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Verus Foundation #6
Blank: Mind The Gap
"A grippingly well told story." Craig Berkman.
No-one could have imagined there was worse to come.
Former Australian special forces soldier Stone Luckman never dreamed he could put his troubled past behind him.
In a search for survivors, Luckman rescues marooned surfer Mel Palace from a collapsing Gold Coast high rise. She tells him she’s been expecting him for weeks. Later, she claims she can read minds.
If his own insanity meter wasn’t off the register, he’d suspect she had a screw loose. But then lately he’s been having visions of an Aboriginal spirit man who is strangely connected to global events.
There are those who say the Earth has fallen victim to a terrible act of God. To China and America, however, it’s a declaration of war. Each accuses the other of being responsible.
The head of Australian defence intelligence sets Luckman a secret task aimed at ending the threat of war, but if it backfires he’ll be branded a terrorist and left on his own to take the rap.
Luckman is compelled to take Mel on the journey, though for the life of him he doesn’t know why.
He’s about to find out.
No-one could have imagined there was worse to come.
Former Australian special forces soldier Stone Luckman never dreamed he could put his troubled past behind him.
In a search for survivors, Luckman rescues marooned surfer Mel Palace from a collapsing Gold Coast high rise. She tells him she’s been expecting him for weeks. Later, she claims she can read minds.
If his own insanity meter wasn’t off the register, he’d suspect she had a screw loose. But then lately he’s been having visions of an Aboriginal spirit man who is strangely connected to global events.
There are those who say the Earth has fallen victim to a terrible act of God. To China and America, however, it’s a declaration of war. Each accuses the other of being responsible.
The head of Australian defence intelligence sets Luckman a secret task aimed at ending the threat of war, but if it backfires he’ll be branded a terrorist and left on his own to take the rap.
Luckman is compelled to take Mel on the journey, though for the life of him he doesn’t know why.
He’s about to find out.
- GenresScience Fiction
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 12, 2015
36 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Matt Eaton
8 books64 followersI began as a reporter in the Orwellian year of 1984. My first novel is about the end of the world. But I try to look on the bright side.
I live in Brisbane, Australia, with my wife and two daughters.
I’m into swimming, a decent walk, occasionally losing balls on a golf course and all manner of paranormal oddity. I’m a lover of both kinds of music — rock and jazz — and recently got back together with my old band from the ’80s, The Filberts.
Almost but not quite lost deep in the desert, driving a camper van too fast along a corrugated dirt track and afraid my life might be about to end suddenly in a cloud of blood and dust, I started to hear that voice.
The one that holds my sort to ransom, that wakes me in the middle of the night and drives fingers to keyboards despite all rational argument to the contrary.
Chasing the fading sound of that voice across a pitch-black desert is a journey of wonderful discovery punctuated with moments of bone-crushing trepidation when the trail vanishes without warning.
The trick is to pretend not to listen. Then the call grows louder.
Science loves the rational and cares not that fiction loves the fantastic.
Making them meet is like forcing together two repelling magnets.
The gap between them becomes more impossible the smaller it gets.
But sometimes, when they’re almost touching, magic happens.
I live in Brisbane, Australia, with my wife and two daughters.
I’m into swimming, a decent walk, occasionally losing balls on a golf course and all manner of paranormal oddity. I’m a lover of both kinds of music — rock and jazz — and recently got back together with my old band from the ’80s, The Filberts.
Almost but not quite lost deep in the desert, driving a camper van too fast along a corrugated dirt track and afraid my life might be about to end suddenly in a cloud of blood and dust, I started to hear that voice.
The one that holds my sort to ransom, that wakes me in the middle of the night and drives fingers to keyboards despite all rational argument to the contrary.
Chasing the fading sound of that voice across a pitch-black desert is a journey of wonderful discovery punctuated with moments of bone-crushing trepidation when the trail vanishes without warning.
The trick is to pretend not to listen. Then the call grows louder.
