A Deeper Sea

Description

In the year 2015, a dolphin researcher with dubious motives removes the barriers impeding human/delphine communications and transforms the ocean-dwelling creatures into cybernetic weapons of destruction. Reprint. NYT.

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Customer Reviews

A jaunty cover hides a dark tale
Well, this was a very interesting premise for a book - sort of a darker version of Grimwood's _Into The Deep_. The dolphins were certainly not cute and cuddly. It was a rather grim, but fascinating story. As it moved through time, it was a bit... abrupt. The story didn't flow all that smoothly, but it certainly was interesting. Although, Jablokov's 2015 was not remotely similar to Back to the Future Part II's 2015 - not a hoverboard or flying car in sight!

2009-06-08 (Chicago, IL) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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An Author to Watch
Alexander Jablokov's account of man's first contact with Dolphin's, A Deeper Sea refuses to stick to any fomula, repeatedly taking the novel in unexpected directions and refusing to romanticize anything, especially his Dolphin's. A Deeper Sea is a quirky, intelligent novel, full of surprises.

2005-01-11 (San Francisco, CA) | Helpful Votes: 6 | Rating: 4

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Not the book it appears to be--but rewarding reading
A Deeper Sea has been unfairly criticized, I think, because reviewers were looking at it mainly as hard science fiction. And, certainly, the hard SF elements are there. This book includes plenty of scientifically credible portrayals of marine mammal communication, underwater and space exploration, and so on. And it's humorous that the dolphins, whom we tend to sentimentalize, turn out to be SOBs when they start talking.

But the real focus of this book is the main character's spiritual journey, as he is gradually transformed by guilt and self-punishment. There is much meditation on the nature of god (in the generic sense) and human responsibility toward the divine. Though it's been a few years since I read Dostoyevski's Crime and Punishment, I think A Deeper Sea has much the same agenda. It's probably not a coincidence that the main character is a Russian, of the gloomy and philosophical variety.

Those who enjoy a strong character study and the pleasures of philosophy will find this unusual book a rewarding read.

2000-02-16 | Helpful Votes: 6 | Rating: 4

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Highly entertaining, I enjoyed it
This is my favorite Jablokov novel. I feel it was his most original (not to say his others are bad). I suggest everyone purchase it.

1999-06-21 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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A Deeper Sea
This was a very interesting book. Jablakov does a wonderful job in a futuristic story about the interactions of Dolphins, Whales, Humans, and the God that is waited for. A definate page turner, worth the wait of finding an out of print copy.

1998-03-13 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Carve the Sky

Description

With the threat of interplanetary war looming in the twenty-fifth century solar system, Anton Lindgren, security officer for the powerful Lord Monboddo, acquires a priceless piece of art that comes with a legacy of intrigue and death. Reprint. NYT.

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Customer Reviews

A work of art - crammed with works of art......
It took me a LONG time to decide on that most ellusive of decisions: My favourite book. This book isn't that book. But it took only about half a chapter OF this book for it to become my second favourite book. Of all time.

When i suggest Mr. Jablokov's work, i say "You might enjoy them out of order... if you think you really will read all his novels, you might want to save the best for last. And that (so far) is his first novel: Carve the Sky."

Warning: before taking my word on that read this: IF you aren't captivated by his other (also excellent) novels, go to Carve the Sky.
Please.
I think any intelligent and intellectually inquisitive life-form should read this. So don't let the other works deflect you from absorbing this exquisite work. I beg you.

I think i've loaned all three of my copies out and they've never come home... i think i'll have to buy another.

No spoilers here. If you find works of art the least bit fascinating, there is an entire "bonus layer" to this work. It works on many levels, but this man describes fictional works of art - that i am not sure any artist could ever match for quality.

I've gushed enough.


