Dead Space

Jan 13, 2013 Igor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, sci-fi

Since I played all the Dead Space games, this book came as most welcoming because the games didn't reveal too much about Black Marker or Altman or how everything started. Book is a prequel to the games so it can be read by anyone interested in horror sci-fi. Also, possibly could be more interesting for those who didn't play the games as they don't know what's all about therefore reading experience could be much more intense. Personally, it gave me quite few chills late at night as just the same...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 19, 2011 Fairul Asannan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I REALLY LOVE this book. I think it was mostly because i had played both of the game, and i had wondered days and nights about the mysterious Markers and Necromorphs.

The plot in both games (Dead Space 1&2) are mind-fucking as hell, and I was somewhat disappointed after the credits rolled, with thousands what and why and WTH spinning in my mind, so I decided that maybe reading the novel would provide me some insight about what the hell is going on. I was wrong, unfortunately, but enjoyed the...more

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 03, 2013 Kaine Andrews rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, if you're a fan of the video game series, this is probably worth a peek. If you're not, it's probably not going to do much for you. The idea is that the author is trying to give you some backstory for how mankind first got interested in the Marker (some form of pre-human monolith that generates nearly limitless energy) and the founding of the Church of Unitology (the group that worships the Marker, believing it will bring them to transcendance.)

I personally don't think the book accomplishe...more Well, if you're a fan of the video game series, this is probably worth a peek. If you're not, it's probably not going to do much for you. The idea is that the author is trying to give you some backstory for how mankind first got interested in the Marker (some form of pre-human monolith that generates nearly limitless energy) and the founding of the Church of Unitology (the group that worships the Marker, believing it will bring them to transcendance.)

I personally don't think the book accomplished much in either of those areas.

The majority of the tale is focused on Dr. Michael Altman, a geologist working along the Gulf of Mexico. When he begins getting strange readings and radio signals coming from somewhere within a massive crater - a crater the locals claim holds the "Tail of the Devil" - and starts digging into it, conspiracies begin flying, bodies start appearing and Altman ends up kidnapped by shadowy government operatives who force him to work on their new pet project - digging up whatever's producing those signals and seeing what profit or tech they can scavenge from it.

As far as plotting goes, it's not bad; again, not doing much to present the concepts that it promised, but tolerably interesting. The pacing is quick enough, the language clear. The problems start cropping up when characters other than Altman begin getting involved. The Marker - the thing in the crater - causes, among other things, vivid hallucinations. Those phantoms typically take the form of the voices, personalities and appearance of one's dead loved ones. We're often told of who appears to any individual, but are rarely given more than a brief snapshot of the person in question. "Oh, that's Bob. He's a security guard. His dead wife is talking to him." "Oh, that guy? That's Ralph. He's an astrophysicist. His son's been whispering to him." They have very little emotional impact, because the characters it happens to are so rarely fleshed out enough for us to care about them. Further, not knowing much about them and thus even less about their loved ones, I could never really get behind why these folks are so hot to trot to listen to what these hallucinations are saying without stopping to question it. I accept it - primarily because my experience with the games and animated films fills in some of these blanks - but I don't have to like it.

Then there's the manner of motivation. Okay, the military wants the Marker because they think it can help solve their energy crisis or provide advancements in military technology. Yep. I get that. Then they find out that it produces dementia, paranoia, hallucinations. Does this make them think twice? Of course not! Then some of the scientists working on it start taking samples and trying to replicate the thing - and the weird fleshy mess that surrounded it - and inadvertently create a plague of undead murder-machines. Again, does this stop anyone? Nope; they decide that not only do they want it even more, they start worshipping the thing, claiming that transformation into one of these monstrosities is some sort of holy state. I don't care how unbalanced you may have been to start with, or how many blows to the psyche the Marker might cause just by being in proximity, I have difficulty believing that ANYONE would suddenly decide that this is an object of awe and devotion and that they should try harder to create more and set it free upon the world.

