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14 of 21 found the following review helpful:
Quantum Ethics Sep 21, 2008
By T. Clifford The author is obviously an Obama fan and is pretty far left politically. This would have been a much better read without the Bush Administration digs and the Democratic talking points.
3 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Quantum Ethics: A Thriller Jun 23, 2008
By Tener Mountain I was really enjoying this book, until about half way through or so, the author goes into page after page after page of, quantum theory is kind of like, and it's kind of like, and it's kind of like... Nobody really knows what it is, but it's kind of like, etc., etc., etc. I thought it was really over worked. He immediately follows that with his theories on religion and God, which is not only over worked , but has nothing to do with the story. I very nearly quit reading at this point. In retrospect, that would have been a mistake. The remainder of the book was an interesting, exciting, fast read. I would recommend this book, but I suggest that when you come to this section, you skip it entirely. In my opinion, it greatly detracts from a good book.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
A Great Writer and a Great Read Jul 09, 2008
By Gregory Bernard Banks
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In my opinion, the sign of a great writer is when you read an author's book and find yourself riveted to the page, when you're compelled to keep reading not just to find out what happens next, but because you are blissfully drawn into the world that the author has created. This is what happened to me when I started reading Quantum Ethics: A Thriller. And I can honestly say that, for the most part, it is indeed a thriller of the best kind.
One of the most compelling characters in the book, and now one of my favorite fictional heroes of all time, is a man named John Thunder. He's an enigmatic man who seems to have almost supernatural perception of the world around him, a sixth sense that makes him a tracker and investigator of unmatched skill. His backstory, and the means through which he acquires these skills, is a tragic tale full of ancient mysticism and real-world horror that somehow only makes what could come across as an unbelievable character all the more real. The entire book is filled with colorful and well fleshed out characters like the young genius Cassy and the hulking sidekick to John Thunder named Quaalude. These characters, plus many others whom we get to follow along the way, help to enhance this book as a modern epic tale of the violent and precarious world in which we live today. Unfortunately, I think this is also precisely where the flaws that prevent this excellent book from being perfect are the most evident.
While the story is indeed a thriller, and may I say that Keith Ellis writes extremely well throughout, handling both action and dialogue masterfully, at times the story veers too long from the main plot. There are sections of the book where discussions about Quantum Physics and, as the title suggests, the ethics related to the subject as they relate to the main plot of this story, seem to take a time out to give us lectures on these topics. Well written lectures, mind you, but they are misplaced, distracting and disrupt the forward momentum that this author has the uncanny ability to build with seeming ease. Admittedly the story, about the creation of the world's first quantum computer, the moral and life threatening implications of its very existence, and the fight resulting for control of the device, is rife with deep and real moral implications. But at its heart the book is supposed to be a "thriller" and not a dissertation on social/moral ethics. There are times throughout the book where it loses sight of that fact.
I had the pleasure to read the Amazon Kindle version of this book, and to my delight and surprise I discovered a mention of the device in the midst of the story. And while this in itself should have been a cute moment for us Kindle fanatics, the story again veers off to have one character give the other a lesson on what the Kindle is and how it works. I would love to see a commercial about the Kindle during the commercial break on the Sci Fi Channel for the movie version of this story, but it just doesn't belong in the middle of the book.
And finally, without giving away the ending, I found that some of the characters behaved as if deranged or had no moral compass whatsoever. I love stories where the bad guys and the good guys aren't so cut and dried, because in real life, very few things are indeed clearly black and white. But the good guys should generally be good, and when they suddenly become lustful for death and destruction, particularly when they are people of power and respect, I found it hard to believe. The final confrontation that decided the fate of the world seemed more like the author's proselytizing for an anti-war stance. And I find that particularly regrettable since I don't believe that was the author's intent.
But overall, I loved this book, and though I felt it could have been even better had some of the pauses in action been shorter and less "lecture-like", I would recommend that anyone considering buying this book definitely do so. Another sign of great writing is when the writing itself outshines any flaws you may find in the work, and Quantum Ethics: A Thriller, shines very brightly indeed.
- Gregory Bernard Banks, author, reader, reviewer
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
A thrill-read? More like a THRILL RIDE! This book truly delivers in every possible way. Jun 16, 2008
By Lensman "Quantum Ethics" would certainly be a terrific beach read, but I can't imagine you'd want to wait that long! In fact, Keith Ellis' newest work appears to have been created to exactly fit my Merriam-Webster's definition of a thriller: "one that thrills; especially: a work of fiction or drama designed to hold the interest by the use of a high degree of intrigue, adventure...suspense".
Ellis' dynamic style pulled me into "Quantum" so quickly that I'd covered over 100 pages before I realized how comfortably I'd adopted his wonderful characters and how completely I'd become a part of his fast-paced literary world of "intrigue, adventure and suspense". This book fairly begs for a series!
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
A techno thriller I couldn't put down. A great read! May 01, 2008
By RickyRob I've just experienced the advent of a brilliant new light in technology-based thrillers. Keith Ellis really knows his stuff, and in "Quantum Ethics" he spins a tale that immediately engulfs the reader in a world that, at first blush, exists in the far reaches of possibility -- until you realize that this could be happening right here, right now. John Thunder is a fascinating renaissance man: as comfortable in the woods and with today's (and tomorrow's) technology as he is in Washington's corridors of power and intrigue. He reminds me in some ways of a character from a long-ago thriller: a gentleman who can rise to the occasion at a moment's notice -- at once a fierce adversary and a trusted, caring friend. Ellis has tapped into real techno paranoia as world-shattering technology is up for grabs, and everybody wants to be its master. I couldn't put this one down, and I'm hoping the author will favor us with a sequel in the near future.
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