Reviews

The Deluge by Stephen Markley

Only show reviews with written explanations

embutt's review against another edition

Go to review page

the men writing women was relentless here. i just cannot. life is too short.

laelm10's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

It is such a feat for a book this scientifically and politically dense (and LONG) to be so gripping and readable. So incredibly well researched and richly drawn, with a sprawling cast of characters that I managed to hate and love deeply at the same time.

In a lot of ways, this book feels like a spiritual successor/modern cousin to The Stand, one of my favorite books and one that profoundly shaped how I view the world/humanity. I have a feeling that this book is really going to stick around in the cultural conversation in the coming decades.

What a wild, hopeful, devastating ride. There is still time :)

cogee87's review against another edition

Go to review page

Not my style!

hey_hoser's review against another edition

Go to review page

Did not click, “The Bezzle” became available

slentz97's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Wow what a tome. It’s an incredible feat and keeps your hooked. I didn’t completely love the ending and the Kate of it all, but it made sense and tied everything together.

athenas99's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was great! Really well-researched and it was clear a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into this novel. It was a true climate epic and the way Markley projects the most pressing technological and social trends of our time into the future was truly impressive and a little scary. I mean, by the end of the book, there’s a cult worshipping the AI God. But seriously, he takes on topics like VR, the panopticon / police state, political lobbying by Big Oil, and of course, climate change, and weaves it all together in a mostly seamless way. I do have some gripes about how Kate Morris was written (she’s something of the enlightened man’s edgy Manic Pixie Dream Girl), but those brief pages of her POV completely changed my perspective on her and endeared her to me. I wanted to see more of her voice, instead of seeing her through the eyes of other people (mostly her kind of lame long-term boyfriend). I also loved that Markley incorporated fake news articles and op-eds, in addition to balancing POV chapters that followed 6-ish characters from all walks of life. You’ll be glad you read it. You’ll certainly be a bit smarter. And I hope for all of our sakes that this book doesn’t prove to be prophetic.

beelo's review

Go to review page

I'm just getting too frustrated with the characters, the manic pixie dream girl, and the conservatism. I really want to like this book so I may try again another time.