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A review by branch_c
The Hollow Man by Dan Simmons
3.0
This book demonstrates some of the creativity that I like best about Simmons, albeit embedded in a fairly grim storyline that sees its protagonist stumbling through a bizarre and unpleasant sequence of events after the death of his wife and fellow telepath. I didn’t enjoy the violence and cruelty on display here, and even Bremen himself is not the most likable of characters. The antagonists are largely caricatures, including one in particular who’s the epitome of a horror movie villain.
On the other hand, the thoughtful exploration of consciousness through physics and mathematics is certainly interesting, if a bit brooding, and I’m afraid the explanations of the double-slit experiment and Hugh Everett’s theory of quantum mechanics are less than perfect here, left purposely vague in order for them to fit into the plot. The ending is the most creative part, but I found the final resolution less than believable even given the setup for it. Overall, not bad, but it’s far from being one of my favorite Simmons books.
On the other hand, the thoughtful exploration of consciousness through physics and mathematics is certainly interesting, if a bit brooding, and I’m afraid the explanations of the double-slit experiment and Hugh Everett’s theory of quantum mechanics are less than perfect here, left purposely vague in order for them to fit into the plot. The ending is the most creative part, but I found the final resolution less than believable even given the setup for it. Overall, not bad, but it’s far from being one of my favorite Simmons books.