Science loves the rational and cares not that fiction loves the fantastic.
Making them meet is like forcing together two repelling magnets.
The gap between them becomes more impossible the smaller it gets.
But sometimes, when they’re almost touching, magic happens.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
dnf-shelf
December 28, 2023DNF @ 37%
I received this book years and years ago either as a review copy or as a freebie, and I don't even remember exactly. I tried to slog through it, but it just seems to not be for me. Appears to be a kind of military dystopia, just not my thing. It's not written badly, but it just didn't hook me. It felt very "the right stuff" kind of book, where the men are the strong saviors and then women still kind of the prize, although they appear to be strong and capable on their own, but there's just still that something. I've always thought I'm making it up about such books, but after reading scores of women-authored scifi, there's a stark difference, even if it's about things that are out of the corner of your eye.
Nothing bad about this book, I just think it's not for me, maybe it's for a male audience. I'm not rating, because I did not finish it.
I received this book years and years ago either as a review copy or as a freebie, and I don't even remember exactly. I tried to slog through it, but it just seems to not be for me. Appears to be a kind of military dystopia, just not my thing. It's not written badly, but it just didn't hook me. It felt very "the right stuff" kind of book, where the men are the strong saviors and then women still kind of the prize, although they appear to be strong and capable on their own, but there's just still that something. I've always thought I'm making it up about such books, but after reading scores of women-authored scifi, there's a stark difference, even if it's about things that are out of the corner of your eye.
Nothing bad about this book, I just think it's not for me, maybe it's for a male audience. I'm not rating, because I did not finish it.
April 16, 2017
This review is from: Blank (Kindle Edition
What a terrific book, it has some wonderful ideas and to me was more realistic in the belief that when the worst thing happens people want to help each other, instead of plotting how to steal each others food etc. This is a very complex story and Stone Luckman is a great hero with an interesting back story. Highly recommended.
What a terrific book, it has some wonderful ideas and to me was more realistic in the belief that when the worst thing happens people want to help each other, instead of plotting how to steal each others food etc. This is a very complex story and Stone Luckman is a great hero with an interesting back story. Highly recommended.
March 21, 2016
Blank is set in the near future two months after a double catastrophe has struck the world and brought humanity to its knees. The first is a seismic event that has risen sea levels by several metres and devastated the coastal and inland cities. The second a huge solar event causing an EMP pulse which has fried not only anything electrical, but also the brains of most of the surviving population (the ‘blanks’ referred to in the title). With America and China blaming each other for the flood, and nuclear conflict looming, Australia finds itself in the middle and unsure what side to choose.
The story focuses on an Aboriginal ex-special forces soldier turned rescuer Stone Luckman, who has an uncanny knack of finding people amongst the rubble. One of the women he rescues, the enigmatic Mel, seems to have been waiting for him for several days despite not knowing who he is.
To help to avert the coming war, Luckman (with Mel and his pilot friend Bell in tow) is sent on a secret mission to a remote town but when he arrives, it becomes clear that something is very wrong. I won’t go into any more of the plot because of potential spoliers; one of the thing I enjoyed immensely about this novel is that the story isn’t quite what you might assume from reading the blurb. What starts as a fairly straight-forward concept soon morphs into something else entirely, dealing with topics like the nature of human consciousness and Aboriginal cultural myths. There’s a distinct ‘Lost’ flavour to certain things (when Lost was good I mean!) and lots of revelations punctuating some exciting set pieces. The story also deals with the derogatory attitudes of the white population to the Aboriginals and some of the history behind it. Being from the UK, what I learned of Australian colonial history at school was very filtered, so it was interesting to read about other points of view.
Most of the story is written from Luckman’s point of view (with the occasional dip into Mel’s and the odd minor character), which gives the early global events a much-needed personal touch. We learn a lot about his past, motivations and character as the story progresses, making him an interesting, realistic and relatable character. One very minor criticism is that Mel seems to be a bit too good at a few too many things when the plot demands it (in fact they both do) but that’s nick-picking at the extreme. The plot is very well paced and although the term ‘page-turner’ is a bit twee and overused these days I found the book very difficult to put down until I’d finished it.
