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Michael J. Sullivan
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Hollow World Paperback – April 15, 2014

by Michael J. Sullivan (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 1,171 ratings
Goodreads Choice Award nominee
See all formats and editions
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*** NOTE: Free ebook with print or audio purchase. Details inside ***

THE FUTURE IS COMING...FOR SOME SOONER THAN OTHERS
Ellis Rogers is an ordinary man who is about to embark on an extraordinary journey. All his life he has played it safe and done the right thing, but faced with a terminal illness he's willing to take an insane gamble. He's built a time machine in his garage, and if it works, he'll face a world that challenges his understanding of what it means to be human, what it takes to love, and the cost of paradise. Ellis could find more than a cure for his illness; he might find what everyone has been searching for since time began...but only if he can survive Hollow World.

Welcome to the future and a new science fiction thriller from the bestselling author of the Riyria Revelations and the Riyria Chronicles. Sullivan's novels have been translated into fifteen foreign languages and have been selected for more than eighty-five best of the year or most anticipated lists, including those compiled by Library Journal, Barnes & Noble.com, and Goodreads. 
LISTS FEATURING HOLLOW WORLD: 
  • Barnes and Noble's Top Fantasy and Science Fiction Picks for April 2014
  • Audible's Spring Preview 2014: The Best New Sci-Fi & Fantasy
  • Ranting Dragon's Fantasy and Science-Fiction Novels Worth Reading in April 2014
  • The Founding Field's Top 25 Books of 2013
  • The AudioBookaneers's Picks of the week for April 9th, 2014
  • The Book Probe's 2014 Most Anticipating Sci-Fi Novels
  • The Bibliosanctum's Top 10 Reads of 2013
  • Fantasy Review Barn's Barney Award for outstanding reads of 2013
  • Ranting Dragon's 30 Most Anticipated Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels for 2014
Michael Sullivan's NovelsThe Riyria Revelations
  • Theft of Swords (2011 - contains The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha)
  • Rise of Empire (2011- contains Nyphron Rising and The Emerald Storm)
  • Heir of Novron (2012 - contains Wintertide and Percepliquis)
The Riyria Chronicles
  • The Crown Tower (2013)
  • The Rose and the Thorn (2013)
  • Blood of Thieves (2013 - contains The Crown Tower and The Rose and the Thorn)
Standalone Novels
  • Hollow World (2014)
  • Antithesis (release to be determined)
  • A Burden to the Earth (release to be determined)
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  1. Print length
    384 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Tachyon Publications
  4. Publication date
    April 15, 2014
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    161696183X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1616961831
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Hollow World is a modern science fiction classic...It's perfect for both fans of science fiction as well as those curious about the genre. I'd also recommend it to anyone that likes to read books that encourage the reader to pause and ponder." -- Brannigan Cheney, The Quillery

"This is social science fiction that H.G. Wells or Isaac Asimov could have written, with the cultural touchstones of today. A modernized classic, Hollow World is the perfect novel for both new and nostalgic science fiction readers." -- Justin Landon, Staffer's Book Reviews

"Hollow World was easily one of my top reads of 2013...I rate this book highly based on pure enjoyment factor; Hollow World is so many things, but without a doubt, the best part about it is also its most obvious duality: that is it at once a light and entertaining read, but also heavy on important issues and philosophy." -- Stephenie Sheung, Bibliosanctum


"I'm happy to report that not only does Hollow World establish Sullivan as a force to be reckoned with in any genre he chooses to ply his talent to, it also is a prime example of one of the reasons speculative fiction is so important." -- Matt Gilliard, 52 Book Reviews

"Hollow World is one of those old style science fiction books I never really expected to see again." -- Christopher Mansell, A Writer's Sidequest

"This is a clever and thought-provoking story, with loads of interesting ideas, some adrenalin-pumping action and plenty of humour...overall an entertaining read with Pax being one of my favourite characters of the year." -- Pauline M. Ross, Fantasy Review Barn
"A novel that begins with sorrow and regret becomes a story of wonder and discovery that is at turns compelling and intriguing."-- Rob H. Bedford, SFFWorld.com

