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The Fold

(Threshold #2)

Peter Clines (Goodreads Author)

3.85 · Rating details · 22,561 ratings · 2,701 reviews

STEP INTO THE FOLD.
IT’S PERFECTLY SAFE.

The folks in Mike Erikson's small New England town would say he's just your average, everyday guy. And that's exactly how Mike likes it. Sure, the life he's chosen isn’t much of a challenge to someone with his unique gifts, but he’s content with his quiet and peaceful existence.

That is, until an old friend presents him w/> ...more

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Hardcover, 384 pages

Published June 2nd 2015 by Crown

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· 22,561 ratings · 2,701 reviews

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Jul 02, 2015 Shelby *trains flying monkeys* rated it liked it

Recommended to Shelby *trains flying monkeys* by: Edward Lorn

Shelves: from-publisher, read-2015

Mike's a small town teacher. He just wants a normal life. The thing is Mike has a gift/curse/secret. He has an eidetic memory.

Calm down Reid fangirls. He looks more like this.

His memory skills are super charged. The guy is a walking computer. He sees it in his head as ants moving information around.

I don't think I want any ants in my head but this part of the book had me hooked.
Then his friend who heads some government agency or such wants him into his organ ...more

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Jun 25, 2015 Wendy Darling rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015-publication, june, sci-fi-or-futuristic, adult, read-2015, own-dtb-tbr, gory, 2015-favorites, to-review, action-packed

The first 260 pages of this book are easily 4.5/5 stars. The last 100...are not. Maybe 3.5 stars in the end?

Must ponder further and fight the disappointment that is all the more crushing because the first 2/3 of this book was so brilliant.

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Dec 11, 2014 ✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015, lame-a-saurus, science-fiction, boredom-fest, tstl-characters-r-us, horrifically-bad, stupid-stupid-stupid, outrageously-overhyped-fishsauce

💥 September 10, 2018: This book is on sale at $1.99 today. I wouldn't buy it if I were you, but hey, it's your life and your money, and you are supposedly free to waste both as you please so be my guest and stuff. You are quite welcome 💥

❣❣ To my dear friends who were silly enough to give this book 4 and 5-star ratings: I love you. Despite your spectacular lack of judgement.

This book in two words: mediocre and ...more

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Jul 24, 2015 Rick Riordan rated it really liked it

Adult science fiction

I read this book very quickly – always a sign that I liked it. The story moves along at a brisk pace. The mystery keeps unfolding in increasingly bizarre new layers. A team of scientists discovers a way to teleport matter between two rings – very much like Stargate, though early on we are warned not to make that comparison, because the scientists hate it. The only problem: The team is secretive about how the technology works, and why they insist on testing it fo ...more

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Mar 11, 2015 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, suspense, netgalley

This SF techno-thriller isn't perfect but I really liked the concept and the brilliant main character.

description

This was a fun one. Leland Erikson, called "Mike" for an intriguing reason that I won't spoil for you, is a high school English teacher. He has a genius level IQ as well as an eidetic (photographic) memory, but he wants to ...more

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Jun 12, 2015 Dan Schwent rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015, lovecraftian

When DARPA scientists create a wormhole device in the California desert, why is New England schoolteacher Mike Erikson tapped to investigate the installation? Because Mike Erikson has an eidetic memory and is one of the smartest people on the planet! Can Mike find out what's really going on at the installation despite the secretive scientists?

I got this from Netgalley.

On paper, this book sounded right up my alley. What's not to like about Sherlock monkeying about with some kind of wormho/>I ...more

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Jun 15, 2015 Ɗẳɳ 2.☊ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: alien-sci-fi, when-worlds-collide

Oy vey, what can I say? This book was . . . no bueno. With such an intriguing premise and lead, the final product feels like so much wasted potential. Especially considering how much I love science fiction—it’s one of my favorite genres. Well, to clarify, I love smart science fiction, but what you have here is one the most brilliant minds on the planet analyzing a tricky situation, then implementing some of the most maddeningly idiotic and ill-considered strategies imaginable. And isn’t it ironic . . ...more

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Dec 10, 2014 Robin (Bridge Four) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fans of J J Abrams, LOST, Fringe, Legion, Ready Player One or if you like wtf-ery

Shelves: bro-mantic, awesome-audio, super-sidekicks, 4-5-stars, sci-fi, buddy-read

Kindle Daily Deal 11Apr18 $1.99

4.5 Quantum Donut Stars

Buddy Reading with Athena (Shardbearer), Gavin, Armina, Kerry, Lege and Figgy

at Buddies Books and Baubles

Maybe you are like me and one of the few people who have read 14 by Peter Clines (that is a friends review attached because my review for 14 sucks) and so you too knew a little bit about the direction this book was going to go OR maybe you, like almost all my other friends on Goodreads have never even heard of 14. I’m going to say that it doesn’t matter because even having read 14 and knowing a little about where thStars
Buddy$1.99
4.5 ...more

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Jun 11, 2015 Kemper rated it liked it

Shelves: thriller, 2015, sci-fi

Mike Erikson might be the smartest person on Earth, but he’s content to use his high IQ and eidetic memory as a small town school teacher. However, his friend Reggie is a big deal at DARPA and has been trying to hire Mike for years, and now he finally finds a job that Mike can’t resist because of its groundbreaking nature.

