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Singularity: Rise of the Posthumans
The Technological Singularity Event left the world’s governments trembling. War ravaged the land as humans faced off with the Nanite Army of Fire. Eventually the world was plunged into darkness.When the world regained its senses technology had been reduced to the level of the 1800’s. The world governments no longer existed, until one Dr. Fulbright began rebuilding English society in New Southampton. Fate seemed to intervene when Dr. Fulbright’s lab exploded and carved a giant crater in the center of the city. With Dr. Fulbright dead, the struggling city was left without guidance or authority. Control was regained when brutal Queen Anne anointed herself the new city monarch. Anne quickly established a brutal regime bathed in blood and violence.In light of death and oppression, the people of New Southampton seek saviors. In the darkness, some have heard the call for Revolution. Beings that have crawled out of the time of the Singularity to give the people hope. Many call these harbingers of salvation the Posthumans.The Posthumans have risen from the Rise of the Posthumans. From Pro Se Productions
172 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 1, 2016
In a world that is both futuristic and reminiscent of the past, tyranny reigns and oppression is systemic. The society of New Southampton is one of class conflict, technology, and mutations. In Singularity: Rise of the Posthumans a group of imaginative and laudable authors contribute their own creativity to the formation of this foreign and dark world, forming an entertaining and exciting collection of stories.
I typically am not one to be drawn in by the steampunk/cyberpunk genre, but after reading Singularity I honestly believe that almost anyone would enjoy this collection. Each of the stories were very exciting and there was rarely a dull moment amidst all of the action. The characters in each of the stories were captivating and interesting, tenacious and complicated in their own ways. The plots of the stories themselves were fascinating and several times I found myself disappointed that they ended – many could have easily stood alone and been extended as novels. Singularity is also an absorbing exploration of the issues of ambiguous morality, class conflict, and tyranny.
My main issue with Singularity: Rise of the Posthumans is the timelessness of it. By this I mean that the time period in which the stories is set is not constant and is frankly befuddling. Though the stories are ostensibly meant to be set in the future, much of the description and dialogue hearkens to a long ago past, which was personally quite confusing and kept me distracted for much of the work. This confusion was worsened by the fact that the time period seemed to change between certain stories as some were more obviously in the future while others seemed to be very much in the past. Personally, this represents a lack of cohesion in world-building between the different authors and somewhat detracts somewhat from the value of the book.
Singularity is an exciting and entertaining read on all accounts; this simply cannot be disputed. Though the time setting of the stories is confusing and detracts a bit from the work, any reader of Singularity: Rise of the Posthumans is sure to be entertained and captivated by the creativity and vision of the assorted authors and their additions to the world in which the book exists.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for writing a review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.
I typically am not one to be drawn in by the steampunk/cyberpunk genre, but after reading Singularity I honestly believe that almost anyone would enjoy this collection. Each of the stories were very exciting and there was rarely a dull moment amidst all of the action. The characters in each of the stories were captivating and interesting, tenacious and complicated in their own ways. The plots of the stories themselves were fascinating and several times I found myself disappointed that they ended – many could have easily stood alone and been extended as novels. Singularity is also an absorbing exploration of the issues of ambiguous morality, class conflict, and tyranny.
My main issue with Singularity: Rise of the Posthumans is the timelessness of it. By this I mean that the time period in which the stories is set is not constant and is frankly befuddling. Though the stories are ostensibly meant to be set in the future, much of the description and dialogue hearkens to a long ago past, which was personally quite confusing and kept me distracted for much of the work. This confusion was worsened by the fact that the time period seemed to change between certain stories as some were more obviously in the future while others seemed to be very much in the past. Personally, this represents a lack of cohesion in world-building between the different authors and somewhat detracts somewhat from the value of the book.
Singularity is an exciting and entertaining read on all accounts; this simply cannot be disputed. Though the time setting of the stories is confusing and detracts a bit from the work, any reader of Singularity: Rise of the Posthumans is sure to be entertained and captivated by the creativity and vision of the assorted authors and their additions to the world in which the book exists.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for writing a review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.
July 29, 2016
When I first picked up this collection, I did not read the synopsis. I did not know what the collection would center around other than what I could gather from the title. By the end of the series of short stories, I had a strong understanding of both the political and physical setting- which is something I applaud these authors on unifying through a series of short stories that each have their own voice.
Each short story could stand on its own as a single novel. There were a couple that I found myself extremely disappointed that they did not continue- that was how much interesting information and action the reader was given throughout the works. Each story brought forward a unique main character that stuck with you long after you were done reading it- and pairing these protagonists with the leading antagonists that enveloped the entire collection brought everything together almost seamlessly. The authors do a wonderful job of making the reader connect to the characters and empathizing with them in their plights. The pacing was well done, in some cases one story would end right where another would pick up, only from a new character’s perspective. This is something I really enjoyed.
The main reason I rated it the way I did was that only a few of the stories maintained the same quality of the first work. Some of the works needed to have a bit more background on the characters, particular setting or even give just a bit more details overall as the plot flow was a little difficult to follow where they currently stand for my tastes. I also noticed a couple of minor inconsistencies with the main antagonists from work to work- nothing that ruined the experience for me though, just something I noticed, whether or not they were intentional.
Despite that, I found this collection to be riveting in its own right and as a reader I was easily transported into this upside-down world with a cast of beautifully flawed characters.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
Each short story could stand on its own as a single novel. There were a couple that I found myself extremely disappointed that they did not continue- that was how much interesting information and action the reader was given throughout the works. Each story brought forward a unique main character that stuck with you long after you were done reading it- and pairing these protagonists with the leading antagonists that enveloped the entire collection brought everything together almost seamlessly. The authors do a wonderful job of making the reader connect to the characters and empathizing with them in their plights. The pacing was well done, in some cases one story would end right where another would pick up, only from a new character’s perspective. This is something I really enjoyed.
The main reason I rated it the way I did was that only a few of the stories maintained the same quality of the first work. Some of the works needed to have a bit more background on the characters, particular setting or even give just a bit more details overall as the plot flow was a little difficult to follow where they currently stand for my tastes. I also noticed a couple of minor inconsistencies with the main antagonists from work to work- nothing that ruined the experience for me though, just something I noticed, whether or not they were intentional.
Despite that, I found this collection to be riveting in its own right and as a reader I was easily transported into this upside-down world with a cast of beautifully flawed characters.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
June 26, 2016
Although I typically don’t read this kind of cyberpunk/genre fiction, I have to say that I really enjoyed this anthology. It reminded me slightly of a McSweeney’s collection, what with its focus on action and tenacious characters. Each story was able to maintain a unique voice while still fitting with the other stories to build a three-dimensional dystopian world. The action and plot, especially the one concerning the tyranny of Queen Anne, built up through each story and then met a satisfying resolution. The characters were strong and likeable; my favorite was definitely Simon. Enjoyable read.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
July 24, 2016
I really, really enjoyed Singularity, and I liked how the stories could function alone and in a group. There were some stories that I really wished were full books, but there were some that I felt needed to be further fleshed out. Overall, however, I felt engaged throughout the entire book, as Singularity does a great job with suspense! It's definitely a book I'd recommend.
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews