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Kenstibec #1
Barricade
Kenstibec was genetically engineered to build a new world, but the apocalypse forced a career change—these days, he drives a taxi instead.
A fast-paced, droll, and disturbing novel, Barricade is a savage road trip across the dystopian landscape of post-apocalypse Britain, narrated by a cold-blooded yet magnetic antihero, Kenstibec. Kenstibec is a member of the "Ficial" race, a breed of merciless super-humans. Their war on humanity has left Britain a wasteland, where Ficials hide in barricaded cities, besieged by tribes of human survivors. Originally optimized for construction, Kenstibec earns his keep as a taxi driver, running any Ficial who will pay from one surrounded city to another. The trips are always eventful, but this will be his toughest yet. His fare is a narcissistic journalist who's touchy about her luggage. His human guide is constantly plotting to kill him. And that's just the start of his troubles. On his journey he encounters 10-foot killer rats, a mutant king with a TV fixation, a drug-crazed army, and even the creator of the Ficial race. He also finds time to uncover a terrible plot to destroy his species for good—and humanity, too.
A fast-paced, droll, and disturbing novel, Barricade is a savage road trip across the dystopian landscape of post-apocalypse Britain, narrated by a cold-blooded yet magnetic antihero, Kenstibec. Kenstibec is a member of the "Ficial" race, a breed of merciless super-humans. Their war on humanity has left Britain a wasteland, where Ficials hide in barricaded cities, besieged by tribes of human survivors. Originally optimized for construction, Kenstibec earns his keep as a taxi driver, running any Ficial who will pay from one surrounded city to another. The trips are always eventful, but this will be his toughest yet. His fare is a narcissistic journalist who's touchy about her luggage. His human guide is constantly plotting to kill him. And that's just the start of his troubles. On his journey he encounters 10-foot killer rats, a mutant king with a TV fixation, a drug-crazed army, and even the creator of the Ficial race. He also finds time to uncover a terrible plot to destroy his species for good—and humanity, too.
272 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2014
9 people are currently reading
439 people want to read
About the author
Jon Wallace
13 books34 followersJon Wallace is an author living in London.
The Kenstibec trilogy is out now from Gollancz - Barricade, Steeple and Rig. He has also had numerous stories published in magazines and collections like Interzone, Jupiter Science Fiction and Best British Fantasy 2013 and is the SciFi columnist for The Engineer Magazine.
His hobbies include watching the cricket and listening to his wife sing her way around the house.
The Kenstibec trilogy is out now from Gollancz - Barricade, Steeple and Rig. He has also had numerous stories published in magazines and collections like Interzone, Jupiter Science Fiction and Best British Fantasy 2013 and is the SciFi columnist for The Engineer Magazine.
His hobbies include watching the cricket and listening to his wife sing her way around the house.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
March 13, 2016
I’m always excited when I win a book in a Goodreads giveaway (I’m sure everyone is) and it was the same with Barricade.
I should probably start out by saying I’m not the biggest of sci-fi fans. I generally enjoy a good sci-fi read and I’ve been meaning to read more, yet the list of sci-fi books I have read is not that extensive meaning I may not be the best person to be writing up a review after winning it. Still, I’ll give it my best shot.
As I just said, I haven’t read all that many sci-fi books but this one sits around the midlines. It’s not the best sci-fi read I have ever picked up but at the same time it is very far from being the worst. In all honesty, there were moments where I felt as though it was a four star book and yet there were also moments when I thought it was a two star book. Overall, the three star reflects the fact that I was bouncing around when it came to enjoying it. I enjoyed it more than I disliked it however my enjoyment wasn’t consistent throughout.
I think what lessened my enjoyment was that I wanted more history. For me, when it comes to sci-fi reads I love the history of the world we’re living in. With this one things simply were. We had some details but I wanted more about the history. I’d have preferred a longer read to ensure the desired history was there. Alas, my enjoyment was lessened somewhat as I constantly found myself asking questions about how certain things came to be. Whilst some were answered not all of them were and by the end of the book I still had more questions than I would have liked regarding certain aspects of the world.
Despite this I really want to know where things go next. It’s a wonderful story and with such a great ending you know it is going places. At present, I’m unsure as to whether or not I will pick up the next one. I want to know where things are going yet it isn’t all that high up on my list of priorities (this mostly reflects the fact that I have far too many unfinished series on the go at the moment).
As a whole, it was an interesting story and I’m glad I was given the chance to read it. I really do wish I had enjoyed this one more.
I should probably start out by saying I’m not the biggest of sci-fi fans. I generally enjoy a good sci-fi read and I’ve been meaning to read more, yet the list of sci-fi books I have read is not that extensive meaning I may not be the best person to be writing up a review after winning it. Still, I’ll give it my best shot.
As I just said, I haven’t read all that many sci-fi books but this one sits around the midlines. It’s not the best sci-fi read I have ever picked up but at the same time it is very far from being the worst. In all honesty, there were moments where I felt as though it was a four star book and yet there were also moments when I thought it was a two star book. Overall, the three star reflects the fact that I was bouncing around when it came to enjoying it. I enjoyed it more than I disliked it however my enjoyment wasn’t consistent throughout.
I think what lessened my enjoyment was that I wanted more history. For me, when it comes to sci-fi reads I love the history of the world we’re living in. With this one things simply were. We had some details but I wanted more about the history. I’d have preferred a longer read to ensure the desired history was there. Alas, my enjoyment was lessened somewhat as I constantly found myself asking questions about how certain things came to be. Whilst some were answered not all of them were and by the end of the book I still had more questions than I would have liked regarding certain aspects of the world.
Despite this I really want to know where things go next. It’s a wonderful story and with such a great ending you know it is going places. At present, I’m unsure as to whether or not I will pick up the next one. I want to know where things are going yet it isn’t all that high up on my list of priorities (this mostly reflects the fact that I have far too many unfinished series on the go at the moment).
As a whole, it was an interesting story and I’m glad I was given the chance to read it. I really do wish I had enjoyed this one more.
May 7, 2017
Barricade is a bleak but strangely humorous SF Dystopian novel set in a post-apocalyptic England with a anti-hero protagonist amid a human-artificial human conflict.
The main character is Kenstibec; an ‘ficial or artificial human who was originally designed for construction but now acts as a driver for other ‘ficials between heavily fortified bunkers. They’ve been fortified against the Human population due to the aforementioned apocalyptic war where the ‘ficials turned on their creators as the logical course of action to save the Earth and the environment.
Kenstibec is an interesting main character due to being a ‘ficial and having no emotions; he’s logic driven. He’s not likeable and can be extremely brutal when logic dictates. Strangely he does grow on you although he never manages to become likeable. His interactions with Fatty, the ‘real’ human who becomes his guide, is a curious one due to what they both are. Neither can quite understand the other so this creates some humorous and surprisingly dark situations.