{{I expect a few may ask my first favourite. Also an SF work, the second (at least in the original release order) in the Ender's Game Trilobyte/series/obsession. "Speaker for the Dead" by Orson Scott Card.}}

2007-09-29 | thoughtstorms (Arlington, Texas, USA, North America. Earth, Sol System, Milky Way, Universe) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Carve the Sky
It has been a long while since I have read a truly amazing book, and now that time has ended. I found this book hiding away on the shelves in our guest bedroom, while I was aimlesly wandering my house. I was just grazing through the many books that were on the shelf, and happened to pick this out, thinking it may be a pretty good book. It turned out to be one of the best I've ever read, and ever will read. I've read many good books, and this is one of them, and always will be. I was securely hooked by it, and couldn't stop reading. I just wish, after finishing it, that there was more. That the book would go on, so that I could read more of the outstanding work. This book will greatly entertain a vast variety of readers, from people looking for romance, to science fiction fanatics, to spy and espionage lovers, to just regular people looking for a good book to read. And when finished, it will leave you with a longing in the pit of your stomach, wanting more, forced to look for another book of the same dream-like greatness. This honestly is one of the best you'll ever read, one you'll never forget, and will forever more remain one of my favorites.

2004-05-13 | joeman90-09 (CO, USA) | Helpful Votes: 4 | Rating: 5

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inventive and auspicious debut of high class
This is a gem of a book which I found by pure coinsidence in a small libraby. It is one of those futuristic novels which reawakens ones primal passion for the SF genre. It is a very sophisticated novel with the most lovable heroes. The plot equals the masters of the genre and a language like an aribian tresure. Zelazny said of this book, that it is everything a good science fiction novel should be - memorable characters, a well-realized future milieu, clever plotting, appropriate pacing. And he loved every minute of it. What more can be said?

2002-04-11 | Helpful Votes: 4 | Rating: 5

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1991?
Hard to believe that was written in 1991. Boring and hokey as...

1999-09-23 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 1

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An original SF thriller. Art in the future.
It's so rare to find a futuristic SF novel that dares deal with main stream art: painting / sculpture / whatever. To find a book that does it beautifully, in the background of a great detective plot full of interesting social structures and characters, well... I loved it. Oh yeah, I read it almost a year ago. This really is a book you'll remember.

1999-01-23 | Helpful Votes: 4 | Rating: 5

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River of Dust

Description

Returning to Mars after a long visit to Earth, a politician learns that his younger brother has become involved in a dangerous underground cult movement that is responsible for a governor's assassination. Reprint. PW.

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Customer Reviews

A prequel to Carve the Sky
River of Dust is a prequel of sorts to Jablokov's first novel, Carve the Sky. An expansion of his novella "Syrtis," it tells the story of brothers Hektor and Breyton Passman, sons of famous Martian political figure Lon Passman. Hektor, the younger brother, is pursuing the political career Breyton abandoned. Breyton, more passionate and exuberant than Hektor, is waiting for inspiration to strike and show him his path in life.

The Passmans live in Scamander, a city located underneath the hostile surface of the red planet. The subterranean populace of Mars is divided into two classes-the well-educated upper class, which includes the Passmans, and the rough and tumble working class. This centuries old caste system is experiencing upheaval, due to the radical philosophies of Rudolf Hounslow. Hounslow's followers, known as the Pure Land School, have launched a terrorist strike, assassinating a relatively harmless colonial official.

The assassination triggers a series of events which eventually find the brothers on opposite sides of a civil war. Breyton joins the Pure Land School, while Hektor deals with the political fallout, eventually designing a Machiavellian plot to crush the rebels. The conflict takes its toll on the Passmans, costing the lives of friends and family, and forcing the two young men even further apart.

Jablokov's characters are complex, colorful and believable, as are their relationships. The setting, the claustrophobic caverns of Mars, is intriguing, as are its effects on Martian society. Martians are a special breed, and Jablokov revels in their idiosyncrasies. Especially enjoyable is the Martian penchant for theatrical gestures, the catalyst for many memorable scenes.

