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Candidate Spectrum
When the real-world superhero Spectrum grows frustrated with the limited ways he can help people using his superpowers, he decides he can do more good as a politician and runs for office. Having devoted his life to helping others, Spectrum won't settle for a typical political career. After winning the Missouri governorship, he launches a 2020 presidential bid dedicated to fixing a country that Americans have consistently said is on the wrong track. But as he develops proposals for issues from a growing wealth gap to paralyzing partisanship, he realizes that America's real troubles are deeper: a loss of individual agency, an increasing quantification of life that undermines morality and erodes our humanity. Meanwhile, his campaign is beset by problems. He never imagined how difficult it would be to run for president as an atheist immigrant from a destroyed planet who is honest and serious about the issues. Further, his campaign must overcome him ditching campaign events to rescue people in Bangladesh from a typhoon, and the public's fear of an alien takeover after a scientist offers to restart his race by cloning him. Will Spectrum win a mandate to restore America to its place as a pioneer among nations, or lose and watch it slide further into dissonance and mediocrity?
355 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2020
2 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
Brian Cato
4 books3 followersBrian Cato pursued dual majors in philosophy and chemistry at Brown University. Besides writing, he's worked as a synthetic organic chemist, an MCAT instructor, and a software engineer for a computational chemistry company. His short fiction has appeared in decomP Magazine and the Sci Phi Journal. He currently resides on the New Jersey side of the shadow of New York City with his wife and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 11, 2020
CANDIDATE SPECTRUM by Brian Cato is classified as general fiction, but it is more than that. Spectrum is the superhero name that Grant Goslin chose for himself. But during one rescue mission, he realizes that his actions as a superhero are reactive and aren’t solving the root causes of the incidents he faces. Therefore, he decides to go into politics and runs for governor of Missouri. Eventually, he decides to run for President of the United States. First, he has to overcome the fact that he is an alien from another planet and currently not eligible to be president.
The main character is certainly someone you can root for or against depending on your political views. Grant’s goals are clear, but the road to get there is not without major issues including his naivety and inexperience. While his thought processes were interesting and raise serious issues that need to be dealt with, the story tended to be slow and therefore the impact and effectiveness of the dialogue was diminished.
Overall, there were some emotional moments and the book is definitely thought-provoking, but the implementation lacked the impact I was expecting. However, the concepts are important enough that I would recommend this to others that are interested.
Many thanks to Smith Publicity, Inc. – BC Studios and Brian Cato for a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
The main character is certainly someone you can root for or against depending on your political views. Grant’s goals are clear, but the road to get there is not without major issues including his naivety and inexperience. While his thought processes were interesting and raise serious issues that need to be dealt with, the story tended to be slow and therefore the impact and effectiveness of the dialogue was diminished.
Overall, there were some emotional moments and the book is definitely thought-provoking, but the implementation lacked the impact I was expecting. However, the concepts are important enough that I would recommend this to others that are interested.
Many thanks to Smith Publicity, Inc. – BC Studios and Brian Cato for a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
August 31, 2020
**I received and voluntarily read an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, it was not one of my favorites.
I love the idea, a superhero who runs for office because he really wants the world to be a better place. The execution of the idea, however, falls flat. It was hard enough to read in present tense, but I got used to it. What really makes this a difficult read is that it is political in a way it shouldn't be- it's wordy.
It's far too long in it's current form. I think the length might be okay if it weren't for the present tense, but written as it is, everything feels over described and oversimplified. It just feels like I'm being spoon-fed bit by bit instead of treating the reader as intelligent enough to be able to be able to read some of the situations presented.
Overall, I think another pass or three on editing would have been able to trim it down and make it more palatable. It's a great idea, but it needed some more work before heading to the presses.
I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, it was not one of my favorites.
I love the idea, a superhero who runs for office because he really wants the world to be a better place. The execution of the idea, however, falls flat. It was hard enough to read in present tense, but I got used to it. What really makes this a difficult read is that it is political in a way it shouldn't be- it's wordy.
