A Must Read

Having read what a few of the other reviewers had to say about Echopraxia, I begin to wonder if we've listened to the same book. Let me begin by saying that I listened to Echopraxia before I ever heard of Blindsight, and I don't feel I've suffered from getting them out of order. They are both fine books.

Adam J. Rough isn't the best narrator I've listened to, but he's far from the worst. In any case, he seems to have been selected beautifully for this role.

I don't believe that this book intends to make a value judgement about religion or science or their respective roles. These are important themes in the book, and they are thoroughly explored. But this book isn't preaching to anyone, and its not trying to convince you of anything.

With the proper caveats in place, let me just say:

This book is what science fiction was meant to be.

This book inspired in me a feeling of awe that I had believed lost in the passage from childhood.

The quality of ideas explored in this novel is the standard to which I will hold all future readings.

And them's the facts.

31 people found this helpful

Faith-Based Hard Science Fiction

Although this novel is set in the same universe as Blindsight, it is not a thematic sequel. There is some character overlap, and Echopraxia does deal with some of the story elements of the earlier novel. The author Peter Watts explains in the afterward that he was attempting something that many think an oxymoron: a faith-based Hard Science Fiction novel. In so doing he was not sure if he would be performing a complete face-plant. I think Echopraxia was successful. I appreciate the manner in which it portrays people with religious faith as intelligent. He even manages to let these spiritual characters get in a few good arguments against materialistic evolution. Here Watts is going against the mainstream in Science Fiction where intelligent design is routinely mocked and materialistic, atheistic evolution is habitually lauded.

I found the author’s afterwards to be thought-provoking and entertaining. In one section Watts explains his argument against free-will based on the cause-and-effect relationship for the central nervous system. This should be read by anyone interested in religion in Science Fiction. It will certainly advance the discussion in the arena of ideas.

Adam J. Rough does fine work as the narrator. I found that his female voices were first rate. He handles this primarily with subtle inflection and changes in pacing.

14 people found this helpful

Read Echopraxia Second as it DOES matter.

I don't normally write reviews but I felt obligated to after reading Echopraxia. Firstly because it's such an awesome novel. Secondly because I read the reviews for both Blind Spot and Echopraxia. I've found some people are making an argument that it does not matter if you bought Eachopraxia first / read it first. They're making an argument that since they bought the book first and read it before Blind Spot and because they enjoyed it they said they were not confused and found that you didn't really need to read the first one first. I'm here to just simply tell you that you do. I believe a little bit of buyerss remorse can go a long way into convincing you that a story's line does not need to be linear. I'm here trying to convince you that it does, lol. Please read Blind Spot first as the way the author intended you to. if you bought Echopraxia first on mistake, I would suggest trying to wait to read them in order. You could return it but like I said it's an awesome book! Read them both and they're even better together.

3 people found this helpful

one of my favourite writers

I've loved the majority of Watts' writing because of its tone and the fact that I feel smarter after reading through any of his offerings. He's got monsters and aliens you can believe in along with a brutally well thought out plan for humanity.

With that said, he's not selling you a bright future. It's fascinating, engaging, and believable when you think about what he's put on the table (and you will think about it) but it is in no way a future you want to experience even as you finish the book with feels of dread that you'll see some of this in your lifetime.

Can't recommend his writing enough, just make sure you start with Blindsight and not here.

3 people found this helpful

It's OK but it's not Blindsight.

Interesting as expected but a bit of a slog to get through. Why? The story doesn't flow and isn't as interesting as Blindsight. There's a lot of dialogue, not much action. Also, I never became a fan of the lead character. He was a wimp and dim-witted at times which I know is a point of the story, but readers want someone smart and strong (like themselves) to root for. A hero. On the plus side, there are a number of ideas to make you think about what may be possible with biology.

Narration: I wonder how much my opinion of the book was affected by Adam Rough. While Adam is not bad, I do not like his character voices, and I do not think he read parts of the book with the tone and inflection I would imagine Peter Watts wrote them. Too bad.

7 people found this helpful

Meh

If you like books with too many metaphors and detailed descriptions of things this is for you! Definitely not a casual read, the author tries too hard

1 person found this helpful

Even if you are super smart...

It feels like there is many things missing. What actually happened? How? Where is ..... I mean wow; and more vampires to light of a touch on those.

so weird so good

What fate awaits a Westernized society that won't fundamentally change itself to save itself from itself? Instead, the world uses technology to try and survive by a hair's breadth using energy to combat climate change and famine. As complex technological and biological systems outpace their human creators and human beings retire to VR to avoid a world that is too much to handle, they've left the technology that keeps them going vulnerable, where an alien threat and human idiocy converge!

Avoid the audiobook on this one

If you’re coming from Blindsight you’ll probably be disappointed. It was mysterious and fulfilling, this feels outright confusing for a large part of it. I don’t enjoy the character of Brüks, and the narrator’s voice for Moore is just awful. I’d recommend you avoid the audiobook for this one.

Not a faceplant, but far from Blindsight

I thought that if someone else read the book (audio book) it would help me get through this story (I loved Blindsight, Rifters, Infinity Wars...), and nudge aside some of his recurring critics. That said, this story suffers from undifferentiated schizophrenia trending hebephrenic. It is an OK story, just not nearly as fulfilling as Blindsight.