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A Printer's Choice
In January 2088, life in outer space is rocked with news of its first homicide. The dead man—a young Dominican Priest—had secretly made his way “upside” and lived as a common laborer. His intentions are a mystery and the killer’s identity and motive are questions that the best investigators of the new world cannot answer.
With public order threatened, the reputation of the ruling engineers at stake, and criminal elements seizing the opportunity to gain control, authorities seek help from Earth—itself recovering from decades of war and environmental crises. With assistance from the Vatican, they recruit Father John Francis McClellan, a parish priest from Boston and a retired US Marine Corps expert in “high-defs”—the artificially intelligent three-dimensional printers that built the new world (from the publisher's website).
With public order threatened, the reputation of the ruling engineers at stake, and criminal elements seizing the opportunity to gain control, authorities seek help from Earth—itself recovering from decades of war and environmental crises. With assistance from the Vatican, they recruit Father John Francis McClellan, a parish priest from Boston and a retired US Marine Corps expert in “high-defs”—the artificially intelligent three-dimensional printers that built the new world (from the publisher's website).
334 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
November 27, 2021
Father John Francis McClellan is a 34 year old parish priest from Boston and a retired US Marine Corps expert in the artificially intelligent three-dimensional printers that built the new world. When a young Dominican priest, who was on a space colony, living under an assumed name and job, is murdered, McClellan is sent to the station to find out who murdered the priest, why the priest was murdered, and what the priest was doing on the station, especially at the time he was murdered.
The setting is 2088 with flashbacks to the last days of McClellan's time with the Marines. Something happened then to change Father McClellan, to cause him to seek out a life as a priest, when before, he'd had no faith, and also caused him to give up his career as a programmer of these very intelligent printers. Now McClellan is being called to solve this murder, specifically because he is a priest but also because of his exceptional programming skills.
The world that we are set in is in turmoil. It's not a safe world and it's crucial that evil forces in the world do not have access to the printers that are able to print anything that a man can envision. As bleak as this new world is, Father McClellan's faith leads him to have hope, keep hope, and spread hope. After I finished the book and remembered the title of the book, I came to understand what the title of the book really means...such a good choice of a title.
Published August 28th 2018
Thank you to W. L. Patenaude, Izzard Ink Publishing, and NetGalley for this ARC.
The setting is 2088 with flashbacks to the last days of McClellan's time with the Marines. Something happened then to change Father McClellan, to cause him to seek out a life as a priest, when before, he'd had no faith, and also caused him to give up his career as a programmer of these very intelligent printers. Now McClellan is being called to solve this murder, specifically because he is a priest but also because of his exceptional programming skills.
The world that we are set in is in turmoil. It's not a safe world and it's crucial that evil forces in the world do not have access to the printers that are able to print anything that a man can envision. As bleak as this new world is, Father McClellan's faith leads him to have hope, keep hope, and spread hope. After I finished the book and remembered the title of the book, I came to understand what the title of the book really means...such a good choice of a title.
Published August 28th 2018
Thank you to W. L. Patenaude, Izzard Ink Publishing, and NetGalley for this ARC.
January 13, 2021
Interesting premise
But it isn't literature. It's didactic, heavy on philosophical and theological lectures posing as dialogue. Curled up and bent under that heavy weight is an interesting story, which is why I give this 3 stars instead of 2. There aren't a lot of sci-fi books postulating the continuance of faith in the future, a sad weakness in the genre, which is another reason. But it was a hard slog through dry, often confusing technological details and lectures on faith and catholicism.
But it isn't literature. It's didactic, heavy on philosophical and theological lectures posing as dialogue. Curled up and bent under that heavy weight is an interesting story, which is why I give this 3 stars instead of 2. There aren't a lot of sci-fi books postulating the continuance of faith in the future, a sad weakness in the genre, which is another reason. But it was a hard slog through dry, often confusing technological details and lectures on faith and catholicism.
July 30, 2018
I received a free copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I finished this book three or four days ago and have deliberately held off writing the review for fear of overstating how much I loved it. Set in a near future with a space colonisation scenario that has a back story eerily well aligned with current events and with an apparent binary caste system in place to support the artificial intelligence of the 3D printers that are building the colony efforts. There is a weird but organically consistent merging of the US Marine Corps and the Catholic Church. The story involves a murder that takes place on one of the space colony stations and features an investigator who is a priest and a former "combat programmer".
Well written and engaging, this book sits well in the sci-fi pantheon with Arthur C Clarke or Asimov; the back story elements add colour to the near future scenario and the characters in the story grow as the story progresses.
I will have my eye out for the author's future work, this is excellent.
I finished this book three or four days ago and have deliberately held off writing the review for fear of overstating how much I loved it. Set in a near future with a space colonisation scenario that has a back story eerily well aligned with current events and with an apparent binary caste system in place to support the artificial intelligence of the 3D printers that are building the colony efforts. There is a weird but organically consistent merging of the US Marine Corps and the Catholic Church. The story involves a murder that takes place on one of the space colony stations and features an investigator who is a priest and a former "combat programmer".
Well written and engaging, this book sits well in the sci-fi pantheon with Arthur C Clarke or Asimov; the back story elements add colour to the near future scenario and the characters in the story grow as the story progresses.
I will have my eye out for the author's future work, this is excellent.
October 23, 2019
Interesting premise. Climate change and war between the followers of an excommunicated evangelist and the rest of humanity. Global Union, the governing body arisen from the detritus, figured the species will survive in space. The O'Neill Orbital Laboratory becomes New Athens. In 2088, Father John McClellan arrives on New Athens to investigate the first murder in space of a worker who turns out to be a disguised priest. There is no religion allowed on New Athens, so how'd the victim get there? And why was he hiding his identity? There are guilds that make New Athens work: engineers, builders. And printers. Printers are machines that may or may not be developing sentience, and do not have a guild.
McClellan is free to investigate the murder so long as he doesn't proselytize. He is allowed a small chapel in his private quarters, and then is amazed to discover the chapel is a huge, accurate reproduction of the Pauline Chapel at the Vatican. Who allowed this construction? The murder investigation is interesting for most of the book until the author changes his mind about what we're reading. The conversations with those who support banning religion (keeping in mind we have to assume that means ALL religions) are intellectual and spiritual thought flexing, and well done, even though the spiritual argument is singularly in favor of Catholicism. The secondary characters, who populate the list of suspects, are shorted on hinted motivation, which allows a wide path to the conclusion.
Without the space setting, this book would be on the shelf in the religion section of your local bookstore.
McClellan is free to investigate the murder so long as he doesn't proselytize. He is allowed a small chapel in his private quarters, and then is amazed to discover the chapel is a huge, accurate reproduction of the Pauline Chapel at the Vatican. Who allowed this construction? The murder investigation is interesting for most of the book until the author changes his mind about what we're reading. The conversations with those who support banning religion (keeping in mind we have to assume that means ALL religions) are intellectual and spiritual thought flexing, and well done, even though the spiritual argument is singularly in favor of Catholicism. The secondary characters, who populate the list of suspects, are shorted on hinted motivation, which allows a wide path to the conclusion.
Without the space setting, this book would be on the shelf in the religion section of your local bookstore.
October 19, 2018
"A Printer’s Choice by W.L. Patenaude is an investigation into much more than just a murder mystery, as it explores the intersection of technological progress and human morality. A Printer’s Choice contends with the latest in modern sci-fi, not in spite of its strong religious theme, but because of it."
Read my full review at: http://www.salgulino.com/2018/10/18/b...
Read my full review at: http://www.salgulino.com/2018/10/18/b...
May 4, 2021
This is a very interesting science fiction novel that takes place in 2088. It jumps between present and past, and it’s sometimes tough for me to determine which timeframe a given chapter is in at the start, but it’s easy to slide in after the first few sentences.
Thirty-four year old Father John McClellan is a Roman Catholic priest with a U.S. Marine Corps and technology background. He’s been called to New Athens, an orbital lab in space, to help with the investigation of a murdered man named Tanglao working on a relay station called Red Delta. While the man was under an alias, he was actually another Dominican priest, missing for almost a year. Even the Dominicans didn’t know he was a programmer.
Elaina Jansen is the chief engineer of New Athens who helped convince Rome and McClellan’s archbishop Bauer--and the community of New Athens--to send McClellan to space. Because life in 2088 is vastly different than our current one. See, when I say “technology background,” the tech involved is actually self-replicating 3D printers that have enhanced a lot in the world and human life in space...and also destroyed a lot of Earth. There’s now a Global Union and most religions have not survived due to “superstitious beliefs.” So in space, all religion is banished and McClellan is told he can only celebrate mass in the chapel that was built for him, that he can’t evangelize or invite people to church, and confessions could only be done if a person walks in and asks him directly.
The Engineering Guild is quite strict about this, though it’s understandable why--they have to appeal to the entire world, to the Global Union and not just any one country. Even allowing Father McClellan makes them seem deferential to the Roman Catholic faith.
They don’t get along with the Building Guild, to where propaganda from one group against another is sometimes taught or distributed. McClellan works to bridge the gap between the groups--it’s like Jesus dining with tax collectors, prostitutes, and Pharisees at the same time.
Anyway, McClellan was trained to program the printers. And we find out in a past chapter that a printer accidentally helped him hack into top secret tech. The way in which programmers work with the printers is quite unique and described in multiple chapters and in different ways. They have to even go through various permissions to prove legitimacy to a printer. The fact that the printers almost became self-actualizing despite several fail-safes put into place is why technology is so advanced. And it’s also why ecological issues occurred so quickly (making me think of how quick the Dust Bowl occurred).
There was an event (which we learn of) that essentially caused printers to banish him from them, to have void trust status. That event also eventually led the teenage atheist to pursue priesthood.
Jensen is actually one of the original engineers of the printers who demonstrates her intelligence and understanding of everything.
Commissioner Joseph Zhèng is in charge of the investigation and he’s one of my favorite characters. He’s a strong advocate for McClellan and a closet Catholic.
