Mike LancasterRecensioni

In what seems to be an ongoing trend with me, I wanted to read this book because, the cover…? I really wanted to know what’s up with it. My first thought, which couldn’t possibly be the truth, was that something was growing out of the dude’s arm.

Apparently I wasn’t that far off.

This is the sort of novel you want to re-read after you’re done, because certain inconsistencies make more sense in hindsight after the revelations of the last pages. Human.4 is more hardcore science fiction than I normally read, but the mystery of what was going on is what kept me reading.

I’ll say right now this won’t be a book for everyone. Honestly, if I hadn’t read it, and someone had just explained it to me, I’m not sure I would have picked it up. It’s part science fiction thriller and part teenage growing troubles.

There is also not a lot of depth to the characters outside of Kyle. On a critical level this is frustrating because we only know as much about the people as Kyle tells us, and he takes his sweet time. We don’t learn about the history between Kyle and Lilly until he decides it’s a good moment. We only have his impressions of the people he interacts with. Because the book is meant to be a written accounting of his oral story, there’s only one side.

At times the “editor” (who is really the author interjecting) will make anthropological notes about random facts–the culture’s obnoxious use of oxymorons or the banality of reality TV for instance–or talk about scholarly works that analyze the “Straker Tapes,” but by and large everything is based on Kyle’s viewpoint. It’s rather telling when another character, Mrs. O’Donnell, mentions the first name of a man Kyle had been talking about quite knowledgeably a couple chapters before. Kyle looks at her confused until she clears things up.

If one is introspective, there is a lot to dissect and discuss. It’s a provocative topic–humans being “upgraded” like a computer. As easily as a computer, no less. Being programmed to just forget things as easily as you delete a file that’s no longer needed. I tried to think of how I would feel watching everyone I love either view me as little better then a bug or completely ignore my existence. It chilled me.

At the end of the “tapes,” Kyle says that a choice is going to be made. We’re not told which choice he makes, nor if he feels that it’s the right choice or not. We’re left with a “lady or the tiger” situation in which the reader has to decide whether it would be better to remain or to become like the others. Which is preferable? Is it possible to really say until you’re in such a position?

The mystery of what happened to the village is tense. Kyle throws out more theories than I could follow after, and in a way they were all partially correct. Human.4 doesn’t offer concrete answers, which could be a good thing for discussion purposes. It can also be exasperating as a perfectly good theory comes around, and a character says “Sure. Let’s go with that,” in such a way that you know something is wrong with it.

In the end enjoyment of the book boils down to this: do you need concrete answers to enjoy a novel, or is speculation more your cup of tea?

Cool premise - ok presentation. Might need a re-read to fully appreciate it.

Well that was a fast paced, fun sci-fi mystery.

The format was quite interesting as some of it was set in the future where there was an investigation underway. The panel are listening to some historical voice recordings made by Kyle Straker. The recordings cover the strange and frightening events that took place at a community talent show and how they changed the world as we understand it.

As the people in future will not understand some of the terminology from the past, there are explanations inserted throughout. I found these explanations of historical human society hugely entertaining. The beginning starts by explaining what a 'book' is:

"This data storage unit, or 'book', has been designed to reprogram the human brain, allowing it to replicate the lost art that was once called 'reading'. It is a simple adjustment and there will be no negative or harmful effects from this process."

It was a clever concept that was well developed.

For fans of The Matrix

A fast paced, fun and short read. I found the explanations of human society entertaining. It did make me wonder how an alien species would view humans as we go about our lives. A forty something year old wearing a zebra onesie...and discuss.

It was a clever concept that was well developed.

For fans of The Matrix

I didn't read the first book in this series, 4.0, but was able to follow the story just fine. I think the author did a good job working the back story in without taking away from this book.

I don't know how to describe this book without giving away too much, so I'll be brief. This story takes place thousands of years in the future and technology is hugely advanced, as would be expected, But did it advance too quickly, perhaps with help, or did the human race just evolve to this point organically?

I loved the format of this book, in the form of a link diary that explained everything that happened from the point of view of Peter, the son of a brilliant scientist, who doesn't exactly want to follow in his father's footsteps, as he learns things about his father and his beliefs that turn his world upside down. He and his friend, Alpha, investigate, and what they find out is way beyond what they thought they would find. I loved Peter and Alpha and their friendship and budding romance. I thought the pacing was excellent and the world building was spot on.

5/5 stars - highly recommend!

