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Extinction
In a lonely valley, deep in the mountains, a ranger watches over the last surviving grizzly bear.
With the natural world exhausted and in tatters, Ben has dedicated himself to protecting this single fragment of the wild.
One night, he hears voices in the valley – poachers, come to hunt his bear.
A heart-pounding chase begins, crossing forests and mountainsides, passing centuries of human ruins. Sometimes hunter, sometimes prey – Ben must choose the bear’s fate and his own.
Is he willing to lay down his life for a dying breed?
Is he willing to kill for it?
With the natural world exhausted and in tatters, Ben has dedicated himself to protecting this single fragment of the wild.
One night, he hears voices in the valley – poachers, come to hunt his bear.
A heart-pounding chase begins, crossing forests and mountainsides, passing centuries of human ruins. Sometimes hunter, sometimes prey – Ben must choose the bear’s fate and his own.
Is he willing to lay down his life for a dying breed?
Is he willing to kill for it?
Paperback
Published August 16, 2023
37 people are currently reading
2936 people want to read
About the author
Bradley Somer
8 books125 followersBradley Somer’s novels have been published in over twenty countries, translated into several languages, and produced in many print, digital, and audio formats. A few have even been optioned for screen.
His newest, WE ARE ALL OF US LEFT BEHIND, will be released in the Fall of 2025.
He is the author of three previous novels: EXTINCTION (Blackstone Publishing & HarperCollins UK, 2022), FISHBOWL (St. Martin’s Press & Penguin Random House UK, 2015), and IMPERFECTIONS (Nightwood Editions, 2012). He has also written a ton of short fiction, which has appeared in literary journals, reviews, and anthologies over the past twenty years.
Bradley holds degrees in Archaeology and Anthropology, where his studies focused on paleoenvironments and human prehistory in North America. He lives with his husband at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Between sitting for hours reading and chronic bouts of writing, he enjoys snowshoeing and hiking the outdoors.
His newest, WE ARE ALL OF US LEFT BEHIND, will be released in the Fall of 2025.
He is the author of three previous novels: EXTINCTION (Blackstone Publishing & HarperCollins UK, 2022), FISHBOWL (St. Martin’s Press & Penguin Random House UK, 2015), and IMPERFECTIONS (Nightwood Editions, 2012). He has also written a ton of short fiction, which has appeared in literary journals, reviews, and anthologies over the past twenty years.
Bradley holds degrees in Archaeology and Anthropology, where his studies focused on paleoenvironments and human prehistory in North America. He lives with his husband at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Between sitting for hours reading and chronic bouts of writing, he enjoys snowshoeing and hiking the outdoors.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
June 18, 2022
This is a stark and uncompromising glimpse into the planets possible future where shuttle flights to ‘Copernicus’ are the norm. Ben is a ranger and much like the trailblazers of old he is in a desolate frontier where he tracks and monitors the last known bear. When he hears voices from afar, then discovers a ghost camp Ben knows it’s going to be a game of survival as he faces a shocking dilemma. Will he save himself or will altruism win and endeavour to save the bear whatever that takes?
This is undoubtedly well written with some stunning descriptions of the planet, you can visualise the sparkle of the water, sense the coming snow and almost smell the pine of the forest. The writing has a cinematic quality to it and indeed it would make an excellent film which would possibly be more powerful than a book. This is partly because I feel the author can overdo the descriptions of the terrain, they are too protracted.
However, what is conveyed is sobering and thought-provoking and the beautiful descriptions do contrast sharply with the reality of the situation Ben find himself in. There are strong links and connections to the past, he is much like the Trappers on the new frontier except Bens frontier seems to be lost. There are definite shades of The Revenant here but a futuristic one. What unfolds between Ben and the interlopers is dramatic from the start. Initially it seems friendly but there’s a huge sense of challenge and also entitlement from them and your heart sinks. The tension is palpable and it grows exponentially until the stand-off becomes an all hell let loose scenario .
There is physical and mental pain, fear, danger and violence as Ben faces the fight of his life as well as treachery and betrayal. It is a gripping read and it makes you feel a whole range of emotions. There are some good cliffhangers, there’s some welcome humour from one character (Poppy) and it’s mostly fast paced . The ending is good, I like the ghostly haunting vibe though it does make you feel sad.
The cover is exceptional.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins UK/HarperFiction for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
This is undoubtedly well written with some stunning descriptions of the planet, you can visualise the sparkle of the water, sense the coming snow and almost smell the pine of the forest. The writing has a cinematic quality to it and indeed it would make an excellent film which would possibly be more powerful than a book. This is partly because I feel the author can overdo the descriptions of the terrain, they are too protracted.
However, what is conveyed is sobering and thought-provoking and the beautiful descriptions do contrast sharply with the reality of the situation Ben find himself in. There are strong links and connections to the past, he is much like the Trappers on the new frontier except Bens frontier seems to be lost. There are definite shades of The Revenant here but a futuristic one. What unfolds between Ben and the interlopers is dramatic from the start. Initially it seems friendly but there’s a huge sense of challenge and also entitlement from them and your heart sinks. The tension is palpable and it grows exponentially until the stand-off becomes an all hell let loose scenario .
There is physical and mental pain, fear, danger and violence as Ben faces the fight of his life as well as treachery and betrayal. It is a gripping read and it makes you feel a whole range of emotions. There are some good cliffhangers, there’s some welcome humour from one character (Poppy) and it’s mostly fast paced . The ending is good, I like the ghostly haunting vibe though it does make you feel sad.
The cover is exceptional.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins UK/HarperFiction for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
December 7, 2022
Do you ever have nightmares where you’re trying to rescue someone or something but you’re mired in slow motion?
I suspect a lot of us feel that way right now about our planet and the environment and all the disappearing animals and habitats.
I loved Bradley Somer’s novel Fishbowl , a fine literary tale of a fish’s slow fall from the terrace of a high-rise, so I’m interested in reading anything he writes. Even if it is as different from that previous novel as you could imagine.
Extinction is a literary chase and hunt, rescue and fight, wilderness adventure. If it were a movie, there would be mostly action shots and very little dialogue. The literary and poetic prowess is used to describe every action of the hero, Ben, in his fight to save the last bear on Earth in a time in the future when the planet’s human inhabitants are split into conservationists and trophy hunting maniacs.
My heart pounded during fights, I yelled things like “Oh no!” and of course, I rooted for the bear.
The ending was completely unexpected and wonderful. Rather than give even an inkling of what it is, I’ll say that, based solely on the ending, I would shelve Extinction beside Richard Powers’s The Overstory , Richard Flanagan’s The Living Sea of Waking Dreams , and Charlotte McConaghy’s Migrations .
Thank you, HarperVoyager, for the advanced reading copy.
