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Thursday, July 28, 2011

HUMAN.4 by Mike A. Lancaster

Okay, so another sci fi today, and this one is great. I had HUMAN.4 sitting on my table for probably two months before I picked it up. I didn't know what it was about, because I make it a point NOT to read the backs of books before I read. I want to go in cold.

So I hadn't heard of HUMAN.4 and I didn't know what it was about. That's probably why it took me so long to pick it up. Because once I did, I couldn't stop. It's a very fast read, complete with a well-fleshed character and compelling storytelling.

I guess I'll tell you a little bit about it.


Kyle Straker volunteered to be hypnotized at the annual community talent show, expecting the same old lame amateur acts. But when he wakes up, his world will never be the same. Televisions and computers no longer work, but a strange language streams across their screens. Everyone’s behaving oddly. It’s as if Kyle doesn’t exit.

Is this nightmare a result of the hypnosis? Will Kyle wake up with a snap of fingers to roars of laughter? Or is this something much more sinister?

Narrated on a set of found cassette tapes at an unspecified point in the future, Human.4 is an absolutely chilling look at technology gone too far.

I mean, dude. DUDE. The last book I read that was narrated on tapes was Thirteen Reasons Why, and I loved that book too.

And this is futuristic recordings on tape. Win/WIN. I thought the plot was smart; the author feeds the reader in perfect-sized bites of information, pulling them along to the conclusion. And I'm a fan of smart storytelling and smart plotting.

If you like science fiction at all, you'll like HUMAN.4.

So...do you like science fiction at all? What's your favorite sci fi read?

Check out what the other Bookanistas are up to this week at the Reading Room.

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16 comments:

  1. Alex J. CavanaughJuly 28, 2011 at 5:27 AM

    Of course I like science fiction - that's what I write! I'll look for this in the iBookstore.

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  2. Natalie AguirreJuly 28, 2011 at 5:41 AM

    Sounds like an awesome book. I hadn't heard about it. Thanks.

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  3. storyqueenJuly 28, 2011 at 7:53 AM

    I kind of got a little chill up my spine when I read the description.

    Way.Cool.

    Shelley

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  4. KristaJuly 28, 2011 at 8:21 AM

    I love sci-fi, although recently I have been watching it more then reading it. Two if my favorites that I can think of right now are ST:TNG Here There Be Dragons and the short story The Ugliest Little Boy by Isaac Asimov.

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  5. Michael Di GesuJuly 28, 2011 at 8:41 AM

    I'm not a huge sci-fi fan, but I can be coaxed into reading it... This sounds like a good read.

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  6. Christine FonsecaJuly 28, 2011 at 8:56 AM

    I loved this one too!!!

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  7. ShalleeJuly 28, 2011 at 11:06 AM

    I LOVE sci fi-- it's what I write, and where I find some of my favorite reads. Ender's Game is one of my all-time favorites, but I recently read Song of Scarabaeus, and absolutely loved it. I'll have to look into Human.4, it sounds fascinating! Thanks for sharing. :)

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  8. Carolina M. Valdez SchneiderJuly 28, 2011 at 11:20 AM

    This was one of those I ended up not being able to read because I got it when I was on a blogging hiatus and got too backed up with books. Yeesh. I'll have to get a hold of it when I get a breather. Sounds awesome!

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  9. Theresa MilsteinJuly 28, 2011 at 12:16 PM

    I can't believe there are cassette tapes in the future. They're hard to find now. And if I could, what would I play them on?

    That sounds like a unique premise. Now I'll never want to be hypnotized!

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  10. KrispyJuly 28, 2011 at 3:04 PM

    Wow, the premise hooked me. Now I want to know what happens!

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  11. CherylAnne HamJuly 28, 2011 at 3:31 PM

    Whoa, that sounds awesome. My TBR list keeps getting bigger and bigger. Thanks for sharing this. :D

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  12. Jeff KingJuly 28, 2011 at 7:48 PM

    Anything you like I will.

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  13. KarenJuly 29, 2011 at 10:16 AM

    I do like SciFi! I say "like" because I'm a bit picky. I won't read SciFi simply because it's SciFi, but if the premise sounds interesting, I'm going to read it. (So, unlike you, I NEED to read the back cover) ;) The story you describe above? Yeah, I'd TOTALLY like to read it. :)

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  14. Leslie S. RoseJuly 29, 2011 at 2:52 PM

    Did somebody say, "SciFi?" I'm in. In fact that book caught my eye at the book store last week. Why oh why didn't I grab it? Here Kindle, Kindle, Kindle...

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  15. AnonymousJuly 30, 2011 at 9:54 AM

    I haven't seen this book before, so thanks for sharing it.

    I'm a Ray Bradbury fiend.

    Have a great weekend.

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  16. Ishta MercurioJuly 31, 2011 at 5:58 PM

    Oh, wow, this one sounds good. I love the idea of someone who was hypnotized, and now doesn't know what's going on. The premise is SO promising!

    Thanks for the review. :-)

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