The book's major problems stem from the author's failure to detail the underpinnings of the societal conflict at novel's center. Rupert Hounslow's beliefs initiate momentous events, yet are never fully expounded. The aristocracy's side (i.e. preserving the status quo) is reasonably clear, but the agenda of the Pure Land School is never fully explored. Was this a sizable movement, or merely a bunch of rabble rousers who succeeded in disrupting Martian society? The reader never knows what is really at stake.

However, these flaws are far from fatal. Jablokov delivers a finely crafted story with several well-drawn characters and intriguing plot twists. Having had a taste of Mars, discerning readers may hope that Jablokov will soon revisit this fertile territory.

2007-03-21 (Rockaway, NJ USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 4

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Great world development and vivid setting but confusing plot and characters
_River of Dust_ by Alexander Jablokov is a science fiction novel set on the planet Mars several centuries into the future. Humanity has resided on the Red Planet for several hundred years and has started to develop its own culture there. Early, starry-eyed attempts at surface habitats and terraforming have been abandoned, as Martian society is an urban and underground one. There are large cities on Mars, or rather in Mars, tunneled through the Martian rock, sometimes peeking at the sky above through heavily shielded windows, but more often very deep underground.

The best thing about the book is its portrayal of the Martian cities (particularly of the main setting of the book, the city of Scamander). The author did a good job of portraying Mars as a distinct culture, as a country, with its own fashion, fads, sense of decorum and of honor, relationships between government and the governed, politics, holidays, festivals, dreaded figures from its past, etc. The reader is not eased into Martian society but rather pretty much thrown into it and for a time it was difficult going but eventually understandable. It almost reminded me of watching Shakespeare performed or hearing the quick banter of interwar British high society types in a _Poirot_ movie; hard to comprehend at first, maybe even baffling, but after a time you get used to it and don't even notice it after a time.

The worst thing about the book though is its complex, difficult to understand plot, one of politics, intrigue, and family feuds. In one sense, the novel is about who has control over Mars, which political faction, whether Earth or one of the ones native to Mars, whether its own government (nominally independent of Earth) or another faction, that of the Pure Land School, lead by an individual named Rudolf Hounslow. Within this struggle various organizations fight politically with one another even though they agree on overall goals (two military/police organizations - Internal Security or InSec and the Vigil - clash quite a bit over jurisdiction and methods in the book). In another sense, it is also a tale of family tragedy, of the rise and fall of a once great family and in particular two brothers, Hektor and Breyton Passman and their father, Lon, a family still haunted by a past in which the Passman brother's mother and sister had died and torn apart in the present by divided loyalties in the Byzantine politics of Mars.

Byzantine plots in and of themselves might not be such a problem and I knew going into the novel that Martian politics would be a major theme, but I was hampered by the fact that I never really understood some of the actors. What motivated Hounslow and the Pure Land School (or one of their acolytes, Brenda Marr, who was a major character)? What did they want? They wanted to control Mars, but what made them different from any other faction? They were described as Neo-Confucian, but what did that mean? They spoke a few times of the purity of the Martian surface, but was that just a sense of aesthetics or did they seriously think that Martian society would give up the vast underground cities, given how difficult if not impossible life would be on the surface? Brenda Marr herself was a complete enigma; I never once understood her motives. Was I supposed to?

With regard to the Passman brothers, I felt Jablokov didn't quite flesh them out well enough. Despite them being the main characters, I never quite understood why they were estranged, or why they chose the sides that they did, which detracted some from any sense of tragedy that the author was building towards. He did a nice job of describing their great home, Xui House, once a fine noble building that was the center of attention, now largely empty, but their motivations never quite clicked with me

In the end, I have mixed feelings about the novel. I thought it had a promising beginning, and the end, while exciting in some ways was also confusing in others. On the one hand the book had one of the finest portraits of a possible, future Mars but on the other hand its heavily political plot to me at least never quite gelled. A good effort though.