The setting may be post-apocalyptic England with a continuing struggle happening but it manages to not be predictable and throws a few interesting surprises into the mix. It’s dark and filled with death but is filled with a wry humour that really helps to lift it above any perceived tropes or stereotypes.
In Summary: A good debut novel with interesting ideas and original characters set in a darkly humoured world. I’ll definitely read the sequels when I can get hold of them.
The main character is Kenstibec; an ‘ficial or artificial human who was originally designed for construction but now acts as a driver for other ‘ficials between heavily fortified bunkers. They’ve been fortified against the Human population due to the aforementioned apocalyptic war where the ‘ficials turned on their creators as the logical course of action to save the Earth and the environment.
Kenstibec is an interesting main character due to being a ‘ficial and having no emotions; he’s logic driven. He’s not likeable and can be extremely brutal when logic dictates. Strangely he does grow on you although he never manages to become likeable. His interactions with Fatty, the ‘real’ human who becomes his guide, is a curious one due to what they both are. Neither can quite understand the other so this creates some humorous and surprisingly dark situations.
The setting may be post-apocalyptic England with a continuing struggle happening but it manages to not be predictable and throws a few interesting surprises into the mix. It’s dark and filled with death but is filled with a wry humour that really helps to lift it above any perceived tropes or stereotypes.
In Summary: A good debut novel with interesting ideas and original characters set in a darkly humoured world. I’ll definitely read the sequels when I can get hold of them.
May 8, 2014
It's rare to read such a page-turner in this genre - Wallace keeps up such a pace from start to finish, one barely gets a moment to catch one's breath.
The closest comparison I can think of is Neal Stephenson, with Barricade's dark setting, constant action beats and wry humour.
However Wallace stands apart by making his novel (and the characters within) intrinsically British. The British sense of humour, and lending even the ficials in his story a comic sense of dread means this book couldn't be set anywhere else.
I can't recommend this book highly enough: page for page this had more laughs and gasps than anything else I've read recently.
The closest comparison I can think of is Neal Stephenson, with Barricade's dark setting, constant action beats and wry humour.
However Wallace stands apart by making his novel (and the characters within) intrinsically British. The British sense of humour, and lending even the ficials in his story a comic sense of dread means this book couldn't be set anywhere else.
I can't recommend this book highly enough: page for page this had more laughs and gasps than anything else I've read recently.
October 23, 2014
originally posted at:http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2014...
Barricade is another of the many debuts that Gollancz is bringer to you this year, so far they have kept on delivering some very great reads: The Boy with the Porcelain Blade, The Incorruptibles, The Seventh Miss Hatfield. These all were very strong and Barricade is no exception. When you look at the current Science Fiction genre a lot is published in the Space Opera category, Barricade takes place on our own planet Earth in a very unique setting. When I first read the synopsis of Barricade with Kenstibec being a taxi driver and hi being a Ficial I had to think of the movie Driving Miss Daisy, but just a few pages in Jon Wallace made me abandon this as his vision by first of the future that he envisions and everything accompanied and by the protagonist and said taxi driver Kenstibec. Barricade is Jon Wallace's debut and I do have to say if he continues this way, he will be a force to be reckoned with, Barricade is a provocative nail biting reading experience.
Barricade is a story about Ficials and Reals. Ficials are man-made android like beings. The world was coming to an end as we know it, lands didn't produce any crops, seas became poisonous, cattle got infected and much more, life couldn't go on. As a last resort mankind made the Ficials, and stuff you only see in movies like the created turning on the creator became a realization and the Ficials turned on mankind. A terrible war was the results and in the end the Ficials build barricaded cities for their kind to live in. These cities are being constantly assaulted the remaining survivors of mankind, the Reals.
The focus in Barricade is on Kenstibec a Ficial, originally designed to be a construction worker but now has a job as an taxi driver. But not in the barricaded cities, no his job sees much more action as he transports Ficial from city to city, which is a tough job to say the least and he sees a lot of action. His earlier jobs can all be said that they weren't without any hassle, but with his current job it might all be considered peanuts as he now has to traverse a lot of ground through some very hostile area's. His current job entails of transporting a journalist Ficial, Starvie to another barricade but this is a dangerous job and against Kenstibec's believes he has to call in the help of a Real to help them pass several crucial points. They do find one person suited for the job, a Real called Fatty, but as it becomes apparent to Fatty, they need his help and this allows him to name some terms for himself as well... All in all this ride will be one that Kenstibec hadn't dared to dream of in many a years. Next to this part of Barricade which takes place in the current timeline, there is, behind each chapter, a secondary storyline that focuses on showing several events that happened prior to the apocalypse. This really build a nice scene surrounding the story of Barricade and even though the pages are spare gave a well rounded story.
One thing that I liked in particular about Barricade was the way that Jon Wallace told his story. It was done from the perspective of Kenstibec but not while he is on foot, he is exploring, no showing you the world through his cab, as one part. While Kenstibec and co. are travelling across the deserted wastelands I could perfectly envision just how desolate the landscape must have been in this dystopian Britain. Added to this comes when they do venture outside of the taxi and into the city Jon Wallace paints them just as grim as the outside. The whole feeling of the grim world that is painted is further bolstered by the alternating storyline that is set in the past, this gives much more explanation of some things that you see in the current day storyline. Jon Wallace shows that he has some very nice skills in building his world.
The characters that you meet in Barricade are both from the Ficial and Real side and it was nice to see perspective on the current situation from these two sides. The Ficial side is represented by the main protagonist Kenstibec, ex-construction worker and now taxi driver. He is really a piece of work. He is by far a jolly happy guy, Kenstibec is more like a pessimist when it comes to his view on the world. He doesn't really care about anything besides himself and his taxi. His current work and passion. Kenstibec has a dark sense of humor, that will raise your eyebrow on more than one occasion. Or at least it did so for me. I think a lot of readers will find it hard to connect with him but despite his personality that will make you hate him, he does have his charms, especially when you see him in the setting of the book. Another Ficial that you see is the now-journalist ex-pleasure girl Starvie. Given what her prior job was and how she "turned-out" I can only just sympathize with how she turned out, she was made as a pleasure worker but even Ficials have their own will. One interesting perspective is offered by the Real, Fatty, that Kenstibec requires to get him through some hostile Real areas. Fatty suffers from a disease and Kenstibec therefore thought that he could use him. he has only a few weeks left to live, but here comes the with of Fatty into play, he doesn't give his help away that easily. All along the way Fatty is subject to the snide remarks of the Ficials but he doesn't give in and goes against the grain, pretty cool to see that there were some tensions going on but non that escalated.
If I take into account the world and the characters that inhabit it, I cannot say anything more than that I am impressed and that Jon Wallace has written a very strong debut. The whole setting of this dystopian Britian, mankind has just destroyed itself, it's really is rise of the machines. Many apocalypse themes have come and gone but Jon Wallace really introduces a fresh one to the front and shows it in a unique way, not by a lone wolf trekking from settlement to settlement but by a taxi driver of the most interesting kind. Too bad Barricade is such a short read, I hope that Jon Wallace will explore this world of his much more. The ending does readily invite it!
