Scan barcode
catrad's review
3.0
Now, I've said it before and I'll say it again: I do like a good apocalypse novel, and Extinction Game doesn't just offer one but a whole host of apocalypse events. Gary Gibson has created a multi-dimensional world where all manner of horrific things have befallen the human race, and he isn't afraid to go into detail.
From this point of view, this novel is a triumph. When describing the catastrophic events leading up to each disaster, Gibson creates vivid images that leave the reader in shock.
However, I personally found that his descriptions of characters didn't leave me with the same sense of detail. I found myself a little confused who was who, and particularly who was supposed to be good and who was supposed to be bad.
The story itself was good, but it took me a long time to get into it. In fact, I was probably halfway through it before I really started to get invested in the plot. If I wasn't so stubborn I suspect I may well have given up on this book long beforehand.
Ultimately I enjoyed it as it was a very original concept and I felt that the worlds were so well described, but the characterisation left a bit to be desired, and I found the first half of the book a bit of a slog.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a free e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
From this point of view, this novel is a triumph. When describing the catastrophic events leading up to each disaster, Gibson creates vivid images that leave the reader in shock.
However, I personally found that his descriptions of characters didn't leave me with the same sense of detail. I found myself a little confused who was who, and particularly who was supposed to be good and who was supposed to be bad.
The story itself was good, but it took me a long time to get into it. In fact, I was probably halfway through it before I really started to get invested in the plot. If I wasn't so stubborn I suspect I may well have given up on this book long beforehand.
Ultimately I enjoyed it as it was a very original concept and I felt that the worlds were so well described, but the characterisation left a bit to be desired, and I found the first half of the book a bit of a slog.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a free e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
We humans to seem to suck. This sci.fi with a very apocalyptic theme is filled with it.
The world ended and Jerry is the only human left (well I guess there could be someone hiding somewhere, but he sure found none.) Then these people show up and take him to another world. He gets sent on missions to other parallel worlds, all which have ended too. Well not all, but those they find are not good ones.
But why are they being sent to parallel worlds? Why are they not told anything?
It was an interesting book. It felt sort of light too. And wow, so many parallel worlds.
There is an ending, even if there are open threads. But I did see that there is another book, about another person, and I can't really say more.
Interesting concept
The world ended and Jerry is the only human left (well I guess there could be someone hiding somewhere, but he sure found none.) Then these people show up and take him to another world. He gets sent on missions to other parallel worlds, all which have ended too. Well not all, but those they find are not good ones.
But why are they being sent to parallel worlds? Why are they not told anything?
It was an interesting book. It felt sort of light too. And wow, so many parallel worlds.
There is an ending, even if there are open threads. But I did see that there is another book, about another person, and I can't really say more.
Interesting concept
mayetra's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this novel. This novel really crosses genre, it's sci-fi, apocalypse rolled up with a thriller/mystery. Without delving into the plot at all I really got sucked into the story pretty early on and it kept me entertained until the end. Really great read.
library_ann's review
4.0
this book started out as my perfect novel -- parallel worlds AND post-apocalyptic stories. Actually, the very beginning was reminiscent of [b:I Am Legend|14064|I Am Legend|Richard Matheson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1390170456s/14064.jpg|19273256]. Unfortunately, it sagged in the third quarter when the political rivalries were being explained, but only vaguely and third-hand. It did pick up again by the end. My library doesn't have the sequel, so now I have to decide whether I'm going to buy it or leave it alone....
kodermike's review
3.0
As a fan of Gary Gibson’s previous series, the Shoal Sequence, I was excited to get a chance to read this first volume in his new universe. Or multiverse, I guess. Jerry Beche, hero and protagonist, is the last man alive on Earth. A devastating man made plague has wiped out the rest of the human race, or so Jerry thinks until he comes across footprints near his snow bound cottage. While he may be the last human on Earth, he isn’t alone. Rescued and taken to an Earth not quite like his own, he is recruited into the Pathfinders. The Pathfinders, a group of explorers from other destroyed Earth, work for the Authority to help explore the parallel worlds. There is some hint to the bigger picture of the multiverse, of braids and strands of possibility.
If this is beginning to sound like an episode of Sliders, I’d agree. Using jump platforms and timed returns, our crew of Pathfinders slips from world to world. When Gibson shines in this novel, he shimmers. The imagined worlds - and their destruction - are each glimpses into Earths that we ourselves might face. Each apocalypse we face in Extinction Game is well thought out and described.
Unfortunately, I found the secondary characters to be somewhat lacking in development. The antagonist and supporting cast were hollow sketches for the most part. The result was a somewhat uneven experience. Between well thought out extinction events and the sometimes cardboard characters that catalog them, there was just enough story to keep moving forward. Recommended as a mashup of Sliders and Doomsday B movies, it just needed a little more than it delivered to wow me.
Special thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for making this ARC available to me prior to US publication.
If this is beginning to sound like an episode of Sliders, I’d agree. Using jump platforms and timed returns, our crew of Pathfinders slips from world to world. When Gibson shines in this novel, he shimmers. The imagined worlds - and their destruction - are each glimpses into Earths that we ourselves might face. Each apocalypse we face in Extinction Game is well thought out and described.
