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Bullettime
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 town. Caught between finger and trigger, David is given three chances to decide his fate as he is compelled to live and relive all his potential existences, guided only by the dark wisdom found in a bottle of cough syrup. From the author of the instant cult classic Move Under Ground comes a fantasy of blood, lust, destiny, school shootings, and the chance to change your future.
225 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
10 people are currently reading
341 people want to read
About the author
Nick Mamatas
186 books248 followersNick Mamatas is the author of the Lovecraftian Beat road novel Move Under Ground, which was nominated for both the Bram Stoker and International Horror Guild awards, the Civil War ghost story Northern Gothic, also a Stoker nominee, the suburban nighmare novel Under My Roof, and over thirty short stories and hundreds of articles (some of which were collected in 3000 Miles Per Hour in Every Direction at Once). His work has appeared in Razor, Village Voice, Spex, Clamor, In These Times, Polyphony, several Disinformation and Ben Bella Books anthologies, and the books Corpse Blossoms, Poe's Lighthouse, Before & After: Stories from New York, and Short and Sweet.
Nick's forthcoming works include the collection You Might Sleep... (November 2008) and Haunted Legends, an anthology with Ellen Datlow (Tor Books 2009).
A native New Yorker, Nick now lives in the California Bay Area.
Nick's forthcoming works include the collection You Might Sleep... (November 2008) and Haunted Legends, an anthology with Ellen Datlow (Tor Books 2009).
A native New Yorker, Nick now lives in the California Bay Area.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
May 9, 2014
Early on, a character in BULLETTIME describes Wong Kar-wai's film 2046 this way: "[T]here are different timelines and stuff. There's a sci-fi story wrapped up in the other stuff. And it's non-chronological." The same could be said of this complex and compelling novel of fractured timelines, diverse fates, and the awfulness of high school. But for all its talk of different choices leading to different outcomes, of a multitude of possible futures, the novel really seems to be about inevitability. We know where it's going from page one. Mamatas isn't concerned about suspense here, just the exploration of the decisions made by an average high school outsider, Dave Holbrook, under pressure from unyielding cosmic manipulation. (Now that I think of it, "under pressure from unyielding cosmic manipulation" might be a great way to describe how many of us, myself included, felt during high school.) It's well written, the science-fictional elements are a lot of fun, and Dave never feels inauthentic, but the novel ends too abruptly. It's already a short novel, even just a few more paragraphs to bring the narrative to a satisfying close would have been welcome. Instead, it feels as if we are abandoned in the middle of what ought to be a very interesting and important scene, one that could ultimately lead to narrative closure. This, plus an off-putting fascination with oral sex and the sexualization of pretty much every female character except Dave's mom and the school nurse, unfortunately diminish what is otherwise a fascinating and cogent tale.
August 15, 2012
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 see it all; every moron mistake and anguished inevitability. Somewhere along the infinite planes of the Ylem, there must be a way out, a way to live and a choice to make that frees us from the grip of Eris, that frees me from this waiting room of raw experiences. I just need to find it.
***
Ylem
Y-lem. Noun. The initial substance of the universe from which all matter is said to be derived. (source: Dictionary.com)
This basic concept is key to understanding Nick Mamatas’ Bullettime. Mamatas’ novella tracks the many tragic lives of New Jersey native and teenage cough syrup addict Dave Holbrook. Tripping back and forth between first- and third-person narration, Mamatas gives a rough sketch of a boy teased, bullied, beaten, stabbed, and quite simply shit on with every step he takes in life. But Dave isn’t content to exist as a Hamilton High punching bag. He steps up, makes decisions that can’t be unmade—life destroying decisions—but whose outcomes can be experienced through the ethereal omniscience provided by the ylem.
Think Run Lola Run by way of the Columbine massacre and you’ve got a pretty good idea of how things unfold.
Ylem is an interesting concept that, in practice, boils down to a series of butterfly effects: by taking a gun out at such-and-such a point, things unfold one way; shoot up the school at another point and his limited life unfolds in an entirely different matter. Portrayed as a canvas to which all possibilities are painted, the ylem offers Dave a strange sort of guardian angel’s perspective on things—Dave by way of the “I” of the narrative, and not the “he.”
At the heart of it all, as Dave’s lust interest and personal Greek goddess of discord, is Erin/Eris, at once the Eve and the apple-pushing serpent of the tale (with a cache of weapons to call her own). In none of Dave’s lives is Erin a positive influence—a spark, an igniting force, absolutely, but always a sharp object pushing in the small of his back.
