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Hell's Cross #1
Black Hole Sun
From Book 1: Mars stinks.
The air reeks of burning fuel; the rivers and lakes seethe with sulfur. In the shadows, evil men plot terror and beasts hunt the innocent. Out on the barren crags of the terraformed planet, there is nowhere to hide. No one to heed a call for help.
No one, except Durango.
The air reeks of burning fuel; the rivers and lakes seethe with sulfur. In the shadows, evil men plot terror and beasts hunt the innocent. Out on the barren crags of the terraformed planet, there is nowhere to hide. No one to heed a call for help.
No one, except Durango.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published August 24, 2010
72 people are currently reading
4100 people want to read
About the author
David Macinnis Gill
29 books134 followersDavid Macinnis Gill is the author of the award-winning novels Black Hole Sun and Soul Enchilada, both from Greenwillow/Harper Collins. His short stories have appeared in several magazines, including The Crescent Review and Writer’s Forum. His critical biography of young adult author Graham Salisbury, Graham Salisbury: Island Boy, was published by Scarecrow Press. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English/creative writing and a doctorate in education, both from the University of Tennessee.
He is the Past-President of ALAN (The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents) and an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. His non-fiction, book reviews, essays, and academic work have appeared in a variety of publications, including The English Journal, Teacher-Librarian, and many others.
David’s teaching career began in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he was a high school teacher at Brainerd High School and briefly at the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences. He later joined the English Department at Ohio University as an assistant professor. Currently, he is an associate professor of English education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
David has been a house painter, cafeteria manager, bookstore schleper, high school teacher, and college professor. He now lives on the Carolina coast with his family, plus fourteen fish, two rescued dogs--an airebeagle and a border setter--and a nocturnal marsupial.
He is the Past-President of ALAN (The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents) and an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. His non-fiction, book reviews, essays, and academic work have appeared in a variety of publications, including The English Journal, Teacher-Librarian, and many others.
David’s teaching career began in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he was a high school teacher at Brainerd High School and briefly at the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences. He later joined the English Department at Ohio University as an assistant professor. Currently, he is an associate professor of English education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
David has been a house painter, cafeteria manager, bookstore schleper, high school teacher, and college professor. He now lives on the Carolina coast with his family, plus fourteen fish, two rescued dogs--an airebeagle and a border setter--and a nocturnal marsupial.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 363 reviews
November 18, 2010
Originally posted on Guy Gone Geek.
I have to admit that the Suzanne Collins blurb on the cover sold the book for me. An established young adult dystopian author pimping a new dystopian book really seals the deal. I am glad that I was lured by that bait because Black Hole Sun is one hell of a book dystopian fans shouldn’t miss.
David Macinnis Gill’s version of our dark future is on Mars. I would naturally expect that the story will take place when the society is still settling in their new home or at least in a period when it was already reformed, but surprisingly, this was not the case. Gill took at step forward and set the story when this reformed society, due to mankind’s vulnerability to commit fatal errors, have gone wrong.
The miners who are responsible for making Mars’ atmosphere suitable for our kind had been neglected. They are harassed and preyed upon by the Dreau. It now up to Durango, a dalit(something like a disgraced soldier), and his crew to protect the miners from these human-eating monsters.
The hilarity and breathtaking action scenes of this book are enough reason for me to give it a glowing 5-star rating but what I appreciate the most is how the author addressed his readers. He knows that his target market, the YA and sci-fi readers – contrary to the general notion of non-YA believers(feel free to call them a**holes if you want) – are intelligent. This is proven by the given age of Durango, 8 1/2. It was unbelievable for an 8 1/2-year-old kid to the things Durango did in this novel. At first I thought that he is an Ender Wiggins character, a boy wonder of some sort, then I realize that Durango is on Mars and Mars years is different from Earth years. Mars takes longer time to revolve around the Sun so 1 Earth years is approximately equivalent to 2 Mars years(I’m proud to figure this out by myself without the help of Google.). Durango isn’t exactly a boy wonder, he is 17 Earth years old. Did the author explained this on the book? No, he challenged us to use our logic to understand this because it is something we can figure out by ourselves.
Another example of the author’s faith on his readers is the setting of the novel. We didn’t get bogged down with details about Mars in one paragraph or chapter. The details were scattered in the entire book and it is up to us to put this pieces of information together like a jigsaw puzzle. David Macinnis Gill knows his readers well and he has faith on them and I respect him for this.
Black Hole Sun aside from being the Guide Book to the Most Innovative Insults and International Cursing, is a highly entertaining dystopian science-fiction novel. It’s affirmative that I’ll be looking forward for more stories from Mars and Durango even if the possibility of a sequel is somehow still indeterminate. :)
I have to admit that the Suzanne Collins blurb on the cover sold the book for me. An established young adult dystopian author pimping a new dystopian book really seals the deal. I am glad that I was lured by that bait because Black Hole Sun is one hell of a book dystopian fans shouldn’t miss.
David Macinnis Gill’s version of our dark future is on Mars. I would naturally expect that the story will take place when the society is still settling in their new home or at least in a period when it was already reformed, but surprisingly, this was not the case. Gill took at step forward and set the story when this reformed society, due to mankind’s vulnerability to commit fatal errors, have gone wrong.
The miners who are responsible for making Mars’ atmosphere suitable for our kind had been neglected. They are harassed and preyed upon by the Dreau. It now up to Durango, a dalit(something like a disgraced soldier), and his crew to protect the miners from these human-eating monsters.
The hilarity and breathtaking action scenes of this book are enough reason for me to give it a glowing 5-star rating but what I appreciate the most is how the author addressed his readers. He knows that his target market, the YA and sci-fi readers – contrary to the general notion of non-YA believers(feel free to call them a**holes if you want) – are intelligent. This is proven by the given age of Durango, 8 1/2. It was unbelievable for an 8 1/2-year-old kid to the things Durango did in this novel. At first I thought that he is an Ender Wiggins character, a boy wonder of some sort, then I realize that Durango is on Mars and Mars years is different from Earth years. Mars takes longer time to revolve around the Sun so 1 Earth years is approximately equivalent to 2 Mars years(I’m proud to figure this out by myself without the help of Google.). Durango isn’t exactly a boy wonder, he is 17 Earth years old. Did the author explained this on the book? No, he challenged us to use our logic to understand this because it is something we can figure out by ourselves.
Another example of the author’s faith on his readers is the setting of the novel. We didn’t get bogged down with details about Mars in one paragraph or chapter. The details were scattered in the entire book and it is up to us to put this pieces of information together like a jigsaw puzzle. David Macinnis Gill knows his readers well and he has faith on them and I respect him for this.
Black Hole Sun aside from being the Guide Book to the Most Innovative Insults and International Cursing, is a highly entertaining dystopian science-fiction novel. It’s affirmative that I’ll be looking forward for more stories from Mars and Durango even if the possibility of a sequel is somehow still indeterminate. :)
March 20, 2012
Good GOD that book was awful. So many inconsistencies, such horrible dialogue, flat and awkward characters, a writing style that made me want to tear my hair out, and so much more.
Ugh. I'm going to go bleach my brain now.
Ugh. I'm going to go bleach my brain now.
February 10, 2011
Jake did his review in song!
Yo, yo, yiggity, yo! This is mix master Jake "Jakey-Jake" Kirk and I'm going to do this review as illustrated by a series of graphical rhymes starting...NOW!
My Lyrically Advanced Review
(As Inspired by Ian Stupidhalder)
So our story starts out with with a boy named Durango.
He's 8 years old Mars Time(17 in Earth though).
He's a disgraced soldier just trying to get by,
And with the help of his friends Vienne and Mimi, he's doing just fine.
Until someone makes him an offer he can't refuse,
Now he has new friends named Fitz and Fuse.
He's soon stuck in a frozen wasteland dodging cannibals and lasers,
With him the whole time, his trusty phaser.
The dialogue is amazing,
Delivered like a true master
To keep up with it all
You'll have to think faster.
The history is rich and the environment vicious,
You would only survive if constantly suspicious.
The story was something familiar to my eye,
It reminded me very much of Firefly.
It's...it's beautiful!
Cannibals, cowboys, spaceships, it's all there,
I was swayed from the beginning, it just wasn't fair!
If you love Firefly, you'll love this!
And for everyone else,
It's something you can't miss!
REVIEW/BLOG LINK: http://www.teensreadandwrite.com/2011...