2007-03-01 (Madison, AL United States) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 3

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Slow Starter - Ripping Ending
When I first started reading this, I though dull, dull, DULL. I stuck at it, and and was amply rewarded for doing so, because the ending is superb. I can only recommend this to people with patience enough to read a slow developing story, but those who do will love it as much as I did.

2001-08-03 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Overlooked but powerful
I have followed Alexander Jablakov's work since his powerful short stories in Asimov's back in the 1980's. Nobody else seems to know who he is. Anyhow: River of Dust is his most powerful to date. The society is riveting, its history mysterious, and the central tale -- the tale of three siblings (one of whom we never meet) -- is tragedy as Shakespeare would have written if he had written science fiction. I only give a 10 to a novel that I want to immediately re-read, but this one makes it to my "I will re-read it when I run out of new books to read" list (the 9 list).

1998-03-05 (San Jose, CA, United States) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

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Brain Thief (Sci Fi Essential Books)

Description

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Customer Reviews

Herky-Jerky "Mysterious Mystery"
BRAIN THIEF (2009) is a collection of random scribblings, set somewhere in place and time, intended to have a plot. It is all indeed a mystery - a mystery what the story is about... a mystery what the characters are talking about (I always have the feeling that the characters are "in" on some inside joke that I don't know about)... a mystery how they just seem to "show up together" at various points in the story. A real mystery.

I think I might care about what the mystery is about... but then, maybe not. I'll leave it all as a mystery to you too.

2010-05-26 (San Diego, CA United States) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 1

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Brain Thief
Books that combine the futuristic vision of science fiction with hard-edged mystery and crime elements, such as Richard K. Morgan's //Takeshi Kovacs// novels, can be good, albeit not necessarily clean, adrenaline-pumping fun. However, //Brain Thief// by Alexander Jablokov, despite some positive aspects, falls a bit flat.

The main character in //Brain Thief//, Bernal Haydon-Rumi, stops by his boss's house after a business trip and things immediately go askew. His boss, Muriel, flees the house and steals the car of a thief who was burglarizing her neighbor. The thief, in turn, knocks Bernal out and steals his car. The plot continues as Bernal follows cryptic notes left by Muriel and encounters further strange occurrences and people, including an artificial intelligence, investigator, cryo-therapist, and serial killer.

In //Brain Thief//, the characters never come to life, especially Bernal who is basically a cipher. Jablokov has a dry writing style that makes it hard to care about what is going on in the book, no matter how unusual. In addition, it can be difficult to make sense of the plot and determine what exactly is going on. On the positive side, Jablokov addresses interesting ideas, such as artificial intelligence, and has a quirky perspective which would appeal to certain readers.

Reviewed by Doug Robins

2010-02-23 | Sacramento Book Review (Sacramento, CA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 3

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A mystery story with the elements of science fiction
The mystery starts right away when Bernal is just coming home from a business trip stopping by to see his boss. He gets the feeling something's not right. You start to see, as well, something is askew. Chasing his boss as she runs away and steals a car to get away. What is going on? Muriel, Bernals boss, leaves hints and messages to help steer him on the right path to help him with the mystery of Hesketh. Hesketh is an artificial intelligence that is on a sample run through the hillsides before it is actually sent into space.

I have to say I understood what was going on at the beginning of the book. Then there were a lot of strange things mentioned in which I got confused on. There was talk of Hesketh, Hess Corp - who worked on Hesketh before Madeline and Muriel took on the project with Muriels money, and Long Voyage - a cryobank for people wanting to wake up in the future. The confusion was not that I didn't completely understand what I was reading but mostly that I didn't believe what I was reading. I couldn't figure out if I was reading and comprehending it properly. (This being part of the mystery stuff.) I started to tally all the information I was getting separately in my head then piecing it together to see where the book was going. I was just a little ahead of the author, as just as I was doing this he then started to do it in the book. At around 150 pages into the book Bernal started to piece the puzzle together as well. Which when I hit this point I was so proud of myself as I was coming right up at the same lines as the main character. Hurray for me to understand and put it together! Then there was new information added nicely from this point to include in solving the mystery.

