Lord of Candy reviewed Blindsight (Firefall, #1) by Peter Watts
Review of 'Blindsight (Firefall, #1)' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I am not worthy.
I read the omnibus of both titles back to back and my mental capacity as a roach just isn't up to the task. Anyone who can write this much detail, thought, future forecasting, deep thought of the human condition and those conditions if they could be extrapolated into some form of meta-human just BLOWS MY MIND.
I am also not sure if I can be more additive to other reviewers. We have a not-so-far-in-the-future event that for a moment galvanizes humanity. A humanity on the brink of losing its humanity maybe for good reasons, maybe for selfish--but we're changing and we can already see that beginning of change in today's science.
This moment, an exo-solar event around the world and we seek its source. With a motley crew that reminds me of a Suicide Squad goes to find what they can. What they find is.. wait …
I am not worthy.
I read the omnibus of both titles back to back and my mental capacity as a roach just isn't up to the task. Anyone who can write this much detail, thought, future forecasting, deep thought of the human condition and those conditions if they could be extrapolated into some form of meta-human just BLOWS MY MIND.
I am also not sure if I can be more additive to other reviewers. We have a not-so-far-in-the-future event that for a moment galvanizes humanity. A humanity on the brink of losing its humanity maybe for good reasons, maybe for selfish--but we're changing and we can already see that beginning of change in today's science.
This moment, an exo-solar event around the world and we seek its source. With a motley crew that reminds me of a Suicide Squad goes to find what they can. What they find is.. wait for it.. alien. If you've ever ready any of[b:Old Man's War|51964|Old Man's War (Old Man's War, #1)|John Scalzi|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487044882s/51964.jpg|50700] you quickly figure out that if the universe does have alien life. Be prepared for it to be really alien. This alien even in its way out their protozoan incarnation is insane in its capacity.
As we analyze and try to understand it we are faced with understanding ourselves and Watts is unforgiving in his methods of peeling back the human condition and physicality with a near book of bibliography rooting so much in the possible and probable it'll scare you.
The narrator or the view of the narrative is from a character who tries as best he can, due to biology and specialty to sit on the outside of events reading everything's soul from the surface. His attempts at dissecting the events and characters before him seem spot on at the beginning but as the events unfold his own faculties are misdirected, cracked, and strained to the breaking point--maybe beyond.
As an aside, this book tiptoed into a horror like moments, well written and giving me a few deep nights of the heeby-jeebies. I have enough stress in my life and usually steer clear of fright so it caught me by surprise a few times in the visceral or inversely disconnected moments that make you want to turn on the lights and not be alone.
This book wants me to be smarter and I'm thankful for the waterline it gave me. Intelligent, characters that will make you think, ideas that will have you searching the net--highlighting and wondering days later. It's not an easy read, it's smart sci-fi-bio-psyc and I hope intrepid reader you'll enjoy it if not stand in awe at its creative capacity.
