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lisaeirene's review against another edition
3.0
I've been a fan of Repairman Jack since the inception. This book is apparently wrapping up the series. I'm sad that it's ending because I love the character, but at the same time the stories have gotten more bizarre and how to follow over the years!
david_agranoff's review against another edition
4.0
Ground Zero by F.Paul Wilson
A repairman jack novel
355 pages
Tor
The scale and vast scope of Stephen King's Dark Tower series is well noted. While career spanning mythos are common in the fantasy novels (IE authors like George RR Martin/ Robert Jordan) it is not very common in horror fiction. King is known for horror fiction and many of his strictly horror fiction tales( the mist and Salem's Lot connect to the Dark Tower) but that series is also fantasy. F.Paul wilson has created a career spanning saga and mythos of horror fiction that spans almost twenty books. Several classics like “The Keep” and “NightWorld” are more than twenty years old but impressively he is still working on this one story. The common thread is a lovecraftian-ish end of the world cosmic horror tale that ended our world in the novel Nightworld.
Since that book was published Wilson has returned to it's main character Repairman Jack in more than a dozen novels and expanded on the mythology. Within the framework of Repairmen Jack novels Wilson has explored many genres and themes. Even written a young adult novel about Jack as a teenager.
It is a massive undertaking of genre fiction that in many ways is more impressive than the Dark Tower in it's scope. I admit that I have not read any of the other Repairmen Jack novels but have read a couple of the Adversary cycle which are apart of the same story. The Keep is in fact one of my all time favorite novels.
I became interested in Ground Zero when I realized that Wilson was weaving the events of 9/11 and truth movement ideas into his end of the world mythology. It sounded fascinating, and it was. Wilson explains the back story enough that I was able to follow but I am sure the novel is easier to follow if you read the other 11 or 15 books that he has already written in the saga.
The story is fast paced and well written with short page turning chapters that go back in forth between perfectly timed chapter breaks. The characters are rich and keep you involved in the intense story of monstrous conspiracy and paranoia. Thumbs up. Get hooked on Repairman Jack
A repairman jack novel
355 pages
Tor
The scale and vast scope of Stephen King's Dark Tower series is well noted. While career spanning mythos are common in the fantasy novels (IE authors like George RR Martin/ Robert Jordan) it is not very common in horror fiction. King is known for horror fiction and many of his strictly horror fiction tales( the mist and Salem's Lot connect to the Dark Tower) but that series is also fantasy. F.Paul wilson has created a career spanning saga and mythos of horror fiction that spans almost twenty books. Several classics like “The Keep” and “NightWorld” are more than twenty years old but impressively he is still working on this one story. The common thread is a lovecraftian-ish end of the world cosmic horror tale that ended our world in the novel Nightworld.
Since that book was published Wilson has returned to it's main character Repairman Jack in more than a dozen novels and expanded on the mythology. Within the framework of Repairmen Jack novels Wilson has explored many genres and themes. Even written a young adult novel about Jack as a teenager.
It is a massive undertaking of genre fiction that in many ways is more impressive than the Dark Tower in it's scope. I admit that I have not read any of the other Repairmen Jack novels but have read a couple of the Adversary cycle which are apart of the same story. The Keep is in fact one of my all time favorite novels.
I became interested in Ground Zero when I realized that Wilson was weaving the events of 9/11 and truth movement ideas into his end of the world mythology. It sounded fascinating, and it was. Wilson explains the back story enough that I was able to follow but I am sure the novel is easier to follow if you read the other 11 or 15 books that he has already written in the saga.
The story is fast paced and well written with short page turning chapters that go back in forth between perfectly timed chapter breaks. The characters are rich and keep you involved in the intense story of monstrous conspiracy and paranoia. Thumbs up. Get hooked on Repairman Jack
stiricide's review against another edition
4.0
As we barrel towards the end of Year Zero, Wilson is doing a really great job of weaving all the different threads of the Repairman Jack/Secret Histories world together. I'm so used to authors trying to fit too much in to one book, and ending up with important details feeling like they're out of place or spilling over the edges of the pages. By taking the long way around (since about book #11, Wilson has been very upfront that these stories bleed in to each other as part of a larger whole), I think we're getting not only a much more interesting version of storytelling, but also a very thorough, complete vision of how this world was built (and will unfold.)
