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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everything We Know is Until We Find Out Otherwise..., March 8, 2010
This review is from: First Cause: A Novel About Human Possibility (Paperback)
The title of this review is the subtitle of the book but I believe it is a simple, yet genius, notion that really comes to light in Paul West's first novel.
I like the other reviewer did not read anything about this book or the plot (besides the back cover) before delving into it and I was not disappointed. First Cause was an exciting page turner and extremely thought-provoking in a positive way.
I loved that the book was written partly in flash-back sequences in to build interest but segues into real-time about half-way through to keep it from becoming too confusing.
The author uses a fictional human race (Luceri)that has been removed from Earth for quite some years to offer an outside point of view of our society as a whole that I believe is spot on, but rarely recognized by any of us "terrestrials," those of us still living on Earth.
The way his characters discuss human nature and its flaws is something that we all know to be true but tend to overlook or we too often reserve those negative opinions for other humans, races, ethnicities, etc... but never admit that we possess the same qualities ourselves.
I found this book to be truly enlightening and thought-provoking, not because he came up with anything new and unheard-of necessarily,but rather because he brilliantly brought to light something that is right in front of our noses yet most people rarely take a second to realize it's there.
The only negative thing I have to say upon finishing the book is that I am left wondering what the future holds for the characters and the world. While I realize that resolving all of the conflicts of this story would be too much like proposing a solution for all of the world's problems, I still hope there is a sequel to come.
Great Job Paul!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Page-turner with a brain, July 20, 2010
This review is from: First Cause: A Novel About Human Possibility (Paperback)
I know it's cliche to say that I couldn't put this book down, but this is one of the few times that it's actually been true for me. Usually books that keep one this engaged are thick on suspense and short on meaning, but First Cause actually pays as much attention to the motivations and philosophies of the characters (who serve, in my reading, as proxies for various elements of society as a whole) as it does to the machinations of the plot - and for the most part does so without defraying the tension (though a few times we get to hear a bit too many of the main character's fears and insecurities). As with some of the best science fiction, the most "sci-fi" part of the book is the premise, which merely acts to set up a world co-inhabited by "aliens" in which an altogether human drama takes place. Definitely recommended.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
When is the next book due?, February 14, 2010
This review is from: First Cause: A Novel About Human Possibility (Paperback)
To begin with, I received this book as a contest prize from Goodreads First Reads. I had no idea what it was about, nor did I look it up anywhere. I didn't even look for any reviews (which I normally do before I read a book).
With an explosive beginning, this book kept my attention to the end. At first, I thought it would be a book about the United States being attacked by Islamic terrorists (since that is what everyone has on their minds). However, my beliefs were dispelled a short time into the book when it was revealed that an offshoot of humanity was attempting to gain a foothold and return their populace to Earth.
As we discover from Angela, there is a colony of humans known as the Luceri on one of the moons of a neighboring planet they named Lucero. They left Earth in the 1930's to escape the conditions at the time. She is a part of an advance "defense force" sent to Earth to begin the process of their return. The Luceri believe they can bring peace to the world and advance humankind.
The Luceri "terranauts" as the defense force is called, sets events into motion that test the morals and ethics of people around the world. Explosions that rocked every major city on the planet within a few days of each other had the peoples of the world blaming each other for attacking.
The United States government is decimated and run by a "cabinet" chosen to work with the provisional President. Martial law is declared to help calm everyone down. Unfortunately, there are those in the group who have their own agendas.
Angela decides to help against her own people and becomes prey for the other Luceri on Earth. She manages to stay hidden for a time with Adam (who helped her understand that there is more to humanity than she was taught). The two are captured by rogue members of the government who try to pump information out of them. Thankfully, Adam, through his contacts, had already been it contact with the President and informed him of what was going on. When the President discovered Adam and Angela were being held against their will, he ordered them released.
The book could be considered a corollary to life here in the real world. A nation is attacked on their own soil (think September 11). Members within the government attempt to curtail civil rights and gain power for themselves. The public is kept in the dark about what Is really happening. The Luceri could very well have been from the same terrorist organization that attacked the United States in 2001. It's not as if they were truly aliens. They were human.
In all, First Cause is a well written, thought provoking book (although it did end with the fates of everyone up in the air). It's an exciting read for anyone whether they enjoy science fiction or not. If not for the fact of the Luceri being an advanced offshoot of humanity who left the planet, this really would not read as a science fiction novel. It does not contain any far-fetched technology or a lot of technobabble. It's a book anyone can read and enjoy.
I look forward to Mr. West's next book.
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