I suspect a lot of us feel that way right now about our planet and the environment and all the disappearing animals and habitats.
I loved Bradley Somer’s novel Fishbowl , a fine literary tale of a fish’s slow fall from the terrace of a high-rise, so I’m interested in reading anything he writes. Even if it is as different from that previous novel as you could imagine.
Extinction is a literary chase and hunt, rescue and fight, wilderness adventure. If it were a movie, there would be mostly action shots and very little dialogue. The literary and poetic prowess is used to describe every action of the hero, Ben, in his fight to save the last bear on Earth in a time in the future when the planet’s human inhabitants are split into conservationists and trophy hunting maniacs.
My heart pounded during fights, I yelled things like “Oh no!” and of course, I rooted for the bear.
The ending was completely unexpected and wonderful. Rather than give even an inkling of what it is, I’ll say that, based solely on the ending, I would shelve Extinction beside Richard Powers’s The Overstory , Richard Flanagan’s The Living Sea of Waking Dreams , and Charlotte McConaghy’s Migrations .
Thank you, HarperVoyager, for the advanced reading copy.
May 9, 2022
A near future where humans have been abandoning the earth for other planets as nature has withdrawn. The final known grizzly bear saunters on, its ribs showing through its coat. One ranger tracks it, monitors it. Until poachers arrive in the valley, keen to take a little bit of natural history with them when they depart earth.
This would make a great movie - the story is decent, if predictable. The setting is deeply alluring. The set up is good.
But the characters are poorly developed and, really, how many descriptions of the woods can one man take? Not this many, anyway.
This would make a great movie - the story is decent, if predictable. The setting is deeply alluring. The set up is good.
But the characters are poorly developed and, really, how many descriptions of the woods can one man take? Not this many, anyway.
December 26, 2022
Underwhelming. I need a bit more worldbuilding and fewer gunfights to call it dystopian… otherwise, it is just a meh thriller.
November 16, 2022
In all the universe, over all time, they are here together, the last bear and the man who is to protect him.
Ben is a ranger in a vast, unnamed, mountainous forest, and his only job is to protect Earth's last surviving bear. When his solitude is broken by three interlopers intent on tracking down his bear, Ben must decide just how far he will go to ensure the animal's survival.
Extinction explores a future for the planet where climate change and human interference have irrevocably altered the environment, resulting in widespread species extinctions, worldwide wars, famine, and ultimately humanity's colonization of (and departure to) the moon and further space. It's a microcosm of that world, though, an intimate story tightly focused on one man, one bear, and the enemies hunting them both. In some ways it feels more like a story about the past than one about the future, with its strong ties to nature and primitive survival.
This book worked for me both as a cautionary tale and a metaphor, but also as a propulsive, violent, action-packed survival story. There is treachery and betrayal, physical and mental anguish, and fear and danger to be found in these pages. It's laced with tension that ratchets up by degrees, and there's a dramatic, cinematic quality to Bradley Somer's writing resulting in several exhilarating, pulse-pounding scenes that had me turning pages quickly. The conclusion is executed flawlessly. Somer's descriptions of nature are vivid and lush, and yes, sometimes those descriptions are a bit too expansive. But overall the peaceful, natural atmosphere is juxtaposed brilliantly with the gritty violence of the story. It reminded me in some ways of both The Revenant and The River. I think this book would make a fantastic movie.
Extinction manages to do a lot in under 300 pages. It's thought-provoking, sobering, and melancholy, and explores the resilience of the human spirit in harrowing, haunting ways. It made me feel an entire range of emotions. This is an immersive, exciting thriller with a compelling and affecting deeper message, and I highly recommend it for readers of wilderness survival stories, dystopian fiction, and cli-fi. And can we talk for a moment about that cover? Because it's stunning.
December 19, 2022
Is it 3 stars? Is it 2 stars? I don't know. The quality felt really uneven. Some 4-5 star passages really let down by some [very important!] 1-2 star passages. Felt like it was written with a bit too much of an eye to a movie deal (which, if you can swing it, by all means get paid, Bradley Somer).
Something that Somer brings to this book that is distinctive is his background in archaeology (an MA and several years as a practicing archaeologist). I thought that passages that reflected this background shined [come at me, shone-sayers], but verged on gimmicky. It felt like a fine line sometimes. As far as my personal taste is concerned, it was good.
I was irked enough by what I didn't like (mostly flat/unmotivated characters, some plot roads-to-nowhere (or, worse, to a dream of a sequel) that felt like they should have been taken care of by an editor, occasional sentence-level writing that was pretty rough) that I occasionally felt despair. But its strengths were sufficient (e.g. it made me think enough things that I am here writing this review, I thought that the description of the setting was often excellent) that I'm glad I read it in the end. There was enough in it that I'll read something else by Somer sooner or later.
Something that Somer brings to this book that is distinctive is his background in archaeology (an MA and several years as a practicing archaeologist). I thought that passages that reflected this background shined [come at me, shone-sayers], but verged on gimmicky. It felt like a fine line sometimes. As far as my personal taste is concerned, it was good.
I was irked enough by what I didn't like (mostly flat/unmotivated characters, some plot roads-to-nowhere (or, worse, to a dream of a sequel) that felt like they should have been taken care of by an editor, occasional sentence-level writing that was pretty rough) that I occasionally felt despair. But its strengths were sufficient (e.g. it made me think enough things that I am here writing this review, I thought that the description of the setting was often excellent) that I'm glad I read it in the end. There was enough in it that I'll read something else by Somer sooner or later.
July 2, 2023
Read for work. I’m sorry, Bradley Somer. This book wasn’t for me. For me, it was at once extremely boring and confusing (for something so extensively descriptive, I found the locations and action quite confusing) and overly action-based. In present tense, which is a strange thing anyway, this nicely rolls along at a great pace. But, even for such a simple plot, everything felt like it took a long time. The gun fights were a little vague to me, or perhaps I just don’t know enough about guns to make it work. Also, I hate that Ben has sex like… 15 minutes after an extremely traumatic incident…. Horrid. I wanted more character development (why wait until the last five pages to show the most endearing aspect of Ben’s personality! His creativity!) and more world building. I didn’t understand the political and social context of all of this, so it just felt dry. I didn’t understand what Tomos’ problem was. Nothing was explained quite enough. I wanted more. For action fans, this is going to be perfect. It’s violent and packed full of nature and hunting and survival and guns!! AMERICA!!! For a vegetarian, sensitive, totally-not-my-vibe reader … this book ain’t it. I wouldn’t have read this if I didn’t have to lead the book club. Sorry, Bradley. I’m just not your audience.