Unfortunately, I found the secondary characters to be somewhat lacking in development. The antagonist and supporting cast were hollow sketches for the most part. The result was a somewhat uneven experience. Between well thought out extinction events and the sometimes cardboard characters that catalog them, there was just enough story to keep moving forward. Recommended as a mashup of Sliders and Doomsday B movies, it just needed a little more than it delivered to wow me.
Special thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for making this ARC available to me prior to US publication.
wynnz's review
3.0
An interesting premise, end of days multiplied by a factor of infinity (not sure if that's a real thing or not). For me it was a slow start, it took me a little while to get into it, if you know what I mean, up until around 30% of the book, then it started getting interesting, the plotline thickened and the intrigue increased, it turned out to be a reasonably good story, with a whodunnit type of plot. I'm glad I persevered.
ghostmuppet's review
3.0
An interesting read - a whole load of Earth's with different apocalypses. The synopsis sounded great - they story just fell a little short. Maybe I was expecting too many alternatives, and what there were - were a little weird (bee heads).
That all said, this was a fun and fairly short read. Stand alone, so you don't need any further reading. A solid 3 - maybe a 3.5
That all said, this was a fun and fairly short read. Stand alone, so you don't need any further reading. A solid 3 - maybe a 3.5
monsoon's review
3.0
A quick and enjoyable read. Not entirely original in concept but with enough of it's own twists and robust execution to set it apart. The author is juggling a lot of elements here and I am impressed by how well everything comes together.
diesmali's review against another edition
2.0
2,5 stars rounded down.
A multiverse mystery novel that chases down the wrong rabbit-hole. It focuses on the easier mysteries surrounding the main character's circumstances rather than the deeper questions of who's behind it all. There's also a boring deus ex machina moment we could have done without. And not enough questions answered in the end.
A multiverse mystery novel that chases down the wrong rabbit-hole. It focuses on the easier mysteries surrounding the main character's circumstances rather than the deeper questions of who's behind it all. There's also a boring deus ex machina moment we could have done without. And not enough questions answered in the end.
mjmoore's review
5.0
Science Fiction is an area I dip into occasionally, and Gary Gibson was a new author to me, but when I was offered a copy of Extinction Game to review, something caught my attention, and so I agreed. I wasn’t sure how quickly I’d get to it, but I took a quick peek, and was soon hooked.
The story begins with Jerry Beche, who has managed to survive a deadly world-wide viral attack, and as far as he knows, he’s the only survivor on Earth. Until one day when he’s ‘rescued’, and taken to an island where there are others who have also survived the end of their own alternative Earth. He learns that there an infinite number of alternative Earths, and many of them have had their own apocalyptic event. A small group of survivors have been brought together and trained, and their role is to enter these Earths and rescue data, records, technology etc.
There’s a lot going on from this point – each world the teams visit has it’s own ending or strange future, and Gibson describes each one vividly, including the events leading up to the end of Jerry’s Earth. This was fascinating enough in itself, but we also explore the relationships within the team members, during their visits and in between. They’re an interesting group, with some handling events far better than others.
As well as this, they have to deal with the Authority, the organisation who brought them all together. Who exactly are they, and why do they need the data and technology? Also, where exactly did the ability to enter these other timelines come from?
The mix within this book was just right for me, and I read it within a couple of days. I wanted to find out as much as I could about the alternative worlds, and how it was possible to visit them, but I also found myself invested in the individuals involved, including Jerry. The balance is good, the SF aspect is there, but never weighs down the overall story, and it’s good to see characters being just as important as plot.
I’m going to recommend this one, but maybe especially to those, like me, may be a little wary of Science Fiction. I’m definitely putting some of his other books on my wishlist, and will wait rather impatiently for the sequel.
The story begins with Jerry Beche, who has managed to survive a deadly world-wide viral attack, and as far as he knows, he’s the only survivor on Earth. Until one day when he’s ‘rescued’, and taken to an island where there are others who have also survived the end of their own alternative Earth. He learns that there an infinite number of alternative Earths, and many of them have had their own apocalyptic event. A small group of survivors have been brought together and trained, and their role is to enter these Earths and rescue data, records, technology etc.
There’s a lot going on from this point – each world the teams visit has it’s own ending or strange future, and Gibson describes each one vividly, including the events leading up to the end of Jerry’s Earth. This was fascinating enough in itself, but we also explore the relationships within the team members, during their visits and in between. They’re an interesting group, with some handling events far better than others.
As well as this, they have to deal with the Authority, the organisation who brought them all together. Who exactly are they, and why do they need the data and technology? Also, where exactly did the ability to enter these other timelines come from?
The mix within this book was just right for me, and I read it within a couple of days. I wanted to find out as much as I could about the alternative worlds, and how it was possible to visit them, but I also found myself invested in the individuals involved, including Jerry. The balance is good, the SF aspect is there, but never weighs down the overall story, and it’s good to see characters being just as important as plot.
I’m going to recommend this one, but maybe especially to those, like me, may be a little wary of Science Fiction. I’m definitely putting some of his other books on my wishlist, and will wait rather impatiently for the sequel.