Directive 51 (Daybreak, #1)

May 06, 2013 Ian Wood added it

I rated this one a solid warty!

This started out in the usual manner for a novel of this nature: ten gazillion things happening to different people in different places and they're all going to get tied up as the story progresses. So we believe. I've never read any John Barnes before, so this is a new experience, which you would think is a good thing. Unfortunately, after reading almost 200 pages of this I could not find any reason to go on reading!

The writing isn't bad per se, but reading this is...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Bruce Henderson rated it 2 of 5 stars

I gave up on this book after getting about halfway through it. The author's political biases read loud and clear. This is usually a complaint by conservatives about what they perceive to be liberal biases in matters read, but this one is even more blatant in the other direction. Children named after Ann Coulter, enviros presented as very stereotypical and therefore a facade of real people, Republicans in the Washington establishment packing heat and knowing how to use it, by God!, libertarians i...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Nora rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this book compelling and interesting. I love “civilization collapses” scenarios, so this was right up my street. I bought all the science fiction elements without a problem. This book was like a love song to rational thinking, as it shows one person after another in its huge cast solving problems with their lucid, reasonable minds. Although the novel tells you that people are out in the street attacking, robbing, and sexually assaulting each other, the reader doesn’t have to see too much...more I found this book compelling and interesting. I love “civilization collapses” scenarios, so this was right up my street. I bought all the science fiction elements without a problem. This book was like a love song to rational thinking, as it shows one person after another in its huge cast solving problems with their lucid, reasonable minds. Although the novel tells you that people are out in the street attacking, robbing, and sexually assaulting each other, the reader doesn’t have to see too much of that. Instead you see stuff like an angry mob being quieted by a truthful speech. Or you have two embittered enemies who are both intelligent, honorable men sitting down together and solving their differences with the help of a moderator. I don’t think that is very realistic, but I love reading about it.

My favorite character was Lenny Plekhanov, and I just love the fact that he is a nerd with a disability who uses a wheelchair AND he is the sexy love interest. That made me so happy. When have you ever seen that? Immediately I started worrying that he was going to die, because usually the character with a disability dies, often smothered by a pillow for their own good. Sure enough, his life is under threat because he has a pacemaker and other implants that come in contact with his skin, and terrorists have released technology-destroying nano biotes that might stop all his machinery. I won’t tell you what happens. Anyway, everyone in the book might die at any time; they’re in a pretty dicey situation.

I am eager to read the second book, despite the fact that there was something bizarre about this one. All the characters are foaming mad about upholding the oaths that they swore. Everyone is constantly rabbiting on about who the president is going to be, and that the process has to follow the constitutional guidelines. If all technology were wiped out, and there was no food, and no transportation, and no communication, and people are running around killing each other, I don’t think anyone would care one iota who the president was or whether the government followed the rules on that. It would be the last thing on my mind, for sure. But these people are obsessed. In one scene, you have character A arresting character B to fulfill his oath. Character B telling character A the only thing that upsets him is that A is breaking his oath. Character C resigning so he doesn’t have to break his oath. Character D in torment over his oath. Really? I have never gotten the impression that politicos and four-star generals are very serious about the oaths they took to uphold the Constitution. But John Barnes is good enough that I’m willing to suspend my disbelief so that I can find out what happens next. (less)

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Feb 20, 2012 Iain Brown rated it 3 of 5 stars

Directive 51 is an entertaining end of the world - or at least, end of the contemporary technological world - novel. It requires more suspension of disbelief than most near-future sci-fi thrillers, but it's generally worth the effort.

I felt that the central characters seemed quite weak until about halfway through the book, at which point they began to grow much more interesting as individuals (continuing to grow in the sequel). Politicians especially seemed shallow, and as "Directive 51" is a po...more Directive 51 is an entertaining end of the world - or at least, end of the contemporary technological world - novel. It requires more suspension of disbelief than most near-future sci-fi thrillers, but it's generally worth the effort.

I felt that the central characters seemed quite weak until about halfway through the book, at which point they began to grow much more interesting as individuals (continuing to grow in the sequel). Politicians especially seemed shallow, and as "Directive 51" is a political function (being the executive order determining the precise mechanism for appointing a presidential successor) they assumed more importance than necessary to the story.

The doomsday mechanism is called "Daybreak," and in my opinion using that in the title would have brought the story together more effectively. Still, the novel is exclusively concerned with "Daybreak," and as such it's a very tense and exciting thriller.