Barricade is another of the many debuts that Gollancz is bringer to you this year, so far they have kept on delivering some very great reads: The Boy with the Porcelain Blade, The Incorruptibles, The Seventh Miss Hatfield. These all were very strong and Barricade is no exception. When you look at the current Science Fiction genre a lot is published in the Space Opera category, Barricade takes place on our own planet Earth in a very unique setting. When I first read the synopsis of Barricade with Kenstibec being a taxi driver and hi being a Ficial I had to think of the movie Driving Miss Daisy, but just a few pages in Jon Wallace made me abandon this as his vision by first of the future that he envisions and everything accompanied and by the protagonist and said taxi driver Kenstibec. Barricade is Jon Wallace's debut and I do have to say if he continues this way, he will be a force to be reckoned with, Barricade is a provocative nail biting reading experience.
Barricade is a story about Ficials and Reals. Ficials are man-made android like beings. The world was coming to an end as we know it, lands didn't produce any crops, seas became poisonous, cattle got infected and much more, life couldn't go on. As a last resort mankind made the Ficials, and stuff you only see in movies like the created turning on the creator became a realization and the Ficials turned on mankind. A terrible war was the results and in the end the Ficials build barricaded cities for their kind to live in. These cities are being constantly assaulted the remaining survivors of mankind, the Reals.
The focus in Barricade is on Kenstibec a Ficial, originally designed to be a construction worker but now has a job as an taxi driver. But not in the barricaded cities, no his job sees much more action as he transports Ficial from city to city, which is a tough job to say the least and he sees a lot of action. His earlier jobs can all be said that they weren't without any hassle, but with his current job it might all be considered peanuts as he now has to traverse a lot of ground through some very hostile area's. His current job entails of transporting a journalist Ficial, Starvie to another barricade but this is a dangerous job and against Kenstibec's believes he has to call in the help of a Real to help them pass several crucial points. They do find one person suited for the job, a Real called Fatty, but as it becomes apparent to Fatty, they need his help and this allows him to name some terms for himself as well... All in all this ride will be one that Kenstibec hadn't dared to dream of in many a years. Next to this part of Barricade which takes place in the current timeline, there is, behind each chapter, a secondary storyline that focuses on showing several events that happened prior to the apocalypse. This really build a nice scene surrounding the story of Barricade and even though the pages are spare gave a well rounded story.
One thing that I liked in particular about Barricade was the way that Jon Wallace told his story. It was done from the perspective of Kenstibec but not while he is on foot, he is exploring, no showing you the world through his cab, as one part. While Kenstibec and co. are travelling across the deserted wastelands I could perfectly envision just how desolate the landscape must have been in this dystopian Britain. Added to this comes when they do venture outside of the taxi and into the city Jon Wallace paints them just as grim as the outside. The whole feeling of the grim world that is painted is further bolstered by the alternating storyline that is set in the past, this gives much more explanation of some things that you see in the current day storyline. Jon Wallace shows that he has some very nice skills in building his world.
The characters that you meet in Barricade are both from the Ficial and Real side and it was nice to see perspective on the current situation from these two sides. The Ficial side is represented by the main protagonist Kenstibec, ex-construction worker and now taxi driver. He is really a piece of work. He is by far a jolly happy guy, Kenstibec is more like a pessimist when it comes to his view on the world. He doesn't really care about anything besides himself and his taxi. His current work and passion. Kenstibec has a dark sense of humor, that will raise your eyebrow on more than one occasion. Or at least it did so for me. I think a lot of readers will find it hard to connect with him but despite his personality that will make you hate him, he does have his charms, especially when you see him in the setting of the book. Another Ficial that you see is the now-journalist ex-pleasure girl Starvie. Given what her prior job was and how she "turned-out" I can only just sympathize with how she turned out, she was made as a pleasure worker but even Ficials have their own will. One interesting perspective is offered by the Real, Fatty, that Kenstibec requires to get him through some hostile Real areas. Fatty suffers from a disease and Kenstibec therefore thought that he could use him. he has only a few weeks left to live, but here comes the with of Fatty into play, he doesn't give his help away that easily. All along the way Fatty is subject to the snide remarks of the Ficials but he doesn't give in and goes against the grain, pretty cool to see that there were some tensions going on but non that escalated.
If I take into account the world and the characters that inhabit it, I cannot say anything more than that I am impressed and that Jon Wallace has written a very strong debut. The whole setting of this dystopian Britian, mankind has just destroyed itself, it's really is rise of the machines. Many apocalypse themes have come and gone but Jon Wallace really introduces a fresh one to the front and shows it in a unique way, not by a lone wolf trekking from settlement to settlement but by a taxi driver of the most interesting kind. Too bad Barricade is such a short read, I hope that Jon Wallace will explore this world of his much more. The ending does readily invite it!
June 19, 2014
You just can’t beat an antihero can you? They’re just so much more interesting than your heroic sorts. It’s difficult not to get caught up with their roguish charms – flawed, self-centred and more often than not, utter bastards to boot. The main character in this novel certainly falls into more than one of those categories, on more than one occasion. I certainly expect that Kenstibec is going to prompt debate, readers will either love him or loathe him. He’s likely to be a divisive protagonist for many, and he’ll split opinion right down the middle. To some this artificial antihero will be a complete anathema, nothing but a soulless killing machine, while others will find his sardonic attitude a joy. Personally, I fall into the latter group. I’ll admit I wasn’t sure to begin with, but I warmed to Kenstibec the further I read. It helps that Wallace injects some drier than dry comic moments into Kenstibec’s travels, and these little gems help to subtly humanise the inhuman.
The other characters in Barricade are just as intriguing.
There is a poor Real, the Ficials name for humans, who is only ever referred to as Fatty. Wallace uses (and abuses) him as the emotional heart of the novel. Fatty has the misfortune of falling in with Kenstibec, and I think it’s fair to say he gets dragged through both the physical and psychological ringer. As Kenstibec and the other Ficials are lacking when it comes to emotion, it’s genuinely refreshing to find a character that’s the polar opposite. Fatty’s ranting and raving, moans and tirades, help to illustrate just how alien and different from humanity the Ficials are. They may look like picture perfect versions of us, but rest assured they’re not. Fatty is also suffering from a rather unfortunate disease so the prospect of an imminent painful death is really dampening his mood.
The final member of this dysfunctional little trifecta is a Ficial called Starvie. Prior to uprising she was optimised as a pleasure worker and now works as a report in the Edinburgh barricade. For me, Starvie was the only real mis-step in the entire cast. It’s a minor thing, but I think I was expecting something else for her journey. It’s a shame, but she just came across as a little under developed for my taste.
Scattered throughout the narrative there are a handful of chapters detailing the last days before the apocalypse, when Kenstibec was just a number and worked a lowly construction job. These really help to offer the reader valuable insight into how the Ficials were treated historically, and gives a good frame of references to their motivations and actions.