"Michael J. Sullivan has made a name for himself with his excellent series of fantasy novels and Hollow World proves he can deftly tackle science fiction just as skillfully. The ideas are big and the future plausible, this is one of those rare gems you'll be thinking about long after you put it down." - Bryce Lee, Only the Best Science Fiction & Fantasy

From the Author

Hollow World is a story I never meant to write. At any given time I have seven or eight novels sitting in a queue waiting their turn, and Hollow World wasn't one of them. It started out because of an anthology called The End--Visions of Apocalypse edited by N. E. White. Nila runs writing contests on sffworld and wanted to put out an anthology to showcase some new writers. She asked me and a few other established authors to act as anchors in the hopes of a wider readership. The first short story I wrote for her sparked what would become Hollow World, which really wanted to be a full-length novel. So I wrote a new story for Nila (Burning Alexandria) and pushed aside all my other projects to write this "book of the heart" that got into my head and wouldn't let me go.

When I started writing Hollow World, I suspected getting it published would be challenging. First, I'm established in epic fantasy, so crossing genres and moving into science fiction isn't what my (or I suspected other) publishers would be interested in.  Also, it is very much a cross-genre piece containing elements of science fiction, a heroes journey, and even a murder mystery all in a single book. To make matters worse, it deals with controversial subjects which I won't get into here as I don't want any spoilers. Last, but not least, it has a classic, retro vibe of the science fiction I loved in my youth, and I was told that the current market was focusing on space opera and military science fiction.

None of this deterred me. As with my other books, I was writing something I wanted to read. While I hoped there would be those that would want to read it, too, that was secondary to the fact that I just "had" to tell this story. I had already been successfully self-published in the past, and I was more than willing to do that again in order to get this book in front of readers. As it turned out, I got a nice five-figure offer for the book...but (the devil isn't in the details, it's in the buts) that publisher wanted full rights: print, ebook, and audio.  I REALLY wanted to keep the ebook rights so I turned that down and went in search of a "print-only" deal.

For those that don't know, there have only been a few "print-only" deals...and all of them by authors who sell at blockbuster levels (Hugh Howey, Brandon Sanderson, Bella Andre, and Coleen Hoover). But I figured nothing ventured nothing gained, so my agent approached Tachyon Publishing (who did Brandon Sanderson's print-only deal for his Hugo winning The Emperor's Soul) and they made me an offer which I gladly accepted.  I then sold the audio rights to Recorded Books, which have done such a great job with my Riyria Revelations and Riyria Chronicle novels.

One of the big advantages about retaining ownership of the ebook is that I can do some things that other publishers can't...namely:
  • I can offer free ebooks for anyone who buys the print or audio versions version
  • Provide my books DRM free so that they can be read them from multiple sources
  • Provide all ebook formats so readers can read it on their kindle, ipad, or nook
  • Offer a non-explicit language version for those who are sensitive to swearing
I'm really excited by this new publishing paradigm.  My hope is that it will be good for the readers, Tachyon Publications, Recorded Books, and myself. A win-win-win-win-win if ever there was one.

So, anyway that's probably more than you wanted to know about how Hollow World came into being and the unusual way in which it is being published. I do hope you'll enjoy it, and if you do, and would like more books in this world and with these characters, let me know. It's feedback from readers that often determines what I write in the future.

Michael J. Sullivan | @author_sullivan | michael.sullivan.dc@gmail.com

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tachyon Publications (April 15, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 161696183X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1616961831
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 1,171 ratings

About the author

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Michael J. Sullivan

Michael J. Sullivan

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Michael J. Sullivan is a New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post bestselling author, and no one is more surprised by those facts than he. When just a boy, Michael found a typewriter in the basement of a friend's house, inserted a blank piece of paper, and typed, "It was a dark and stormy night." He was just ten years old and mimicking the only writer he knew at the time: Snoopy. That spark ignited a flame, and Michael's desire to fill blank pages became a life-long obsession. As an adult, Michael spent more than ten years developing his craft by studying authors such as Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, and John Steinbeck. During that time, he wrote thirteen novels but found no interest from the publishing industry. Since insanity is repeating the same action while expecting a different result, he made the rational choice and quit, vowing never to write creatively again.