January 16, 2024
As human beings flee an increasingly inhospitable planet for space colonies, Ben, a wildlife biologist, has vowed to protect "The Boss," Earth's last remaining grizzly bear, no matter the cost. That cost may be very steep, as a world-famous billionaire and his son have decided the Earth is their private trophy hunting ranch, and they are just as determined to destroy The Boss, with help from a deranged, violent guide--another biologist gone rogue.
EXTINCTION is a cat-and-mouse tale in a wilderness setting, with a heart and social conscience not as often seen in this type of book. I'd recommend it to readers of thriller fiction to perhaps inspire some reflection on human arrogance and wastefulness regarding the natural world; and how far some are willing to go to either protect or destroy it.
EXTINCTION is a cat-and-mouse tale in a wilderness setting, with a heart and social conscience not as often seen in this type of book. I'd recommend it to readers of thriller fiction to perhaps inspire some reflection on human arrogance and wastefulness regarding the natural world; and how far some are willing to go to either protect or destroy it.
September 24, 2023
Sadly not as gripping or emotional as I had wished when picking it up. The premises itself sounded very intriguing but I never really was able to form a bond to the main character which made the whole story far less interesting.
Amazing cover though.
Amazing cover though.
April 12, 2025
"I heard voices in the valley last night. Didn't see a fire or flashlight or nothing. He keeps the transmit button pressed. I heard 'em though, talking... I know I did. The cigarette burns. He hunches tighter against the wind. The jacket is fine with the bitter temperature, but the cold seeps down the collar. His legs prickle, numb. Exhaled smoke, exhaled heat, both from inside his body, swirl before his eyes and then are gone."
3.5
Extinction is a hard-hitting, deeply sobering, stark, and entirely unflinching piece of speculative fiction that's told with some really gorgeous nature writing. This entire novel has a real cinematic feeling to it, it almost allows you to smell the crushed pine needles, to see the vast expanse of valleys stretching before your eyes. It's wonderful, glorious... It's beautiful, but if you're here for a traditional thriller, you may be left disappointed, as the explorations of the terrain are what this novel chooses to focus on. Make no mistake, Extinction is a fantastic novel, it's a highly thought-provoking thing, offering us a glimpse into just one of many potential futures for our planet. It also stands as a great example of climate fiction, and may just be my favorite read of the sub-genre.
Rather than focus on telling us a rangers story of survival, the main focus of Extinction is set on capturing the beauty of the world around us. It does such a fantastic job of imparting upon us this feeling of isolation and desperation, it is, a highly lonely novel. Peppered throughout the narrative are nods to all of the great nature driven mysteries out there, even just in this books general vibe, however, Extinction feels a lot more dystopic and apocalyptic than the typical offerings in this genre. Bradley Somer does raise some interesting questions about the future of our planet, and the level of care with which we treat the species that we share our world with, which, ultimately, is far more interesting than the mystery thriller elements of the novel.
This is an achingly human novel, we are trapped within the mind of our main character as he grapples with his own sense of morality, and it's a brilliant thing. This book has a lot of great things going for it, mainly it's staggeringly beautiful writing - while on the thriller side of things, it does feel very typical, it does actually make your heart sink. Extinction should be thought of as a wilderness adventure novel, rather than an out-and-out thriller. It's super sparse dialogue wise, relying almost entirely on sweeping nature scenes with the occasional burst of action. It's a quiet sort of novel, a simmering slow burn rather than a meth-lab explosion. It's also super harrowing, offering only the slimmest glimpse of positivity.
"The bear's eyes move again, this time to gaze across the water's surface, at the trees and the mountains on the far side. The logging company hasn't been over there, neither has the beetle decimated those trees, the fire didn't cross the river; there is just forest, stretching along the riverbank, swooping back from it, uninterrupted and green, up to the tee line on the mountain behind."
3.5
Extinction is a hard-hitting, deeply sobering, stark, and entirely unflinching piece of speculative fiction that's told with some really gorgeous nature writing. This entire novel has a real cinematic feeling to it, it almost allows you to smell the crushed pine needles, to see the vast expanse of valleys stretching before your eyes. It's wonderful, glorious... It's beautiful, but if you're here for a traditional thriller, you may be left disappointed, as the explorations of the terrain are what this novel chooses to focus on. Make no mistake, Extinction is a fantastic novel, it's a highly thought-provoking thing, offering us a glimpse into just one of many potential futures for our planet. It also stands as a great example of climate fiction, and may just be my favorite read of the sub-genre.
Rather than focus on telling us a rangers story of survival, the main focus of Extinction is set on capturing the beauty of the world around us. It does such a fantastic job of imparting upon us this feeling of isolation and desperation, it is, a highly lonely novel. Peppered throughout the narrative are nods to all of the great nature driven mysteries out there, even just in this books general vibe, however, Extinction feels a lot more dystopic and apocalyptic than the typical offerings in this genre. Bradley Somer does raise some interesting questions about the future of our planet, and the level of care with which we treat the species that we share our world with, which, ultimately, is far more interesting than the mystery thriller elements of the novel.
"Dense spruce gives way to more open woods. Most of the pine trees have red needles and mangy patches in their bark, exposing dead blond wood underneath. The beetle has been through this stretch. For decades now, the warmer winters have failed to freeze out the tiny bug, and its spread is unrelenting, burrowing into the wood and sloughing a fungus off its carapace that kills the trees. It doesn't know any better, but it's left a creeping stain across the landscape as it ranges north. Now the forest waits for a fire, and in the meantime, it rains dry needles whenever the wind blows."
This is an achingly human novel, we are trapped within the mind of our main character as he grapples with his own sense of morality, and it's a brilliant thing. This book has a lot of great things going for it, mainly it's staggeringly beautiful writing - while on the thriller side of things, it does feel very typical, it does actually make your heart sink. Extinction should be thought of as a wilderness adventure novel, rather than an out-and-out thriller. It's super sparse dialogue wise, relying almost entirely on sweeping nature scenes with the occasional burst of action. It's a quiet sort of novel, a simmering slow burn rather than a meth-lab explosion. It's also super harrowing, offering only the slimmest glimpse of positivity.
"The bear's eyes move again, this time to gaze across the water's surface, at the trees and the mountains on the far side. The logging company hasn't been over there, neither has the beetle decimated those trees, the fire didn't cross the river; there is just forest, stretching along the riverbank, swooping back from it, uninterrupted and green, up to the tee line on the mountain behind."
October 13, 2025
4.5!!!! coining a new term for nature focused purple prose called green prose because of this book.
THE ENDING! possibly the most satisfying end to a book i've read in a long time.
THE ENDING! possibly the most satisfying end to a book i've read in a long time.
December 28, 2023
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Extinction is a thrilling, sweeping, quick paced novel set against a light dystopian background. People are leaving the planet in droves, but man still needs to feel dominion over a dying Earth.