DARPA has been funding a top secret project called the Albuquerque Door* in which a small group of scientists have successfully been able to fold space-time so that a long dis Mike Erikson might be the smartest person on Earth, but he’s content to use his high IQ and eidetic memory as a small town school teacher. However, his friend Reggie is a big deal at DARPA and has been trying to hire Mike for years, and now he finally finds a job that Mike can’t resist because of its groundbreaking nature.

DARPA has been funding a top secret project called the Albuquerque Door* in which a small group of scientists have successfully been able to fold space-time so that a long distance could be traveled by a person taking a single step. The scientists claim that the Door is working perfectly but want more testing, and they have insisted on not providing any of the work behind their discovery until it’s ready to be taken public. Reggie thinks that there’s something not quite right with the project and sends Mike out to investigate in the hopes that he can use his unique talents to sniff out what’s wrong.

*(Is it just me or does an Albuquerque Door sound like the kind of thing you’d be scared to look up on Urban Dictionary at work?)

I’m tempted to say that this is like Sherlock Holmes showing up on an episode of Fringe, but Mike is a lot nicer than Sherlock and there isn’t a cow in the lab. Mike himself is one of the biggest selling points of this story because the way that his mind works is well done and fascinating in its own right. There’s also some really compelling reasons as to why he’s downplayed his gifts and stuck to being a school teacher. Putting a unique character like this in a situation with a huge scientific breakthrough and a group of people who seem to be hiding something makes for an entertaining story that eventually makes the most of its premise.

While Mike makes for a sympathetic guy that you want to root for, the scientists he deals with are a bunch of jerkfaces. The way that they act for most of the book is one of the things that irked me about it. For quite a while every question or statement that Mike makes is usually met with a hostile remark or snarky challenge even as he’s being as polite and accommodating as possible. In fact, I thought Mike was being just a little too nice because as the government guy who is determining whether their new budget will get approved, he should be throwing a little weight around instead of just eating all the crap sandwiches that get flung at him regularly.

There is an argument to be made that since Mike is essentially a rookie and that the scientists have reasons for acting this way that it makes sense for the plot. However, just the way that they respond to almost everything Mike says becomes a bit tiresome. For a bunch of people tearing a hole in the fabric of reality, there are a lot of arrogant and dismissive comments along the lines of “That’s unpossible!” even after Mike has been shown to be right time after time. Also, (view spoiler)

Despite those irritations with the secondary characters, this is still a fun and kinda kooky sci-fi thriller with an intriguing main character that mostly delivers on the potential of its main premise. There’s an indication that this may not be the last we see of Mike, and I’ll be willing to check out more.

I’m ranking it 3 stars, but it’s more like 3.5.

Also posted at Kemper's Book Blog. ...more

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Dec 31, 2015 Kelly (and the Book Boar) rated it liked it

Shelves: end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it, read-in-2016, arcs, time-keeps-on-slippin

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

After reading Ron 2.0’s review I had no plans on reading The Fold, but then Ed loooooooved it so I just assumed Ron 2.0 read it wrong per usual and this little baby went back on the TBR. But THEN? Then Shelby agreed with Ron 2.0 and if you are familiar with them you’ll know that never happens. I figured that meant the apocalypse was nigh and I had to make sure I had some stuff taken care of before I read it . . .

Alright so here’s the deal. Mike Erikson lives the life of an Average Joe, teachin ...more

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Jul 01, 2015 Edward Lorn rated it it was amazing

WINNER: GUILTY PLEASURE OF 2015!

I fully admit I probably shouldn't love this book as much as I do. But I cannot deny that it's the only book this year that I couldn't put down until it was over. I had several books that I didn't want to put down but ended up putting down anyway. This one I read in one sitting. It consumed me. I was able to escape for the span of six hours.

