ONE OF US. [Paperback]

Michael Marshall. Smith (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Harper Collins (1998)
• ASIN: B000O8V1IS
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Novelist, short story writer and screenwriter, writing under the names Michael Marshall Smith and Michael Marshall. As the former, winner of the International Horror Guild and Philip K Dick Award - in addition to winning the British Fantasy Award for best short story more than any other author in history. As Michael Marshall, an internationally-bestselling writer of thrillers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun!, November 20, 2000

By 

mellion108 (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: One of Us (Mass Market Paperback)

I picked this one up on a whim. I had never heard of Mr. Smith, and I certainly hadn't read anything by him prior to this. Talking, walking alarm clocks? Roving bands of coffee makers? Is this book for real????? Luckily I continued reading despite my initial reaction to the story. I am so glad I gave this book a chance. It is bizarre, it is surreal, but somehow it all works.
Hap Thompson narrates this story about how he came to be employed as a dream and memory receiver, and how this line of work quickly puts him in danger. On the sly, Hap decides to accept a memory (which is illegal work) from a client who then refuses to take back the memory; Hap is in danger not only of going to prison for life but of being killed for this memory. He then sets out on a roller-coaster adventure that addresses ethical, philosophical and theological issues....but it's done in such a tongue-in-cheek, film noir style that it avoids being preachy.
The setting is sometime in the future in a world where humans share space with appliances that not only talk but have attitude. Surfing the internet takes on a literal meaning in this story, and computer hacking is central to the plot. This is a quick, funny, suspense story, and I enjoyed it immensely. Sometimes I'm totally surprised by a book....this one surprised me by how much I enjoyed it. I described it to a friend as Mickey Spillane meets Alice in Wonderland meets the X-Files meets Brave Little Toaster.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ensnared, April 26, 2001

By 

John Barry - See all my reviews

This review is from: One of Us (Mass Market Paperback)

I had this book pressed upon me. My friend gave it to me far to early one morning. Every time I met him he asked me if I was reading it yet. Eventually I started it. And was thoroughly confused. The opening is utterly preplexing, but intriguing. It draws you in. Then you get to the premise, and that's it. Forget about stopping, it's not really an option.

Sure, many of the ideas may not be original, but frankly, there's not much originality out there. The genius is in the mix, and Michael Marshall Smith get it just right. He does something that doesn't seem to be widely expected in the days of 5-second attention spans, he makes you think. And wait. The anticipation of an explanation for the various events that shaped Hap's life are what drives the book along. When I finally got to the bank, I was remarkably excited about it (actually, to such an extent that the more detached part of my mind was really worried about me), but it was quite an unusual experience.

Lastly, I have to comment on the humour in the book. I think that's why my friend was so insistent on my reading it. The humour of the book is brilliant. I haven't laughed reading a book so much in quite a while. Jingo, by Terry Pratchett, perhaps. That was 1997. Incedentally, if anybody has read both, and reflecting on the use of other material, did you notice the similarity between Hap's alarm clock and the Disorganiser Lady Sibyl got Vimes?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fabulous book, but you only have to read it once!, December 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: One of Us (Hardcover)

One Of Us is a very well crafted novel featuring modern-day humanity in a not-too distant future. I love Smith's knack for twists on technology - the talking appliances (also seen in Spares but less developed) add quite a bit of humor to the reading. Smith also has a fabulous way of describing the ordinary that will make you chuckle.

I found myself drawn in throughout the book in a similar way to the first two. I say one only must read it once as a comparison to Only Forward, and even Spares. With Only Forward, I immediately turned back to the first page and started reading the entire book again, having so many questions. What drew me in was Smith's ability to make you think - and though there are signs of it in One Of Us, it lacks some of the power in Only Forward. Still, it is a complete book and one I would highly recommend!!