One of the (nice I guess) problems of reading novels from new or less-established authors is that many of the stories seem to be the first part of a series, and so I have to wait for the next one to be written to add to my selection of future purchases. Blank: Mind the Gap just hit the top of that list.
I loved this book and would highly recommend it.
The story focuses on an Aboriginal ex-special forces soldier turned rescuer Stone Luckman, who has an uncanny knack of finding people amongst the rubble. One of the women he rescues, the enigmatic Mel, seems to have been waiting for him for several days despite not knowing who he is.
To help to avert the coming war, Luckman (with Mel and his pilot friend Bell in tow) is sent on a secret mission to a remote town but when he arrives, it becomes clear that something is very wrong. I won’t go into any more of the plot because of potential spoliers; one of the thing I enjoyed immensely about this novel is that the story isn’t quite what you might assume from reading the blurb. What starts as a fairly straight-forward concept soon morphs into something else entirely, dealing with topics like the nature of human consciousness and Aboriginal cultural myths. There’s a distinct ‘Lost’ flavour to certain things (when Lost was good I mean!) and lots of revelations punctuating some exciting set pieces. The story also deals with the derogatory attitudes of the white population to the Aboriginals and some of the history behind it. Being from the UK, what I learned of Australian colonial history at school was very filtered, so it was interesting to read about other points of view.
Most of the story is written from Luckman’s point of view (with the occasional dip into Mel’s and the odd minor character), which gives the early global events a much-needed personal touch. We learn a lot about his past, motivations and character as the story progresses, making him an interesting, realistic and relatable character. One very minor criticism is that Mel seems to be a bit too good at a few too many things when the plot demands it (in fact they both do) but that’s nick-picking at the extreme. The plot is very well paced and although the term ‘page-turner’ is a bit twee and overused these days I found the book very difficult to put down until I’d finished it.
One of the (nice I guess) problems of reading novels from new or less-established authors is that many of the stories seem to be the first part of a series, and so I have to wait for the next one to be written to add to my selection of future purchases. Blank: Mind the Gap just hit the top of that list.
I loved this book and would highly recommend it.
February 3, 2016
So here’s the drum: Earth gets schlocked by a double whammy. A big ol’ hunk of Antarctica goes AWOL and plops into the southern ocean causing global mega tsunamis and raised sea levels. This knocks out most of Earth’s peeps, and those who remain get zapped by a blast of super weird radiation from our formerly friendly sun. Apparently, this solar event, rather than giving us a glow-in-the-dark sunburn, blanks the mind of most remaining folks instead. They just roam around aimlessly, blank looks on their faces, shitting their pants, spilling their Weeties on their PJs (Weeties = Weet Bix; a kind of cereal). It's a bit reminiscent of John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids. Yes, Earth is now one big wet nursing home. With the aging population in Australia, it was going to happen anyway. Luckily there’re a few people left on the planet who still have their marbles intact – unfortunately, many of them are still politicians. So our surviving people must carry on even with the nursing home escapees and politicians dragging them down. How will they do it?
Matt Eaton is no stranger to creative writing having been a journalist for 30 years, so even though this is his numero uno novel, I still expected a high standard of storytelling – and that’s what you get. Sadly, many of the references will be lost on most non-Australian readers. I revelled in the familiar places and buildings. His irreverent, politically incorrect (but “reality correct”) portrayal of central Australian aborigines is hilarious. The characters have had plenty of life written into them and it’s easy to play out the scenes in your head as they happen. The plot is well constructed with a few weird bits but a lovely warm fuzzy Walt Disney ending makes it all worth while. For me, my favourite bit was having Surfers Paradise wiped out by a tsunami. If you’ve ever been there, you’ll know why. Such a shame that cataclysms can’t be more selective. I’d like most of Coolangatta and Rainbow Bay to survive if I had the choice.