Next would be the matter of the action sequences. As the book approches the climax, the research facility is infested with the beasties - Necromorphs, in the Dead Space universe's terminology - and Altman is often shoved into battle with them to reach his objectives. That's fine. The long, run on sentences where it constantly tells us "Altman shot three of this kind, four of that kind, one of this one and stopped to reload" before doing a rinse-repeat, however... those are not fine. There's no real horror to be had in the necromorph's introduction, and within 10 pages of that it seems almost like combat with them has become routine and worthy of even less description or tension than the chair in the corner of the cafeteria. For a scientist. Who's never owned a gun or committed a violent act. Yeah, not buying it. Further, it's just dull. These are metamorphic piles of blood and sinew, animated by the alien sentience of the Marker. They are horrific to look at, do not move or react in the manner of a human - or even animal - opponent, do not feel or react to pain and only seem to stop coming when all their methods of attacking or subduing prey have been removed. Such as having all their limbs cut off, or complete disintegration. Very little of this level of detail is ever addressed - most of it I know from my experience with other media in the franchise, that lets me fill in the blanks.

That right there is one of the reasons I utterly loathe most sci-fi books that spring off movies, TV shows, games or other media; the authors seem to come pre-equipped with a checklist of stuff they MUST include... but they don't bother detailing them much, as they operate under the near universal assumption that someone is already familiar with the concepts from the other media. "See? It's a Slicer! You know what that is, you played the game! Moving on!" My belief tends to be, even if your audience is likely familiar with it, you can spare a moment of description. Both to provide those who already know some of the material a more vivid glimpse of YOUR imagination regarding it, and for accessibility to people who aren't already rabid fans. Plus, would it hurt to expand a bit? Try something that wasn't already in the source material but that fits reasonably well? Apparently, it would.

The book's inevitable conclusion was also ridiculous and unbelievable; anyone who knows the source material is well aware that Altman isn't going to come through this unscathed, of course, but the manner of his removal and the dialogue of the other characters once it's done is just silly and doesn't really feel like it would lead to the situations presented in the games. It felt more like the author said "Oops, hit my target page count! Time to wrap it up!"

Honestly, with all the issues I have with this book, I was tempted to rate it even lower; what stopped me is a little story I made up in my own head. This isn't what REALLY happened; this is some in-universe conspiracy theorist's story of what happened. Reading it as metafiction - even if that's not actually the author's intent - improved the value. Slightly. Or could just be a sign of my own Marker Dementia.

All in all, I found very little to like in this book except for it bearing the Dead Space logo on the cover; perhaps the next attempt will do better. But as I said above, unless you're already a Dead Space fun, there's not much here to recommend. It doesn't stand well on its own as decent sci-fi. Even if you ARE a Dead Space fun, it doesn't have much to offer, either. Not one of the higher points in my literary exploits of late, I'll say that.(less)

like · see review

Jan 07, 2013 Azn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was pleasantly surprised. Usually movie/video game tie in novels are of low quality, but this was a surprisingly good. The author isn't a hack, he could write, it was creepy and intense, although the initial build up might take a while, but the latter part of the novel was worth it.

The story takes place in a floating scientific compound not far from Chixulub, Mexico, Michael Altman, known in the game as the prophet for the Church of Unitology, was a scientist taken against his will to be deta...more

like · see review

Aug 03, 2012 Kyleigh Trott rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-video-game-action-horror

I really loved this book!

I've read it three times, and I'm always picking up new plot points every time. Fans of the Dead Space video game series will definitely want to pick this up and read it. It does start off a little slow, but it gains momentum fairly quickly after that.

The story starts off on Earth - with one Isaac cameo, if you can spot it! - and follows the life of one Michael Altman. To those who are unfamiliar with the Dead Space series, he is the founder of the Unitology religion....more

like · see review

May 08, 2012 Morgan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: scifi, video games

Shelves: sci-fi

Some things are lost for a reason.

Michael Altman is about to find out the meaning of the old saying that “idle hands are the devil’s playground”. In the future the world is on the verge of a resource collapse that has reshaped the political climate of the world as the few remaining resources are fought over and the powers that be are always racing to find the next big advantage over their competition. In this new world fields such as archeology and geology are either put on the back burner or ar...more Some things are lost for a reason.

Michael Altman is about to find out the meaning of the old saying that “idle hands are the devil’s playground”. In the future the world is on the verge of a resource collapse that has reshaped the political climate of the world as the few remaining resources are fought over and the powers that be are always racing to find the next big advantage over their competition. In this new world fields such as archeology and geology are either put on the back burner or are used as a cover to find hidden resources that may have been over looked in the past.

Michael Altman is one of these researchers, but he yearns for the day when he can do “real” work that will make him feel like he is doing something useful. One day he detects an anomaly in a nearby ocean crater that was not there before. He isn’t the only one though. The military is also aware that something has changed in the crater and they send a team out to find the cause. Their attempt ends in disaster but the final broadcast of the doomed team is intercepted by Michael and the other scientists that are watching the crater. Even though he is warned off, Michael feels that he has to pursue the truth and find out what lies in the crater.

Little does he know that the “Marker” that is discovered beneath the ocean’s waves has waited a long time to be free. It will use whatever and whoever it can to achieve that goal. After all, all you need is a few dead heroes’ to make a legend….

-------------

I’m a fan of video games, so I like these kinds of books since they usually fill in some backstory or give a different perspective on the universe at hand. Dead Space: Martyr is one of the better types of these books that I have read lately. By itself it is a decent action / adventure book. If you play the games it does add a little more to the story that the games tell. I won’t go into to spoiler detail but it seems like the marker does just as much damage or more to those who survive its effects as those that it outright kills. All in all I recommend this to any one that is looking for a decent Action / Adventure book and those that want to learn more about the backstory to Dead Space. M.a.c
(less)

like · see review

May 22, 2013 Roberts "elles rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Mirušais Kosmoss:Moceklis" sarakstījis Braens Evensons. Šo grāmatu izlasīju dēļ labajām atsaucēm , un tādēļ, ka man patīk šāda žanra grāmatas.
Stāsts notiek 2508 gadā, kad no kosmosa kuģa "Ikušima" (no Jāpaņu valodas "Akmens ciems") tiek raidīts SOS signāls no planētas "Aegis VII". Uz šo izsaukumu atbildēja kosmosa kuģis, kurā strādāja mehāniķis Īzaks Klārks, kurš arī ir galvenais varonis. Bet viņu kuģis avarē uz šīs planētas, kuģa apkalpe ir pazudusi, Īzaks , kuģa komandieris un datorspeciālist...more "Mirušais Kosmoss:Moceklis" sarakstījis Braens Evensons. Šo grāmatu izlasīju dēļ labajām atsaucēm , un tādēļ, ka man patīk šāda žanra grāmatas.
Stāsts notiek 2508 gadā, kad no kosmosa kuģa "Ikušima" (no Jāpaņu valodas "Akmens ciems") tiek raidīts SOS signāls no planētas "Aegis VII". Uz šo izsaukumu atbildēja kosmosa kuģis, kurā strādāja mehāniķis Īzaks Klārks, kurš arī ir galvenais varonis. Bet viņu kuģis avarē uz šīs planētas, kuģa apkalpe ir pazudusi, Īzaks , kuģa komandieris un datorspeciāliste ir palikuši vieni. Bet tā nebija...
Īzaks Klārks, dzimis 5. Jūnijā 2465 gadā, tātad 43 gadus vecs vīrietis. Bērnībā, viņš vairāk pavadīja laiku ar māti, jo viņa tēvs visu laiku devās kosmosa ceļojumos. Iespējams , tāpēc arī Īzaks kļuva par kosmosa kuģa mehāniķi, lai būtu tuvāk tēvam, lai ietu tēva pēdās, lai iepazītu viņa darbu, jo pašu tēvu, Īzaks arī nebija iepazinis. Īzaks bija ļoti gudrs. Viņš visas skolas pabeidza ar augstākajām atzīmēm.
Viņš dzīvoja kopā ar Nikolu Brennanu, pirms lielās braukšanas uz planētu "Aegis VII".
Es , Īzaka personību iepazinu caur viņa rīcībām, kas notika uz planētas "Aegis VII" . Viņš spēja pieņemt īsā laikā svarīgus lēmumus. Es saskatīju saistību ar viņa pagātni, es sapratu, ka Īzaks gribēja nokļūt atpakaļ pie savas mīļotās, un lai vēlāk būtu kopā ar savu bērnu. Viņš nevēlējās, būt tāds pats kā viņa tēvs, kurš praktiski nebija Īzaka dzīvē. Tieši šis nospraustais mērķis viņu izglāba no nāves. Protams, viņam nācās pieņemt arī diezgan letālus pieņēmumus, lai pasargātu sev, bet es sapratu kādēļ viņš tā darīja...
Šajā novelē bija rakstīts vairāk par cilvēku, un kā viņš spēj pieņemt lēmumus , lai pasargātu sevi. Tika rādīts cilvēka egoistisms un tā maksimālās robežas. Bija saskatāma, cilvēka prasme izdzīvot pavisam citā pasaulē,kur noteikumi ir savādāki, kur nepastāv cilvēcīgums.
Šo grāmatu es iesaku lasīt visiem tiem , kuriem gribas izjust cilvēku spēju robežas. Protams, šī grāmata ir diezgan bailīga, jo katra lapaspusē bija pa jaunam notikumam , jaunam pavērsienam, ko es nebiju gaidījis. Šī grāmata patiks visiem, kuriem patīk negaidīti pavērsieni, un neparedzami atgadījumi. Šī grāmata bija neparedzama, kas mūsdienās ir liels retums.(less)

