Human [Kindle Edition]

Robert Berke (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Elijah Smith's mind has been replaced, piece-by-piece, with virtual counterparts. His transformation thrusts his survivors into a maelstrom of violence, danger, and intrigue. Only Smith has the power to save them -- provided that he is still human.

Mankind has been merging with his technology since the first time a caveman picked up a walking stick. We easily accept the fact that eyeglasses, pacemakers, and prosthetic limbs improve or replace human biology. Soon we will have to accept the fact that the human mind can also be improved or replaced by the addition of technological components.

HUMAN combines elements of a spy thriller with a cautionary tale about man's quest to use technology to escape death. The heart-racing climax leads to a haunting conclusion will make you question everything you think you know about what it actually means to be human.

About the Author

Robert G. Berke was born in New York, New York, but raised in the Town of Niskayuna in New York's upstate Schenectady County. He presently lives near Los Angeles, California with his wife and two daughters.

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 536 KB
• Publisher: MultiModoMedia (December 18, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006NTV4IO
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,673 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

Robert G. Berke was born in New York, New York, but raised in the Town of Niskayuna in Upstate New York's Schenectady County. He presently lives near Los Angeles, California with his wife and two daughters. His first novel, "Human", was published by MultiModoMedia Press to critical acclaim. His second novel, tentatively titled "Artist", has been accepted for publication and is due to be released in summer 2012.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very, very interesting read., January 23, 2012

By 

Bill "Spaceman" Zimmer "Peace" (Dunno, Where?) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Human (Kindle Edition)

This book took a long time to get rolling, but when it did it really took off. I was never quite sure where the story was heading until almost two-thirds of the way through when everything started to come together. This book gets a little lecture-like at times, but those lectury parts actually are even more memorable than the story. This is the first 99¢ Kindle Book I've read and I was kind of pleasantly surprised. I actually just kind of thought the cover was cool.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I liked it a lot., February 2, 2012

By 

Emily - See all my reviews

This review is from: Human (Kindle Edition)

I didn't find this book slow going at the beginning at all. I thought it was very well-paced, and its true that by the end the pace is almost frenetic. The book twists and turns in all kinds of directions that you just don't see coming, but the writer was pretty good at tying it all together. I do have to agree that some of the more philosophical points seem forced, but its clear that the author had some kind of point to make.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars challenging but totally worth it., February 13, 2012

By 

Matt T. - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Human (Paperback)

First of all, I loved this book, but it is challenging to read. The author zooms in and out between science fiction, spy thriller, romance, and other genres so its not only the plot that keeps the reader off balance. I don't know if its properly characterized as science fiction, but Berke has clearly taken great pains to make the science feel very real. I disagree with some of the other reviews about the slow beginning or bad pacing. The pace of the book increased steadily and at a fairly constant rate. Granted that means the beginning moves slower than the end and there is a lot of forced exposition in the first few pages, but the tensions in the book just keep rising and rising. There's no question that this is not a fluff fiction or escapist fantasy book. The technology at the center of this book is right around the corner and the questions that this book raises will need to be answered. In its own way, this book is brilliant and not necessarily for the story.