Somer creates a living, breathing landscape and inspires fear, hope and loathing within the reader. This is a story that encourages you to question your humanity and how one would behave when truly desperate - desperate for safety, for glory, to protect their charge…
Despite being an unexpected departure from Bradley’s Fishbowl (which I read, loved and reviewed in 2022), I genuinely enjoyed Extinction! The narrative was kept quick and tight, the characters and their motivations were clear and I shared in the emotion that each character experienced (trying to avoid spoilers 😅).
Extinction is a thrilling, sweeping, quick paced novel set against a light dystopian background. People are leaving the planet in droves, but man still needs to feel dominion over a dying Earth.
Somer creates a living, breathing landscape and inspires fear, hope and loathing within the reader. This is a story that encourages you to question your humanity and how one would behave when truly desperate - desperate for safety, for glory, to protect their charge…
Despite being an unexpected departure from Bradley’s Fishbowl (which I read, loved and reviewed in 2022), I genuinely enjoyed Extinction! The narrative was kept quick and tight, the characters and their motivations were clear and I shared in the emotion that each character experienced (trying to avoid spoilers 😅).
August 25, 2024
What I originally hoped to be a slow-paced literary science-fiction reflection on environmentalism turned out to be more of a fast-paced trope-filled action movie.
While not necessarily a bad thing (I can appreciate an action-filled bit of shlock fiction), the characterisation in this book was extremely lacking for me. The main character of Ben is not a nobleman protecting this bear for the sake of being a hard-core conservationist or super into environmentalism. He picked this job to get closer to his classmate Emma who also volunteered. He doesn't take his training seriously, and as soon as he starts getting shot at his first thought is to cut and run and leave the bear to take care of himself. It's only through the verbal chastising he receives from the only other female character (who is more of a maternal figure, cleaning his wounds and feeding him stew) that he locks in and decides to try to protect this bear seriously with his life. Ben read as a nothing character to me, like a typical self insert main character in an action movie. This further extended to then what truly made this book a disaster for me, which was Emma coming to his rescue (being the only bitch to land a shot this entire book), only for her to then be reduced to a piece of meat to fuck Ben for comfort and then turn out to have betrayed him and sold out his bear to the poachers in return for a ticket to the new colonies.
Ben's character arc and the way women around him are written make me feel like this man is an incel who lives in the woods rather than in his mum's basement and when he finally gets the girl of his dreams he learns the 'truth' that all women are shit and all they do is use you and lie.
While not necessarily a bad thing (I can appreciate an action-filled bit of shlock fiction), the characterisation in this book was extremely lacking for me. The main character of Ben is not a nobleman protecting this bear for the sake of being a hard-core conservationist or super into environmentalism. He picked this job to get closer to his classmate Emma who also volunteered. He doesn't take his training seriously, and as soon as he starts getting shot at his first thought is to cut and run and leave the bear to take care of himself. It's only through the verbal chastising he receives from the only other female character (who is more of a maternal figure, cleaning his wounds and feeding him stew) that he locks in and decides to try to protect this bear seriously with his life. Ben read as a nothing character to me, like a typical self insert main character in an action movie. This further extended to then what truly made this book a disaster for me, which was Emma coming to his rescue (being the only bitch to land a shot this entire book), only for her to then be reduced to a piece of meat to fuck Ben for comfort and then turn out to have betrayed him and sold out his bear to the poachers in return for a ticket to the new colonies.
Ben's character arc and the way women around him are written make me feel like this man is an incel who lives in the woods rather than in his mum's basement and when he finally gets the girl of his dreams he learns the 'truth' that all women are shit and all they do is use you and lie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2022
* I received this as an ARC from Netgalley.co.uk for free in return for an honest review.
First impression after reading the book: this would make a great movie!
The book is short and to the point and I liked that. I feel like it could be part of a greater universe of stories centered around man's destruction of the environment.
The message was simple to understand, the pros were (mostly) accessible, the pace was good and the characters (mostly) believable.
Some jargon probably common to hikers was thrown around that I didn't understand and descriptions were often used and reused multiple times.
My main criticism was with the primary antagonist. *Spoiler* once his son was killed, the impression I got was that it was a mission of revenge, but that just felt wrong to me. It wasnt enough, they started it. They hunted a man to desperation. His reaction was entirely predictable. Why would he have put his son in that situation in the first place? I felt like he needed more of a reason to feel hard done by Ben.
The action felt gritty. The characters got believably hurt and struggled with their situations. All in all a pretty enjoyable read.
But seriously, someone option this and send it to Liam Neeson because I would watch that movie.
First impression after reading the book: this would make a great movie!
The book is short and to the point and I liked that. I feel like it could be part of a greater universe of stories centered around man's destruction of the environment.
The message was simple to understand, the pros were (mostly) accessible, the pace was good and the characters (mostly) believable.
Some jargon probably common to hikers was thrown around that I didn't understand and descriptions were often used and reused multiple times.
My main criticism was with the primary antagonist. *Spoiler* once his son was killed, the impression I got was that it was a mission of revenge, but that just felt wrong to me. It wasnt enough, they started it. They hunted a man to desperation. His reaction was entirely predictable. Why would he have put his son in that situation in the first place? I felt like he needed more of a reason to feel hard done by Ben.
The action felt gritty. The characters got believably hurt and struggled with their situations. All in all a pretty enjoyable read.
But seriously, someone option this and send it to Liam Neeson because I would watch that movie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2024
An action thriller, touted as the man-vs-nature type, it is far more man-vs-man with a bear somewhere nearby.
Whilst there is a loosely futuristic world in the backdrop, this is very much set in the natural world and focused on Ben, a man with a job that he is second guessing.
If you enjoy an action sequence with fairly good pacing and overall good writing, then this might suit you.
Whilst there is a loosely futuristic world in the backdrop, this is very much set in the natural world and focused on Ben, a man with a job that he is second guessing.
If you enjoy an action sequence with fairly good pacing and overall good writing, then this might suit you.
September 29, 2023
They talk about bears a lot in this book. I like bears
October 28, 2023
Exciting page-turner that, in between the long sections of action, engages with what our relationship with nature means for our humanity and who we are, or what purpose we serve, once it’s gone. Could have done without the tired ‘duplicitous girlfriend’ trope and I thought the ending could have been more committed to one idea, instead of toying with a few.
June 20, 2024
Dystopian novel about a park ranger’s dedication to protecting the last bear. Action packed, but lacked meaningful character development - 2.5 stars.
October 18, 2023
I would have loved this book if I was 12 and had just gotten it out of the riverside public library on my way to catch the bus home
July 9, 2022
Set in the future, the world has become overwhelmed and humanity has moved on to greener pastures (or planets to be precise). Left behind are those who can't afford the flight and those interested in conserving the earth until the very end.
In Extinction, a park ranger is out to protect the final brown bear, a creature fondly called The Boss, from poachers who are determined to make a final kill before jetting off into the cosmos. Its definitely a tale of cat and mouse with the protagonist doing his best to divert the invaders attention in order to give The Boss his best chance at life. I went into it expecting a typical SFF novel and instead was given a not too distant future, general fiction - this isn't a bad thing, I just got something unexpected and had to shift my view.
The narrative is constantly fraught with slow burning suspense relating to the plight of everyone involved. The characters, while not particularly deep, performed their assigned roles and pushed the story in the required direction but didn't go very much beyond that.
I will say that the reader can feel the desolation of the entire situation. The world building, while very familiar in its imagery, pushes the envelope to the point of the world feeling alien and depleted.
Overall, while not entirely my cup of tea, this one is a very thought provoking study into where the world is headed if humanity doesn't pull back on its excesses. Well worth a read if you're into end of the world novels with a suburban twist
In Extinction, a park ranger is out to protect the final brown bear, a creature fondly called The Boss, from poachers who are determined to make a final kill before jetting off into the cosmos. Its definitely a tale of cat and mouse with the protagonist doing his best to divert the invaders attention in order to give The Boss his best chance at life. I went into it expecting a typical SFF novel and instead was given a not too distant future, general fiction - this isn't a bad thing, I just got something unexpected and had to shift my view.
The narrative is constantly fraught with slow burning suspense relating to the plight of everyone involved. The characters, while not particularly deep, performed their assigned roles and pushed the story in the required direction but didn't go very much beyond that.
I will say that the reader can feel the desolation of the entire situation. The world building, while very familiar in its imagery, pushes the envelope to the point of the world feeling alien and depleted.
Overall, while not entirely my cup of tea, this one is a very thought provoking study into where the world is headed if humanity doesn't pull back on its excesses. Well worth a read if you're into end of the world novels with a suburban twist
February 25, 2022
"We should expect the mind to reel with echoes from our deepest past . It takes the most extreme trauma to trigger the unforgotten forgotten. Our conscious brain says “yes”, but the brain who’s only responsibility is our very survival says, “fuck no”.."
In a lonely valley, deep in the mountains, a ranger watches over the last surviving grizzly bear.
With the natural world exhausted and in tatters, Ben has dedicated himself to protecting this single fragment of the wild.
One night, he hears voices in the valley – poachers, come to hunt his bear.
A heart-pounding chase begins, crossing forests and mountainsides, passing centuries of human ruins. Sometimes hunter, sometimes prey – Ben must choose the bear’s fate and his own.
Is he willing to lay down his life for a dying breed?
Is he willing to kill for it?
Reading this novel was the ultimate literary shot in the dark for me, as I knew nothing about the author. But seeing one of his previous novels, “Fishbowl” ( about the observations of a goldfish plummeting past the windows of an apartment building ), I knew I was in for an unconventional reading experience.
And in this respect, “Extinction” didn’t disappoint. On the surface, it is a pulse-pounding thriller about one man’s fight to protect one of the last vestiges of the ravaged natural world against hostile forces, but this being Bradley Somer, there is also an otherworldly feel to the narrative that offers an unconventional and rewarding reading experience.
This book was thoroughly enjoyable, exciting and in places beautiful. I felt as if I could smell the clean pine trees and hear the rippling river whilst I read.
I was pulled towards this book by the title and the dystopian end of the world topic which appealed greatly to me , I have read a few novels with these subjects. In the case of this book I really didn't feel it needed the short sections about space travel and the end of life on earth. It felt to me like these had been used as a way to make us feel more strongly about the fate of the last living bear. Sadly, it is too near to the truth that we have to be on the verge of leaving the planet to care deeply for its wildlife .
Having said that, the book stands up without this device and we share the narrators desire to protect this lonely bear from being hunted to extinction.
The book is so well rooted in nature. The characters are beautifully rounded and described in great detail making their reactions in the story feel real and understandable.
The book was fast paced and exciting in sections with gun fights and stealthy stalking making for exciting passages.
I empathised quickly with the lead male character whilst also feeling for his partner in her isolation and was glad when she made an appearance late. I also loved the mountain lady in her cabin deep in the woods where she had retired to get away from it all.
Overall, it was a beautifully immersive read set in the American wilderness in the perhaps not so distant future . I would recommend the book for lovers of adventure and dystopian and wilderness.
A big thank you to the author Bradley Somer, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and HarperVoyager for the ARC!
In a lonely valley, deep in the mountains, a ranger watches over the last surviving grizzly bear.
With the natural world exhausted and in tatters, Ben has dedicated himself to protecting this single fragment of the wild.
One night, he hears voices in the valley – poachers, come to hunt his bear.
A heart-pounding chase begins, crossing forests and mountainsides, passing centuries of human ruins. Sometimes hunter, sometimes prey – Ben must choose the bear’s fate and his own.
Is he willing to lay down his life for a dying breed?
Is he willing to kill for it?
Reading this novel was the ultimate literary shot in the dark for me, as I knew nothing about the author. But seeing one of his previous novels, “Fishbowl” ( about the observations of a goldfish plummeting past the windows of an apartment building ), I knew I was in for an unconventional reading experience.
And in this respect, “Extinction” didn’t disappoint. On the surface, it is a pulse-pounding thriller about one man’s fight to protect one of the last vestiges of the ravaged natural world against hostile forces, but this being Bradley Somer, there is also an otherworldly feel to the narrative that offers an unconventional and rewarding reading experience.
This book was thoroughly enjoyable, exciting and in places beautiful. I felt as if I could smell the clean pine trees and hear the rippling river whilst I read.
I was pulled towards this book by the title and the dystopian end of the world topic which appealed greatly to me , I have read a few novels with these subjects. In the case of this book I really didn't feel it needed the short sections about space travel and the end of life on earth. It felt to me like these had been used as a way to make us feel more strongly about the fate of the last living bear. Sadly, it is too near to the truth that we have to be on the verge of leaving the planet to care deeply for its wildlife .
Having said that, the book stands up without this device and we share the narrators desire to protect this lonely bear from being hunted to extinction.
The book is so well rooted in nature. The characters are beautifully rounded and described in great detail making their reactions in the story feel real and understandable.
The book was fast paced and exciting in sections with gun fights and stealthy stalking making for exciting passages.
I empathised quickly with the lead male character whilst also feeling for his partner in her isolation and was glad when she made an appearance late. I also loved the mountain lady in her cabin deep in the woods where she had retired to get away from it all.
Overall, it was a beautifully immersive read set in the American wilderness in the perhaps not so distant future . I would recommend the book for lovers of adventure and dystopian and wilderness.
A big thank you to the author Bradley Somer, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and HarperVoyager for the ARC!