I had three significant problems with suspension of disbelief, but I need to embed them in spoiler tags.

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Feb 07, 2012 Mick rated it 3 of 5 stars

A reasonably satisfying 'back to nature' apocalypse scenario, with some interesting meditations on modern social movements, some detailed and disturbing scenes of plausible destruction, some entirely IMplausibly coordinated and executed terrorist attacks, and interesting and well-thought-out scenes of American life returning to (roughly) the 1850s.

The entire novel is a plot-delivery system. Most of the characters are archetypes or ciphers, people created to fill a plot function. Barnes does an a...more A reasonably satisfying 'back to nature' apocalypse scenario, with some interesting meditations on modern social movements, some detailed and disturbing scenes of plausible destruction, some entirely IMplausibly coordinated and executed terrorist attacks, and interesting and well-thought-out scenes of American life returning to (roughly) the 1850s.

The entire novel is a plot-delivery system. Most of the characters are archetypes or ciphers, people created to fill a plot function. Barnes does an admirable job of beginning each major character's journey with some detailed descriptions and uniquely human concerns, but then each character turns almost entirely into a piece that's moved around a very big board. Their individual voices flatten out and become indistinguishable. It may be a sci-fi author's problem. The ideas are the really exciting parts; what are needed are some people to put all the ideas in motion! What are people like? Who would do...this thing? Maybe someone like...this? Yes! Now who's next?

Most disappointing was a seeming misapprehension by Barnes about how major tragedies and disasters affect the people who witness them. There is a love scene right after a major disaster that is really pretty appallingly placed. It proceeds cutely, with flirty banter and lips bitten in anticipation, and it just felt incredibly wrong. I can see people collapsing into each others arms because they have nowhere left to turn, but having a cute little 'finally we get to make out!' scene right after a major disaster? It's sort of the definition of 'tin-eared' for writing.

There's also an emotional flatness to the characters. Major world changing events are occuring about every 10 pages, but they seem to accept the new way of things pretty quickly. One character is dating about 2 months after her boyfriend and his son were killed in front of her, and others casually comment on how you can't drive cars down main streets anymore...about a day after that's become a crazy new reality. There's a total breakdown of civil order and the characters seem straightforwardly interested in solving the problems presented by that breakdown. They never seem to reel in amazement at the changes, or mourn, or go into shock, or shut down, or go nuts. They make jokes and reminisce, but they never seem to feel things DEEPLY. Sci-fi writer's problem? Probably.

Overall I'm glad I read it, though. When the plot works it REALLY works, and I didn't really care that the characters were all just saying "exposition exposition exposition" to each other, or that there was a minimum of scene-setting details before getting to the characters who shout exposition at each other. The ideas are good enough and the canvas wide enough (and skillfully filled in enough) to carry me along. I'll almost certainly read the next one. (less)

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Nov 24, 2011 D.M. Dutcher rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: bad-novels, dystopia, thriller

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Oct 29, 2011 Rich rated it 1 of 5 stars

How not to do an end of the world book.

This book was bizarre. Part end of the world thriller, part end of the world political theorizing on what kind of government will survive, it blends sci-fi with futurism and gets none right. First, the goal of the eco-terrorists are never really explained (other than they want to "start over") Some of the positive reviews confuse the idea with the execution. The idea of such a group is intriguing, but the author never examines the ramifications of their dec...more How not to do an end of the world book.

This book was bizarre. Part end of the world thriller, part end of the world political theorizing on what kind of government will survive, it blends sci-fi with futurism and gets none right. First, the goal of the eco-terrorists are never really explained (other than they want to "start over") Some of the positive reviews confuse the idea with the execution. The idea of such a group is intriguing, but the author never examines the ramifications of their decision despite having one of the eco-terrorist be a point of view character. The character never considers the effects of his actions, and whether millions dying for his actions weigh on his soul. In fact, by the end, it seems he has a pretty sweet deal, which is morally ambiguous. Even when people find out he was one of the ones that collapsed society, they are pretty blase about it. I would think it would be more interesting if people were actually pissed. (ya think) This lack of reflection ruined the book for me. There is no examination of these people, they are not righteous, religous, or guilty, its just "hey we killed millions of people, might have sucked, but I have a sweet deal, so it doesn't suck too bad" huh? What is the point of this character if you aren't going to examine his motivations and whether he feels guilty?

The internet explanation of system artifacts is gobbledygook and even after a lengthy explanation and exposition, I still didn't get it and it became boring. Unlike a movie that cuts exposition, a book should be able to explain its concepts (author has all the time and pages he and his editor wants) and the explanation left me saying "huh?".

The second half of the book devolves into a political thriller of who gets to be president, and its boring and really doesn't connect well to the first half. The characters in the second half are one dimensional to the extremes. One president seems to be Mr. Pork, which is absurd under the circumstances. Millions are dying and the world is going to hell, but he wants contracts for his district..right. There may be a political point the author is trying to make, but this wasn't the story to make it. It came off as ridiculous anyone would really act like this.

Finally, alot of the action happens bizarrely "off screen" millions are starving and dying and its conveyed by reports in Washington..wow exciting. I get the author wants to concentrate on the political intrigue and the whole directive 51 thing, but its being told instead of being shown or described, which is not exciting.(less)

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Aug 20, 2011 Steve rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, gave-up

First of all, I usually enjoy the 'end of the world' disaster type books (Dies the Fire, Armageddon's Children) and movies (Mad Max, The Day After Tomorrow, Resident Evil) but this one I found unbearable. The premise was solid, but the characterization was awful.

The author was obviously politically far right, which is fine, as a few of my favorite genre authors are quite conservative politically (S.M. Stirling, Brad Thor, possibly William R. Forstchen), but all of his characters were so far to...more

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Jun 20, 2011 Sarah (Tail-Kinker) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this twist on the post-apocalyptic story for the most part.

A sort of collective-consciousness "system artifact" movement called Daybreak spreads the idea of taking down "the Big System" i.e. modern toys and technology. The novel mainly focuses on how the Big System begins to fail by following the actions of multiple characters (some Daybreakers, some not) and detailing how each comes to learn of, fights, or accepts the havoc Daybreak has broached upon the world.

In a way, the Daybreake...more I enjoyed this twist on the post-apocalyptic story for the most part.

A sort of collective-consciousness "system artifact" movement called Daybreak spreads the idea of taking down "the Big System" i.e. modern toys and technology. The novel mainly focuses on how the Big System begins to fail by following the actions of multiple characters (some Daybreakers, some not) and detailing how each comes to learn of, fights, or accepts the havoc Daybreak has broached upon the world.

In a way, the Daybreakers are opening Pandora's box, and once it's opened, there's not putting it back. The modern world is being destroyed bit by bit, and the US government struggles to hold on despite the chain of command collapsing. It paints a portrait of the everyday American small town community pulling together in a time of crisis to work for the common good of the people (well, the people in that town, anyways, and those refugees who are "good people").

Nearer the end the story begins to look at how the US government might fracture under the strain of trying to maintain a United nation with primitive communication (semaphore, anyone?) especially when the people in power have a disagreement over what caused the end of the world and whether there is a war to be fought still or whether efforts should be entirely focused on rebuilding civilization.

I found it to be intriguing--the end-of-the-world concept was fresh and original to me (tired to death of Big Bang world-ending plot devices like nuclear war/meteorite/biological plague). I found the characters to be realistic for the most part and they were written in such a way that I cared almost immediately about the more major characters.

***Possible Minor Spoiler Below***

My one major gripe was the sunny-side up portrayal of the average American. While I'd like to think that Americans would pull together in the face of a national catastrophe such as Daybreak, I don't think we'd be quite as buddy-buddy and for-the-good-of-the-community as this author portrays. Sure, he mentions the millions that die as a result of the end of the world, but I think there would have been much more massive die-offs than he portrays, especially considering that most of our transportation system crashes as a result of Daybreak. I also think that there'd be more ruthless people getting in charge than your do-gooders (sort of more like how S M Stirling does it in the Emberverse series starting with Dies the Fire).

But it's his story, his way to wreck the Earth, and ultimately I fall on the optimist side of things, so it's not enough to stop me from reading the next book in the series. In fact, I've actually very curious to see how it turns out!
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May 02, 2011 Schnaucl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: april, fiction, library, series, read_2011, post-apocalyptic

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Mar 31, 2011 Trekscribbler rated it 3 of 5 stars

We, as human beings, share a certain inescapable curiosity when it comes to “end times” fiction, and I think this is largely because we’ve always shared the ability to ponder such a fundamentally simple premise as “What if …?” We could be considering almost anything – much like George Bailey did when he wondered what life would’ve been like for others if he’d never been born in the movie, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE – and it’s a universal experience to apply the same filter to our lives in times of st...more We, as human beings, share a certain inescapable curiosity when it comes to “end times” fiction, and I think this is largely because we’ve always shared the ability to ponder such a fundamentally simple premise as “What if …?” We could be considering almost anything – much like George Bailey did when he wondered what life would’ve been like for others if he’d never been born in the movie, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE – and it’s a universal experience to apply the same filter to our lives in times of stress and tumult.