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Egmont USA, and Mike A Lancaster for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Straker Tapes were recorded nearly a thousand years ago and although the record has survived, although there are those who believe in these events with increasing numbers, the sad truth is that this is nothing more then a hoax, a dream with no scientific proof to back up these claims. This is what Peter Vincent believes because it is what his father has taught him to believe. But what if everything he believed was a lie?

The Link has existed for as long as anyone can remember. It connects us all to each other with little more then a thought, it stores our memories, records our thoughts, contains our history, it defines who we are and the world we live in. But the Link is not limitless, not infallible, and not unable to be hacked. Memories can be altered, thoughts can be stolen and history can be rewritten. When who we are can change in an instant, all we can do is tell our story and hope we are remembered.

1.4 is an upgrade from the Straker Tapes to the Vincent Files. Although set in the future where the people are different, the story is essentially the same. The frightening truth behind our very existence, behind the evolution of humans and the next stage to come is as thought provoking and compelling to learn as it was the first time around. An exceptional science fiction story every bit as extraordinary as 0.4.

I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads Giveaway program in exchange for an honest review. My sincerest apologies - I misplaced the book soon after receiving it (the chaos of moving houses!) and recently rediscovered it.

This was such an action-packed, genre-blending YA read and I must say I was very pleasantly surprised with how easily it hooked me in! The best way of describing Dotwav is by comparing it to other pop culture references as follows:
-Black Mirror (YA version)
-X-Files
-Spy Kids (YA version)
-War of the Worlds

Definitely a suitable read for teens and adults alike, especially if you're into the sci-fi/tech thriller genres.

Very interesting storyline.

Strange but interesting book.

Futuristic, dystopian book with a crazy good story line. If humans were actually instruments for alien upgrades. What if not all humans were able to upgrade and they were in a constant state of being in an analog form? Does that mean that the ghosts and spooks are actually the humans that were not able to take past upgrades?

Ooh. Chills.

Like, seriously, there were goosebumps on my arm when I finished this book.
Before anyone asks, no, I never read the Goosebumps books.

But, yeah. This book was creepy-conspiracy-scifi man, and those are three things that I LOVE.

This book is told in… you know Thirteen Reasons Why, and How most of it was Hannah’s voice on the tape recording?

Sort of similar. This WHOLE book is someone’s voice on a tape recording (except for the notes. Those were SOOO cool. It sort of gave an insight into the FUTURE WORLD, and they were so funny most of the time, because they were so wrong.

Yeah, I really enjoyed this. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily a favorite, and it’s not going on my must-buy list, but it was really good.

We’ve all heard about subliminal messages in music, but Dotwav launches on the premise that aliens are music. What an original concept!

I received an audiobook ARC for Dotwav and enjoyed this spy thriller with audio aliens while performing mindless sales lead sorting through dusty old files on carbon paper from the 1970s. I thought the workload threatened to brainwash, especially since Joe and Ani, our protagonists, faced brainwashing themselves.

Joe is part of a UK teen secret agency called YETI. Ani is a teen hacker, looking to change the world and prevent consumer culture from ruining the world. Joe recently lost a partner in duty and Ani finds herself on the run from armed goons. Their paths intersect over a strange .wav file that turns upper class teens into introverted social outcasts focused on a new musical genre called Crosscore.
I really enjoyed Lancaster’s approach on what alien life could really be. The author goes to great lengths to question what extraterrestrial life actually could be. I can honestly say this is the least human alien I’ve been exposed to in books, movies, or Parliament Funkadelic songs.

Both of our heroes have find a unique defense that allows them to handle this strange threat and they really compliment one another’s skill sets. All the characters were written with distinct personalities, made even more memorable my Will M. Watt’s narration. I’ve been a New Englander for a decade and if I heard Mr. Watt’s voice for Joe outside of Fenway I would not find it out of place. Not that I have much experience with people from India outside of pop culture, but one character’s Indian accent passed in my book as well.

This story was a great blend of high tech spy chase and first contact. I’m sitting here rubbing my goatee, trying to think of a mash-up to call this book, like if Jason Bourne’s kid brother met digital E.T., but the novel has such a creative take on aliens that I can’t find a good one.

There were just the right amount of plot twists for more tastes. Some of the end game rolled out how I thought it would, but I can’t say anyone would guess how the end fight goes down! If you like secret agent stuff and think you’ve seen it all in the world of first contact, then Dotwav is for you.

My original Dotwav audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Now here’s the first book I’ve ever heard which has struck me as a good recommendation for fans of Anthony Horowitz’ ‘Alex Rider’ series (That series was one of the literary highlights of my teen years). As long as you can suspend your disbelief long enough to believe that the British MOD is hiring teenagers to act as spies, this book really works.