And there it is—the knife pushing Dave ever forward, rushing him to his pre-mid-life demise every time, in every life. Whether the final straw comes from the unknown who stabbed him with a pen, the classmates who call him faggot and treat him like dirt, or the parents who are equal parts insane, neglectful, embittered, and abusive, the end result is invariably the same: the desire to step up and no longer be looked down upon, by whatever means necessary. Dave’s a weakling, a life-long target naively searching for his sword and shield.
Bullettime is a noir steeped in teenage misery and revenge, with some basic ideas about fate and predetermination tossed into the mix. Its experimental structure is high on concept, but unfortunately low on characterization: Dave and others are drawn in fairly one-dimensional patterns, with little to them beyond their surface attitudes and struggles. That’s not to say they aren’t a colourful bunch (Lee and Oleg especially), but with such a scattered through-line it’s difficult to feel a personal, emotional pull towards any one individual and whatever temporal stream they currently occupy.
On a conceptual level, Bullettime works more often than not. I wish Mamatas had given us more detail regarding the ylem and its presence and/or purpose within the narrative, but lacking that information does not irrevocably hamper one’s enjoyment of the book.
Those seeking a tonal shift to the discussion of fate and destiny will find much to like in Bullettime, though it’s unlikely Dave and Erin will stay with you for too long after the final page has been turned.
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 see it all; every moron mistake and anguished inevitability. Somewhere along the infinite planes of the Ylem, there must be a way out, a way to live and a choice to make that frees us from the grip of Eris, that frees me from this waiting room of raw experiences. I just need to find it.
***
Ylem
Y-lem. Noun. The initial substance of the universe from which all matter is said to be derived. (source: Dictionary.com)
This basic concept is key to understanding Nick Mamatas’ Bullettime. Mamatas’ novella tracks the many tragic lives of New Jersey native and teenage cough syrup addict Dave Holbrook. Tripping back and forth between first- and third-person narration, Mamatas gives a rough sketch of a boy teased, bullied, beaten, stabbed, and quite simply shit on with every step he takes in life. But Dave isn’t content to exist as a Hamilton High punching bag. He steps up, makes decisions that can’t be unmade—life destroying decisions—but whose outcomes can be experienced through the ethereal omniscience provided by the ylem.
Think Run Lola Run by way of the Columbine massacre and you’ve got a pretty good idea of how things unfold.
Ylem is an interesting concept that, in practice, boils down to a series of butterfly effects: by taking a gun out at such-and-such a point, things unfold one way; shoot up the school at another point and his limited life unfolds in an entirely different matter. Portrayed as a canvas to which all possibilities are painted, the ylem offers Dave a strange sort of guardian angel’s perspective on things—Dave by way of the “I” of the narrative, and not the “he.”
At the heart of it all, as Dave’s lust interest and personal Greek goddess of discord, is Erin/Eris, at once the Eve and the apple-pushing serpent of the tale (with a cache of weapons to call her own). In none of Dave’s lives is Erin a positive influence—a spark, an igniting force, absolutely, but always a sharp object pushing in the small of his back.
And there it is—the knife pushing Dave ever forward, rushing him to his pre-mid-life demise every time, in every life. Whether the final straw comes from the unknown who stabbed him with a pen, the classmates who call him faggot and treat him like dirt, or the parents who are equal parts insane, neglectful, embittered, and abusive, the end result is invariably the same: the desire to step up and no longer be looked down upon, by whatever means necessary. Dave’s a weakling, a life-long target naively searching for his sword and shield.
Bullettime is a noir steeped in teenage misery and revenge, with some basic ideas about fate and predetermination tossed into the mix. Its experimental structure is high on concept, but unfortunately low on characterization: Dave and others are drawn in fairly one-dimensional patterns, with little to them beyond their surface attitudes and struggles. That’s not to say they aren’t a colourful bunch (Lee and Oleg especially), but with such a scattered through-line it’s difficult to feel a personal, emotional pull towards any one individual and whatever temporal stream they currently occupy.
On a conceptual level, Bullettime works more often than not. I wish Mamatas had given us more detail regarding the ylem and its presence and/or purpose within the narrative, but lacking that information does not irrevocably hamper one’s enjoyment of the book.
Those seeking a tonal shift to the discussion of fate and destiny will find much to like in Bullettime, though it’s unlikely Dave and Erin will stay with you for too long after the final page has been turned.