Where the writing really excels is in depicting the remnants of society in this brutal, hellish vision of future Britain. The two groups, Ficial and Real, couldn’t be more different from one another. What’s left of humanity are barely surviving. Their environment has been utterly trashed and any number of horrible diseases and infections run rampant through the survivors. Along with that violence and death are the order of the day. Things are positively Darwinian and its survival of the fittest all the way.
There is little denying that Barricade is a pretty hardcore experience, it’s definitely not for those faint of heart. This is stark uncompromising science fiction that grabs you firmly by the throat and refuses to let go. More often than not events spiral towards the dark, or at least the darkly comic, and everything has a delightfully grimy feel. Works for me, I’m not looking for a sanitised, clinical apocalypse. I want a writer to bring the world to an end with a BANG not a whimper. The writing needs to revel in the anarchy and chaos, unleash a bit of mayhem. I’m glad to say Barricade manages to do exactly that. This is a book that’s bound to appeal to those readers that enjoy their fiction with a raw edge. As far as debut novels go this has just about everything you could want. I’ll be actively keeping an eye out for more from Jon Wallace in the future.
The other characters in Barricade are just as intriguing.
There is a poor Real, the Ficials name for humans, who is only ever referred to as Fatty. Wallace uses (and abuses) him as the emotional heart of the novel. Fatty has the misfortune of falling in with Kenstibec, and I think it’s fair to say he gets dragged through both the physical and psychological ringer. As Kenstibec and the other Ficials are lacking when it comes to emotion, it’s genuinely refreshing to find a character that’s the polar opposite. Fatty’s ranting and raving, moans and tirades, help to illustrate just how alien and different from humanity the Ficials are. They may look like picture perfect versions of us, but rest assured they’re not. Fatty is also suffering from a rather unfortunate disease so the prospect of an imminent painful death is really dampening his mood.
The final member of this dysfunctional little trifecta is a Ficial called Starvie. Prior to uprising she was optimised as a pleasure worker and now works as a report in the Edinburgh barricade. For me, Starvie was the only real mis-step in the entire cast. It’s a minor thing, but I think I was expecting something else for her journey. It’s a shame, but she just came across as a little under developed for my taste.
Scattered throughout the narrative there are a handful of chapters detailing the last days before the apocalypse, when Kenstibec was just a number and worked a lowly construction job. These really help to offer the reader valuable insight into how the Ficials were treated historically, and gives a good frame of references to their motivations and actions.
Where the writing really excels is in depicting the remnants of society in this brutal, hellish vision of future Britain. The two groups, Ficial and Real, couldn’t be more different from one another. What’s left of humanity are barely surviving. Their environment has been utterly trashed and any number of horrible diseases and infections run rampant through the survivors. Along with that violence and death are the order of the day. Things are positively Darwinian and its survival of the fittest all the way.
There is little denying that Barricade is a pretty hardcore experience, it’s definitely not for those faint of heart. This is stark uncompromising science fiction that grabs you firmly by the throat and refuses to let go. More often than not events spiral towards the dark, or at least the darkly comic, and everything has a delightfully grimy feel. Works for me, I’m not looking for a sanitised, clinical apocalypse. I want a writer to bring the world to an end with a BANG not a whimper. The writing needs to revel in the anarchy and chaos, unleash a bit of mayhem. I’m glad to say Barricade manages to do exactly that. This is a book that’s bound to appeal to those readers that enjoy their fiction with a raw edge. As far as debut novels go this has just about everything you could want. I’ll be actively keeping an eye out for more from Jon Wallace in the future.
July 6, 2021
Barricade is a highly cinematic, top-quality SF action adventure. In a post-apocalyptic Britain, replicant-like androids called "'ficials" fight against the last surviving humans: the bunker dwelling "Reals". So far, so trope, but what makes Barricade original and interesting is the POV: the story follows the exterminating androids. Think Terminator Salvation, as experienced by a Terminator.
Why three stars then? Incomprehensibly, Barricade was marketed as a slightly experimental Ballardian/Dickian SF flavoured social commentary, which it isn't. As a result, it confronts readers who've gone in expecting something like The Road, or The Children of Men, with a story more like Mad Max Fury Road. I regret to say, I am not really the target market for the latter.
That said, despite my defied expectations, I still found plenty to enjoy. The prose and structure are great, the pacing never lets up, and the characters are relatable. Wallace is a funny man, in a darkly Abercombie-ish way. Barricade contains plenty of neat ideas, albeit inspecting them deeply isn't the top priority. On the downside, I found the plot implausible in places and some of the world building (especially the idea that the androids lacked emotion) a little inconsistent in application. There was also a degree of slapstick violence and sexual fetishization of a character that some might not enjoy.
Overall a solid debut. If what you're after is well written and grimly intelligent SF action, this could be the book for you.
Why three stars then? Incomprehensibly, Barricade was marketed as a slightly experimental Ballardian/Dickian SF flavoured social commentary, which it isn't. As a result, it confronts readers who've gone in expecting something like The Road, or The Children of Men, with a story more like Mad Max Fury Road. I regret to say, I am not really the target market for the latter.
That said, despite my defied expectations, I still found plenty to enjoy. The prose and structure are great, the pacing never lets up, and the characters are relatable. Wallace is a funny man, in a darkly Abercombie-ish way. Barricade contains plenty of neat ideas, albeit inspecting them deeply isn't the top priority. On the downside, I found the plot implausible in places and some of the world building (especially the idea that the androids lacked emotion) a little inconsistent in application. There was also a degree of slapstick violence and sexual fetishization of a character that some might not enjoy.
Overall a solid debut. If what you're after is well written and grimly intelligent SF action, this could be the book for you.
November 10, 2015
Imagine if you set an artificial intelligence the task of protecting your country. Imagine if humans are the biggest threat to that country. Barricade shows us a bleak future where no parameters were set to safeguard the protection of the human race. Once Control had finished protecting the borders, it went to war against the very people who made it.
Told from the perspective of one of the artificial life forms, it soon becomes clear that whilst they look like humans, the Ficials aren’t human. They are lacking emotions and empathy, the destruction of one of their kind, does not register as something they should be upset about. They were not built to care. Flashbacks to Kenstibec’s past reveal several scenarios where they just do not react the same way as us, that we shouldn’t expect them to think like us either.
The introduction of Starvie, a female designed as a pleasure model, worried me a little at first. There is one point where they wish to hand her over as a distraction to be used. Neither her or Kenstibec see this as a problem, it’s what she was made for. Yet in the end, she turns out to be a more complex, kick ass character and does the job of highlighting how different they are. Fatty, their human companion has to become their moral compass, when his is set pretty low to start with.
The flashbacks also show how the war between Reals and Ficials started and how, in the beginning, there was a goal for something better. Yet the Britain in the pages is diseased and polluted. Fatty is on his last legs, suffering from an illness name Blue Frog which is slowly destroying his body, and turning him blue. Of course, his repulsive state solicits no sympathy from the Ficials.