John Barnes’ novel, DIRECTIVE 51, probes the depths of the ‘what if’ scenario as it applies to throwing civilization culturally and technologically back about 100 years in development. In short, Daybreakers – a kind of faceless cult born of zealots tired of civilization’s progress – launch a series of world-wide terror attacks (airborne toxins that break down plastics and other materials) with hopes of throwing mankind back into the Stone Age. However, their game-plan gets notched up a few pegs on the terrorism headboard when real terrorists seize upon the opportunity to also detonate nuclear fusion bombs around the world, further exacerbating any government’s ability to mount a suitable defense. Before you can say “Jack Bauer,” America – the principle setting for DIRECTIVE 51 – is in chaos with Washington DC destroyed, citizens looting in the streets, and average folks fighting for their very survival against even the most basic elements of Mother Nature. Unable to fend for themselves, entire cities burn to the ground, police and tactical units fall into disarray, and the outlook is, indeed, nothing but grim.

And THAT’s only the Daybreakers’ first attack!

DIRECTIVE 51 is serious stuff, probably not intended for the lightweight or casual science fiction reader. It isn’t about any type of Biblical prophecy coming to fruition so much as it is a parable for contemporary disenfranchisement with man’s tremulous position within the world of technology overload … or is that overkill? The “Directive 51” (referenced in the title) is the factual Presidential order that sets procedures in place for dealing with continuity-of-government at a time when the functioning ‘head’ (so to speak) has been decapitated. That’s where this novel works best … not so much as a scientific thriller (though I’ve no doubt that Barnes knows his stuff so far as the technology presented here goes) but moreso as a political ‘what if’ postulating how a nation state adjusts to circumstances further crippling the ability to maintain order. Some of these moments in political posturing perhaps don’t play out as well as they could have, but such is the nature of events in a tightly constructed world of fiction; in DIRECTIVE 51, events spur folks to action – not such much their core values, which may need to be comprised for the greater good – and I found some of the developments little more than political posturing on the part of a non-politician. Doesn’t mean they couldn’t happen. Just didn’t seem to mesh with what I particularly believe could’ve happened. It’s a subtle difference, but it’s one that impacted my ability to fully enjoy the tale.

Regardless of the meaty subject matter, I found entire sections of DIRECTIVE 51 difficult reading, but this was for all of the wrong reasons. Sadly, I failed to connect with most of these characters, and it seems like there are, literally, hundreds of them. Granted, some of them are more incidental and not necessarily tied to the main plot, but it quickly became a daunting challenge to keep all of them straight because, if anything, there’s an overload of people, places, and things in DIRECTIVE but not very much characterization. A few of the players – politicians, mainly – appear little more than stereotypes, such as the government scientist with a “heart of gold” and the religion-pandering Presidential candidate who immediately succumbs to seizing “ultimate power,” and, despite Barnes’ best efforts, these people just don’t seem to fit within the world of greater complexity the rest of the novel details. In my opinion, very few of these characters take the time to either (a) break down emotionally against the overwhelming odds or (b) depict the natural gamut of emotions one might expect to see in such a daunting set of circumstances. Very few of them seemed ‘real’ to me – rather, they seemed much more like boats against the tide – and, as such, that challenged me greatly to accept some of the events Barnes punctuates their lives with. However, I’m willing to concede that some of that frustration might be because Barnes takes so much time to set up this world – I’ve no doubt it’s very clear inside his head – and the natural consequence is that there’s very little time and energy left for smaller moments that elevate people – instead of events – off the page. Doesn’t make it a bad story. Only makes it one that another author may’ve told differently.

