, Tikan embarks on a mission to destroy the galactic tyranny and liberate humanity from its own dreams.
Meanwhile, in the 21st Century, a disillusioned philosopher believes that humanity's collective misery originates in people's failure to communicate with others and make sense of the world. Growing increasingly misanthropic and monomaniacal, he proceeds on a hermetic quest to save humanity from itself, while also succumbing to his own moral decline.
As these stories intertwine, a young girl reappears through various epochs, fleeting through Ancient Greece, Medieval Norway, Bolshevik Russia, among others. Unbound by time, Sielle has formed few attachments. Eventually thrust into Tikan's world, she becomes unwillingly entangled in a political scheme spanning centuries.
An engrossing and multi-layered science fiction epic, The Measurements of Decay is K. K. Edin's stunning debut. At once a tortured love letter to philosophy and a space opera spanning centuries, it is a novel of ideas wrapped in a cautionary tale.
Meanwhile, in the 21st Century, a disillusioned philosopher believes that humanity's collective misery originates in people's failure to communicate with others and make sense of the world. Growing increasingly misanthropic and monomaniacal, he proceeds on a hermetic quest to save humanity from itself, while also succumbing to his own moral decline.
As these stories intertwine, a young girl reappears through various epochs, fleeting through Ancient Greece, Medieval Norway, Bolshevik Russia, among others. Unbound by time, Sielle has formed few attachments. Eventually thrust into Tikan's world, she becomes unwillingly entangled in a political scheme spanning centuries.
An engrossing and multi-layered science fiction epic, The Measurements of Decay is K. K. Edin's stunning debut. At once a tortured love letter to philosophy and a space opera spanning centuries, it is a novel of ideas wrapped in a cautionary tale.
590 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
April 19, 2018
Sometimes you will read a book that stuns you into such a deep silence that the backlash envelops you and kicks you out of space and time.
This is one of those books.
I'm still reeling. It's not every day that an author goes out of their way write a complex philosophical dissertation in the style of David Mitchell but goes on to make it hardcore SF with mind-blowingly cool science tropes, transhumanism, and a man-made god in the service of the serious philosophical treatise. Indeed, the multiple PoVs are deadly serious about driving home their ideas and their idealism and I was treated to one of the coolest villains I've ever read in the form of the primary narrator.
This is empathy, understanding, and wisdom taken to its full completion, yo.
Just what would happen if idealists and focused heavy philosophical thinkers gained the physical and temporal power to overcome all obstacles and fulfill their ambitions? Or how about just one. A serious one. One who believes that empathy and understanding is the ultimate goal.
I'm of the mind that the Borg collective fits that bill. If you're part of it, there's perfect empathy and understanding. :) Run with that.
I give this book top marks for being fearlessly dense and super intelligent and creative as a mother****er. I was somewhat worried about the somewhat less clear language used, but the sheer scope and beauty of the imagery and the speed at which so many wonderful scenes happen make up for just about anything.
This is NOT your average adventure hard-SF novel, nor is it a lofty philosophical discussion with a few SF trappings. This is a true shotgun wedding of the best of both worlds.
I'm flabbergasted. This is the kind of SF novel that comes along only a handful of times in a generation and it is NOT something to undertake if you want a light and thoughtless read. I'm putting this novel in the category of *OMG YOU MUST READ THIS*.
This is serious literature. This is thought-provoking and deserves a devoted cult following and if not recognition now, then at least serious recognition in 5 or 10 years. It may take that long for enough serious fans to get their hands on this or work their way through it, but I'll tell you now: it's worth it.
How's that for a squee? I want discussions on this book, people! PHD's welcome. :)
This is one of those books.
I'm still reeling. It's not every day that an author goes out of their way write a complex philosophical dissertation in the style of David Mitchell but goes on to make it hardcore SF with mind-blowingly cool science tropes, transhumanism, and a man-made god in the service of the serious philosophical treatise. Indeed, the multiple PoVs are deadly serious about driving home their ideas and their idealism and I was treated to one of the coolest villains I've ever read in the form of the primary narrator.
This is empathy, understanding, and wisdom taken to its full completion, yo.
Just what would happen if idealists and focused heavy philosophical thinkers gained the physical and temporal power to overcome all obstacles and fulfill their ambitions? Or how about just one. A serious one. One who believes that empathy and understanding is the ultimate goal.
I'm of the mind that the Borg collective fits that bill. If you're part of it, there's perfect empathy and understanding. :) Run with that.
I give this book top marks for being fearlessly dense and super intelligent and creative as a mother****er. I was somewhat worried about the somewhat less clear language used, but the sheer scope and beauty of the imagery and the speed at which so many wonderful scenes happen make up for just about anything.
This is NOT your average adventure hard-SF novel, nor is it a lofty philosophical discussion with a few SF trappings. This is a true shotgun wedding of the best of both worlds.
I'm flabbergasted. This is the kind of SF novel that comes along only a handful of times in a generation and it is NOT something to undertake if you want a light and thoughtless read. I'm putting this novel in the category of *OMG YOU MUST READ THIS*.
This is serious literature. This is thought-provoking and deserves a devoted cult following and if not recognition now, then at least serious recognition in 5 or 10 years. It may take that long for enough serious fans to get their hands on this or work their way through it, but I'll tell you now: it's worth it.
How's that for a squee? I want discussions on this book, people! PHD's welcome. :)
March 28, 2018
The Measurements of Decay is an exhausting and difficult read. It is crammed full of complex language, even more complex ideas pulled from the history of philosophy, and an interweaving set of three narratives whose purpose together does not become clear until around halfway through the novel. And for all these challenges, it is one of the most rewarding and enlightening novels of recent memory.
Some might read the blurb and assume it is your standard sci fi fare, with space opera dramatics, high concepts and quippy characters. And while it certainly makes use of these SF tropes, it really only wears their skin to aim at something far more universal than mere space. This is not a book you breeze through over a weekend. It is not for the faint of heart.
Having initially received a copy of this book for review, I disliked it on my first read through. I couldn’t quite put my finger on why, until, by the end, I realized that what I hated was the book’s arch-villain and narrator, not the book. The book niggled at me for days after I had finished it and I couldn’t help feeling that I had missed crucial elements and possibly even rushed through it. I then purchased a copy and reread it upon its release to get a better sense of its complexity. I am very glad that I did.
K. K. Edin has crafted a truly despicable monster in the narrator, who is all the more awful for the assumptions he takes to their logical conclusion, which many of us, I suspect, share. The key assumptions being that sympathy and understanding are a) really possible and b) able to give humanity peace.
The premise is the following: Human beings fail at communication. We fail at truly understanding each other, because we cannot be each other. We might not even be able to fully perceive each other. What, therefore, would it take to make us truly understand each other? How could we be made to be each other? Do we even know ourselves?
Science fiction, here, is Edin’s vehicle to attempt to answer this question. In his attempt to solve the problem, the narrator begins as a philosopher toying with impossible and frustrating ideas. He is a pretentious intellectual driven mad by the puzzles underlying human thought. At first, I took him to be a completely ridiculous character, and I think Edin did too. There are certain darkly hilarious early scenes of the narrator in Paris that had me laughing out loud at his predicament. But this humor is quickly overshadowed as the narrator grows in power and madness. By the time certain events involving an increasingly magical narrative take place, the thought experiment takes off from reality (and humor).
By the time his arc nears completion, the narrator’s score card of immorality runs off the page in blood, amounting to what can only be described as the rape of wisdom. Although many of these segments repulsed me, upon reflection it seems there was no other way for such a character to go, and that is what I so appreciated about the The Measurements of Decay. Despite suffering from having more interesting villains than heroes, the book’s arch-villain is so sophisticated and twisted in his psychology that one is compelled and fascinated to read on.
On their own terms, what I appreciated most about the Tikan and Sielle chapters was how they traced our entertainment culture to private hallucination to the apotheosis of mindmelding. These chapters provide the SF backdrop, the canvas on which to paint the narrator’s dark image. The characters themselves felt more like torture victims than protagonists, to be honest, and I am still on the fence about how I feel about them.
While I enjoyed many of the Tikan and Sielle chapters, ultimately their value, too, is caught up in the black hole that is the heart of the book: the narrator’s destructive quest for peace and the shutting out of all perspective but his own.
The grandiose style of the narrator serves these themes extremely well, because there is a deep sense of irony and tragedy underneath the whole thing. No matter how articulate, or poetic, or verbose the narrator attempts to be, he only obfuscates his own problem further. This strikes especially true when he himself admits that he despises language for confusing more than it clarifies, going so far at one point as to say he feels “raped by language.”
