One of my favorite novels, this book truly earns the overused label of EPIC. The premise, of a deadly superflu that wipes out more than 90% of the worOne of my favorite novels, this book truly earns the overused label of EPIC. The premise, of a deadly superflu that wipes out more than 90% of the world's population, and the survivors fighting a battle between good and evil for the remaining civilization, is enough to warrant a reading.
The novel has the best and most well-drawn ensemble of characters in any novel I've read, great prose, and more memorable scenes than you can count. It has a great mix of action, drama, romance, science fiction, and fantasy. At first, I held off on reading this because of the hefty page count, but after I picked it up, I flew through it, and it never felt like a page was wasted.
Like many others, I was a little disappointed in the climax, even though I understood the meaning and reasoning behind it. But there are so many other positives that this book still continues to be one of my favorites! You know you've got a great book that will last forever when you still can name most of the characters by first and last name years after reading it....more
I always tell people that the most creative and original storytelling is being done in comic books. It seems like the most innovative ideas are being I always tell people that the most creative and original storytelling is being done in comic books. It seems like the most innovative ideas are being explored in this medium. Eight Billion Genies is the latest thing I've read that reminded me of that. Starting on the fateful day when 8 billion cute tiny genies pop out of nowhere and latch themselves to each living person on Earth, granting each person one single wish, it then proceeds to tell the story of the craziness that transpires after that.
It's the type of captivating tale that I love to read, one that uses a speculative high concept to comment on human nature, morality, and society's destructive tendencies. The ideas here are always interesting and I love the direction the story takes.
But, I can't help but wish that the story was fleshed out more to really maximize its potential. I can imagine how powerful this would really be if it were a longer series, and we had time to really live in this world, witness the characters change, really sit with the consequences of decisions, and see these ideas evolve. The effect with such a short book is that it feels a bit rushed at times, like we're just jumping from idea to idea, skipping all the juicy bits, and ultimately feels like an awesome bullet-pointed outline.
But the art here is beautiful and it's still a pretty enjoyable read. I can only hope that someone takes the idea and really runs with it!...more
I was not sure what to expect with this series but it hit me like a runaway train as it pulled me away on it's adventure.Bold. Imaginative. Visionary.
I was not sure what to expect with this series but it hit me like a runaway train as it pulled me away on it's adventure. I don't want to go into too much detail about the plot as it might be best to go in almost completely fresh the way I did, and jump headfirst into the trip down the rabbit hole and into the onion as this flawed crew of travelers try to survive their dangerous trip through countless dimensions.
[image]
The biggest thing that struck me was how fast the story moves. It drops the reader right into the middle of the action from the beginning and NEVER stops. There is no exposition to get you acquainted with the world at the start, and there is no time to take a breather during the entirety of its 400+ pages.
I've seen reviews talk about the speed of its storytelling was a problem with it being too confusing but I totally disagree. I really appreciated that the creators didn't treat the readers with kid gloves and trusted us to keep pace with the story. And learning more about the rules, the background of the expedition, and info about the characters while the story was moving forward really added to the experience. So buckle your seatbelt before jumping into this one, and keep up!
The artwork here, especially the inking and the color work, was a real standout here, providing a singular atmosphere that's really memorable. Whenever I think about this story in the future, I'll visualize those sharp lines and bold neon-ish colors. It's awesome to look at in this large hardcover format too. [image] There are a few reasons why my grade for this was dropped a couple points though. The constantly shifting POV narration became a little obnoxious and sometimes distracted from the flow of the story, I wish that there was a bit more variety in the nature of the different dimensions, and I wish some of the action was easier to follow. This story also seems like it might benefit from it being read in big chunks like this premiere volume, which collects the first three trade paperback. I seemed to have responded to this better than other friends who started reading it in the shorter paperback volumes.
For me, this was a wild ride and I can't wait to continue.
[image]
Merged review:
Bold. Imaginative. Visionary.
I was not sure what to expect with this series but it hit me like a runaway train as it pulled me away on it's adventure. I don't want to go into too much detail about the plot as it might be best to go in almost completely fresh the way I did, and jump headfirst into the trip down the rabbit hole and into the onion as this flawed crew of travelers try to survive their dangerous trip through countless dimensions.