like · see review

Oct 24, 2011 Joe rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm a big fan of the Dead Space franchise and the backstory that the games have set up in Dead Space, Dead Space 2 and Dead Space: Extraction. There's a wealth of other media, too - a comic series, a graphic novel, two animated movies, an iOS game, and a Live Arcade/PSN downloadable game. The quality really lurches all over the place when it comes to the 'extended universe'. I really enjoyed the original comic, but hate both animated features with a passion, for example.

I was intrigued, then, by...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 13, 2011 Oliver rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To begin with, I love the Dead Space games. Okay, Ignition sucked and I've not played Extraction yet (although I intend to now I have a Wii). Rephrase, I love the main Dead Space games. Dead Space was the first game I bought myself for the Xbox 360 and remains a favourite. I was looking forward to Dead Space 2 for a long time. That being said, I was dubious as to how good a tie in novel would be. I heard good things though, so I thought I'd give this a go.

I have to admit that I was pleasantly su...more

like · see review

Mar 19, 2012 Zach Bechtel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really love the Dead Space games and wanted to read this in hopes of getting a better understanding of the Marker and the religion of Unitology. I got plenty.

The perspective is changed from character to character throughout the book but eventually focusing on Michael Altmans perspective "the reluctant prophet". This is basically an origin story of finding and recovering the Marker. Which from my best guess was left on earth by an sentient extra terrestrials hell bent on getting humans to kill...more

like · see review

Sep 27, 2010 Terry rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gaming

Dead Space introduced us to Unitology, a religion built around an alien artifact found on Earth. The religion, founded by Michael Altman, is based on the belief that the purpose of human existence is tied to this artifact called the Marker. While the game was focused on the discovery of a second Marker on a far off world, this book takes us back 200 years to the discovery of the first one.

Michael Altman is a geophysicist working in the Yucatan Peninsula because it keeps him with his girlfriend A...more Dead Space introduced us to Unitology, a religion built around an alien artifact found on Earth. The religion, founded by Michael Altman, is based on the belief that the purpose of human existence is tied to this artifact called the Marker. While the game was focused on the discovery of a second Marker on a far off world, this book takes us back 200 years to the discovery of the first one.

Michael Altman is a geophysicist working in the Yucatan Peninsula because it keeps him with his girlfriend Ada, an anthropologist studying Yucatec Mayan folktales. While mapping the crater lake in Chicxulub, Altman’s lab discovers a gravitational anomaly deep in its center. At the same time, other scientists discover pulses from the same location and Ada tells him that the folktales are changing and a local boy has a disturbing story about a recent encounter with a monster.

These details draw the interest of DredgerCorp, a shady “resource retrieval” company known for its illegal operations. Their first attempt to uncover the source of the anomaly fails when their bathyscaphe goes missing. Attempt two involves bringing in a giant floating platform and hiring scientists like Altman, regardless of whether the scientists want to work for them.

If you’re a Dead Space fanatic, there’s a treasure trove of information here as well as smile-inducing name drops. You’ll have a huge prospective-shift on the world of Dead Space, ultimately leading to chills the next time you hear the words “Praise Altman.” But I found the book unsatisfying.

There’s a lot to love about the game, but the one thing I really appreciated was the excellent pacing. That’s not to be found here. You know at some point hell is going to break loose, but it doesn’t until page 329. Until then . . . well there’s a lot of people going insane, sneering villainy and pseudoscientific speculation. All of which would be more interesting if the characters had any weight behind them.