Never turned out to be too long for Michael, and after a decade, he returned to the keyboard in his forties, but with one condition: He wouldn't seek publication. Instead, he wrote a series of books that had been building in his head during his hiatus. His first reading love was fantasy, and he hoped to foster a similar reaction in his then thirteen-year-old daughter who struggled due to dyslexia. After reading the third book of this series, his wife insisted that the novels had to "get out there." When Michael refused to jump back onto the query-go-round, Robin took over the publication tasks, and she has run the business side of his writing ever since.

Currently, Michael has released eighteen novels (and written twenty): The Riyria Revelations (6 books in 3 two-book omnibus editions from Orbit), The Riyria Chronicles (2 books from Orbit and 2 indie-published), Legends of the First Empire (3 books from Del Rey and 3 indie-published), Rise and Fall (Nolyn (2021, Farilane (coming 2022), Esrhadon (coming 2023) and a standalone science fiction thriller called Hollow World (from Tachyon Publications).

The next Riyria novel, Drumindor, has been green-lighted, but no publication date has been released.

Michael is one of the few authors who has successfully published through all three routes: small press, self, and big five. Some key accomplishments of his career include:

* New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post bestselling author

* 9 Goodreads Choice Award Nominations

* Named to io9's Most Successful Self-Published Sci-Fi and Fantasy authors

* Sold more than 2 Million English copies

* Been translated into 15 foreign language

* Spent more than 6 years on Amazon's Bestselling Fantasy Author's list

* His books have been named to more than 250 best-of or most-anticipated lists including those compiled by Library Journal, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Goodreads.com, and Audible.com

Contact Info:

* email: michael @ michaelsullivan-author.com

* Twitter: @ author_sullivan

* Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2063919.Michael_J_Sullivan

* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.james.sullivan

Sign up for Michael's Newsletter at: http://bit.ly/36P5GUs

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
1,171 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book thought-provoking and detailed. They describe it as a wonderful, enjoyable read with good writing. Readers also find the characters fascinating and intelligent. Opinions are mixed on the story quality, with some finding it engrossing and relatable, while others say it has a blatant plot hole.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
Thought provokingReadabilityWriting qualityCharacter developmentPacingStory quality
55 customers mention "Thought provoking"55 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking, well-written, and philosophical. They say the world is detailed and rich. Readers also mention the book is engaging and soul-searching.

"...an intriguing futuristic thriller3.)..." Read more

"...The characters were well developed, the world detailed and rich, and, as I said, the writing stunning... but even with all it’s qualities, I just..." Read more

"...I found it to be interesting and somewhat thought provoking, rather than offensive, as it isn't intended to sway me to someone's thinking, but..." Read more

"Sullivan has a very interesting take on a future world integrated with technology as motivated by “past” events...." Read more

45 customers mention "Readability"45 positive0 negative

Customers find the book wonderful, enjoyable, and well-thought-out. They say the author is funny and likable. Readers also mention the book starts out really good and the writing is excellent.

"...story telling and features endearing characters that attract a plethora of willing readers... all of which buy his books; the significance of which I..." Read more

"...To conclude my ramblings, I think Hollow World was an enjoyable read, interesting, thought provoking, and wonderfully written...." Read more

"...I found "her" to be funny and quite likeable, even a little sassy. Again, envious...." Read more

"...It is a very well thought out book, and I have a lot of respect for the author, as I know parts of this book would be very difficult to write...." Read more

25 customers mention "Writing quality"25 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book wonderful, thought-provoking, and excellent. They say it's impeccably edited, reads like a big-five publisher, and is easy to read and understand. Readers also mention the author's ideas and style are excellent.

"...well written and edited with prose that's easy to read and understand.2.) an intriguing futuristic thriller3.)..." Read more

"...well developed, the world detailed and rich, and, as I said, the writing stunning... but even with all it’s qualities, I just couldn’t fall in love..." Read more

"...this book as quickly as I could and as long as it is, when the writing is good, there's never enough...." Read more

"...He tells a great story and uses an easy to read conversational style of writing...." Read more

19 customers mention "Character development"14 positive5 negative

Customers find the characters fascinating, great, and genderless. They also say the protagonist is intelligent.

