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Waiting
From the author who brought us the distinguished spy thriller Death of a Marionette and The Towering Inferno , one of the most popular films of the '70s, comes Waiting , an intense novel of contemporary menace, in the mode of Robinson's 1950s classic, The Power .
There are people living among us, who look just like normal human beings. They've been here for a long time--waiting. But they aren't exactly like us at all. Some of them can read minds, and in subtle ways take over what your are thinking, control you for a while.
They can make you love.
They can make you die.
One ordinary man in San Francisco, Arthur Banks, begins to find them out, and immediately his life and his family are in danger. It's a paranoid's worst nightmare. But that's just where it starts. He may well be fighting for the survival of the entire human race.
"I've always maintained that Frank M. Robinson's The Power was one of the best terror tales ever told. Waiting is even better, rich with character, suspense and constant surprise. This is one of the best chillers of the entire decade. It is guaranteed to give you nightmares. Reading this book was a pure pleasure."-- Mystery Scene
There are people living among us, who look just like normal human beings. They've been here for a long time--waiting. But they aren't exactly like us at all. Some of them can read minds, and in subtle ways take over what your are thinking, control you for a while.
They can make you love.
They can make you die.
One ordinary man in San Francisco, Arthur Banks, begins to find them out, and immediately his life and his family are in danger. It's a paranoid's worst nightmare. But that's just where it starts. He may well be fighting for the survival of the entire human race.
"I've always maintained that Frank M. Robinson's The Power was one of the best terror tales ever told. Waiting is even better, rich with character, suspense and constant surprise. This is one of the best chillers of the entire decade. It is guaranteed to give you nightmares. Reading this book was a pure pleasure."-- Mystery Scene
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
9 people are currently reading
765 people want to read
About the author
Frank M. Robinson
122 books59 followersFrank M. Robinson was an American science fiction and techno-thriller writer. he got his start writing for the old pulp fiction magazines. He wrote several novels with Thomas N. Scortia until Scortia's death in 1986.
Born in Chicago, Illinois. Robinson was the son of a check forger. He started out in his teens working as a copy boy for International News Service and then became an office boy for Ziff Davis. He was drafted into the Navy for World War II, and when his tour was over attended Beloit College, where he majored in physics, graduating in 1950. Because he could find no work as a writer, he ended up back in the Navy to serve in Korea, where he kept writing, read a lot, and published in Astounding magazine.
After the Navy, he attended graduate school in journalism, then worked for a Chicago-based Sunday supplement. Soon he switched to Science Digest, where he worked from 1956 to 1959. From there, he moved into men's magazines: Rogue (1959–65) and Cavalier (1965–66). In 1969, Playboy asked him to take over the Playboy Advisor column. He remained there until 1973, when he left to write full-time.
After moving to San Francisco in the 1970s, Robinson, who was gay, was a speechwriter for gay politician Harvey Milk; he had a small role in the film Milk. After Milk's assassination, Robinson was co-executor, with Scott Smith, of Milk's last will and testament.
Robinson is the author of 16 books, the editor of two others, and has penned numerous articles. Three of his novels have been made into movies. The Power (1956) was a supernatural science fiction and government conspiracy novel about people with superhuman skills, filmed in 1968 as The Power. The Glass Inferno, co-written with Thomas N. Scortia, was combined with Richard Martin Stern's The Tower to produce the 1974 movie The Towering Inferno. The Gold Crew, also co-written Scortia, was a nuclear threat thriller filmed as an NBC miniseries and re-titled The Fifth Missile.
He collaborated on several other works with Scortia, including The Prometheus Crisis, The Nightmare Factor, and Blow-Out.
In 2009 he was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame
Born in Chicago, Illinois. Robinson was the son of a check forger. He started out in his teens working as a copy boy for International News Service and then became an office boy for Ziff Davis. He was drafted into the Navy for World War II, and when his tour was over attended Beloit College, where he majored in physics, graduating in 1950. Because he could find no work as a writer, he ended up back in the Navy to serve in Korea, where he kept writing, read a lot, and published in Astounding magazine.
After the Navy, he attended graduate school in journalism, then worked for a Chicago-based Sunday supplement. Soon he switched to Science Digest, where he worked from 1956 to 1959. From there, he moved into men's magazines: Rogue (1959–65) and Cavalier (1965–66). In 1969, Playboy asked him to take over the Playboy Advisor column. He remained there until 1973, when he left to write full-time.
After moving to San Francisco in the 1970s, Robinson, who was gay, was a speechwriter for gay politician Harvey Milk; he had a small role in the film Milk. After Milk's assassination, Robinson was co-executor, with Scott Smith, of Milk's last will and testament.
Robinson is the author of 16 books, the editor of two others, and has penned numerous articles. Three of his novels have been made into movies. The Power (1956) was a supernatural science fiction and government conspiracy novel about people with superhuman skills, filmed in 1968 as The Power. The Glass Inferno, co-written with Thomas N. Scortia, was combined with Richard Martin Stern's The Tower to produce the 1974 movie The Towering Inferno. The Gold Crew, also co-written Scortia, was a nuclear threat thriller filmed as an NBC miniseries and re-titled The Fifth Missile.
He collaborated on several other works with Scortia, including The Prometheus Crisis, The Nightmare Factor, and Blow-Out.
In 2009 he was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
May 14, 2025
Waiting
By Frank M. Robinson
This is an enjoyable but strange suspense read. It started pretty slow, then slowly got better. It has to do with another species of life living on earth alongside man and has for thousands of years. Man tried to kill them in the far distant past and doesn't know they survived or that they have evolved far above man's abilities. I enjoyed this premise of the story. Getting the story out in an exciting way failed sadly. Enough was written correctly to be enjoyable.
By Frank M. Robinson
This is an enjoyable but strange suspense read. It started pretty slow, then slowly got better. It has to do with another species of life living on earth alongside man and has for thousands of years. Man tried to kill them in the far distant past and doesn't know they survived or that they have evolved far above man's abilities. I enjoyed this premise of the story. Getting the story out in an exciting way failed sadly. Enough was written correctly to be enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2011
I first read this book a few years ago, and I couldn't remember much of it except the general premise and the fact that I found it really absurd and awful. I am, however, an optimist when it comes to books, and figured that it couldn't possibly have been as bad as I thought it to be.
And so I picked it up, and was proven horribly, horribly wrong. It is, if possible, worse than I remember. I love sci-fi, honestly, I really do; time travel, space travel, aliens, robots, über intelligent bacteria, flesh eating... things, computers taking over the world, apocalypses... Where do I sign up?!
Unfortunately, I can only suspend my imagination so far. Waiting takes off running and for the first fifty or so pages I've got no trouble keeping up with, and even enjoying, the plot, but then the book goes into overdrive and I'm left behind, coughing, in the dust, shouting "No, wait! Stop! This is ridiculous!".
I suspect that a better author might have been able to breathe some life into Robinson's idea. As it is, his writing just seems... off. It puts me into a skeptical, nitpicking, mood right off the bat, which doesn't help him one bit. The characters are flat and unlikable, with no development, and their reasoning is strange and unnatural; the dialog is contrived, and goes on forever; and the premise is, as already mentioned, absolutely ridiculous.
Worse, he also comes off as rather preachy, slipping into rants about the environment and the ozone layer and how we're basically killing the planet. It might interest environmentalists, but I'm not one, and so I took to skimming and once I started I really couldn't stop. Thankfully, once I'd skimmed my way through almost 300 pages and gotten to the end, I realized that I'd probably stumbled over the best way to read the book anyway; the last two pages are as ridiculous as the rest of the book, and I'm really not using that word lightly. I promise.
And so I picked it up, and was proven horribly, horribly wrong. It is, if possible, worse than I remember. I love sci-fi, honestly, I really do; time travel, space travel, aliens, robots, über intelligent bacteria, flesh eating... things, computers taking over the world, apocalypses... Where do I sign up?!
Unfortunately, I can only suspend my imagination so far. Waiting takes off running and for the first fifty or so pages I've got no trouble keeping up with, and even enjoying, the plot, but then the book goes into overdrive and I'm left behind, coughing, in the dust, shouting "No, wait! Stop! This is ridiculous!".