The Tikan and Sielle chapters are written in more prosaic, clinical (almost scientific) form for the most part. But those parts are also frequently written orantely and infused with perhaps too many similes and metaphors. Although there is a very neat narrative reason for the overwritten parts of the Tikan and Sielle chapters that is revealed towards the end of the book (despite being obviously quite classically inspired, The Measurements of Decay is very “meta”), I still found myself wishing for more reprieve between the emotionally and intellectually exhausting narrator chapters.
Despite the overall difficulty of the language, it is frequently beautiful. The style sometimes feels appropriately alien and apocalyptic, and above all unique. The diction, while sometimes over-reaching, is usually precise. There is definitely the overall feeling that the prose could have been trimmed, but I was hard pressed to point out too many specific passages in need of a haircut. I believe there are also enough allusions and oblique references to philosophy (and more than one to Moby Dick) to keep the treasure hunters among us happy—though I am not one of them, and did not relish this aspect of the writing.
It is a love it or hate it affair. For my part, I loved it, flaws and all, for its imaginative use of science fiction and philosophy, and for daring to present a true monster in the form of the narrator and our own assumptions about empathy and perception.
Some might read the blurb and assume it is your standard sci fi fare, with space opera dramatics, high concepts and quippy characters. And while it certainly makes use of these SF tropes, it really only wears their skin to aim at something far more universal than mere space. This is not a book you breeze through over a weekend. It is not for the faint of heart.
Having initially received a copy of this book for review, I disliked it on my first read through. I couldn’t quite put my finger on why, until, by the end, I realized that what I hated was the book’s arch-villain and narrator, not the book. The book niggled at me for days after I had finished it and I couldn’t help feeling that I had missed crucial elements and possibly even rushed through it. I then purchased a copy and reread it upon its release to get a better sense of its complexity. I am very glad that I did.
K. K. Edin has crafted a truly despicable monster in the narrator, who is all the more awful for the assumptions he takes to their logical conclusion, which many of us, I suspect, share. The key assumptions being that sympathy and understanding are a) really possible and b) able to give humanity peace.
The premise is the following: Human beings fail at communication. We fail at truly understanding each other, because we cannot be each other. We might not even be able to fully perceive each other. What, therefore, would it take to make us truly understand each other? How could we be made to be each other? Do we even know ourselves?
Science fiction, here, is Edin’s vehicle to attempt to answer this question. In his attempt to solve the problem, the narrator begins as a philosopher toying with impossible and frustrating ideas. He is a pretentious intellectual driven mad by the puzzles underlying human thought. At first, I took him to be a completely ridiculous character, and I think Edin did too. There are certain darkly hilarious early scenes of the narrator in Paris that had me laughing out loud at his predicament. But this humor is quickly overshadowed as the narrator grows in power and madness. By the time certain events involving an increasingly magical narrative take place, the thought experiment takes off from reality (and humor).
By the time his arc nears completion, the narrator’s score card of immorality runs off the page in blood, amounting to what can only be described as the rape of wisdom. Although many of these segments repulsed me, upon reflection it seems there was no other way for such a character to go, and that is what I so appreciated about the The Measurements of Decay. Despite suffering from having more interesting villains than heroes, the book’s arch-villain is so sophisticated and twisted in his psychology that one is compelled and fascinated to read on.
On their own terms, what I appreciated most about the Tikan and Sielle chapters was how they traced our entertainment culture to private hallucination to the apotheosis of mindmelding. These chapters provide the SF backdrop, the canvas on which to paint the narrator’s dark image. The characters themselves felt more like torture victims than protagonists, to be honest, and I am still on the fence about how I feel about them.
While I enjoyed many of the Tikan and Sielle chapters, ultimately their value, too, is caught up in the black hole that is the heart of the book: the narrator’s destructive quest for peace and the shutting out of all perspective but his own.
The grandiose style of the narrator serves these themes extremely well, because there is a deep sense of irony and tragedy underneath the whole thing. No matter how articulate, or poetic, or verbose the narrator attempts to be, he only obfuscates his own problem further. This strikes especially true when he himself admits that he despises language for confusing more than it clarifies, going so far at one point as to say he feels “raped by language.”
The Tikan and Sielle chapters are written in more prosaic, clinical (almost scientific) form for the most part. But those parts are also frequently written orantely and infused with perhaps too many similes and metaphors. Although there is a very neat narrative reason for the overwritten parts of the Tikan and Sielle chapters that is revealed towards the end of the book (despite being obviously quite classically inspired, The Measurements of Decay is very “meta”), I still found myself wishing for more reprieve between the emotionally and intellectually exhausting narrator chapters.
Despite the overall difficulty of the language, it is frequently beautiful. The style sometimes feels appropriately alien and apocalyptic, and above all unique. The diction, while sometimes over-reaching, is usually precise. There is definitely the overall feeling that the prose could have been trimmed, but I was hard pressed to point out too many specific passages in need of a haircut. I believe there are also enough allusions and oblique references to philosophy (and more than one to Moby Dick) to keep the treasure hunters among us happy—though I am not one of them, and did not relish this aspect of the writing.
It is a love it or hate it affair. For my part, I loved it, flaws and all, for its imaginative use of science fiction and philosophy, and for daring to present a true monster in the form of the narrator and our own assumptions about empathy and perception.
March 25, 2018
Brilliant SciFi novel
I had a distorted idea of what science fiction really represented the majority of my life. I was hesitant to read it at first because I was expecting laser wars in space and aliens vs. predators. The truth was, I had a poor definition of sci-fi and thus missed out on a lot of it's great works. I picked up and read this book because my friend recommended it… and because he beat me in a video game. The bet was that I at least read 6 chapters, so it wasn’t too bad.
By the 4th chapter I was hooked. The reason why I didn’t go with the cliché ‘after the 1st chapter, I was hooked’ is because this novel involves the lives of the three different characters and after reading the first chapter of each character, I was so curious about how these stories would potentially be linked. I couldn’t imagine how they would. I couldn’t even predict physical scenarios. And that’s when I was enlightened by the magic of science fiction. There are endless possibilities and we are not confined by the physics of the world we live in. The stories of these three characters and how they would meet (or not) kept me turning pages and I got to a point where it didn’t really matter whether the stories connect or not. The philosophical dialogues between characters were enough to keep me stimulated and I would sometimes put the book down to really grasp the deeper meanings and try to philosophize with the characters myself. Some chapters would go on tangents and stray away from the main plot, but I surprisingly enjoyed those chapters more. The way its written forces the reader to be in the present. I loved reading his page long descriptions of Bolshevik Russia and Neo-Paris. I’ve read and watched other stories where you just want to know what happens next and you end up ignoring what is currently happening. This may be exciting but eventually, it will be forgettable. TMOD grasps your attention in the present and when you put the book down for a rest, you’re intrigued and want to know what will happen later. And till today, about a year after reading it, I still use the terminology K.K introduced in his book. Just like the term ‘doublespeak’ became popular by George Orwell, I believe ‘metempsy’ will be used in regular conversation in the near future.
This book was not only enjoyable and relevant to the state of our world today, but it opened my eyes to the marvels of the vast amount of sci-fi works. Shortly after, I read 1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and was fascinated by the amount of knowledge and excitement I consumed in the process. Losing that bet against my friend stung me in the beginning, but in hindsight was one of the best things to ever happen to me.
I had a distorted idea of what science fiction really represented the majority of my life. I was hesitant to read it at first because I was expecting laser wars in space and aliens vs. predators. The truth was, I had a poor definition of sci-fi and thus missed out on a lot of it's great works. I picked up and read this book because my friend recommended it… and because he beat me in a video game. The bet was that I at least read 6 chapters, so it wasn’t too bad.
By the 4th chapter I was hooked. The reason why I didn’t go with the cliché ‘after the 1st chapter, I was hooked’ is because this novel involves the lives of the three different characters and after reading the first chapter of each character, I was so curious about how these stories would potentially be linked. I couldn’t imagine how they would. I couldn’t even predict physical scenarios. And that’s when I was enlightened by the magic of science fiction. There are endless possibilities and we are not confined by the physics of the world we live in. The stories of these three characters and how they would meet (or not) kept me turning pages and I got to a point where it didn’t really matter whether the stories connect or not. The philosophical dialogues between characters were enough to keep me stimulated and I would sometimes put the book down to really grasp the deeper meanings and try to philosophize with the characters myself. Some chapters would go on tangents and stray away from the main plot, but I surprisingly enjoyed those chapters more. The way its written forces the reader to be in the present. I loved reading his page long descriptions of Bolshevik Russia and Neo-Paris. I’ve read and watched other stories where you just want to know what happens next and you end up ignoring what is currently happening. This may be exciting but eventually, it will be forgettable. TMOD grasps your attention in the present and when you put the book down for a rest, you’re intrigued and want to know what will happen later. And till today, about a year after reading it, I still use the terminology K.K introduced in his book. Just like the term ‘doublespeak’ became popular by George Orwell, I believe ‘metempsy’ will be used in regular conversation in the near future.
