Reviewed on Hearts On Fire... http://heartsonfirereviews.com/

Dorian was always a rebel. He didn't like serving the every whim of the disgusting and rather worthless Revered Elders that he was assigned to. One demand too many sent Dorian over the edge and had two Revered Elders wearing gobs of fruit. This had Dorian sent to jail to be reprogrammed to properly respect his betters. This was where he met Lasa and Bryn and an entirely new society was formed.
This book was Mr. Mack's first foray into writing science fiction and while the world building was excellent, I just could not get into the story. I did enjoy the fact that the beginning of the book was also part of the ending with most of the story a flashback. I was reminded of the old film Soylent Green with the growing people mainly for replacement parts where in Soylent Green they were bred for food. I found it interesting that the people of Earth let things get so out of hand that a small few Revered Elders ran the entire show and it paralleled the direction our society is moving in today. What killed the story for me personally was that the entire secret plan between Dorian, Lasa, Bryn and the others was so rushed. A tremendous amount of time was given to the harshness of the Elders which formed an imbalance with the formation and execution of the plan and the ultimate outcome of the story. The plot twist at the end with Mother was a great piece of thinking. I believe that with a longer story and more time, Mr. Mack will write some good science fiction. Until that time I suggest readers sit back and wait. Also take note that while there is not much sex in this book, it is m/m and m/f. ( )

Wow, I really have no idea what to think about this book. It is rare that I am so conflicted about whether to like a story or to hate it. On the one hand, this is great sci-fi, a modern interpretation of Soylent Green (the film based on the 1966 science fiction novel Make Room! Make Room!, by Harry Harrison), Brave New World (by Aldous Huxley) and 1984 (by George Orwell) all merged into one. It updates some of the concepts of those stories and adds the consequences of what we are doing to ourselves and Earth; that part, I think is fascinating. On the other hand – and without giving too much away – it does not end well as I define it, to the point that I am still upset.

The way the story is told is interesting, and even though a large part of it is a flashback to Dorian's life on Earth, this did not bother me. As outrageous as this future world of sex-suppressants for the masses and utter servitude to "the Elders" may seem, once I look at it more closely, I can see the beginning of everything that led to this version of the future in today's world. A few very rich and powerful people are already in charge of much of the economy. Overpopulation still threatens, and our regard for the environment is nonexistent for the most part. So, as projections into the future go, this is a "realistic" one.

The consequences for interpersonal relationships are clear: sex for procreation is prohibited, the many serve the few, and class distinctions have become official and rigid. Dorian is the one who rebels, and sets in motion a mini-rebellion that makes a small group leave Earth. What then happens on Doriana, fills me with hope and despair in equal measure. I can see why they have a policy of "voluntary" ending of lives at a certain age, never wanting to be faced with Elders again, but, really? I have to ask myself how "free" that is.

In the end I have to say that this is a book that will stay with me for a long time. It grabbed my attention, since I wanted to find out what had happened in the past to create this weird society on Doriana. While I personally have a real issue with anything that is not a happy ending, I know many others will not find that a problem at all. With enough food for thought to keep anyone interested in our planet's future busy chewing on this for a while, in the end, I can only recommend you read it for yourself.

If you like sci-fi with human societies that are somewhat different from our own, if you enjoy finding out about their rules and ways of thinking as you read, and if you're looking for something that might not be quite as easy to digest as many other books, then you will probably like this short book.



NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
( )