"...on great writing combined with skillful story telling and features endearing characters that attract a plethora of willing readers... all of which..." Read more

"...There was nothing wrong with it. The characters were well developed, the world detailed and rich, and, as I said, the writing stunning... but even..." Read more

"The characters are inconsistent and pretty 2 dimensional...." Read more

"...Michael J Sullivan by the mix of humor, humanity, and excellent character and world building...." Read more

11 customers mention "Pacing"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book well-paced and riveting. They also appreciate the rhythm of the story.

"...a nice sense of pace and timing that kept the story moving and the reader involved.5.)..." Read more

"...I was happy to receive neither. The writing was clean, beautiful, and moving...." Read more

"...Now, the whole book moved very quickly and took right off from the start with most the rough science parts rounded down for ease of grasping but I..." Read more

"...The plot is fast moving and good but the characterization is what was really outstanding...." Read more

50 customers mention "Story quality"34 positive16 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the story quality. Some mention it's engrossing and relatable. However, others say the philosophical level doesn't mesh well with the narrative. They also mention there are blatant plot holes and it'd be hard to predict the end.

"...MJS has fashioned a novel based on great writing combined with skillful story telling and features endearing characters that attract a plethora of..." Read more

"...There’s some good heart in this book, and I think those who like sci-fi will probably embrace it...." Read more

"...It seems to end abruptly, and we're left to guess what happens to Ellis in the future. I didn't much care for the way the story was just cut off...." Read more

"...I enjoyed the concept, finding it original, but also making sense to me. The ramifications of everyone looking the same are addressed beautifully...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Maxx the Cat
5.0 out of 5 stars "Hollow World"... a stand alone Sci-Fi thriller from MJS... 5 Stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2014
Verified Purchase
"Hollow World" is a stand alone sci-fi novel by author Michael J. Sullivan. This Kindle e-book was approximately 386 printed pages and sold for $4.99 at the time of writing this review.

N.B. The 386 printed pages include two versions (e-book) of the same story; one with realistic street-wise vernacular (i.e. swearing) and the other without. So in actual fact the story was about 190 pages in length.

General theme <spoilers>

With his home life in shambles and suffering from end-stage respiratory failure, Ellis Rogers, decides to travel into the future, hoping of find not only a cure for his terminal lung disease but also maybe, just maybe, a chance at a new beginning and a smidgen of happiness. His self-made time machine does get him to the future, but the future looks much different than he could have possibly expected. Welcome to Hollow World...

Some thoughts on "Hollow World"...

1.) well written and edited with prose that's easy to read and understand.

2.) an intriguing futuristic thriller

3.) two well developed main characters (Ellis and Pax) and several interesting side personalities as well.

4.) a nice sense of pace and timing that kept the story moving and the reader involved.

5.) cover art... in retrospect, a stunning, most appropriate image for this book.

6.) swearing (as mentioned above)... done in a realistic, appropriate manner. i.e. swearing where swearing would occur in the real world. There is no gratuitous profanity found within these pages.

Impressions:
When I started this tale I had great reservation that this was going to be a continuation of "Greener Grass"; a short that Michael J. Sullivan (MJS) had written a couple of years ago. "Greener Grass" was about the only work MJS has written that I didn't care for. (it had, IMHO, an unlikable main character, a dystopian setting and air of unresolvable hopelessness at the end). However my fears were unfounded as "Hollow World" turned into a wonderful, futuristic thriller.

As with the Riyria series, MJS has fashioned a novel based on great writing combined with skillful story telling and features endearing characters that attract a plethora of willing readers... all of which buy his books; the significance of which I'm sure has not been lost on our author.

And while I can't see Ellis and Pax replacing Royce and Hadrian anytime soon, these two main characters are just intriguing enough to start a new following of their own.

As it is... 5 Stars.

Ray Nicholson
raynicholsonsreviews@hotmail.com
@ralannicholson
Helpful
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L. K. Evans
4.0 out of 5 stars Another great read by Michael J Sullivan...
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2014
Verified Purchase
I’m trying to decide how I feel about this book. I definitely liked it. I definitely really liked it. But I didn’t love it. I was sad about that, too. I wanted to love it. Sigh.

First and foremost, the writing was nothing shy of brilliant. After reading the Riyria books, I was afraid I’d be faced with something different in Hollow World, perhaps fluffy prose or overly technical sci-fi jargon. I was happy to receive neither. The writing was clean, beautiful, and moving. I love Sullivan’s voice, and for those who feel the same, you won’t be disappointed.

I also appreciated the look at religion, society, and the world as we know it. It was interesting, and I had fun exploring Sullivan’s varying viewpoints of Hollow World. It was a thought provoking read. Again, very interesting.

Now, here is where I get in my own way. I’ve read a few (very, very few) sci-fi books and I’ve yet to find myself a fan of the genre. Matter of fact, there’s only one series I’ve been a huge fan of. The rest are meh and I find my mind wandering while reading. Unfortunately, Hollow World was no exception. The only sci-fi books I’ve picked up are because I love the author. To say Riyria was an incredible series would be a drastic understatement. So being in love with author, I ventured into his sci-fi universe. I can’t fault the book. There was nothing wrong with it. The characters were well developed, the world detailed and rich, and, as I said, the writing stunning... but even with all it’s qualities, I just couldn’t fall in love with it.

So, I’m left with the question of why? Why could I not love it? Honestly, I’m not really sure. I have two theories. 1) It’s a genre that is not my favorite. I’m an old Star Trek movie fan, grew up on them, love them. But I don’t think I’d enjoy the books. I’m a visual person. With fantasy, I’ve seen enough pictures, watched enough movies, that it is very easy for me dive into the world. Sci-fi is so diverse that I, sadly, lack the imagination to totally submerse myself into the world. That’s not to say I had a hard time visualizing the setting for Hollow World. Quite the contrary, actually. But still, there’s something about sci-fi that I just can’t sink into and lose myself. 2) I didn’t fall in love with a character. I liked them all, especially Pax, Vin, and Alva. Yet none of them snagged hold of me. If I’m not hooked on a character within the first quarter of the book, I’ll likely never become fully engrossed in the reading experience. Again, I cannot fault the character development. It was superb. I just didn’t latch on to anyone.

To conclude my ramblings, I think Hollow World was an enjoyable read, interesting, thought provoking, and wonderfully written. There’s some good heart in this book, and I think those who like sci-fi will probably embrace it. As for me, I promise you this: If Sullivan were to ever write another sci-fi, I’d pick it up. I think with him, I’m guaranteed something I’ll really like. And there is always the enticing possibility of falling madly in love with it.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Andrew
5.0 out of 5 stars I rarely rank a book with 5 Stars
Reviewed in Canada on December 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
I think I’ve read all of Michael Sullivan’s books. I’ve ranked them all with 4 stars because they are all great. But to me, this book is exceptional and I only give 5 stars to exceptional books.
It’s a huge step away from his fantasy books and I hope that Mr. Sullivan continues exploring new paths.
In a way this book reminded me of both a Stranger in a Strange Land and (oddly enough) The 1st Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells. I have a 1st edition, 1st printing of that book and I kept thinking of the wonderful illustrations that accompanied the story. Perhaps a future edition of Hollow World will also have pen and ink sketches.
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Lucille @ adragoninspace
5.0 out of 5 stars Hollow World is a thriller/mystery inside a story that begins with timetravel which led to a utopia feeling like a fantasy world
Reviewed in France on February 27, 2017
Verified Purchase
At first I didn’t know if I was going to like this book, because of its slow start and “Ellis Roger is an ordinary man”… But a few friends online couldn’t stop talking about it and swooning over a certain Pax. As we usually love the same books I decided to try it. AND I CAN’T THANK THEM ENOUGH!! The actual thing that made me read it was when they compared this Pax person to The Fool from the Realms of the Elderlings series by Robin Hobb. And I totally agree! So, maybe this single piece of information will make you want to read Hollow World like it did to me! I actually got into this book knowing nothing else so it’s hard to know how much is too much information for you to appreciate this book or how much is not enough for you to want to read it.