I suspect that a better author might have been able to breathe some life into Robinson's idea. As it is, his writing just seems... off. It puts me into a skeptical, nitpicking, mood right off the bat, which doesn't help him one bit. The characters are flat and unlikable, with no development, and their reasoning is strange and unnatural; the dialog is contrived, and goes on forever; and the premise is, as already mentioned, absolutely ridiculous.
Worse, he also comes off as rather preachy, slipping into rants about the environment and the ozone layer and how we're basically killing the planet. It might interest environmentalists, but I'm not one, and so I took to skimming and once I started I really couldn't stop. Thankfully, once I'd skimmed my way through almost 300 pages and gotten to the end, I realized that I'd probably stumbled over the best way to read the book anyway; the last two pages are as ridiculous as the rest of the book, and I'm really not using that word lightly. I promise.
April 5, 2016
I enjoyed reading this book; since it was about another species of human beings that has been living on Earth for thousands of years. They look human, act human and do all the things that humans do, but they can read minds and take over your thoughts. Arthur Banks, who starts figuring out about this human race, that puts him and his family in danger. Is this going to be the end of the human race as Arthur has known.
I would recommend this book as an exciting read. Not many books like this have I really enjoyed reading. So, check this one out.
I would recommend this book as an exciting read. Not many books like this have I really enjoyed reading. So, check this one out.
April 11, 2024
Fun quick read. Artie is on the run from a dark conspiracy. He faces constant danger as people around him die.
March 16, 2025
I definitely took my time with this one only because the pacing was so odd. After chapter 20, I managed to read the last bit of it with no problems.
August 29, 2024
Awesome!!! What an intense and interesting story! This was one of those, who can the main character trust, type of stories, and it had a nonstop pace. I would definitely read more titles by this author!
March 22, 2023
I enjoyed this one, definitely a different story than I'm used to reading but it was well written and I think the ending was perfect.
June 4, 2014
Caution: Contains Spoilers
The concept of this book is interesting: a species similar to humans, but not human, that has lived beside us for over 35,000 years with no one noticing.
While the concept was interesting, there were several things about this novel that just felt a little off for me. That the main protagonist was so oblivious to everything that happened around him for over 20 years is a little strange. I also felt that the "save the environment" theme was a little pushy. Even though the points that it makes are valid, it just felt like it was being pushed a bit too much. I also wasn't a fan of the lack of conflict resolution between Artie and Susan, she knew the sacrifice he made, knew that everything he learned must have been a shock to him, but she didn't cut him any slack. She just left the anger there between them and hoped that Artie's relationship with Mack would help fix the problem. It felt a bit like a disservice to the characters.
What saved this novel, for me at least, was the originality of the plot line, as well as the fact that Robinson was able to keep me guessing about who the Hounds were until the very end.
This is not to say that this novel is bad or poorly written, because it wasn't. It just wasn't the best book I've ever read, and I've certainly read worse.
The concept of this book is interesting: a species similar to humans, but not human, that has lived beside us for over 35,000 years with no one noticing.
While the concept was interesting, there were several things about this novel that just felt a little off for me. That the main protagonist was so oblivious to everything that happened around him for over 20 years is a little strange. I also felt that the "save the environment" theme was a little pushy. Even though the points that it makes are valid, it just felt like it was being pushed a bit too much. I also wasn't a fan of the lack of conflict resolution between Artie and Susan, she knew the sacrifice he made, knew that everything he learned must have been a shock to him, but she didn't cut him any slack. She just left the anger there between them and hoped that Artie's relationship with Mack would help fix the problem. It felt a bit like a disservice to the characters.
What saved this novel, for me at least, was the originality of the plot line, as well as the fact that Robinson was able to keep me guessing about who the Hounds were until the very end.
This is not to say that this novel is bad or poorly written, because it wasn't. It just wasn't the best book I've ever read, and I've certainly read worse.
January 25, 2011
Casual misogyny, unnecessary and continuous infodumps, preachy tone, lousy wordcraft, and a truly hackneyed, telegraphed plot with stale, one-dimensional characters and foreshadowing you can see from Alpha Centauri.
It all adds up to a truly AWFUL book. I only kept reading because it's what I had at the gym, and I was honestly hoping someone would kill the main character in a particularly squishy way.
No, really, this book was awful. The women were all either heartless bitches, sex toys, or nags - or a combination of the above - and seemed only to be there to be toys for the men in one way or another. The central mystery was...not a mystery. You could tell exactly what was going to happen starting on page, oh, 35 or so. The writing was slipshod and clumsy. The continual infodumps about ecological problems were poorly integrated, and quite grating.
Did I mention the random appearance of a Saviour Figure at the end, with no lead-up and no explanation? Just...random saviour tossed in there, as though to make up for the cliched and/or offensive characterizations elsewhere in the book.
Yeah.
Simply awful. Save yourself the pain and do not bother reading this.
It all adds up to a truly AWFUL book. I only kept reading because it's what I had at the gym, and I was honestly hoping someone would kill the main character in a particularly squishy way.
No, really, this book was awful. The women were all either heartless bitches, sex toys, or nags - or a combination of the above - and seemed only to be there to be toys for the men in one way or another. The central mystery was...not a mystery. You could tell exactly what was going to happen starting on page, oh, 35 or so. The writing was slipshod and clumsy. The continual infodumps about ecological problems were poorly integrated, and quite grating.
Did I mention the random appearance of a Saviour Figure at the end, with no lead-up and no explanation? Just...random saviour tossed in there, as though to make up for the cliched and/or offensive characterizations elsewhere in the book.
Yeah.
Simply awful. Save yourself the pain and do not bother reading this.
June 1, 2011
A terrific book which promises much in the scientific realm without edging outside of layman's terms. The reader can self-educate while enjoying this novel that addresses the potential for a humanoid species that is not homo sapiens.
An eager doctor who is part of an elite group stumbles upon genetic abnormalities present in the victim of a fatal car crash and draws conclusions which endanger, and eventually end his life. Select group members find the circumstances surrounding his death suspicious and begin a chase which leads to a desperate who-trusts-whom scenario.
All the while, Artie, our protagonist, believes he is losing every dear thing he cares for in his search for the truth, only to find, in the end, he was being protected throughout.
The story is steeped soundly in the scientific realm and is not far-fetched enough to be unbelievable but is wildly interesting. This is not for the creationists and deals solidly in evolution. The dialog is somewhat stilted and keeps it from being the “5” it deserves to be. A great read for science, history and fiction lovers.
An eager doctor who is part of an elite group stumbles upon genetic abnormalities present in the victim of a fatal car crash and draws conclusions which endanger, and eventually end his life. Select group members find the circumstances surrounding his death suspicious and begin a chase which leads to a desperate who-trusts-whom scenario.
All the while, Artie, our protagonist, believes he is losing every dear thing he cares for in his search for the truth, only to find, in the end, he was being protected throughout.
The story is steeped soundly in the scientific realm and is not far-fetched enough to be unbelievable but is wildly interesting. This is not for the creationists and deals solidly in evolution. The dialog is somewhat stilted and keeps it from being the “5” it deserves to be. A great read for science, history and fiction lovers.
December 19, 2015
In my top ten favorite books, easily.
This was my introduction to the work of Frank M. Robinson. A work that one-ups the phrase, "We are not alone." , by postulating a species that humans believed they had wiped out eons ago has survived, and thrived in secrecy. A species that resembles us with the exception of being telepathic.
The worst thing you can do is almost destroy an enemy, and this book plays monstrously with that theme.
In the creepy, Noir-esque setting Robinson takes us on a ride that might leave you questioning everything you're sure you know. It carries suspense and horror to levels that only the masters are acquainted with.
Robinson closes the dedication of the book by saying, "For the record, I believe." So do I.
This was my introduction to the work of Frank M. Robinson. A work that one-ups the phrase, "We are not alone." , by postulating a species that humans believed they had wiped out eons ago has survived, and thrived in secrecy. A species that resembles us with the exception of being telepathic.
The worst thing you can do is almost destroy an enemy, and this book plays monstrously with that theme.
In the creepy, Noir-esque setting Robinson takes us on a ride that might leave you questioning everything you're sure you know. It carries suspense and horror to levels that only the masters are acquainted with.
Robinson closes the dedication of the book by saying, "For the record, I believe." So do I.
December 20, 2015
Someone who picks up a horror novel must, of course, be willing to suspend disbelief, but the concept of another race living among us and maintaining some level of cohesion as a society for 35,000 years without discovery is just a little too far-fetched. Worse than that, it's boring. Toward the end of the story, there were some twists in the plot that I didn't see coming, but by that time I didn't care anymore.
December 20, 2009
Not that exciting, TBH. Also has some really stupid stuff, which always infuriates me. Encryped email - can't trust the phones - which is printed out and left on a desk when you're sharing your house with one of the people mentioned in the emails? Please. Ending was also really weak, very soft and undefined.
July 6, 2023
Another take on the ‘aliens among us’ subgenre but with an added twist. When an autopsy after a car accident reveals structural and functional anomalies in the body of the victim an overly curious doctor writes a paper on the case. A paper which will never be read as he is murdered, ostensibly by wild dogs. This piques the interest and anger of his friends in a buddy network organization which they call The Suicide Club, a group of former Haight dropouts and vets, now middle-aged respectable professionals. The doctor’s wife and kids have vanished, presumably scared, and Artie Banks and his pal Mitch start the hunt in earnest. Artie’s wife and his stepson have also left town but half his money is gone and he supects an imminent divorce request. A diskette with a copy of the dead doctor’s paper is discovered and printed out and appears to confirm his fears that a separate evolutionary strain of Homo, not sapiens, is living unobserved in the general population. They have less developed vocal skills but increased empathic and even coercive skills, being able to control other bodies involuntarily. What Frank M. Robinson then gives us is the ultimate paranoia trip, where everybody could be one of the Old People, even your best friends, and it is a war for control of the planet! The ending is worth the ride.
July 18, 2017
While I enjoyed the premise of this book there were just a lot of things that bothered me with a good deal of the plot. The fact that the main character didn't ever suspect his own wife of being one of the "Old People" when she oh so conveniently left town right after the first death. Maybe not suspect her right away, which would be reasonable, but once things heated up over the next week and one after the other of their circle of friends were killed?? And it had become obvious that it was someone from within their circle that was the killer?? Yeah, that was a huge blind spot that made no sense. And then the ending felt very much like a let down because it ends up that a super virus is going to kill of the "humans" and the "Old People" will get to "inherit the earth" without having to do anything at all. Just felt very much like a super simple way to end the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2018
If you’re as much of a misanthrope as I am, you’ll love this book. I was on the edge of my seat through all 350 pages, rooting for the other species most of the way, and especially towards the end. I highly recommend this book for fans of Robinson’s “The Power” or Simmon’s “Carrion Comfort.” It’s sci-fi (assuming you put mind control in the sci-fi genre?) set in the real world and totally believable, especially if you put faith in psychic connections. Wonderful descriptive writing that flows beautifully. I finished it over the course of two days.
October 1, 2018
it has an interesting premise and base for a story. It's well written and at least partly we see how Artie's life is sent into upheaval. Too many threads left open and unexplored and characters who came and went too quickly or often. The club could have and should have taken a priority but didn't. it feels like Frank didn't really know where this was going it meanders around Artie's experiences without him taking too proactive of a role or even thinking about the obvious. This is enjoyable and a "summer" or "bathroom" for absolute sure.
May 31, 2017
An interesting book to say the least. The theme is one that grips you in parts and begs you to read more, but at others it is slow and tedious. The ending was a let down which leaves me feeling somewhat sour about the book as a whole, it was great in parts and the characters are so well formed. I would like to read another book by Robinson, I admire his writing. However, I'm not rushing to read another book of the same theme.
January 27, 2018
Another less violent human-like species, in hiding for 35,000 years by living among us and now keen to take control to save the planet from ecological disaster, is the engaging premise of this suspenseful page-turner. The protagonist is hunted by them in a story that keeps it plausible except for the chronologically impossible Vietnam service of several characters which adds nothing to the plot.