July 27, 2022
NETGALLEY ARC
Plot: 5
Characters: 4.5
Writing Style: 5
Cover: 5!!! I want it as a poster!
Enjoyment: 5
Buyable/Re-readable?: Yes.
Having recently returned from Colorado, it honestly made reading this all the more enjoyable and special, as I pictured myself back there when envisioning the book’s setting. If I had had a chance to read it outside whilst there, I totally would have. Makes sense, too, since the author resides near the Rockies.
Somer has a most fantastic writing style, some things gorgeous, some fierce. There were a few very intense scenes that had me holding my breath or unconsciously tensing my muscles. Somer was able to evoke emotions (especially if one is empathetic towards animals and the like - if you view other living things as commodities, as items, then I can't guarantee you'll appreciate this novel to its fullest extent). I teared up, for sure. It drops you right into the story and doesn’t provide much background/past information, but what we are given is enough. Including the ending, I think. There's a neat as a heck concept he introduces in the post-apocalyptic setting, as well, called Earth Dreams. I'll let him and the main character, Ben, explain it -
Love it, believe it, insanely cool and unique.
There's also a scene towards the end of the amazing book where the main character performs such an intimate, loving, respectful act that had me nodding my head and thinking, 'Yep, I would do the exact same thing'.
For fans of post-apocalyptic, space travel (-ish, since we stay on Earth but it's discussed numerous times), animal protection/ranger duties.
(( P.S. Only one typo! Hooray! ))
Plot: 5
Characters: 4.5
Writing Style: 5
Cover: 5!!! I want it as a poster!
Enjoyment: 5
Buyable/Re-readable?: Yes.
Having recently returned from Colorado, it honestly made reading this all the more enjoyable and special, as I pictured myself back there when envisioning the book’s setting. If I had had a chance to read it outside whilst there, I totally would have. Makes sense, too, since the author resides near the Rockies.
Somer has a most fantastic writing style, some things gorgeous, some fierce. There were a few very intense scenes that had me holding my breath or unconsciously tensing my muscles. Somer was able to evoke emotions (especially if one is empathetic towards animals and the like - if you view other living things as commodities, as items, then I can't guarantee you'll appreciate this novel to its fullest extent). I teared up, for sure. It drops you right into the story and doesn’t provide much background/past information, but what we are given is enough. Including the ending, I think. There's a neat as a heck concept he introduces in the post-apocalyptic setting, as well, called Earth Dreams. I'll let him and the main character, Ben, explain it -
"‘Some of the first migrants are suffering them, these vivid, completely immersive dreams of Earth. Where they’re in a jungle or a forest or on the plains, and there’re herds of animals, swarms of insects, and the sounds of birdsong on the breeze....(T)hey say that Earth Dreams are the brain’s way of coping with the fact it’ll never see Earth again.....(A) resurgence of two-hundred-thousand-year-old memories from the deepest folds of our brains, something to comfort those who go farther from home than anyone has ever been, knowing they won’t be returning.....(W)e know how our bodies can deal with it, we don’t have much a clue how our brains will. The primal brain is set up to react, not to think. It’s there to make us survive at all costs. Doesn’t seem out of the question that it would start taking over, fighting for us where our conscious brain has failed. Genetic memory they’re calling it. A manifest of evolution, buried deep in our heads.’"
Love it, believe it, insanely cool and unique.
There's also a scene towards the end of the amazing book where the main character performs such an intimate, loving, respectful act that had me nodding my head and thinking, 'Yep, I would do the exact same thing'.
For fans of post-apocalyptic, space travel (-ish, since we stay on Earth but it's discussed numerous times), animal protection/ranger duties.
(( P.S. Only one typo! Hooray! ))
June 29, 2022
Extinction is one of those books that feels like it's written with the movie in mind. I think sci-fi books often lean into that cinematic feel, and although it's probably not a sign that you're reading a book that will be studied at schools for generations, it can work quite well. It is easy to flip into thinking about the book as the potential movie at times, but it's still a book for now.
So let's start with the protagonist - Ben. From the details given he seems around his mid-twenties. An academic background, now working in an environmental study that has him hiking around a valley monitoring the last bear on Earth. That's about as deep as he gets. In fact, that's about as deep as most characters get. Despite the adventure, I came away with little emotional investment. Except for Poppy Freedom - she may not be a main character, but she seemed the most alive out of them all. She's the one I was rooting for above all others, the one whose fate I actually cared about. Which may say more about me than the story to be fair.
Anyway. In the near(ish) future Earth has undergone some kind of vague calamity, there are hints of some pandemic-type event, but it feels more like an environmental disaster. Certainly the general message is we need to care for the planet before we kill it. But I digress. People are fleeing our ever more barren planet. Which is a rather depressing reality - we already have billionaires building rockets and talking of living on Mars. This book rather painfully points out that implies they've already given up on this planet. And that we'll all rush to join them too. Can I honestly say I'd stick around if I had the choice? It does make me think in that regard. And surely that's the core point of this book. It doesn't slap us in the face with a tired, cliche environmental message. It takes a slightly different angle and that makes it more thoughtful and also more enjoyable.
And that's where this book ends up sitting. It's a good example of the story it tells. It's a heavy subject dealt with in an accessible way. It offers enjoyment rather than sermons. If you come away from it planning to try a little harder then it's a win all round. If you dream of being one of the hunters chasing down a near-extinct species then, well, I can oddly see the book working for you too, but we're getting very different aspects of the same story I guess. It's a decent book. The movie would be good too.
So let's start with the protagonist - Ben. From the details given he seems around his mid-twenties. An academic background, now working in an environmental study that has him hiking around a valley monitoring the last bear on Earth. That's about as deep as he gets. In fact, that's about as deep as most characters get. Despite the adventure, I came away with little emotional investment. Except for Poppy Freedom - she may not be a main character, but she seemed the most alive out of them all. She's the one I was rooting for above all others, the one whose fate I actually cared about. Which may say more about me than the story to be fair.
Anyway. In the near(ish) future Earth has undergone some kind of vague calamity, there are hints of some pandemic-type event, but it feels more like an environmental disaster. Certainly the general message is we need to care for the planet before we kill it. But I digress. People are fleeing our ever more barren planet. Which is a rather depressing reality - we already have billionaires building rockets and talking of living on Mars. This book rather painfully points out that implies they've already given up on this planet. And that we'll all rush to join them too. Can I honestly say I'd stick around if I had the choice? It does make me think in that regard. And surely that's the core point of this book. It doesn't slap us in the face with a tired, cliche environmental message. It takes a slightly different angle and that makes it more thoughtful and also more enjoyable.