Don’t despair because there’s hope in the end. (After all, a sequel is already on the way.) Life will go on. People will unite. Undoubtedly, nations will rise again. It may not be for the immediate future, but methinks that’s the point of DIRECTIVE 51. Nothing comes easy – except, perchance, man’s ability to engineer his own swift demise.
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May 10, 2010 Rebekah (Silver Lily) James rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book is definitely geared for the techno-babble reader. Presenting a doomsday scenario where an undefined group has determined to wipe out the "big system" by creating nano technology that destroys electronics, plastic and apparently, synthetic rubber, as in tires. The premise is that the group responsible isn't organized but rather is made up of people who just talked on the internet and spotaneously decided this would be the right thing to do worldwide. They also managed to coordinate wor...more This book is definitely geared for the techno-babble reader. Presenting a doomsday scenario where an undefined group has determined to wipe out the "big system" by creating nano technology that destroys electronics, plastic and apparently, synthetic rubber, as in tires. The premise is that the group responsible isn't organized but rather is made up of people who just talked on the internet and spotaneously decided this would be the right thing to do worldwide. They also managed to coordinate worldwide attacks on the same day, and develop complex technology to carry out their threats (but with no leadership or central coordination. It is explained similar to an internet search that takes on a life of it's own. The President's immediate response is to have some kind of nervous breakdown immediately that completely incapacitates him and he has to be replaced by an acting president who seems to have no idea of how dire the situation is.

It is extremely rare that I put down a book before finishing it, but I am finding this one very difficult to have any interest in. The entire premise is just too implausible to me and the author spends inordinate amounts of time trying to explain the idea of a thought that thinks itself and the pseudo science in so much detail I found myself skipping entire pages without seeming to loose anything of the plot. Most of the "action" takes place in meetings with government officials that is similar to watching CSPAN, with lunch being served. The story is told in jumps from one time to another, noted by headings labeled in local time zones that don't really make sense. (i.e early morning in the Middle Eastern country where the first event takes place is not "about the same time" or "a few minutes later" as early morning in California.) Characters are brought in for little mini-chapters throughout the book, some are actually revisited several times, but are not always related to the central plot; however since main characters are presented the same way throughout, and often left sitting for several jumps at a time, it took me half the book to figure out which characters were in fact main characters or even recurring. Timing is an issue overall since the book clearly takes place in the future - President Obama is referred to as historical, but when in the future is not clear until the end of the book in spite of continual references to our present being the past. (It is 2024 by the way.) Worst of all, at the end of "part 2" when all of the major plotlines have been clearly resolved, Part 3 begins again with really little to go on. Maybe I will just skip a few pages there too.(less)

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Apr 26, 2010 Russell Allison rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended for anyone who likes post-apocalyptic stuff. Conceptually, I found many of the ideas and non-cliche elements really interesting, but the execution of the book wasn't great. I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have given how unique some of his ideas were.

A much more thoughtful than usual take from the genre -- reminds me of Kirkman's Walking Dead graphic novels in that there is a strong emphasis on how things "would really work" if civilization was deeply damaged. Even as technology...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Tina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Directive 51 is a post-apocalypse story. Initially it dwells on the details of the way things break down and on survival, then it delves into post apocalypse politics.

Most stories I have read in this genre tend to conclude that a benevolent dictatorship is the only possible outcome. The romanticizing of the good guy who makes the hard decisions is usually a given. D51 is somewhat more comples. Dictatorship develops, but the people in power are corrupted by the notion that they know what's best....more Directive 51 is a post-apocalypse story. Initially it dwells on the details of the way things break down and on survival, then it delves into post apocalypse politics.

Most stories I have read in this genre tend to conclude that a benevolent dictatorship is the only possible outcome. The romanticizing of the good guy who makes the hard decisions is usually a given. D51 is somewhat more comples. Dictatorship develops, but the people in power are corrupted by the notion that they know what's best. It criticizes the constitution and the fragility of democracy, but at its heart it's really a somewhat self-congratulatory declaration of US greatness, the awesomeness of the constitution and how, no matter what, the US way is the best possible way and America is the best of all worlds.. Which is OK, really. It's written by an American about America.

Some thoughts though: the consequences for the rest of the world are mentioned only in passing, Europe descends into medieval feudalism, because you know, democracy is really more of a fad there. Africa descends into chaos, which is total bullshit. In a world where modern technology, synthetic materials, electricity, etc are gone the societies that are least likely to be effected are those where those resources are not readily available and therefore mot relied upon.

The woman to man ratio is predictably 1 to 99. Women exist, but they are extensions of men and sexualized. Sure the least corruptible person, who is set up save the world at end of the book, is a woman but she is pregnant and spends half the book having great sex. Other women are whorish harpies, morons, rape victims or really competent in a shy and unthreatening way and most of them are paired up with a man.

There are practically no minorities or any issues related to racism, ageism, etc. All the black guys are cool, decent and competent. The handicapped guy is a genius and sexually functional. The white supremacist movement is quickly crushed by decency. The old, infirm and different looking are not tossed out to the wolves.

The politics are interesting. There is a bona fide left wing media conspiracy, suspiciously many of the good guys are republicans and Christians are upstanding and responsible.

Also, for all its belief in the constitution the book does treat freedom of the press a bit lightly. Chris, the journalist, isn't going bananas over being beaten, threatened, and exiled at every turn. Instead he declares his loyalty to his country, the effort to restore and exercises "responsible" reporting. As the reader I come away with the feeling that this is the Right Decision.

Overall though it was a fast and engaging read. I may or may not read Daybreak. Post apocalypse stories are more interesting to me from the perspective of the individual trying to survive. The whole reconstituting the supreme court, legislature, presidency and the USA is a top down perspective that feels elitist and self-righteous (soon troops will be sent to the rest of the world to benevolently liberate and guide).
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Apr 18, 2010 Bill rated it 2 of 5 stars

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Feb 26, 2011 Lianne Burwell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: apocalypse, thriller, sf

If you are a fan of Dies the Fire (SM Stirling), you will probably enjoy this book. If you are a fan of books covering the collapse of civilization as we know, you will probably enjoy this book.

Set in 2024, a not very organized conspiracy around the world has come to fruition. In an attempt to destroy 'The Big System', and return the planet to a supposedly idyllic more primitive version of history, loosely connected groups around the world have created nanoviruses and biotes that will destroy pl...more

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Sep 06, 2011 Michael rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

"It's the end of the world as we know it..."

In Directive 51 John Barnes sets about destroying civilization as we know it and then examining what it would take to put the world back together again from those various pieces. In 51, the end of civilization is brought about by a fringe group that one day decides to release a nano-virus plague that feasts on much of our modern technology, rendering it useless. It can also eat the rubber in tires, thus removing the automobile from the equation as well...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Steve rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

An entertaining, if infuriating, end-of-the-world thriller. While it stands OK on its own, it is definitely part of a trilogy, and leaves a lot of topics (intentionally) unexplored. It is also definitely a thriller rather than science fiction -- the Grand Conspiracy that brings about the end is far more organized, and far more successful, than one would really expect.

This book focuses on the end of the world as we know it and what happens immediately after; there is an unorganized unfocused grou...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Soo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, read_2012

I really loved this book and on so many levels. It was one I picked at random from a very long too be read list and having read no reviews I had no preconceptions. I love science fiction and this was, for me, the real deal. A brilliant concept and the scenario was within the realms of possibility scientifically.

I read some reviews on here that really slated this book for the political views expressed in it. It's a work of fiction and characters in it have differing viewpoints, which fitted the...more

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Dec 13, 2011 Zeke Chase rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, apocalyptic

This book perfectly encapsulates everything that is wrong with apocalyptic fiction: and endless string of characters shown very briefly in vignettes that collectively show the apocalypse from all sides. Except that the vignettes are so brief that none of the characters have any depth and you’re left with brief bits of stilted dialogue expounding events you couldn’t care less about because nothing is relatable or beckoning sympathy.
In essence, Barnes is trying to merge together two aren’t going...more This book perfectly encapsulates everything that is wrong with apocalyptic fiction: and endless string of characters shown very briefly in vignettes that collectively show the apocalypse from all sides. Except that the vignettes are so brief that none of the characters have any depth and you’re left with brief bits of stilted dialogue expounding events you couldn’t care less about because nothing is relatable or beckoning sympathy.
In essence, Barnes is trying to merge together two aren’t going to fit – an epic tale of doomsday, and a thriller’s pace. It could work it he’d stuck with one or two characters, but with the dramatic personae he’s working with, it fails. Let me say, I don’t mind a large number of characters, but at least some of them need decent depth. Barnes comes to realise he needs to deepen his characters, so he adds in italicised thoughts for a good number of them, which in turn tanks the prose. Almost all the characters think in the same syntax, and most expound their current situation to themselves, almost as though each character attempts to narrate through their own thoughts. The character I found to have the most depth was Ysabel Roth, and that’s only because of her despised disgust of the nerdy girl who shares the bus ride and hotel room with her. At least Ysabel had an attitude different than the rest of them, even if she did have an unjustified seething disgust at that young woman.
I abandoned this book around page 140, before I could even make it to Part 2. I did enjoy the fast pacing of it, but the lack of character development and the poor attempts through contorted, atonal and stilted prose left me not caring about the outcome.
I also found Daybreak as a whole, although an interesting premise, implausible. It is believable that anti-civilisation movement could crop up, but I don’t think 100,000 people could keep secret about it, and, without leadership, keep all communications encrypted beyond the government’s reach. Sorry, just a little beyond the pale.
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Aug 20, 2011 Pamela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: alternate-futures, engrossing, imaginative, post-apocalyptic

