Official Review: Falling Down the Aether Sky by Sekji Ani

[gali]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Falling Down the Aether Sky" by Sekji Ani.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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First there was the computer, then the internet, and then the cyberspace and ‘Space (virtual reality) which have changed life forever. 'Space becomes the ruler of humanity in post-apocalyptic America.

Falling down the Aether Sky by Sekji Ani is a brilliant science fiction book, and a first in a series, based in a futuristic world. The author weaves together dystopian society, virtual reality, urban legend, and just about everything in between, dishing out an absorbing tale. The elements in the book may not be new, but the author manages to reinvent the formula and give us one heck of a story.

The author plunges the reader into a world in the not-too-distant future, a world in the aftermath of some implied global disasters that have befallen humanity. A couple of continents were completely wiped out, while others barley survived and consist largely of wastelands. Living conditions in the United States deteriorated and the poor people live in tiny "closet flops" under ruined bridges. Reality became so grim that people prefer to spend time in 'Space rather than in the flesh (real life).

Advanced technology improved the internet experience and made the user's interface more real. Experiences in 'space are made real by sensory chips (installed in the body) and prong-jack, which affect the physical/flesh self. Most people escape their miserable existence by "jacking" into 'Space, only taking time out to work and maintain the flesh. America becomes more fundamental, more fanatical and more religious. Corporations care more about the bottom line than the welfare of the people (nothing new here) and the government uses data it collects to control the population (the big brother, anyone??). The masses are kept in check through "bread and circuses" just like the people of ancient Rome were. 'Space consists of various sites (aka "slabs") such as Food, Shopping, Library, Porn (unsurprisingly the most popular attraction of them all), to name a few. Between the slabs there are the badlands, and wild rumors about a friendly spirit wandering the aether abound. There are some very cool concepts in the book such as cyber pigeons which deliver messages, a wink to the carrier pigeons of the past, Cerberus defence programs, moving tattoos, slubjumping, dolls which are used as avatars and many more.

Meet Ruby, an aimless wanderer who came back to her hometown of Cleveland after getting tired of her travels abroad. She resides with her friend Jamie, lands a job as a courier transporting information, and pretty soon finds herself in some deep water. Then there is Lin, a wild card and an amoral player with his own agenda, imprisoned in the secure compound in Wyoming. As a side-line work he hacks into secure sites and collects both data and illegal cyber-weaponry. He uses a cyber-thief named Hools for his unholy operations.

There are many other players in the mix, each with their own story and agenda. The characters intersect in 'space and flesh with unforeseen results. In fact, large portions of the plot takes place in 'Space, a compelling universe of virtual reality. The plot thickens when some curious tidbits pop up and it becomes clear that something fishy is going on both on 'Space and in real life. Something is rotten in the kingdom of Denmark (aka America) and it isn't just the living conditions…

I enjoyed the book immensely and found it well written and engaging. This is a convoluted and complex tale and one has to keep his wits about him throughout to keep track of the plot. The story has many layers, has some plot holes, and it felt a bit disjoined at times. The story lines start out separately and then overlap in interesting and surprising ways. The story is penned in the third person format shifting between the various subplots, and I found it a little confusing at times. However once the various threads of the plot began to intertwine, it became clearer and clearer to me. As I delved further into the story, I slowly began to piece together some pieces of the puzzle.

The book criticizes politics, abusing of the environment, technology, corporate control and religion, showing the reader a worst case scenario. It also explores the impact of technology on society. The vision of the near-future is dark, a little alarming, and at times depressing. The portrayal of the future is believable enough to be plausible.

The world-building is wonderfully done and does draw the reader into the story. The characters are complex and believable, though I found it difficult to believe that people were so naïve about the dangers of 'Space. I found the premise engrossing and thought-provoking, though the execution was hard to follow at times. The ending of the book is maddeningly frustrating because there is none-- the story stops abruptly in the middle of a scene and leaves one hanging. Overall I loved the story, and do look forward to the next book, so I rate is 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a unique dystopian tale and doesn't mind cliff-hangers.

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Falling Down the Aether Sky
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Like gali's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Keith80]

Gali: I really like your review. This sounds to be a most interesting book, and after I get through the 200 or so I have piled up to read I may well try it. The dystopian genre seems to be getting quite the thing now-a-days. I am quite interested in it myself, although I usually choose space opera with some hard science in it e.g., "The Martian".

[gali]

Gali: I really like your review. This sounds to be a most interesting book, and after I get through the 200 or so I have piled up to read I may well try it. The dystopian genre seems to be getting quite the thing now-a-days. I am quite interested in it myself, although I usually choose space opera with some hard science in it e.g., "The Martian".

Thank you and my list is full as well.

I have also read and loved the "Martian".

[bluemel4]

You had me at post-apocalyptic! Fantastic review. Great job detailing the world and critiquing the novel. I am adding this to my to-read pile.

[gali]

You had me at post-apocalyptic! Fantastic review. Great job detailing the world and critiquing the novel. I am adding this to my to-read pile.

Thank you. I enjoyed the book and hope you will too.

[PashaRu]

Thanks for a great review, gali! The book isn't really the kind I lean toward, but it sounds like an interesting premise, executed fairly well. Your review is detailed and thorough and should be quite helpful in aiding a reader determine whether or not to buy the book.

[gali]

Thanks for a great review, gali! The book isn't really the kind I lean toward, but it sounds like an interesting premise, executed fairly well. Your review is detailed and thorough and should be quite helpful in aiding a reader determine whether or not to buy the book.

Thank you for your kind words.

I love this genre!

[Heidi M Simone]

This book sounds very interesting, especially since it's post-apocalyptic! I find myself liking this genre more and more. You wrote a very detailed and entertaining review. I especially like when you said "This is a convoluted and complex tale and one has to keep his wits about him throughout to keep track of the plot." From reading your review it does sound like it would take some work to read this book, which is why reading is so great! You can find something nice and relaxing or find something challenging. Nice review!

[gali]

This book sounds very interesting, especially since it's post-apocalyptic! I find myself liking this genre more and more. You wrote a very detailed and entertaining review. I especially like when you said "This is a convoluted and complex tale and one has to keep his wits about him throughout to keep track of the plot." From reading your review it does sound like it would take some work to read this book, which is why reading is so great! You can find something nice and relaxing or find something challenging. Nice review!

Thank you!

[Jesska6029]

I love when a world is built well. I love being drawn in because of that. Great review!

[zeldas_lullaby]

Great review! Very thorough and informative. I don't think I'd be able to get into this book at all; my main foray into this genre (if this even counts) is The Giver. Sci-fi futuristic stuff isn't my thing. However, this sounds like an excellent book for anyone into that.

[gali]

I love when a world is built well. I love being drawn in because of that. Great review!

Thank you

-- August 19th, 2015, 7:02 am --

Great review! Very thorough and informative. I don't think I'd be able to get into this book at all; my main foray into this genre (if this even counts) is The Giver. Sci-fi futuristic stuff isn't my thing. However, this sounds like an excellent book for anyone into that.

Thank you and I understand. I loved "The Giver" and it sure counts.

[bookowlie]

I enjoyed reading your review. I like how you gave a detailed analysis so that readers know what they are in for. I am not a big sci-fi reader, but the premise looks interesting.

[gali]

I enjoyed reading your review. I like how you gave a detailed analysis so that readers know what they are in for. I am not a big sci-fi reader, but the premise looks interesting.

Thank you. It is indeed interesting.

[literarycat]

I have only recently started reading post apocalyptic novels and this one sounds really interesting, and like one I wouldn't want to put down.