And that's where this book ends up sitting. It's a good example of the story it tells. It's a heavy subject dealt with in an accessible way. It offers enjoyment rather than sermons. If you come away from it planning to try a little harder then it's a win all round. If you dream of being one of the hunters chasing down a near-extinct species then, well, I can oddly see the book working for you too, but we're getting very different aspects of the same story I guess. It's a decent book. The movie would be good too.
November 7, 2022
The last bear on Earth is threatened with extinction in this new book by Bradley Somer. A post-apocalyptic world has humans abandoning the planet and moving out into space colonies. The event is not mentioned specifically, but hinted at throughout the book. Somehow, there is only one bear (unknown species) left on the planet and two young rangers, Ben and Emma, are assigned to protect him. One day, Ben hears voices in the forest and goes to investigate. That touches off an adventure.
The people he meets are not the best of humanity. Their greedy intentions toward the bear become obvious over time. Ben and Emma are in a race to keep the bear safe.
This story has some exciting elements, like the passage over the old railroad bridge and the gunfights. I wish there had been more scenes with the bear though, and that we knew which species it was. Polly was a great character. I think she’s my favorite character in the whole book. She really saves the day and is a unique, strong individual. Ben and Emma were a little less believable as rangers. Conservation rangers would need to know more about the biology of the species they are protecting. The bear tracks were described OK, but the gait it was indicated using wasn’t, in my opinion as a professional tracker. But, that’s not a big deal to anyone outside the tracking community, really. The descriptions of the area where the action takes place were good for setting the scene. You get a picture of decayed industrial sites, old fire scars, abandoned railroads and mines, etc. There was not much information on the event that caused humanity to abandon the planet. That would have been a good story element to add, I think.
The story is fast-paced, with chases and gunfights, and narrow escapes. Extreme weather is thrown in too. I thought it was sad what happened with the bear, but it was inevitable in a post-apocalyptic story. The ending was good and offered some hope for the future of the planet though.
This was a good overall adventure/thriller and had some sci-fi/post-apocalyptic elements that were not deeply addressed. All around, a solid thriller set against a wilderness backdrop.
The people he meets are not the best of humanity. Their greedy intentions toward the bear become obvious over time. Ben and Emma are in a race to keep the bear safe.
This story has some exciting elements, like the passage over the old railroad bridge and the gunfights. I wish there had been more scenes with the bear though, and that we knew which species it was. Polly was a great character. I think she’s my favorite character in the whole book. She really saves the day and is a unique, strong individual. Ben and Emma were a little less believable as rangers. Conservation rangers would need to know more about the biology of the species they are protecting. The bear tracks were described OK, but the gait it was indicated using wasn’t, in my opinion as a professional tracker. But, that’s not a big deal to anyone outside the tracking community, really. The descriptions of the area where the action takes place were good for setting the scene. You get a picture of decayed industrial sites, old fire scars, abandoned railroads and mines, etc. There was not much information on the event that caused humanity to abandon the planet. That would have been a good story element to add, I think.
The story is fast-paced, with chases and gunfights, and narrow escapes. Extreme weather is thrown in too. I thought it was sad what happened with the bear, but it was inevitable in a post-apocalyptic story. The ending was good and offered some hope for the future of the planet though.
This was a good overall adventure/thriller and had some sci-fi/post-apocalyptic elements that were not deeply addressed. All around, a solid thriller set against a wilderness backdrop.
February 4, 2022
The Revanant meets the end of the world this book was thoroughly enjoyable exciting and in places beautiful , I felt I could smell the clean pine trees and hear the rippling river whilst I read.
I was pulled to this book by the title and the dystopian end of the world topic which appeals greatly to me , I read a lot of novels with these subjects . In the case of this book I really didn't feel it needed the short sections about space travel and the end of life on earth it felt to me like these had been used as a way to make us feel more strongly about the fate of the last living bear . sadly it is too near to the truth and we done have to be on the verge of leaving the planet to care deeply for its wildlife . Having said that the book stands up without this device and we share the narrators desire to protect this lonely bear from being hunted to extinction.
The book is so well rooted in its Nr in the book. Both characters are beautifully rounded and described in great detail making their reactions in the story feel real and understandable
the book was fast paced and exciting in sections with gun fights and stealthy stalking making for exciting passages
I loved the mountain lady in her cabin deep in the woods where she had retired to get away from it all , I'd quite like to join her
in summary a beautifully immersive read set in the American wilderness in the perhaps not so distant future . I would recommend the book for lovers of adventure and dystopian and wilderness reads orth American mountain wilderness that this becomes quickly the star of the show and reading became and enjoyable immersive experience
I empathised quickly with the lead male character whilst also feeling for his partner in her isolation and was glad when she made an appearance late
I was pulled to this book by the title and the dystopian end of the world topic which appeals greatly to me , I read a lot of novels with these subjects . In the case of this book I really didn't feel it needed the short sections about space travel and the end of life on earth it felt to me like these had been used as a way to make us feel more strongly about the fate of the last living bear . sadly it is too near to the truth and we done have to be on the verge of leaving the planet to care deeply for its wildlife . Having said that the book stands up without this device and we share the narrators desire to protect this lonely bear from being hunted to extinction.
The book is so well rooted in its Nr in the book. Both characters are beautifully rounded and described in great detail making their reactions in the story feel real and understandable
the book was fast paced and exciting in sections with gun fights and stealthy stalking making for exciting passages
I loved the mountain lady in her cabin deep in the woods where she had retired to get away from it all , I'd quite like to join her
in summary a beautifully immersive read set in the American wilderness in the perhaps not so distant future . I would recommend the book for lovers of adventure and dystopian and wilderness reads orth American mountain wilderness that this becomes quickly the star of the show and reading became and enjoyable immersive experience
I empathised quickly with the lead male character whilst also feeling for his partner in her isolation and was glad when she made an appearance late
December 8, 2024
I forget who I saw reading and recommending this but I thought it sounded decent and picked up on PangoBooks. Loving the cover but didn't care too much for the story.
Set in a near future, humans have finally damaged the Earth to the point that they have begun settling elsewhere in outer space. Flights off the planet are expensive and not everyone is prepared to leave just yet. Our protag Ben, a ranger and conservationist, has dedicated his time to protecting the last living grizzly bear from poachers. One night, Ben hears voices the valley and things suddenly turn all cat and mouse with guns ablazin' as they each attempt to get to the bear first...
Eh. I wish it would have spent a little more time on the whole 'end of the earth' piece of the storyline. I mean, why bring in science fiction elements if you don't intend to draw on them? But it appears Somer's was interested in writing a gazillion bad shoot-out scenes, poorly placed and confusing flashbacks that just appeared in the middle of a scene without warning, and horribly underdeveloped characters.
I should have DNFd it, but the ever hopeful reader in me was hanging on in the hopes that it would get better. It didn't.