If Barnes had stopped writing at the end of Part Two, this would have gotten a solid four stars from me. Up until that point, I was really engrossed, carrying the book with me pretty much everywhere. And then ... oh dear. No.

Directive 51 explores the always-fascinating "it's the end of the world as we know it" concept. This time the harbinger of doom is an association/event called Daybreak, which is sort of hazily described as a loosely-connected ideological movement, connected through the inter...more If Barnes had stopped writing at the end of Part Two, this would have gotten a solid four stars from me. Up until that point, I was really engrossed, carrying the book with me pretty much everywhere. And then ... oh dear. No.

Directive 51 explores the always-fascinating "it's the end of the world as we know it" concept. This time the harbinger of doom is an association/event called Daybreak, which is sort of hazily described as a loosely-connected ideological movement, connected through the internet, whose only uniting factor is that they want the technological and industrial world to disappear. The first part of the novel follows several Daybreakers as they spread nanobots designed to destroy plastic and electronics.

I had a difficult time at first figuring out exactly when the book was set. It wasn't really until the middle of the book that the author finally spits out that it's around 2024. That would have been really, really helpful to know in the beginning (unless I just missed it???), especially when characters are referencing wars that never happened (in the reader's time).

Another big issue I had was the characters. Some of them felt so generic (and had such generic names) that I really couldn't remember who they were supposed to be (a general? A secretary of some department? A Secret Service agent?). Others who had the potential to be interesting just dropped of the face of the earth. One character and his family get arrested by fellow citizens, but we never find out what happens to him. The most interesting characters (those whom I would have liked to see more of) get killed off.

Stemming from that issue is the big kahuna, the main reason why I dropped a star from the rating: part three. Here Barnes shifts from the aftermath of Daybreak, which had more of a thriller-tone to it, to bizarro-political land. People who had heretofore been really reasonable, broad-minded, and kind suddenly turn into raging political nightmares and generally nasty people who seem to enjoy acting in a totally illogical manner. (view spoiler)(less)

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May 16, 2010 David rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'd been waiting quite a while for the next John Barnes novel. I'm a big fan of his Giraut and Meme Wars series, so when I saw the description of this novel I was a bit nervous as it seemed to be more of a mainstream thiller, rather that the hard-SF I've liked of his. The premise is interesting and the "attack" (quotes are meaningful here) takes some time to evolve, but that is part of the journey. There is a large cast of characters that we leap around to follow and some I found less interestin...more

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Apr 24, 2010 John Carter McKnight rated it 5 of 5 stars

Apocalypse as alternate reality game/meme complex: it's a terrifyingly plausible and contemporary idea, and Barnes puts it to excellent use.

With a very short term focus (the book covers the first six months after a decisive blow to the "Global System," Barnes avoids many of the tired tropes of the post-apocalyptic genre: no warlords, descent to barbarism, blah blah blah. He tells the story of the perpetrators and survivors - civilians and the remaining government officials, trying to preserve w...more

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Aug 09, 2010 Nate rated it 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this more than I did. I've read a couple of books by Barnes, and for the most part they were great. This one... Well, it was a bit too 'conservative,' even if it wasn't meant to be. The only people with any sense are the governor who starts out fundamentalist Christian before somehow becoming more mainstream; Republican officials in office; and people who, even though they voted Democrat, become more conservative as the book goes on. I'd like to classify them as Constitutionists...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Lumpenprole rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, borrowed, science-fiction, thriller-action

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Interesting enough to keep me plodding along, but also not interesting enough to really rouse any deep-seated excitement or interest. I personally thought the underlying premise of how the "Daybreak" organization was supposed to function as more than a bit implausible, particularly given what they were able to accomplish. And the idea of "biotes" and whatnot as destroyers of modern technology have also been done with far more originality in The Martian General's Daughter, which explored many of...more Interesting enough to keep me plodding along, but also not interesting enough to really rouse any deep-seated excitement or interest. I personally thought the underlying premise of how the "Daybreak" organization was supposed to function as more than a bit implausible, particularly given what they were able to accomplish. And the idea of "biotes" and whatnot as destroyers of modern technology have also been done with far more originality in The Martian General's Daughter, which explored many of the same ideas as this work.

