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Emergence

(David Hooper #1)

John Birmingham (Goodreads Author)

3.69 · Rating details · 1,564 ratings · 220 reviews

Dave Hooper has the hangover from hell, a demonic ex-wife and the claws of the tax office sinking into him. So the last thing he needs is an explosion at the off-shore oil rig where he works.

But this is no ordinary industrial accident, and despite the news reports, Dave knows that terrorists aren't to blame for the disaster. He knows because he has killed one of the things ...more

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Paperback, 336 pages

Published January 1st 2015 by Macmillan Australia (first published December 23rd 2014)

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· 1,564 ratings · 220 reviews

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Mar 23, 2015 Carole (Carole's Random Life in Books) marked it as books-i-gave-up-on · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015, net-galley

DNF @ 19%

I just can't force myself to read anymore of this book. This has to be the most vulgar book that I have ever attempted to read. I absolutely hate the main character and cannot think of any possible way that he can be redeemed. He is a vile and disgusting man. I don't want to spend another moment in his head.

I requested this book because it was recommended for fans of Jim Butcher. Let me warn you - Dave is nothing like Harry Dresden.

ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group - Del Ra ...more

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Mar 29, 2015 Carly rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, muf, urban-fantasy

~2.5
This is one of those books that can actually be summarized by its title.

In retrospect, I can see that it's not the book that was the problem, but my expectations. I assumed that a book with the title "Dave vs the Monsters" had to be at least a little tongue-in-cheek. I was expecting something funny, fluffy, genre-savvy, and a bit clever.

In actuality, this has to be one of the purest cases of "what it says on the tin" that I've ever encountered. Basic plot: Dave works on an oil rig. Said oil ~2.5
This is one of those books that can actually be summarized by its title.

In retrospect, I can see that it's not the book that was the problem, but my expectations. I assumed that a book with the title "Dave vs the Monsters" had to be at least a little tongue-in-cheek. I was expecting something funny, fluffy, genre-savvy, and a bit clever.

In actuality, this has to be one of the purest cases of "what it says on the tin" that I've ever encountered. Basic plot: Dave works on an oil rig. Said oil rig is attacked by monsters. Dave kills one of the monsters, mysteriously gains incredible powers and knowledge, spends about half the book angsting about it and being examined by the military, and waits for the monsters to attack again. The monsters attack again.
Yep, that's a pretty good chunk of the book.

In spirit, Dave versus the Monsters is rather like Monster Hunter International, although with even less characterization, worldbuilding, and theme exploration and even more graphic violence. Don't expect a good explanation for any of the events in the book because you won't get them.(view spoiler)
There's nothing wrong with a bit of mindless action-oriented UF, but I prefer mine to be a little lighter on the sexism, homophobia, and racism. Dave is pretty much an unapologetic bigot. Gay jokes are his worst form of insult, wives are there to be cheated on, and he's definitely not winning Father of the Year award. As for women, apart from all the time Dave spends thinking about the prostitutes he uses, we have lovely quotes like this:

"Dave found that he wanted to hold on to the splitting maul. It felt natural the way a really beautifully crafted baseball bat did. Or a pool cue. Or a fine piece of ass… or anything, really. Any tool that had been carefully crafted by a skilled maker with one purpose in mind."

Because that's what women are, obviously. Carefully crafted tools with one purpose in mind.

Other than the issues mentioned above--and bear in mind that they're endemic in UF, even if not necessarily to this extent--there's not much wrong with the book, but it's not a good fit for me. I like my worldbuilding intricate, my violence meaningful, my characters redeemable, and my narrators genre-savvy. Even though I love the idea of an oil rigger wreaking havoc with a splitting maul, I think I'll leave Dave to his monsters and find my UF kicks elsewhere.

**Note: quotes are taken from an uncorrected advanced reader copy and may not reflect the final wording. However, I believe they speak to the character of the novel as a whole.**

~~I received a copy of this ebook through Netgalley from the publisher, Random House- Del Ray Spectra, in exchange for my (depressingly) honest review.~~ ...more

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Apr 28, 2015 Elspeth marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Shelves: twenty-fifteen, different-strokes

For fans of Jim Butcher and Kevin Hearne

Nope, not even close. Dave is nothing like Harry or Atticus, nothing. He is an disgusting asshole.
I'll pass, thanks.