The starting point is pretty simple, Ellis learn that he’s seriously sick, and decides that it’s time to finish building his time machine so that he can travel to the future and find a cure. No hard scifi here, he just build it and that’s it *if only things where so simple!* We learn that things are not that good anymore with his wife and there’s a rampant feeling that something bad happened in their past.

The struggle Ellis has to go through is really interesting, intriguing and deep. Obviously his time machine works and he’s sent in a distant future, way more distant than he expected. He’ll meet the new society that inhabits the earth and will have to adapt to them. His good heart and amiability really struck me in a good way. He obviously is perplexed but he will do what he can to respect this new people he isn’t used to. His relationship with Pax was really cute and refreshing. I liked how they connected despite their differences and thanks to their similarities.

“The two of them just sort of clicked, like old friends who’d just met. Friends-at-first-sight, if there was such a thing.”

Hollow World is a thriller/mystery inside a story that begins thanks to time travel which led the main character into an apparent utopia which feels like a fantasy world. True SFF (science-fiction and fantasy)!

The best quotes would spoil the book so UGH sorry it hurts me physically to not be able to share more, but you’ll want to hug this book so hard sometimes!

“If a person were to travel forward in time and see the future, what would matter more: what the future really was, or how the person from the past perceived it? Could someone find paradise and think it a hellish future and vice versa?”-->Background and context for Hollow World, by Michael J.Sullivan, posted on Goodreads.

Hollow Word was really heart-warming, beautiful and made me care deeply for the characters. This is a book about love, acceptance and happiness.

That’s the first book I read by Michael J. Sullivan but he is mostly known for his epic fantasy series The Riyria Revelations and The Riyria Chronicles, I actually bought Theft of Swords (The Riyria Revelations #1-2) right after I finished Hollow World. I haven’t started it yet because I intend on reading them all without stopping, I’m pretty sure I’ll love them and that I’ll read anything Michael J. Sullivan write after that!
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Lucille @ adragoninspace
5.0 out of 5 stars Hollow World is a thriller/mystery inside a story that begins with timetravel which led to a utopia feeling like a fantasy world
Reviewed in France on February 27, 2017
At first I didn’t know if I was going to like this book, because of its slow start and “Ellis Roger is an ordinary man”… But a few friends online couldn’t stop talking about it and swooning over a certain Pax. As we usually love the same books I decided to try it. AND I CAN’T THANK THEM ENOUGH!! The actual thing that made me read it was when they compared this Pax person to The Fool from the Realms of the Elderlings series by Robin Hobb. And I totally agree! So, maybe this single piece of information will make you want to read Hollow World like it did to me! I actually got into this book knowing nothing else so it’s hard to know how much is too much information for you to appreciate this book or how much is not enough for you to want to read it.

The starting point is pretty simple, Ellis learn that he’s seriously sick, and decides that it’s time to finish building his time machine so that he can travel to the future and find a cure. No hard scifi here, he just build it and that’s it *if only things where so simple!* We learn that things are not that good anymore with his wife and there’s a rampant feeling that something bad happened in their past.

The struggle Ellis has to go through is really interesting, intriguing and deep. Obviously his time machine works and he’s sent in a distant future, way more distant than he expected. He’ll meet the new society that inhabits the earth and will have to adapt to them. His good heart and amiability really struck me in a good way. He obviously is perplexed but he will do what he can to respect this new people he isn’t used to. His relationship with Pax was really cute and refreshing. I liked how they connected despite their differences and thanks to their similarities.

“The two of them just sort of clicked, like old friends who’d just met. Friends-at-first-sight, if there was such a thing.”

Hollow World is a thriller/mystery inside a story that begins thanks to time travel which led the main character into an apparent utopia which feels like a fantasy world. True SFF (science-fiction and fantasy)!

The best quotes would spoil the book so UGH sorry it hurts me physically to not be able to share more, but you’ll want to hug this book so hard sometimes!

“If a person were to travel forward in time and see the future, what would matter more: what the future really was, or how the person from the past perceived it? Could someone find paradise and think it a hellish future and vice versa?”-->Background and context for Hollow World, by Michael J.Sullivan, posted on Goodreads.

Hollow Word was really heart-warming, beautiful and made me care deeply for the characters. This is a book about love, acceptance and happiness.

That’s the first book I read by Michael J. Sullivan but he is mostly known for his epic fantasy series The Riyria Revelations and The Riyria Chronicles, I actually bought Theft of Swords (The Riyria Revelations #1-2) right after I finished Hollow World. I haven’t started it yet because I intend on reading them all without stopping, I’m pretty sure I’ll love them and that I’ll read anything Michael J. Sullivan write after that!
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Dylan Tomorrow
5.0 out of 5 stars Stellar character-driven time-travel science-fiction
Reviewed in Germany on June 4, 2015
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Well, this was fracking phenomenal and frigging fabulous! A great character- driven time-travel sci-fi story with a fascinating world and two gorgeous outstanding people at the heart of it. Got the audiobook from humble bundle and grew to rather love the narrator's voice :-). I really loved the geomancers, great bunch of folks keeping everyone safe. Recommended to all lovers of character-driven imaginative sci-fi.

Thanks to Michael Sullivan for this great book! @-}--

P.S. [SPOILER ALERT]:

Warren was right about the elimination of the y chromosome and everyone having the same DNA being a bad thing long term.
I hope they reintroduce women and men into hollow world.
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Mrs J Fairclough
5.0 out of 5 stars An interesting, touching, and very absorbing read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2015
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This is a truly wonderful book. It's definitely a departure from Michael's fantasy bread-and-butter (although there are definitely fantasy overtones throughout), but it contains the same absorbing worldbuilding, gentle humour, and loveable characters that those familiar with Riyria will recognise well.

It began well; I liked Ellis, and we are given just enough information about his past/biggest regrets to keep us interested and guessing. Then Pax was introduced, and I loved them immediately! A gentle and caring soul, Pax never fails to make you smile and/or tug on your heartstrings.

Then we are introduced to Hollow World and its inhabitants, both of which are interesting concepts that are wonderfully described. I definitely think Michael's fantasy background shows through when describing a lot of the more natural scenery, which is really painted very well. So at this point I was enjoying reading, and definitely happy to keep going.

But then when the real meat of the plot hit, I was absolutely hooked! The exposition and plot progress at a good rate, and we slowly build up an excellent picture of both Ellis and his new companions and how they interact with and react to one another. The level of foreshadowing meant that I definitely some things coming, but often they happened in surprising ways or with unforseen consequences. I also didn't pick up on the biggest Chekhov's Gun right up until it was just about to be introduced, which was great.

Things get really quite tense towards the end and there's quite a bit of action, and I definitely didn't predict the direction that the story took. The conclusion is very satisfying, in fact it made me rather emotional. Overall, the whole thing hangs together very nicely.

The novel contains many themes and theoretical-future elements that are familiar even to someone such as myself who doesn't read much sci-fi, but they are far from dull, trite clichés. Themes of love, religion, individualism/collectivism, gender, and what it means to be human are explored. Love in particular is explored in a very touching way. After finishing the novel I got straight up to give my boyfriend a teary-eyed hug!

Michael has asked people to let him know if they would like to see more from the two main characters in this world, and my answer is a resounding "yes!"
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Boonie
5.0 out of 5 stars Go in with an open mind and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Reviewed in Australia on June 11, 2014
Verified Purchase
When I read the blurb of this book I was a bit skeptical at first as it is very different to books I usually read, but I am a huge Sullivan fan so I gave it a go. So glad I did. This book made me laugh, it made me cry, it kept me so engaged that I read it in one sitting and more than anything else it made me think...

It is obvious that so much thought went into creating the characters and "world" setting for this book, so pleased Sullivan decided to publish this one.

Do yourself a favour and go in with an open mind. You will be pleasantly surprised.
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