But, again, having said all of the preceding, I kept coming back to the well, and I suppose I possibly might even take a stab at the whole trilogy. (Which is a possibility I specifically discounted in my one comment while in the midst of reading the book.) However, what would put me off such a course is that this book just seemed to go on and on and on, often like a six year old's shaggy dog story, meandering back and forth, as though the author had never heard of editing, or that he's somehow being paid by the pound. But then abruptly at around Page 425, there's this rather iffy plot twist that I had a rather difficult time swallowing. Particularly the way in which the two antagonists seem to have this "sort of" epiphany from a meeting of three or four hours. Won't say exactly what it is, but I will mark this review as containing a "spoiler," since I am mentioning this, even if in only general terms. Almost like Barnes was bumping up against a deadline or a publisher imposed limit of around five hundred pages, and he had to grab at a deux ex machina solution to meet this demand.

Perhaps this will be one of those books that "grows" on me; I can think of at least one case off the top of my head where I wrote a very harsh two-star review...but have kept thinking about the story off and on since then, and do plan on re-reading it at some point. I can't imagine that if my review had reflected my true feelings I'd have done anything but forgotten about it as quickly as possible after the fact. And I've not. But...mitigating against that here is the sort of literary "Bataan Death March" I felt myself upon as characters ping-ponged around from place to place rather mindlessly.

So, I didn't hate it, but can't say I really liked it, other than to note that, yes, there was enough here to keep me turning pages. And since it is a pet peeve of mine when people write some "X.5 stars" in a review, there's absolutely no way I could ever take such a cowardly way out/do that (show some frickin' backbone, people); 3 stars here giving the benefit of the doubt to the text. (less)

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Jul 26, 2011 Jerome Statema rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book has planted itself at the top of my list of favorite Science Fiction books. I will admit that this list doesn't have many books, as SF has never been my favorite genre, but I'm glad I picked this one up. It's one of the better-written books I've read in quite some time. It was a long 500 pages (inasmuch as the type-face was small), but it flowed very well. I became engaged in the lives of the characters, and I was happy that he showed them, even the ones that should have been good guys...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Adam rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, politics, thriller, sci-fi

Barnes has an engaging premise and what I thought was a well chosen method of exploring a post-apocalypse American society. Directive 51 is an actual executive order that outlines what to restore a constitutional government in the event the constitutional line of successors could not be followed. As with most thrillers, the characters are not deeply developed, and that is how I prefer my thrillers. However in the final stages of Directive 51, the narrative shifts to a more character driven focus...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Christopher Clark rated it 2 of 5 stars

Wow, this book really disappointed me. Barnes is one of my fav authors since I adore "Mother of Storms." (MOS)

This book starts great, sort of the same style of MOS, but then it devolves into more of a what if in the political arena--like an assignment a political science teacher would give to students to invent a government in a post apocalyptic USA.

I also thought he was a bit cynical showing people mobbing and killing each other less than 2 days after the poop hit the fan. I know things would...more

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May 11, 2011 Jason Taylor rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was kind of slow. This book seems pretty similar to S.M. Stirling's "Dies the Fire" in that the modern world is suddenly taken away. The destructive force behind the chaos in "Directive 51" is a bit more believable. However, a person who is not at least fluent in science isn't going to get most of the explanations. I think the characters are kind of lame and the dialogue is weak.

That said, the novel is on the brink of being very good. There is definitely a mystery about the source of Daybrea...more

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Dec 24, 2010 Jeanne Boyarsky rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

I foolishly assumed Directive 51 had something to do with Area 51 and borrowed it from the library without any further look.

The concept was interesting. A bit too much time on "end of the world" stuff and less time on plot to my taste. It was fast moving though and I did enjoy reading it.

I was also a bit disappointed by the ending. I was expecting more closure and the book didn't indicate it was part of a series. I then went online and found out it was intended to be part 1. Now that I know this...more

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Directive 51 (Daybreak #1)

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