Riters

by Roy Harris

Four generations in space searching for a new world and today they learn how their insignificant band came to command a monolithic ship known as Protostar...exactly, one hundred years after stepping aboard. From the depths of the NORAD command center, they trace the passion and sacrifices that lead to a last ditch effort to find civilization a new home. "Riters" embodies the spirit of works like "Catch 22," and the sixties cult classic, "Been Down So Long, It Looks Like Up to Me." Combining the absurd and insightful with the hysterical and tragic, Harris choreographs an unexpected embrace of opposites in a world far stranger than one where machines are conscious.

502 pages, Paperback

Published March 29, 2017

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Roy Harris is Emeritus Professor of General Linguistics in the University of Oxford and Honorary Fellow of St Edmund Hall. He has also held university teaching posts in Hong Kong, Boston and Paris and visiting fellowships at universities in South Africa and Australia, and at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study.

Reviews

[Macy Buchanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of distinctive characteristics to this book. Starting with the plot, which is a story you never heard before, the characters are also unique. “Harrison Jack”, who can access the fifth dimension; “Han Larkill”, a very large and ambitious fellow with genetically engineered muscles; “Zim”, with bright pink hair covering a skull hardwired to a library of scientific and technological information; and “Bob”, the resident cannibal left in the remains of NORAD. And those are just a few. My point being, this is not an ordinary book and you should follow the author’s advice in the ‘Forward’ to pay attention. I will be paying attention for more insights from his other works.

[Wendy Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if there is a new earth somewhere in the universe? With how big our universe is, and all the galaxies spiraling, there is no doubt that somewhere out there are habitable planets. In this book entitled “Riters”, humans are in search of a new Earth, away from the dilemma and all the issues that are mostly man-made phenomena. We take their journey with them and have numerous experiences we can enjoy and learn from. I love the way the author has written it; full of intertwining details that flesh out the story and characters, making for a very realistic tale. I just can't imagine someone had this story in their mind. I’m happy he was able to share it with us!

[Shane Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book, I was looking for things that are common to our world and the book’s world, like the division of classes.

In the story the “Topgridders” are upper-class and are born as clones in the hatcheries, while “Bellygridders” live a rough and brutal life. This story demands your attention and while the prologue is enticing, it doesn’t prepare you for how deep this book will take you. One tip: always be open-minded when reading these kinds of books. I really applaud the author for coming up with a book this unique and provoking.

[Laura Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I applaud the author, Roy Harris, for being able to immerse the reader in his unique and disturbing vision of a future. This book has really paved the way for a more immediate science fiction experience. I love the way it is written; it is as if you live in that moment, in that time frame, exploring the vastness of space, seeking a hope for humankind. From the first few pages of the book until the mind-blowing epilogue, it’s an intense roller-coaster ride. I think one of the goals of the author is to really make us question some important issues, and he did not fail to do that.

[Luna Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is certainly a book worthy of praise. Roy Harris has given us science fiction on a different level. This is a story that really invites us into the unique perspectives of its characters, and we go in-depth about the topics explored.

The way it is written is both informative and engaging at the same time,
making the reader look forward to every chapter. Roy Harris did not disappoint, giving us a masterpiece that is timeless and breathtaking, spiriting us to places, unique and unfamiliar.

[Tironia Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It hooked me from the prologue through all the following pages of the book. I found it thrilling and unpredictable and I really wanted to appease my curiosity. The book involves the reader completely with a panoply of interesting details and spot-on descriptions of the unique and amazing characters. I love the book and the author. His energy, and the way he writes are just so powerful I couldn’t put the book down from the moment I start reading it!

[Natalie Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The depravity and gore in this book are not easily imagined. Some scenes were difficult for me to read. Nevertheless, it did not hinder me from wanting to finish the book. Many characters are introduced and some of them really get to your heart. A different and unique experience in my reading adventure.

[Cristine Hughens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story by Roy Harris really manages to take us on a unique and fascinating journey. A phenomenal book and one-of-a-kind piece that gives us the vision of a future, but not the kind of future we would imagine we might have. This is a book this generation should discuss. A great read! Kudos to the author for writing this.

[J. d'Merricksson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: rape, necrophilia, and cannibalism.

Roy Harris’s Riters is the story of a Screwhog deep-mining prisoner crew as they make a daring escape from their desolate prison. In this post-apocalyptic world, Togridders of Big New are the upperclass. They are born as clones in hatcheries. They have no idea what it truly means to be human. For this half of society, sex and physical contact are shunned for fear of disease. Bellygridders live below, in Bellytown, where gangs run things. Life here is rough and brutal.

Jack Harrison is one of the Topgridders who gets sent to the penal wasteland for rule violation. Jack us a very unique person, able to manipulate matter on the quantum level, and to slip into the fifth dimension. He is part of the crew that escapes, though less by choice and more by being in the wrong place. This takes poor Jack out of his comfort zone for sure, challenging everything he thinks he knows about the world. The main story is actually set in the past, with interludes set in the future, aboard Protostar.

There's quite a bit going on in this book. I enjoyed the science, physics, metaphysics, and philosophy woven in. It was also neat to pick up on references to various old school dystopic films like Logan's Run and Metropolis. It probably wasn't as intentional, but Big New/ Bellytown reminded me of my favourite RPG game, Final Fantasy VII,vwhich has a similar city called Midgard. I actually feel the synopsis didn't really explain all of what the book encompasses. Jack was my favourite character. Despite his gifts, and his power, his is an innocent soul. The other main characters were interesting too, sex obsessions aside.

I do wish that the female characters had been more fleshed out. I felt, at times, that they existed just for the sex scenes, many of which could feasibly have been left out without altering the story in any way. I get the roles sex plays in all levels of this society, and some are needed for the story, but others weren't. Many of these scenes felt like they'd been written by a different person altogether, and didn't mesh with the scifi, science, and action aspects of the story. The ending felt kinda rushed, and we get a massive info dump in the last interlude. Overall, a good scifi dystopia. It does need the erotica label, for sure, but you can't go into it thinking that's the guiding genre.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

They will learn how their band first got on the ship. It went into space 100 years ago. They need to find a new world for them to live on. See how it all started and where it will finally end

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.