This book was not only enjoyable and relevant to the state of our world today, but it opened my eyes to the marvels of the vast amount of sci-fi works. Shortly after, I read 1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and was fascinated by the amount of knowledge and excitement I consumed in the process. Losing that bet against my friend stung me in the beginning, but in hindsight was one of the best things to ever happen to me.
March 26, 2018
Those who prefer effortless reading a la King, Sedaris, or Cook will likely not be served well by ‘The Measurements of Decay’. Edin’s is a brutally challenging read from start to finish. A hefty novel paying homage to the rich history of philosophical and moral thought like an American version of Muriel Barbery’s ‘The Elegance of the Hedgehog’, TMD is a delightful experimental exploration into the possible social implications dreamt up by a chaotically inquisitive mind in response to a terrifying (or inspirational, depending on your outlook) world.
Many assume, naturally, that we can understand so and so person if only we orient our thought in such a manner or if we feel what she’s feeling or so on. To this, Nagel says ‘NO!’, because to understand the experience of a subjective agent, one must not omit the essential independent and unique qualia of consciousness – that is, the experiences of experience. These subjective ‘things’ must necessarily be considered separately from the objective facts about the world around us.
Edin’s novel brings up the interesting question wherein he queries the consequences of a different world in which subjective and objective sublate through a process whereby people are given the gift to explore each other Absolutely. Absolutely - capital A. What if we were permitted the opportunity to dive into the experiences of experience? Is Deep-Empathy a valid solution to the problems we face as a consequence of an inherent inaccessibility to real communication and understanding? Moreover, what must it feel like, to be caught all alone on the outside of this Borg like singularity mind?
I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the book. An aspiring literary powerhouse, TMD distinguishes itself as an admirable job of preserving an ornate style and method of thought that has unfortunately become somewhat passé in the mainstream, and it surpasses expectations by delivering all of the above through a very modern SF fantasy scope. I do find, however, that the style could be cleaned up in parts, and the distinction between perspectives could be tightened up a tad, as can be expected in a first novel. Ultimately though, he clearly demonstrates the talent of an old soul, and a heart that yearns to marry the mysteries of the universe. Bellissimo, Mr. Edin. Keep writing.
Many assume, naturally, that we can understand so and so person if only we orient our thought in such a manner or if we feel what she’s feeling or so on. To this, Nagel says ‘NO!’, because to understand the experience of a subjective agent, one must not omit the essential independent and unique qualia of consciousness – that is, the experiences of experience. These subjective ‘things’ must necessarily be considered separately from the objective facts about the world around us.
Edin’s novel brings up the interesting question wherein he queries the consequences of a different world in which subjective and objective sublate through a process whereby people are given the gift to explore each other Absolutely. Absolutely - capital A. What if we were permitted the opportunity to dive into the experiences of experience? Is Deep-Empathy a valid solution to the problems we face as a consequence of an inherent inaccessibility to real communication and understanding? Moreover, what must it feel like, to be caught all alone on the outside of this Borg like singularity mind?
I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the book. An aspiring literary powerhouse, TMD distinguishes itself as an admirable job of preserving an ornate style and method of thought that has unfortunately become somewhat passé in the mainstream, and it surpasses expectations by delivering all of the above through a very modern SF fantasy scope. I do find, however, that the style could be cleaned up in parts, and the distinction between perspectives could be tightened up a tad, as can be expected in a first novel. Ultimately though, he clearly demonstrates the talent of an old soul, and a heart that yearns to marry the mysteries of the universe. Bellissimo, Mr. Edin. Keep writing.
May 22, 2018
Reading this book felt like trying to get my (undergraduate) university degree in Philosophy all over again. I dropped out of uni, but I did finish this book, because it was a buddy read with Lena and Paul (thank you, guys!!)
You see, I had a very specific problem with my university: the arrogance. The professors were all standoff-ish with the students, were frequently rude to us for asking the simplest questions, and they ALL had the mentality "I won't spoon-feed you ANYTHING! You'll have to WORK FOR IT!"... and that was the exact attitude that this book had.
I read two interviews with the author in which he mentions that all of the writing in the book is deliberate, because the role that language plays in our lives is a theme in the book (one of many; no one needed the interview to clarify that, it's pretty obvious). All the flowery, complicated, at times even manic language, is all "part of the big plan" and the author himself says that people should be "patient" with his novel (exact quote: "The reader should approach The Measurements of Decay with a degree of patience. I have written the novel in an ornate style that bucks the minimalist trend." Is he trying to go against the current or something?). I guess that's why he felt comfortable including huge philosophical lectures in every chapter? Every character ends up sounding the same when they spout the same ~deep~ lectures all the time. Maybe that was to show that "philosophy is a timeless thing!!", since the characters are all quite a few decades apart, but that doesn't mean that I enjoyed it.
It's true, the book DOES make you think, and it is very interesting and accomplishing to untangle the lectures and find connections between characters/ plots and meaning in them. But, at least to me, it all stank of "You need to WORK FOR IT! This isn't an easy book like all those best seller titles that people read on the beach!" elitism. Is the book supposed to educate people on philosophy, or even to get them interested in it? Perhaps it has worked or will work on some, but I think it will be alienating to many.
That was a big problem, and also the extremely slow pacing. It moves at glacier speed and takes quite a while to pick up some speed, far beyond the point at which I would have DNFed the book. It is also pretty big at 500+ pages, so you can see that it's not only the language that makes this a challenging read.
However, it would be completely hypocritical to pretend that the book didn't have positive attributes. The writing is beautiful at times (I really liked the quote "film reels all tattered and disused in the shadowy backstage of my mind" What a beautiful analogy), and K. K. Edin is incredibly creative, both at conjuring new worlds for us to see, and combining so many elements seamlessly (sci fi; horror; philosophy; history; even an action/ heist (sort of) part when the Narrator, whom I nicknamed Dick Philosopher, joins a gang)
As I mentioned before, the book also DOES make the reader think, and it earned my respect for that (thus the 3 stars instead of a lower rating). I enjoyed working for answers and connections, but after 400 pages, it got to be a little (a lot) tiring, and reading the book ended up feeling like a chore for me.
Oh, and the ending was spectacular. I think it really tied everything together, and it did feel like it was worth it, a great climax for a pretty lukewarm story.
TL;DR: I'm tired of philosophy being treated like an exclusive club that "only the few, hardworking people!" are let in because "only the things you work hard for are worthwhile! I ain't gonna spoonfeed you anything!", alienating people and making them feel inadequate just for the sake of making a statement.
**Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book**
You see, I had a very specific problem with my university: the arrogance. The professors were all standoff-ish with the students, were frequently rude to us for asking the simplest questions, and they ALL had the mentality "I won't spoon-feed you ANYTHING! You'll have to WORK FOR IT!"... and that was the exact attitude that this book had.
I read two interviews with the author in which he mentions that all of the writing in the book is deliberate, because the role that language plays in our lives is a theme in the book (one of many; no one needed the interview to clarify that, it's pretty obvious). All the flowery, complicated, at times even manic language, is all "part of the big plan" and the author himself says that people should be "patient" with his novel (exact quote: "The reader should approach The Measurements of Decay with a degree of patience. I have written the novel in an ornate style that bucks the minimalist trend." Is he trying to go against the current or something?). I guess that's why he felt comfortable including huge philosophical lectures in every chapter? Every character ends up sounding the same when they spout the same ~deep~ lectures all the time. Maybe that was to show that "philosophy is a timeless thing!!", since the characters are all quite a few decades apart, but that doesn't mean that I enjoyed it.
It's true, the book DOES make you think, and it is very interesting and accomplishing to untangle the lectures and find connections between characters/ plots and meaning in them. But, at least to me, it all stank of "You need to WORK FOR IT! This isn't an easy book like all those best seller titles that people read on the beach!" elitism. Is the book supposed to educate people on philosophy, or even to get them interested in it? Perhaps it has worked or will work on some, but I think it will be alienating to many.
That was a big problem, and also the extremely slow pacing. It moves at glacier speed and takes quite a while to pick up some speed, far beyond the point at which I would have DNFed the book. It is also pretty big at 500+ pages, so you can see that it's not only the language that makes this a challenging read.
However, it would be completely hypocritical to pretend that the book didn't have positive attributes. The writing is beautiful at times (I really liked the quote "film reels all tattered and disused in the shadowy backstage of my mind" What a beautiful analogy), and K. K. Edin is incredibly creative, both at conjuring new worlds for us to see, and combining so many elements seamlessly (sci fi; horror; philosophy; history; even an action/ heist (sort of) part when the Narrator, whom I nicknamed Dick Philosopher, joins a gang)
As I mentioned before, the book also DOES make the reader think, and it earned my respect for that (thus the 3 stars instead of a lower rating). I enjoyed working for answers and connections, but after 400 pages, it got to be a little (a lot) tiring, and reading the book ended up feeling like a chore for me.
Oh, and the ending was spectacular. I think it really tied everything together, and it did feel like it was worth it, a great climax for a pretty lukewarm story.
TL;DR: I'm tired of philosophy being treated like an exclusive club that "only the few, hardworking people!" are let in because "only the things you work hard for are worthwhile! I ain't gonna spoonfeed you anything!", alienating people and making them feel inadequate just for the sake of making a statement.
**Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book**
April 25, 2018
Hard sci-fi and deep philosophy blended into a well penned treat. If this isn't on the list of Nebula winners next year then something is seriously wrong with the world.
August 11, 2018
People will tell you how brilliant this book is, but DEAR GOD it is intolerably boring. I thought for sure I had to be at least halfway through, and couldn't figure out why the story wasn't progressing any faster, only to realize I was about 20% in.
NOPE.
NOPE.
August 12, 2018
Ultimately, this is one of the best books I have ever read. It is beautifully written, imaginative, expansive, fearless, uncompromising and intelligent. It satisfied my craving for intellectual fiction and fantastical worlds at the same time. The only other book that has done this for me was Dan Simmons' Hyperion.
It's really the kind of novel that you want to go in with as little knowledge of the story as possible, because although it is a slow burn, the pay off is MASSIVE. The story comes together in an incredibly satisfying, mind-bending way, even though it takes some time and effort to get there.
With that being said, I don't think this book is for everyone. For starters, much of it is written from the point of view of a complicated and progressively irredeemable madman. Some of it is funny, but most of it is simply challenging, psychologically, morally, and also just simply as a reader. Reading sometimes felt like trying to appreciate the architecture of a beautiful building that's on fire, if that makes any sense. The reward is there, but it is challenging.
Then there is the philosophy. Almost all of the themes are taken from the history of philosophy. I don't think you need to be an expert in philosophy to enjoy it, but you probably do have to be open to big, slow ideas, as well as thinking that takes intricate twists and turns. I can see a lot of people being bored or frustrated by that aspect. I do not have any background in philosophy, but it did help that I was reading a primer on important philosophical arguments at the same time as this book. Doing some research on key ideas and words the author uses also helped a lot (and added to the fun!). If you are an expert on philosophy though, I think you will probably adore this book. It commits to exploring and describing philosophical ideas to the point of likely alienating a lot of readers. Plus, you will probably pick up on lots of stuff that people like me missed.
As far as the themes go, I really recommend people read these interviews with the author. They helped me understand the book a lot.
https://blog.apaonline.org/2018/05/11...
https://thedutchbookreviewer.wordpres...
Although the writing is beautiful, it does sometimes become a bit strange and idiosyncratic. For better or worse, Edin writes with a totally unique style I have not seen anywhere else. Much of that is due to the first-person narration and character study of the Narrator. His fixation with certain phenomena and with expressing himself by stacking ideas upon ideas, both intellectually and physically, are a key part of the character. But there is also some underlying poetic style to the language that seems to be Edin's. I enjoyed it thoroughly. At the risk of spoiling a bit, like most things in this novel, there is a reason for the way it is written that becomes quite clear towards the end.
Lastly, one should be aware that this book contains quite a lot of graphic violence and there are a few disturbing scenes. I didn't have a problem with this, and none of it felt gratuitous (it was all quite connected to the themes being explored), but I can imagine that some people would want to proceed with caution if they generally avoid that kind of stuff. It's not exactly a
horror novel, but it frequently comes close. Others have pointed out that the novel is 'excessive' either in the writing or in its depictions of violence, but I think they miss the point that excess of language, in various ways, is itself one of the key themes.
A marvelous novel. Challenging, yes, difficult, yes, but stunning in its ambition and delivery. One of my all time favourites. I can't wait to see what Edin writes next. Since everything about this book was intertwined with the very specific character of the evil Narrator, I can't wait to see what his next book will be like.
It's really the kind of novel that you want to go in with as little knowledge of the story as possible, because although it is a slow burn, the pay off is MASSIVE. The story comes together in an incredibly satisfying, mind-bending way, even though it takes some time and effort to get there.
With that being said, I don't think this book is for everyone. For starters, much of it is written from the point of view of a complicated and progressively irredeemable madman. Some of it is funny, but most of it is simply challenging, psychologically, morally, and also just simply as a reader. Reading sometimes felt like trying to appreciate the architecture of a beautiful building that's on fire, if that makes any sense. The reward is there, but it is challenging.
Then there is the philosophy. Almost all of the themes are taken from the history of philosophy. I don't think you need to be an expert in philosophy to enjoy it, but you probably do have to be open to big, slow ideas, as well as thinking that takes intricate twists and turns. I can see a lot of people being bored or frustrated by that aspect. I do not have any background in philosophy, but it did help that I was reading a primer on important philosophical arguments at the same time as this book. Doing some research on key ideas and words the author uses also helped a lot (and added to the fun!). If you are an expert on philosophy though, I think you will probably adore this book. It commits to exploring and describing philosophical ideas to the point of likely alienating a lot of readers. Plus, you will probably pick up on lots of stuff that people like me missed.
As far as the themes go, I really recommend people read these interviews with the author. They helped me understand the book a lot.
https://blog.apaonline.org/2018/05/11...
https://thedutchbookreviewer.wordpres...
Although the writing is beautiful, it does sometimes become a bit strange and idiosyncratic. For better or worse, Edin writes with a totally unique style I have not seen anywhere else. Much of that is due to the first-person narration and character study of the Narrator. His fixation with certain phenomena and with expressing himself by stacking ideas upon ideas, both intellectually and physically, are a key part of the character. But there is also some underlying poetic style to the language that seems to be Edin's. I enjoyed it thoroughly. At the risk of spoiling a bit, like most things in this novel, there is a reason for the way it is written that becomes quite clear towards the end.
Lastly, one should be aware that this book contains quite a lot of graphic violence and there are a few disturbing scenes. I didn't have a problem with this, and none of it felt gratuitous (it was all quite connected to the themes being explored), but I can imagine that some people would want to proceed with caution if they generally avoid that kind of stuff. It's not exactly a
horror novel, but it frequently comes close. Others have pointed out that the novel is 'excessive' either in the writing or in its depictions of violence, but I think they miss the point that excess of language, in various ways, is itself one of the key themes.
A marvelous novel. Challenging, yes, difficult, yes, but stunning in its ambition and delivery. One of my all time favourites. I can't wait to see what Edin writes next. Since everything about this book was intertwined with the very specific character of the evil Narrator, I can't wait to see what his next book will be like.
March 19, 2018
I started reading The Measurements of Decay because the cover art caught my eye and the blurb seemed quite interesting. It looked like the kind of sci-fi novel I could sink my teeth into. And that is pretty much just what I was expecting and hoping for: a well written, but relatively standard sci-fi novel. Not only were my hopes fulfilled, but I was thoroughly surprised.
Where does one begin with a book like this? I am not someone who usually reads hardcore philosophy, and that isn’t really something I would look for in a novel, but KK Edin has somehow managed to infuse philosophy in this novel while still keeping it engaging, readable and highly intellectual. It’s just so well, written, too. Although I had to sometimes re-read a few pages to fully digest the ideas, it was well worth it.
Amazingly, I felt like I was reading a fantastic sci-fi book full mystery and also deeply considered ideas one just doesn’t usually find in fiction. It was enthralling and engrossing and kept me guessing at every turn. The plot twists were so unexpected I think I gasped about six or seven times aloud.
I should mention that there was one character specifically (I won’t mention who so as to avoid spoilers) that I really, really hated. Lots of books have you rooting for a character and even maybe loving them. Only the best books can make you truly despise a character.
Where does one begin with a book like this? I am not someone who usually reads hardcore philosophy, and that isn’t really something I would look for in a novel, but KK Edin has somehow managed to infuse philosophy in this novel while still keeping it engaging, readable and highly intellectual. It’s just so well, written, too. Although I had to sometimes re-read a few pages to fully digest the ideas, it was well worth it.
Amazingly, I felt like I was reading a fantastic sci-fi book full mystery and also deeply considered ideas one just doesn’t usually find in fiction. It was enthralling and engrossing and kept me guessing at every turn. The plot twists were so unexpected I think I gasped about six or seven times aloud.