In this story, teenagers begin behaving oddly after listening to a new style of music. No-one’s quite sure where the music’s coming from or how to stop it, until the universe brings 15-year-old Ani and 17-year-old Joe together to save the day. They’re both from very different backgrounds and have unique skills, but between them and their friends, they have everything they need to solve this problem.

This book is fast paced and action packed, just what you’d expect from a teen spy novel – but apart from this and the delightfully cheesy dialogue, nothing else is as you’d expect. I can’t really give much away on this one as it was a big surprise to me and that’s what I enjoyed the most of the story: not being able to figure out what was going to happen next.

Will M. Watt is a talented narrator who manages to pull off a range of different voices and accents, he held my attention for the full 10 hours. His youthful sounding voice makes him the perfect choice for a YA novel, making him much more accessible to teen listeners.

This story picks up on more contemporary sci-fi issues, like hacking and the relationship between the things that people enjoy and how it could be used to control them. I found this very thought provoking and a fascinating angle to take on this book.

I would highly recommend this audiobook for teen listeners with a keen interest in sci-fi and technology – it’s a hell of a ride!

Audiobook was provided for review by the publisher.

AWESOME READ!!! I hate sci fi i loooved this book!!! Creepy and creepy and just awesome. I loved it!

Published in the United States as The Future We Left Behind, 1.4 by Mike A. Lancaster is the sequel to 0.4. The events of the original human upgrade described by Kyle Straker on his cassette tapes are years in the past.

Peter Vincent, the son of a man who designed a robotic bee after the original bees died. He lives in a world where everything can be personalized through the threads living inside everyone. People can record and live blog with just a thought. They can change how the world looks to them.

At the fringe of all of this are the Strakerites, the ones who don't or can't embrace the technology. Through a high school friendship, Peter has his eyes opened to their way of life, and possibly a more sinister truth, both past and future.

Normally I shy away from sequels that essentially revisit the same story. But Peter Vincent's voice is so different from Kyle's that it was fascinating to get inside the mind of someone who is a Human.4, and the son of someone famous, thus giving him privilege and access to things that Kyle didn't.

Lancaster's next book .wav looks at mind control through subliminal messages in music. Sounds like fun. It's being released in 2015.

This book (Human.4 / 0.4)popped up as recommended one day so I thought 'why not'.

It was an interesting book, written in a different style to what I am used to... but if anything that made the book better. It was easy to read and I enjoyed the story.

I have recently purchased the second book by Mike Lancaster 1.4

After reading 0.4, which I enjoyed with it's different writing style, I decided to take a leap into the world of 1.4.

I delightfully found this book just as entertaining as the first and read to whole thing from back to front in a short amount of time. I found the lists and notes a fruitful addition to the diary entries of the main character.

I was however confused a little by the ending as it left everything open in my opinion. That may have been the authors intention. Needless to say, if a follow-on to this was published I would indeed to reading it.

I guess the premise is new, but it just wasn't that great. Several times I wanted to use my red pen... but I got it from the library, so no.

Disappointing. Feed did a much better job.

NOTE: This is a book I requested from Netgalley.

Well, this book was definitely different from the ones I usually read. It had a LOT of sci-fi elements in it, along with dystopia. I hadn't read the prequel, but it didn't really matter. I breezed through it, because it was really good. But, I was kind of confused of the ending - it raised more questions than it answered, which sometimes is annoying. Like in this case. I'd definitely be on the lookout for the next installment though.

So, here we have a story about a different - should I say generation - of humans. Ones that have actual software operating system. Yeah, it's weird I know. What's more weird though is that that operating system gets upgrades. And some people seem to be immune to those upgrades so they are left behind. Thus the title.

The story is pretty simple, but it's quite intriguing. I found myself turning the pages pretty quickly, being hungry for more. And I loved how the main character, Peter Vincent, got the courage to break from the norm he had been expected to follow, and just do what he believed was right. He threw away the bright "future" that he was supposed to experience, and turned back to look at the past. Because there was a lot to learn from the past.

I think The Future We Left Behind is a nice relaxing read. If you're into sci-fi dystopia stories, you should definitely check it out.

Wow. That was fast.

This is a great one for reluctant readers, with a high-concept premise and fast-paced, easy-to-read storytelling.

Lots of short, one-sentence paragraphs in a row.

Kind of like this.

It can be annoying but it's used effectively in this story.

