Customer Reviews

Prime

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I liked this novella and would have probably been blown away if I hadn't already read a number of novels in this genre. That being the case, there wasn't really anything original here. While reading, I was reminded of the following stories: Neuromancer, Johnny Mnemonic, Electric Church (Avery Cates kicks butt!), Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Altered Carbon. The point being, I never really felt like I was reading, Prime.

From Bram Stoker Finalist Nate Kenyon comes a blistering, fast-paced tale channeling the likes of "Blade Runner", "Johnny Mnemonic", even a bit of "The Matrix". Offering social commentary as well as thrills and intrigue, Kenyon shifts from horror to science fiction and cyberpunk smoothly, enhancing an already strong storytelling reputation and widening his repertoire.

From the moment William Bellow arrives on-site at New London to eliminate a deadly programming bug in their lucrative virtual reality program, he senses something amiss. The managers act overly protective, secretive and ambivalent about his presence, reluctant to give him access to certain files - despite recent deaths caused by their program. Also, it quickly becomes clear that he's being monitored, perhaps by New London security forces. When he meets a mysterious girl named Kara, his questions increase. Who is she? Why does she seem so familiar?

And why is there a room full of Kara-clones, waiting to be born?

Bellows also questions himself. Six years ago he suffered a terrible accident, almost lost himself in cyberspace. Why are his memories of recovery so hazy? What really happened to him that day? And why would New London hire him, someone who's been out of the game for six years?

The answer lies inside the great computer servers at New London. A dark presence lurks there, far greater than any security program or computer virus, and it wants him in particular. When next he goes online, he may never return.

To say that this is Kenyon's best work is a bit of a misnomer - indicating his other works are of lesser quality, which is simply not true. "Prime", however, is much more ambitious, and offers serious introspection on the nature of man and technology...and where our world is headed. In a way - while carefully avoiding hyperbole - "Prime" offers a similar impact as Bradbury's classic "Fahrenheit 451", because in a world that becomes ever more "plastic", where "reality" is so easily simulated...Kenyon's story is hauntingly plausible.

Such a well written, intelligent book. Suspensful and action-packed, gives you a taste of what the future may hold and how technology will eventually run the world..very good. and scary. and believable.

I'm an avid fan of science fiction so I tend to find myself taking lots of chances with new (to me) writers. Often, I find myself reading good stories clumsily told, or fine prose wasted on a sorry tale. Not this time. This time I discovered Nate Kenyon. This is a tale told in a sparse, compelling style that grabs you and doesn't let go. This is a story told in a way that lets the reader participate. Kenyon allows you to add the details in your mind and then is careful not to tear that vision down. There are instances, perhaps, where the sand doesn't always stick; but it is still beautiful sand. Try it. You'll like it.

Nate Kenyon, already one of the top writers working in the horror genre today, enters the world of techno/cyber-punk thriller with his novella, PRIME.

The novella rings with obvious comparison to Philllip K. Dick's classic, "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?" that was later turned in to the film, "Blade Runner". When William Bellow is hired to track down a cyber-bug that threatens to bring down an entire virtual network he gets more than he bargained for --- including insight into his own existence and place in the world. Like Decker from "Blade Runner", the character of Bellow is a noir P.I. in a futuristic setting where his own mortality is in question.

To say more would give too much away. Leave it said that Kenyon's venture away from horror is a thought-provoking and interesting work of modern sci-fi.

Nate Kenyon's short futuristic novel is a quick read and a perfect book to read while you are on the road. The slightly larger than normal print makes reading the book very easy on the eyes. The tale takes place in the not too distant future and it focuses on the problems and benefits of the mixing of man and machine. I found the book to be at times predictable but at other times the plot turned and made me rethink my first guess. I like this, because I felt like I was moving through the story with the characters, at times knowing what was happening and then being surprised...which is what happens very often in real life. I look forward to more science fiction books from Mr. Kenyon as he improves his craft.

The advancement of science continues to dehumanize people, yet could it eventually go too far? "Prime" tells the story of one William Bellow, a man who finds himself coming closer and closer with something known as the 'Transformation' which pushes him to becoming more machine than man. But Bellow may lose his life in this process, as he has to fight for his very existence in multiple fronts of the world. "Prime" is something that will entice many a science fiction reader.

It's a job no one else wanted... but William Bellows is willing to give it a shot. However, from the moment he arrives at the New London Towers, he meets resistance at every turn. Three users of the New London computer programming have been killed while accessing the virtual system and yet no one wants to give him the access he needs to find the bug within the programming. Is Kara a friend or foe? And just why is he being monitored with his every move?

PRIME is a phenomenal science fiction tale that offers a dark glimpse of what happens when reality becomes too enmeshed with virtual reality. Does a clone have free will or the same rights as one who is not a clone? What are the roles of government and religion as they apply to free will of the individual? Nate Kenyon delves deep into the world of science fiction to ask just these sorts of questions in a world that is disturbingly similar to our own.

Nate Kenyon excels at world building as he crafts a world in which technology dominates society. However, PRIME is not the sort of tale in which the technical details overwhelm the story. Instead, Nate Kenyon uses this backdrop to address issues of today as he offers a startling grim look at what can go awry when the lines between reality and the virtual world are blurred.

PRIME is a short book but one that produces some very thought provoking questions with each reread offering a new perspective. Nate Kenyon's science fiction tale has all the earmarks of a classic. Bravo!

COURTESY OF BOOK ILLUMINATIONS

PRIME is an awesome futuristic thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat through the whole book. It has many exciting twists and turns and the ending is superb.
Lorraine

I got about half way through this and gave up. The characterization is incredibly weak. The characters seemed paper-thin, and their actions were totally unconvincing. Nothing but cliches in this that I could find. Don't bother with this book.