I should mention that there was one character specifically (I won’t mention who so as to avoid spoilers) that I really, really hated. Lots of books have you rooting for a character and even maybe loving them. Only the best books can make you truly despise a character.
May 1, 2018
Uplifting and Disturbing all at once. K.K. Edin does a great job balancing a good sci-fi plot with characters who fluidly debate ethical dilemmas. Some characters felt at times that they were just plot devices but the ending brought many ideas and concepts together in a satisfying way. Edin flexes his writing skills and shows that he not only loves to write thought provoking passages but loves to construct a story sentence by sentence.
March 25, 2023
Superb!.
TMoD is a very unique/different book. It's a neat SF with a lot of philosophy or the other way around.
It's also full of sort-of-poetic lines, i.e :
"As was my habit, I followed the afternoon to the ocean and ended up lounging on a shore of corroded boulders. The waters golden, the horizon blood. The squawking of mindless seagulls. Alone, leering at passersby, I grinned as Saturn brightened and watched feral waves swallow the fireball, savoring the taste."
"Come midnight, a turquoise aurora hung over the land. Not as a fragile drape gliding down against the stars, but as a slow whip to bleed the firmament of its mysteries. A though out of those celestial wounds she would divine the whereabouts of the men she hunted."
Some other lines are more straightforward:
"Even though we have more time, it's the wrong kind of time. Everything moves so fast, and there's barely a moment to stop and think and-" "And people don't understand each other at all, and we have wider but more superficial knowledge, and good ideas get lost in the noise".
"We had lived in a present built on tomorrows. Wasted tomorrows."
And some times like:
"-Do you think we have free will?.
-I think about it. I don't think about thinking about it."
But the philosophical stuff is more dense and harder in one of the narratives, specially when the character is deep-thinking.
The thing is, you can still enjoy the book even if you don't care about the philosophical and the different prose and just following the plot but it is certainty a better experience reading the "book-in-itself".
It was so good that I was tempted to reread it right away after finishing it.
TMoD is a very unique/different book. It's a neat SF with a lot of philosophy or the other way around.
It's also full of sort-of-poetic lines, i.e :
"As was my habit, I followed the afternoon to the ocean and ended up lounging on a shore of corroded boulders. The waters golden, the horizon blood. The squawking of mindless seagulls. Alone, leering at passersby, I grinned as Saturn brightened and watched feral waves swallow the fireball, savoring the taste."
"Come midnight, a turquoise aurora hung over the land. Not as a fragile drape gliding down against the stars, but as a slow whip to bleed the firmament of its mysteries. A though out of those celestial wounds she would divine the whereabouts of the men she hunted."
Some other lines are more straightforward:
"Even though we have more time, it's the wrong kind of time. Everything moves so fast, and there's barely a moment to stop and think and-" "And people don't understand each other at all, and we have wider but more superficial knowledge, and good ideas get lost in the noise".
"We had lived in a present built on tomorrows. Wasted tomorrows."
And some times like:
"-Do you think we have free will?.
-I think about it. I don't think about thinking about it."
But the philosophical stuff is more dense and harder in one of the narratives, specially when the character is deep-thinking.
The thing is, you can still enjoy the book even if you don't care about the philosophical and the different prose and just following the plot but it is certainty a better experience reading the "book-in-itself".
It was so good that I was tempted to reread it right away after finishing it.
December 24, 2018
First off, I'd like to laud K.K. Edin a bit for writing an epic, large-scale science fiction/philosophy novel. A lofty ambition, and one that should be taken more seriously.
However...
I simply could not force myself to finish this overwrought beast. The prose is occasionally poetic and usually so purple my brain starts operating in molasses mode. The scope is too broad, and the plot seems almost contrived to scream "LOOK AT ME, I'M A SCI-FI PHILOSOPHY NOVEL!"
My biggest sticking point, though, was the writing style. In order to live up to his aforementioned claim of being a sci-fi/philosophy novel, Edin tries to imbue EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE with deep philosophical meaning. It almost turns moving across a room into a lecture on metaphysics via deep and exaggerated introspection. Subtlety is an art in philosophy; a powerful philosophical novel doesn't succeed because of an incessant barrage of treatise-worthy quotes, which seems to be the intent here.
I don't remember much from the prose other than that it was difficult to stomach, but one line stands out in my memory as particularly egregious: something to the effect of "... I said, with a glimmer of ____ in my eye." How could you possibly know that? This type of overdone prose, instead of sounding professional and intellectual, comes across as pretentious and posturing.
In all, a praiseworthy effort that falls far short because it tries way too hard.
However...
I simply could not force myself to finish this overwrought beast. The prose is occasionally poetic and usually so purple my brain starts operating in molasses mode. The scope is too broad, and the plot seems almost contrived to scream "LOOK AT ME, I'M A SCI-FI PHILOSOPHY NOVEL!"
My biggest sticking point, though, was the writing style. In order to live up to his aforementioned claim of being a sci-fi/philosophy novel, Edin tries to imbue EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE with deep philosophical meaning. It almost turns moving across a room into a lecture on metaphysics via deep and exaggerated introspection. Subtlety is an art in philosophy; a powerful philosophical novel doesn't succeed because of an incessant barrage of treatise-worthy quotes, which seems to be the intent here.
I don't remember much from the prose other than that it was difficult to stomach, but one line stands out in my memory as particularly egregious: something to the effect of "... I said, with a glimmer of ____ in my eye." How could you possibly know that? This type of overdone prose, instead of sounding professional and intellectual, comes across as pretentious and posturing.
In all, a praiseworthy effort that falls far short because it tries way too hard.
August 4, 2018
Equals parts philosophical treatise and and hardcore SF, this book was fun read. Exploring topics such as reality, transhumanism, perfect empathy, societal upheaval, humanity’s future forays into the galaxy, K. K. Edin creates a unique and compelling narrative.
The book follows three separate story lines. 1. Am outcast spaceship captain who is a counterculture idealist 2. A young girl with powers to move through space and time 3. A megalomaniacal philosopher who follows a downward spiral into moral decay as he pursues ultimate empathy and peace.
There are at times lengthy philosophical expositions, but there are also fast paced, beautiful scenes of SF storytelling. It’s a great read.
The book follows three separate story lines. 1. Am outcast spaceship captain who is a counterculture idealist 2. A young girl with powers to move through space and time 3. A megalomaniacal philosopher who follows a downward spiral into moral decay as he pursues ultimate empathy and peace.
There are at times lengthy philosophical expositions, but there are also fast paced, beautiful scenes of SF storytelling. It’s a great read.
August 3, 2018
I struggled on a star rating for this one. I wanted to give it 4 because my enjoyment of the story wasn't quite there but, having studied philosophy at university and being a huge philosophical scifi fan, it was refreshing to read a novel that addressed some truly deep metaphysical questions in a scifi setting. It's like a brief history of western metaphysics and an exploration into what could happen if someone seriously tried to experience the noumenal world, or things-in-themselves. In this case it's pretty horrific - would not recommend if you have a weak stomach for gore.
April 19, 2018
Defies Categorization
Wow! What a great read-ride! I read this much too fast ... take my advice ... take your time ... read it slowly (if you can avoid getting caught up in the storyline like I did). Time, causality, ethics/empathy, ego ... lots to think about. I’ve got to assimilate first pass and then take another ride.
Wow! What a great read-ride! I read this much too fast ... take my advice ... take your time ... read it slowly (if you can avoid getting caught up in the storyline like I did). Time, causality, ethics/empathy, ego ... lots to think about. I’ve got to assimilate first pass and then take another ride.
July 15, 2018
Wow
I need more work from this author. I don’t care what genre the author writes, he/she just has to keep writing.
Shook after reading this.
I need more work from this author. I don’t care what genre the author writes, he/she just has to keep writing.
Shook after reading this.
April 26, 2018
I had a look on K. K. Edin’s Goodreads page the other day; one of his answers to a popular question basically summed up my reading experience of The Measurements of Decay. I’m paraphrasing here, but he said that although some of the prose was written with more philosophical and stylistic writing, it wasn’t necessarily impenetrable. I fully agree with that here – I had one issue with the novel which has ultimately led me to giving this a 3 star rating, and I can honestly say that it had nothing to do with any kind of conception which states that Edin is a terrible writer. In fact, I loved his writing. It was a little excessive in some parts, but that’s likely because he is a philosopher, and is prone to using such language in his writing.
The 3 star rating is simply because my intellect doesn’t reach so far, and it was hard for me to grasp some of the things he was trying to portray without having to read and reread passages. I’m not usually a girl who reads philosophical novels such as TMOD, but all things considered, I did (for the most part) enjoy reading it. I was going to give it a 2, maybe a 2.5, but upon reflection, I realised it wasn’t so bad that it deserved such a low rating.
The science fiction element of the novel – as in, Tikan and Sielle’s storylines – was probably my favourite part. I’m a sucker for a good, action-packed science fiction plot, and this was pretty much it. I have to say it wasn’t as fast-paced as I had hoped (then again, it was almost 600 pages), but the sci-fi action was still enough to give me chills in various parts. I was definitely more invested in this storyline than in the philosopher’s storyline (as you’ve probably already guessed), just because it was so much easier for me to understand, and because it felt like there was more happening, like there was more of a point to their storyline. Towards the end, the philosopher’s plot does tie in with Tikan/Sielle’s storyline, but I think I will always favour sci-fi over philosophy, regardless of what I read. I was genuinely just a bit baffled by the chaos of the ending…
I’m sure this is the perfect book for anyone who enjoys both philosophy and science-fiction, but I definitely found that I had a preference. I did enjoy reading this, and I’m hoping that my giving it 3 stars doesn’t suggest otherwise. Though it took me a while to get through it, do bear in mind that I was trying to study for exams at the same time, and celebrate six birthdays within two weeks!
Thank you so much to Netgalley, to Cameron Publicity & Marketing, and to K. K. Edin, for providing me with both an e-copy and a paperback copy of The Measurements of Decay!
The 3 star rating is simply because my intellect doesn’t reach so far, and it was hard for me to grasp some of the things he was trying to portray without having to read and reread passages. I’m not usually a girl who reads philosophical novels such as TMOD, but all things considered, I did (for the most part) enjoy reading it. I was going to give it a 2, maybe a 2.5, but upon reflection, I realised it wasn’t so bad that it deserved such a low rating.
The science fiction element of the novel – as in, Tikan and Sielle’s storylines – was probably my favourite part. I’m a sucker for a good, action-packed science fiction plot, and this was pretty much it. I have to say it wasn’t as fast-paced as I had hoped (then again, it was almost 600 pages), but the sci-fi action was still enough to give me chills in various parts. I was definitely more invested in this storyline than in the philosopher’s storyline (as you’ve probably already guessed), just because it was so much easier for me to understand, and because it felt like there was more happening, like there was more of a point to their storyline. Towards the end, the philosopher’s plot does tie in with Tikan/Sielle’s storyline, but I think I will always favour sci-fi over philosophy, regardless of what I read. I was genuinely just a bit baffled by the chaos of the ending…
I’m sure this is the perfect book for anyone who enjoys both philosophy and science-fiction, but I definitely found that I had a preference. I did enjoy reading this, and I’m hoping that my giving it 3 stars doesn’t suggest otherwise. Though it took me a while to get through it, do bear in mind that I was trying to study for exams at the same time, and celebrate six birthdays within two weeks!
Thank you so much to Netgalley, to Cameron Publicity & Marketing, and to K. K. Edin, for providing me with both an e-copy and a paperback copy of The Measurements of Decay!
February 26, 2024
Se me ha caido un poco de ciencia ficción en mi tratado metafísico.
May 29, 2018
3.5-3.75 Stars
The Measurements Of Decay by KK Edin took me a fair amount of time to read and ponder. It is a genre-bending sci-fi/philosophy hybrid and my initial thoughts about the book were set aside to allow me time to think. This is not like any book I’ve ever read and thus, it required I give it fair consideration (beyond what we readers agree to when we receive an ARC).
The philosophy (which I will explain soon) drives this entire novel and therefore, it must be weighed separately from the sci-fi plot which serves more of a setting than a driver. Where I was initially struck with the thick erudite language, being mindful this book is trying to do so much more than entertain, I began to settle in for the challenge.
What is the challenge as I saw it? To encourage readers to question the entire nature of technology and ask if it truly aids humanity or does it detract? In this way, the wordiness began to instruct rather than annoy (which admittedly it did initially).
The book is set in the very far off future in a star system near Earth. Many human colonies have been established where people spend a bulk of their time withdrawn into their own minds (commercialized hallucinations).
Meanwhile, on present day Earth, a philosopher warns that tech devices are ruining human interactions and this causes him great mental distress.
Switching from present to future, the main goal remains: tell a story that entertains as well as provokes thought and confronts the reader with the philosophy that humanity is ultimately in peril as we continue to remove ourselves from one another in search of new distracting tech.
Read this like a philosophy book that uses fiction to provoke (ala the Little Prince).
Thanks to netgalley and publisher for copy of book in exchange for honest review.
The Measurements Of Decay by KK Edin took me a fair amount of time to read and ponder. It is a genre-bending sci-fi/philosophy hybrid and my initial thoughts about the book were set aside to allow me time to think. This is not like any book I’ve ever read and thus, it required I give it fair consideration (beyond what we readers agree to when we receive an ARC).
The philosophy (which I will explain soon) drives this entire novel and therefore, it must be weighed separately from the sci-fi plot which serves more of a setting than a driver. Where I was initially struck with the thick erudite language, being mindful this book is trying to do so much more than entertain, I began to settle in for the challenge.
What is the challenge as I saw it? To encourage readers to question the entire nature of technology and ask if it truly aids humanity or does it detract? In this way, the wordiness began to instruct rather than annoy (which admittedly it did initially).
The book is set in the very far off future in a star system near Earth. Many human colonies have been established where people spend a bulk of their time withdrawn into their own minds (commercialized hallucinations).
Meanwhile, on present day Earth, a philosopher warns that tech devices are ruining human interactions and this causes him great mental distress.
Switching from present to future, the main goal remains: tell a story that entertains as well as provokes thought and confronts the reader with the philosophy that humanity is ultimately in peril as we continue to remove ourselves from one another in search of new distracting tech.
Read this like a philosophy book that uses fiction to provoke (ala the Little Prince).
Thanks to netgalley and publisher for copy of book in exchange for honest review.
March 14, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed this book! as a sucker for this kind of genre, I found myself incapable of putting it down. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking to be enthralled by immersive scenes and imaginative writing for hours on end!
November 11, 2018
I don't think the blurb of this book does it any justice. In fact, it actually tickles your fancy just enough to glance at those first few pages before you're pulled into a sci-fi epic that begs the question, "Where has this author been hiding all this time?!".
Edin has displayed an excellent skill not only in general world-building, but created a dynamic cast of characters that bled life into the story as much as the plot and technology within.
Kickass? Badass? Epic?
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Edin has displayed an excellent skill not only in general world-building, but created a dynamic cast of characters that bled life into the story as much as the plot and technology within.
Kickass? Badass? Epic?
Tick. Tick. Tick.
June 4, 2018
Disclaimer - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
This is a fairly difficult book to review. There is a lot to like about the Measurements of Decay. It is a deeply philosophical work with a very interesting premise, but the story too often gets bogged down and the second half of the book becomes a bit a chore, even as you’re desperately wanting to see how it all ends; and while the antagonist is a truly despicable piece of work, most of the other characters are pretty unengaging. Then there is the language. But more on that later.
The Measurements of Decay primarily follows three main characters and the events unfold across multiple time periods. Tikan lives in a far future in which humans have colonised space. Tikan is an anomaly in his society. Everyone in this future has a brain implant called a procrustus which enables them to have virtual, or illusory, experiences. Tikan does not have a procrustus and, as far as we know, he is the only person in the future who doesn’t. The second character is an unnamed philosopher from our own time. He is convinced that he destined to write a philosophical treatise which will save humanity from itself. He is arrogant, conceited and completely self-obsessed, which makes him particularly unsuited for the role of saviour. The third character is Sielle, a young woman with the ability to ‘leap’ through time and space.
Their respective stories proceed independently through the first half of the book. We see Sielle through various time periods beginning in ancient Greece. The philosopher talks a lot about the brilliant work he is about to undertake while struggling to actually write anything down, all the while expecting everyone around him to service his obsession. Tikan, meanwhile, is travelling through space aboard a cruise liner, the Equuleus, which comes under attack by a mysterious enemy. Everyone on board is killed except for Tikan and two of his friends, Naim and Kira, all members of the crew, and a passenger by the name of Onasus. The four survivors set out on a quest to try and retrieve humanity from the dream-like state that it, as a whole, has entered into through the use of the procrustus.
The stories of the three main characters continue along their respective, separate courses through the first half of the book before they really come together and the relationship between the three starts to fall into place about half way through. Unfortunately, while the three separate storylines through the first half of the book all hold your interest, things come to a bit of a grinding halt through the second half. Almost every chapter in the book exists in order to advance some sort of philosophical point, but at least through the first half of the book the philosophising didn’t stop the progress of the actual plot. For much of the second half, it did.
In addition to the slowing of the plot, I actually found the characters of Tikan and Sielle pretty unlikable. Or perhaps unremarkable is a better description even though they are remarkable people in the context of the plot. I didn’t develop any connection or empathy towards them (which may be ironic considering that human empathy is one of the main themes of the story). Given that, along with Onasus, they are the only characters in the future timeline that are fully in control of their own thoughts, they seem to be very quick to abandon their friends. Tikan leaves Naim and Kira with seemingly very little prompting, and Sielle later leaves Tikan to his fate. I may be being a little harsh on them, people are not perfect after all, and maybe the author was trying to make a point that was lost on me, but I found few redeeming features in either character that made me actually care about them.
The unnamed philosopher I actually found to be the most engaging character, simply because he is so repulsive. He too has few redeeming features, but at least he is not meant to. He is an easy character to hate. There is an interesting contradiction in the character in that he believes that a lack of individual empathy is one of humanity’s greatest problems, yet he himself shows no empathy for anyone else.
Empathy is just one of themes examined in the Measurements of Decay. The book is thematically heavy and it would certainly help if you’re pretty well versed in western philosophy and Greek mythology, but it’s not essential. Even if you don’t know where terms like ‘procrustus’ and ‘metempsy’ are derived from, you can still follow the thematic aspects of the book. You certainly have to concentrate and think about what you’re reading, but that is not a bad thing. I appreciate an author that is not afraid to tackle big themes and present big ideas, and for that K K Edin should be commended. For me, the final result was a little uneven, but the ambition behind this book is pretty big and not easy to pull off.
Which finally brings me to Edin’s use of language. This seems to be one of the big discussion points about this book, and for good reason. Almost every sentence contains some dense, abstruse simile or alliteration. At times the prose is quite evocative, but most of the time it’s kind of distracting and sometimes borders on ridiculous. For example;
“The two stared at each other without words for a short while, the older man’s head looking like some outland chimera’s hideous egg heated by brimstone and doused in ceremonial paint shortly before hatching.”
I don’t know what a chimera’s egg looks like (I’m not sure that anyone does), let alone an outland chimera, whether it’s been heated by brimstone or not, so I’m not really sure what the purpose of this passage is. And it is not unique. Additionally some of the dialogue between characters is equally ridiculous which led me to recall the infamous urban legend about Harrison Ford’s statement to George Lucas when they were making the first Star Wars film; “You may be able to write this shit George, but you sure as hell can’t say it.”
But, and this is a big but, about a third to half way through the book I began to think that maybe there was a specific reason why the author was using this kind of language; maybe there’s something else going on here; maybe…. Well, let’s just say that what I thought might be going on turned out to be correct, and by the time I’d finished the book, the author’s use of language was put into perspective. I don’t want to say too much else (I may have already said too much) but if you have started this book and you are enjoying the story, or the philosophical aspects, but the language is putting you off, my recommendation is to persist. It is worthwhile.
Ultimately, I did enjoy this book. Yes, it has its flaws but, as I mentioned before, a book with this much ambition is an extremely difficult thing to pull off. I wouldn’t exactly call it a classic, but it is a worthwhile read.
This is a fairly difficult book to review. There is a lot to like about the Measurements of Decay. It is a deeply philosophical work with a very interesting premise, but the story too often gets bogged down and the second half of the book becomes a bit a chore, even as you’re desperately wanting to see how it all ends; and while the antagonist is a truly despicable piece of work, most of the other characters are pretty unengaging. Then there is the language. But more on that later.
The Measurements of Decay primarily follows three main characters and the events unfold across multiple time periods. Tikan lives in a far future in which humans have colonised space. Tikan is an anomaly in his society. Everyone in this future has a brain implant called a procrustus which enables them to have virtual, or illusory, experiences. Tikan does not have a procrustus and, as far as we know, he is the only person in the future who doesn’t. The second character is an unnamed philosopher from our own time. He is convinced that he destined to write a philosophical treatise which will save humanity from itself. He is arrogant, conceited and completely self-obsessed, which makes him particularly unsuited for the role of saviour. The third character is Sielle, a young woman with the ability to ‘leap’ through time and space.
Their respective stories proceed independently through the first half of the book. We see Sielle through various time periods beginning in ancient Greece. The philosopher talks a lot about the brilliant work he is about to undertake while struggling to actually write anything down, all the while expecting everyone around him to service his obsession. Tikan, meanwhile, is travelling through space aboard a cruise liner, the Equuleus, which comes under attack by a mysterious enemy. Everyone on board is killed except for Tikan and two of his friends, Naim and Kira, all members of the crew, and a passenger by the name of Onasus. The four survivors set out on a quest to try and retrieve humanity from the dream-like state that it, as a whole, has entered into through the use of the procrustus.
The stories of the three main characters continue along their respective, separate courses through the first half of the book before they really come together and the relationship between the three starts to fall into place about half way through. Unfortunately, while the three separate storylines through the first half of the book all hold your interest, things come to a bit of a grinding halt through the second half. Almost every chapter in the book exists in order to advance some sort of philosophical point, but at least through the first half of the book the philosophising didn’t stop the progress of the actual plot. For much of the second half, it did.
In addition to the slowing of the plot, I actually found the characters of Tikan and Sielle pretty unlikable. Or perhaps unremarkable is a better description even though they are remarkable people in the context of the plot. I didn’t develop any connection or empathy towards them (which may be ironic considering that human empathy is one of the main themes of the story). Given that, along with Onasus, they are the only characters in the future timeline that are fully in control of their own thoughts, they seem to be very quick to abandon their friends. Tikan leaves Naim and Kira with seemingly very little prompting, and Sielle later leaves Tikan to his fate. I may be being a little harsh on them, people are not perfect after all, and maybe the author was trying to make a point that was lost on me, but I found few redeeming features in either character that made me actually care about them.
The unnamed philosopher I actually found to be the most engaging character, simply because he is so repulsive. He too has few redeeming features, but at least he is not meant to. He is an easy character to hate. There is an interesting contradiction in the character in that he believes that a lack of individual empathy is one of humanity’s greatest problems, yet he himself shows no empathy for anyone else.
Empathy is just one of themes examined in the Measurements of Decay. The book is thematically heavy and it would certainly help if you’re pretty well versed in western philosophy and Greek mythology, but it’s not essential. Even if you don’t know where terms like ‘procrustus’ and ‘metempsy’ are derived from, you can still follow the thematic aspects of the book. You certainly have to concentrate and think about what you’re reading, but that is not a bad thing. I appreciate an author that is not afraid to tackle big themes and present big ideas, and for that K K Edin should be commended. For me, the final result was a little uneven, but the ambition behind this book is pretty big and not easy to pull off.
Which finally brings me to Edin’s use of language. This seems to be one of the big discussion points about this book, and for good reason. Almost every sentence contains some dense, abstruse simile or alliteration. At times the prose is quite evocative, but most of the time it’s kind of distracting and sometimes borders on ridiculous. For example;
“The two stared at each other without words for a short while, the older man’s head looking like some outland chimera’s hideous egg heated by brimstone and doused in ceremonial paint shortly before hatching.”
I don’t know what a chimera’s egg looks like (I’m not sure that anyone does), let alone an outland chimera, whether it’s been heated by brimstone or not, so I’m not really sure what the purpose of this passage is. And it is not unique. Additionally some of the dialogue between characters is equally ridiculous which led me to recall the infamous urban legend about Harrison Ford’s statement to George Lucas when they were making the first Star Wars film; “You may be able to write this shit George, but you sure as hell can’t say it.”
But, and this is a big but, about a third to half way through the book I began to think that maybe there was a specific reason why the author was using this kind of language; maybe there’s something else going on here; maybe…. Well, let’s just say that what I thought might be going on turned out to be correct, and by the time I’d finished the book, the author’s use of language was put into perspective. I don’t want to say too much else (I may have already said too much) but if you have started this book and you are enjoying the story, or the philosophical aspects, but the language is putting you off, my recommendation is to persist. It is worthwhile.
Ultimately, I did enjoy this book. Yes, it has its flaws but, as I mentioned before, a book with this much ambition is an extremely difficult thing to pull off. I wouldn’t exactly call it a classic, but it is a worthwhile read.
November 4, 2019
Amazing book.
I'm not giving it 5 stars, because I simply don't agree with what it says and I don't like the way it says it. I never appreciated too ornamented writing and I certainly don't like books that literally require efforts too read them. Honestly, when I started it, I was very close to dropping it. It was just too hard to read and it kind of didn't make sense at all. What made me continue was the curiosity whether all this nonsense goes anywhere. And suddenly I realised, the story is great. Not just a great story with a great plot, it was a story that wanted to leave a message to the reader. And now, that's something worth the efforts.