The best part of the book that kept me going was wondering who was leaving the messages and who was dead or alive, who was the serial killer, and what was going on with Hesketh (if it really worked). In the end I got the answers I was looking for. The mystery element was what kept me going in the book.

The characters unfold nicely as the book goes. There are a few characters you really don't truly meet and follow through but they feel as they are main characters by the way they are talked about, described, and messages passed on. I liked this angle as I really felt I got to know these characters and they really came through. In the end I really enjoyed most of the characters.

There were just a few minor unfavored points: There were a few spots that when things were brought up or thought, it almost felt like it didn't really flow or blend with what was going on. Almost like the information was needed and had to be told somewhere, but there were only a small few of these. Then there was the main character Bernal. I felt like I really didn't get to know him as well as the other characters. I mean I did get to know him but for some reason I didn't feel the connection as much with him as all the other characters. I liked him but that was all. He did do a great job of solving the mystery at hand and sticking to his guns on his ideas.

This has been a wonderful mystery with the science fiction element added in. Many of the characters have parallel characteristics which could point to them as the possible killer behind all of this. But there is one that fits all the pieces very well. Can you figure it out?

2010-01-29 (Adamsburg, PA) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 4

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Unconventional; not for everyone
This is a difficult book for me to review--mainly because I'm not sure how I feel about it. When I finished Brain Thief, my initial reaction was more or less the mental equivalent of a shrug. OK, it's done, now I can read something else. As you might guess, I hadn't exactly found it to be a page-turner; I didn't have any trouble putting it down and going to sleep. In fact, it put me to sleep a couple of times. (But the dreams...)

This book is so different from my usual recreational fare of science fiction and fantasy that I didn't really know what to make of it. In a way, it's a murder mystery--but that doesn't become clear until well past the middle of the book, when the first body turns up. Most of the "action" consists of the hapless "hero"--Bernal--trying to track down his missing employer, Muriel, who has a penchant for leaving cryptic messages that serve mostly to frustrate poor Bernal. Alas, Bernal is fated to suffer worse adversity than mere frustration as he pursues his feckless quest; the accumulation of damage begins with a blow to the head from a cast-iron dog (a doorstop) wielded by a burglar who just HAS to borrow a car RIGHT NOW. The burglar needs the car because Muriel (whom Bernal has just glimpsed running out of her house in a pink nightie) has just stolen the burglar's (already stolen) car while said burglar was engaged in the pursuit of his trade in a neighbor's house. This appears to be a principled sort of burglar, as Bernal's car is promptly returned with an apologetic note.

As Bernal continues to play detective (a role for which he is emphatically unqualified), he encounters a diverse set of bizarre characters. The majority of these are unusually large and muscular women that may (or may not) have eccentric obsessions and relationships, sometimes even with other humans. Some of these individuals add to Bernal's collection of bruises, scratches, and abrasions, as do the occasional explosions of uncertain origin. You might think that all this sounds both exciting and funny; however I found it to be neither. Jablokov's style is described as "deadpan" on the cover blurb; maybe that's apt, but you could also call it "flat". None of the characters was likable enough to identify with, and the events were narrated in such a disconnected and cryptic manner that my dominant reaction was one of perpetual confusion.

Particularly frustrating (to me, not Bernal) is that several key characters never actually come on stage during the book. For example, the engineer who designs the artificial intelligence for a sort of planetary explorer vehicle that was originally meant to be landed on some alien planet (before the government canceled the project) is allegedly at the center of whatever is going on. We hear about her often, but she has no "speaking part" in the novel. Muriel, too, is notable by her persistent absence.

All this, and the fact that the entire plot makes very little sense kept me from being engaged by this book. I was thinking I'd probably give it two or three stars if I got around to writing a review of it at all.

