106 BOOKLIFE, JANUARY 27, 2020
SF/FANTASY/HORROR
Unfathomable
Thomas Pryce | Thomas Pryce
353 pages, trade paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-
9846691-3-4
Ocean conservationists wrestle
with greedy extraterrestrials in
Pryce’s sharp, mind-altering expe-
dition to the middle of the Pacific.
On a secret mission, hesitant eco-
defender Jake Chee boards a
trawler suspected of illegal fishing
activities that’s heading for the
outskirts of Hawaii. Posing as a
fisherman, Jake is immediately perplexed by the oddball crew,
the purple Gatorade-like liquid they’re required to drink, and
the enormous black tube on deck that reaches into the sky.
Soon Jake’s body undergoes distressing transformations: hair
falling out, appetite for raw fish increasing, and an earlier
amputated toe growing back. When the tube is turned on, a
gigantic worm creature materializes to siphon off millions of
gallons of sea water and disgorge fish onto the deck. After a
spindly alien called an Eproxx appears and declares its plan to
steal all of Earth’s water, Jake channels his newly evolved
courage to save the planet.
Pryce (Unnatural Selection) employs unconventional story-
telling to keep the surprises coming and maintain an ominous
tone with jabs of terror. Occasional diversions, such as a
parallel story in which Jake’s ex-girlfriend Ellie and her crew
chase a rogue whaling vessel using sonic harpoons, always
veer back to the action. The narrative is wordy in places, but
Pryce smoothly blends subtle humor with quick, hip writing
and references to popular
culture, and respectfully
draws on Jake’s Hopi and Irish
heritage. Readers will eagerly
follow Jake’s journey into the
weird and feel sympathy for
his cause.
Pryce packs the story with
meticulous descriptions of
mutated fish, trapped sea
turtles, and the tragic raft of
plastic and garbage circling in
the ocean, contrasted with the
valiant efforts of those who
strive to make a difference.
The abrupt cliff-hanger
ending is frustrating, but
readers will eagerly look for
sequels. With unexpected
turns and plenty of trippy
strangeness, this escapade
will chill readers to the bone.SF/FANTASY/HORROR
Zero Percenters
Scott T. Grusky | Furthest
275 pages, e-book, $4.99, ASIN B07YBL484Y
Grusky’s mystical novel dreams
of technological liberation from the
flesh. In 2024, while Anja Lapin is
on a solo wilderness trip, her father,
the CEO of technology company
5s2, is murdered along with a
research team that’s working on
digitizing consciousness. The 5s2
board publishes the team’s discov-
eries to spite the assassins, and
within five weeks, all eight million humans have uploaded
themselves into solar-powered artificial bodies that can take
any form. Anja is stunned to return from her trip and find a
changed world. She grieves for her father and is disconcerted
and intrigued by digitization. Guided by her AI personal assis-
tant, Vicia, she interviews people about the benefits of tran-
scending corporeality while debating whether to abandon her
own body.
Readers will get the most from approaching this story as a
parable of how the physical realm can inhibit the quest for
enlightenment, rather than as a science fiction novel about the
social ramifications of technological advances. Grusky doesn’t
explore the challenging ethical edge cases of digitization,
examine why AIs are content to be servants, or describe how
religious objections or international conflicts were overcome
in five weeks. Instead, he crafts a fanciful vision of human
society without physical needs or limitations: no money, no
pollution, no borders, frequent self-reinvention, universal
participation in hours-long
chanting circles, spiritual and
psychological freedom.
Characterization is scant;
Anja, Vicia, and other charac-
ters primarily exist to
generate musings about
consciousness and explicate
this posthuman utopia. The
story is leisurely, with many
scenes taking place in
peaceful natural settings and
exploring metaphysical
concepts. “Only conscious-
ness was real,” Anja thinks as
she meditates on a moun-
taintop. This is the ultimate
fantasy for those who cherish
the hope of no-cost universal
interconnectedness and
peace.Conservationists
and SF fans will
relish the detailed
science and fast-
paced adventure of
this quest to save
the planet.Production grades
Cover: C
Design & typography: A
Illustrations: –
Editing: B
Marketing copy: –Production grades
Cover: A+
Design & typography: A
Illustrations: –
Editing: B
Marketing copy: B+Transcendence-
seekers will sink
blissfully into this
fable of how
technological
liberation from the
flesh might lead to
mass enlightenment.Great for fans of
Richard Bach, Herman
Hesse.Great for fans of
Joan Slonczewski’s A
Door into Ocean, Jack
Vance’s The Blue
World.PAID REVIEWS