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The Noise Within (Noise #1)
by
Ian Whates
On the brink of perfecting the long sought-after human/AI interface, Philip Kaufman finds his world thrown into turmoil as a scandal from the past returns to haunt him and dangerous information falls into his hands. Pursued by assassins and attacked in his own home, he flees. Leyton, a government black-ops specialist, is diverted from his usual duties to hunt down the elus...more
Paperback, 416 pages
Published
April 27th 2010
by Solaris
(first published January 1st 2010)
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The Noise Within exists only to set up a sequel that I don't want to read, because not only is there a lack of any kind of resolution to make me want to continue with this author, but it doesn't even set up a sequel well. Whatever the next book may be about, I assure you that this book won't be necessary to understand it, because The Noise Within asks so few questions and answers none of them that it's pretty much just filling time between a pointless beginning and whatever story Ian Whates had...more
The Noise Within is filled with intriguing elements and characters. The Noise Within is a rogue AI controlled starship turned pirate. Kaufman Industries developed the starship that reappeared after a 20-year absence. Mal/Malcolm Kaufman the developer of the starship is a partial, a computer generated presence left after Mal died. Philip Kaufman is his son who is developing a working AI/Human melding. Jim Leyton is an eyegee, an augmented human with an intelligent gun. Then there are the humans T...more
Ian Whates' second novel in two months after the excellent steampunk science fantasy City Dreams and Nightmares, this one is a space opera from Solaris and a superb book with great characters and setting as well as lots of action, mysteries and all that you want in such
There are 4 pov's of which two get the most action:
Leyton is an "eyegee", (kind of like Cormac of N. Asher's novels), a special agent with an intelligent gun for the human government ULAW which was put together at the end of a cen...more
There are 4 pov's of which two get the most action:
Leyton is an "eyegee", (kind of like Cormac of N. Asher's novels), a special agent with an intelligent gun for the human government ULAW which was put together at the end of a cen...more
Not a bad book, but not a great one. It's a little immature and feels a bit rushed, and although my paperback edition has no indication that it's the first of a sequence, as you get into the closing pages with no real resolution or end in sight, you begin to realise that this is just Episode One... And then it ends on an actual cliffhanger.
It's got some fun, original ideas and the descriptions are reasonably done, but the characters do all tend to be steely-jawed & handsome or slim, leggy an...more
It's got some fun, original ideas and the descriptions are reasonably done, but the characters do all tend to be steely-jawed & handsome or slim, leggy an...more
A space opera in the style of Alistair Reynolds or Peter Hamilton, yet not really up to the standards of either. There are certainly some interesting ideas in here, and some good action, but it's let down by many of the characters coming across as rather flat. Kethi looks the most promising, but she has almost nothing to do here (I'm guessing she features more in the sequel). It's a pity, because much of the plot isn't bad, and the title 'character' makes for a worthwhile premise.
So certainly so...more
So certainly so...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Readable but mediocre space opera setting up a series reminiscent of Neal Asher's Polity books. Too much awkward exposition from the omniscient narrator, too many cliché phrases, and not an original idea anywhere in it make this very skippable, but it did pass quickly and remind me (pleasantly) of an old Traveller campaign.
This felt like one long setup for a sequel. Nothing really happened and most of the characters failed to grab me. Plus the bits told from Emilio's perspective were a waste of time. It's not that the book is poorly written--though there were more typos than I expected from a publisher like Solaris--it's just flat. Even the action felt flat. There's better space opera out there. I won't be reading the next one.
So much wasted time, so many pointless narratives, and still the charters are frustratingly one-dimensional. Of the four main points of view this book features, only one is particularly interesting (that of Layton, the enhanced military agent), and even then only some of the time. The rest serve little more than to fill pages. There were a few times (usually featuring Layton) that I almost forgot how bad the rest of the book was, but then a string of clichés or some random womanizing brought me...more
Of course not what I expected (Pirates! Space battles!) ;-), but nevertheless very good. Still, I can understand that someone not warned in advance that this is book one with more to come could be disgruntled because of the open ending.
A mediocre book with potential, but ended with a ham-handed cliffhanger hook for a sequel that I hope will never come. Hate it when an author does that.
I didn't get on with this one at all, I'm afraid. I reviewed this for the SF fanzine The Zone: http://www.zone-sf.com/wordworks/nois...
Moderately entertaining beach reading. Not very deep, original or imaginative. Certainly no Iain M. Banks!
The Noise Within is an action-packed sci-fi book. From the beginning, Whates keeps a high pace and the book quickly becomes a page-turner. The main characters are well realized. Multiple story-threads, various different settings capture the reader immensely.
I absolutely loved this book. I'm so looking forward to the next installment.
I absolutely loved this book. I'm so looking forward to the next installment.
Should be 3.5 stars. Fast action packed read.
Better than average Space Opera.
It was a good read, but I feel it could have been a bit better. I loved the whole concept though.
Jun 11, 2013
Joe Edwards
marked it as to-read
Jun 05, 2013
Michelle
marked it as to-read
Apr 27, 2013
Cameron McLeod
marked it as to-read
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Ian Whates lives in a comfortable home down a quiet cul-de-sac in an idyllic Cambridgeshire village, which he shares with his partner Helen and their pets – Honey the golden cocker spaniel, Calvin the tailless black cat and Inky the goldfish (sadly, Binky died a few years ago).
Ian’s earliest memories of science fiction are fragmented. He remembers loving Dr Who from an early age and other TV shows...more
More about Ian Whates...
Ian’s earliest memories of science fiction are fragmented. He remembers loving Dr Who from an early age and other TV shows...more
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