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14th out of 20 books
—
3 voters
Bullettime
by
Nick Mamatas
David Holbrook is a scrawny kid, the victim of bullies, and the neglected son of insane parents. David Holbrook is the Kallis Episkipos, a vicious murderer turned imprisoned leader of a death cult dedicated to Eris, the Hellenic goddess of discord. David Holbrook never killed anyone, and lives a lonely and luckless existence with his aging mother in a tumbledown New Jersey...more
Paperback, 225 pages
Published
August 14th 2012
by Chizine Publications
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Bullettime is a very twisted novel. It's sequences are scattered in different places, making it a gratifying non-linear experience. David Holbrook is quite honestly a pathetic loser. But that's the way he's supposed to be. He's twisted in his many alternate ways. He's violent, kind, psychopathic, scared, curious, skiddish. He contradicts himself with every fabric that is pulled away.
The book itself is quite brilliantly told. I'm convinced I myself didn't get it, or not all of it. It pays attenti...more
The book itself is quite brilliantly told. I'm convinced I myself didn't get it, or not all of it. It pays attenti...more
Sliding into him is like living in an alcoholic who can taste the Jack Daniels on her tongue in every glass of juice or soda, right before she finally says, “Fuck it,” and marches out to get laid, get drunk, and get royally fucked by the world she’s determined to toss herself out in front of. Kallis Episkipos is Dave Holbrook, with free will reclaimed.
And me? I’m Dave Holbrook too—where Kallis Episipos has free will, I have no will at all, no way to affect the world or my own life. But I get to...more
And me? I’m Dave Holbrook too—where Kallis Episipos has free will, I have no will at all, no way to affect the world or my own life. But I get to...more
Bullettime is a nice unconventional read. I blew right through it, and that doesn't happen very much.
The story goes, Dave is trapped in the ylem, that primordial state of matter before the big bang. Dave has been exiled by the goddess of Discord, Eris, who also plays an important part in his infinity of existence. In the ylem, Dave can observe each moment of each existence he's experienced. There are no surprises, and as he observes these stories, their tale is told to the reader. The thing is,...more
The story goes, Dave is trapped in the ylem, that primordial state of matter before the big bang. Dave has been exiled by the goddess of Discord, Eris, who also plays an important part in his infinity of existence. In the ylem, Dave can observe each moment of each existence he's experienced. There are no surprises, and as he observes these stories, their tale is told to the reader. The thing is,...more
If you were the bully in your school you won't understand this book at all. In fact you probably won't even get past the first few pages. If you've ever seen news about a school shooting and didn't get all emotional and crying and instead thought to yourself deep down inside, in that part of you you don't expose to "normal" society..."Good for you man, don't take that shit from anyone," then you will understand this book. But even if you think that, this book won't make you go out and try and bu...more
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I think I liked this book. I am going to give it the benefit of the doubt and give it 3 stars. I finished it and went loudly "what the fuck?!". I felt that way the whole book. WTF sums it ALL up.
This book confused me, but i can't tell you if it was in a good way or a bad way.
My boyfriend bought it, but hasn't read it yet. I'm curious what he will think.
It jumps around a lot, but the characters and plot(?) stay the same throughout.
I can see why the author had a hard time getting it published. Sc...more
This book confused me, but i can't tell you if it was in a good way or a bad way.
My boyfriend bought it, but hasn't read it yet. I'm curious what he will think.
It jumps around a lot, but the characters and plot(?) stay the same throughout.
I can see why the author had a hard time getting it published. Sc...more
I might be judging it more harshly than I otherwise would, because Nick is a friend and I'm aware of his extensive social media presence. Occasional phrases crop up that I can tell he's fallen in love with, and those leave an impression of laziness ("tacky mural of the Acropolis", "I mock your values system"). Those moments aside, though, this is a remarkable book, which picks apart the epiphenomena of free will and moral choice with intellectual rigor and entertaining prose. Recommended reading...more
I found this to be a good, if flawed story. I think it would have been better for me if the different possible fates were split up a little more, possibly as separate parts for each fate, and a final part tying up what the ultimate fate is. At least tying up as to which fate is the one he chooses, but not having to provide all the answers. I like stories/movies that don't have a clear ending. Ones that allow the reader to use their imagination as to what happens next. In that sense I really like...more
Bullettime is a wild ride of a story that will put you in the head of someone who is pushed over the edge. The narrative voice is depressingly great to read and the idea of exploring multiple lives or fates is brilliant.
I very much enjoyed Bullettime. I could see David Holbrook in the faces of some of my friends in high school. The character feels real even when he is jumping through alternate realities. I was a little skeptical about the basic premise of the novel since everyone from Star Trek to Stargate that I doubted if anything new or interesting could be said on the topic. David Holbrook represents such a sublime failure that I felt truly bad for this poor bastard, even when I detested him. Mamatas deserv...more
I found this a bit underwhelming. The ending was just flat and I felt really didn't address much, just suddenly appearing and leaving the main plot points unaddressed.
4 ½ stars
See my full review on The Crow's Caw http://thecrowscaw.com/2012/08/17/rev...
See my full review on The Crow's Caw http://thecrowscaw.com/2012/08/17/rev...
Bullettime was just as good, if not better, when read in reverse order of chapters.
Initially this book was difficult for me to get into. (I've heard the author say it is intended to be read in one sitting, and unfortunately that wasn't possible for me, so perhaps that would have changed things for me.) That said, it didn't take long for me to feel compelled by Bullettime. This complex, multi-state novel with a fluid reality has a lot to say about free will, action, and the things we do for ourselves and the things that we do for others. It has a lot to say about self-perceptio...more
Review forthcoming, somewhere or other...
Partially a review of ChiZine itself, but I talk a LOT about Bullettime.
http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2012...
http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2012...
Did you read Catcher in the Rye and hate it? Not understand what the fuss was about? Read Bullettime. A supernatural overlay to a bullied kid in high school, this story goes in literally multiple directions as one character, spread across multiple realities, tries to avoid the horrible outcomes that await him.
Tight, fast-paced and well characterized.
Tight, fast-paced and well characterized.
"And I can do whatever I like." Nick Mamatas takes us headlong into the world and mind of David Holbrook. David is a bullied teen, finding shelter in cough syrup and the Goth Chick of the Week era Internet. David is an employee of the government, installing lotto machines. David is the Kallis Episkipos, imprisoned death cult leader and worshiper of the goddess Eris. And he is the I, the narrator watching life branch out before and after an encounter with a girl named Erin, and the thought of a m...more
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