That changed when I started to tell a friend about Brain Thief. I had meant to give him a quick synopsis; oddly, I found myself unable to stop talking. This was, I eventually realized, because there were so many interesting things to talk about in this book. The rich repertoire of weird characters, motivations, events, and odd facts in Brain Thief make it a book that cannot be lightly disregarded. I just wish I had the capacity to enjoy it more.

2010-01-21 (Richardson, TX) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 5

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Alexander Jablokov Returns to Science Fiction
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3UO057QDBJVR1 Alexander Jablokov returns to science fiction with Brain Thief, his first novel in the genre after several years. This imaginative mystery comes complete with a cast of eccentrics who in some form or fashion antagonize Bernal Haydon-Rumi, the man at the center of this strange journey and struggle for answers. When Bernal returns to his wealthy employer's home after a business excursion, simplicity unravels, and he is left with a puzzle to solve that involves his boss, a woman who spends idle time funding strange projects, and an AI device designed to explore other planets, as well as an activist, a local murderer, and a problem-riddled cryogenic specialist, among other memorable and equally complicated characters. In order to figure out what is amiss, he must stay on the trail of his employer and utilize the personal resources at his disposal: cleverness, persistence, and a strong desire to understand. What will he uncover in his search for answers, and is an executive assistant's life really supposed to be this strange? Jablokov's newest novel is compelling, bizarre and difficult to put down. It will be an ideal reading for science fiction enthusiasts and readers who enjoy creative stories that never seem to stop twisting and evolving. Brain Thief is highly recommended to readers of Jablokov's previous works as well.

2010-01-15 | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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The Breath of Suspension

Description

A collection of ten stories creates a realm of ""irrelevant miracles,"" where civilization-building is a pastime and death is an art, and offers unique interpretations of fear, love, guilt, greed, obligation, and obsession. Reprint. K. NYT. PW.

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"Darkly suave competence" is how The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction refers to Jablokov's first novel, Carve the Sky, and the phrase could easily apply to many of the stories in this, Jablokov's first short story collection. Ranging from time travel to artificial intelligence, Jablokov covers a lot of ground in the ten stories here, although readers will quickly notice recurring themes both of art and self-identity amidst colorful, retro-decadent future worlds. Although his technique and consistency vary, Jablokov shows with his powerful, dynamic prose that he's a writer worth watching.

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Customer Reviews

Breath-taking collection
This diverse collection of stories runs the gamut from sly humor to dark melancholy. Like all collections, some of these stories are better than others, but the best ones are awe-inspiring. The title story, in particular, is brilliant and haunting. This man is a masterful writer.

One of the best things about Jablokov's writing is the infusion of ideas that elevates great characterization and imagination. His novels, though I love them, can ramble. His short stories, however, distill his best points and this collection is a rewarding read.

1999-02-13 | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

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Nimbus

Description

Hiding his former participation in the government's top secret Nimbus project, Peter Ambrose assumes the identity of a struggling jazz musician, until he learns that a killer is targeting his former Nimbus co-workers. Reprint.

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Customer Reviews

Thought-provoking SciFi noir
It's a pity that this fine, complex book is out of print--I encourage other readers to make the effort to find copies.

This story is hard to describe in a few lines, but centers around the protagonist's reluctant attempts to revive memories of his past as his former associates are picked off by an unknown murderer. Conspiracies and cover-ups abound. The characters are richly drawn and the near-future environment is wonderfully detailed and inventive. The novel takes the hard-boiled-detective noir genre and makes it fresh.

Thematically, the novel deals with some very interesting questions of identity and memory. One character who lives in a made-up reality seems to be the most lucid person in a world where identity can be manufactured. This is a book you can read both for the pleasure of the story and for the intellectual challenges the story poses.

My only problem was with the main character, who is such an ass that it's hard to identify with him as a hero. (Probably intentional on the part of the author.) But once the tale got into full swing, I forgot how much I disliked the hero and enjoyed the ride.

1999-07-21 | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

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