chewingpencils's review against another edition
5.0
No more coincidences. No more multiple fixes. No more fixes? No more mysteries. CHANGING to an action series. Neat.
occupational_hazard's review against another edition
5.0
Another excellent Repairman Jack novel! This book moved very quickly, not that any of them dragged. It also left you with a huge cliff hanger and at the last sentence I found myself shouting “Nooooo!” lol
acknud's review against another edition
4.0
So... we have the answer behind 9/11. It was the otherness. Who would have guessed? The adversary seems to have all the cats in his bag but I wouldn't give up on Jack yet. We can't because the fate of humanity is at stake. What will happen to Dawn Pickering and her child, will Jack progress to be more than the Heir? Read on my friends. There is more to this saga coming.
jmcguoirk's review against another edition
4.0
Nearing the end of the Repairman Jack series. Ties up loose ends, introduces new characters and explains a lot. Onto the next. Thanks FPW.
careythesixth's review against another edition
3.0
Dang it, I'm just not feeling the series like I used to. I've never delved much into 9/11 conspiracy. I wish Hank Thompson and the Kickers would go away. Maybe I'm just feeling tired and cranky.
vkemp's review
4.0
The end of the world is drawing near. The Ally and the Otherness are battling. Jack is the Heir and he doesn't want to be the person responsible for rescuing the world. We learn much more regarding the battle in this book. It appears Wilson is beginning the end run. Jack still does not want to accept the mantle from Veilleur. The Lady is severely injured. I cannot wait to see how it all will end.
mikekaz's review
4.0
GROUND ZERO breaks away from the pattern of the normal Repairman Jack novel. Wilson has already been working on tying up the series and bringing it to an end. Something that has been noticeable in the last few books due to their subplots that are both accelerating and not resolving completely. This time though Wilson takes it one step further and just builds on the mythos. The usual pattern for the Repairman Jack books is to have a primary plot that is related to the Adversary Cycle but at the same time it is a separate plot that can be resolved. This time though the primary plot starts with the introduction of a character to help fight the Otherness and the plot doesn't move off from the One and the plans made by the Otherness the entire time.
Weezy is Jack's friend from his childhood days. While I haven't ready the Secret Histories or the Young Jack stories yet, I would imagine that Weezy is a recurring character in those novels. Weezy is a conspiracy theorist of the extreme type; combined with her ability to remember everything she's read and seen, she sees connections that show the Order's plans. It is these connections that put Weezy's life is at risk when she links the Order to the 9-11 attacks. Fortunately Jack came back into her life shortly before things hit the fan for her and saves her life. Since she knows so many of the pieces but not the bigger picture, Jack lets her in on the secret history and even gives to her the Compendium. Jack hopes her ability to remember everything will make sense of the Compendium. The story continues with the development and culmination of one of the side plans of The One, something that has a huge impact on Jack and his team of helpers.
Unfortunately I would have to say that if you are not current with your Repairman Jack reading, this is not the book to start. We're pretty much at the tail end of the series. GROUND ZERO is exactly the book that long-time readers will love because it moves so many things forward and is creating a bigger impact. New readers will be lost. Trust me, go back to THE TOMB and read all of the books in order. I would also recommend reading them back-to-back. Just binge read them all. You'll catch many of the nuances that I've missed over the years.
Weezy is Jack's friend from his childhood days. While I haven't ready the Secret Histories or the Young Jack stories yet, I would imagine that Weezy is a recurring character in those novels. Weezy is a conspiracy theorist of the extreme type; combined with her ability to remember everything she's read and seen, she sees connections that show the Order's plans. It is these connections that put Weezy's life is at risk when she links the Order to the 9-11 attacks. Fortunately Jack came back into her life shortly before things hit the fan for her and saves her life. Since she knows so many of the pieces but not the bigger picture, Jack lets her in on the secret history and even gives to her the Compendium. Jack hopes her ability to remember everything will make sense of the Compendium. The story continues with the development and culmination of one of the side plans of The One, something that has a huge impact on Jack and his team of helpers.
Unfortunately I would have to say that if you are not current with your Repairman Jack reading, this is not the book to start. We're pretty much at the tail end of the series. GROUND ZERO is exactly the book that long-time readers will love because it moves so many things forward and is creating a bigger impact. New readers will be lost. Trust me, go back to THE TOMB and read all of the books in order. I would also recommend reading them back-to-back. Just binge read them all. You'll catch many of the nuances that I've missed over the years.