Dying Light (Evergence) [Paperback]

Shane Dix (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 2001 | Series: Evergence

Morgan Roche has turned renegade to determine the truth about Adoni Cane. The answer, that he was the last of the genetically enhanced warriors called the Sol Wunderkind, shook the foundations of her world. Now, it seems that he may not be the last of them, and what of the unit known as "The Box"?

Product Details

• Paperback: 420 pages
• Publisher: Fpr-Books; paperback / softback edition (April 11, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1874082367
• ISBN-13: 978-1874082361
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,599,489 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

South Australian author and occasional DJ Sean Williams started writing in 1990 and has since published over sixty short stories across the speculative fiction genre and been reprinted in numerous Year's Best anthologies.

His novels have been compared to Peter Carey, Ursula LeGuin, Robert Silverberg, and the "Three Gregs" (Bear, Benford, and Egan). As well as fiction, he has written reviews, music (for which he won a Young Composer's Award in 1984), a stage play, and the odd haiku.

With Shane Dix he has co-authored the Evergence, Orphans and Geodesica series, and the New York Times-bestselling Star Wars: New Jedi Order: Force Heretic trilogy. Together, they have been described as the "Niven and Pournelle for the 21st Century".

A strong believer in giving back to the community, he has been a Chair of Australia's oldest Writers' Centre, a tutor for Clarion South, and is a judge for the Writers of the Future contest. He was recently awarded an MA in creative writing by his hometown university in Adelaide, South Australia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid future history with good characterizations, December 21, 2000

By 

Robert H. Nunnally Jr. "gurdonark" (Allen, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dying Light (Evergence, Book Two) (Paperback)

So many times today I read new sci fi, only to find it consumed with either rather juvenile descriptions of interpersonal intimacy or numbingly offensive instances of gory description. It seems to be a challenge some weeks to find a good future history story which is neither hopelessly dated, hopelessly violent, or hopelessly obsessed with adoloscent views of human relationships.

Evergence: The Dying Light is an exception to these dreary rules. Although it is the second in a series of which I had not read the first, I found it quite easy to follow. Although the story has some violence, and the characters are discernibly adult, it is neither a gore-fest nor a teen fantasy quest. Instead, it is serious sci fi, in the future history mold, with good plot and good characterization.

The plot involves a female protagonist in a distant future, with a diverse and sympathetic crew, facing challenges both mundane and devastating under circumstances in which the powers that be know the value of a lot of cards, but they ain't showing their hands. In other words, it's the "quest among uncertain forces" motif, but done in a fairly fresh, if not quite novel, setting.

I instinctively shy away from two-author works because so many either have an unsatisfying "compromise" feel to the narrative voice or have chapters written in different hands so divergent that they barely plot in together. This book raises no such concerns. It is well-written, consistent, and holds together.

This is not a perfect book. The future universe created has its interesting aspects, but seems largely synthesized from what has gone before. There is little of the "oh,wow" about the future extrapolations that result, and I am small-minded enough to confess that I want a little "oh, wow" in my sci fi. But I recommend this book nonetheless....a solid, good day's read, well done.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent light reading, August 1, 2000

By 

Jim Stockwell - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dying Light (Evergence, Book Two) (Paperback)

This book is light reading SciFi; excellent for passing time, but, you will be able to put it down to eat, see your family, etc.

Pluses: A story line that kept you involved and wondering; interesting character; the pages turned themselves.

Minuses: Nothing in the story was a new idea that inspired awe. Also, although the characters were interesting, they were not really explored in too much depth.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really good trilogies are rare, but this one delivers., March 14, 2002

By 

Tlblues (Woodinville, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dying Light (Evergence, Book Two) (Paperback)

This trio is one the best stories I've read, the pace moves along, the characters are great and very real. There are so many twists you never know who's behind any given event. I loved the stories within stories, the doubt of loyalty of a main character and the heroine's dilemma of figuring out whom to trust. The AI known as "box" is a super idea, and one that just keeps the reader guessing.
I will read the entire story again. Great job Sean and Shane!!! Lets have MORE!