March 27, 2021
I remember reading this book a long time ago. I think a TV series called Prey, starring Debra Messing, aired on the Sci-Fi Channel and was based on the novel. A hostile human-like species plotting the downfall of normal humanity. Interesting premise.
February 6, 2023
Arthur Banks discover an ancient race of humanity still exists and will stop at nothing to protect the secret of their existence. It was well plotted and the science is pretty sound. It reminded me of of Darwin's Radio from another angle. I had a problem with the ending and the race's motivation
Read
October 6, 2020Suspenseful. Just what is stalking us?
February 21, 2021
Interesting concept, just quite slow
October 31, 2021
Read in 2000. An excellent sci fi thriller.
October 23, 2023
There are people dying. People Artie knows. Who? Why? How? This story kept me on the edge of my seat. The ending was perfect. Great book.
Want to read
April 10, 2024ملاحظة لي: لم اقرا الكتاب بعد
مقترح من ستيفين كينغ
مقترح من ستيفين كينغ
June 20, 2025
This book was a page turner but a very strange story.
August 26, 2012
Pretty sure I have read this before, like maybe on a plane or something - some aspects of it seemed very familiar - but obviously it didn't stick with me if I did.
The premise is the existence of a humanoid race entirely distinct from homo sapiens, which has lived among humankind for 35,000 years, yet managed to hide its differences. In the face of modern challenges -- sophisticated medical diagnostics and the increasing difficulty of avoiding coming in contact with the medical establishment, plus the spiraling devastation of the natural environment -- these "Old People" have decided they can no longer just wait around for what they have always felt was inevitable: for humans eventually to succumb to their violent and rapacious nature and do away with themselves; they need to act to put an end to the human plague on the earth. More immediately, they need to prevent anyone from becoming aware of their existence. When an auto accident fatally injures one of their people, the physical anomalies observed as he is treated in the emergency room attract the attention of Dr. Larry Shea, who conducts an autopsy on the unidentified body and recognizes that he is seeing something unprecedented. To cut short his plan to publish his findings, the Old People call on their inborn talents for telepathy and remote neurological manipulation to bring about his death via attack by a pack of dogs.
Reporter Artie Banks, a long-time friend of Dr. Shea's, suspects there's more to Shea's bizarre death than meets the eye and begins to investigate. Before long, anyone who has been privy to Dr. Shea's plans or begins to suspect the existence of the Old People meets some violent end - prompting someone to murder or suicide is easily achieved when you can take over their mind.
Unfortunately, Robinson's characterization is superficial (particularly the women, who all seem weak, manipulative, and/or hypersexed), the global warming/environment destruction information is presented in a dreadfully pedantic manner, and any reader who doesn't instantly perceive Artie's blind spot is probably just not sufficiently involved in the story to see what's coming.
It didn't really take me a week to read this - I just misplaced it and went on to something else until it showed up again.
The premise is the existence of a humanoid race entirely distinct from homo sapiens, which has lived among humankind for 35,000 years, yet managed to hide its differences. In the face of modern challenges -- sophisticated medical diagnostics and the increasing difficulty of avoiding coming in contact with the medical establishment, plus the spiraling devastation of the natural environment -- these "Old People" have decided they can no longer just wait around for what they have always felt was inevitable: for humans eventually to succumb to their violent and rapacious nature and do away with themselves; they need to act to put an end to the human plague on the earth. More immediately, they need to prevent anyone from becoming aware of their existence. When an auto accident fatally injures one of their people, the physical anomalies observed as he is treated in the emergency room attract the attention of Dr. Larry Shea, who conducts an autopsy on the unidentified body and recognizes that he is seeing something unprecedented. To cut short his plan to publish his findings, the Old People call on their inborn talents for telepathy and remote neurological manipulation to bring about his death via attack by a pack of dogs.
Reporter Artie Banks, a long-time friend of Dr. Shea's, suspects there's more to Shea's bizarre death than meets the eye and begins to investigate. Before long, anyone who has been privy to Dr. Shea's plans or begins to suspect the existence of the Old People meets some violent end - prompting someone to murder or suicide is easily achieved when you can take over their mind.
Unfortunately, Robinson's characterization is superficial (particularly the women, who all seem weak, manipulative, and/or hypersexed), the global warming/environment destruction information is presented in a dreadfully pedantic manner, and any reader who doesn't instantly perceive Artie's blind spot is probably just not sufficiently involved in the story to see what's coming.
It didn't really take me a week to read this - I just misplaced it and went on to something else until it showed up again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2023
Sort of a plural of “The Power” By F.M. Robinson
I first saw the movie “The Power” with George Hamilton. Then I read the book. This just geared me up for “Waiting.” What I found was one-third sex, one-third ecology, and one-third plot really similar to the power. However, I still enjoyed reading the book and thinking of the possibilities that could have been in it. I was not bogged down with this could never happen or how did the leap of faith take place to determine that the bad (guy) s had to be part of the club from the beginning.
I took an anthropology class in which the instructor said if you think that the Neanderthal has disappeared, just walk down in the city and look at some of the people.
Though I enjoyed the book and if there is a sequel, I will buy it.
If for some reason you were less than thrilled with this book, try “The Power.”
Merged review:
A plural of “The Power” By F.M. Robinson
I first saw the movie “The Power” with George Hamilton. Then I read the book. This just geared me up for “Waiting.” What I found was one-third sex, one-third ecology, and one-third plot really similar to the power. However, I still enjoyed reading the book and thinking of the possibilities that could have been in it. I was not bogged down with how this could never happen or how did the leap of faith took place to determine that the bad (guys) had to be part of the club from the beginning.
I took an anthropology class in which the instructor said if you think that the Neanderthal has disappeared, just walk down in the city and look at some of the people.
Though I enjoyed the book and if there is a sequel, I will buy it.
If for some reason you were less than thrilled with this book, try “The Power.”
I first saw the movie “The Power” with George Hamilton. Then I read the book. This just geared me up for “Waiting.” What I found was one-third sex, one-third ecology, and one-third plot really similar to the power. However, I still enjoyed reading the book and thinking of the possibilities that could have been in it. I was not bogged down with this could never happen or how did the leap of faith take place to determine that the bad (guy) s had to be part of the club from the beginning.
I took an anthropology class in which the instructor said if you think that the Neanderthal has disappeared, just walk down in the city and look at some of the people.
Though I enjoyed the book and if there is a sequel, I will buy it.
If for some reason you were less than thrilled with this book, try “The Power.”
Merged review:
A plural of “The Power” By F.M. Robinson
I first saw the movie “The Power” with George Hamilton. Then I read the book. This just geared me up for “Waiting.” What I found was one-third sex, one-third ecology, and one-third plot really similar to the power. However, I still enjoyed reading the book and thinking of the possibilities that could have been in it. I was not bogged down with how this could never happen or how did the leap of faith took place to determine that the bad (guys) had to be part of the club from the beginning.
I took an anthropology class in which the instructor said if you think that the Neanderthal has disappeared, just walk down in the city and look at some of the people.
Though I enjoyed the book and if there is a sequel, I will buy it.
If for some reason you were less than thrilled with this book, try “The Power.”
October 13, 2014
Frank Robinson spoiled me. After reading the taut thriller "The Power" and the immersive multi-generation space epic "The Dark Beyond the Stars," I had high expectations for his other work. "Waiting" is not terrible, but it comes nowhere near Robinson's best work. The premise is intriguing--another hominid species has been secretly living with homo sapiens, lying dormant, waiting for our weakening or extinction so they can rise to ascendancy. The execution of this promising sci-fi concept, however, is sorely lacking. There is little variance in the pacing and events of the book so its structure quickly becomes monotonous, predictable, and dull. Exposition is doled out artlessly, making much of the story feel forced and cumbersome. What's worse, the ability of the other species to control human minds and lead people to their death, as well as investigations of small town America, and the "Ten Little Indians" device where the hero is in a small group of suspects and works to eliminate potential villains one by one are all borrowed from "The Power," making this novel feel like a cheap imitation. Robinson was a great author but this book does not represent him well.
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