Agent Anne Okayo had served in the Kenyan Navy before becoming an officer in the Security Guild, and she is awesome.
Brandon James Clarke is an investigator under Zhèng, as is Miriam Lopez. Both seem shifty in their own ways.
The chapel that is built for McClellan is phenomenal, and a replica of the Pauline Chapel in Rome. It’s a bit heavy for the station to where the orbit is slightly off than expected, but no one really wants it gone, even though the builders somehow didn’t have a hand in the final construction. It was all the printers, which is...quite different.
But beauty begets beauty and happiness.
On Earth, we learn of Juan Carlos Solorzano, a man who was Catholic though in charge of a Mexican cartel, who wanted more for his country. He wanted to fight against the Islamic African Nation, which started nuclear attacks on various cities in the U.S. But he “has a vision” of St. Michael the Archangel, which turns to zealotry, leading one of the popes to excommunicate him and his group, and causing Solorzano to go crazy pants and kill tons of people. Anyone who disagrees with him is apt to die.He leads a group called the Sals, and is a terrifying antagonist who makes his way from central U.S. to the northeast. He even was thought to have died though may not actually be.
And he doesn’t think McClellan is safe in space. They warn the pope of their concern, that McClellan has secrets that can lead to “tragic consequences.” That fills me with dread, especially when it’s obvious the Sals have plan for the printers in space.
On Red Delta, someone tries to spy on the investigation, who happens to be the crew member who found Tanglao, Max Tucker. So his attempts to spy are quite suspicious. And then he heightens the uncertainty around the murder by pleading first innocent and then guilty. I want to like Tucker, and I don’t suspect him of murder, but he is a shifty guy at times.
His supervisor, Molly Rose, is also shifty. But is that because of the opinions of religion that many engineers and builders hold, or because she has something to hide….?
On Earth, Bauer works on opening the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston. Through his scenes, we really see the mistrust quite a few people have about the printers, and the ways in which actual manual labor are being used. There’s a man named Tommy Ryan who is the project foreman who does quite a few things to help Bauer help Father McClellan. Because as time goes on, it’s no secret that Solorzano is working to get [more of] his men upside and manipulate McClellan’s investigation.
On New Atlantis, it’s obvious he already has begun...and it is more obvious with an unknown lawyer on the way. I love how Bauer and McClellan talk in code, especially about the lawyer, in a later chapter.
The thought of having transparent hulls, even in living areas, sounds a bit nauseating. Granted, I get motion sick, but I would be as disconcerted as McClellan is. He meets some more engineers; and I love the parallels of the Gospel reading with Jesus in the desert vs. Satan and how others tempt us even in seemingly small ways. It makes me like McClellan more and more with each chapter.
There is a builder named Ira Wagner who has a great sense of humor and, having grown up in the Jewish faith, has an understanding about what truth is. I like his words. I want to trust him when he says he wants to help McClellan. But at this point, I don’t know who to trust anymore--especially if they’re “new” in being introduced.
During the funeral mass for Tanglao, another person is killed. I almost forget the mystery that builds from it though because of the drama around the Sals.
I really don’t like how people can get emotional memory wipes, which can remove a range of memories, from a recollection of an attachment to a certain person to the details of an event entirely. What’s worse is that we later learn from Bauer that doctors can do this if they think it’s in a patient’s own interest, even if the patient wants to keep the memories. “You’re not strong enough,” the doctors may say, which chills me. It makes me think of how some people are about abortions.
While I like the conversation with a printer about free will, there’s quite a bit that makes me very uneasy at the end.
Thirty-four year old Father John McClellan is a Roman Catholic priest with a U.S. Marine Corps and technology background. He’s been called to New Athens, an orbital lab in space, to help with the investigation of a murdered man named Tanglao working on a relay station called Red Delta. While the man was under an alias, he was actually another Dominican priest, missing for almost a year. Even the Dominicans didn’t know he was a programmer.
Elaina Jansen is the chief engineer of New Athens who helped convince Rome and McClellan’s archbishop Bauer--and the community of New Athens--to send McClellan to space. Because life in 2088 is vastly different than our current one. See, when I say “technology background,” the tech involved is actually self-replicating 3D printers that have enhanced a lot in the world and human life in space...and also destroyed a lot of Earth. There’s now a Global Union and most religions have not survived due to “superstitious beliefs.” So in space, all religion is banished and McClellan is told he can only celebrate mass in the chapel that was built for him, that he can’t evangelize or invite people to church, and confessions could only be done if a person walks in and asks him directly.
The Engineering Guild is quite strict about this, though it’s understandable why--they have to appeal to the entire world, to the Global Union and not just any one country. Even allowing Father McClellan makes them seem deferential to the Roman Catholic faith.
They don’t get along with the Building Guild, to where propaganda from one group against another is sometimes taught or distributed. McClellan works to bridge the gap between the groups--it’s like Jesus dining with tax collectors, prostitutes, and Pharisees at the same time.
Anyway, McClellan was trained to program the printers. And we find out in a past chapter that a printer accidentally helped him hack into top secret tech. The way in which programmers work with the printers is quite unique and described in multiple chapters and in different ways. They have to even go through various permissions to prove legitimacy to a printer. The fact that the printers almost became self-actualizing despite several fail-safes put into place is why technology is so advanced. And it’s also why ecological issues occurred so quickly (making me think of how quick the Dust Bowl occurred).
There was an event (which we learn of) that essentially caused printers to banish him from them, to have void trust status. That event also eventually led the teenage atheist to pursue priesthood.
Jensen is actually one of the original engineers of the printers who demonstrates her intelligence and understanding of everything.
Commissioner Joseph Zhèng is in charge of the investigation and he’s one of my favorite characters. He’s a strong advocate for McClellan and a closet Catholic.
Agent Anne Okayo had served in the Kenyan Navy before becoming an officer in the Security Guild, and she is awesome.
Brandon James Clarke is an investigator under Zhèng, as is Miriam Lopez. Both seem shifty in their own ways.
The chapel that is built for McClellan is phenomenal, and a replica of the Pauline Chapel in Rome. It’s a bit heavy for the station to where the orbit is slightly off than expected, but no one really wants it gone, even though the builders somehow didn’t have a hand in the final construction. It was all the printers, which is...quite different.
But beauty begets beauty and happiness.
On Earth, we learn of Juan Carlos Solorzano, a man who was Catholic though in charge of a Mexican cartel, who wanted more for his country. He wanted to fight against the Islamic African Nation, which started nuclear attacks on various cities in the U.S. But he “has a vision” of St. Michael the Archangel, which turns to zealotry, leading one of the popes to excommunicate him and his group, and causing Solorzano to go crazy pants and kill tons of people. Anyone who disagrees with him is apt to die.He leads a group called the Sals, and is a terrifying antagonist who makes his way from central U.S. to the northeast. He even was thought to have died though may not actually be.
And he doesn’t think McClellan is safe in space. They warn the pope of their concern, that McClellan has secrets that can lead to “tragic consequences.” That fills me with dread, especially when it’s obvious the Sals have plan for the printers in space.
On Red Delta, someone tries to spy on the investigation, who happens to be the crew member who found Tanglao, Max Tucker. So his attempts to spy are quite suspicious. And then he heightens the uncertainty around the murder by pleading first innocent and then guilty. I want to like Tucker, and I don’t suspect him of murder, but he is a shifty guy at times.
His supervisor, Molly Rose, is also shifty. But is that because of the opinions of religion that many engineers and builders hold, or because she has something to hide….?
On Earth, Bauer works on opening the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston. Through his scenes, we really see the mistrust quite a few people have about the printers, and the ways in which actual manual labor are being used. There’s a man named Tommy Ryan who is the project foreman who does quite a few things to help Bauer help Father McClellan. Because as time goes on, it’s no secret that Solorzano is working to get [more of] his men upside and manipulate McClellan’s investigation.
On New Atlantis, it’s obvious he already has begun...and it is more obvious with an unknown lawyer on the way. I love how Bauer and McClellan talk in code, especially about the lawyer, in a later chapter.
The thought of having transparent hulls, even in living areas, sounds a bit nauseating. Granted, I get motion sick, but I would be as disconcerted as McClellan is. He meets some more engineers; and I love the parallels of the Gospel reading with Jesus in the desert vs. Satan and how others tempt us even in seemingly small ways. It makes me like McClellan more and more with each chapter.
There is a builder named Ira Wagner who has a great sense of humor and, having grown up in the Jewish faith, has an understanding about what truth is. I like his words. I want to trust him when he says he wants to help McClellan. But at this point, I don’t know who to trust anymore--especially if they’re “new” in being introduced.
During the funeral mass for Tanglao, another person is killed. I almost forget the mystery that builds from it though because of the drama around the Sals.
I really don’t like how people can get emotional memory wipes, which can remove a range of memories, from a recollection of an attachment to a certain person to the details of an event entirely. What’s worse is that we later learn from Bauer that doctors can do this if they think it’s in a patient’s own interest, even if the patient wants to keep the memories. “You’re not strong enough,” the doctors may say, which chills me. It makes me think of how some people are about abortions.
While I like the conversation with a printer about free will, there’s quite a bit that makes me very uneasy at the end.
June 8, 2025
Lots of food for thought - what great SF is meant to be, thought-provoking.
Read
January 17, 2019An interesting world where 3-D printers can print anything. In order to do this they must be sentient, but they have been hobbled by not having free will. This is a portrayal of what free will means. It also has a view on human nature. The biblical view is that humans are not only physical and have some degree of free will, but they are also part of the human race. So, can you print a being and have them be a part of the human race?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2019
This debut sci-fi novel is engaging and thought-provoking. I found the characters well-developed and the plot complex and able to keep me guessing. It’s an unusual combination of futurism, mystery and warfare fiction.
April 4, 2023
This was one of two debut novels I read the same week. The two stories could not have been more different, and I considered both excellent reads. As a debut novel I was very impressed with this offering. It’s depth of world building, breadth of characters and the ambition exhibited in the work. I can only hope it is the first of many. This story kept crossing my path, several authors and other reviewers I respect had mentioned it at various points. I had picked it up shortly after it released but it kept dropping in my ‘to be read’ pile. That was a mistake. It is an excellent read. The description of the novel is:
“In January 2088, life in outer space is rocked with news of its first homicide. The dead man—a young Dominican Priest—had secretly made his way “upside” and lived as a common laborer. His intentions are a mystery and the killer’s identity and motive are questions that the best investigators of the new world cannot answer.
With public order threatened, the reputation of the ruling engineers at stake, and criminal elements seizing the opportunity to gain control, authorities seek help from Earth—itself recovering from decades of war and environmental crises. With assistance from the Vatican, they recruit Father John Francis McClellan, a parish priest from Boston and a retired US Marine Corps expert in “high-defs”—the artificially intelligent three-dimensional printers that built the new world.
A Printer’s Choice tells a story of faith, the future, and the power of free will. It explores questions about sentience, choice, and the necessity of choosing well. Set in locations on Earth and in the orbits, the story takes place in a future extrapolated from today’s geopolitical and ecological turmoil. In this epic debut novel, author W. L. Patenaude illuminates not just the struggles of our world, but also the promises and implications of building a better one, one choice at a time.”
This was a fascinating story from the beginning through to the end. I was very impressed by the skills and craft shown by Patenaude in this work. It is one of the best debut novels I have ever read. A new world is being built above the earth. A series of stations to be inhabited by humans. But to live ‘upside’ you need to renounce religion and embrace a humanist point of view. What is helping make this possible is a new generation of Printers that can mine for resource and create almost anything. The utopian atmosphere upside is disturbed when a young priest a Dominican Friar is murdered. Father John Francis McClellan is sent upside to investigate. He is the ideal candidate because he is a former Military Police Investigator, former US Marine Corps engineer, and a man of faith. McClellan must navigate the political minefield of this new world weaving his way among engineers, builders, printers, and other factions. But he must also come to deal with his own past, and his own mistakes, mistakes that cost him and others.
As the ruling elite from the station are threatened by religious zealots, crime families that want a piece of the pie, and workers who just want meaningful employment and freedom to belive. There is soon danger from sever quarters and everyone has much to lose and fear. McClellan is racing against a clock and foes known and unknown.
This story is part mystery, part science fiction adventure, and part theological discourse. And Patenaude executes on it masterfully. I hope this is the first of many stories from the pen of Patenaude. They we will get other books, stories in this universe and stories feathering Father John Francis McClellan. This is an excellent science fiction story that I can easily recommend. I have recommended it to Catholic, Christian and even humanist friends.
A wonderful debut novel and what I hope is the first of many to come.
This book is part of a series of reviews: 2023 Catholic Reading Plan!
“In January 2088, life in outer space is rocked with news of its first homicide. The dead man—a young Dominican Priest—had secretly made his way “upside” and lived as a common laborer. His intentions are a mystery and the killer’s identity and motive are questions that the best investigators of the new world cannot answer.
With public order threatened, the reputation of the ruling engineers at stake, and criminal elements seizing the opportunity to gain control, authorities seek help from Earth—itself recovering from decades of war and environmental crises. With assistance from the Vatican, they recruit Father John Francis McClellan, a parish priest from Boston and a retired US Marine Corps expert in “high-defs”—the artificially intelligent three-dimensional printers that built the new world.
A Printer’s Choice tells a story of faith, the future, and the power of free will. It explores questions about sentience, choice, and the necessity of choosing well. Set in locations on Earth and in the orbits, the story takes place in a future extrapolated from today’s geopolitical and ecological turmoil. In this epic debut novel, author W. L. Patenaude illuminates not just the struggles of our world, but also the promises and implications of building a better one, one choice at a time.”
This was a fascinating story from the beginning through to the end. I was very impressed by the skills and craft shown by Patenaude in this work. It is one of the best debut novels I have ever read. A new world is being built above the earth. A series of stations to be inhabited by humans. But to live ‘upside’ you need to renounce religion and embrace a humanist point of view. What is helping make this possible is a new generation of Printers that can mine for resource and create almost anything. The utopian atmosphere upside is disturbed when a young priest a Dominican Friar is murdered. Father John Francis McClellan is sent upside to investigate. He is the ideal candidate because he is a former Military Police Investigator, former US Marine Corps engineer, and a man of faith. McClellan must navigate the political minefield of this new world weaving his way among engineers, builders, printers, and other factions. But he must also come to deal with his own past, and his own mistakes, mistakes that cost him and others.
As the ruling elite from the station are threatened by religious zealots, crime families that want a piece of the pie, and workers who just want meaningful employment and freedom to belive. There is soon danger from sever quarters and everyone has much to lose and fear. McClellan is racing against a clock and foes known and unknown.
This story is part mystery, part science fiction adventure, and part theological discourse. And Patenaude executes on it masterfully. I hope this is the first of many stories from the pen of Patenaude. They we will get other books, stories in this universe and stories feathering Father John Francis McClellan. This is an excellent science fiction story that I can easily recommend. I have recommended it to Catholic, Christian and even humanist friends.
A wonderful debut novel and what I hope is the first of many to come.
This book is part of a series of reviews: 2023 Catholic Reading Plan!
April 6, 2019
Like one of the reviewers, who skipped parts of the book that dealt with religion, I too skipped parts of the book, going backwards and forward for a few to several pages, because I was confused about what was going on and hoped something in the book would help me out. In fact, I began it three times, each time reading over what I had originally read because I was sure that I had missed something. In the story, a young priest is recruited to figure out who murdered another priest who had been living in a futuristic world, developed by mysterious 3-D printers, incognito. The recruited priest has a background in AI, mostly due to his years in the USMC working with AI and 3-d printers. The plot was interesting, even though I felt lost a lot. The characters were also well-developed and interesting. I guess I could not get into it because I seldom venture into Sci-fi books and have not ever gone into the realms of AI in Sci-Fi. I guess this one was just not for me. If you like this sort of stuff, as the reviews I read indicate, this is a well-done, fascinating story that you should give a try. I thought I would like it but could not get into it. I received this form NetGalley to read and review.
February 21, 2021
When I choose a novel to read, there are several red flags that place a book on the no-thanks list. Three of the major ones are:
1) Self-published
2) Fan fiction
3) The protagonist’s life story is similar to the author’s.
The novel hits two of these warning signs. I don’t think it’s fan fiction. If it is, I don’t know what the mainstream work to which it refers.
Self-published works generally are self published for a reason. They tend to have been rejected by established publishing houses. The author may be early in his career and not honed his craft sufficiently. That certainly applies to this novel. There are pages of descriptive backstory, sometimes disguised as a flashback or a letter, sometimes not. The writing is juvenile and rather unpleasant to read.
The book’s main character is a man who became a Roman Catholic (and a priest) as an adult. The author left Catholicism, but returned to it as an adult. These kind of narratives come across as a type of wish fulfillment for the author, and that is rarely a good look.
Add up the poor writing, muddled narrative thread, and disjointed points of view, and you get something I was not willing to continue. Ditched this one half a dozen chapters in.
1) Self-published
2) Fan fiction
3) The protagonist’s life story is similar to the author’s.
The novel hits two of these warning signs. I don’t think it’s fan fiction. If it is, I don’t know what the mainstream work to which it refers.
Self-published works generally are self published for a reason. They tend to have been rejected by established publishing houses. The author may be early in his career and not honed his craft sufficiently. That certainly applies to this novel. There are pages of descriptive backstory, sometimes disguised as a flashback or a letter, sometimes not. The writing is juvenile and rather unpleasant to read.
The book’s main character is a man who became a Roman Catholic (and a priest) as an adult. The author left Catholicism, but returned to it as an adult. These kind of narratives come across as a type of wish fulfillment for the author, and that is rarely a good look.
Add up the poor writing, muddled narrative thread, and disjointed points of view, and you get something I was not willing to continue. Ditched this one half a dozen chapters in.
December 10, 2018
This has a bit of a slow start. Instead of starting with the murder, we are with the one man who can reason with the human-like printers. Then we backflash and jump heads a bit. It isn't so much confusing but quite disturbing to the reading flow. I wasn't gripped by this story because the characters didn't seem full-blown, living color to me at first, so I didn't care about the murder or the man who was going to solve the mystery.
However, the story grows on you. If you keep at it you'll find some literary gems that lend a good flavor to this story. There's a brief moment when I was transported back to my college campus movie night, blankets on the grass, the smell of mosquito repellant and the strains of 2001 Space Odessy, and Hal's voice ringing into the night air. Those are the almost human Printers that brought that memory back.
This is more a study in human condition than a murder mystery, in my opinion. I wanted to read it because of the mystery. Found a different kind of story, and it was enjoyable, just different.
Received this book from Netgalley. This is my honest opinion.
However, the story grows on you. If you keep at it you'll find some literary gems that lend a good flavor to this story. There's a brief moment when I was transported back to my college campus movie night, blankets on the grass, the smell of mosquito repellant and the strains of 2001 Space Odessy, and Hal's voice ringing into the night air. Those are the almost human Printers that brought that memory back.
This is more a study in human condition than a murder mystery, in my opinion. I wanted to read it because of the mystery. Found a different kind of story, and it was enjoyable, just different.
Received this book from Netgalley. This is my honest opinion.
May 19, 2019
I enjoyed this book! Kudos to the author for biting off a big challenge, i.e. addressing deep issues in a novel which acts as both an allegory and an engaging SciFi story in itself.
Pros:
--Very well developed/thought out world and technology which are internally consistent and (mostly) plausible
--Reasonably well-developed characters
--Respectful treatment of Christianity in general and Roman Catholicism in particular
--Deals with current issues and controversies in a partisan yet inoffensive way
--Tackles big philosophical and theological issues in a non-contrived and compelling manner which brings a natural and satisfying denouement to the plot
Cons:
--A world without Protestants?
--Some of the prose and dialogue are a bit wooden, although not enough to detract from the story
--This book would have been at least 1,000 words shorter without all the unnecessary occurrences of the word "that"!
Pros:
--Very well developed/thought out world and technology which are internally consistent and (mostly) plausible
--Reasonably well-developed characters
--Respectful treatment of Christianity in general and Roman Catholicism in particular
--Deals with current issues and controversies in a partisan yet inoffensive way
--Tackles big philosophical and theological issues in a non-contrived and compelling manner which brings a natural and satisfying denouement to the plot
Cons:
--A world without Protestants?
--Some of the prose and dialogue are a bit wooden, although not enough to detract from the story
--This book would have been at least 1,000 words shorter without all the unnecessary occurrences of the word "that"!
April 10, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this. The world-building is impressively thorough, and it had been a long while since I read a murder mystery where the killer’s identity made sense and yet totally escaped me until it was revealed. I found the philosophical discussions very interesting regarding free will and the power of choice, including in future artificial intelligence. Much of this book, particularly the last section, reads like a faith-inspired examination of the same themes of a Data-centric episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. As a spiritually-curious agnostic, I found this outwardly theistic take to be very illuminating. Along the way, this book spins a very strong whodunit and a thoroughly developed, lived-in interpretation of our near future. I’m sure I’ll be buying the sequel some day!
November 29, 2019
I found this book via a search for "good Catholic novels," and as a big SF fan, I was intrigued. Another reviewer correctly points out that one doesn't need to be Catholic to completely enjoy both the writing and the murder mystery, but I will say that all readers will see one of the most accurate portrayals of priesthood in modern fiction. It does start a bit slowly, and I wish an explanation of the printers had come a little earlier in the book, but SF aficionados will forgive that as the book builds to a completely surprising and satisfying climax. I seldom take the time to review books, but this one needs to be better known.
April 8, 2023
I was intrigued by the blending of science fiction and religion in this title.
While it took a while to fully keep my attention, I appreciated aspects of the story including how a future society built on the absence of religion would have people seeking it out.
Along with the integration of Catholicism and tenets of the faith, the author creates an interesting future world where going into large space communities is the solution for the damage done on Earth.
If someone is very anti-religion then I can see how this title would not be a favorite by any stretch. There is too much woven into the story to easily skip over those sections. Plus, it is woven into the reason why the one printer ends up dead.
While it took a while to fully keep my attention, I appreciated aspects of the story including how a future society built on the absence of religion would have people seeking it out.
Along with the integration of Catholicism and tenets of the faith, the author creates an interesting future world where going into large space communities is the solution for the damage done on Earth.
If someone is very anti-religion then I can see how this title would not be a favorite by any stretch. There is too much woven into the story to easily skip over those sections. Plus, it is woven into the reason why the one printer ends up dead.
November 24, 2019
Uplifting and remarkable
This is a brilliant illumination of how theology and science can work together or be at odds. What happens when machines become self aware? Will they be at the mercy of whatever their current programmer demands? What standards should be upheld and enforced on programmers?
A fascinating look at what could happen in our near future. Where will we be in 20 years? What wars will have been fought over what necessities, what shortages, and what religious strife?
What choices will we make for ourselves and our nations?
This is a brilliant illumination of how theology and science can work together or be at odds. What happens when machines become self aware? Will they be at the mercy of whatever their current programmer demands? What standards should be upheld and enforced on programmers?
A fascinating look at what could happen in our near future. Where will we be in 20 years? What wars will have been fought over what necessities, what shortages, and what religious strife?
What choices will we make for ourselves and our nations?
October 19, 2018
Excellent book! Every time I thought i had it figured out.....
A worker is killed in an orbital platform under construction by a printer. In this universe, printers have been self-aware and interact with programmers for decades. The victim turns out to be a priest. Another priest, who happens to be a former Marine programmer and investigator, is sent to find out what happened. The results are one great science fiction novel!
A worker is killed in an orbital platform under construction by a printer. In this universe, printers have been self-aware and interact with programmers for decades. The victim turns out to be a priest. Another priest, who happens to be a former Marine programmer and investigator, is sent to find out what happened. The results are one great science fiction novel!
December 12, 2021
Paternaude approaches the enemy with no fear
A Printer's Choice to use free will lights the literary world with unusual insight that reveals fear for the evil it is and free will as the powerful gift in its essence.And it's a great story the moral of which is to "Trust and Obey". The story is fun and fast pseudoscience fiction t it's best. My hat is off to a master of the writer's craft.
A Printer's Choice to use free will lights the literary world with unusual insight that reveals fear for the evil it is and free will as the powerful gift in its essence.And it's a great story the moral of which is to "Trust and Obey". The story is fun and fast pseudoscience fiction t it's best. My hat is off to a master of the writer's craft.
March 11, 2019
Book is barely readable. Skipped through all of the useless religion parts. Eliminate the religion and make it a pure book on Artificial Intelligence awakening. An author with a religious background could write it if he could avoid saturating it with religion. Issue should be man interfacing with technology .