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Dec 24, 2017 Mike (the Paladin) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: action, fantasy, urban-fantasy

Well....humm. I've seen this compared to Harry Dresden. I can see that, however Dave is nothing like Harry. But then I suppose that's not what the "comparers" meant. I'd say the book may be a little like Harry Dresden meets Monster Hunter International...sort of.

Dave is a Jerk, he's also an idiot and worse he is often the kind of idiot who doesn't realize he's an idiot until he's already done or said too much. Maybe the first quarter to half of the book Dave is a whiny ne'er-do-well who's screwe ...more

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Nov 18, 2014 Matthew rated it it was amazing

What do you get when you cross Jim Butcher with Kevin Hearne, and add a dash of good ole Australian dark humour, and loads of violence, sarcasm and wit… why John Birmingham’s Emergence of course!

Dave is your average joe. He works hard, and plays even harder. A legend in his own lunchtime, Dave is facing divorce and mounting tax debt when things turn upside down. Monsters from another realm invade Dave’s oil-rig, and his encounter with them changes him into something else entirely. A superhero… a What do you get when you cross Jim Butcher with Kevin Hearne, and add a dash of good ole Australian dark humour, and loads of violence, sarcasm and wit… why John Birmingham’s Emergence of course!

Dave is your average joe. He works hard, and plays even harder. A legend in his own lunchtime, Dave is facing divorce and mounting tax debt when things turn upside down. Monsters from another realm invade Dave’s oil-rig, and his encounter with them changes him into something else entirely. A superhero… a goddamn superhero!

Warning… this review will contain language that might be offensive to some… but it is necessary to convey my opinion of Emergence.

You have been sufficiently warned….

So where do I begin… I fucking loved this book!!! It is evil… evil and hilariously entertaining. Birmingham has someone managed to craft a tale that is not only morrish and addictive but also hilariously dark and offensive at the same time. I can’t recall laughing as much as I did from reading Emergence (raging demon boners and Dave’s facebook statuses spring to mind as examples of humour… seriously… you have to read it to understand). I was grabbed from the start with Dave’s hangover monologue, and I ploughed through it like a Viking at a wedding feast! Birmingham has taken some of the best elements of urban fantasy and merged them with what I can only describe as bloody hilarious humour, cracking action and witty dialogue. His protagonist Dave is a rip snortingly funny hero, whose actions and language made my face hurt from the roars of laughter that exploded from my lungs. Emergence is not solely a comedy however, and Birmingham has masterfully weaved plenty of military detail and action (for fans his previous books, like me, this will come as no surprise) into the text to keep the story moving along nicely. The world building was top notch, with Birmingham cleverly incorporating monsters and the UnderRealms alongside modern elements like Barack Obama, Facebook, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Emergence is fast paced and easy to read. Before I knew it I had ripped through military engagements, maul smashing fights and blood fuelled rage and turned the final page. I yearned (yes John… yearned) for more! The climax left things brilliantly open for the next instalment (entitled Resistance, due out in March), and I can’t wait to see what is going to happen when Earth faces the armies of the UnderRealms with Dave (even his name makes me chuckle) as our champion. Emergence reminded me of the first time I read Stormfront (Jim Butcher). It is just a bucket of monster filled fun, action and wit that you will remember reading twenty years from now (not because it is a literary masterpiece, but because it fucking hilarious and incredibly entertaining!).

In the immortal words of Oliver Twist… please sir (or king… or God… whatever they call you these days John)… I want some more!

A bloody good read!

5 out of 5 stars.

smashdragons.blogspot.com.au ...more

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Apr 08, 2015 Steven added it · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal, netgalley-or-publisher, abandoned

Emergence: Dave vs. the Monsters by John Birmingham
Published 2015, Del Rey
Stars: ☆☆☆☆☆ (DNF)
Review also posted at: Slapdash & Sundry

I'm just not going to be able to finish this book. I've read around 20%, and I can't find a single thing redeemable or potentially redeemable about the main character, and the gratuitous abuse of crude humor and curse words, which isn't a problem for me in general, is so beyond excessive that it's disgusting... and borderline "trying too hard."

It's a shame reall ...more

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Mar 29, 2015 Jennybeast rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, scifan, witches_magic, superhero, survival

I see why this series is marketed towards people who love Kevin Hearne and Jim Butcher -- it's paranormal, it's fast-paced, in some ways it's a guys book.

