Official Review: The Rice Filter by Kenton Samuels
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Official Review: The Rice Filter by Kenton Samuels
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Rice Filter" by Kenton Samuels.]
The Rice Filter by Kenton Samuels is a science fiction story set in a future city. It explores the inherent good and evil in within everyone with a modern twist on the ultimate reward and the ultimate punishment. It also explores the inner struggle that most people face when they breach their own codes of morality.
In this story all people now have rice grains, a small chip in their brain that tracks everything about them, who they are, what they do, what they think, everything. It is also how the Harvest light that comes every 7 years to collect 1000 citizens decides if they will move on to Euchaea, or if they were guilty, they were sent to the Terror. No one is quite sure how the harvestees are chosen, just that if you’re over 18 you’re eligible.
Nicholas Machida has just killed a man. He’s not sure if that was his intent or not, everything’s a blur and his mind is racing. It was all in self-defense, but should he call the police or simply get rid of the evidence and run? Panic is gripping him, and he makes the snap decision to wipe the gun and retrieve the watch from Mr. Nishi’s, that’s what he introduced himself as, pocket and continue to work. He’d be able to think at work. The timing is terrible, he is only 4 days away from the harvest and he had been called to be a harvestee. This is in fact his last day of work in the Department for Births, Deaths, and Marriages. He had been so excited when he was called, he was looking forward to seeing his loved ones again in Euchaea. Now what could he do, he had killed someone and was destined for the Terror.
Things weren’t much better when he arrived at work. He can’t focus on work and his boss has made it clear he’s expected to deliver a farewell speech. A new employee is introduced, Mr. Minamoto, who seems genuinely interested in speaking with Machida. Unfortunately, his chaotic state of mind wins out and he takes an early lunch. Sitting in a nearby park, Machida contemplates his fate, lamenting how one morning could shatter the life he built and his hopes for Harvest, how he’s dreading going to the Terror. The thought of the Terror grips him, and he decides he won’t go there; he’s going to commit suicide instead.
Sitting at the train station waiting for the train he plans on throwing himself in front of, he suddenly remembers he has to say goodbye to Esther, a dear friend he’s known since his childhood. He gets her video messaging system and thanks her for everything she’s meant to him. That done he braces himself for the next step, but at the very second he’s about to step off the platform his phone buzzes in his pocket. The resulting moment of indecision about whether or not to answer it makes him miss his opportunity to jump. This call was a wrong number, but a few minutes later Esther calls him back and makes him reconsider his options. He wants to see her again and he can always kill himself the next day.
Esther isn’t due back in town until the following morning. Not wanting to go back to work Nicholas stops in a coffee shop. It’s here that he meets another interesting person, a salesman named Tristan Kato. He is also a Harvestee and starts a casual conversation with Machida about the different ways that are rumored to delay your Harvest. Suddenly suicide doesn’t seem like his only option. Were there really ways to delay his Harvest, or even escape it entirely? The next day when he meets up with Esther, he reveals his situation, the whole ugly truth of what he’s done. Machida has decided to try and find a way to escape the Harvest light and Esther is going to do everything she can to help him. They set off together, if there’s a way to deceive that all knowing amber light, they are going to find it.
To start with, I had a minor technical difficulty with this book. For some reason the last few words at the bottom of the pages didn’t transfer to my Kindle but it wasn’t a problem to read it on my computer instead. This book and I didn’t really click for some reason. This story felt something similar to reading assigned stories in high school, the kind teachers torture by assigning symbolic meaning to every minute detail. There was a lot of Machida’s internal dialogue and not as much action as I was hoping for as well.
That being said, I actually was able to relate to the main character a lot and his struggle. There are many times I find myself wondering how I would handle situations that fall outside the black and white definitions of what is right and wrong.I did enjoy reading this book, but it’s not the kind of thing that I would pick up twice. I actually find myself wishing this was a 5 star system so I could give it a rating right in the middle, because that’s where I’m at. I’m sure there are those who would truly enjoy this book, but I on the other hand can’t really recommend it since I was rather indifferent to it. For that reason I’m giving it a 2 out of 4 stars.