Michael Altman is a major character in the Dead Space mythos, but here there’s nothing compelling about him. Most of the characters are indistinguishable, either falling into well-intentioned scientist or malevolent company man camps. And this is only reinforced when Tim, Tom and Terry show up or characters struggle to remember each other’s names.

If you aren't a huge Dead Space fan, I'd pass this one up and re-read Sphere instead.(less)

like · see review

Feb 22, 2013 Jessica at Book Sake rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reviewed by Kole for Book Sake.

I’ve been a Dead Space fan for a long time. And I always wanted a real prequel to them. This story has lived up to that in every way. It explains many things and makes the story of the series make more sense. You get to see the origins of the markers, or their discovery, and how the society spiraled into what is now Dead Space. I liked how the focus of the story was on a very important person in the mythology. This person was previously unknown, and I couldn’t real...more

like · see review

Jun 30, 2012 Alejandro Mujica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thesis-reading-list

Game-to-film and game-to-novel adaptations miss more than hit. A lot of times, what makes a good story gets less importance than recreating the setting and mythos. Evenson doesn't just dodge this adaptation problem, he blends the Dead Space universe into a cohesive and decently written novel, while exercising his creative liberties.

If you are not familiar with the Dead Space franchise, it revolves around two major elements: an otherwordly artifact and the religion that sprouted from its discove...more Game-to-film and game-to-novel adaptations miss more than hit. A lot of times, what makes a good story gets less importance than recreating the setting and mythos. Evenson doesn't just dodge this adaptation problem, he blends the Dead Space universe into a cohesive and decently written novel, while exercising his creative liberties.

If you are not familiar with the Dead Space franchise, it revolves around two major elements: an otherwordly artifact and the religion that sprouted from its discovery. Dead Space: Martyr takes you to its origin, ground zero, to the Dead Space world. At the heart of the Chicxulub crater, a crater said to have been made by the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs, scientists come across anomalous readings: a gravity flux and an electromagnetic transmission. As protagonist Dr. Altman gathers data, a corporation with a reputation for disregarding all laws in the way of its goals descends on the town of Chicxulub and interferes with the scientific research, claiming all data, and whatever spoils, as its own. What Altman and the corporation uncover brings humanity's existence into question--an artifact which they dub the Marker.As details are uncovered from the dig site, the research staff begin to hallucinate, commit suicide, and tear each other apart. The Marker is doing something to the crew, but why and to what end?

The way Evenson builds suspense in this novel is smooth, even while bouncing between several characters in third-person limited, until settling on Altman. He takes advantage of this jumping, not as a narrative shortcut, but to give an intimate picture of how the Marker affects the characters. There are unfiltered streams of consciousness and heavy doses of "perhapsing" to build conflict in each of the characters, and their survival doesn't come into question until the last words of their final paragraphs. This is where Evenson is strongest: portraying the madness that consumes his characters from the inside out.

Towards the end of the book, though, when the insanity has taken its toll and the conflict is consistently physical, the narration goes a bit dull, almost procedural. Action scenes get pushed along in a race to the conclusion, and the mystery almost disappears. There's even a sloppy quality to its masculine play-by-play, with its mine fields of adverbs and overused descriptions. That last quarter of the novel then serves a casual reader less and the rest of its weight falls onto the die-hard Dead Space fans. At times it almost feels as if Evenson procrastinated.

Don't let this review dissuade you from buying the book, though. If you enjoy sci-fi horror and want an introduction to a new and morbid world, full of sinewy creatures and flying body parts, then there is lots for you to enjoy. Personally, it feels like an unholy partnership between Ridley Scott and Clive Barker, where alien terror meets the occult. It feels rushed at times, mostly towards the end, but this is a worthy piece of the Dead Space narrative, one that answers a lot of questions for the game's fans, and will pique the curiosity of many sci-fi horror readers.(less)

like · see review

Jul 31, 2012 Jonathan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Much, much better than you'd expect a book based on a video game to be. I'll admit that I'd typically turn my nose up at such fare, but I love Dead Space, and a little lazy Googling suggested that Mr. Evenson might have some writerly chops. (How many O. Henry Award winners have written video game tie-ins?) So I took the plunge, and I'm glad I did: Martyr fleshes out the backstory of Unitology, the Marker, and the necromorphs in surprising, tense and atmospheric style. Honestly, if you aren't a f...more

like · see review

May 21, 2013 Elisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was freaking brilliant when it comes to introducing us to Altman. From the games we are only presented with the fact that he is the founder of a religious movement, called unitology and that he died misteriously.
These informations will make you assume that he is evil or, as the rest of the believers, completely ignorant about the Marker and its intentions and effects. Well, this book may change your view on him.

Since the beginning of the book we follow Altman and the events that led to...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 21, 2012 Ashley Kampe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Being a big Dead Space fan, I was a bit hesitant to start this book, but I figured with the third game coming out, it may be helpful in clearing up some questions, especially about Altman's past. Like any book, it began rather slowly, and seemed a bit confusing, but as more theories rose about the Marker and I began to understand exactly what it was doing, I realized that this books is severely underrated. In terms of Dead Space canon, it is ironically like a Dead Space Bible or some sort of key...more

like · see review

Aug 30, 2012 Robert rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wait, don't judge me! True, I love a good videogame-related book so my review is totally biased; however, taken on its own merits, this is a great read. It is the rare videogame book that uses the game universe in a way which makes knowledge of the Dead Space franchise nearly irrelevant. The story moves swiftly enough to prevent the reader from thinking too hard that they're reading a book about an Xbox game and is pretty creepy to boot. Probably not for everyone but if you enjoy the game, you w...more

like · see review

Feb 16, 2013 Kurt Adam rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm usually resistant to tie-in books, but I'd heard some good comments regarding this one. It provides back story to the Church of Unitology and its founder, Michael Altman and the first contact with the Marker. Fans of the game and its world could find something of interest here, but people that have no exposure to the games probably wouldn't get a lot out of it. It's got a lot of good horror scenes, but it's definitely looking to replicate the feeling of playing the games. Decently written pu...more

like · see review

Aug 08, 2012 Sean rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't comment often on reviews, but i think this book warrants it. As a huge fan of fantasy / sci-fi but also a huge fan of video games, I don't feel i can review this book without the context of the game series Dead Space. Being a fan of the game and the canon of the game universe, I think this book does a good job of filling in some back story and is fairly enjoyable, but maybe a little simpler than some other books I've read recently. However, i firmly believe if you are a fan of the games,...more

like · see review

Apr 29, 2013 Ian Hu rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dead Space Martyr, although fast-paced, offered little to the Dead Space timeline other than the foundation of the Unitology religion and insight on who David Altman was. The same plot concept is applied in the Dead Space game: Marker is brought into an isolated environment, people grow crazy with increased rates of violence and suicides and finally the monsters start appearing.

If I hadn't played the Dead Space games, I would have had a hard time picturing the creatures that the author tries to...more

like · see review

Dec 12, 2012 Sohel Mozid rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Those who have played the games Dead Space and Dead Space 2 will simply love this book.Granted,it doesn't make you piss your pants like the games do,but it certainly clears up a lot of confusion about the Marker and its nightmarish effects on people.There is a constant atmosphere of suspense throughout the book that makes you feel like things are going to get messed up any time now,and the suspense keeps building up until all hell breaks loose as everyone gets turned into necromorphs. Dead Space...more

like · see review

Jun 21, 2012 Jim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book would probably be more interesting to readers who are already fans of the Dead Space games. Instead of taking place in the current game timeline it takes place in the past. The main focus of the book is Micheal Altman, who if you played the games you already know this, founded The Church of Unitology. The book follows the discovery of the first marker and the founding of the religion. If you played the game you know a lot of things aren't what they seem and it's no different here. Agai...more

like · see review

May 13, 2013 Aka rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: wish-list

2.5

Un libro que prometía pero que por su lentitud y constante repetición de cosas perdió puntaje.

¿Qué puedo decir de un libro que estuve esperando más de un año para leer? ¿De un libro que me la pasé buscando y preguntando hasta que por fin apareció y me lo llevé? Me siento un poco desilusionada.