However, _I_ love Kevin Hearne and Jim Butcher because they write smart-ass, funny, dialogue, and their heros, while flawed, are also inherently lovable. They are always trying to right the wrongs, whether they caused them or not. I find Dave to be sardonic and self-hating, and I can't really fault him for that, because he's quite unappealing. ...more

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Mar 04, 2015 Stephen Collins rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2015, fiction-and-suchlike

Silly. Overblown. Ridiculous beyond even what Matthew Reilly would write. But, that's entirely the point. Birmingham knows what he's doing, and why.

Full of Birmo's typical nods to politics, journalism, nerd culture and such, Emergence is a chuckle-filled weekend of nonsense. You should read it.

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Apr 26, 2015 David rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Sometimes you can just tell early on when this straight, conservative author does not belong on your reading list. Putting down Green Peace? Primal fear of an erect penis? Please.

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Feb 12, 2015 Chompa rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015, urban-fantasy

I really enjoyed the hell out of this book. Lots of action, a good main character and an unusual setting for even urban fantasy.

Dave Hooper is a guy who enjoys drinking, hookers and avoiding his soon to be ex-wife. Then he becomes the next thing to a super-hero. A quick fun read.

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Aug 01, 2015 Michael rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Dave is a self-centered racist sexist homophobic jerk who just spent his holiday bonus on top-flight hookers instead of paying his wife the child support money that she needs to feed and clothe his two sons. He's also the chief safety engineer on a deep-drilling BP oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico that somehow manages to open a portal to the "Underworld", freeing a troupe of demons to slaughter and eat Dave's co-workers. When Dave stumbles upon a "Hunn" chowing down on one of his friends, Dave Dave is a self-centered racist sexist homophobic jerk who just spent his holiday bonus on top-flight hookers instead of paying his wife the child support money that she needs to feed and clothe his two sons. He's also the chief safety engineer on a deep-drilling BP oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico that somehow manages to open a portal to the "Underworld", freeing a troupe of demons to slaughter and eat Dave's co-workers. When Dave stumbles upon a "Hunn" chowing down on one of his friends, Dave becomes so enraged that he somehow manages to kill the monster, thereby acquiring magical powers.

The creatures of the Underworld, it turns out, used to prey regularly on humans, but many millenia ago they were forced underground (or into another dimension; it's not entirely clear) by the "Sky Lords." Now, perhaps because of deep sea drilling, the boundaries between the Underworld and the human world are wearing thin. The Underworld demons are formidable enemies who'd love nothing more than to disembowel us and eat us alive, but, on the other hand, the Iron Age weapons that once served them so well are now a bit dated.

Even if their weapons aren't au courant, the demons have brute strength and unquenchable ferocity on their side. Can humanity keep them in check? Not without Dave.

That's OK. Sometimes we need a superhero, even when the superhero is also a super jerk.

What's worst about Dave is not that there's so much to despise about him, but that the author seems to think (a) that the audience will see Dave as an average working class Joe [and, I should add, perhaps this *is* how Aussies like Birmingham see the average American man], (b) that the audience will identify a bit with Dave's unsavory views (particularly those having to do with "banging" women) even if they wouldn't dream of acting or talking like Dave, and (c) that the audience will forgive Dave his jerkiness once he comes to his senses and starts acting less like a hedonistic monster and more like a human being. (This does not happen in Book 1, but there are many hints it will happen by Book 3.) At least that's the impression I get from the politically correct undercurrents that seem to run through Dave's mind even while he's trashing people.

There are also problems with the way a working class African American portion of New Orleans is portrayed in the final chapters of the book. People talk funny, they do stupid things, and the only prominent local character is a gang leader.

So, Birmingham may have problems with racism, sexism, and homophobia, but if you can forgive that, he does succeed in other areas. Though the plot evolves way too slowly in the first half of the book, it does eventually pick up steam. The world building is not terribly original, but it is effective. In particular, Birmingham does a reasonable job of giving his demonic characters alien modes of thought without making those modes of thought opaque or silly. There's nothing magical about his writing but he is perfectly capable of stringing together readable sentences and paragraphs -- a feat that many published authors today can't seem to manage.

What's the bottom line? I feel dirty saying this, but I'm actually interested in what happens next. I absolutely would not recommend this book to everyone, and if you're a racist sexist homophobe the most polite thing I can recommend is that you go get your head examined. So, I guess I won't recommend it to anyone. Caveat emptor.