February 25, 2020
I have a standard for giving a book five stars: Do I want to read the book again? That is, does the book have enough goodness to warrant reading it again?
The answer for this book is a definite yes. I cannot say (absent a re-reading or two) that the book is or will be a classic. But it is a tale well told that has meat and bone enough to nourish the mind and soul.
The answer for this book is a definite yes. I cannot say (absent a re-reading or two) that the book is or will be a classic. But it is a tale well told that has meat and bone enough to nourish the mind and soul.
January 2, 2020
Intriguing, creative sci fi whodunnit thriller.
intriguing sci- fi thriller that manages to discuss a.i, robotics, 3-d printing and space exploration, blending in discussions about religion, philosophy and spirituality, all wrapped into a highly readable murder mystery whodunnit.
intriguing sci- fi thriller that manages to discuss a.i, robotics, 3-d printing and space exploration, blending in discussions about religion, philosophy and spirituality, all wrapped into a highly readable murder mystery whodunnit.
January 16, 2021
Not quite 5 stars
I found this work excellent and San exciting and interesting tale of theology beyond humanity but the denouement a bit awkward and preachy - not to day I could have done better, Paternaude has given us an excellent debut work of fiction.
I found this work excellent and San exciting and interesting tale of theology beyond humanity but the denouement a bit awkward and preachy - not to day I could have done better, Paternaude has given us an excellent debut work of fiction.
April 15, 2021
Good read😬
Interesting intersection of sifi and religion. Does not preach but thought provoking in the environment of humanity moving to the planets. Includes dealing with factions who continue to wreck havoc on earth while looking taking their terror into fragile space
Interesting intersection of sifi and religion. Does not preach but thought provoking in the environment of humanity moving to the planets. Includes dealing with factions who continue to wreck havoc on earth while looking taking their terror into fragile space
Want to read
October 12, 2019Written by guest with Ed Morrissey as SciFi mystery with Catholic themes
December 8, 2019
Homicide in Space
This is a very good book. I thoroughly enjoyed it! I hope the author is considering another book. I loved the protagonist and his methods. Please,a sequel!
This is a very good book. I thoroughly enjoyed it! I hope the author is considering another book. I loved the protagonist and his methods. Please,a sequel!
January 13, 2020
A little preachy at the end, but a good read.
March 7, 2021
Good read
Good theological discussion. A slow start but when the action picked up it didn't slow down. Being a fan of both science fiction and mystery enjoyed the combination.
Good theological discussion. A slow start but when the action picked up it didn't slow down. Being a fan of both science fiction and mystery enjoyed the combination.
May 17, 2021
Patenaude creates a very intriguing universe and interesting backstory for his main character, but the book comes up short as a murder mystery. Though some recent developments may call into question the realism of the story he creates, I found much of it frighteningly relatable and plausible. The frequent flashbacks to the main character's service as a Marine programmer really helped flesh out his story and explain some of the attitudes he brought to his role in the narrative, though I do find it dubious that any 34-year-old man can be a battle-hardened Marine, an expert programmer, a hard-nosed cop, AND a kindly, compassionate priest. I had trouble suspending disbelief enough to buy all of that. Despite this, these aspects of the story were quite enjoyable.
Unfortunately, all the world-building and character development came at the expense of the murder mystery. Without trying to give too many spoilers, I'll say that when the author revealed who the killer was my immediate thought was "Oh, that guy? That just doesn't seem to make sense." The killer was given very little backstory or interaction with the main or other characters in the story, and the reveal is given just sort of matter-of-factly. Even his motives seemed pretty blase, and his subsequent crimes were just nonsensical.
My last gripe with this book is that the whole "priest solves murders" thing has been done to death, if you'll pardon the expression. Even my parents' priest writes books about a murder-solving priest, for crying out loud. If an author is going to play in this field, then he or she had better do it well. This book mostly succeeds as a sci-fi novel but fails as a murder mystery. If Patenaude was writing this book to create the universe for a sequel or series, as seems likely from the last chapter, I'm willing to give his follow-up a chance. But please, if it's going to be a murder mystery, can you tighten up the mystery and sleuthing part of it?
Unfortunately, all the world-building and character development came at the expense of the murder mystery. Without trying to give too many spoilers, I'll say that when the author revealed who the killer was my immediate thought was "Oh, that guy? That just doesn't seem to make sense." The killer was given very little backstory or interaction with the main or other characters in the story, and the reveal is given just sort of matter-of-factly. Even his motives seemed pretty blase, and his subsequent crimes were just nonsensical.
My last gripe with this book is that the whole "priest solves murders" thing has been done to death, if you'll pardon the expression. Even my parents' priest writes books about a murder-solving priest, for crying out loud. If an author is going to play in this field, then he or she had better do it well. This book mostly succeeds as a sci-fi novel but fails as a murder mystery. If Patenaude was writing this book to create the universe for a sequel or series, as seems likely from the last chapter, I'm willing to give his follow-up a chance. But please, if it's going to be a murder mystery, can you tighten up the mystery and sleuthing part of it?
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