Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
Excellent edition with a generous insight into the gestation of this novel with the additional short story and further ideas included at the end - fascinating!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
That was exciting! And scary. And disturbing. Also epic. Highly recommended if you're into dystopian stories and utter destruction like me.
It finished a lot stronger than it started. It was definitely more shocking and powerful than I was expecting and had some very interesting ideas.
dark
fast-paced
A former cop with a chip on his shoulder, a drug problem, and an "everything is about me" problem hijacks some clones and stumbles upon his old haunts, old problems, and some serious serial-killer stuff. To say that shit escalates quickly is putting it mildly, especially when it escalates to another dimension.
Contrary to my expectations, the prose is lyrical at places, and our MC strives to survive even in the face of his nihilism. However, his unlikeability significantly dampened my enjoyment of the story. Being trapped in his head, I found it difficult to connect with the narrative.
The book is a mix of interesting ideas, but they feel somewhat jumbled together. Also, the emotional impact was lessened by being in a head of hardened man. Also, it just kept getting worse somehow, so keep in mind there are a couple of pretty disturbing scenes.
I would love this much more if some of the other (especially female) characters were better developed.
Contrary to my expectations, the prose is lyrical at places, and our MC strives to survive even in the face of his nihilism. However, his unlikeability significantly dampened my enjoyment of the story. Being trapped in his head, I found it difficult to connect with the narrative.
The book is a mix of interesting ideas, but they feel somewhat jumbled together. Also, the emotional impact was lessened by being in a head of hardened man. Also, it just kept getting worse somehow, so keep in mind there are a couple of pretty disturbing scenes.
I would love this much more if some of the other (especially female) characters were better developed.
Although I loved the premise of this book I did find the actual story a little over exhuberent with more about Jack Randall and his various problems, dilemmas and issues than about the Spares themselves, who only make occasional appearances during the story. It is an engrossing story and an image of the future that is utterly terrifying in its simplicity and its potential. However, there were times where I found my attention flagging a little as MMS went on a bit of a detour here and there and got a little lost in the life and times of our drug addled hero. But saying that Jack Randall was a very compelling character as were his varied friends within New Richmond and those of the 'spares' themselves and it was certainly interesting seeing the kind of power that those on the higher levels could wield. An interesting story may be not brilliantly told but enough to make you wonder, ponder and query where humanity may be going and whether it's really somewhere that we should be.
Some good ideas, but I didn't like the secret cat dimension, and I thought the main character was an arse.
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Michael Marshall Smith totally blew me away with Only Forward, so Spares was going to be a tough act to follow. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite as great as Only Forward (few books are), but the quality of writing was right up to par.
I get the feeling that MMS' stories are an outlet for him to get a few things off his chest. His characters tend to wax philosophic during lulls in the action, and where this seems to annoy some readers, I found these lulls the best parts of the novel.
Like Stephen King, MMS has his finger adroitly placed on the pulse of the human condition. Huh...I don't think I've ever used the word adroitly before. Hm.
Anyways, everything from relationships, addiction, or just getting
through the day are explored through his hero's musings.
All that aside, we have a story that many have likened to a Blade Runner/Coma sort of thing. And it certainly has that Blade Runner feel to it: a vertiginous (ANOTHER word I've never used!) noir (and I'm not a big fan of noir, it's been done to death) action-mystery.
But, as per MMS' track record, there is much more to things than meets the eye.
Man, where does this guy get his ideas? Acid? Dreams? Whatever it is, dude, keep it up and keep writing this stuff.
Folks, this is one of the most talented guys writing today. Besides taking you on a mind trip, his pacing is excellent, you feel for his characters, and his touches on the human condition are bang-on.
There's even a laugh or two. To wit:
"He was uglier than three types of shit in a one-shit bag."
I was set on giving Spares another 5 stars. I wish to heck I could give it a strong 4.5, because as good as it was, I wish I had a better
understanding of what The Gap was. Don't let this discourage you, though. Even though it was a little foggy to me, it didn't detract from the story at all. I just accepted it for it was, and let him carry me through the story.
So...what to rate it? I liked it a lot, even loved it at times, but it wasn't Only Forward, so...
Ah, what the heck. It doesn't cost anything and this was a feat of the imagination and this guy deserves a lot of exposure.
I'm rounding up this up to a 5. So there. Read Michael Marshal Smith. You won't forget it.
I get the feeling that MMS' stories are an outlet for him to get a few things off his chest. His characters tend to wax philosophic during lulls in the action, and where this seems to annoy some readers, I found these lulls the best parts of the novel.
Like Stephen King, MMS has his finger adroitly placed on the pulse of the human condition. Huh...I don't think I've ever used the word adroitly before. Hm.
Anyways, everything from relationships, addiction, or just getting
through the day are explored through his hero's musings.
All that aside, we have a story that many have likened to a Blade Runner/Coma sort of thing. And it certainly has that Blade Runner feel to it: a vertiginous (ANOTHER word I've never used!) noir (and I'm not a big fan of noir, it's been done to death) action-mystery.
But, as per MMS' track record, there is much more to things than meets the eye.
Man, where does this guy get his ideas? Acid? Dreams? Whatever it is, dude, keep it up and keep writing this stuff.
Folks, this is one of the most talented guys writing today. Besides taking you on a mind trip, his pacing is excellent, you feel for his characters, and his touches on the human condition are bang-on.
There's even a laugh or two. To wit:
"He was uglier than three types of shit in a one-shit bag."
I was set on giving Spares another 5 stars. I wish to heck I could give it a strong 4.5, because as good as it was, I wish I had a better
understanding of what The Gap was. Don't let this discourage you, though. Even though it was a little foggy to me, it didn't detract from the story at all. I just accepted it for it was, and let him carry me through the story.
So...what to rate it? I liked it a lot, even loved it at times, but it wasn't Only Forward, so...
Ah, what the heck. It doesn't cost anything and this was a feat of the imagination and this guy deserves a lot of exposure.
I'm rounding up this up to a 5. So there. Read Michael Marshal Smith. You won't forget it.