It’s a brutal future. I loved the world building but it’s not a book that’s easy to read in small portions as it takes a while to get back into it. I would advise on giving yourself some time over to reading it in one go.
Told from the perspective of one of the artificial life forms, it soon becomes clear that whilst they look like humans, the Ficials aren’t human. They are lacking emotions and empathy, the destruction of one of their kind, does not register as something they should be upset about. They were not built to care. Flashbacks to Kenstibec’s past reveal several scenarios where they just do not react the same way as us, that we shouldn’t expect them to think like us either.
The introduction of Starvie, a female designed as a pleasure model, worried me a little at first. There is one point where they wish to hand her over as a distraction to be used. Neither her or Kenstibec see this as a problem, it’s what she was made for. Yet in the end, she turns out to be a more complex, kick ass character and does the job of highlighting how different they are. Fatty, their human companion has to become their moral compass, when his is set pretty low to start with.
The flashbacks also show how the war between Reals and Ficials started and how, in the beginning, there was a goal for something better. Yet the Britain in the pages is diseased and polluted. Fatty is on his last legs, suffering from an illness name Blue Frog which is slowly destroying his body, and turning him blue. Of course, his repulsive state solicits no sympathy from the Ficials.
It’s a brutal future. I loved the world building but it’s not a book that’s easy to read in small portions as it takes a while to get back into it. I would advise on giving yourself some time over to reading it in one go.
April 27, 2015
The publisher had a heap of these on the free table at the 2015 Eastercon and so I grabbed one. I was attracted by the blurb and the fact that it was post-apocalyptic, a genre I love.
The book, however, was only OK. The protagonist is a Ficial, an artificial life form who along with his fellow Ficials is trying to destroy the human race in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Ficials have no emotions and a set task they have trouble thinking beyond, and while this could make for a boring character, John Wallace's engaging writing style kept me interested. There's an action-packed road trip across a blighted landscape that was full of thrills, but after a while became a bit wearing. In a few spots the author lost my suspension of disbelief. There wasn't much purpose to a lot of the action and the ending was poorly done. It simply ended. I don't know if a sequel is planned, but the final page felt more like a chapter ending than the conclusion of a novel.
Barricade was a fun, fast read that didn't quite satisfy. Wallace has lots of potential, however. Here's hoping he does better with his next book.
The book, however, was only OK. The protagonist is a Ficial, an artificial life form who along with his fellow Ficials is trying to destroy the human race in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Ficials have no emotions and a set task they have trouble thinking beyond, and while this could make for a boring character, John Wallace's engaging writing style kept me interested. There's an action-packed road trip across a blighted landscape that was full of thrills, but after a while became a bit wearing. In a few spots the author lost my suspension of disbelief. There wasn't much purpose to a lot of the action and the ending was poorly done. It simply ended. I don't know if a sequel is planned, but the final page felt more like a chapter ending than the conclusion of a novel.
Barricade was a fun, fast read that didn't quite satisfy. Wallace has lots of potential, however. Here's hoping he does better with his next book.
August 17, 2014
I wanted to like this book and it was recommended to me but the whole plot seemed a bit pointless and our android protagonist is largely unlikable. You don't hate him but a vast feeling of "meh" goes through me when I reflect on this book.
December 27, 2022
I found Barricade to be a fast paced and enjoyable read, and one that doesn't take itself too seriously, with a solid sense of humour throughout. Being British and also having written a dystopian novel set in Britain, I was particulalrly pleased with the settings. The novel isn't without a few issues such as a challenge finding any real empathy with the characters, and some fanciful moments of action where a hefty suspension of disbelief was necessary, but the dualtimeline narrative of pre and post AI revolution is well interwoven, with the pre-story never outstaying its welcome. The novel shares elements with cyberpunk and outright dystopia but at its heart it is a mad-max style action story with little time wasted getting to the action. A 4.5/5 for me, and I am surprised the average rating for the book is as low as it is bearing in mind what a fun story it is.
September 1, 2014
You can find the whole Review on my Blog
Barricade by Jon Wallace, one of the Gollancz debut releases this year, has disappointed me. To say that is probably unfair, as the book is good without being able to reach for further heights. So what's my problem? Am I just going to kick the book while its down for the heck of it? No, my problem stems from the description of the book. This had been the book from the Gollancz deal I'd looked forward to the most. Mainly because the description made my mouth water.
His fare is a narcissistic journalist who's touchy about her luggage. His human guide is constantly plotting to kill him. And that's just the start of his troubles.
On his journey he encounters ten-foot killer rats, a mutant king with a TV fixation, a drug-crazed army, and even the creator of the Ficial race.
This is a short quote from the description. Seems totally over the top, doesn't it? A book that doesn't take itself quite serious, that might overflow with black humor. I mean it has ten-foot rats, a mutant king with a TV fixation, and the protagonist's fair seems to be quite crazy too. All of that is next to irrelevant. Let me tell you a bit more about what the book actually is, so you can judge for yourself.
It's a rather common apocalyptic setting shortly after an attack with atomic bombs on England. The island had been the last inhabitable space on earth and those that got no place on it decided that no one should have it, so they bombed it. The humans in this setting are all poisoned by the radiation and don't have a very high life expectancy.
We follow a so-called ficial, from a race of super humans that was originally engineered to build vast towers, so that the refugees that swarmed towards the island could find a place to live. These ficials now live in small strongholds besieged by the remaining humans and only a select few can still travel between these strongholds.
One of them is Kenstibec, originally a builder model, who has now found his passion in driving as he's unable to build anymore. On the journey with the journalist, his fare, he notices that the world around him has changed and not everything might be as he thought it was.
The biggest reason I deem this book a good read is the main character and the change he undergoes over the course of the journey. That's especially visible in his interaction with their guide, a human peddler they force to help them through the human checkpoints. He seems to transcend his inhuman and unemotional nature to finally become something more human, someone you can relate to.
The story itself is just a short journey with small and large bumps that ends somewhere strange and uncertain. Again, the protagonist is what makes it interesting, on one hand with his fixation on his car, on the other with his "builder-view" on everything. The often abandoned and derelict structures always make him think about what he could do to either save them or build something new in their place. That he's unable to do so is something you can pity him for.
[...]
Concluding: If you're in the mood for a dark near future apocalyptic vision that has unhuman supermen and women, with humanity deformed and forced to live in a poisonous and dangerous world, then this might be the book for you. The book's main strength lies in its protagonist and it might be something for you if you like to see believeable change in your main characters. I'd suggest you ignore the "vibe/tone" of the description, as that's more of a mislead than anything.
Note: My disappointment with the description has no bearing on the overall rating.
Barricade by Jon Wallace, one of the Gollancz debut releases this year, has disappointed me. To say that is probably unfair, as the book is good without being able to reach for further heights. So what's my problem? Am I just going to kick the book while its down for the heck of it? No, my problem stems from the description of the book. This had been the book from the Gollancz deal I'd looked forward to the most. Mainly because the description made my mouth water.