This is a top rate novel with some mind-bending imagery and rip-snorter characters in it. I loved it and look forward to more from this great author to be.
Matt Eaton is no stranger to creative writing having been a journalist for 30 years, so even though this is his numero uno novel, I still expected a high standard of storytelling – and that’s what you get. Sadly, many of the references will be lost on most non-Australian readers. I revelled in the familiar places and buildings. His irreverent, politically incorrect (but “reality correct”) portrayal of central Australian aborigines is hilarious. The characters have had plenty of life written into them and it’s easy to play out the scenes in your head as they happen. The plot is well constructed with a few weird bits but a lovely warm fuzzy Walt Disney ending makes it all worth while. For me, my favourite bit was having Surfers Paradise wiped out by a tsunami. If you’ve ever been there, you’ll know why. Such a shame that cataclysms can’t be more selective. I’d like most of Coolangatta and Rainbow Bay to survive if I had the choice.
This is a top rate novel with some mind-bending imagery and rip-snorter characters in it. I loved it and look forward to more from this great author to be.
November 26, 2016
( Format : eBook )
" This place is so normal it's freaking me out."
This is not the usual apocalyptic disaster story. There is far more going on than is first revealed.
Beautifully written, the reader is transported to a world which, some months before, suffered the multiple horrors of a solar coronal mass ejection which ruined communications, an explosion of great ferocity under the ground, causing earthquake and violent tsunamis worldwide as well as the melting polar ice raising sea levels by several metres, and nuclear contamination as reactors broke down and spilled out their poison. Most of the world's population has been wiped out leaving only a handful of survivors - and the Blanks. Then comes the threat of nuclear war.
The descriptions of what happens as it happens are masterful taking the reader breathtakingly into the action, especially in the earlier part of the book when a spectacular rescue attempt is recounted. Great characterisations of the main protagonists, too, who become full bloodied living people, with hopes and fears and nightmares.
But this is not all. There is a mystery to solve. Who or what are the blanks? And why - but no, I don't want to give away any more of this thrilling story. The ending didn't quite work for me but this can be forgiven when the rest of the book is so good. So, to anyone who likes disaster stories with real punch, strong characters, great writing and a helping of the not-quite-understood mysteries along the way, this is the book for you. Recommended
" This place is so normal it's freaking me out."
This is not the usual apocalyptic disaster story. There is far more going on than is first revealed.
Beautifully written, the reader is transported to a world which, some months before, suffered the multiple horrors of a solar coronal mass ejection which ruined communications, an explosion of great ferocity under the ground, causing earthquake and violent tsunamis worldwide as well as the melting polar ice raising sea levels by several metres, and nuclear contamination as reactors broke down and spilled out their poison. Most of the world's population has been wiped out leaving only a handful of survivors - and the Blanks. Then comes the threat of nuclear war.
The descriptions of what happens as it happens are masterful taking the reader breathtakingly into the action, especially in the earlier part of the book when a spectacular rescue attempt is recounted. Great characterisations of the main protagonists, too, who become full bloodied living people, with hopes and fears and nightmares.
But this is not all. There is a mystery to solve. Who or what are the blanks? And why - but no, I don't want to give away any more of this thrilling story. The ending didn't quite work for me but this can be forgiven when the rest of the book is so good. So, to anyone who likes disaster stories with real punch, strong characters, great writing and a helping of the not-quite-understood mysteries along the way, this is the book for you. Recommended
April 24, 2016
This book started out so well...
It was at the point where mind reading came in that I began to not enjoy it. Whilst the writing was fine, and the action good, the tension and pacing that were so enjoyable at the beginning of the book really slowed down and then stalled in the middle. This was because so much of story suddenly went into world building, much of which was slabs of telling, and the whole aliens/others thing just didn't work for me at all.