Note: I received an advance copy of "Emergence" via Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Dec 20, 2015 Sachin Dev rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015-mediocre-reads

Dave vs the Monsters, Emergence is the first book in the Dave Hooper trilogy featuring a middle-aged oil-rig safety officer who gets dragged into a fight between humans and monsters who live in the ‘under-realm’ – the first book details the war that starts off when the monsters ‘emerge’ onto Earth, when some accidental portals are opened between the two realms.

Now Dave Hooper is the ultimate cad, a worthless jerk who loves nothing more than holidaying off the rig with exotic women, bowlful of c Dave vs the Monsters, Emergence is the first book in the Dave Hooper trilogy featuring a middle-aged oil-rig safety officer who gets dragged into a fight between humans and monsters who live in the ‘under-realm’ – the first book details the war that starts off when the monsters ‘emerge’ onto Earth, when some accidental portals are opened between the two realms.

Now Dave Hooper is the ultimate cad, a worthless jerk who loves nothing more than holidaying off the rig with exotic women, bowlful of cocaine and other such stuff that lets him forget his responsibilities in the real world. Not only on the job but to his kids and wife. A frequent guilt-trip when Dave thinks about his wife, soon to be divorced but never really making any dent on the selfish pleasure-trip that he always gravitates to. It’s kind of sad that there are absolutely no redeeming qualities about this character that could make us like him – since the future of the world – facing this otherworldly horde on a marauding blood-feverish rampage - now rests on him.

I liked the beginning of the book and in fact was intrigued by the initial chapters, tracing the blazing inferno on the oil rig that signals the first sighting of the monsters. The first battle scene as well is fantastically portrayed. In fact, the change in POV – to that of Battle master of the Horde, Hurgon – was a total scream. But then things went downhill from there on.

Dave kills monster in a stroke of luck. Dave inherits super powers. And then on, it’s a drag where the military ( Joint Special Operations Centre, JSOC) takes Dave under their wing and we spend a lot of time just jetting from one location to the other or undergoing tests that prove Dave is in fact the Avenging Angel that the world has been blessed with.

Dave never rises above himself. And that for me, was the dampener. He still is fixated on women and having sex, is a complete racial stereotype and yaks his mouth off inappropriately at all times. Nobody calls him out on his views – in fact one of the lead women actually may even like this jerk! (If by book two and three, this ‘liking’ goes that way of romance, then I swear to god, I will go ape shit on Dave!)

The interesting concept of the otherworldly hierarchy – of Grymms, Fangr, Hunns, Battlemasters and their Queen – was pretty nicely fleshed out. In fact, the POV change to a minor demon by the middle of the book – was a nice touch and is one saving feature. There is nothing wrong with John Birmingham’s writing – it just wasn’t hitting me in the right manner.

Overall, a book that was hyped by the internet about bringing in a certain freshness to the stale urban fantasy genre – that brings in underworld and otherworldly Monsters into the fray – that is ultimately let down by an oaf of a prime narrator in Dave Hooper who ticks off all the boxes against the ultimate jerk title. ...more

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Jun 15, 2015 Steve Caldwell rated it it was amazing

I received a copy of this book from the Publisher through Netgalley free in return for an honest review, as well as buying a copy of my own on Audible. I wasn't sure what to make of this one when I first got it, but it was great! I like John Birmingham's alternative history books, but Urban Fantasy is a whole other ball of wax. Well, this is a home run! The story centers around Dave Hooper, the Safety Manager of an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. After a booze, drug and hooker filled wee I received a copy of this book from the Publisher through Netgalley free in return for an honest review, as well as buying a copy of my own on Audible. I wasn't sure what to make of this one when I first got it, but it was great! I like John Birmingham's alternative history books, but Urban Fantasy is a whole other ball of wax. Well, this is a home run! The story centers around Dave Hooper, the Safety Manager of an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. After a booze, drug and hooker filled week off on vacation, he goes back to the rig on the company helicopter hungover and just wishing the day was already over. On the way out to the rig, the call comes in that theres a fire on the rig, a safety guys worst nightmare. When they get to the rig, the workers are scrambling around trying to get off the rig. The reason for this is that the fire isn't really big, but the Demons who are slaughtering people on the rig are. Dave goes looking for the source of the trouble and he finds it: a big demon 7 foot tall demon that kind of looks like an Orc. He grabs one of his coworkers splitting maul, and in a fit of rage, kills the demon, who was drunk on the blood of one of his fellow workers. Dave wakes up in the hospital, on an IV drip. Dave rips out the IV, and long story short, ends up showing he now has super strength, super senses, and an increased healing factor.The Navy Spec ops team that has been tasked with discovering whats going on recruits him on the spot to help them check out the rig. In addition to everything else, Dave has all the knowledge of the Demon he killed, kind of a monsterpedia. They discover that the rig drilled through a dimensional breach, and the demons are escaping to our world, which they were banished from when humans were still wearing animal skins and living in caves. Dave has to help stop the Demon invasion with his trusty splitting maul, which is now charmed sort of like Thor's hammer (can't be picked up by anyone else, unbreakable, has a sort of sentience and energy) Dave faces off with the Demons in New Orleans, and after a heavy duty battle in which Dave finds his limitations, the Demons are stopped, at least for the moment. What happens next? Read book 2, Resistance: Dave vs. The Monsters to find out. Mark Zeisler did a fantastic job of narration. He got all the different voices and accents right, and I felt like I was right there in the middle of the action. I definitely recommend this for fans of Simon R. Green, Jim Butcher and Kevin Hearne. ...more

