Hollow World by Michael J. Sullivan
Read in November 2013
Synopsis:
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 when 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. He 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.
My Thoughts:
A vast improvement on the short story “Greener Grass.” Characterization a little thin and the ending felt a bit rushed, but I still enjoyed the novel and became emotionally attached to Pax (not so much Ellis, but he grew on me).
The theology bore little resemblance to the Methodism I grew up with, but I will heed Wesley and “Think and let think.”
A good time-travel story masquerading as a murder mystery/spy thriller (without the spy, unless Pax qualifies as the ultimate spy), complete with ‘save the world from doom’ stakes.
A couple of my favorite quotes, that I posted as status updates and Tweets while reading, include:
The place looked like NASA ground control staffed by a welders’ guild.
— 81% 11/17/2013 5:07 am
Maybe was just a convenient shield to hide behind when reality proved to be a bitch.
— 84% 11/17/2013 5:37 am
I supported the author via his Kickstarter last year and received the ebook several months early. The official release of all editions of this novel will occur in mid-April 2014 … Correction … Hollow World has been released early and is available right now.
Great review. I’m glad to ear you enjoyed it, as I have it on my e-reader waiting for me to get to it.