I have my finger in many different pies, and one of those pies is an adult literacy program. Although I am only peripherally involved. I am always on the lookout for suitable material. Every book I read gets pigeonholed into one of three categories, beginner, intermediate, and advanced. There is no doubt in my mind that Succession belongs in the Advanced group.
The writing style reminded me of a genre that was popular in the late 60's and early 70's, and during that period many authors fell for the lure. John LeCarre for example released The Naive And Sentimental Lover, while critically acclaimed it did not sell well, it was too complex in structure for many readers.
Succession is complex in its structure, the language is simple enough, but the concepts and constructs are involved. It is not so much a flowing story, but rather a series of sometimes disjointed vignettes that the reader must assimilate themselves. That is not meant as a criticism, merely an observation.
Herbert Lobsenz like his books is a complex subject. There are few authors that win a coveted Harper Prize (1960) and then decide to abandon writing in favor of the corporate world only to return over 40 years later.
Let's talk about the book. Succession has at its core Jake Garrison who some years prior had abandoned the business world in favor of becoming a writer. Alas his genre, Civil War 'faction' does not seem to be garnering the acclaim and kudos from the publishers that he thinks he deserves.
The turning point for Jake arrives when his father is taken ill, and is obviously not long for this earth. With the elder Garrison fading away in hospital Jake makes the discovery that his father does not have the money to cover his bills. Jake comes from honorable stock, and the his 'honorable' gene takes him from his writing back into the murky world of business as a way of covering the growing expenses.
His old acquaintance Carnusty is happy to loan the money to Jake, but there are catches. Jake once again becomes embroiled in industry, this time checking out a failing typewriter company. But rather than operating on the up and up, Jake is forced to go undercover in the guise of being the new editor of the company newsletter.
Through very short vignettes author Herbert Lobsenz takes us on a wild ride inside Jakes mind. His insecurity at home, his insecurity with the relationship between his wife and Carnusty, his thoughts about his father. All of these prey on Jake, the doubts reaching ear splitting volume when his wife announces that she is pregnant.
Can he resolve these issues?
Well only you can decide, and you can do that by buying your copy from Amazon. The author also maintains a blog with his recollections from the past at Old Time Writer.
(Originally published at Blogger News Network, and reprinted with permission of the author, Simon Barrett).
Book Review By Chapter
Unholy Domain takes this genre in a new and very thought provoking direction. One only has to spend a couple of minutes researching the history and growth of the Internet to realize how in the space of just a few years it was woven itself into the very fabric of our world. We have near instantaneous communication via email, we have access to enormous repositories of information, it has become a part of our day to day life. I could not live without it!
Unfortunately there is a potential dark side to the technology. Increasingly it is also the backbone used by basic infrastructures, power generation, transportation, law enforcement, and a lot more. There have already been rumblings in the press about what might happen if hackers gained control of a power generating plant, or other basic service.
In Unholy Domain Dan Ronco takes us to a world where a decade previously (2010) a virus had decimated the Internet. Because of the disruption to basic services over a million people died. What would the world look like under these circumstances?
Dan Ronco takes us to a world that has become a fractured society, the technos and the religious zealots. In the aftermath of the disaster the government has regulated technology, stifling innovation, this has resulted in an economic situation rivaling the great depression. Without advancing technology the world has not just stagnated it has regressed to an earlier time.
Technology has become an underground industry, a black market more lucrative than drugs. The technos are run by a shady organization known simply as The Domain.
The opposing force are the fanatical Army of God, the paramilitary wing of The Church of Natural Humans. Their leader Adam Jordan is on the outside a charismatic speaker, but is also a man with a single minded hatred for technology and those who would use it.
Our hero in Unholy Domain is David Brown, a young student who has the dubious honor of being the son of the man accused of unleashing the deadly virus.
When David receives a message sent 10 years previously from his father he begins to have doubts about his fathers guilt and decides to investigate for himself. David is walking a tightrope, he has enemies in high places, neither The Domain, nor the Army of God are enamored by his presence, for different reasons, though one does become his unseen temporary protector with an ulterior motive in mind.
This is a fast paced techno thriller which I can pretty much guarantee you will not want to put down, I know I didn't! Set close enough in the future (2020) that most of the 'props' are believable, it paints a dark picture of one potential future scenario for mankind.
This is a book that is worth searching out, I liked the style of writing a great deal. Each chapter begins with some quotes, some old and real, other from books yet to be written. A very cute touch. You don't have to be a hard core Sci-Fi fan for this one, just a lover of a great story.
You can pick up your own copy of Unholy Domain from Amazon, he also has a web site with additional information.
Simon Barrett has sinced written about articles on various topics from Auto Insurance, Entertainment Guide and Writing. Simon Barrett is an adult educator in Calgary, Alberta. With the 11 months a year of winter, he reads a lot of books! He is also a contributing editor for an. Simon Barrett's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.
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