Customer Reviews

The Edge of Human (Blade Runner, Book 2)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm sorry, but this sequel to the movie (not Philip K. Dicks' classic novel) misses the mark by a large margin. The ludicrous way in which two characters who quite obviously died previously (J. F. Sebastian and Pris) are suddenly brought back to life in this installment is laughable. The characterisations of Dave Holden and Deckard are as wooden as Keanu Reeves and the whole thing moves along as though its feet are stuck in concrete. There are some nice ideas at work here (Holdens rescue for example) but overall it just seems like a tired excuse for cashing in on the Blade Runner phenomenon. Avoid.

Let me begin with the admission that I was unable to finish this book. I made it to about page 90 and just had to put it down. So, my review will be based on that fact. Also, there are probably what would be considered to be some plot spoilers here, so please skip this review if you don't want to know information that might reveal some plot twists too soon.

I am a Bladerunner fan. I love the original, and I love the director's cut. I own them both. I have watched them so many times, I have lost count. I thought it was awesome that somebody wrote a sequel. I was reluctant to buy it, because I am not a fan of Mr. Jeter's other works. However, I finally picked it up one day.

I was determined to finish this book. Even when I saw that J. F. Sebastian, to me a person who was irrefutably killed in the movie, was still alive. And then, Pris is still alive. I thought at first Mr. Jeter did a fair job with the characterization of Deckard, and then that began to disappoint me, too. Then finally, the thing that made me put the book down. Mr. Jeter would have us believe that Pris was not truly a replicant.

I ask any fan of the movie if this is even conceivable? To me it was not, and was the final nail in the coffin for the book for me. I just couldn't go on any further. The book became an insult to it's source material in my opinion. I honestly don't see how any one who is a true fan of the movie could enjoy this novel.

Like many sequels, this one would have been best left unmade. Most sequels are more stillborns than vibrant offsprings. The best sequels are the ones we create in our own minds. I applaud Mr. Jeter for his effort to create a sequel to such a bastion of sci-fi history, but I question his outcome. Like any author, he deserves praise for his talent, and his creation, but it is not for me, and I would imagine, not for many Blade Runner fans as well.

Based on the merit of reading the first 90 pages or so of this book, I do not reccomend it. I'll stick to the movie, but this book is not Blade Runner canon to me.

Jeter does a so-so job in this book at picking up where the movie left off. However, this book is in no way related to DADoES? (which the book claims to "tie-in" with the movie) except for the character J.R. Isidore. My biggest grudge (which is even MORE apparent in the 3rd book!) is the fact that Jeter basically "re-runs" the movie so many times. IE) Many events in this book already happened in the movie, and are just re-written a little differently. However, the plot is okay and you are left with an unexpected twist at the end, which is good.

So people have wanted a sequel to Blade Runner the movie for some time. Ever since the director's cut (which was the better version IMHO), people have wondered if there was ever supposed to be a sequel since the happy ending in the theatrical version wasn't supposed to happen. Now, Jeter has given people what some thought they wanted: a sequel to Blade Runner that combines elements of both the movie and the book, and takes advantages of some of the mistakes that were made (the missing sixth replicant-actually scripted, but was cut out of the final filming because of budget constraints). Not a bad read, but Blade Runner fans (particularly those of the book) will most likely be disappointed. If you're a fan of the film, you might like it. Like Dick's writing style, it is moody, depressing, and uneven, but when Dick did it, it worked. When Jeter does it, it's only average.

I tend to be open about all forms of literature and most writers, even if there books are simple or immature you usually can get some interesting insights or at least superficial visceral entertainment from most stories. Sadly this writer gave me the first experience with the word HACK that I have ever truly encountered. Never before have I slammed face first into a pile of words that would actually be better described as excrement.

I did not find anything wrong with P.K. Dick's book, loved Ridley Scott's interpretation of the film, Blade Runner. But this was so bad I wondered if it was originally written on toilet paper, lost in the woods, and then found by some Hollywood type who hoped to sell it as a "property" to a B-Movie studio.