So yeah, I recommend it to any hard core sci fi fan - it's a great thing to read, if you want to invest in it and you're ready to suffer for it. Because it's really hard read and skipping trough it doesn't really work. But as I said, it's worth the efforts, both story wise and philosophically.
As for the message of the book, I disagree. A natural development of empathy wouldn't necessarily lead to a society of drones, even if it is technologically achieved. Same goes for technologies of total immersion. As long as people have the right to choose, some of them will choose to stay awake and fight for what they believe in. Even if you have a negative influence, people will still fight it. This is why we're not all on heroin. This is why, even people chronically in acute pain, choose to stay away from opioids (those that can, of course). That must be proof enough that there's something more to humans than the desire to be constantly sedated. So yeah, I disagree with the book, but I still appreciate what it says. Especially now, that we're so close to full brain-computer interface, that's a topic we certainly have to explore, we have to think how to limit the technology so that we don't enter into some anti-utopia.
Also, I really loved the speech Sielle gave on freedom. That really touched me. I think there should have been a different end to her story. Because just as the narrator found his way to enlightment, so could she. And it seemed she got there, when she closed the time loop, but it was too unclear. I wished it was made more explicit, it would have left me with a better feeling from the book. Still, a great book. Respect to the author.
I'm not giving it 5 stars, because I simply don't agree with what it says and I don't like the way it says it. I never appreciated too ornamented writing and I certainly don't like books that literally require efforts too read them. Honestly, when I started it, I was very close to dropping it. It was just too hard to read and it kind of didn't make sense at all. What made me continue was the curiosity whether all this nonsense goes anywhere. And suddenly I realised, the story is great. Not just a great story with a great plot, it was a story that wanted to leave a message to the reader. And now, that's something worth the efforts.
So yeah, I recommend it to any hard core sci fi fan - it's a great thing to read, if you want to invest in it and you're ready to suffer for it. Because it's really hard read and skipping trough it doesn't really work. But as I said, it's worth the efforts, both story wise and philosophically.
As for the message of the book, I disagree. A natural development of empathy wouldn't necessarily lead to a society of drones, even if it is technologically achieved. Same goes for technologies of total immersion. As long as people have the right to choose, some of them will choose to stay awake and fight for what they believe in. Even if you have a negative influence, people will still fight it. This is why we're not all on heroin. This is why, even people chronically in acute pain, choose to stay away from opioids (those that can, of course). That must be proof enough that there's something more to humans than the desire to be constantly sedated. So yeah, I disagree with the book, but I still appreciate what it says. Especially now, that we're so close to full brain-computer interface, that's a topic we certainly have to explore, we have to think how to limit the technology so that we don't enter into some anti-utopia.
Also, I really loved the speech Sielle gave on freedom. That really touched me. I think there should have been a different end to her story. Because just as the narrator found his way to enlightment, so could she. And it seemed she got there, when she closed the time loop, but it was too unclear. I wished it was made more explicit, it would have left me with a better feeling from the book. Still, a great book. Respect to the author.
August 20, 2018
Wow. It’s not often that I write reviews, but this book had such a deep impact on me that I just felt I had to write about it. It knocked the wind out of me! This is a singular reading experience - it’s demanding, and beautiful, and horrifying. It pulls something out of the reader. It’s certainly not a read for everyone, but those willing to take the journey will be richly rewarded. My impulse when I got to the end was to go right back to the beginning and start over. But that would be doing it an injustice, because there’s so much in the book that needs to be savored and mulled over and wrestled with. I’m grateful to K.K. Edin for writing such an amazing story - a story that was not only engaging and exciting and written in breathtakingly gorgeous prose, but that also stretched my mind in the toughest and best ways. A new favorite, and a book I’ll no doubt return to again and again.
October 22, 2020
Rarely does an author weave a such a complex story of hard sci-fi and philosophy in such an entertaining way that leaves the reader breathless with every chapter finished. Masterfully crafted, the plot becomes ever more engaging with all of it's aspects covered and presented with such believability and familiarity. Everything in this book works perfectly, except one thing:
The book is damn exhausting emotionally, it grips you with it's plot and does not let go from beginning to an end. As I was reading it, I got real feelings of anxiety, depression and restlessness getting closer and closer to finishing the book. It gets really depressing and savage at times, but I still couldn't close the book and put it away. The books ending is tragic that it gave me that sense of emptiness and existential doubt when I read the last page. So bare in mind that this book is gonna stir you up from inside pretty badly.
In the end I can say this book is one of the best books I have ever read, but wouldn't recommend to anyone who doesn't have a stomach and nerves for it.
The book is damn exhausting emotionally, it grips you with it's plot and does not let go from beginning to an end. As I was reading it, I got real feelings of anxiety, depression and restlessness getting closer and closer to finishing the book. It gets really depressing and savage at times, but I still couldn't close the book and put it away. The books ending is tragic that it gave me that sense of emptiness and existential doubt when I read the last page. So bare in mind that this book is gonna stir you up from inside pretty badly.
In the end I can say this book is one of the best books I have ever read, but wouldn't recommend to anyone who doesn't have a stomach and nerves for it.
August 28, 2024
Humans are a fractious species. I know that chimpanzees occasionally go to war with one another and that domesticated dogs can suffer from separation anxiety and that dolphins sometimes get high. But none of the other species on this planet seem so determined to confuse and make themselves miserable. In The Measurements of Decay by K.K. Edin, one of the most overblown books I’ve ever read, the problem with humans is our lack of empathy for each other—at least according to its insane philosopher antagonist. If only we could fully understand one another, he posits (over and over, in increasingly hysterical language), we would stop fighting, feuding, and fretting all the time...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
May 14, 2020
I want to give it 5* because it's unlike anything I've read before in the realm of Sci-Fi. That being said, it does have its flaws.
Character wise, the most interesting is undoubtedly the narrator. Watching him devolve from a disillusioned philosopher into... something else was one of the highlights of the book for me.
Tikan could have benefited from more development and backstory, and while Sielle was pretty good, I felt that more could have been done with her character. Nonetheless, through her we explored the different epochs and settings, which were masterfully done - from the seemingly Utopian Proxima to the chilling glass planet somewhere in Andromeda.
The unique selling point of The Measurements of Decay is the writing and the philosophical ideas explored, the main theme being that we'll understand and forgive each other only through total empathy - complete knowledge of others. Top stuff, although at times the writing proved to be a bit too much for me.
The ending's great, too. I don't understand why the novel has a relatively low rating, as I would recommend this to anyone who would like to try something different, original and very ambitious.
Character wise, the most interesting is undoubtedly the narrator. Watching him devolve from a disillusioned philosopher into... something else was one of the highlights of the book for me.
Tikan could have benefited from more development and backstory, and while Sielle was pretty good, I felt that more could have been done with her character. Nonetheless, through her we explored the different epochs and settings, which were masterfully done - from the seemingly Utopian Proxima to the chilling glass planet somewhere in Andromeda.
The unique selling point of The Measurements of Decay is the writing and the philosophical ideas explored, the main theme being that we'll understand and forgive each other only through total empathy - complete knowledge of others. Top stuff, although at times the writing proved to be a bit too much for me.
The ending's great, too. I don't understand why the novel has a relatively low rating, as I would recommend this to anyone who would like to try something different, original and very ambitious.
March 1, 2019
Wow! I just finished and I'm still struggling to grasp what I just read. This is a tale that spans the universe and time, but every page is literally dripping with philosophical tidbits. I almost stopped about 25% of the way in, having a difficult time just keeping up with the skipping around though time and space. This is definitely a bold exposition of some deep thoughts about the human condition. I held back from five stars because I felt it was rather self-indulgent in many places. I also wonder if the author has focused too much on humanity and not enough on what else could be out there existing through space and time. Regardless, it was an entertaining journey, and I recommend it to anyone with the fortitude to reflect on the mind of a madman.
May 11, 2018
This book is definitely one of the harder to read sci-fi novels. You need to be fully aware without any interruptions or you find yourself repeating chapters. This books plot is something you don’t read about often. If you’re into these kinds of sci-fi books I definitely recommend this book. If you’re just jumping into sci-fi definitely not. It’s like diving into fantasy and reading Brandon Sanderson. Definitely do that later when you have read others. I received this for review from NetGalley.
August 3, 2023
Three stars is generous, but not ranking it lower just because it was very different from anything I’ve ever read. Still, this book needed HEAVY editing - I didn’t realize it was self-published but it all makes sense now. You can really tell the book was written by a man, with gratuitous violence (including chapter 48 which needs a trigger warning), shallow depictions of women, and a weird feeling of self-righteousness that you get when talking to someone who thinks they’re the smartest person in the room. Edit this book down in half and maybe we’d have something good here.
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