[image]
The biggest thing that struck me was how fast the story moves. It drops the reader right into the middle of the action from the beginning and NEVER stops. There is no exposition to get you acquainted with the world at the start, and there is no time to take a breather during the entirety of its 400+ pages.
I've seen reviews talk about the speed of its storytelling was a problem with it being too confusing but I totally disagree. I really appreciated that the creators didn't treat the readers with kid gloves and trusted us to keep pace with the story. And learning more about the rules, the background of the expedition, and info about the characters while the story was moving forward really added to the experience. So buckle your seatbelt before jumping into this one, and keep up!
The artwork here, especially the inking and the color work, was a real standout here, providing a singular atmosphere that's really memorable. Whenever I think about this story in the future, I'll visualize those sharp lines and bold neon-ish colors. It's awesome to look at in this large hardcover format too. [image] There are a few reasons why my grade for this was dropped a couple points though. The constantly shifting POV narration became a little obnoxious and sometimes distracted from the flow of the story, I wish that there was a bit more variety in the nature of the different dimensions, and I wish some of the action was easier to follow. This story also seems like it might benefit from it being read in big chunks like this premiere volume, which collects the first three trade paperback. I seemed to have responded to this better than other friends who started reading it in the shorter paperback volumes.
For me, this was a wild ride and I can't wait to continue.
So it seems like this isn’t the end of The Nice House On the Lake after all, but just the end of its first cycle. I’m excited to see more! This volumeSo it seems like this isn’t the end of The Nice House On the Lake after all, but just the end of its first cycle. I’m excited to see more! This volume is pretty well-written with solid twists and big ideas. But like with the first volume, I wish that it took its time a little more. I normally don’t want things to be longer but this deserves a bit more exploration of the ideas it raises about human nature and survival instinct. And a deeper look at the characters would help us to feel for them much more. Can’t wait to re-read this again in a deluxe edition to look at this great art in premium format....more
It's probably best to go in knowing as little about this story as possible so you can really experience its evolution and let the twists and turns wasIt's probably best to go in knowing as little about this story as possible so you can really experience its evolution and let the twists and turns wash over you. It's premise is one that you feel that you're already familiar with: a mysterious man invites 10 or so of his closest friends to a fancy lake house for a week-long getaway. Slasher-vibes maybe? But what transpires is completely different and evolved into something I never expected.
Although the art is pretty impressive and there are twists a-plenty, I don't feel that the book takes the potential of its core concept far enough and I wish that we spent even more time really exploring these characters. But it's an addictive read and here's hoping they nail the ending!...more
Christopher Chance is a character that sits on the fringes of the DC Universe, but has always been interesting to me. He's the Human Target, a detectiChristopher Chance is a character that sits on the fringes of the DC Universe, but has always been interesting to me. He's the Human Target, a detective, bodyguard-for-hire, and a total master of disguise; able to assume the identity of a client when said client believes they're in danger. And it's exciting to see Tom King take a stab at him. King is like no other writer in comics, completely uninterested in playing by the superhero rules and instead honing in on mining what he believes to be the most fascinating core of an established character and pulling a story out of that, keeping it fully focused on character exploration. The results are stories that are hit-or-miss, but always special.
Here, he presents a Human Target story as a classic detective noir, where Chance, after being hired to impersonate Lex Luthor, drinks poison meant for the billionaire villain, and now has 12 days to live. In full D.O.A. style, he chooses this time to solve his own murder, but his suspects are all members of the Justice League International.
This is definitely some of the best writing I've seen by Tom King, with the narration actually feeling necessary and engaging. I was fascinated with seeing his interpretation of different B-tier DC characters as they pop up in guest-starring roles, whether it is the femme-fatale turn on Ice or the jealous ex-boyfriend and violent cop in Guy Gardner. The art by Greg Smallwood is also vintage, creative, and efficient, whether it's giving Christopher Chance an Alain Delon-style stoicism or illustrating Ice sexier than we've ever seen her in the comics.