I had to keep reading just to find out the answers to the intriguing set-up, in which most of humanity is "upgraded" but a few people, for various reasons, are disregarded and therefore rendered obsolete. Kyle, the narrator, records his story on some old cassette tapes and leaves them to be found, and the frame tale basically sets up how we're reading the transcription of his story from the POV of an academic in the future. A few narrative quirks bugged me (the brief authorial notes defining Kyle's outmoded phrases and pop culture struck me as being too "winky winky" and in love with its own cleverness, especially the opening explaining what a book is, which just reminded me of that internet meme) but they show up less and less as the story goes on, which is smart, since then the furious pace isn't so broken up at crucial moments. I am kind of amused at the idea of future people analyzing Kyle's story with that same style of theoretical navel-gazing that I am so familiar with from graduate school, so that made some of the asides worth it.

The characters don't get much development, but that's sort of the point; they're sketched in enough to be relatable, but this is one of those science fiction books more about the idea than the people. The ending could go either way -- sequel or no sequel -- and I kind of hope for no sequel. I like how the characters get answers but not solutions. It's like the first Matrix and how there maybe shouldn't have been a second and third -- once there's a sequel that tries to work out where a premise like this should go, it's ruined. It's not tidy, and that could bother some readers, but I think it could also foster some interesting discussions.

Very well done! I received a copy of the sequel for review and so read this one in preparation. Wow! What an original idea for a dystopian novel!

I'm finding it hard to write a review that won't give anything away. I don't want to spoil anything so pardon me if I keep things a little bit vague.

This book is written in the form of a written transcript of recordings made by Kyle Straker. A teenager living in what I presume to be current day (or close enough). An event occurs leaving only Kyle and 3 other people normal while the rest of his town is somehow changed. More than that I won't say. Kyle and his 3 companions try to figure out what the heck is going on and why it's happening.

The pacing in this book is fantastic. The author does a fantastic job of giving you just enough that your satisfied but you still want more. There are surprise twists and some danger and even a hint of romance though that is not the focus of this book.

At the end, all I could think was wow! I keep comparing this to The Matrix in my mind. It's one of those mind-blowing ideas that makes you stop and think.

Recommended for fans of dystopia and light YA sci-fi.

1000 years after the events of Kyle Straker (in [b:0.4|9575046|0.4 (Point 4, #1)|Mike A. Lancaster|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327879062s/9575046.jpg|13380643]) we find Peter Vincent - another teenage boy living a normal life - who realizes that all may not be as it seems. Overall this is a fun read and is entertaining. The plot moves quickly and, despite its almost 400 pages, this was a quick read for me. Fans of "light" sci-fi and male protagonists should enjoy this. I had high expectations after reading 0.4 and, while I enjoyed this one, it did not completely live up to those expectations.

First, the plot and characters are really a re-hashing of the first book. This is even acknowledged in the book - the characters are referred to as paradigms of the original characters from 0.4. While I see that there is continuity and a reference to computer programming there, I was disappointed that there wasn't more originality in terms of character and plot.

Speaking of characters, I didn't feel that there was enough character development here. The book isn't really about the characters, so I was able to overlook that and still enjoy the book, but I would have felt more invested in the story if I had more of a connection to the characters.

Lastly, I was disappointed in the technological advancement of the society. Sure, there were some cool and advanced things. I loved the way they choose their clothes, I can see how the link would be the way everyone lives in the future, the extinction and replacement of bees is a true-to-life touch. But, c'mon! 1000 years have passed! That's a heck of a long time! Think of all the changes in our current world compared to the year 1012. The world described here does not really seem that different from our own - in language, dress, customs, schooling, culture, etc. 1000 years from now I don't think I would even recognize the world. And, maybe that's exactly why the author wrote the future the way he did. Maybe he didn't want to make it seem inaccessible to his teen audience. I think it was a missed opportunity.

Despite these failings, this was a fast-paced, exciting and fun read. I enjoyed it and would recommend checking it out.

RATING: 3.5 stars.

0.4 is a small book that can be read in a few hours (which is, in fact what I've done). The concept is somewhat innovative in the YA sci-fi world. The problem was that it read like a short story and everything was rushed. There was little to no character development and in spite of it being well written enough to be captivating I didn't feel like it was anything special right up until the final chapters.

Overall, 0.4 had a good concept but the brevity and shallow development were a bit annoying and made most of this book feel pretty 'average'. Then the author had to go and make it interesting in the last chapters, which is why I gave it this rating (I really want to know what happens next now).

This is one of those read-ion-one-sitting books. It is short and somewhat chilling, with an interesting storyline and outlook. Because it is written in first person, narrated to a tape deck, the writing style is not precisely smooth and flawless, but does have a certain authenticity, which is also reflected in the sans serif font and short chapters. An engrossing read.