Yo, yo, yiggity, yo! This is mix master Jake "Jakey-Jake" Kirk and I'm going to do this review as illustrated by a series of graphical rhymes starting...NOW!
My Lyrically Advanced Review
(As Inspired by Ian Stupidhalder)
So our story starts out with with a boy named Durango.
He's 8 years old Mars Time(17 in Earth though).
He's a disgraced soldier just trying to get by,
And with the help of his friends Vienne and Mimi, he's doing just fine.
Until someone makes him an offer he can't refuse,
Now he has new friends named Fitz and Fuse.
He's soon stuck in a frozen wasteland dodging cannibals and lasers,
With him the whole time, his trusty phaser.
The dialogue is amazing,
Delivered like a true master
To keep up with it all
You'll have to think faster.
The history is rich and the environment vicious,
You would only survive if constantly suspicious.
The story was something familiar to my eye,
It reminded me very much of Firefly.
It's...it's beautiful!
Cannibals, cowboys, spaceships, it's all there,
I was swayed from the beginning, it just wasn't fair!
If you love Firefly, you'll love this!
And for everyone else,
It's something you can't miss!
REVIEW/BLOG LINK: http://www.teensreadandwrite.com/2011...
December 17, 2015
Strong, traditional science fiction with a militaristic aspect. This should appeal to fans of Starship Troopers or Ender's Game, although in this case the rigid training is tempered with humanity. Set on Mars, there's a whole lot of backstory about terraforming and a plague on Earth and how this society came to be, where power rests in the hands of the CEOs of various family-held coporations. Mars' complicated past is shared in snippets throughout the ongoing efforts of Durango and his first, Vienne, to use their military training to earn their keep and do good deeds. He's a mercenary with a heart of gold.A good read, engaging and brisk. I'll happily read any sequels the author cares to write. I don't get the title at all though. It's kind of a weirdly generic scifi title, isn't it? It doesn't have anything to do with the story as far as I can tell.
August 24, 2010
I am reviewing an Advance Copy provided by the publisher.
When a plague ruined Earth, it was up to the United Corporation of America to reestablish the population elsewhere. Naturally, as the next closest planet, Mars would have to do. But after the terraforming was finished, the miners originally sent to create a viable atmosphere weren’t rewarded for their efforts. Trapped inside of their mines, the workers were helpless to stop the calculated invasion of chigoes released by the government—native insectoids with the ability to secret acidic liquid on their victims.
Jacob “Durango” Stringfellow, like everyone else, believed most of these miners dead or long gone, having abandoned their mines for the safety of more populated outposts. He never expected to be so down on his luck or out of money either. When a dingy trio of miners come asking for help to stop the Draeu from preying on their children, it’s all he can do to resist their pitiful case and remind himself he’s in it for the money now, not the people nor their meager offerings. Fortunately for the miners, Durango’s strapped for cash and a little more desperate and soft-hearted than he lets on.
Black Hole Sun is a Science Fiction fairy tale for young adults. With a sense of humor. And a touch of Space Western thrown in. There are helpless villagers tormented by adversaries: the Draeu are monstrous and savage snout-nosed creatures who unapologetically eat humans for breakfast (and lunch, dinner, snacks, second breakfast, etc…). They demand child sacrifices to sate their appetite and postpone another round of pillaging and scare-mongering. These people aren’t trained to fight. They have the equivalent of kitchen knives and pitchforks, but anger and determination don’t make warriors out of people used to living underground. What they need is a hero.
Durango is a Regulator, a term which is implicitly described as a protector or military type who used to have clout, but is now looked at as a shameful joke. His past is mysterious and he pretends he’s a reluctant hero, but really he’s not. Durango just has a sympathetic heart and a deep loyalty to the institution he used to uphold. He can also curse like a sailor in several different languages, including Chinese, Spanish, Latin, German, Finnish, Japanese, and Greek.
David Macinnis Gill is nothing if not opportunistic with his inclusion of multiple cultures and languages in a narrative that takes them all in together, mixes them up, and parses them out at odd times that sometimes create a confusing mess rather than the melting pot I’m sure was the original intention. Where Gill’s experimentation felt the weakest is in his mixing of religious tenets and practices—interchanging terms liberally like Valhalla and Nirvana—and in the type of leadership Mars used to have. Early on in the book it’s described as a sovereignty, later as a business. I’m still not sure if Durango was heir to a vast corporate empire or if he’s the next Lord of Mars. Perhaps in this new nation the two are the same. On Mars it might not matter which is which if society is still trying to figure things out for itself, trying new hats on for size to see which fits best.
I found the setting incredibly contagious and downright fun. Gill even detailed the world down to measuring time in Mars years, rather than using Earth as the standard like most SF tends to do. At 8.5, Durango is roughly seventeen years of age to us; according to NASA, Mars has a solar cycle of about 320 days longer than ours. I felt nerdy for having to look up this information (in a proud way), but was glad I picked up on the fact that I should look it up, rather than go on thinking eight- and six-year olds were running around with heavy weaponry.
Mars is a pugnacious frontier with rough characters and unforgiving terrain. What hasn’t been covered in dust is covered in cynicism and the kind of attitude that could terraform the planet with a single sneer or spit of tobacco. Of course, not everyone’s made of flint and hard-boiled skepticism. Jenkins and Fuse, for example, are the comedic relief of the story. The pair can come across as more slapstick than sarcastic, which makes them appear immature and their humor, forced more often than not, but they are a crazy addition to an already kooky cast of characters that includes, among others, an AI implanted into Durango’s neural system and a second in command that could kick anyone’s ass, her superior’s included (I love Vienne).
Mimi is a snarky, quick-witted, and smart-mouthed AI who quotes poetry (favoring Robert Burns) and saves Durango’s life with the kind of autopilot take over that I think we all wish we had access to. She’s one of the best ingenuities of the book, but Gill has fun with his technology. I think his enthusiasm for tech forgives the disorganized collection of information on Regulators and the Tenets. Not to mention, some of his characters are a little uneven. I am thinking of Àine in particular, but Gill frequently introduces, uses briefly, and then seems to forget about a few characters. They remain afterthoughts (especially Àine, whose importance wanes considerably) in the background hum of activity surrounding Durango and his mission.
The archaic honor system the Regulators persist in deferring to creates rank-based tension that looked a bit ludicrous compared to the bigger picture, but helped flesh out the significance of the term Regulator: it evokes a tradition from the past that doesn’t necessarily work in the present. I would have liked to have seen a little more, but for the most part, Gill doesn’t give large expository dumps of information that would overwhelm the reader and undermine his careful delivery.
Despite any problems I had with certain characters, the organization of information, or an unclear, never fully realized culture, Black Hole Sun was really a lot of fun. It was fast-paced, which suits the action, and many of Gill’s punchlines perfectly. Durango himself evokes a young Mal from “Firefly” or even, on a certain level, Cole from The Sheriff of Yrnameer. There’s even a little bit of romance thrown in at just the right moments to make it both awkwardly amusing and heartwarming. I’m still not sure why females were designated “suzies” and males weren’t called by anything other than a name or title, but for now the change of pace and setting was welcome. It isn’t often I see YA SF titles; this one entertained me enough that I hope to see more from Gill in the future!
When a plague ruined Earth, it was up to the United Corporation of America to reestablish the population elsewhere. Naturally, as the next closest planet, Mars would have to do. But after the terraforming was finished, the miners originally sent to create a viable atmosphere weren’t rewarded for their efforts. Trapped inside of their mines, the workers were helpless to stop the calculated invasion of chigoes released by the government—native insectoids with the ability to secret acidic liquid on their victims.
Jacob “Durango” Stringfellow, like everyone else, believed most of these miners dead or long gone, having abandoned their mines for the safety of more populated outposts. He never expected to be so down on his luck or out of money either. When a dingy trio of miners come asking for help to stop the Draeu from preying on their children, it’s all he can do to resist their pitiful case and remind himself he’s in it for the money now, not the people nor their meager offerings. Fortunately for the miners, Durango’s strapped for cash and a little more desperate and soft-hearted than he lets on.
Black Hole Sun is a Science Fiction fairy tale for young adults. With a sense of humor. And a touch of Space Western thrown in. There are helpless villagers tormented by adversaries: the Draeu are monstrous and savage snout-nosed creatures who unapologetically eat humans for breakfast (and lunch, dinner, snacks, second breakfast, etc…). They demand child sacrifices to sate their appetite and postpone another round of pillaging and scare-mongering. These people aren’t trained to fight. They have the equivalent of kitchen knives and pitchforks, but anger and determination don’t make warriors out of people used to living underground. What they need is a hero.
Durango is a Regulator, a term which is implicitly described as a protector or military type who used to have clout, but is now looked at as a shameful joke. His past is mysterious and he pretends he’s a reluctant hero, but really he’s not. Durango just has a sympathetic heart and a deep loyalty to the institution he used to uphold. He can also curse like a sailor in several different languages, including Chinese, Spanish, Latin, German, Finnish, Japanese, and Greek.
David Macinnis Gill is nothing if not opportunistic with his inclusion of multiple cultures and languages in a narrative that takes them all in together, mixes them up, and parses them out at odd times that sometimes create a confusing mess rather than the melting pot I’m sure was the original intention. Where Gill’s experimentation felt the weakest is in his mixing of religious tenets and practices—interchanging terms liberally like Valhalla and Nirvana—and in the type of leadership Mars used to have. Early on in the book it’s described as a sovereignty, later as a business. I’m still not sure if Durango was heir to a vast corporate empire or if he’s the next Lord of Mars. Perhaps in this new nation the two are the same. On Mars it might not matter which is which if society is still trying to figure things out for itself, trying new hats on for size to see which fits best.
I found the setting incredibly contagious and downright fun. Gill even detailed the world down to measuring time in Mars years, rather than using Earth as the standard like most SF tends to do. At 8.5, Durango is roughly seventeen years of age to us; according to NASA, Mars has a solar cycle of about 320 days longer than ours. I felt nerdy for having to look up this information (in a proud way), but was glad I picked up on the fact that I should look it up, rather than go on thinking eight- and six-year olds were running around with heavy weaponry.
Mars is a pugnacious frontier with rough characters and unforgiving terrain. What hasn’t been covered in dust is covered in cynicism and the kind of attitude that could terraform the planet with a single sneer or spit of tobacco. Of course, not everyone’s made of flint and hard-boiled skepticism. Jenkins and Fuse, for example, are the comedic relief of the story. The pair can come across as more slapstick than sarcastic, which makes them appear immature and their humor, forced more often than not, but they are a crazy addition to an already kooky cast of characters that includes, among others, an AI implanted into Durango’s neural system and a second in command that could kick anyone’s ass, her superior’s included (I love Vienne).
Mimi is a snarky, quick-witted, and smart-mouthed AI who quotes poetry (favoring Robert Burns) and saves Durango’s life with the kind of autopilot take over that I think we all wish we had access to. She’s one of the best ingenuities of the book, but Gill has fun with his technology. I think his enthusiasm for tech forgives the disorganized collection of information on Regulators and the Tenets. Not to mention, some of his characters are a little uneven. I am thinking of Àine in particular, but Gill frequently introduces, uses briefly, and then seems to forget about a few characters. They remain afterthoughts (especially Àine, whose importance wanes considerably) in the background hum of activity surrounding Durango and his mission.
The archaic honor system the Regulators persist in deferring to creates rank-based tension that looked a bit ludicrous compared to the bigger picture, but helped flesh out the significance of the term Regulator: it evokes a tradition from the past that doesn’t necessarily work in the present. I would have liked to have seen a little more, but for the most part, Gill doesn’t give large expository dumps of information that would overwhelm the reader and undermine his careful delivery.
Despite any problems I had with certain characters, the organization of information, or an unclear, never fully realized culture, Black Hole Sun was really a lot of fun. It was fast-paced, which suits the action, and many of Gill’s punchlines perfectly. Durango himself evokes a young Mal from “Firefly” or even, on a certain level, Cole from The Sheriff of Yrnameer. There’s even a little bit of romance thrown in at just the right moments to make it both awkwardly amusing and heartwarming. I’m still not sure why females were designated “suzies” and males weren’t called by anything other than a name or title, but for now the change of pace and setting was welcome. It isn’t often I see YA SF titles; this one entertained me enough that I hope to see more from Gill in the future!
August 2, 2010
I won this signed ARC on first-reads.
When I started BLACK HOLE SUN, by David Macinnis Gill, I began taking notes, (as I do with all books that I win), but as I got into the story, I couldn’t stop to write because I was so hooked into the tale.
Mars is now our earth but nothing like the once lush planet that was abandoned. It is a dark and dirty place and the people that live there are very much the same, rough and savage like.
Because of his father’s past, Durango is an outcast. He is a regulator, one who is hired when someone or a group is in trouble. He has been hired to help the miners whose children are hunted by cannibals. Durango organizes a small misfit group of regulators and together they go off in hopes to help this poor civilization that live underground.
This book is non-stop action with page turning suspense! Fast pace with deep twist. Action packed battles with fight scenes complete with death and carnage. Great imagery that your mind captures and displays. Spot on dialogue that is full of wit. And best of all…believable characters that are true heroes.
I’m proud to add this book to my family library! I can only hope BLACK HOLE SUN will be made into a movie. It deserves the fame!
When I started BLACK HOLE SUN, by David Macinnis Gill, I began taking notes, (as I do with all books that I win), but as I got into the story, I couldn’t stop to write because I was so hooked into the tale.
Mars is now our earth but nothing like the once lush planet that was abandoned. It is a dark and dirty place and the people that live there are very much the same, rough and savage like.
Because of his father’s past, Durango is an outcast. He is a regulator, one who is hired when someone or a group is in trouble. He has been hired to help the miners whose children are hunted by cannibals. Durango organizes a small misfit group of regulators and together they go off in hopes to help this poor civilization that live underground.
This book is non-stop action with page turning suspense! Fast pace with deep twist. Action packed battles with fight scenes complete with death and carnage. Great imagery that your mind captures and displays. Spot on dialogue that is full of wit. And best of all…believable characters that are true heroes.
I’m proud to add this book to my family library! I can only hope BLACK HOLE SUN will be made into a movie. It deserves the fame!
October 15, 2013
This was a Free Fridays book.
I was starting to think that the title was a fluke. Like it was a "Bimbos of the Death Sun" thing where a publisher took a serious novel and saddled it with a completely inappropriate title out of a weird misplaced idea that it would drive sales.
I mean, it wasn't a great novel. Halfway decent space opera with a cast of cardboard cutouts but some interesting if unoriginal worldbuilding. And as some other reviewers noted, it's basically "Seven Samurai" on Mars. But it was at least coming off as a serious novel. And there aren't any black holes mentioned at all, so seriously, what the hell?
Then I got to the punchline. You know Jenkins, the meathead who is constantly running into dangerous situations without thought or adequate preparation? Guess what his full name turns out to be. Go on, guess. It's part of his battle cry and everything. I have a headache from rolling my eyes that hard.
The author needs to spend less time inserting moldy pop culture references from so ten years ago into his fiction and work on character development and plotting instead.
I was starting to think that the title was a fluke. Like it was a "Bimbos of the Death Sun" thing where a publisher took a serious novel and saddled it with a completely inappropriate title out of a weird misplaced idea that it would drive sales.
I mean, it wasn't a great novel. Halfway decent space opera with a cast of cardboard cutouts but some interesting if unoriginal worldbuilding. And as some other reviewers noted, it's basically "Seven Samurai" on Mars. But it was at least coming off as a serious novel. And there aren't any black holes mentioned at all, so seriously, what the hell?
Then I got to the punchline. You know Jenkins, the meathead who is constantly running into dangerous situations without thought or adequate preparation? Guess what his full name turns out to be. Go on, guess. It's part of his battle cry and everything. I have a headache from rolling my eyes that hard.
The author needs to spend less time inserting moldy pop culture references from so ten years ago into his fiction and work on character development and plotting instead.
January 21, 2016
Well, it's a fast read, and there's some good action. But it's very derivative of Firefly, and not in a terribly creative way. Gill seems to have put a great deal of thought into his worldbuilding, but he has a hard time conveying it to the reader. He's gone for the minimal exposition route, which left me vaguely puzzled over things that ultimately didn't matter all that much. I expect that, if I kept reading the series, I'd eventually get a fuller idea of what this society looks like, but that doesn't matter if I don't want to read past the first book. I'm also not fond of having untranslated phrases from a multitude of languages scattered through the story. Honestly, I'm not going to try to figure out what the characters are trying to say, especially if I don't know what language I'm meant to be translating it from. I was also disappointed with how vague and rushed the ending was, and how little chemistry there was between the two main characters. Sadly, this series just isn't for me.
April 14, 2010
wow. what a crazy ride gill takes us
on with Black Hole Sun. the action is
adrenalin-rush non-stop, the dialogue
is laugh out loud funny, and durango
is one hot yet sensitive hero. i hope
there's a sequel!! would love to continue
on with durango's adventures on mars!
on with Black Hole Sun. the action is
adrenalin-rush non-stop, the dialogue
is laugh out loud funny, and durango
is one hot yet sensitive hero. i hope
there's a sequel!! would love to continue
on with durango's adventures on mars!
February 23, 2012
This genre isn't known for being great literature but Black Hole Sun ... wait. I don't remember Black Holes or the Sun being particularly important to ... Androids Dreaming of Electric Sheep. Okay fine. Titles aren't important to the genre. Review to follow after meeting I suppose.
July 12, 2021
Das war so gar nicht mein Buch... Es war nicht einmal schlecht, nein, aber es entspricht einfach nicht meinem Geschmack.
September 4, 2010
One hell of an adventure story. It's one of the most successful books I've ever read at combining really REALLY well-written action scenes, brilliantly realized characters, and more than your normal violence and body-count than your normal young adult outing.
It's set about 150 years in the future where Earth practically killed itself off with pollutants and whatnot *gasp*. But the twist here is that mankind set sights on Mars, and with the very pollutants that killed Earth, they created a breathable atmosphere on Mars. Things go the way of Rapture in Bioshock, unfortunately (there are even Big Daddies, what the hey?! Okay these are ginormous-shelled and acid secreting aliens, but still.) Because nowadays, its every man for himself. Mercenaries run around doing the odd assassination missions, a pseudo dystopic government seems afraid of its own masses and does nothing to interfere, and terrifying monsters vie for the flesh of any humans stupid, or brave enough to take them on.
Durango doesn't know which he is when he gets a job to protect a mining town from the evil aforementioned monsters, the Draeu.
The characters react greatly with one another and it is great fun to read the inner dialogues Durango has with his implanted AI, Mimi. The one drawback I'd say is the editing. Or the lack there of. Sometimes quotes are misused, words are left out, or wrong tenses are used. Small gripe, but being such an intense reader, I couldn't help but notice. It definitely doesn't hinder the book in any big way, but it's there.
But that's really the only bad thing I'd have to say about the book. From the breathtaking space jump of an opening scene (hullo, Star Trek? ) to the bloody and brutal snowmobile chase across the frozen tundra of the south pole of Mars, all culminating in an crazy fun final battle with the queen of the Draeu herself, I was hooked.
More adventures from Durango and his davos, please?
It's set about 150 years in the future where Earth practically killed itself off with pollutants and whatnot *gasp*. But the twist here is that mankind set sights on Mars, and with the very pollutants that killed Earth, they created a breathable atmosphere on Mars. Things go the way of Rapture in Bioshock, unfortunately (there are even Big Daddies, what the hey?! Okay these are ginormous-shelled and acid secreting aliens, but still.) Because nowadays, its every man for himself. Mercenaries run around doing the odd assassination missions, a pseudo dystopic government seems afraid of its own masses and does nothing to interfere, and terrifying monsters vie for the flesh of any humans stupid, or brave enough to take them on.
Durango doesn't know which he is when he gets a job to protect a mining town from the evil aforementioned monsters, the Draeu.
The characters react greatly with one another and it is great fun to read the inner dialogues Durango has with his implanted AI, Mimi. The one drawback I'd say is the editing. Or the lack there of. Sometimes quotes are misused, words are left out, or wrong tenses are used. Small gripe, but being such an intense reader, I couldn't help but notice. It definitely doesn't hinder the book in any big way, but it's there.
But that's really the only bad thing I'd have to say about the book. From the breathtaking space jump of an opening scene (hullo, Star Trek? ) to the bloody and brutal snowmobile chase across the frozen tundra of the south pole of Mars, all culminating in an crazy fun final battle with the queen of the Draeu herself, I was hooked.
More adventures from Durango and his davos, please?
May 23, 2012
I had high hopes for David Macinnis Gill's
Black Hole Sun
. It was a combination dystopian/sci-fi; it was young-adult; and it came highly recommended with a five-star rating by a friend whose opinion I trust. Unfortunately, it fell far short of the mark.
The premise of the book starts off fairly well: mercenary Durango and his team of rag-tag misfits accept a mission for far below their usual pay to defend a mining outpost on Mars from a band of cannibals who demand children of the miners. Of course, it takes several chapters to get to this point, because we have to meet Durango during his previous mission, where he rescues a moneyed girl and her brother in a convoluted side plot .
Another reviewer on Goodreads suggested that the plot (and the main character, and the Chinese and Japanese epithets) were borrowed heavily from Joss Whedon's Firefly series, and I'd agree. With another helping of child soldiers trained in battle academy from Ender's Game, an artificial intelligence aiding and abetting the main character from William Gibson's Count Zero, and the oddly-painted artistocracy a cross between Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Capitol and Gibson's Idoru. I'm willing to bet there are others I've missed.
In other words, you'll feel a lot like you've read this one before.
While there are moments when the story shines, so much of it feels derivative of other, better-known sci-fi novels, and the teens in the book feel so much older than their alleged 17 years, that it ultimately fails as both a young adult novel as well as a sci-fi novel. Most sci-fi fans will have read the books (and seen the series), and I'm not sure younger readers will connect with these preternaturally aged characters. Even Ender was, at heart, at child. Durango is a middle-aged man before his time.
The premise of the book starts off fairly well: mercenary Durango and his team of rag-tag misfits accept a mission for far below their usual pay to defend a mining outpost on Mars from a band of cannibals who demand children of the miners. Of course, it takes several chapters to get to this point, because we have to meet Durango during his previous mission, where he rescues a moneyed girl and her brother in a convoluted side plot .
Another reviewer on Goodreads suggested that the plot (and the main character, and the Chinese and Japanese epithets) were borrowed heavily from Joss Whedon's Firefly series, and I'd agree. With another helping of child soldiers trained in battle academy from Ender's Game, an artificial intelligence aiding and abetting the main character from William Gibson's Count Zero, and the oddly-painted artistocracy a cross between Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Capitol and Gibson's Idoru. I'm willing to bet there are others I've missed.
In other words, you'll feel a lot like you've read this one before.
While there are moments when the story shines, so much of it feels derivative of other, better-known sci-fi novels, and the teens in the book feel so much older than their alleged 17 years, that it ultimately fails as both a young adult novel as well as a sci-fi novel. Most sci-fi fans will have read the books (and seen the series), and I'm not sure younger readers will connect with these preternaturally aged characters. Even Ender was, at heart, at child. Durango is a middle-aged man before his time.
September 1, 2011
The main character is Durango he is a regulator which seems to be a mix of a policeman and mercenary.Durango has a computer like device on his brain that has a wise cracking personality and seems to be a female named Mimi.Mimi constantly mocks and insults Durango in a child like manner. Durango seems to be the leader and one of his favorite workers named Vienne.According to Durango she is perfect in her aim,machine like action, and ability to follow orders.
Durango and his davos (team or crew) are more like mercenaries, yet seem to be very honorable people.A woman simply known as Queen (as her followers refer to her) is a very ville woman.She is probably the main antagonist. She has a very senister way of acting as she shows no mercy to anyone. Queen upon receiving a shell from a one of her followers ,hoping to appeal to her wrath, she seems to set a very evil goal.The duty of stopping probably lies on Durang and his davos.
I think the target audience is from teenagers to adults.The book is full of humor mainly from Mimi the AI implant on his brain.Also the story is very entertaining.The story is very detailed.This book is most likely not for kids because of strong imagery. An example would be when Queen made a man eat an egg then placed a dagger on his throat and made him swallow.
The theme is probably to not let anything stop you.Basically to keep moving forward.Durango himself (protagonist) does not have the most "embracing" past.You could not tell by looking at him.Not only that he seems to be very headstrong and unwavering, hes even a chief.He even faced his acrophobia in the first chapter even though it was very comedic.
Durango and his davos (team or crew) are more like mercenaries, yet seem to be very honorable people.A woman simply known as Queen (as her followers refer to her) is a very ville woman.She is probably the main antagonist. She has a very senister way of acting as she shows no mercy to anyone. Queen upon receiving a shell from a one of her followers ,hoping to appeal to her wrath, she seems to set a very evil goal.The duty of stopping probably lies on Durang and his davos.
I think the target audience is from teenagers to adults.The book is full of humor mainly from Mimi the AI implant on his brain.Also the story is very entertaining.The story is very detailed.This book is most likely not for kids because of strong imagery. An example would be when Queen made a man eat an egg then placed a dagger on his throat and made him swallow.
The theme is probably to not let anything stop you.Basically to keep moving forward.Durango himself (protagonist) does not have the most "embracing" past.You could not tell by looking at him.Not only that he seems to be very headstrong and unwavering, hes even a chief.He even faced his acrophobia in the first chapter even though it was very comedic.
December 23, 2016
I LOVE THIS BOOK.
I was in such a state of euphoria after reading BLACK HOLE SUN I forgot to add it to Goodreads when I read it earlier this year--making up for it now!
The action, the pacing, the characters (Oh, Durango--there'll never be another like you) the world, the concept... the whole enchilada (not to be confused with the author's other book SOUL ENCHILADA) I loved it all!
Honestly, it's one big bundle of literary awesome! I don't think I took a full breath till I finished. In fact, don't tell David Macinnis Gill this because he might decided I'm kinda creepy, but I named a character in my new book--a man of god--after the him. Oh, the symbolism!!
I hear BLACK HOLE SUN's been getting on all kinds of state lists and other awesome stuff, so clearly LOTS of others agree. Read it soon so we can share the Durango love! <3
I was in such a state of euphoria after reading BLACK HOLE SUN I forgot to add it to Goodreads when I read it earlier this year--making up for it now!
The action, the pacing, the characters (Oh, Durango--there'll never be another like you) the world, the concept... the whole enchilada (not to be confused with the author's other book SOUL ENCHILADA) I loved it all!
Honestly, it's one big bundle of literary awesome! I don't think I took a full breath till I finished. In fact, don't tell David Macinnis Gill this because he might decided I'm kinda creepy, but I named a character in my new book--a man of god--after the him. Oh, the symbolism!!
I hear BLACK HOLE SUN's been getting on all kinds of state lists and other awesome stuff, so clearly LOTS of others agree. Read it soon so we can share the Durango love! <3
March 30, 2013
Gill drops us right into the story--and his improbable characters--with a ten kilometer free fall over Mars and the pace (and improbability) never slackens. The back story--and a third of the story is back story--is rationed to the reader meagerly, which is good. A data dump at the beginning would have been a complete turn off.
The characters are more caricatures, except for the bad guys. The mutants and their queen are as mysterious as they are evil. Only in the last pages does Gill fill us in. Well done.
Yes, he manages to bring this story to a close, but it all seems too much like a set up for the next book in the series.
Cover Art: more appropriate for a harlequin romance than a space opera.
A good read.
The characters are more caricatures, except for the bad guys. The mutants and their queen are as mysterious as they are evil. Only in the last pages does Gill fill us in. Well done.
Yes, he manages to bring this story to a close, but it all seems too much like a set up for the next book in the series.
Cover Art: more appropriate for a harlequin romance than a space opera.
A good read.
February 14, 2011
Catastrophically badly written. A recommendation from an author I love, and I feel like a total sucker I bought this and in hardcover, because the style and writing is of very different tones (and IMO quality levels!).
The dialogue is unbelievably annoyingly snappily unlikely. Leading to abuse adverbs, but it´s all applicable. Character depth, pfh, what is that.
The dialogue is unbelievably annoyingly snappily unlikely. Leading to abuse adverbs, but it´s all applicable. Character depth, pfh, what is that.
April 22, 2014
I liked this one more than I thought I would. It actually reminded me a lot of firefly, which was neat. The main character, Durango, was funny and not at all as annoying as I initially thought. Also, his female sidekick was awesome! Not a damsel at all, which is always appreciated. Overall,a very fun, surprisingly enjoyable read.
October 10, 2010
Normally sci-fi isn't my thing at all. In fact, I was actually pretty leery, but this one blew me away! Very highly recommended!
February 6, 2013
First Look: I honestly have no clue why I picked this up. It's never been on my to-read list and the blurb tells me absolutely nothing about the plot. And the cover...awkward text placement, anyone? Okay, so maybe I thought that guy was Liam Hemsworth at first. I have no idea why I thought this, but...okay.
Setting: My main thoughts on the setting basically sum up my entire reaction to this book: what is going on here? It was set on Mars. That's the only thing I could pin down for sure. Everything else was up in the air, setting-wise. The technology seemed inconsistent (as in, why are these people high-tech enough to do this, but not that?). I never really got a clear picture of where anything was going on. It wasn't memorable at all.
Characters: I thought the AI implant element was interesting. How weird would that be, to have a second...brain...in your brain? Except, Durango kept referring to Mimi (the "AI") as AI. But it doesn't make sense to call her "artificial intelligence" since she was a real person at one time, and therefore not artificial.
Anyway, I couldn't connect to any of the characters. Durango had some backstory that might have been interesting, if it had actually been explained. But since I didn't get much of that story at all, I couldn't get into it.
None of the other characters were all that interesting, either. Vienne in particular annoyed me. She had no depth. She was just an attractive girl who could fight. There was nothing else to her.
Plot: The majority of the plot had me going "Um, what?" Nothing was ever explained fully, so I had a hard time following what was actually happening. I felt like I was watching the story in fast-forward--I could see stuff happening, and it sort of made sense, but not really.
Also, like watching a movie in fast-forward, this book went way too fast. Which goes hand in hand with the little-to-no explanation problem. If more time had been spent on certain plot points, I might've enjoyed this more.
Uniqueness: I guess it was unique, though I have a hard time judging this aspect of books that I don't like.
Writing: I felt like so much of the lines in this book were meant to be funny. And they weren't. Not to me, at least. Characters were throwing around one-liners in dialogue and narration like they do in Artemis Fowl and Pendragon. The difference is that AF and Pendragon are hilarious. This book, not so much. It was trying too hard.
Then again, it was unintentionally funny in some places. Sometimes a really weirdly written phrase appeared and I couldn't help but be amused. I always feel a tad bit bad about that, but I can't help it.
She locks eyes with me, and I feel a sensation of fluttering behind my belly button, like my legs are being unscrewed..."
Um...are you okay there, Durango?
This happened whenever Durango got too close to Vienne. It didn't sound like true love to me. It sounds like Durango has some kind of medical condition. He should probably get that checked out.
And then there was this scene, which so perfectly mirrored that wonderful "ANOTHER!"* scene:
"Another!" I shout. Later in the scene: With his free hand, he downs another drink. Slams it on the bar, shattering the glass.
Likes: There was a guy named Leeroy Jenkins. As soon as he said his name, it sounded familiar. I knew I'd heard it, but I couldn't place where. Apparently, it is a reference. Though I've never played World of Warcraft and I don't know anyone who does, so I have no idea where I heard it.
Not-so-great: *coughcough*
Overall: This is a weird book. I spent most of the time feeling like I was watching the story happen in fast-forward. I couldn't connect to (or even like) Durango or any of the other characters. The narration plopped me into a world I've never been to and expected me to be able to follow everything with no explanation. The narration wasn't as funny as it was supposed to be, but was funny in places that it wasn't supposed to be. If that makes any sense. I don't recommend this.
Similar Books: It features space travel (kind of...maybe...) like A Confusion of Princes and it reminds me of Epic and The House of Power for reasons I don't know or understand.
*Has anybody else seen that deleted scene where he slams the wine glass into the fire and says "Another!"? Or am I the only one who noticed that?
Unofficial review:
STAHP. SERIOUSLY.
Okay, who's the genius that let this one slip through the system?
I will give it a few points for being unintentionally funny in a few places.
Review coming soon.
Setting: My main thoughts on the setting basically sum up my entire reaction to this book: what is going on here? It was set on Mars. That's the only thing I could pin down for sure. Everything else was up in the air, setting-wise. The technology seemed inconsistent (as in, why are these people high-tech enough to do this, but not that?). I never really got a clear picture of where anything was going on. It wasn't memorable at all.
Characters: I thought the AI implant element was interesting. How weird would that be, to have a second...brain...in your brain? Except, Durango kept referring to Mimi (the "AI") as AI. But it doesn't make sense to call her "artificial intelligence" since she was a real person at one time, and therefore not artificial.
Anyway, I couldn't connect to any of the characters. Durango had some backstory that might have been interesting, if it had actually been explained. But since I didn't get much of that story at all, I couldn't get into it.
None of the other characters were all that interesting, either. Vienne in particular annoyed me. She had no depth. She was just an attractive girl who could fight. There was nothing else to her.
Plot: The majority of the plot had me going "Um, what?" Nothing was ever explained fully, so I had a hard time following what was actually happening. I felt like I was watching the story in fast-forward--I could see stuff happening, and it sort of made sense, but not really.
Also, like watching a movie in fast-forward, this book went way too fast. Which goes hand in hand with the little-to-no explanation problem. If more time had been spent on certain plot points, I might've enjoyed this more.
Uniqueness: I guess it was unique, though I have a hard time judging this aspect of books that I don't like.
Writing: I felt like so much of the lines in this book were meant to be funny. And they weren't. Not to me, at least. Characters were throwing around one-liners in dialogue and narration like they do in Artemis Fowl and Pendragon. The difference is that AF and Pendragon are hilarious. This book, not so much. It was trying too hard.
Then again, it was unintentionally funny in some places. Sometimes a really weirdly written phrase appeared and I couldn't help but be amused. I always feel a tad bit bad about that, but I can't help it.
She locks eyes with me, and I feel a sensation of fluttering behind my belly button, like my legs are being unscrewed..."
Um...are you okay there, Durango?
This happened whenever Durango got too close to Vienne. It didn't sound like true love to me. It sounds like Durango has some kind of medical condition. He should probably get that checked out.
And then there was this scene, which so perfectly mirrored that wonderful "ANOTHER!"* scene:
"Another!" I shout. Later in the scene: With his free hand, he downs another drink. Slams it on the bar, shattering the glass.
Likes: There was a guy named Leeroy Jenkins. As soon as he said his name, it sounded familiar. I knew I'd heard it, but I couldn't place where. Apparently, it is a reference. Though I've never played World of Warcraft and I don't know anyone who does, so I have no idea where I heard it.
Not-so-great: *coughcough*
Overall: This is a weird book. I spent most of the time feeling like I was watching the story happen in fast-forward. I couldn't connect to (or even like) Durango or any of the other characters. The narration plopped me into a world I've never been to and expected me to be able to follow everything with no explanation. The narration wasn't as funny as it was supposed to be, but was funny in places that it wasn't supposed to be. If that makes any sense. I don't recommend this.
Similar Books: It features space travel (kind of...maybe...) like A Confusion of Princes and it reminds me of Epic and The House of Power for reasons I don't know or understand.
*Has anybody else seen that deleted scene where he slams the wine glass into the fire and says "Another!"? Or am I the only one who noticed that?
Unofficial review:
STAHP. SERIOUSLY.
Okay, who's the genius that let this one slip through the system?
I will give it a few points for being unintentionally funny in a few places.
Review coming soon.
December 31, 2011
You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/12/...
Black Hole Sun starts off with a bang (lots of them) when Durango and his crew of one, Vienne, save the children of a very rich, very influential (and as it turns out, very nasty) woman. There’s much more to this ransom “rescue” than meets the eye, though, but that comes later. Black Hole Sun takes place on a far future Mars, after Earth has been ravaged by plague, and Durango and Vienne are Regulators (sort of like our police). However, they’re disgraced Regulators, and they have to take pretty much any job they can get, which lately consists mostly of kidnap-for-ransom rescues. Durango and Vienne are approached by a group of miners who would like to hire them to train them to defend themselves against the cannibalistic Draeu. The pay is crap and the job is dangerous, but Durango and Vienne’s honor dictate that they take the job anyway. So, they round up the few Regulators that will work for them, Jenks and Fuse, and head to Hell’s Cross, which is pretty much exactly like it sounds. The miners are wary of the stranger in their midst, but there may be more to the story than just Draeu stealing their children for, um, snacks. The miners may be hiding something, something big, and it will be up to Durango and his crew to protect the minors, keep themselves from getting killed, and becoming part of something they never could have imagined.
Black Hole Sun is another pure gem that I’ve had on the shelf for a while and am so happy I picked it up, finally! Durango is only 17, and Vienne isn’t much older, but they are wise beyond their years, battle hardened, and ready for danger. Told mostly in Durango’s voice, with brief interludes, Black Hole Sun moves at breakneck speed and really doesn’t let up. The Draeu are terrifying in their ferocity, and prove a formidable foe for Durango’s team. Durango also has an AI implant named Mimi that’s a scene stealer with her snark and wit. She’s an invaluable asset, though, and I came to love her as much as I loved the human characters. Then there are Durango’s feelings for the fierce and beautiful Vienne. She’s loyal to Durango as her Chief, and anything else would be against their Tenets, but his yearning for her is so sweet, and it gives Durango a softer side, contrasting beautifully with his tough exterior. Black Hole Sun is just so much fun all the way through, and I chewed through it pretty quick, mostly because I just didn’t want to put it down. Plenty of action, great characters, and lots of twists and turns make Black Hole Sun a must read for any sci-fi/adventure fan. I’d also recommend it for fans of Ann Aguirre’s Sirantha Jax series, and would say give it a try even if you don’t consider yourself a sci-fi reader. Technically young adult, it reads like any adult novel except for the fact that the main characters are young (and there’s no bad language and sexual situations, other than mild flirtation.) It certainly doesn’t talk down to its readers, and the author has created a future world that I’ll be anxious to return to again and again. Good thing Invisible Sun, the 2nd in the series, is out in March, huh? I’ll follow Durango and Vienne anywhere. Very highly recommended.
Black Hole Sun starts off with a bang (lots of them) when Durango and his crew of one, Vienne, save the children of a very rich, very influential (and as it turns out, very nasty) woman. There’s much more to this ransom “rescue” than meets the eye, though, but that comes later. Black Hole Sun takes place on a far future Mars, after Earth has been ravaged by plague, and Durango and Vienne are Regulators (sort of like our police). However, they’re disgraced Regulators, and they have to take pretty much any job they can get, which lately consists mostly of kidnap-for-ransom rescues. Durango and Vienne are approached by a group of miners who would like to hire them to train them to defend themselves against the cannibalistic Draeu. The pay is crap and the job is dangerous, but Durango and Vienne’s honor dictate that they take the job anyway. So, they round up the few Regulators that will work for them, Jenks and Fuse, and head to Hell’s Cross, which is pretty much exactly like it sounds. The miners are wary of the stranger in their midst, but there may be more to the story than just Draeu stealing their children for, um, snacks. The miners may be hiding something, something big, and it will be up to Durango and his crew to protect the minors, keep themselves from getting killed, and becoming part of something they never could have imagined.
Black Hole Sun is another pure gem that I’ve had on the shelf for a while and am so happy I picked it up, finally! Durango is only 17, and Vienne isn’t much older, but they are wise beyond their years, battle hardened, and ready for danger. Told mostly in Durango’s voice, with brief interludes, Black Hole Sun moves at breakneck speed and really doesn’t let up. The Draeu are terrifying in their ferocity, and prove a formidable foe for Durango’s team. Durango also has an AI implant named Mimi that’s a scene stealer with her snark and wit. She’s an invaluable asset, though, and I came to love her as much as I loved the human characters. Then there are Durango’s feelings for the fierce and beautiful Vienne. She’s loyal to Durango as her Chief, and anything else would be against their Tenets, but his yearning for her is so sweet, and it gives Durango a softer side, contrasting beautifully with his tough exterior. Black Hole Sun is just so much fun all the way through, and I chewed through it pretty quick, mostly because I just didn’t want to put it down. Plenty of action, great characters, and lots of twists and turns make Black Hole Sun a must read for any sci-fi/adventure fan. I’d also recommend it for fans of Ann Aguirre’s Sirantha Jax series, and would say give it a try even if you don’t consider yourself a sci-fi reader. Technically young adult, it reads like any adult novel except for the fact that the main characters are young (and there’s no bad language and sexual situations, other than mild flirtation.) It certainly doesn’t talk down to its readers, and the author has created a future world that I’ll be anxious to return to again and again. Good thing Invisible Sun, the 2nd in the series, is out in March, huh? I’ll follow Durango and Vienne anywhere. Very highly recommended.
October 7, 2011
David Macinnis Gill
Black Hole Sun
New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2010
340 p.p. $16.99
978-0-06-167304-7
With Earth now trashed and unlivable, Mars is humanity’s new home. David Macinnis Gill’s Black Hole Sun, a new favorite of Suzanne Collins (author of the best-selling Hunger Games trilogy), takes the reader to this futuristic Martian land in this gripping thriller. Durango, (the protagonist) though one of the few survivors of his original regulator crime-fighting crew and currently a mercenary, continues to follow the regulator code of conduct and to help others, this particular instance protecting a mining colony whose home is under attack of ruthless cannibals. With a witty yet skillful protagonist, Gill takes Durango’s mission and with it creates a great read, truly immersing the reader into the story and its captivating setting.
Many authors have written books set on other planets, but Gill’s way of developed this particular novel’s setting provided a thought-provoking, yet not distracting image of how humanity would adapt to life on Mars. Page 46 of the book shows one how easily he described this entirely new world of his, even adding details of certain cities, such as how, “East New Eden is a crowded, loud, fetid part of the city where a smart man travels with one hand on a knife and the other on his purse. Which makes it the perfect place for unattached regulators like us to find work.” Though this one example may seem insignificant, Gill inserts bits and pieces such as this one about different places throughout the novel, as if each location has its own sort of personality, a technique that would require quite a bit of prior planning and dedication.
The impressive piece to the setting was how Gill released small details indirectly throughout the novel, giving the reader enough information to avoid confusion, but rarely a full, up front explanation, as shown on page four, “Mars stinks… The whole planet is a compost heap, intentionally designed to rot and burn endlessly so that one day it’s air will be completely breathable and its waters capable of supporting life. But tonight the stink is so powerful I can smell it up here. Ten kilometers above the surface. Where I’, standing on a small square platform. Looking straight down. About to wet myself.” This technique was effectively used, and kept the reading interesting, but at times it did end up leading to confusion, and the need to go back to review or reread the text (the exact thing lazy readers like us don’t want to do!). Besides this drawback however, Gill’s technique with setting was seamless, obviously well developed, and very successful.
Overall, Gill’s novel Black Hole Sun is a fantastic piece of literature. Though this book does have its share of faults, its setting makes up for it creating an intriguing yet entertaining read.
Black Hole Sun
New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2010
340 p.p. $16.99
978-0-06-167304-7
With Earth now trashed and unlivable, Mars is humanity’s new home. David Macinnis Gill’s Black Hole Sun, a new favorite of Suzanne Collins (author of the best-selling Hunger Games trilogy), takes the reader to this futuristic Martian land in this gripping thriller. Durango, (the protagonist) though one of the few survivors of his original regulator crime-fighting crew and currently a mercenary, continues to follow the regulator code of conduct and to help others, this particular instance protecting a mining colony whose home is under attack of ruthless cannibals. With a witty yet skillful protagonist, Gill takes Durango’s mission and with it creates a great read, truly immersing the reader into the story and its captivating setting.
Many authors have written books set on other planets, but Gill’s way of developed this particular novel’s setting provided a thought-provoking, yet not distracting image of how humanity would adapt to life on Mars. Page 46 of the book shows one how easily he described this entirely new world of his, even adding details of certain cities, such as how, “East New Eden is a crowded, loud, fetid part of the city where a smart man travels with one hand on a knife and the other on his purse. Which makes it the perfect place for unattached regulators like us to find work.” Though this one example may seem insignificant, Gill inserts bits and pieces such as this one about different places throughout the novel, as if each location has its own sort of personality, a technique that would require quite a bit of prior planning and dedication.
The impressive piece to the setting was how Gill released small details indirectly throughout the novel, giving the reader enough information to avoid confusion, but rarely a full, up front explanation, as shown on page four, “Mars stinks… The whole planet is a compost heap, intentionally designed to rot and burn endlessly so that one day it’s air will be completely breathable and its waters capable of supporting life. But tonight the stink is so powerful I can smell it up here. Ten kilometers above the surface. Where I’, standing on a small square platform. Looking straight down. About to wet myself.” This technique was effectively used, and kept the reading interesting, but at times it did end up leading to confusion, and the need to go back to review or reread the text (the exact thing lazy readers like us don’t want to do!). Besides this drawback however, Gill’s technique with setting was seamless, obviously well developed, and very successful.
Overall, Gill’s novel Black Hole Sun is a fantastic piece of literature. Though this book does have its share of faults, its setting makes up for it creating an intriguing yet entertaining read.
September 16, 2017
If you're well-versed in scifi nothing in this book will surprise you. If you're decently versed in film you'll practically be able to predict everything that will happen.
It's like the author went and decided: You know what would be cool? The Seven Samurai in space. We can have space samurai. But the whole western thing from Firefly was cool too so I'll use The Magnificent Seven instead and just take the space cannibals. The leader can have an AI in his head like Master Chief and one character must be named Leroy Jenkins. The aliens will be like the bugs from Starship Troopers!
Now this could have been a fun read, but the execution was about as smooth as a pile of jagged rocks. The author jumps from event to event with barely a pause in between relaying on the fact that the reader is well-versed in the very things that will make this book boring and predictable since other than "on mars" and "run by corporations" there really isn't any world building. Now don't get your hopes up for this being a character driven story either because there's no character development either. The author makes a halfhearted attempt with the main character, Durango, but it never got out of the "leader with a tortured past" cliche. The rest of the characters never got past the tropes they started as. Some of this is the fault of the pacing; the story never pauses long enough for the characters to have any meaningful conversations because they're constantly having fight the bad guys to run off and rescue the kid who just had to get captured yet again, or maybe the bad guys showed up again to twirl their mustaches and adjust their monocles.
The only surprise in this book was how absurdly long the fight scenes could get. Authors, for the love of all that is good and pure, the same kind of fight scene that is exciting when your watching a movie is about as exciting as watching paint dry when your reading it. Movies and literature have different strengths, please utilize the appropriate ones for the one you are using. Blow by blow accounts of a long boss fight tend to read like shopping lists after the first couple pages. In books, cool movie shots that rely heavily on that visual elements (such as the bad guy and main character's fists stopping inches from each other's faces) tend to be either be boring or require so much description to get the idea of what's happening across that it ruins the pace of the scene.
Overall the book was rather unremarkable and unoriginal but it isn't so bad it makes you want to claw your eyes out. It will gladly keep you company while you're in a waiting room since it is easy to put down and come back to. If you're looking for the comfort of familiar tropes, or want to read something that reads like a shameless mash up (we all have our moments) this is the book for you.
It's like the author went and decided: You know what would be cool? The Seven Samurai in space. We can have space samurai. But the whole western thing from Firefly was cool too so I'll use The Magnificent Seven instead and just take the space cannibals. The leader can have an AI in his head like Master Chief and one character must be named Leroy Jenkins. The aliens will be like the bugs from Starship Troopers!
Now this could have been a fun read, but the execution was about as smooth as a pile of jagged rocks. The author jumps from event to event with barely a pause in between relaying on the fact that the reader is well-versed in the very things that will make this book boring and predictable since other than "on mars" and "run by corporations" there really isn't any world building. Now don't get your hopes up for this being a character driven story either because there's no character development either. The author makes a halfhearted attempt with the main character, Durango, but it never got out of the "leader with a tortured past" cliche. The rest of the characters never got past the tropes they started as. Some of this is the fault of the pacing; the story never pauses long enough for the characters to have any meaningful conversations because they're constantly having fight the bad guys to run off and rescue the kid who just had to get captured yet again, or maybe the bad guys showed up again to twirl their mustaches and adjust their monocles.
The only surprise in this book was how absurdly long the fight scenes could get. Authors, for the love of all that is good and pure, the same kind of fight scene that is exciting when your watching a movie is about as exciting as watching paint dry when your reading it. Movies and literature have different strengths, please utilize the appropriate ones for the one you are using. Blow by blow accounts of a long boss fight tend to read like shopping lists after the first couple pages. In books, cool movie shots that rely heavily on that visual elements (such as the bad guy and main character's fists stopping inches from each other's faces) tend to be either be boring or require so much description to get the idea of what's happening across that it ruins the pace of the scene.
Overall the book was rather unremarkable and unoriginal but it isn't so bad it makes you want to claw your eyes out. It will gladly keep you company while you're in a waiting room since it is easy to put down and come back to. If you're looking for the comfort of familiar tropes, or want to read something that reads like a shameless mash up (we all have our moments) this is the book for you.
May 12, 2013
Kelly Garwood
Gill, D. M. (2010). Black hole sun. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children’s Books.
Genre: Sci-Fi
Award(s): Booklist starred, School Library Journal starred, Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) starred
Format: book
Selection process: Nilsen, A. P. (Ed.). (2013). Literature for today’s young adults. (p. 172). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Review:
Durango is a 16 year-old Regulator whose disgraced father marks him as a dalit or outcast. He struggles to find jobs that pay much and he just tries to keep himself and his lieutenant Vienne fed. So when a job comes along that seems to be a suicide mission, Durango takes it. He plays chief to a team of misfit mercenaries on their way to the south of Mars. At Outpost Fisher Four he and his team try to help a community of miners against the cannibalistic Draeu. The miners, who are considered the lowest of low, have little to offer the Regulators but desperately need the help.
Gill creates a wild and action-packed thriller full of futuristic technology, desolate planets and witty dialogue. One of the best dialogues in the book is between Durango and Mimi, the artificial intelligence implant in his brain. Their sarcastic banter back and forth, which goes on inside his head only, creates a unique way of showing what the character is thinking and feeling – especially since Mimi can read his vitals.
The team of Regulators is vastly outnumbered by the Draeu and their evil queen, who is after a treasure the miners have kept secret. Bullets and gunfire fly constantly as they try to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Even amongst the action, a slowly building attraction is growing between Durango and Vienne, something he tries desperately to avoid as he is her chief. While at Outpost Fisher Four they discover secrets that change the way they understand their own pasts.
By the end Durango, Vienne and Mimi escaped and head off in a conclusion that begs for a sequel.
Recommend
Gill, D. M. (2010). Black hole sun. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children’s Books.
Genre: Sci-Fi
Award(s): Booklist starred, School Library Journal starred, Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) starred
Format: book
Selection process: Nilsen, A. P. (Ed.). (2013). Literature for today’s young adults. (p. 172). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Review:
Durango is a 16 year-old Regulator whose disgraced father marks him as a dalit or outcast. He struggles to find jobs that pay much and he just tries to keep himself and his lieutenant Vienne fed. So when a job comes along that seems to be a suicide mission, Durango takes it. He plays chief to a team of misfit mercenaries on their way to the south of Mars. At Outpost Fisher Four he and his team try to help a community of miners against the cannibalistic Draeu. The miners, who are considered the lowest of low, have little to offer the Regulators but desperately need the help.
Gill creates a wild and action-packed thriller full of futuristic technology, desolate planets and witty dialogue. One of the best dialogues in the book is between Durango and Mimi, the artificial intelligence implant in his brain. Their sarcastic banter back and forth, which goes on inside his head only, creates a unique way of showing what the character is thinking and feeling – especially since Mimi can read his vitals.
The team of Regulators is vastly outnumbered by the Draeu and their evil queen, who is after a treasure the miners have kept secret. Bullets and gunfire fly constantly as they try to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Even amongst the action, a slowly building attraction is growing between Durango and Vienne, something he tries desperately to avoid as he is her chief. While at Outpost Fisher Four they discover secrets that change the way they understand their own pasts.
By the end Durango, Vienne and Mimi escaped and head off in a conclusion that begs for a sequel.
Recommend
August 10, 2010
The book moved along at a good pace with a lot of action (gun fire, explosions, cannibals, snowmobile chases). The characterization is weak, but perhaps the book is meant to appeal more to a crowd that prefers the aforementioned action to knowing much about the backstories of the characters. Despite that, I did rather like the chief and his davos, even though I knew little about them. The action scenes are well-drawn, allowing me to draw a decent picture of the scene in my head, which some books do not. The plot could have been better too, I felt. Much of the book seems to be spent running after characters who have gone sneaking off for no particular reason. This was fine the first time, but got old quickly. Another odd element was the creation of a new menace in the last few pages, some evil lurking an area never mentioned before then. I suppose this indicates that a sequel is in the works. At this point, I cannot say whether I will read it, but suspect that I may not unless I hear some really good buzz. I recommend this one for anyone who loves battle scenes and explosions.
December 10, 2011
Black Hole Sun reads like a movie, so I will not be surprised if I find out the rights to produce have been bought. There are a lot of things to like about this book. Tons of action paired with comical dialogue, little tidbits of science, and yes, even some of the characters. I thought for sure Durango was going to be the typical 'chief' self-obsessed and absorbed, or the opposite and perfect down to his machismo shoelaces. (I don't think the symbiarmor had shoelaces though.) But he wasn't. In fact, I thought he was a pretty lousy chief, and if not for Mimi he wouldn't be worth his salt. Vienne was the real tour de force and I just gobbled that up. I was a little disappointed with some of her choices towards the end though. I also enjoyed the ubber-psychotic queen. Please, somehow have an evil twin for book two!
There were a few flubs in the writing, but nothing detrimental. My one remaining question is why Black Hole Sun? Did I miss the black hole part?
Will I read book two? You betcha.
There were a few flubs in the writing, but nothing detrimental. My one remaining question is why Black Hole Sun? Did I miss the black hole part?
Will I read book two? You betcha.
May 29, 2015
This one gets a 4 star, even though I think it should probably be a 3.5. The background of the story is decent, what with the capitalist martian colony and the privatized army/assassins/police/ninja warriors know as Regulators. That was kind of cool. So even though it's a bit overdone, I give it points for the world building.
I have mixed feelings for the rest of the story. The majority of the books is built up of fight scene after fight scene filled with sarcastic quips and comments. Not really my cup of tea, but whatever. It also often felt very disjointed and things that were frequently referenced to in the story were never fully explained later.
One thing that did intrigue me a lot was the Operation MUSE thing and what it means for Jacob. What the hell was his father up to, and why was he removed from power? What does this all entail?
I think it would have been a really great story if it had about 100 pages more, but the same amount of action.
I have mixed feelings for the rest of the story. The majority of the books is built up of fight scene after fight scene filled with sarcastic quips and comments. Not really my cup of tea, but whatever. It also often felt very disjointed and things that were frequently referenced to in the story were never fully explained later.
One thing that did intrigue me a lot was the Operation MUSE thing and what it means for Jacob. What the hell was his father up to, and why was he removed from power? What does this all entail?
I think it would have been a really great story if it had about 100 pages more, but the same amount of action.
December 27, 2010
It's like if Firefly were a teen book where Mal was in love with Zoe. With a heaping helping of cowboy movies and maybe samurai movies thrown in.
Lots of my Internet librarian community got stuck in the middle, which maybe has a bit of a slow part or maybe I was just distracted by too many books. I'm really glad that I stuck with it. It was action packed and full of humor. I enjoyed Durango's relationships with other characters, particularly Mimi, the voice in his head, and Vienne, who he should not be in love with but is.
SciFi elements made this standard mercenary style story new and exciting.
Lots of my Internet librarian community got stuck in the middle, which maybe has a bit of a slow part or maybe I was just distracted by too many books. I'm really glad that I stuck with it. It was action packed and full of humor. I enjoyed Durango's relationships with other characters, particularly Mimi, the voice in his head, and Vienne, who he should not be in love with but is.
SciFi elements made this standard mercenary style story new and exciting.
December 12, 2012
Black Hole Sun is a bok about an ex-military soldier whos life really fell apart after his dad, the CEO of Copr-Com,(the military organization on Mars), is convicted and jailed. he becomes a mercenary taking any work he can find. He takes a job defending some miners who are being atacked by creatures called the Dreu. THis job seems simple but Durango ends up figuring out theres more to it.
The Setting is mostly an abandoned mine in the back country of Mars. The author does an ok job of descibing the setting. sometimes you do'nt really know where the characters are. Like when Durango goes to a hidden ice place, i didnt know they were on ice until it said they slipped on some ice.
December 1, 2010
Absolutely loved this book. I'm hooked. Give me more!
Durango dives us to the bottom of a vile chemical pit, drags us through a seedy Mars town, books us on a train to no man's land and traps us in a mine with cannibals and small, but frightening Martians.
If that's not exciting enough, he does this as a tough as nails mercenary with an insurmountable past, an on-board AI personality and a side-kick that is every enemy's worst nightmare.
And the book ends in such a way that there is promise for a sequel.....please!!?
Durango dives us to the bottom of a vile chemical pit, drags us through a seedy Mars town, books us on a train to no man's land and traps us in a mine with cannibals and small, but frightening Martians.
If that's not exciting enough, he does this as a tough as nails mercenary with an insurmountable past, an on-board AI personality and a side-kick that is every enemy's worst nightmare.
And the book ends in such a way that there is promise for a sequel.....please!!?
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