Then I see all my friends thought it was just "all right" or plain "ridiculous" and I started questioning my pre ...more

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Aug 24, 2015 Bradley rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror, sci-fi

The author's voice sounds like Dean Koontz and sticks pretty damn close to its SF roots until it turns into some delightfully wacky horror. I'm a creature of habit. I love horror, and anything that gives it to me is my friend.

If it's ostensibly SF before it gives me all that horror, then I'm pink as a bloody peach.

I'll get something out of the way, first. It feels like a hugely popular novel. I don't know if it is, or will be. I'm reading it because it's new SF and it's an author I' The author's voice sounds like Dean Koontz and sticks pretty damn close to its SF roots until it turns into some delightfully wacky horror. I'm a creature of habit. I love horror, and anything that gives it to me is my friend.

If it's ostensibly SF before it gives me all that horror, then I'm pink as a bloody peach.

I'll get something out of the way, first. It feels like a hugely popular novel. I don't know if it is, or will be. I'm reading it because it's new SF and it's an author I've never touched before. Even if it is dumbed down a bit for an audience, at least it feels its roots. Mystery first, SF second, and then, after the first two acts are done, it transforms into Horror. I'm satisfied with the progression, but I do think it could have been a bit more complicated and long, building into a grand masterpiece of ideas far outstripping it's fundamental teleportation science roots, not that I didn't appreciate the well-crafted renewal of an old multiverse trope.

Don't get me wrong. As SF I was thoroughly captured and loved the perfect timing and progression. It always kept my undivided attention. I enjoyed the screaming telegraphs of things to come, even if they were all hamfisted and obvious.

There were, on the other hand, some points that truly surprised me and hit me in the gut with the implications and the effects. Practically all the big reveals were damn satisfying and had me repeating the words aloud. It was damn amusing.

And that's what the whole novel was: It was Damn Amusing. The characters changed by way of broad strokes and implacable effects, and Mike was way too good to be true, but hell, at least he had a pretty down-to-earth rationale for keeping a wrap on his gifts. AND I'm so relieved that it wasn't yet another tortured genius trope. So, so.

Clever tale, wonderful progression between genres that built up to big action, and likeable characters. I can't say this will ever be regarded as perfect literature for any genre, but its mixtures, clear prose, and clear characters gave us all a pretty damn slick and entertaining novel.

You know, brain candy, with mysteries, cockroaches, interdimensional portals, and multi-limbed alpha-predator horrors coming to a popular Californian town near you!

The literature equivalent of a blockbuster summer film. :) ...more

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Dec 13, 2015 Melissa (Mel’s Bookshelf) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

The fold is another great science fiction/horror by Peter Clines. It is a stand alone novel but if you have read his previous novel "14" you will be pleasantly surprised by some merging stories and characters.

Mike Erikson likes to think of himself as a normal guy... Your average high school teacher. However he has a special ability, a eidetic memory. He is able to remember everything he has ever seen or heard, replaying it exactly like it just happened. His old friend Reggie convinces him to co ...more

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Apr 01, 2015 Trudi rated it really liked it

Shelves: pulpy-goodness, science-fiction, what-the-bleep, 2015, horror

Three of my most favorite Stephen King sci-fi-esque stories include the novellas The Mist and The Langoliers and the not to be missed short story "The Jaunt" (which if you haven't read this delightful, chilling diddy yet GO DO IT NOW and thank me later). Seriously, it's awesome.

The Fold in all of its pulpy goodness, thrums along with a vibration that's very Stephen King in its approach to sci-fi and I couldn't help but be reminded of those three stories while burning through its pages. It's fun, it doesn't take its
Three of my most favorite Stephen King sci-fi-esque stories include the novellas The Mist and The Langoliers and the not to be missed short story "The Jaunt" (which if you haven't read this delightful, chilling diddy yet GO DO IT NOW and thank me later). Seriously, it's awesome.

The Fold in all of its pulpy goodness, thrums along with a vibration that's very Stephen King in its approach to sci-fi and I couldn't help but be reminded of those three stories while burning through its pages. It's fun, it doesn't take itself too seriously, and the plot doesn't get too bogged down or concern itself too much with the science. For sci-fi purists, Clines approach would probably come off as lazy here -- but for me, it was just right, just enough at all the right times.

There comes a moment in the novel (you'll know when you get there) where I screamed and thought the story was heading in a very different (much desired) direction than where it eventually ends up. The horror fiend in me perpetually lusting after her next scare was okay with that though. There's still lots that will goose your adrenaline centers and get the heart racing. This is a sci-fi thriller, with the emphasis on thrill with some other "stuff" thrown in to blow your skirt up at the end. And I can't talk about that "stuff" because you know, that would make me a spoilering asshole. Let's leave all that fine spoilering to Uncle Stevie, shall we? He does it so well.