I have my own interpretation of the nuances in the original novel and the movie, as most do, but this clown seems to not understand any of the basic story premises as well as having the blackest mental cesspool for a view of the world I have seen since Mein Kampf. Early in the book we find that the basic premise is that, we (All humans) want our slaves to be as human as possible so we can "enjoy" there suffering. If your basic outlook of humanity is this low, I don't understand how he had time to write this book. I would expect Jeter would be in a cave somewhere and living off roots or shackled to a wall with a 200lbs Dom leaving red marks across his ass.

I kept reading this book thinking that all the stupid mistakes and idiotic premises thrown like feces from a monkey cage, would be exposed in the end, and we would return to somewhere near the original Dick/Scott galaxy. He has no additional insight in to any of the caricatures he reused from better writers, and I suspects, he needs to spend more time in the real world getting to know humans that are not drawn on his hand, to gain some wisdom about how real people operate and why.

Do not give this guy even the 1% royalty by purchasing this book anywhere(Sorry Amazon), except to support your local used book store to clear shelf space for ANYTHING else.

I just got through reading this, and I must say that I was happy with the job Jeter's take on the Blade Runner world.

First off, I am a huge Blade Runner/Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep fan. I know there are many of us, and some take their passion to a higher degree than others. That being said, if you read this book with an open mind, and don't hang on the original book's/movie's every word, you will enjoy this read.

Jeter follows the storyline of the movie rather than Dick's novel, but I was able to pick up the story right away. The story is innovative, and fresh. Of course a sequel would be silly now, but I wouldn't mind seeing this book turned into a graphic novel or animation movie.

Overall Blade Runner 2 is a fun romp through the Blade Runner world with creative twists and turns. As I said, unless you walk around dressed like Roy Batty or Deckard all day, you should enjoy most of this novel.

In seeking to emulate the film, while borrowing from Dick's novel whenever convenient, Jeter has done well in a venture that could be much worse than it is. His action sequences are hacked together, not to mention bland, as is his characterization of Deckard, who I felt played second banana to another character from the film who figures into the plot here. Occasionally, however, Jeter supplies his characters with musings about the distinction between human and replicant (or lack thereof) and we get just a taste of what it was like the first time we actually GOT Blade Runner (which probably wasn't the first time we saw it). I applaud most Jeter's bold denouement, which isn't afraid to shake things up and actually move the story forward. It came close to sending chills down my spine, as the ending of the film's director's cut. I also appreciate its consideration of Rachael's characterization in Dick's original novel, and how the two seemingly polar opposite personalities gel.

A movie-nerds' ... dream, what they'd all wished had been done with Highlander. A continuation of the movie's story in the style of Dick's book, with multiple scenes which are reporductions or reflections from the original (another Deckard/Batty fight in the rain on decaying city infrastructure). Pretty good for the Geekbook mindcandy category.

Twisting Plot, Great Atmosphere, fast paced action. Great to see the characters from the Blade Runner again. Would make a great movie plot, and that is probably what lets this book down a little. A little short, a bit more scope maybe a bit more theater and background. A few more questions answered. Otherwise a great read

Being a huge fan of the movie (director's cut version) I was extremely eager to see what Jeter had done with it. Jeter's style is complicated and depressing; which is probably what he intended. The story line swerves all over the place like a snake being held by the neck and Jeter does an above average job for a sequel. Some cronic fans of the movie will be let down, however, since the original is much better due to a less complicated but deeper storyline. Blade runner is a ten out of ten classic, but Blade Runner 2 is only above average. It was a bit of a dissapointment for me. It amuses me that the sixth replicant was actually just a mixup during the making of the movie and if they had done it correctly then this book would have been a completely different story. One thing that bugged me was some of the climaxes. Most of them were over the top; for instance when Deckard escapes from the police station and the very last climax. But generally speaking, it was still a good book that was intruiging reading. I wouldn't reccomend it to anyone and definetely not to people who havent seen the movie or read the book 'Do androids dream of electric sheep?'