Then there were 'desert oaks' on the banks of the Todd River. Ask any Alice Springs local what the trees are, and they'll tell you: River Red Gums - Eucalyptus cameldulensis. The ones lining the banks of the Todd River are all sacred trees, associated with the Kwekatye Boys Dreaming.
Desert Oaks, scientific name Allocasuarina decaisneana do NOT grow in the range or riverine landscapes around Alice Springs. Nope nope nope. The closest you'll find them is in the sandhill country about 40-50km south of the town. I hope the author sees this and fixes this.
Why does this matter? Because I am an Alice Springs local and things like this ANNOY the crap out of me. If you're going to try and evoke place, GET things like this right.
It was at the point where mind reading came in that I began to not enjoy it. Whilst the writing was fine, and the action good, the tension and pacing that were so enjoyable at the beginning of the book really slowed down and then stalled in the middle. This was because so much of story suddenly went into world building, much of which was slabs of telling, and the whole aliens/others thing just didn't work for me at all.
Then there were 'desert oaks' on the banks of the Todd River. Ask any Alice Springs local what the trees are, and they'll tell you: River Red Gums - Eucalyptus cameldulensis. The ones lining the banks of the Todd River are all sacred trees, associated with the Kwekatye Boys Dreaming.
Desert Oaks, scientific name Allocasuarina decaisneana do NOT grow in the range or riverine landscapes around Alice Springs. Nope nope nope. The closest you'll find them is in the sandhill country about 40-50km south of the town. I hope the author sees this and fixes this.
Why does this matter? Because I am an Alice Springs local and things like this ANNOY the crap out of me. If you're going to try and evoke place, GET things like this right.
October 4, 2017
This was a good book. I had to read it in a hurry to find out what would happen next. A lot happened,once in a while I wasn't sure where we were going next. Spoiler alert,stop reading. I was disappointed that this is not the end. You have to buy the rest. Sorry.
December 29, 2018
If you do a Google search of this book, Blank is listed by some sites as the third book in the Verus Foundation Trilogy. Goodreads does not mention this connection and having read the book, I can understand why. First, this book was written three years (2015) before book two in the Verus series. Second, none of the human characters of books one and two are in this book. Third, it isn't until you get about half way through the book that there is any mention of aliens and events from the first two books.
Reviewing this book as the third in the Verus Foundation Trilogy, I would give it three stars. However, if you look at it as an individual book, without trying to tie it to the other two, it rates four stars. It does a terrible job continuing the story line but it is a very interesting book on its own and it absolutely does not require you to read the "first" two books.
Blank is an apocalyptic story that begins shortly after much of the world is wiped out by the sudden melting of the southern ice cap and, nearly simultaneously, a solar eruption that wipes out most world's electronic satellites and energy grid. Even worse, the radiation wave blanks the minds of the majority of the survivors leaving them as "blanks", with no memories or socialization skills. The story seems to drop us off in the middle of things. First we meet Max, a woman who is in the middle of a dangerous and clandestine political mission. We then meet Captain Stone Luckman (the main protagonist) as he is the middle of a rescue mission. Needless to say, the tension and excitement of this story begins immediately and continues throughout.
In general I enjoyed the story line and the characters. The story takes place in Australia or what is left of it after the dual catastrophes. As Matt Eaton lives and works in Brisbane, the book contains quite a bit of actual Australian geography, language, and culture.
The first two books in this "trilogy" were built nearly exclusively around male characters. That made sense as they were based on three, male, Apollo astronauts along with powerful political and business MEN of the 1960s. Blank again has a lot of male characters which seems appropriate as they are all Australian military. Fortunately Eaton does introduce, from the first page, a few strong and capable female protagonists.