An eco-thriller that comes up short on both the eco and the thriller.
Set in a near future, humans have finally damaged the Earth to the point that they have begun settling elsewhere in outer space. Flights off the planet are expensive and not everyone is prepared to leave just yet. Our protag Ben, a ranger and conservationist, has dedicated his time to protecting the last living grizzly bear from poachers. One night, Ben hears voices the valley and things suddenly turn all cat and mouse with guns ablazin' as they each attempt to get to the bear first...
Eh. I wish it would have spent a little more time on the whole 'end of the earth' piece of the storyline. I mean, why bring in science fiction elements if you don't intend to draw on them? But it appears Somer's was interested in writing a gazillion bad shoot-out scenes, poorly placed and confusing flashbacks that just appeared in the middle of a scene without warning, and horribly underdeveloped characters.
I should have DNFd it, but the ever hopeful reader in me was hanging on in the hopes that it would get better. It didn't.
An eco-thriller that comes up short on both the eco and the thriller.
July 4, 2022
Extinction is quite different to anything I have read before. It’s a simple story on the face of things, however it is quite a compelling tale.
Mountain ranger, Ben, has vowed to protect the last surviving grisly bear. When poachers arrive on the hunt for the animal, he has hard choices to make in his mission to survive and protect the species from extinction.
I think what impressed me the most about this book was the beautiful way it is written with such descriptive language. It effortlessly transported me to the mountains and in to the thick of the action.
Ben’s dedication to this animal is admirable. Nature is a powerful thing, but also quite vulnerable at times. We should all do our part to protect our world and all its inhabitants. Ben goes well above and beyond!
This is an action thriller with a difference. One with an important message and a hopeful twist.
I very much recommend.
** Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via #NetGalley **
https://chataboutbooks.blog/2022/07/0...
Mountain ranger, Ben, has vowed to protect the last surviving grisly bear. When poachers arrive on the hunt for the animal, he has hard choices to make in his mission to survive and protect the species from extinction.
I think what impressed me the most about this book was the beautiful way it is written with such descriptive language. It effortlessly transported me to the mountains and in to the thick of the action.
Ben’s dedication to this animal is admirable. Nature is a powerful thing, but also quite vulnerable at times. We should all do our part to protect our world and all its inhabitants. Ben goes well above and beyond!
This is an action thriller with a difference. One with an important message and a hopeful twist.
I very much recommend.
** Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via #NetGalley **
https://chataboutbooks.blog/2022/07/0...
June 20, 2025
The main thing that stood out to me here was how the author chose to visualize the environment. Almost like Michener, In describing every other glacier, rock, mountain, and tree, he would give a paragraph-long account of their natural history, spanning back thousands or millions of years to explain how nature forged this feature of the landscape.
It’s definitely an effective way to get you to render a scene in your head, but it has thematic relevance as well. In a realistic, relatively grounded sci-fi setting where most of humanity wants to live on some colony on the moon due to resource exhaustion, these natural histories lead you to appreciate the massive amount of work done by nature to carve out a world where every rock, plant, fungus, and animal occupies a niche, as well as the time it took for each of those to evolve to fit their niches.
“Exploration,” is, at the end of the day, a fast-paced and engaging survival thriller. But in between the gunfights and cigarette breaks, it has a number of interesting ideas about the natural world, our place in it, and what it really means to leave it all behind.
It’s definitely an effective way to get you to render a scene in your head, but it has thematic relevance as well. In a realistic, relatively grounded sci-fi setting where most of humanity wants to live on some colony on the moon due to resource exhaustion, these natural histories lead you to appreciate the massive amount of work done by nature to carve out a world where every rock, plant, fungus, and animal occupies a niche, as well as the time it took for each of those to evolve to fit their niches.
“Exploration,” is, at the end of the day, a fast-paced and engaging survival thriller. But in between the gunfights and cigarette breaks, it has a number of interesting ideas about the natural world, our place in it, and what it really means to leave it all behind.
April 28, 2022
Extinction is what I call peripheral science fiction. The futuristic element is there but off stage. Earth is dying, on its last legs, and most of the population is heading off-world. In fact, part of the driving factor in the story is the aspiration to receive a ticket to space. But we never travel to space and instead are firmly grounded in the North American wilderness.
Our MC is a green-type, devoted to the planet and willing to go down with the ship. He is part of a project meant to protect one of the last grizzly bears on the planet. Our story begins when the peace of the forest is disrupted by 'tourists'. Bradley has written a taut and tense action thriller with an eco-conservation message underneath it that propels the reader through the story. There are bullets flying and the body count at the end was higher than I expected. It never gets sidetracked into poetic tracts about nature, but it does paint a background to the plot, and certainly, there is a haunting feeling as we realize just how degraded our planet has become in this possible future.
Our MC is a green-type, devoted to the planet and willing to go down with the ship. He is part of a project meant to protect one of the last grizzly bears on the planet. Our story begins when the peace of the forest is disrupted by 'tourists'. Bradley has written a taut and tense action thriller with an eco-conservation message underneath it that propels the reader through the story. There are bullets flying and the body count at the end was higher than I expected. It never gets sidetracked into poetic tracts about nature, but it does paint a background to the plot, and certainly, there is a haunting feeling as we realize just how degraded our planet has become in this possible future.
July 7, 2022
Humanity is departing Earth, and there are not many animals left either. Ranger Ben watches over the last bear, with only a couple of colleagues on radio to turn to. His life is lonely and tiring. One night he hears voices - poachers. How far will he go to try and save the last bear?
This is a starkly written speculative fiction story that will look great on the big screen one day. In some ways it's like an extended chase scene. The plot is not sprawling - it's essentially a whole book about trying to save the bear from a small group of selfish men. You are going to learn a lot about the way trees look and about Ben's aching muscles, with the odd scene looking back to give some context to the few characters on page. Nevertheless, I did find it a compelling read. I wanted to know what came next. And I like the questions the book raises (like so much good SFF) - about how far you'd be willing to go in the face of disaster to achieve your goals.
I'm on the fence about how satisfying I found the ending - I think I need a few more days to sit with it! 3.5 rounded to 4.
This is a starkly written speculative fiction story that will look great on the big screen one day. In some ways it's like an extended chase scene. The plot is not sprawling - it's essentially a whole book about trying to save the bear from a small group of selfish men. You are going to learn a lot about the way trees look and about Ben's aching muscles, with the odd scene looking back to give some context to the few characters on page. Nevertheless, I did find it a compelling read. I wanted to know what came next. And I like the questions the book raises (like so much good SFF) - about how far you'd be willing to go in the face of disaster to achieve your goals.
I'm on the fence about how satisfying I found the ending - I think I need a few more days to sit with it! 3.5 rounded to 4.
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