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Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Black Hull by Joseph A Turkot : A Review


 
BOOK TITLE: Black Hull – The Complete Novel

ISBN: -

AUTHOR: Joseph A. Turkot

GENRE: Science Fiction

NUMBER OF PAGES: 351

FORMAT: Digital

SERIES / STANDALONE: Standalone

REVIEW BY: Dhivya Balaji

HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: Won the book in a book likes giveaway.

REVIEW:

          When I won this book in a book likes give away, the title intrigued me. And reading the 251 page book only increased the mounting sense of confusion. For a science fiction novel, the book included a lot of strange words and thought forward theories. This book was worth the review because the author has requested for one.

          Any book of any genre can be clear on the concept and vague on the words or vice versa. But for a thoroughly enjoyable read, there has to be a coherence and charm to the narrative. This book manages a smashing opening and it is only after a few pages do we realise that we have been transported to the future, for the first time in THIS story.

          And it takes the average reader some time to realise the gravity of the situation in which the hero is stuck. Imagine being stuck in a spaceship light years away from the planet earth in a cryogenic chamber. That is exactly how the hero is. And then we are made to understand that he got into such a situation due to a problem in the spaceship he was travelling in and the ship meeting with an accident.

          The story quickly progresses with the hero being rescued by a robot who tells him that he is in the year 4000. In the future he meets a few characters that promise him that they will give him an opportunity for travelling back to his time and his family. So our hero aids his rescuers and decides to embark on missions to get money for his travel back home.

          We are also introduced to the story of why Mick was forced to go into the space travel in the first place. All Mick longs for is to go back home to his loving wife and kids. And to overcome his haunting past, he accepts to just another assignment and so his experiences continue. From his rescuer to his enemy, to the singular entity called as Force of Darkness who is intent on destroying all of humanity, Mick’s companions vary all through the book.

          But the book includes more philosophical content. The need to save humanity and stop the destruction of earth is emphasised all through the book. But the most striking aspect of the book is the virtual mirage world, Utopia, reaching which is the dream of more than half the people in the book. It is the fabled land of plenty and the land of all is good, always, forever.

          From the soldier cell-robot Sera to the droids XJ and GR, everyone wants to go to this virtual land and be reunited with their families and lost loved ones. But the world is just that, virtual. The mindless struggle to achieve the pointless is the whole point of the narrative. The book tries to achieve a preachy tone in the guise of science fiction, and slightly succeeds in creating the fear of what if. But the narrative is not strong enough to drive the point home.

WHAT I LIKED: Good thrilling scenes, and nice scientific concepts

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER: Preachy narrative, weak script

VERDICT: Since the title says complete novel, we expected a bit more closure. But the end says it’s just an episode. Go for it if only you are a die-hard sci-fi fan.

RATING: 3/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joseph Turkot grew up and lives in New Jersey. He began writing and drawing at a young age. In school, Joseph was zoned out, daydreaming that he was A) Luke Skywalker, B) A hobbit, or C) Goku/Bruce Lee, depending upon what day it was. Today, he has crafted his own worlds, filled them with characters, and painted their stories. He writes in a variety of genres including realistic fiction, science fiction, and fantasy.

EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Kindle

PRICE: Rs. 184 for kindle edition

BOOK LINKS:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EBLDASS?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00EBLDASS&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2

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