Official Review: 2084: A Diary by James Edgar Cherry III
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Official Review: 2084: A Diary by James Edgar Cherry III
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "2084: A Diary" by James Edgar Cherry III.]
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2084: A Diary is a decent summary as well as title for this novel by James Edgar Cherry III. This science fiction novel follows the life of Ignatius Fumbo for one year of his life, set in London in the year 2084.
The story begins with an unemployed Fumbo, procrastinating on writing the great book he’s wanted to write for what seems to be some time. Much of the novel deals with this theme: he wants to write, but repeatedly finds an excuse not to. As the story continues, it begins to turn to the story of Fumbo’s drug use, both legal and illegal, the fallout, and his eventual ascent into the life of a rock star.
Frankly, it was difficult for me to like this book. I expected something entirely different from the description that I read. I would caution any prospective readers to push through the first portion of the book, primarily the January entries, because the book takes some time to gain its footing in my opinion. I found myself a great deal more interested as the story continued on.
The author introduces technology with little to no explanation and uses a great deal of slang that I was unfamiliar with. To be fair, I’m not sure what terms were unique to the story and which were cultural, because I am American and the story is set in England. I also spent much of the book asking myself what the focus of the story actually was. I think asking that question was a mistake on my part, since I feel the book is meant to be read as if it truly were a year in the life of someone in the 2084. For someone who is more accustomed to a linear story, this style was jarring for me.
I would caution potential readers that there is a lot of drug use, both implied and explicit, as well as a fair amount of sex, though I never found anything to be overly graphic. Again, this may not bother other readers, but I found it frustrating to see nearly every female character that was introduced become either a sexual interest or a sexual partner for the main character, rather than truly become a character in her own right.
The author did take the time to map out a very detailed world for this novel. I commend him on taking the time to think out how the future might affect different countries and incorporate that subtly into a story that hardly focuses on the world around the character. Rather than simply assume that the world will remain similar and add some hi-tech toys, the author considers how employment, healthcare, and even environmental concerns will look in the future, which truly impressed me. In a character-driven novel, I enjoyed seeing so much attention to detail.
Overall, I would give this book two out of four stars, primarily due to many of the limitations mentioned above. I could certainly see some people enjoying this story, but it also has some issues that make the reading experience less enjoyable. A slow start with poorly explained technology and terminology offset a well constructed world with a relatable character.
***
Buy "2084: A Diary" on Amazon
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The story begins with an unemployed Fumbo, procrastinating on writing the great book he’s wanted to write for what seems to be some time. Much of the novel deals with this theme: he wants to write, but repeatedly finds an excuse not to. As the story continues, it begins to turn to the story of Fumbo’s drug use, both legal and illegal, the fallout, and his eventual ascent into the life of a rock star.
Frankly, it was difficult for me to like this book. I expected something entirely different from the description that I read. I would caution any prospective readers to push through the first portion of the book, primarily the January entries, because the book takes some time to gain its footing in my opinion. I found myself a great deal more interested as the story continued on.
The author introduces technology with little to no explanation and uses a great deal of slang that I was unfamiliar with. To be fair, I’m not sure what terms were unique to the story and which were cultural, because I am American and the story is set in England. I also spent much of the book asking myself what the focus of the story actually was. I think asking that question was a mistake on my part, since I feel the book is meant to be read as if it truly were a year in the life of someone in the 2084. For someone who is more accustomed to a linear story, this style was jarring for me.
I would caution potential readers that there is a lot of drug use, both implied and explicit, as well as a fair amount of sex, though I never found anything to be overly graphic. Again, this may not bother other readers, but I found it frustrating to see nearly every female character that was introduced become either a sexual interest or a sexual partner for the main character, rather than truly become a character in her own right.
The author did take the time to map out a very detailed world for this novel. I commend him on taking the time to think out how the future might affect different countries and incorporate that subtly into a story that hardly focuses on the world around the character. Rather than simply assume that the world will remain similar and add some hi-tech toys, the author considers how employment, healthcare, and even environmental concerns will look in the future, which truly impressed me. In a character-driven novel, I enjoyed seeing so much attention to detail.
Overall, I would give this book two out of four stars, primarily due to many of the limitations mentioned above. I could certainly see some people enjoying this story, but it also has some issues that make the reading experience less enjoyable. A slow start with poorly explained technology and terminology offset a well constructed world with a relatable character.
***
Buy "2084: A Diary" on Amazon
Latest Review: "Summer Warriors" by Bill Sharp