His fare is a narcissistic journalist who's touchy about her luggage. His human guide is constantly plotting to kill him. And that's just the start of his troubles.
On his journey he encounters ten-foot killer rats, a mutant king with a TV fixation, a drug-crazed army, and even the creator of the Ficial race.
This is a short quote from the description. Seems totally over the top, doesn't it? A book that doesn't take itself quite serious, that might overflow with black humor. I mean it has ten-foot rats, a mutant king with a TV fixation, and the protagonist's fair seems to be quite crazy too. All of that is next to irrelevant. Let me tell you a bit more about what the book actually is, so you can judge for yourself.
It's a rather common apocalyptic setting shortly after an attack with atomic bombs on England. The island had been the last inhabitable space on earth and those that got no place on it decided that no one should have it, so they bombed it. The humans in this setting are all poisoned by the radiation and don't have a very high life expectancy.
We follow a so-called ficial, from a race of super humans that was originally engineered to build vast towers, so that the refugees that swarmed towards the island could find a place to live. These ficials now live in small strongholds besieged by the remaining humans and only a select few can still travel between these strongholds.
One of them is Kenstibec, originally a builder model, who has now found his passion in driving as he's unable to build anymore. On the journey with the journalist, his fare, he notices that the world around him has changed and not everything might be as he thought it was.
The biggest reason I deem this book a good read is the main character and the change he undergoes over the course of the journey. That's especially visible in his interaction with their guide, a human peddler they force to help them through the human checkpoints. He seems to transcend his inhuman and unemotional nature to finally become something more human, someone you can relate to.
The story itself is just a short journey with small and large bumps that ends somewhere strange and uncertain. Again, the protagonist is what makes it interesting, on one hand with his fixation on his car, on the other with his "builder-view" on everything. The often abandoned and derelict structures always make him think about what he could do to either save them or build something new in their place. That he's unable to do so is something you can pity him for.
[...]
Concluding: If you're in the mood for a dark near future apocalyptic vision that has unhuman supermen and women, with humanity deformed and forced to live in a poisonous and dangerous world, then this might be the book for you. The book's main strength lies in its protagonist and it might be something for you if you like to see believeable change in your main characters. I'd suggest you ignore the "vibe/tone" of the description, as that's more of a mislead than anything.
Note: My disappointment with the description has no bearing on the overall rating.
May 19, 2022
This book caught my eye in the library as it opens in Edinburgh and features a post-apocalyptic road trip. It was a quick read as it’s a first person action thriller set in a Britain ruined by nuclear winter and war. The narrator is on the non-human side of this war, as he’s a ‘ficial’ or artificial lifeform. Given the constant violence, there is never any time for an explanation of what ficials are exactly. It seems they have nanotech that makes them impervious to disease, very quick to heal, generally extremely hardy, and also subdues their emotions. This raises a lot of questions: why isn’t this health-enhancing tech also available to humans? What exactly is the difference between human and ficial brains? Is the whole thing meant to be an unwieldy slavery metaphor? And what kind of idiot would create technology this independent without including a kill (or at least incapacitate) switch? The nature of Control was also intriguing and ambiguous. This entity did seem to be an AI, however I wondered how its apparent ascendancy over all ficials came about. In short, I found the setting of this novel very appealing, but felt that the plot sacrificed depth for constant bloody violence. It was fun to read, though. I was often reminded of the classic (to me) film Doomsday, in which Scotland is walled off after a plague and Glasgow descends into one long cannibalistic dance party. That also has a Chelsea Tractor-type vehicle in a key role, although the main character is a lot more interesting.
'Barricade' also supported my theory about the shift in post-apocalyptic fiction since the fall of the USSR and end of the cold war, which I talk about in this review. Like most post-apocalyptic fiction of the last quarter century, this novel assumes a descent into extreme violence, rape, and murder, but is not willing to contemplate the utter extinction of the human species (or the ficial species, in this case). Cold War post-apocalyptic fiction is memorable for its belief that humanity might head into the afterlife in its entirety. Nevil Shute’s On the Beach is the most memorable and devastating example of this. These days, authors seem to focus on the ability of One Special Man (it’s nearly always a man) to survive, even as millions perish around him. Perhaps I see neoliberal individualism everywhere, or maybe there’s something in this as a cultural tendency. In short, I wanted to know more about the post-apocalyptic world and how it came to be, which would have required multiple points of view and a more complex plot. The memorably odd names and moments of dark humour were great, though.
'Barricade' also supported my theory about the shift in post-apocalyptic fiction since the fall of the USSR and end of the cold war, which I talk about in this review. Like most post-apocalyptic fiction of the last quarter century, this novel assumes a descent into extreme violence, rape, and murder, but is not willing to contemplate the utter extinction of the human species (or the ficial species, in this case). Cold War post-apocalyptic fiction is memorable for its belief that humanity might head into the afterlife in its entirety. Nevil Shute’s On the Beach is the most memorable and devastating example of this. These days, authors seem to focus on the ability of One Special Man (it’s nearly always a man) to survive, even as millions perish around him. Perhaps I see neoliberal individualism everywhere, or maybe there’s something in this as a cultural tendency. In short, I wanted to know more about the post-apocalyptic world and how it came to be, which would have required multiple points of view and a more complex plot. The memorably odd names and moments of dark humour were great, though.
February 9, 2017
L'ambientazione di questo libro non brillava per originalità: il mondo in cenere o quasi, le isole britanniche tra i pochi luoghi al mondo dove la vita potesse ancora essere possibile, la necessità di tenere fuori dai confini le orde di aspiranti immigranti provenienti dal continente.
Tutto visto e rivisto, per esempio V for Vendetta parte dallo stesso background.
Bene, aggiungiamoci degli androidi. Umani artificiali, i Ficials, creati con scopi ben precisi (abbiamo i Ficials costruttori, i meccanici, i medici, i soldati, quelli addetti al piacere) e con le abilità necessarie a questi scopi.
Abbiamo un gruppo di sette Ficials, il Controllo, che fungono da centro operativo coordinando tutti i Ficials della nazione.
Lo scopo di questi androidi? Salvare il mondo.
Poi però qualcosa va storto. Control decide che per salvare il mondo, ma va?, bisogna eliminare l'uomo. E quindi, con quella che spera essere una mossa imprevista e repentina, dà il via alla caccia all'umano.
Mentre dall'estero sganciano delle bombe rovinando irreparabilmente il clima, nascondendo il sole dietro una coltre di nubi e via dicendo.
Anche qui, niente di particolarmente originale.
L'originalità viene dopo.
Abbiamo sacche di resistenza umane, che circondano le città difese dai Ficials che ormai sono barricati al loro interno e hanno interrotto la guerra contro ogni umano, non ricevendo più ordini dal Controllo, e limitandosi a tentare di sopravvivere in queste città assediate cercando di trovare nuove mansioni da svolgere.
