The Book of Eadie: Volume One of the Seventeen Trilogy

by Mark D. Diehl

Book Overview

Most of the world's seventeen billion humans are unconscious, perpetually serving their employers as part of massive brain trusts. The ecosystem has collapsed, naturally growing plants have been declared illegal, and everything from food to housing to medicines must be synthesized from secretions of genetically modified bacteria. Only corporate ambulatory workers can afford patented synthetic food, and non-corporates fight for survival in the city's...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0692157697
• ISBN13: 9780692157695
• Release Date: July 2018
• Publisher: Fencetree Productions, LLC
• Length: 396 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Creative sci-fi ideas massacred by their sheer volume and poor execution.

When I met Mr. Diehl, he told me this book was written because he had something to say about the world. He never told me what that something was, probably because he could not narrow it down to one thing. This relatively short volume contains commentary on environmental destruction, the growing importance and independence of corporations, government overreach, racism, capitalism, over-population, brainwashing (or more generally, social conditioning), religion, destruction of the individual, genetic and biological engineering, and man’s hubris. With so many topics, it is no surprise that there is little time to develop any of them. It is occasionally obvious what Mr. Diehl is trying to convey with a specific scene, but I was often left scratching my head, and not in a thought-provoking way. Oversaturation of ideas is common among new authors (I believe this is Mr. Diehl’s first book), so while it is distracting, it is not unexpected. The writing is solid in sentence form, but the structural organization of the book is disorienting. Split among at least four disparate and geographically separated groups of characters, the story bounces from one to another so quickly as to stagger the imagination. Sometimes as little as a single sentence comprises a section of the book before zipping off to another set of characters. Despite the general disjointed and choppy feel, I was still able to effectively follow most of what was going on because other than the spastic organization, the writing was effective and expressive. On the whole, the characters are not very good. The sheer number of them combined with the fact that much of this book is devoted to a hodge-podge of philosophical discussions means no one receives a significant arc or development. Interestingly, the character with the most development has no effect on the over-arching story, his plotline existing solely to dabble in the philosophical topic of mental and social conditioning. In conclusion, the premise of the book is unique and intriguing, but a bloated cast, jumpy style, packed agenda, and lack of a single driving theme make it a bit of a mess. While I do not recommend this story, I also have hope for Mr. Diehl who is clearly talented. With more experience and a sharper focus, I believe he could produce notable stories in the future.