***
Buy "The Rice Filter" on Amazon
The Rice Filter by Kenton Samuels is a science fiction story set in a future city. It explores the inherent good and evil in within everyone with a modern twist on the ultimate reward and the ultimate punishment. It also explores the inner struggle that most people face when they breach their own codes of morality.
In this story all people now have rice grains, a small chip in their brain that tracks everything about them, who they are, what they do, what they think, everything. It is also how the Harvest light that comes every 7 years to collect 1000 citizens decides if they will move on to Euchaea, or if they were guilty, they were sent to the Terror. No one is quite sure how the harvestees are chosen, just that if you’re over 18 you’re eligible.
Nicholas Machida has just killed a man. He’s not sure if that was his intent or not, everything’s a blur and his mind is racing. It was all in self-defense, but should he call the police or simply get rid of the evidence and run? Panic is gripping him, and he makes the snap decision to wipe the gun and retrieve the watch from Mr. Nishi’s, that’s what he introduced himself as, pocket and continue to work. He’d be able to think at work. The timing is terrible, he is only 4 days away from the harvest and he had been called to be a harvestee. This is in fact his last day of work in the Department for Births, Deaths, and Marriages. He had been so excited when he was called, he was looking forward to seeing his loved ones again in Euchaea. Now what could he do, he had killed someone and was destined for the Terror.
Things weren’t much better when he arrived at work. He can’t focus on work and his boss has made it clear he’s expected to deliver a farewell speech. A new employee is introduced, Mr. Minamoto, who seems genuinely interested in speaking with Machida. Unfortunately, his chaotic state of mind wins out and he takes an early lunch. Sitting in a nearby park, Machida contemplates his fate, lamenting how one morning could shatter the life he built and his hopes for Harvest, how he’s dreading going to the Terror. The thought of the Terror grips him, and he decides he won’t go there; he’s going to commit suicide instead.
Sitting at the train station waiting for the train he plans on throwing himself in front of, he suddenly remembers he has to say goodbye to Esther, a dear friend he’s known since his childhood. He gets her video messaging system and thanks her for everything she’s meant to him. That done he braces himself for the next step, but at the very second he’s about to step off the platform his phone buzzes in his pocket. The resulting moment of indecision about whether or not to answer it makes him miss his opportunity to jump. This call was a wrong number, but a few minutes later Esther calls him back and makes him reconsider his options. He wants to see her again and he can always kill himself the next day.
Esther isn’t due back in town until the following morning. Not wanting to go back to work Nicholas stops in a coffee shop. It’s here that he meets another interesting person, a salesman named Tristan Kato. He is also a Harvestee and starts a casual conversation with Machida about the different ways that are rumored to delay your Harvest. Suddenly suicide doesn’t seem like his only option. Were there really ways to delay his Harvest, or even escape it entirely? The next day when he meets up with Esther, he reveals his situation, the whole ugly truth of what he’s done. Machida has decided to try and find a way to escape the Harvest light and Esther is going to do everything she can to help him. They set off together, if there’s a way to deceive that all knowing amber light, they are going to find it.
To start with, I had a minor technical difficulty with this book. For some reason the last few words at the bottom of the pages didn’t transfer to my Kindle but it wasn’t a problem to read it on my computer instead. This book and I didn’t really click for some reason. This story felt something similar to reading assigned stories in high school, the kind teachers torture by assigning symbolic meaning to every minute detail. There was a lot of Machida’s internal dialogue and not as much action as I was hoping for as well.
That being said, I actually was able to relate to the main character a lot and his struggle. There are many times I find myself wondering how I would handle situations that fall outside the black and white definitions of what is right and wrong.I did enjoy reading this book, but it’s not the kind of thing that I would pick up twice. I actually find myself wishing this was a 5 star system so I could give it a rating right in the middle, because that’s where I’m at. I’m sure there are those who would truly enjoy this book, but I on the other hand can’t really recommend it since I was rather indifferent to it. For that reason I’m giving it a 2 out of 4 stars.
***
Buy "The Rice Filter" on Amazon
Latest Review: "When Dragons Die" by Mark Franzosa