E il protagonista è uno di loro.
Uno dei mostri privi di sentimenti dediti allo sterminio umano.
Kenstibec, un Ficials costruttore reinventatosi taxista... il suo scopo è portare i "clienti" da una città assediata all'altra, tra gruppi di ribelli umani, imboscate e tranelli.
Solo che quando gli dicono di portare una giornalista Ficials da Edinburgo a Londra, non sa che c'è molto di più dietro questa missione di quanto non sospetti inizialmente.
L'idea sarebbe buona, sopratutto la scelta inusuale del protagonista.
Però a mio avviso l'alienità del Ficials, la sua assenza di emozioni malgrado abbia una sua personalità, non è resa molto bene. Diciamo pure che è resa assurdamente male.
A volte sembra una persona normale, a volte diventa un muro impenetrabile, poi torna umanoide d'un tratto.
I conflitti emotivi sono accennati male, e pure quando nel finale dovrebbe (immagino) cominciare a sperimentare una mutazione nella sua personalità, questa non si nota affatto.
Inoltre per buona parte del libro la storia è, diciamolo, quasi noiosa.
Un viaggio, o un tentativo di viaggio, con un cliente che sembra disprezzarlo apertamente, una guida reclutata a forza che è divisa tra il desiderio di ottenere la ricompensa promessa e la voglia di uccidere i due Ficials.
Solo quando la situazione precipita riusciamo a leggere con piacere.
Occasione mancata.
Tutto visto e rivisto, per esempio V for Vendetta parte dallo stesso background.
Bene, aggiungiamoci degli androidi. Umani artificiali, i Ficials, creati con scopi ben precisi (abbiamo i Ficials costruttori, i meccanici, i medici, i soldati, quelli addetti al piacere) e con le abilità necessarie a questi scopi.
Abbiamo un gruppo di sette Ficials, il Controllo, che fungono da centro operativo coordinando tutti i Ficials della nazione.
Lo scopo di questi androidi? Salvare il mondo.
Poi però qualcosa va storto. Control decide che per salvare il mondo, ma va?, bisogna eliminare l'uomo. E quindi, con quella che spera essere una mossa imprevista e repentina, dà il via alla caccia all'umano.
Mentre dall'estero sganciano delle bombe rovinando irreparabilmente il clima, nascondendo il sole dietro una coltre di nubi e via dicendo.
Anche qui, niente di particolarmente originale.
L'originalità viene dopo.
Abbiamo sacche di resistenza umane, che circondano le città difese dai Ficials che ormai sono barricati al loro interno e hanno interrotto la guerra contro ogni umano, non ricevendo più ordini dal Controllo, e limitandosi a tentare di sopravvivere in queste città assediate cercando di trovare nuove mansioni da svolgere.
E il protagonista è uno di loro.
Uno dei mostri privi di sentimenti dediti allo sterminio umano.
Kenstibec, un Ficials costruttore reinventatosi taxista... il suo scopo è portare i "clienti" da una città assediata all'altra, tra gruppi di ribelli umani, imboscate e tranelli.
Solo che quando gli dicono di portare una giornalista Ficials da Edinburgo a Londra, non sa che c'è molto di più dietro questa missione di quanto non sospetti inizialmente.
L'idea sarebbe buona, sopratutto la scelta inusuale del protagonista.
Però a mio avviso l'alienità del Ficials, la sua assenza di emozioni malgrado abbia una sua personalità, non è resa molto bene. Diciamo pure che è resa assurdamente male.
A volte sembra una persona normale, a volte diventa un muro impenetrabile, poi torna umanoide d'un tratto.
I conflitti emotivi sono accennati male, e pure quando nel finale dovrebbe (immagino) cominciare a sperimentare una mutazione nella sua personalità, questa non si nota affatto.
Inoltre per buona parte del libro la storia è, diciamolo, quasi noiosa.
Un viaggio, o un tentativo di viaggio, con un cliente che sembra disprezzarlo apertamente, una guida reclutata a forza che è divisa tra il desiderio di ottenere la ricompensa promessa e la voglia di uccidere i due Ficials.
Solo quando la situazione precipita riusciamo a leggere con piacere.
Occasione mancata.
July 3, 2021
I started with the last in this trilogy and have now enjoyed this, the first in the series. Very dark, very funny and a glimmer of hope.
Recommended.
Recommended.
August 6, 2014
(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).
(This review may contain spoilers).
This is another book I have very mixed feelings about. I did find it quite well-written, but I also found it nearly impossible to relate to Kenstibec.
I did feel the author did a good job of showing the lack of true emotion. I felt that I was able to have a glimpse into the working mind of the Engineered race.
Kenstibec's interactions with the rest of the characters were quite interesting, as was his evolution throughout the course of the book. I felt that his and Fatty's working relationship (if that's even the right word) came across as really intriguing.
I really didn't know what to make of Starvie and even reaching the end of the book, I still don't know what to think of her. In a way, she was even less understandable than Kenstibec.
I think I would have liked a bit more explanation about how the society collapsed in the way it did. Showing the events in flashbacks made a certain type of sense, but I think it might have been interesting to see society's collapse from the perspective of one of the Reals.
The book itself was really well-written and even though I couldn't empathise with Kenstibec, I found the world to be a really intriguing one. I think I'd probably read a sequel to this book, if one's published, at some point in the future.
(This review may contain spoilers).
This is another book I have very mixed feelings about. I did find it quite well-written, but I also found it nearly impossible to relate to Kenstibec.
I did feel the author did a good job of showing the lack of true emotion. I felt that I was able to have a glimpse into the working mind of the Engineered race.
Kenstibec's interactions with the rest of the characters were quite interesting, as was his evolution throughout the course of the book. I felt that his and Fatty's working relationship (if that's even the right word) came across as really intriguing.
I really didn't know what to make of Starvie and even reaching the end of the book, I still don't know what to think of her. In a way, she was even less understandable than Kenstibec.
I think I would have liked a bit more explanation about how the society collapsed in the way it did. Showing the events in flashbacks made a certain type of sense, but I think it might have been interesting to see society's collapse from the perspective of one of the Reals.
The book itself was really well-written and even though I couldn't empathise with Kenstibec, I found the world to be a really intriguing one. I think I'd probably read a sequel to this book, if one's published, at some point in the future.
March 30, 2016
I decided to get this based on the overview of the book. It made me think a little of Mad Max across the UK, with a hint of the Transporter and 28 days later.
However, it didn't really get out of the north of England, and the driving part was fairly small.
But that does not take away from the enjoyment of the book. There are basically 2 stories running - the first is before the 'event' - which follows our main lead and describes the Artificial Beings and why they were there and the events that lead up to the current situation. The second is basically the main story - which is our main lead taking a passenger to London.
As stated before, they stop off fairly quickly to pick up a guide - who wants something to help with his condition and they have to break into a secure compound. Its a bit of a stretch, but if you go with it it is enjoyable. Shame we missed some possible cool Mad Max moments.