October 8, 2013
This is an excellent short but powerful novel, from young raising star in genre fiction Nick Mamatas. This author first got on my radar from being on panels throughout last year's HP Lovecraft fest. I enjoyed his take on things and had a few short conversations with him. I knew I wanted to check out his work. While more interested in his forthcoming book and Stoker award winning novel Move Underground, it was Bullettime that came across my desk first. I very glad I dug into this interesting book which is fast read, infact I really read in two days (A week apart, but two days of serious reading) Yeah it's short, but I read it that fast because it was engaging and funny at the same time.
This is dark humor no doubt, with a serious subjects like mental illness and school shootings I got the impression that a lot more is going on in this novel than on the surface. I am pleased to feel that some elements might have gone over my head, in the personal elements Manatas brought to the story of a bullied kid from his hometown.
This novel is the story of David a Jersey City high school student going to school in the shadow of NYC. He is bullied constantly and he is parents are only barely more than insane housemates. Things change a bit when he meets Erin, who he starts a relationship with, but could not really be called a girlfriend. The story jumps around in time exploring possible out comes as Manatas explores possible outcomes choices he may or may not make leading to a violent reaction to his school experience.
I laughed a lot during this novel, but I also found many parts disturbing. It is an effecting work, as it should be. Mamatas has a way with words, a biting wit. The book makes a lot of comparisons between Prison and high school. Speaking as someone with experience with both I find these comparisons to be hyperbole, but one the narrator would make so I can live with that.
I had a strange meta moment while reading the climax of the novel that envisions a mass school shootings. I was at work at the time, supporting a assisted living cilent. He was eating his lunch in the Clackamas town Center food court. It wasn't until I was sitting there reading book that I looked up and realized that it was the same spot where I was sitting a year earlier when a youth came in the food court and shot three people. He was only bimped out of the national headlines when another psycho upped the insanity by shooting up a elementary school in Newtown less than a week later.
I respect the fact that this weird genre piece is tackling a tough issue like school shootings, but it is possible that is so well written the message way fly straight over the heads of the kids who could really use the message. Hell, perhaps I am over stating the message. I am new to this author I not sure if message is his thing or not. The one thing I am sure of is I will read more Nick Mamatas and suggest you check out his fiction too.
This is dark humor no doubt, with a serious subjects like mental illness and school shootings I got the impression that a lot more is going on in this novel than on the surface. I am pleased to feel that some elements might have gone over my head, in the personal elements Manatas brought to the story of a bullied kid from his hometown.
This novel is the story of David a Jersey City high school student going to school in the shadow of NYC. He is bullied constantly and he is parents are only barely more than insane housemates. Things change a bit when he meets Erin, who he starts a relationship with, but could not really be called a girlfriend. The story jumps around in time exploring possible out comes as Manatas explores possible outcomes choices he may or may not make leading to a violent reaction to his school experience.
I laughed a lot during this novel, but I also found many parts disturbing. It is an effecting work, as it should be. Mamatas has a way with words, a biting wit. The book makes a lot of comparisons between Prison and high school. Speaking as someone with experience with both I find these comparisons to be hyperbole, but one the narrator would make so I can live with that.
I had a strange meta moment while reading the climax of the novel that envisions a mass school shootings. I was at work at the time, supporting a assisted living cilent. He was eating his lunch in the Clackamas town Center food court. It wasn't until I was sitting there reading book that I looked up and realized that it was the same spot where I was sitting a year earlier when a youth came in the food court and shot three people. He was only bimped out of the national headlines when another psycho upped the insanity by shooting up a elementary school in Newtown less than a week later.
I respect the fact that this weird genre piece is tackling a tough issue like school shootings, but it is possible that is so well written the message way fly straight over the heads of the kids who could really use the message. Hell, perhaps I am over stating the message. I am new to this author I not sure if message is his thing or not. The one thing I am sure of is I will read more Nick Mamatas and suggest you check out his fiction too.
June 15, 2020
I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about BULLETTIME when I first finished it. So I gave it a bit of time to let it sink. Unfortunately, I'm still at that same spot where I can't determine if the book succeeded with me or not. I enjoyed the book and it made me think but I'm not sure what I felt after I finished it.
The story is told by Dave Holbrook as he sits outside of time and watches himself go through multiple alternate realities. Most of these lives focus on his teenage years. Almost all lead Dave to an early death. And every one was miserable. He's picked on at school and his parents are no help to him. He self-medicates his way through live with cough medicine. Things start to look up for him when he meets Erin, a beautiful new student who finds Dave interesting. However, Erin is really Eris, the goddess of discord, who finds Dave interesting because of the chaos she can use him to create.
The storytelling is not completely linear. Narrator Dave jumps across the different realities and picks up pieces from all of them. He's trying to find something positive since so many of his lives are pretty miserable. That search across the lives was captivating to me as a reader. Where were we being drawn? What redeeming factors would we find? At the same time, this is where I end up lost. There wasn't enough of a definitive ending with which to be satisfied. If Narrator Dave found one life that was true happiness, then it wouldn't have stayed true with the rest of the book. Finding that satisfying ending for Daves in multiple timelines is tough. Before you start to think you should skip the book though, at no point during the story did I ever feel like marking the book as Did Not Finish. It is a complex story and held my attention the whole way through. I'm not sure if it truly worked for me but maybe in a slightly different reality, it does satisfy me completely. Give the book a try and see where you land. After all, maybe the book was meant to leave the reader unsettled and thinking rather than satisfied and forgotten.
The story is told by Dave Holbrook as he sits outside of time and watches himself go through multiple alternate realities. Most of these lives focus on his teenage years. Almost all lead Dave to an early death. And every one was miserable. He's picked on at school and his parents are no help to him. He self-medicates his way through live with cough medicine. Things start to look up for him when he meets Erin, a beautiful new student who finds Dave interesting. However, Erin is really Eris, the goddess of discord, who finds Dave interesting because of the chaos she can use him to create.
The storytelling is not completely linear. Narrator Dave jumps across the different realities and picks up pieces from all of them. He's trying to find something positive since so many of his lives are pretty miserable. That search across the lives was captivating to me as a reader. Where were we being drawn? What redeeming factors would we find? At the same time, this is where I end up lost. There wasn't enough of a definitive ending with which to be satisfied. If Narrator Dave found one life that was true happiness, then it wouldn't have stayed true with the rest of the book. Finding that satisfying ending for Daves in multiple timelines is tough. Before you start to think you should skip the book though, at no point during the story did I ever feel like marking the book as Did Not Finish. It is a complex story and held my attention the whole way through. I'm not sure if it truly worked for me but maybe in a slightly different reality, it does satisfy me completely. Give the book a try and see where you land. After all, maybe the book was meant to leave the reader unsettled and thinking rather than satisfied and forgotten.
July 8, 2021
Phenomenal inertia from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph, idea to even more messed-up idea. It's seriously the Slaughterhouse Five of Robotripping novels. Very enjoyable.
August 23, 2016
Maybe Mamatas's best book (that I've read anyway).
His take on the horror of high school feels right, not sugar-coated, not viewed through the lens of nostalgia - but a racial and sexual horror show of arbitrary exercises of power to humiliate peers. The use of Eris, Goddess of Discord as the instigator of a school shooting is perfect.
As usual for his books, the ending feels incomplete, like it peters out rather than wraps up. In this case, however, with the second detached consciousness of the main characters observing and commenting from outside of space and time on all the possible variations of the timeline, such a petering out makes sense.
I have noticed that all of Mamtas's protagonists are loners and losers, who don't have friends as much as temporary companions that try to manipulate (or are manipulated by) the main character. Outsiders who either already know or quickly discover that their outside position doesn't make them special or destined or especially smarter than anyone else. It is like like he is making studies of a character type we don't see that often, but that has its prototype in stuff like Exley's A Fan's Notes .
His take on the horror of high school feels right, not sugar-coated, not viewed through the lens of nostalgia - but a racial and sexual horror show of arbitrary exercises of power to humiliate peers. The use of Eris, Goddess of Discord as the instigator of a school shooting is perfect.
As usual for his books, the ending feels incomplete, like it peters out rather than wraps up. In this case, however, with the second detached consciousness of the main characters observing and commenting from outside of space and time on all the possible variations of the timeline, such a petering out makes sense.
I have noticed that all of Mamtas's protagonists are loners and losers, who don't have friends as much as temporary companions that try to manipulate (or are manipulated by) the main character. Outsiders who either already know or quickly discover that their outside position doesn't make them special or destined or especially smarter than anyone else. It is like like he is making studies of a character type we don't see that often, but that has its prototype in stuff like Exley's A Fan's Notes .
January 12, 2013
"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 machine-gun fueled act of revenge.