It's far too long in it's current form. I think the length might be okay if it weren't for the present tense, but written as it is, everything feels over described and oversimplified. It just feels like I'm being spoon-fed bit by bit instead of treating the reader as intelligent enough to be able to be able to read some of the situations presented.
Overall, I think another pass or three on editing would have been able to trim it down and make it more palatable. It's a great idea, but it needed some more work before heading to the presses.
October 26, 2020
What would happen if Superman, Spiderman, Thor or even Wonder Woman decided they would be able to do more good and have a greater impact on the world if they were to run for a political office? The Author, Brian Cato decided to explore that intriguing question and presents us with Candidate Spectrum, where Superhero Spectrum decides to run for the President of the USA. Various issues crop up that make his Bid exponentially harder (he is an alien, he is always off to rescue people around the world instead of campaigning and more).
Embedded within the greater story is a mirror image of what America is currently suffering from. Issues that we are battling with, are reflected in the book, where an alien superhero attempts to fix it all. But can we be fixed if we as individuals aren’t open to change and being “fixed”? I found this to be an interesting book and I certainly was entertained.
Embedded within the greater story is a mirror image of what America is currently suffering from. Issues that we are battling with, are reflected in the book, where an alien superhero attempts to fix it all. But can we be fixed if we as individuals aren’t open to change and being “fixed”? I found this to be an interesting book and I certainly was entertained.
October 30, 2020
Spectrum, the main character in this story, is definitely a superhero, but his powers are somehow disappointing him. So, he has another idea in his mind: becoming a politician. Everything looks easy, but it is far from that since he has never thought running for president would be so hard.
This tale is full of twists and it’s so captivating that readers would be eager to get to the end of the book as fast as possible in order to find out whether Spectrum has been able to achieve such an ambition. Will he be able to do so? I will not spoil that, though.
IT is a supernatural novel where fiction and reality are mingled was just perfect for me. Written in the third person, divided into 22 chapters and with dialogues mingled in it, Cato’s story would keep readers turning pages.
In my opinion, this book leaves us a message: going for something different when what we are now doing is not working well. Totally recommended!
November 1, 2020
An original, genuine, worth reading novel.
This is definitely an original book with an interesting plot. I did enjoy it! “Candidate Spectrum” was written by Brian Cat. This is the second book that I read from him because I like the way he writes. It is exquisite!
Spectrum comes to be a “retired” superhero who gets bored as such and decides to keep on helping people in a different way. Becoming a politician is his ultimate desire. So, he achieves it and strives to make big changes in his birthplace.
This is a well-written book with a great underlying message. I would also point out that it speaks about unspoken wishes of people in that place. The bit that I liked the most is the motivation that the protagonist shows to build a better society or place. Besides, the plot revolves around important issues such as politics, aid and trust. I thoroughly recommend this novel! It is very absorbing and will surely leave readers with a great deal to think about.
November 2, 2020
Author Brian Cato wrote an amazing novel: “Candidate Spectrum”. It has an original plot: Spectrum is a superhero who has always helped people but now is considering other ways to achieve that. What is he planning to do? He wants to become a politician, but not a regular one. After assuming the Missouri government, he tries to fix the country presenting a wide variety of proposals while he is trying to take care of other events as rescuing people in Bangladesh from a typhoon, but he realizes that the problem is much worse than he thought. Will he achieve to do everything he want? Will all his superpowers help him?
What I liked the most of this book is its protagonist because it is what we need as a governor: an honest, loyal and a hard-working person. Spectrum is really well-portrayed and thanks to the author’s ability I wanted to vote for him.
I would highly recommend this dystopian novel. It is a fantastic read! I really hope for a second part of this story!
What I liked the most of this book is its protagonist because it is what we need as a governor: an honest, loyal and a hard-working person. Spectrum is really well-portrayed and thanks to the author’s ability I wanted to vote for him.
I would highly recommend this dystopian novel. It is a fantastic read! I really hope for a second part of this story!
November 6, 2020
I don't often get thrilled with superhero novels but Candidate Spectrum by Brian Cato's is an absolutely noteworthy novel that I extremely appreciate. In this story we meet our main character Spectrum. He is just like Batman, Spiderman, and many other superheroes we've grown up with, but what's more interesting about him? He is more than just concerned with the safety of the public. He dreams about a world with no death, no suffering, and no crisis. This is why he decided to become a politician to do more.
I loved the whole plot of this book. It was so inspiring, plus the writing style of the author was amazing and undeniably sensible. One great thing I also admired about this book was the notable character development of the hero. After reading the book I found myself wishing that he truly exists in real life.
I loved the whole plot of this book. It was so inspiring, plus the writing style of the author was amazing and undeniably sensible. One great thing I also admired about this book was the notable character development of the hero. After reading the book I found myself wishing that he truly exists in real life.
October 22, 2020
Superhero goes presidential
This story is about Grant Goslin who is a superhero by trade and comes to realize he can make more change by attacking the root cause of the problems instead of a reactionary role in the situation. With this in mind , he begins a journey to become president of the United States. As anyone will discover, politics is a different kind of animal and there are some twists along this journey for our alien superhero trying to become the president. The story is well written and easy to follow. The characters are developed and I found the presentation and scene descriptions to be good as well. I recommend this one to anyone looking for a fun read that will provide entertainment in this sci-fi superhero journey.
This story is about Grant Goslin who is a superhero by trade and comes to realize he can make more change by attacking the root cause of the problems instead of a reactionary role in the situation. With this in mind , he begins a journey to become president of the United States. As anyone will discover, politics is a different kind of animal and there are some twists along this journey for our alien superhero trying to become the president. The story is well written and easy to follow. The characters are developed and I found the presentation and scene descriptions to be good as well. I recommend this one to anyone looking for a fun read that will provide entertainment in this sci-fi superhero journey.
November 6, 2020
Candidate Spectrum is a novel written by Brian Cato and illustrated by Yunyun Li. I must say that the cover was what first caught my attention, but after reading the description I was eager to read it.
It is the story of a superhero, but luckily, not a common one. Knowing that his super powers won’t help people as he wishes, he decides to become a politician to do more. The plot is very good and different from others relating to superheroes, which is why I liked this so much. Moreover, it is masterfully written and captured my attention from the first to the last pages. The author did a great job with this novel, inspired my many well known writers. I would certainly recommend reading Candidate Spectrum.
It is the story of a superhero, but luckily, not a common one. Knowing that his super powers won’t help people as he wishes, he decides to become a politician to do more. The plot is very good and different from others relating to superheroes, which is why I liked this so much. Moreover, it is masterfully written and captured my attention from the first to the last pages. The author did a great job with this novel, inspired my many well known writers. I would certainly recommend reading Candidate Spectrum.
November 6, 2020
Well written and with a peculiar plot, this novel caught my attention almost at first sight. Writer Brian Cato managed to create a novel with a superhero as its main character but one that is different to the Marvel type, one more real. Also, the author’s choice of beginning the chapters is unusual, with dates, percentages and information about elections, making you feel inside the story. Characters were very well developed and fully described.
It is not a short read, because it has more than three hundred pages, but while reading time flew by. I found myself reading almost non-stop, because I was so concentrated with the novel that I did not want to leave it aside. I recommend this read because it was enjoyable and well written.
It is not a short read, because it has more than three hundred pages, but while reading time flew by. I found myself reading almost non-stop, because I was so concentrated with the novel that I did not want to leave it aside. I recommend this read because it was enjoyable and well written.
March 2, 2024
Reminded me of HP and the methods of rationality. But here there was no seperate mystery.
If there was more emphasis on the superhero I would have been genuinely interested to read but the focus was on essays on how to fix politics in america.
I wish the author had written two books one a non fiction book of political essays and another a fascinating look at what a supehero could do at the helm of USA. A missed opportunity!
If there was more emphasis on the superhero I would have been genuinely interested to read but the focus was on essays on how to fix politics in america.
I wish the author had written two books one a non fiction book of political essays and another a fascinating look at what a supehero could do at the helm of USA. A missed opportunity!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews