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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
A Tale for Our Time Nov 04, 2009
I couldn't put it down...
Crawshaw's story is a Tale for Our Time -- high drama, and great action, but also dreamy, questioning -- the book takes modern issues seriously, including hi-tech, and bio-tech, and mega-cities, but also relationships, the modern roles of men and women, of children and of old people.
None of it, though, is ponderous: the writer's touch is light, rapid, incisive. Fans of Wm. Gibson will enjoy this book, as will Vonnegut devotees. The repartee is fun and can be very funny, and deeper issues nearly always lurk beneath.
Crawshaw is a sensitive wordsmith: every word counts -- every sentence is balanced or, when left hanging, hangs out there for some reason.
And he is fascinated by the uncertainty so characteristic of a modern age in which old rules are changing: his characters are no more certain of themselves than we his readers are... This is reassuring, in a story as fast-paced as this one: action-pieces and thrillers can get mechanistic, they make a reader feel manipulated -- but this story makes a reader a part of the action, and its beautifully-phrased uncertainties are part of that.
The result draws a reader in... Thrillers too often dictate, numbing a reader with their formulas: this saga offers thrills, but it also makes you want to think -- this story becomes your story too, not just something "out there" for entertainment, but something "in here" as well.
Most 21st c. bookshelves can use this book. Any good library "new fiction" shelf can. Readers seeking something not just "romance", and not just "sci-fi", but both of those and more, all will be interested.
Exploits of the Satyr is a tale, in an ancient tradition: a chronicle of the wanderings of a man, one with real women in it this time, and wonderful descriptions of the post-modern Age they inhabit and of how they cope with it -- some well, some not so -- this book offers something for every reader.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Fabulous Read, Smart, Daring, and Riveting Oct 19, 2009
A friend called me out of the blue and told me I had to read this book. That is a rare occurrence so I took her advice and now, I'm telling you. This is one of those books that will have you calling your friends to talk about what you've just experienced. Crawshaw has woven a tale that moves through time with no boundaries and only hints at signposts which may, or may not, be there at all.
The Saytr is John Lazard Slater III and this is the story of his life; the things he did to the world, and what it did to him.
The protagonist's existence is fortuitous, yet blatant, dominating, but still on the run. The heroes and villains are believable in their flawed attempts to survive while still wondering why. All of these forces collude in a tale of murder, witchcraft, lust, unconstrained power, and nightmare. The book is fiction, but the possibilities it explores are all too real.
Buy this book. Then, read it slowly.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
An Epic and Provocative Debut Oct 08, 2009
In this atmospheric novel, set sometime in the future, debut novelist Todd Crawshaw gives us an indelible protagonist in Slater, a charismatic, bright, and beautifully, believably damaged man who must navigate the horrors and pleasures of his past and present in order to arrive at his future. Written in luminous, brilliant prose, and filled with rich details and evocative images, Crawshaw brings to life the harrowing world of our nightmares: bridges and pathways have been systemically demolished globally, the freezing temperature has forced the population to live in thermo-suits, and a bio-computer with DNA-based intelligence has wreaked havoc on the planet, becoming, as Crawshaw tells us, "Earth's central nervous system." Few books blow my mind these days but this one did. With caustic humor, sharp wit, memorable characters, and a fine ear for terrific dialogue, Crawshaw has created a novel that is provocative, poignant, and truly haunting. It will surely linger with me for years. This is a splendid, engrossing debut. Highly recommended.
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