The dark side of magical realism, Mamatas takes us into the world of high school bullying, dysfunctional parents and errant Greek goddesses with savage flare. This is not an easy book. Anyone who's survived bullying or found themselves part of their school's trenchcoat mafia will find parts of this book painful. Those who did the bullying won't get the book at all. But anyone who looks back and wonders about their choices, about free will, and about the impact of fateful moments will find reward in this book.
The dark side of magical realism, Mamatas takes us into the world of high school bullying, dysfunctional parents and errant Greek goddesses with savage flare. This is not an easy book. Anyone who's survived bullying or found themselves part of their school's trenchcoat mafia will find parts of this book painful. Those who did the bullying won't get the book at all. But anyone who looks back and wonders about their choices, about free will, and about the impact of fateful moments will find reward in this book.
May 7, 2013
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 attention to the little nuances of life and the story, and contains truths that are very easily looked over. Its characters are magnificent. David Holbrook is a very convincing teenager, with his ups and downs of his golden years. Eris is very good as a manipulative, sly, disturbing, and sexy villainess. The story is handled perfectly, with a lot of quite surreal turns. It's definitely a book for adults, and not for the faint of heart.
Overall, it's a much more brilliant book than I may make it out to be, and if this review wasn't thorough enough, go and read the book.
The book itself is quite brilliantly told. I'm convinced I myself didn't get it, or not all of it. It pays attention to the little nuances of life and the story, and contains truths that are very easily looked over. Its characters are magnificent. David Holbrook is a very convincing teenager, with his ups and downs of his golden years. Eris is very good as a manipulative, sly, disturbing, and sexy villainess. The story is handled perfectly, with a lot of quite surreal turns. It's definitely a book for adults, and not for the faint of heart.
Overall, it's a much more brilliant book than I may make it out to be, and if this review wasn't thorough enough, go and read the book.
March 15, 2013
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, Dave's trying to find his way out of the ylem, so he can make his own story, instead of rehashing what reality, and Eris, has splayed out for all existence.
I can't be sure if Dave's just plain nuts, all robotripped out, or if the Dave in the ylem is in fact real. It makes for an interesting read, and there are moments you pity him. You don't always get to choose your life, and Dave got royally fucked by Mamatas (who's using Eris as an excuse).
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, Dave's trying to find his way out of the ylem, so he can make his own story, instead of rehashing what reality, and Eris, has splayed out for all existence.
I can't be sure if Dave's just plain nuts, all robotripped out, or if the Dave in the ylem is in fact real. It makes for an interesting read, and there are moments you pity him. You don't always get to choose your life, and Dave got royally fucked by Mamatas (who's using Eris as an excuse).
November 15, 2012
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 deserves some credit for exploring the idea that if you can see every choice and experience the consequences of said choices then nothing really matters in the end. Give this one a try.
November 17, 2012
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 for misfit teens, relatives of misfit teens, anyone who once was a misfit teen, and anyone who's ever passed through New Jersey.
December 8, 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.
April 28, 2014
One of the most inventive, artful works of modern fantasy / horror I've ever read. You almost have to believe Mamatas wrote this on a dare: how to tell a suspenseful story when you already know the ending; how to keep the reader invested in the most unlikable, unreliable narrator you could imagine. Dark without being purple. Recommended.
September 21, 2012
Partially a review of ChiZine itself, but I talk a LOT about Bullettime.
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September 14, 2012
Review forthcoming, somewhere or other...
March 1, 2013
Bullettime was just as good, if not better, when read in reverse order of chapters.
April 7, 2014
Organically poetic prose.
July 1, 2014
Impressive. Mamatas probably should have shown up on some awards lists for this effort. However, he didn't.
July 28, 2022
I would pay money for someone to explain the plot of this book to me
July 30, 2023
This book uses the science fiction trope of the multiverse and highly non-linear story structure to get inside the mind of a bullied kid who shoots up a high school or doesn't and goes to jail or doesn't and ends up worshipping or hating the ancient Greek goddess of discord who may or may not be a hot and highly sexualized girl in his school. Yes, one could fault this as every young female is sexualized to the point of unrealistic, but the narrator is either an unstable teenage boy high on cough syrup or his all-knowing sum of selves in a purgatory of sorts, so not exactly a reliable narrator. The end was completely unexpected, and I'm not sure if deserved--I'm still pondering how I feel about it. The style was compulsively readable, driving forward with lots of short sentences and switching focus that seems a good surrogate for the drug-addled mind. I'm not sure the book is trying to say anything (behind the obvious, that bullied kids are the ones that shoot up schools, which isn't even always true, as in real-life, it can also be the bullies). It's a wild, disturbing ride. And the unrealistic parts (I'm a high school teacher, so I have some credibility here) could certainly be said to be fantasies running through a teen boy's head, especially in the Internet age. High school is, indeed, pretty fucking awful for a lot of kids, and what goes on in a shooter's mind is not always rational or in close communication with the rest of the world. If the goal was to disturb to the point where the average person says "There's something wrong here; maybe I should go relate to some troubled kids," it might have been said to have accomplished something. There was clearly a lot of thought put into the novel's structure--what gets revealed where and when each incident is revealed to the reader--I'd be quite curious as to how Mamatas made these decisions. This is the first book of his I've read (although I've encountered his work as an editor--The Future is Japanese was a fantastic collection); I'll read another.
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November 14, 2019Weird
Not much of a book. Didn't make much sense. Not my type of book I guess. Almost didn't finish it.
Not much of a book. Didn't make much sense. Not my type of book I guess. Almost didn't finish it.
August 4, 2023
Very underwhelming across the board
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July 21, 2014In my review of Nick Mamatas's Move Under Ground, I said that book was not for everyone. Really, Nick Mamatas might as well get t-shirts printed up with that phrase. I like him, both as a person (we met briefly at WorldCon in San Antonio in 2013, I follow him on Twitter and Facebook) and as a writer--but he's really not for everyone. His stories (and personality) can be cynical and caustic and deal with unpleasant things; and the argument could be made that he likes to shock people.
So when you get a story like Bullettime--a story about a school shooter from the semi-sympathetic POV of the school shooter himself--it might be tempting to say that this is shock for shock's sake; and yet, I think we should resist that temptation here. Bullettime is a rich horror-noir about the dual failures of the society and the individual.
Dave Holbrook has problems: he has no friends in a school with some serious racial tension, other than the fedora'd and trench-coated immigrant Oleg (more an acquaintance than a friend really); his dad is distant, from the "back in my day... why can't you make friends?" school; his mom is a straight-up alcoholic; and Dave's primary interests are online porn and cough syrup. And also, the mysterious new student named Erin, who may or may not be Eris, Greek Goddess of Discord--and who may be pushing Dave towards shooting up the school.
Which is both successful and not, depending on which of many universes we're in. That is, one of Eris's first moves--according to the cough syrup-fugued Dave--is to send his real, conscious self into the Ylem, a sort of no-space from which he can watch every version of his life. In some, he doesn't shoot up the school; in others, he does; in some, he dies early, even before he meets Erin; in others, he survives to live life as a state employee. (His job: fixing or installing lottery tickets, that mass-market symbol for randomness and the possibility of a good life.) Dave's story doesn't move linearly through these lives, like a sort of Groundhog Day. Rather we see some events leading up to the potential school shooting and also some events, in this or other lives, that happen elsewise. Dave in Ylem has an omniscient view of all of his lives, not that that really helps any of the many possible hims.
In that way, Bullettime is sort of plot-light, with us seeing several episodes from his life, and the constant reminder that things could go differently. And yet, for all the many possibilities open to Dave, there's a real sense of tragedy here: the focus of the book isn't the plot or the science-fictional many-worlds, but how terribly screwed-up Dave is, both by the world and by himself. Could his parents be different? Could his school situation? Would any of that really be enough? Popular narratives about school shootings tend to focus on the shooter-as-loner, -as-troubled, but there's plenty of examples of people who aren't either who have done terrible things--and plenty of troubled loners who never do.
Mamatas does a very good and very troubling job putting us into the very claustrophobic position of a kid with no good way out.
So when you get a story like Bullettime--a story about a school shooter from the semi-sympathetic POV of the school shooter himself--it might be tempting to say that this is shock for shock's sake; and yet, I think we should resist that temptation here. Bullettime is a rich horror-noir about the dual failures of the society and the individual.
Dave Holbrook has problems: he has no friends in a school with some serious racial tension, other than the fedora'd and trench-coated immigrant Oleg (more an acquaintance than a friend really); his dad is distant, from the "back in my day... why can't you make friends?" school; his mom is a straight-up alcoholic; and Dave's primary interests are online porn and cough syrup. And also, the mysterious new student named Erin, who may or may not be Eris, Greek Goddess of Discord--and who may be pushing Dave towards shooting up the school.
Which is both successful and not, depending on which of many universes we're in. That is, one of Eris's first moves--according to the cough syrup-fugued Dave--is to send his real, conscious self into the Ylem, a sort of no-space from which he can watch every version of his life. In some, he doesn't shoot up the school; in others, he does; in some, he dies early, even before he meets Erin; in others, he survives to live life as a state employee. (His job: fixing or installing lottery tickets, that mass-market symbol for randomness and the possibility of a good life.) Dave's story doesn't move linearly through these lives, like a sort of Groundhog Day. Rather we see some events leading up to the potential school shooting and also some events, in this or other lives, that happen elsewise. Dave in Ylem has an omniscient view of all of his lives, not that that really helps any of the many possible hims.
In that way, Bullettime is sort of plot-light, with us seeing several episodes from his life, and the constant reminder that things could go differently. And yet, for all the many possibilities open to Dave, there's a real sense of tragedy here: the focus of the book isn't the plot or the science-fictional many-worlds, but how terribly screwed-up Dave is, both by the world and by himself. Could his parents be different? Could his school situation? Would any of that really be enough? Popular narratives about school shootings tend to focus on the shooter-as-loner, -as-troubled, but there's plenty of examples of people who aren't either who have done terrible things--and plenty of troubled loners who never do.
Mamatas does a very good and very troubling job putting us into the very claustrophobic position of a kid with no good way out.
July 18, 2013
Bullettime is a surreal riff on the multiverse of which each of us rides the cusp.
Bullettime is an edgy exploration of the torment, boredom and isolation that can push a marginally-unstable teen into the realm of extreme violence.
Bullettime is...ahh, I don't know what the fuck Bullettime is, which is why it's getting a 2-star rating.
Let me say up front that the guy can write, no argument there. And I'll admit, I would never have made it as a Lit major -- I suck at reading a four-page short story about a pig farmer and turning out a twenty-page book report about the author's deep sub-textual views on the human condition, etc, etc, etc.
Ok, maybe that's a bit harsh on the Lit majors, so I apologize. But the truth is I'm a shallow reader: I like my books -- as I like my movies -- to be straightforward. There's no worrying about a deeper meaning when Bruce or Arnold start spraying the bullets, blowing shit up and tossing out bad one-liners...pass the bucket o' popcorn and the super-sized Coke, please!
Likewise when it comes to books: if I'm reading an action book, I want action; if it's weird shit, give me weird shit. And, if it's metaphysical musings on free will versus predestination, then bring on the metaphysical musings...
I don't mind puzzling over deep thoughts, but please, if you're going to mix it all up and leave it for me to try and figure out, then I'd appreciate it if at the conclusion I find myself picking up the pieces of my blown mind, or at least cutting loose with a few "what the fuck's?!?" rather than scratching my head and saying "I don't get it."
So, what didn't I get?
1: Is Dave's story supposed to be a sincere attempt to get people thinking about the kinds of real stories underlying the troubled lives of teens who end up resorting to extreme violence? If so, then what's up with the whole Erin/Eris thing?
2: If not that, and it's supposed to be more of a modern myth type of story, then where is Erin/Eris' street cred? I mean, other than mentioning her involvement in the story of The Iliad I don't recall any other *world events* that she's supposed to have played a hand in, so...not very believable.
3: And finally, the narrator spends the entire book from his position in the Ylem belaboring the point that he has seen all of his/Dave's futures and knows how they all end and then, POOF!, majically in the last page-and-a-half of the book he manages to escape the Ylem, re-inhabit his/Dave's body and mystically walk out the window, across the open air to the next building over and on into the metaphorical sunset.
I just don't get it. My minds not blown, just the six or seven hours I spent reading this one...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2017
I'm not 100% sure where I stand on this book. After putting it down, a long moment of staring out the window and pondering the storm of thought and emotion made me come to two conclusions.
#1 - This book made me feel things. Not anger, or sadness, or joy. Things. Those random bursts of emotion that come and go so horrendously fast that you're left with visual images akin to the surface of boiling water. I felt upset, but not in a way that could be clearly defined, more like the way you feel being drunk at sea; a physical movement of the body made numb by the confusing fog of inebriation. I came to realize I was facing an inner cauldron of sarcastic and bitter frustration, teetering on the razor's edge between absolute calm and unbridled fury.
#2 - I need to give this book to all my friends and have them read it so we can discuss it. The experience (and this is the only way to refer to this book... an experience) Mamatas has created with Bullettime is riddled with events, scenarios, and outcomes that not only merit further discussion, they almost demand it. Bullying, domestic abuse, racism, violence, addiction, sexual culture; all gift-wrapped in paper as dark as dark itself and presented around the horrendous event of school shootings.
In the end, I would recommend this book to anyone with the depth of intelligence to look past the horror of the events it addresses, and instead see the commentary on what our world has become. I admit that I speak fondly of this book despite my confusion on where I stand with it, and justify my opinions based on aspects of the work that taste foul to me. The book made me think and question, and motivated me to discuss it and the issues it presents. For that reason alone, it warrants admiration.
But it ends incredibly abruptly, feeling almost as though Mamatas had no idea how to end it and simply gave up. The flow between Dave's observation of his various lives from within the Ylem at times feels disjointed and rushed, and the dialogue used throughout the entirety of the work is cardboard and lacking any true semblance of character.
Regardless, considering the sheer complexity of the plot and the daring undertaking given the subject matter, I simply cannot overlook the fact that this book elicited emotional response, and therefore truly deserves to be read.
#1 - This book made me feel things. Not anger, or sadness, or joy. Things. Those random bursts of emotion that come and go so horrendously fast that you're left with visual images akin to the surface of boiling water. I felt upset, but not in a way that could be clearly defined, more like the way you feel being drunk at sea; a physical movement of the body made numb by the confusing fog of inebriation. I came to realize I was facing an inner cauldron of sarcastic and bitter frustration, teetering on the razor's edge between absolute calm and unbridled fury.
#2 - I need to give this book to all my friends and have them read it so we can discuss it. The experience (and this is the only way to refer to this book... an experience) Mamatas has created with Bullettime is riddled with events, scenarios, and outcomes that not only merit further discussion, they almost demand it. Bullying, domestic abuse, racism, violence, addiction, sexual culture; all gift-wrapped in paper as dark as dark itself and presented around the horrendous event of school shootings.
In the end, I would recommend this book to anyone with the depth of intelligence to look past the horror of the events it addresses, and instead see the commentary on what our world has become. I admit that I speak fondly of this book despite my confusion on where I stand with it, and justify my opinions based on aspects of the work that taste foul to me. The book made me think and question, and motivated me to discuss it and the issues it presents. For that reason alone, it warrants admiration.
But it ends incredibly abruptly, feeling almost as though Mamatas had no idea how to end it and simply gave up. The flow between Dave's observation of his various lives from within the Ylem at times feels disjointed and rushed, and the dialogue used throughout the entirety of the work is cardboard and lacking any true semblance of character.
Regardless, considering the sheer complexity of the plot and the daring undertaking given the subject matter, I simply cannot overlook the fact that this book elicited emotional response, and therefore truly deserves to be read.
September 27, 2012
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. School shootings have been happenening for about as long as guns have been around. Stephen King wrote a short story about it oh so MANY years ago. I think it was in with the bachman books, but i'm unsure.
Anyways, that's about all I can say (or not) for this one. WHAT THE FUCK.
You tell me.
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. School shootings have been happenening for about as long as guns have been around. Stephen King wrote a short story about it oh so MANY years ago. I think it was in with the bachman books, but i'm unsure.
Anyways, that's about all I can say (or not) for this one. WHAT THE FUCK.
You tell me.
April 8, 2013
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 the end of this story. I had a difficult time focusing on just this book, as the going between fates just didn't completely appeal to me, at least now the way it was done. That said, it was an enjoyable read and I definitely plan to check out more from this author in the future.
3.5/5
3.5/5
January 14, 2014
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-perception, too. This books is highly recommended.
July 24, 2013
This is one of the shortest books I've read for sometime and yet it took ages to finish. Even so, I get the feeling I overlooked something which left the ending slightly flat for me. Well written but bleak as hell. Maybe this requires multiple reads to fully get the full gist of Bullettime? Worth the 3 stars at the very least, and I'm at least palnning to look at Nick Mamata's Sensation and the forthcoming less fantastic crime direction that he has promised since his "retirement" from fantastic fiction.
July 1, 2014
I'm not going to finish this book. While I'm sure there are merits hidden deep within the pages, this is not going to be one I complete. Everything is really disjointed and I kinda like more of a linear narrative. Unfortunately, whatever pearls have been hidden within these pages will remain hidden. I really wanted this to be good. I just....it's just not for me.
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