I absolutely love and cannot recommend enough Clines other book 14 which in the telling and execution falls much more on the horror end of the spectrum. The two books read extremely well side by side however, and if you read one you will absolutely have to read the other to enjoy the tuning fork resonance that Clines has set up so very nicely.

And how much did I love our main character Mike Erikson? He's the smartest guy you will ever meet with a crazy IQ score and a photographic memory -- he literally remembers everything he's ever seen or heard. Which sounds awesome when you're simply talking about replaying your favorite Marvel movie in your head while you fall asleep. Not so awesome when you have instant full sensory engaged memories of somebody's horrible death. This "talent" / "curse" should make Mike either a full-on arrogant asshole, a complete weirdo with no social skills or a combination of both, but he's neither. Mike is just a nice guy, a school teacher trying to live out his life with relative normalcy.

His supporting cast are the jerk faces and arrogant assholes almost laughably so sometimes. But they do get better and more likable as the story hits the 3/4 mark. I did shake my head at how many times the phrase "but that's impossible!" was thrown about even as they stood around this spectacular fold in space-time dimension and all these crazy incidences keep piling up on top of one another. Rather than see it as a weakness in the story though, I actually found it added some much needed comic-relief. When things are at their craziest and someone is still shouting "but that's impossible!" you really have to laugh. At least I did.

So final verdict -- a pulpy, extremely fun, page-turning sci-fi thriller that will make a most excellent addition to your summer reading.

...more

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Jan 17, 2016 Zoeytron rated it liked it

Shelves: public-library

The opening chapter is pure thriller and engaged me immediately. Then we are introduced to Mike, a likeable high school teacher who just happens to be a genius. Not only is he brilliant, but he has a photographic memory. A good friend of his from college has been trying to poach Mike to go to work for him in a hush-hush government experiment, and finally succeeds in piquing Mike's interest enough to woo him away from teaching, and sets him up in a secret testing compound.

Mike is given little in ...more

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Oct 06, 2014 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: horror, review-copy, science-fiction, arcs-and-galleys, mystery, netgalley

5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/06/04/b...

The Fold is an amazing book. I couldn’t put it down, which is not something I normally write in reviews because it sounds so much like a cliché. In this case, however, it’s absolutely true and no exaggeration. This book even caused a moment of blustering indignation at one point, because it was 4:30 in the morning but it still wasn’t letting me close it up and get some sleep. And that is the story of how I finished this almost 400-page book in a little 5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/06/04/b...

The Fold is an amazing book. I couldn’t put it down, which is not something I normally write in reviews because it sounds so much like a cliché. In this case, however, it’s absolutely true and no exaggeration. This book even caused a moment of blustering indignation at one point, because it was 4:30 in the morning but it still wasn’t letting me close it up and get some sleep. And that is the story of how I finished this almost 400-page book in a little more than a day.

Needless to say, I was already feeling beyond excited when I first learned that Peter Clines was going to have a new book out this summer. I’m a big fan of the author and his genre-mashing stories and writing style, after having read his novel 14 and gobbling up every book in his Ex-Heroes series as they are released. So when The Fold finally landed in my grubby little hands, I could hardly wait to get started. What does it have in store for me, I wondered, if it wasn’t another Ex novel about the zombie apocalypse versus superheroes?

Well, my excitement only grew when I started reading and discovered that The Fold is actually kind of a “side-quel” to 14. And while the novel’s protagonist Leland “Mike” Erikson might not be a superhuman, with his powerful eidetic memory and the ability to perfectly recall anything he has ever heard or seen in his life, he may as well be. This part is really cool: Mike visually pictures all his memories as bits and pieces in his head, carried by a swarm of ants all constantly seething with information and interpretation. The ants allow him to take in the sights and sounds, and organizes them with his thoughts. He can put together graphs and statistics, even overlay them in 3D representation if he wants, all in a blink of an eye. Captain America or any movie that’s ever been made can be instantly replayed in his head whenever it pleases him, as long as he’s seen it before. Man, what I wouldn’t give to have a gift like his.

But then, there are the downsides. Mike can never forget anything, which includes bad memories. Traumatic experiences stay with him forever and with awful clarity, like they only happened five second ago. Between that and the overwhelming, all-consuming way his ants seethe and swarm when he lets them out to do their thing, I can understand why the guy just wanted to fade into obscurity and teach high school English in the-middle-of-nowhere, Maine. It’s a safe place without any great challenges to tempt the ants. It’s a place where he can just be normal.

All that changes one day, when his best friend Reggie drops in on him with a job offer, one that he knew Mike could never refuse. Out in the California desert, a team of DARPA scientists have figured out a way to transport matter in a mode that is effectively as good as teleportation. By “folding” across dimensions, their invention called the Albuquerque Door makes the difference between point A and point B almost negligible, so that the subject can simply travel across that distance with a single step. The Door works. And it’s safe. Those are facts no one can dispute. However, the scientists are refusing to go public with it for some inexplicable reason. On top of that, Reggie can’t shake the hunch that something about the project just feels wrong, so he sends Mike out there to scout things out and report back to him before the government approves funding for another year.

What follows is riveting and unique genre-mashing experience, taken to a whole new level. After all, that is what Peter Clines does best. The Fold starts off reading like a Michael Crichton novel, with 100% more pop culture and geek references. Despite its nature as a sci-fi thriller-suspense mystery, the book is surprisingly easy to enjoy without the reader feeling inundated with heavy science and tech terms – an impressive feat, considering how so much of the premise deals with topics like quantum physics or cosmological theory. Information was doled out in unobtrusive ways which often meshed neatly with the plot, like during the course of a funding review, or in casual conversations between characters over drinks at a bar.

Though the writing style isn’t anything special, the smooth flow of the prose almost makes reading this book like watching a movie. Mike is like a modern Sherlock Holmes, gathering clues with his photographic memory to build a framework of evidence to bring back to Reggie and DARPA. There’s always an air of suspense just hanging over your head, especially in the beginning when you don’t know what’s going on, and the scientists’ strange attitude towards Mike can’t be explained away by simple hostility. Even when nothing much is happening in a scene you can still feel the increasing tension and expectancy, which makes it really hard to stop (in case you’re wondering, this is how yours truly got in trouble and ended up being awake even five hours past her bedtime).

There’s a marked difference in the second half of the book, when the story take a turn for the creepy before arguably veering into horror territory. If you’ve read 14, you’ll have some idea of what I’m talking about. It actually surprised me how pleased I was to see the green cockroaches in The Fold, as that was the first hint that the two books were connected. In fact, The Fold reads a lot like 14; the two books share more than just the same world, as they are also similar in tone, style, as well as structure (though ultimately I think Clines handles the themes and pacing much better here). And just like my review of 14, I can’t really go into the second half of The Fold without giving too much away, though I will say everything reaches critical mass in a significant, explosive way.

The Fold is hands down my favorite Peter Clines book to date. It’s got everything – mystery and suspense, humor and horror, science fiction and the paranormal – all perfectly blended together with a bizarre twisty ending that will keep you saying, “Just one more page…” A fun and enjoyable read all around. ...more

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Jan 09, 2017 Mike (the Paladin) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, action

Well...looking at my "currently reading" shelf and seeing it appears that I can keep like 20 books going at once I guess I should review a couple and get them off said shelf.

So:

This is the third book (I think) I've read by Mr. Clines and it's a great read. No doubt about it if you like fantasy or science fiction brain candy I think there's an excellent chance you'll like this one.

Now let me note that there are a couple of "minor" flaws with the book, but sheer good "stor ...more

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Apr 28, 2015 Kaora rated it liked it

The Fold is my second encounter with Peter Clines after reading 14, and while I see a number of similarities between the two books I actually surprisingly liked this better.

Mike Erikson is a high school teacher living an ordinary life in an ordinary town, but when he is approached by an old friend Reggie to take a look at a new technology that is being secretly developed by DARPA scientists that would allow a person to be teleported from one place to another by taking a single step. ...more

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May 25, 2015 Armina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: buddy-reads, pending-review, great-expectations, audio, horror, sci-fi, thriller, mystery

Buddy read with some awesome people at Buddies Books and Baubles

4 STARS

This was pretty entertaining and fast paced. It never lost its momentum. And yet something faltered in the story towards the end and I was left feeling a bit dissatisfied. Can't quite put my finger on what and why. May be it was the way too many cool/creepy ideas were thrown into the mix in the last third of the book and almost none of them reached their full potential or were developed even a bit. There are a lot of clues this/> ...more

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Nov 29, 2015 Scott Sigler rated it it was amazing

It is difficult to review this book without spoilers, and since I hate spoilers in all forms, I will keep this short. I would say if you like Stephen King or Peter Straub, this is right in your wheelhouse.

First of all, though, this is one of the most interesting main characters I've ever seen. It's not a spoiler to say this guy has an eidetic memory. Now sure, dozens (if not hundreds) of authors have used characters with photographic memories, but I've never seen the mechanism for remembering spelled out in s ...more

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Dec 11, 2014 Gavin rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi

This was a really fun read. It merged the genres of mystery, horror, sci-fi, and fantasy very well. The whole story had the feel of an episode of The Twilight Zone, which was pretty cool.

Mike Erikson is living the quiet life as a high school English teacher in a small New England town when he gets a visit from an old college friend who wants him to stop squandering his genius IQ and eidetic memory and come help evaluate a team of secretive DARPA scientists who are working on a project they claim use ...more

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Jul 01, 2016 Cindy Newton rated it really liked it

Shelves: to-read-in-2016, owned-books, sci-fi

I picked this book up because I didn't want to cart the hefty hardback I'm in the middle of to jury duty, and thought this slim paperback would fit nicely in my purse. It did, and once I started it, it was really difficult to put down. It's science fiction, but thank God! not as droningly sciencey as The Martian.

The first chapter is a great hook, but after that the story settles into a more sedate pace . . . for awhile. Then it picks up and really hits the gas and doesn't let up until the end. I picked this book up because I didn't want to cart the hefty hardback I'm in the middle of to jury duty, and thought this slim paperback would fit nicely in my purse. It did, and once I started it, it was really difficult to put down. It's science fiction, but thank God! not as droningly sciencey as The Martian.

The first chapter is a great hook, but after that the story settles into a more sedate pace . . . for awhile. Then it picks up and really hits the gas and doesn't let up until the end. The main character, Mike, is a likable guy, and I promise it's not because he is an 11th grade English teacher (like me)! He's very laid-back and friendly, and . . . oh, yeah, he's like a supercomputer with legs. He has a crazy high IQ and an eidetic memory, which means that if his eyes see it, it's in his brain to stay. I did wonder what such a genius is doing teaching high school. Don't get me wrong--a photographic memory can be very helpful when those little scamps start trying to convince you that you never returned their paper, or you told them it was okay to copy their essay from the internet. On the other hand, there are definitely some sights and experiences that I am glad to let sink into obscurity, so I guess it's a mixed bag. Clines offers some very solid reasons for Mike's choices, so it makes sense.

Mike's longtime friend, Reggie, has been trying to entice Mike to come work for him in the government forever, but Mike has been firm in his refusals--until now. He allows himself to be talked into checking out this secret research experiment that Reggie's department has been funding. Although the experiment seems to be going well, Reggie is uneasy about it and wants Mike to see if he can nose out any hidden problems. The project is called the Albuquerque Door, and it came about during exploration into teleportation. It's not teleportation, but it's the next best thing. Everything seems to be going gangbusters, but as Mike starts to dig, he starts to discover things the project team would prefer to keep hidden. Mike is very friendly and polite to them, but most of them treat him with contempt and outright hostility. I liked that he holds his ground and does not allow their rudeness to intimidate or anger him. I also liked the unique way his extraordinary intelligence is characterized (hint: it has to do with insects). I, personally, have always struggled with absentmindedness, and am envious of people who seem to have no trouble recalling names, events, dates, numbers, etc. To me, a photographic memory seems a gift, something extremely desirable. Clines introduces us to the downside of never being able to forget anything.

I can't get into any more without giving it away, but it is definitely a page-turner. I thought the science explanations were handled well, with the meaning being made clear without beating me to death with long, detailed explanations of how things work (I'm looking at you, Andy Weir!). I found the plot to be plausible and riveting, and even the rudest characters came together eventually. I thought it was kind of convenient that (view spoiler)

If you're looking for a thrill ride of a story, I highly recommend! ...more

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Jun 24, 2015 JAIME rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2015

Well. That happened.

I received a copy of this via Netgalley and was super excited - it sounded cool and amazing and everyone was mentioning The Martian (My favourite book of 2014) in their reviews. I had to have it.

Small town genius hermit, lured into working for his friend of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA - I had to look it up) to look into a government funded invention whereby magnetism (I imagined a couple of huge MRIs) and advanced mathematics create a 'fo ...more

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Nov 03, 2015 Tim Martin rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, reviewed, parallel-universe, alternate-history, ebook

If something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is.

Mike Erikson, a brilliant man who happens to have an eidetic memory, just wants to live a quiet life as a school teacher in a small New England town. Both blessed and cursed with a completely inability to stop analyzing and cataloguing all things around him and a memory that will never, ever let go of anything (he can watch entire movies from memory, concentrating on every scene), he is called out of his self-imposed exile from the wo If something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is.

Mike Erikson, a brilliant man who happens to have an eidetic memory, just wants to live a quiet life as a school teacher in a small New England town. Both blessed and cursed with a completely inability to stop analyzing and cataloguing all things around him and a memory that will never, ever let go of anything (he can watch entire movies from memory, concentrating on every scene), he is called out of his self-imposed exile from the world by an old friend overseeing a DARPA project in the California desert, one that he thinks Mike is uniquely equipped to examine.

Mike of course asks what is it? Why should I care? You know I have resisted all your projects before he says to his long-time friend. His old friend is confident that he will be interested once he gets a taste of what the project is; something called the Albuquerque Door (and yes, it is a Bugs Bunny reference and discussed in character in the book). Essentially, the device (or series of devices), folds space, allowing the transport of matter, animals, people from one place to another as simply as throwing a baseball through an open doorway or just walking through.

At first the two parts of the Albuquerque Door connect two parts of the research facility, but theoretically they can be hundreds or even thousands of miles apart and still work.

The device has been demonstrated to work. So what’s the problem? Apparently the researchers at the facility are hiding something , something very bad, and Mike’s friend wants to find out what it is. If the device works, why won’t they go public with it? Why can’t it be expanded or even made commercially available?
More troubling still, sometimes people come through the door different. The very first chapter has a woman greeting her husband, coming home from having walked through the door. He looked and acted the same…except he doesn’t recognize his wife and insists she is an intruder, an imposter, and something has happened to his real wife though that is not in any way true.

Mike with his analytical mind (in book comparisons are made to Sherlock Holmes) and his eidetic memory is indeed uniquely qualified to uncover the mystery of what the researchers are hiding and what is happening to them. The way his mind was depicted performing some of these tasks was by Mike imagining swarms of black and red ants, pouring over data, dredging up bits of information from his mind, going to war almost over competing ideas. It was very interesting.

I don’t want to say too much more about the plot of the book other than I found it engaging and quite interesting. Even to compare it to some other works might spoil some of the surprises but I will say it compares very well indeed to other books in this sub-genre.

Once I found out that this book is a sidequel/shared universe book of another of the author’s works, _14_, I immediately started reading that particular novel and am so far enjoying it. I don’t think so far in _14_ having read _The Fold_ has spoiled anything for me; in fact the elements of the _The Fold_, as shown (however briefly) in _14_, have provided great foreshadowing and a sense of dread. ...more

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Jun 03, 2015 Morgannah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Sometimes I fall in love with fictional characters and I readily admit it because I think that most bibliophiles have done the same at one point or another. In The Fold I met and developed a huge crush on Leland “Mike” Erikson. Now Mike is a genius who has an eidetic memory but he teaches high school English Literature. Mr. Clines had me at genius and English Literature. Everything seems great in Mike's life until an old friend comes knocking with a job he finally can’t refuse. Scientists workin Sometimes I fall in love with fictional characters and I readily admit it because I think that most bibliophiles have done the same at one point or another. In The Fold I met and developed a huge crush on Leland “Mike” Erikson. Now Mike is a genius who has an eidetic memory but he teaches high school English Literature. Mr. Clines had me at genius and English Literature. Everything seems great in Mike's life until an old friend comes knocking with a job he finally can’t refuse. Scientists working on a DoD project in the desert have created something that will change the world as we know it, but something seems a little off, and Mike’s just the man to get to the bottom of it.

Before we get too far into the action we get more insight into what it's like to be Mike. I can't tell you how many times during the course of reading about Mike's cognitive abilities that I secretly wished my brain functioned in the same manner. But then we get to see the flip side to having a photographic memory, we get to see the bad side. See Mike can never forget ANYTHING. He relives moments in full Technicolor with every detail vivid and full of life. Stop to think for a moment just how awful that could be when the memories are the horrible ones. Just imagine how many life events and traumatic experiences we encounter in our lifetime. If you are like me you try your best to forget those things, put them behind you and try to move on without letting them scar you. Mike can't forget them. All the hurtful moments, all the loss, all the grief, it stays with him forever just like it happened yesterday. I loved how Mike was fleshed out for us, I admired him yet felt sorry for him.

This book starts off as a current-day science thriller, where the pace pushes you toward the next page and chapter without mercy or a break, and runs you straight into a left turn revealing an Eldritch-style horror story that gets weirder as it does dangerous. There’s a lot going once things really get moving, and you think that there can’t possibly be any way to take even more air out of an already quick read, but Clines manages to do just that. The final fifty pages will hold you to the end.

This is a great summer read, perfect for techno-junkies who love their sci-fi references authentic (Clines shows his massive love for Trek science and does each with deep cuts that will tickle any other hardcore fan.) and those who really dig mind-bending adventures that you just can’t put down. Raising fun questions that will follow you after, this novel is definitely one to add to your summer reading list.

...more

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Jun 29, 2015 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley-all

www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com

Wow! That was one trip of a book! I liked it :) I always know I like a book when I can't wait to see what's going to happen yet and I start talking out loud to the book and the stupidity of what people are doing or not doing.

I loved one of the main characters, Mike. I wish I could have his mind! I would love to have a smart, photographic memory. I would love to just have a smart brain, but I digress. I loved he was referred to as Sherlock, because who doesn't love Sherlock right? And h ...more

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Mar 05, 2015 Steve rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction, read-in-2015, mystery, horror, suspense-thriller, early-review-netgalley

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an incredibly exciting book! The first half or so was the set-up, character development, and setting the scene. It started out like a "typical" mystery, with hidden agendas, secret agents, and the like. At about the 55% mark, things took a swing, and by that, I mean a WILD swing! The tension ratcheted up with each new discovery, and there were some truly surprising twists. By the 80% point, I couldn't put the bo ...more

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Dec 29, 2015 Richard rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, sci-fi

5/10

Never has a book being split in half as diversely as this for me, talk about peaks and troughs!

I was really digging the book at the beginning, even up to the half way point. I was fully invested and would easily have rated this at 4 stars. An interesting lead character, Mike, who has an eidetic memory along with a genius level IQ which could have easily come across as a dick but he's actually alright. The interesting plot with a group of scientists finding a way to travel vast d 5/10

Never has a book being split in half as diversely as this for me, talk about peaks and troughs!

I was really digging the book at the beginning, even up to the half way point. I was fully invested and would easily have rated this at 4 stars. An interesting lead character, Mike, who has an eidetic memory along with a genius level IQ which could have easily come across as a dick but he's actually alright. The interesting plot with a group of scientists finding a way to travel vast distances in space and time through the “Albuquerque Door” but an underlying suspicions by the funders of the project as to the way it works which meant Mike was brought in to visit the site and be an independent auditor to see what’s going on for himself and feed back to the funders. All good at this point. Even the sciency bits were accessible for me to get on board with, dumbing down enough for even my little brain to comprehend.

Then from about the halfway point on, things just went shit. I don’t know whether it was just that I wasn’t able to come to terms with what was happening or if it was just rubbish (looking at some of my friends reviews I would say this isn’t the case) but it seriously went from a 4 star read to a 2 star read from this point on. I found myself drifting with the narrative and wasn’t all that bothered for listening to this but wanted to clear the decks before moving onto something else. I’ve avoided saying anything further due to anything I say being quite spoilerific.

The audio narration by Ray Porter was good but not great. There were a number of voices that were well done but I never felt he was a compelling storyteller. This may be a harsh judgement as it could be the story at the end which is fresh in my memory and not the enjoyment I had early on. I wouldn’t avoid listening to him again by any means.

Overall this was a disappointment. I’d read some good reviews for this and I felt it was going to be a really good read the way the first half was going only for the rug to be pulled from under my feet and leave me disappointed. A good idea with a poor execution is the best I can surmise.

If you like this try: “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes ...more

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Jan 08, 2015 Chris rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy-net-galley

I received a free ebook of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.

That was a fun ride. Just what I needed at the time - a fast paced read with fun characters, interesting science, occasional humor, and lots of weird. It may have very well pulled me up from a recent reading slump as I devoured the bulk of the story over a weekend.

This is my second Clines book, and it read as well as the first one, 14. I'll definitely be taking on more books by this author.

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May 26, 2015 Eilonwy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: suspenseful, fast-and-enjoyable, science-fiction

I'll try to write a proper review for this!

This was a very fun, fast-paced story that maintained perfect tension through the entire book. It's definitely a good summer read -- not particularly deep, but nearly perfect for what it is. I'm looking forward to the next installment, since the ending hints strongly of a sequel to come.

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Action/Adventure ...: October 2019 Action Thrills and Chills Group Read: The Fold by Peter Clines	5	12	Nov 09, 2019 05:23PM
Around the Year i...: The Fold, by Peter Clines	2	15	Jun 19, 2018 12:51AM
Did anyone recognize the names??	1	35	Oct 02, 2017 07:25AM
Time Travel: THE FOLD - August 2015	43	102	Jul 23, 2017 05:10AM
Hints dropped for the next book? (SPOILERS)	9	327	Feb 07, 2017 06:52AM

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About Peter Clines

Peter Clines

3,142 followers

Peter Clines is the author of the genre-blending -14- and the Ex-Heroes series.

He grew up in the Stephen King fallout zone of Maine and--inspired by comic books, Star Wars, and Saturday morning cartoons--started writing at the age of eight with his first epic novel, Lizard Men From The Center of The Earth(unreleased).

He made his first writing sale at age seventeen to a local newspaper, and at the age of nineteen ...more