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Jan 25, 2015 Andrew Carr rated it it was ok

I wanted to like this book, I really did. Unfortunately despite admiring much of what Birmingham puts out, and the underlying ideas behind his action books I struggle to devour them as I should.

The basic premise is cool: Functioning alcoholic loser coming back to his job as saftey advisor on a rig in the Florida Gulf that is at never-before-reached depths. After they break through a new layer, something demonic comes crawling up the drill. Our protagonist Dave manages to defeat one of them, and ...more

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Nov 30, 2016 Brenda Ayala rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: comic-con-2015

This could've been epic. Instead, it focuses on racist and sexist drivel with gaping plot holes and far too much deus ex machina. I held out reading this one from my Comic Con 2015 stash, thinking it would be a perfect end to the pile. Turns out I should've read it first just to get it off my shelf as fast as possible.

It's a bummer, really. I expected it to be like Hounded but instead of gallivanting with mythical monsters, Dave would fight Godzilla-type monsters. Not even that was delivered.

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Sep 30, 2015 Nicola rated it liked it

rip roaring great first instalment. Not meant to be taken too seriously, and the main character is definitely unlikeable - which is nice and different

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Jul 01, 2015 Susan rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: gave-up-on

This is another one of the free books I picked up at the Del Rey table at Phoenix Comicon '15. New author, cool. Oh, monster book, those are fun. Right? Right?

No.

This sentence off the back cover should have clued me in, but I didn't realize just HOW UNLIKABLE the character would be: "A foul-mouthed, beer-loving, monster-slayer, and humanity's least worthy champion." All true. And not in a fun way. In an incredibly unlikable way.

By page three, when the author was describing the use of the word " ...more

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Apr 05, 2016 Jim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1audio, 2fiction, paranormal-urban, 3series

This reminds me a lot of Monster Hunter International, but I like it better. Dave Hooper is a mess, but a fun hero. He's almost 40 & still acting like a horny teenager, although he's managed to climb high in his profession & is the head safety officer of an oil rig. He's partying too hard & not happy with himself or his life when everything changes. He just stumbles in & winds up becoming the go-to guy for dealing with an invasion of monsters.

What I like best is the realism of mo ...more

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Jan 03, 2017 Nancy D Miz-Firefly aka Sparky (Paranormal Junkie) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

This is my first John Birmingham. I don't know what his other work is like, But I had one helova good time reading Emergence. It is gritty and exciting. I couldn't put it down.

The Safety officer on an Oil Rig Dave Hooper is an aging hellraiser on the downward spiral to even warmer climes. Dave's world shifts on it's axis when he shows up to work (hungover of course) and steps into pandemonium. Except it isn't a blow out or an oil fire. "It"........ he's not sure exactly WHAT it is, but it sure a ...more

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May 08, 2015 Annette rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This was the "May" Urban Fantasy pick from my local independent bookstore: Mysterious Galaxy. It sounded interesting - as I enjoy Urban Fantasy so I picked it up this week. I read the first chapter before going to bed, figuring I'd see how it was. I ended up staying up all night and basically devouring the book.

The main character is snarky, funny and just a normal guy - with doubts, problems and attitude problems, and then *WHAM* he's got to step up and basically deal with things that make most ...more

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Sep 18, 2015 Geoff rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Unlikeable but engaging protagonist makes for a fun-filled romp through monster central.
Very cool stuff.

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Jan 30, 2018 Mark rated it liked it

Upon reread, I'm changing the review score to 3 from 4. There are hints that the author might be racist-ish and definitely a rightwinger. I just can't get behind that shit.

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Apr 07, 2017 Murat rated it really liked it

It was fun

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Apr 13, 2015 Rt rated it it was ok

Free review copy. I guess John Birmingham felt that his previous work was insufficiently on the nose for the white male power fantasy market? If this book has a thesis, here it is: “Dave Hooper flew, and the city passed beneath him. Failed husband, absent father, wastrel, and asshole, he flew through the night air …. Beneath his boots slipped the rusted roofs of the shotgun shacks and cinder block apartments, some of them slumped and all but tumbled down, others maintained with the best of inten Free review copy. I guess John Birmingham felt that his previous work was insufficiently on the nose for the white male power fantasy market? If this book has a thesis, here it is: “Dave Hooper flew, and the city passed beneath him. Failed husband, absent father, wastrel, and asshole, he flew through the night air …. Beneath his boots slipped the rusted roofs of the shotgun shacks and cinder block apartments, some of them slumped and all but tumbled down, others maintained with the best of intentions in the face of the crushing, relentless weight that bore down every day on those millions of people, those countless millions, who lived at the bottom of the heap. Dave Hooper flew over them all.”

The protagonist is a cheating jerk who spends his money, literally, on hookers and blow instead of supporting his two young sons or paying his taxes. He is also the chief safety officer for a drill rig drilling further under the ocean than anyone’s ever gone. When monsters invade the rig, he’s the only one who fights back, and in the process somehow takes on the lead monster’s knowledge, as well as gaining incredible powers of healing, strength, speed, vertical leap (63 feet!), and sexual prowess to go with his suddenly hot bod, such that blonde military nurses throw themselves at him. Although he was an abused child and can’t help thinking in racist, sexist terms, he knows that’s not okay, and fundamentally he is a good guy whose prowess is needed to save us all from monster invasion. (At this point even John Ringo may be saying OH JOHN BIRMINGHAM NO.) Also there are a lot of brand references I found distracting, though in fairness I don’t mind when Stephen King does it, so I could just be looking for icing on the cake.

Many people react badly to Mary Sues; I occasionally do myself, when I’m not there for her. But give her credit: Mary Sue is rarely a tax-dodging bad dad before she enters the narrative and rearranges it to suit herself. (P.S.: Another book with the same title, David Palmer’s Emergence, is a highly enjoyable Mary Sue in which a pubescent genius survives the viral apocalypse and then saves the world. I loved it as a teen, though I suspect it holds up less well in adulthood, judging by my reaction to the 2008 sequel, which I recently tracked down.) I feel like there’s a material difference between older John Wayne type male power fantasies and ones I see now: the older heroes were isolated from society; they might have broken women’s hearts, but they didn’t present as ongoing failed attempts to participate in society the way guys like Birmingham’s protagonist do, or the white guy on The Strain (who was also failing his kid) or even John Travolta’s character in Face Off (likewise). There’s a lot to be said about the change from the fantasy “failing as a partner is okay because you are really a hero underneath” to “failing as a father is okay because ditto,” though I’m not sure I can say anything but that I find it depressing. If you can suppress your urge to guffaw, this is a briskly executed power fantasy, but I liked his earlier work better because it wasn’t so specifically directed at an id that is not mine. ...more

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Feb 09, 2016 Wes rated it liked it · review of another edition

[Review originally appeared on SFRevu at: http://www.sfrevu.com/php/Review-id.p...]

John Birmingham has written a couple of complex, sprawling trilogies--books that feature sites around the globe and require character lists to help readers keep track of who's who. The books are detailed and technical, getting into politics, technology, and asking far reaching questions.

His latest saga, Dave vs. the Monsters, falls into a much different category. It has little of the above, instead focusing primar [Review originally appeared on SFRevu at: http://www.sfrevu.com/php/Review-id.p...]

John Birmingham has written a couple of complex, sprawling trilogies--books that feature sites around the globe and require character lists to help readers keep track of who's who. The books are detailed and technical, getting into politics, technology, and asking far reaching questions.

