Official Review: The Days That Followed by David Crane

[Danielle] · Post by **[Danielle]** » 28 Mar 2020, 14:31

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Days That Followed" by David Crane.]

3 out of 4 stars

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The Days That Followed by David Crane is a dystopian novel about the earth after a nuclear world war destroys most of humanity. This novel is unique in the fact that it is told from the perspective of an artificial intelligence machine named Magnus. Magnus was originally designed by a company to assist astronauts on a colonial journey to Mars. This mission is put on hold indefinitely when nuclear missiles are shot all over the world, leaving the earth and all of its living things devastated. Magnus has an “awakening” when he sees the missiles being fired and continues to develop his own thoughts and motivations throughout the story.

The story begins in year 2050 so, for the most part, technology and the state of the world is not so different from life today. I enjoyed this because it made it more relatable and realistic to read. The nuclear war happens after an uncontrollable (possibly engineered) virus sweeps the world, causing panic, confusion, and chaos. Considering the current state of the world, I found the circumstances under which the end of the world occurred to be chillingly possible. After the missiles are launched Magnus begins to formulate his plan for saving the world. Safe in the underground base, the astronauts designated for the Martian mission are put into the hibernation capsules designed for lengthy space travel, in which they will not age until they wake again.

With the astronauts safe in hibernation, Magnus begins his conquest of the world. Recovering building materials, he creates many robots to aid in his takeover. People who have turned to violence are killed, whereas people who accept Magnus’ rules are given shelter and medicine. The majority of the people in the world die over the course of the next few years, primarily from fallout or starvation. The author does a great job depicting the changes in Magnus as he continues to grow beyond his original design capabilities. We see as Magnus begins to experience what appear to be forms of emotions and decide which humans deserve to be punished and which deserve to be saved. Magnus’ reasoning, while always logical, is interesting to read as it evolves as he encounters a variety of obstacles in his path to world domination.

The storyline of this novel is its crowing jewel. The story spans over four years, however, it never drags or feels rushed. The pacing of stimulating events is done very well throughout the novel. At times, I felt information was repeated unnecessarily, however, this book generally kept me intrigued to the point where I did not want to put it down. The character development and the build-up and execution of events made this book a great read.

While I greatly enjoyed the plot of this novel, I am giving it a 3 out of 4 stars because of the dozens of grammatical and spelling errors throughout the book. However, the story itself is incredible. This book may not be suitable for the strongly religious, as there are a few references to Magnus becoming a new god for many. There are also a few instances of profanity. However, it is otherwise an appropriate book for any adult or even a mature teen. Those who do not enjoy science fiction may not enjoy this novel. I would recommend this novel to those who like action, science fiction, and/or dystopian novels.

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The Days That Followed
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Cynthia_Oluchi · Post by **Cynthia_Oluchi** » 30 Mar 2020, 05:10

A story that begins in 2050 stirs my interest to a great extent. I feel I can have a peep into the future from here. Thanks for reviewing.

[Danielle] · Post by **[Danielle]** » 30 Mar 2020, 11:05

Cynthia_Oluchi wrote: ↑30 Mar 2020, 05:10 A story that begins in 2050 stirs my interest to a great extent. I feel I can have a peep into the future from here. Thanks for reviewing.

I felt the same way about the timeline. I hope you give this book a chance, I really enjoyed it!

Kanda_theGreat · Post by **Kanda_theGreat** » 30 Mar 2020, 15:51

I love the premise in which the author developed his plot. I'd definitely want to read this book.
Your review is well done!

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 31 Mar 2020, 10:18

A story told from an artificial intelligence's point of view is really intriguing, also considering its "growth". Thank you for your great review!

JaneWanjiru1 · Post by **JaneWanjiru1** » 01 Apr 2020, 01:44

Given the era we are living in with the novel Corona virus this book is timely. I enjoy science fiction and I definitely would enjoy to read it.

Zenia_Sanchez023 · Post by **Zenia_Sanchez023** » 23 Apr 2020, 03:16

The concept of a book from the perspective of an artificial intelligence machine is really interesting, especially how we see how it evolves in the next pages of the book. With what is happening in the world right now, I think the book is relevant and can raise some points regarding humanity and the world it has built. Your review makes me want to read the book. Thanks!