While we still are in the long wait for the final volume of The Old Guard, Greg Rucka whets our palate a little with this compilation of stories by a While we still are in the long wait for the final volume of The Old Guard, Greg Rucka whets our palate a little with this compilation of stories by a great group of writers and artists and feature all of the Old Guard in small stories throughout history. It proves that there is so much material that can be mined from such a cool concept. There are countless stories that I would love to read with the Old Guard and many eras that I would love to see explored.
Most of the stories are good but three stories really stood out to me and those were “How to Make a Ghost Town” written by Matt Fraction, “An Old Soul” by Jason Aaron, and “My Mother’s Ax” by the man himself, Greg Rucka. ...more
An impressive series and one of the most effective horror comics I’ve read! Astutely-written, wicked, and maddeningly nuts, it really stands out for iAn impressive series and one of the most effective horror comics I’ve read! Astutely-written, wicked, and maddeningly nuts, it really stands out for its creative, gorgeous art by Andrea Sorrentino and Dave Stewart. The design, texture, realistic facial expressions, inventive issue cover art, and mind-blowing panel layouts that perfectly complement the mind-bending plot make this a must-read in an oversized deluxe format on one hand, and absolutely maddening to read in that format on the other due to gutter loss taking away from the experience a bit!
The story starts as a moody mystery about a troubled young big city trash collector and a small-town priest both experiencing visions of a scary black barn, but then it slowly turns into something much more complex, terrifying, and sprawling than you ever thought possible. It might take a bit of patience before you really grasp what’s happening but it’s really rewarding. And if you think this book is crazy, wait until the final half of this story!
When I was kid, I went through Hurricane Marilyn in the Virgin Islands and when it got really bad in the night, I hunkered down with my parents, grandWhen I was kid, I went through Hurricane Marilyn in the Virgin Islands and when it got really bad in the night, I hunkered down with my parents, grandparents, and sister in my grandparents’ guest bathroom as the hurricane raged outside. It was one of the scariest times in my life. This truly unsettling novella brought back many of those memories, as it takes place completely in a bathroom after a Texas family finds refuge there when a major storm comes through their town.
The story starts off tame enough, with a little tension between the family and discomfort with the conditions. But soon, things get more surreal and more terrifying. As the time in the bathroom crawls on, Booth’s writing provides a palpable unease where I wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t. I don’t want to get into too many details as it’s best to go in blind so that the events in here have maximum impact, but I read most of this with a real sense of dread as I began to feel the claustrophobia, smell the odors, and, once things started to go truly bonkers, I began to read all of it with bulging eyes.
Did any of this really happen in the story? Some of it might have. Some of it might not. Based on how horrifying this was, I would hope it was all just a bad nightmare for the main character. But deep down, I feel like I know the truth.
it’s going to be okay it’s going to be okay it’s going to be okay it’s going to be okay it’s going to be okay it’s going to be okay
This creative and fascinating novel blends murder mystery, horror, small-town rural legends, and family secrets into a highly satisfying tale coming iThis creative and fascinating novel blends murder mystery, horror, small-town rural legends, and family secrets into a highly satisfying tale coming in just over 200 productive pages. It tells the story of a small-town detective named Russ Buchanan driven to reopen the cases of recent violence in his Colorado town, including the fire-suicide of a girl named Lizzy Greiner. As Buchanan investigates, the story is told with a variety of narrative conventions, including Lizzy's journal, Buchanan's footnotes, articles, photographs, etc. All of this provides an absorbing tapestry that builds as the story unfolds.
"I was not looking for a confession. I only wanted her soul to be freed."
It was awesome getting sucked into this short novel. The epistolary and multiple-point-of-view style it's presented in makes everyone an unreliable narrator and you never quite know what's true and what's not as you're reading. And while it has elements of horror and crime, it ultimately tells a story that shows the tragic disintegration of a family and tackles mental health issues like depression and obsession. The author's innovative style lends an interesting mood throughout the novel and a tense, uneasy reading experience. This is my second novel by author Jon Bassoff and while it couldn't be any more different than the first one I read, it's further proof of how much of a singular talent he is.
"It's only flesh my darling. And flesh is meant for the fire."