His latest saga, Dave vs. the Monsters, falls into a much different category. It has little of the above, instead focusing primarily on one character, Dave of course, and staying pretty close to one location. That doesn't change the thrill of the book, but it is certainly a much different reading experience than one might expect from John Birmingham. Whether this was an intentional choice on Birmingham's part, or simply a by-product of his decision to write an urban fantasy book of sorts, is likely a moot point.

Book one of the trilogy is called simply Emergence, and one can infer rather easily that Dave is going to fight some monsters. Dave himself is a rather unlikeable fellow, as both his wife and readers would agree. He's a safety engineer on an oil rig, both working and playing hard. Approaching middle age, Dave has little to show for his life. An estranged wife and kids, a drinking and drug habit, and a growing midsection. In short, Dave is a bit of a loser.

At the start of the book, Dave is heading back to the rig after blowing much of his bonus on drugs and prostitutes. He's hung over and not looking forward to the ride to the rig. What he isn't expecting is a blazing fire when he gets there. Disembarking from the helicopter, he's faced with terrified and wounded rig workers screaming about monsters eating people. Confused, angry, and somewhat apprehensively, Dave follows his friend Vince deep into the bowels of the rig, where he faces a scene out of a horror movie.

What transpires leaves Dave changed, both emotionally and physically, and sets the tone for the rest of the book. Much of the book covers Dave's, and the military's, attempts to come to grips with what's happened to him out on the rig. Naturally, things don't stay isolated to just the rig, and Dave gets to fight some monsters on the mainland.

In many ways, Dave vs. the Monsters is perfect summer reading. It's not too deep, not a hard read, and has a blockbuster film quality to it. There are some slow parts in the middle, much like any summer blockbuster, but the overall excitement keeps you turning the pages. Birmingham also throws in a bit of background on the monsters themselves, allowing the reader to have a glimpse inside what's going on on their end of things. This sets up the potential for deeper and more engrossing stories to be told in the follow ups-- Resistance and Ascendance.

Fans of Birmingham's work may or may not like this book, as it is much different than his past techno-militaristic thrillers. But fans of such TV shows as Sleepy Hollow or Grimm will likely truly enjoy this adventure. ...more

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Dec 22, 2014 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-are, aussie-author, provided-by-publisher

Emergence is a darkly funny, action packed fantasy adventure from Australian author John Birmingham.

An oil rig off of the coast of New Orleans is under attack, not from terrorists, but from a group of terrifying monsters who have clawed their way up from the deep. Dave Hooper, the rig's safety engineer, is hungover and pissed when he finds a hairless, scabrous ape like creature that calls itself a Hunn snacking on the ribcage of his best mate and in a fit of rage crushes its skull with a splitt ...more

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Oct 12, 2018 Toni Adwell rated it liked it

They say the only two things guaranteed in life are death and taxes. Dave Hooper has managed to avoid both, though the IRS and recent events in Dave’s life are doing their best to cash in on his debts. Dave is a father in a self-destructive, downward spiral currently fonder of hookers, blow, and booze than of taking care of or seeing his kids—or paying taxes. Though, who can really blame him about the taxes?

He was heading back a day early for his shift on an off-shore oil rig, hungover and hatin ...more

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Jul 30, 2015 Eric rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Bad

I bought this book before a long airplane flight. I like to read mindless crap when I'm on a plane. This over-delivered. Other than the Casca series of novels, it's been several decades since I read anything this bad.

I'm honestly not sure how this book managed to land an actual publisher contract, much less a sequel.

Save your money. Our just send it to a friend instead.

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Jun 18, 2015 Joe Jones rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, urbanfantasy, humor, series

Pulp fiction at its best updated for today. Dave is the most unlikely hero and yet you can't help but root for him. He has his faults. Probably more than his share, but when the Monsters break through he doesn't hesitate to step in. Even when he has no idea what he is doing. Book two is out already and book three comes out later this month. Count me in for reading them!

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Dec 16, 2015 Jag rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

What should be really, really, REALLY stupid fun just ends up being tedious and stupid.

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About John Birmingham

John Birmingham

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John Birmingham grew up in Ipswich, Queensland and was educated at St Edmunds Christian Brother's College in Ipswich and the University of Queensland in Brisbane. His only stint of full time employment was as a researcher at the Defence Department. After this he returned to Queensland to study law but he did not complete his legal studies, choosing instead to pursue a career as a writer. He curren ...more