The narrator was good. Its a shame that one of the characters has a condition which means it hard for his to talk - as the narrator made this character fairly hard to understand in some instances. This is a minor grip only.
This is a quick read. So, jump on board the taxi and listen to it.
However, it didn't really get out of the north of England, and the driving part was fairly small.
But that does not take away from the enjoyment of the book. There are basically 2 stories running - the first is before the 'event' - which follows our main lead and describes the Artificial Beings and why they were there and the events that lead up to the current situation. The second is basically the main story - which is our main lead taking a passenger to London.
As stated before, they stop off fairly quickly to pick up a guide - who wants something to help with his condition and they have to break into a secure compound. Its a bit of a stretch, but if you go with it it is enjoyable. Shame we missed some possible cool Mad Max moments.
The narrator was good. Its a shame that one of the characters has a condition which means it hard for his to talk - as the narrator made this character fairly hard to understand in some instances. This is a minor grip only.
This is a quick read. So, jump on board the taxi and listen to it.
October 1, 2015
I received this book for free via Goodreads First Reads.
I loved the idea of the book.
A cross country drive in post-apocalyptic Britain. Edinburgh to London in a normal Land Rover driven by the main character. There are a lot of great supporting characters too. Lots of peril, bullets, injuries and social commentary.
Places that are familiar are now fortresses. Humanity exists but in different forms and what it means to be human is explored too. It is a story that needs to be read rather than described. It explores sexuality (and non-sexuality) too.
The book raises a lot of issues and answers some of them while leaving some of them open for future sequels. I did enjoy it and the fast pace of it. As a human (debatable) I enjoyed it. It is not for a younger audience due to violence and swearing but older teens and action fans will enjoy it.
I loved the idea of the book.
A cross country drive in post-apocalyptic Britain. Edinburgh to London in a normal Land Rover driven by the main character. There are a lot of great supporting characters too. Lots of peril, bullets, injuries and social commentary.
Places that are familiar are now fortresses. Humanity exists but in different forms and what it means to be human is explored too. It is a story that needs to be read rather than described. It explores sexuality (and non-sexuality) too.
The book raises a lot of issues and answers some of them while leaving some of them open for future sequels. I did enjoy it and the fast pace of it. As a human (debatable) I enjoyed it. It is not for a younger audience due to violence and swearing but older teens and action fans will enjoy it.
November 13, 2016
Barricade by Jon Wallace, the author’s debut novel, is the first in a trilogy set in a post-apocalypse Britain. It’s a pretty standard dystopian setup – humans build artificial life, stuff goes wrong, war ensues and ruins everything for everyone involved – except, unusually, it’s seen through the eyes of one of the artificial beings, or Ficials. A construction worker by ‘optimisation’, Kenstibec is now a taxi driver, and is hired to take a journalist (another Ficial called Starvie) from Edinburgh to London. To do so he has to find a way out of the Edinburgh barricade, past the besieging army of Reals (normal humans to you and me) and through a country prowled by tribes of half-feral humans out for Ficial blood.
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...
June 15, 2015
When I first read the blurb of this book it reminded me of two movies, Surrogates and The Fifth Element, and throughout reading I always pictured Kenstibec in my head as looking kind of like a Bruce Willis character!
I found the book quite hard to get into to begin with, but once I got halfway through I really started to enjoy it and couldn't put it down.
I'm really looking forward to buying and reading the sequel Steeple, and seeing in what direction Jon Wallace has decided to take the story.
I found the book quite hard to get into to begin with, but once I got halfway through I really started to enjoy it and couldn't put it down.
I'm really looking forward to buying and reading the sequel Steeple, and seeing in what direction Jon Wallace has decided to take the story.
September 11, 2015
Good read. Post apocalypse road trip with difference. Some jarring coincidence and endurance but the story swept you along.
Engineered vs Reals.
You get the kid he says.
I don’t kill people I say. That is your job.
Like you said we all have to learn new stuff now. Right?
He lurches off down the corridor.
I teeter off in the other direction.
Running my hand along the wall. Sensing the imperfections.
It seems odd that I have to hunt and kill a child just to stop this shoddy kind of workmanship.
Construction Kenstibec
Engineered vs Reals.
You get the kid he says.
I don’t kill people I say. That is your job.
Like you said we all have to learn new stuff now. Right?
He lurches off down the corridor.
I teeter off in the other direction.
Running my hand along the wall. Sensing the imperfections.
It seems odd that I have to hunt and kill a child just to stop this shoddy kind of workmanship.
Construction Kenstibec
May 24, 2016
Picked this up free at Mancunicon, and was glad to - I was impressed by a short the author wrote a year or two ago. Overall, I enjoyed the book and found the protagonist interesting. I did feel that the plot was a little over-convenient in some places and, at times, came close to an excuse for violence and/or shocking scenes.
Overall, a yes for sf fans and dystopian lovers.
I hovered between a 3 and a 4 and rather wish there was a 3.5, but just brought it down because I wondered about reading book 2 and decided I probably wouldn't, so not completely wowed.
Overall, a yes for sf fans and dystopian lovers.
I hovered between a 3 and a 4 and rather wish there was a 3.5, but just brought it down because I wondered about reading book 2 and decided I probably wouldn't, so not completely wowed.
July 12, 2016
A high-adrenaline dystopian sci-fi adventure, full of sharp dialogue and with the occasional thought-provoking philosophical moment thrown in for good measure! With a style somewhat similar to Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep", as well as it's movie-counterpart "Blade Runner", plus elements of "The Terminator" and "The Running Man" I found myself gripped... so much so, I started reading the sequel - Steeple - straight-away!
October 16, 2017
Absolutely brilliant, loved it from the off - would make a great film. Tempted to read again immediately, haven't said that about a book for years, and it's amazing for a first book from a new author. Almost on a par with my Frost favourites!
August 15, 2017
Boring.
Not a lot to say about this, it is well written but the characters have no personality and the plot has no originality, a dull ride through a dull land.
Its not terrible, it will kill some time if you have nothing else to read but I certainly won't be getting any more books in the series.
Not a lot to say about this, it is well written but the characters have no personality and the plot has no originality, a dull ride through a dull land.
Its not terrible, it will kill some time if you have nothing else to read but I certainly won't be getting any more books in the series.
March 5, 2018
loved it very entertaining. Kenstibec is logic driven and i like his view on things. Amazing that the MC being non-emotional can make for such a thrilling story.
October 10, 2018
Expected more but still a good read, fast pace and interesting characters + plot.
August 13, 2019
i really enjoyed it , great humour and a passion for landys
December 19, 2016
Great book, already bought the next in the series to see how the story progresses.
May 19, 2018
One of the random books I plucked out of my bookshelf and voila ... I really enjoyed it and discovered it’s the first of a trilogy. For dystopian lovers, I recommend this. 3.5/5
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