El principal motivo por el cuál me moría por leerlo era para conocer más sobre el origen de la unitología. Me encontré con el desarrollo del perfil de Altman y lo que le rodeaba, lo que me gustó, pero pa...more

like · see review

May 07, 2012 Higor Felipe Alves De Freitas rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For some reason, this book took me longer than usual to read, ( I would usually read a book like this in 3-5 days, but it took me 2 weeks). I think that this is mostly due to the slow start, and trust me, it is Slow (with a capital 'S' for emphasis). Although slow, the author does a great job of building up tension, all this tension leading up to an absolutely amazing second halve.
I don't tend to read novels based on games, but this one, luckily, isn't a novel of the actual game (oddly enough,...more For some reason, this book took me longer than usual to read, ( I would usually read a book like this in 3-5 days, but it took me 2 weeks). I think that this is mostly due to the slow start, and trust me, it is Slow (with a capital 'S' for emphasis). Although slow, the author does a great job of building up tension, all this tension leading up to an absolutely amazing second halve.
I don't tend to read novels based on games, but this one, luckily, isn't a novel of the actual game (oddly enough, also called Dead Space) it's what you could call a prequal to the game. The fact of it being a prequal, obviously means the ending is sort of a cliff hanger, and isn't exactly.. 'happy', and you can only find out what happens next by playing the games, (I've played them, and they're great, really worthwhile)
The narrative did an excelent job of sucking me in, i liked the way it switches from character to chracter at times. The main story however, revolves around an initially ordinary chap, named Machael Altman. Who soon becomes considered a prophet.. (I'm not one to let out spoilers, so i shall say no more about the story)
At times, you find yourself flying through the pages, wanting and yearning to know what happens next, I often found myself- at the bathyscaphe section for example - feeling claustrophobic and genuinely scared, but at other times you find yourself dosing off while reading, and having to go back and re-read a whole chapter, just because you started thiking about what you'd have for supper later on. Which leads me to another problem I had with this book, I felt that if i missed even a paragraph i would'nt be a able to understand the rest of the chapter.
Concluding, I gave it 3 stars instead of 4 because i felt that the first half was really a letdown, and too slow, but i didn't give it 2 stars because it did win some kudos in the second half.
This ofcourse, is MY opinion, and i'm not one to say you shouldn't read it, I do recommend it to anyone that is a fan of the Dead Space games and to anyone that enjoys a descent thriller.

(less)

like · see review

Dec 11, 2010 Carmaletta Hilton rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Mar 23, 2011 Alexander S........... rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am a fan of the dead space series.
I really enjoy this book
good well written story with twist and turns
True to the Dead Space series amazing book
Book is a prequel to the original Dead Space, set hundreds of years before that game. It covers the discovery of the original Marker and ultimately gestures towards the beginnings of the COU .This story is full of paranoid, horrific, violent and gut-wrenching moments.
This book is a must read for fans of Dead Space...
I love it...

1 like · like · see review

Aug 08, 2010 Jessica added it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Apr 06, 2013 Hissaman Bronson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book sings the Struggle of Altman when the first marker was found and the creation of the church of Unitology. It gives some insight in the dual character of the hallucinations created by the marker and tells it real purpose. The book is written in an slow but steady rhythm, never giving you too much information nor letting you lose the interest on it. A must read for the fans of the series and for the interested into science fiction as well.

like · see review

Jan 10, 2012 Brent Wooten rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Does a nice job of explaining what caused the Necromorph outbreak in the first place and who Michael Altman really is, but it still leaves many questions unanswered. I'm not saying its thats a bad thing, but after three games, two movies, a graphic novel, and this book, I would want at least the main question of "What the hell is going on?" to be answered.

like · see review

Feb 04, 2011 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

I'm a big fan of the video games, and I borrowed this book from my fiance, despite having some reservations about its quality. Normally, novelizations based on games are pretty terrible, but Evenson's take on the Dead Space universe is an exception. It's genuinely enjoyable and well-written, and I forgot I was reading a video game book for most of it.

like · see review

title link	preview: Dead Space: Martyr
avg rating	preview: Dead Space: Martyr Goodreads rating: 3.80 (501 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8708990-dead-space?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316742249l/8708990.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8708990-dead-space?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Dead Space: Martyr by B.K. Evenson[/url]

Dead Space: Martyr (Dead Space)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (5)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by B.K. Evenson

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Dead Space: Martyr

Dead Space: Martyr (Dead Space)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (5)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by B.K. Evenson

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Dead Space: Martyr

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (5)