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Katherine Mortenhoe #2

by D.G. Compton

Rod was a television reporter with the ultimate gimmick. Thanks to the marvels of microsurgery, TV cameras were implanted in his eyes. He could broadcast people's actions without them even knowing it. But when he was forced to spy on a dying woman, he deliberately blinded himself by overloading his sensitive circuits.

Rod thought that he could opt out of the tough choice that society was forcing him to make. He was wrong, of course. Dead wrong . . .

Genres: Science Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

David Guy Compton has published science fiction as D.G. Compton. He has also published crime novels as Guy Compton and Gothic fiction as Frances Lynch.

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, though pretentious. Very much a part of the 70s zeitgeist. I wish it had focused less on the main character and his ultimately pretty stale musings and storyline, and more on the world the author built around him, which seemed much more interesting and vibrant. Definitely falls into the "everything falls apart within 20 years" school of 70s novels and films set in the near future, except unlike most of these, this isn't blatantly right-wing. Would recommend to someone who was into the politics and society of the 70s.

[Cheyenne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was definitely a step down in quality from the first book, The Unseeing Eye or The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe (depending on where your copy is from). While that story moved along pretty well and was very compelling, this one feels much more stagnant. This book focuses entirely on Rod's story following his decision to blind himself in the previous book. Much of the first half of the book is just him and Tracey being absolutely miserable, and by the time something actually seems to be happening with the story, around a hundred pages have already gone by. When we do get into the meatier second section, our protagonists still feel more reactive than active in their own right, and perhaps the biggest, most dramatic action Rod takes in the entire story happens offscreen without the reader knowing he's planning it. That said, I did still find myself interested in the world and what was going to happen, which is why I didn't rate it lower.

[David Howarth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Godawful, especially considering how good The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe is.