Another issue is that a large part of the book takes place with some main characters, and in the culture of Australian, blackfellas. Blackfellas are indigenous Australians and, while I am glad Eaton makes this very important ethnic group central to the story, I am always a little nervous when authors (usually white authors) write ethnic dialog that is not from their own ethnicity. I have little background with indigenous Australian culture so I cannot judge how accurate Eaton's portrayal is but the characters are interesting and important to the story line.
Overall I recommend this book, particularly if you read it as a "stand alone" and not as the end of the Verus Foundation series.
Reviewing this book as the third in the Verus Foundation Trilogy, I would give it three stars. However, if you look at it as an individual book, without trying to tie it to the other two, it rates four stars. It does a terrible job continuing the story line but it is a very interesting book on its own and it absolutely does not require you to read the "first" two books.
Blank is an apocalyptic story that begins shortly after much of the world is wiped out by the sudden melting of the southern ice cap and, nearly simultaneously, a solar eruption that wipes out most world's electronic satellites and energy grid. Even worse, the radiation wave blanks the minds of the majority of the survivors leaving them as "blanks", with no memories or socialization skills. The story seems to drop us off in the middle of things. First we meet Max, a woman who is in the middle of a dangerous and clandestine political mission. We then meet Captain Stone Luckman (the main protagonist) as he is the middle of a rescue mission. Needless to say, the tension and excitement of this story begins immediately and continues throughout.
In general I enjoyed the story line and the characters. The story takes place in Australia or what is left of it after the dual catastrophes. As Matt Eaton lives and works in Brisbane, the book contains quite a bit of actual Australian geography, language, and culture.
The first two books in this "trilogy" were built nearly exclusively around male characters. That made sense as they were based on three, male, Apollo astronauts along with powerful political and business MEN of the 1960s. Blank again has a lot of male characters which seems appropriate as they are all Australian military. Fortunately Eaton does introduce, from the first page, a few strong and capable female protagonists.
Another issue is that a large part of the book takes place with some main characters, and in the culture of Australian, blackfellas. Blackfellas are indigenous Australians and, while I am glad Eaton makes this very important ethnic group central to the story, I am always a little nervous when authors (usually white authors) write ethnic dialog that is not from their own ethnicity. I have little background with indigenous Australian culture so I cannot judge how accurate Eaton's portrayal is but the characters are interesting and important to the story line.
Overall I recommend this book, particularly if you read it as a "stand alone" and not as the end of the Verus Foundation series.
September 15, 2017
A little sci-fi, a lot apocalypse, a hint of romance and a priest with a horde of gold and a traveling chair! (I would love to sit in that chair) makes Blank a one of a kind best!.
After 2 shattering events, a sun flare of such magnitude to erase the minds of millions, and an ice shelf dislodging and causing massive floods, the world is in a rebuilding situation of epic proportions. Tasked with searching for survivors, Australian Capt. Stone Luckman with his pilot Eddie Bell, fly the coast in the hopes of finding people not damaged by the flare but all too often those recovered are 'blanks'.
Although the solar flare was a natural event, the crash of the ice shelf was a separate event and one that was determined to be man-made. With all else falling apart, the US and China are on the verge of a war and with Australia free from radioactive threats, it has become a prime piece of real estate. Capt. Luckman's covert assignment is to wipe out an American base to appease the Chinese. What Capt. Luckman finds when he arrives at the airport outside the military base sets him on a course that will alter his reality and will hopefully find a way to help the afflicted.
After 2 shattering events, a sun flare of such magnitude to erase the minds of millions, and an ice shelf dislodging and causing massive floods, the world is in a rebuilding situation of epic proportions. Tasked with searching for survivors, Australian Capt. Stone Luckman with his pilot Eddie Bell, fly the coast in the hopes of finding people not damaged by the flare but all too often those recovered are 'blanks'.
Although the solar flare was a natural event, the crash of the ice shelf was a separate event and one that was determined to be man-made. With all else falling apart, the US and China are on the verge of a war and with Australia free from radioactive threats, it has become a prime piece of real estate. Capt. Luckman's covert assignment is to wipe out an American base to appease the Chinese. What Capt. Luckman finds when he arrives at the airport outside the military base sets him on a course that will alter his reality and will hopefully find a way to help the afflicted.
October 16, 2021
Blank (Mind the Gap) - a review by Rosemary Kenny.
A refreshing twist on the customary Post-Apocalyptic survival stories.
Instead, Blank is set in Australia, where natural EMP disasters have not only destroyed technology, and mega-tsunamis that send people fleeing to the high ground, but also the former event 'blanks' out the majority's brains, turning them into violent zombie-like antagonists.
There are also stark contrasts, between afflicted and not so, which are mirrored in the dual settings of the comparatively lush Gold Coast in the North, and the inner desert landscapes of Alice Springs and Pine Hill, to impressive effect.
Then there's the chief protagonist, Aboriginal and former soldier, Stone Luckman and his (quite by chance), girlfriend, Mel, who met at a time of crisis and have begun a relationship. What's next?
Get Matt Eaton's Book 4, in his incredible 1950s-set Verus Foundation series, Blank, today to find out!
A refreshing twist on the customary Post-Apocalyptic survival stories.
Instead, Blank is set in Australia, where natural EMP disasters have not only destroyed technology, and mega-tsunamis that send people fleeing to the high ground, but also the former event 'blanks' out the majority's brains, turning them into violent zombie-like antagonists.
There are also stark contrasts, between afflicted and not so, which are mirrored in the dual settings of the comparatively lush Gold Coast in the North, and the inner desert landscapes of Alice Springs and Pine Hill, to impressive effect.
Then there's the chief protagonist, Aboriginal and former soldier, Stone Luckman and his (quite by chance), girlfriend, Mel, who met at a time of crisis and have begun a relationship. What's next?
Get Matt Eaton's Book 4, in his incredible 1950s-set Verus Foundation series, Blank, today to find out!
August 13, 2018
A post apocalyptic tale that seems like a variation on zombies. In this case, people the world over are exposed to an event that wipes their minds clean. These 'blank' humans soon revert to savagery and those who still know what it means to be civilized have to deal with the blanks and survive the end of civilization as we know it. Lots of twists and turns with political intrigue, military maneuvering and aliens thrown in for good measure. Bit of a stretch, but an engaging tale overall.
November 26, 2021
Grind Out
Unlike the Pagan series, this book takes some time to warm up to. I liken it to playing a sport in demanding conditions, it takes a while to make the connections that were so easy to track in the Pagan books.
Why? Because it demands a greater level of concentration and cross-checking to follow the story. It took me some time to reach that point but eventually I got there. But get there I finally did.
Another great story by Matt. Thank you.
Unlike the Pagan series, this book takes some time to warm up to. I liken it to playing a sport in demanding conditions, it takes a while to make the connections that were so easy to track in the Pagan books.
Why? Because it demands a greater level of concentration and cross-checking to follow the story. It took me some time to reach that point but eventually I got there. But get there I finally did.
Another great story by Matt. Thank you.
July 12, 2018
It made for a slightly tedious read.
The protagonist gets everything right, his girlfriend has superpowers and comes across as very annoying. Interesting premise, but little explanation for any of the startling events that caused the natural disasters.
The protagonist gets everything right, his girlfriend has superpowers and comes across as very annoying. Interesting premise, but little explanation for any of the startling events that caused the natural disasters.
December 21, 2020
At times this bordered on formulaic, 70s Ausploitation pulp, but at the end of the day it's what held me. An initial coastal scene kept reminding me of the almost b-grade movie, Sharknado. Great characters, great portrait of Australian landscape, both coastal and outback. Lot of fun, with some nice anti-imperial sentiment.
February 18, 2016
Blank (Mind the Gap) is an intriguing sci-fi adventure set in post-apocalyptic Australia. The world has suffered two natural disasters. The first an electro-magnetic pulse from the sun, wiping out the minds of millions around the world. Not knowing who or what they are, the helpless exist on instinct alone. And the second, a global flood caused by rising seawater. However, the powers that be, the U.S. and China, are each blaming the other for the flood and are at the brink of war.
Australian army special forces Captain Luckman, is charged with the task of rescuing as many people from the flood as he can, and with the help of a spirit guide he saves Melanie Palace. Together they travel to Alice Springs where they unravel the mystery of who caused the flood, and save more than just the people of the town.
From the moment I started reading this story, my curiosity was piqued and I couldn’t wait to see how it played out. And by the end, I was very much surprised and captivated by the resolution. This is a great sci-fi read.
Australian army special forces Captain Luckman, is charged with the task of rescuing as many people from the flood as he can, and with the help of a spirit guide he saves Melanie Palace. Together they travel to Alice Springs where they unravel the mystery of who caused the flood, and save more than just the people of the town.
From the moment I started reading this story, my curiosity was piqued and I couldn’t wait to see how it played out. And by the end, I was very much surprised and captivated by the resolution. This is a great sci-fi read.
March 2, 2016
I just finished Matt Eaton's engrossing book Blank: Mind The Gap. I am not a huge fan of post apocalypse books. I will say tat from the first pages of the book I was treated to a story which was both intelligently written and fast paced. Stone Luckman was a likable lead character and I found my self sympathizing with his actions and direction throughout the book.
I was expecting a zombie fest from the books description, but it was nothing of the sort. "Blank" presented a fresh new look at the genre. I enjoyed the Australian outlook. We north Americans tend to forget that there is another anglo continent out there that has different views on the world.
I would highly recommend this book. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I looked forward to my reading time. To me this is the ultimate test of a book.
I was expecting a zombie fest from the books description, but it was nothing of the sort. "Blank" presented a fresh new look at the genre. I enjoyed the Australian outlook. We north Americans tend to forget that there is another anglo continent out there that has different views on the world.
I would highly recommend this book. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I looked forward to my reading time. To me this is the ultimate test of a book.
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March 30, 2016Do read this book, I read from Kindle and left this review on Amazon:
By Jack Gold on March 25, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Well, what have we here? A dystopian future brought on by two separate incidents of a cosmic nature that has brought the world into a load of trouble, floods, and an illness that turns people into mindless beings known as blacks. The hero here is Australian special forces Stone Luckman and he has his hands full. Needless to say, there's action galore and well put together indeed. What makes it really interesting is that it is written in Australia and the action takes place there. Can't put it down and found myself reading well into the night using iPhone as the book. You would be entertained as it is well worth the read.
By Jack Gold on March 25, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Well, what have we here? A dystopian future brought on by two separate incidents of a cosmic nature that has brought the world into a load of trouble, floods, and an illness that turns people into mindless beings known as blacks. The hero here is Australian special forces Stone Luckman and he has his hands full. Needless to say, there's action galore and well put together indeed. What makes it really interesting is that it is written in Australia and the action takes place there. Can't put it down and found myself reading well into the night using iPhone as the book. You would be entertained as it is well worth the read.
January 31, 2016
I enjoyed this book - though I would have liked a little more info on the twin disasters. Disaster has struck, communications globally are down and someone takes advantage to destroy the Antarctica ice shelf. Nations are wiped off the face off the plant, coast lines sink and millions died. So who are the culprits? Eco-terrorists, aliens or the undead? Read and find out! At first I didn't get the title - is it a physical, emotional or metaphysical gap. Perhaps the next book will answer more questions
August 22, 2016
This book started very slowly for me. At some point, I began to see it more as science fiction and set in a post-apocalyptic environment will all of the mind powers and mystery about "Others" etc. It was a little too fantasy like for a true dystopian-genre novel. So while taking the mystery in the spirit in which it was given, it kept my interest to find out what was going on. The ending was a let down though. It seemed hurried and rather contrived.
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