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Summary: Metaphors heavier than a fleet of aircraft carriers
Review: Reading Aylett, it's almost as if the plot is secondary to the writing style. His almost singleminded focus on metaphor and simile are very distracting to the the cracked-out plotlines that he weaves. That being said, I enjoyed reading this book because it was a fresh and new style to me, however thick the literary devices. It was also refreshing to have main characters die off at a moment's notice, something that was novel to my youth of reading comic books didn't prepare me for.
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Summary: Make my headache go away
Review: Reading Slaughtermatic hurt more than if someone had slammed it over my head a few times. There is no denying that Aylett's use of words is original (making it worth reading) but I had to take it in small doses to get it to digest.The world Aylett writes about is so bizarre and his lingering details made me wonder if he really needed to add so much. The story istelf is a little too strange for my taste, but the style kept my curious eye. If you can handle it, give it a read. Check out the reading sample and makre sure it fits your appetite.
Rating:
Summary: Make my headache go away
Review: Reading Slaughtermatic hurt more than if someone had slammed it over my head a few times. There is no denying that Aylett's use of words is original (making it worth reading) but I had to take it in small doses to get it to digest. The world Aylett writes about is so bizarre and his lingering details made me wonder if he really needed to add so much. The story istelf is a little too strange for my taste, but the style kept my curious eye. If you can handle it, give it a read. Check out the reading sample and makre sure it fits your appetite.
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Summary: workout for the brain
Review: Slaughtermatic is a fitting title for a book set in a violent future where you can enjoy a refreshing cocktail of antifreeze while the sounds of gunfire blare from the jukebox. It is a place where you can ski down a mountain of dead bodies whilst bomb zombies self destruct; a place where all your fellow citizens are gun toting and pill popping along with you. The title is amusing as well.
Steve Aylett produced a comical, fast paced and well-exaggerated satire of what seems to be America: a willfully ignorant nation of a desensitized gun-wielding society. Aylett was born and resides in England, a sort of outsider looking in, if you will. This is his first book to be published in the United States.
The story takes place in the turbulent city of Beerlight, a futuristic place where crime is art. Criminals are put on ice only to be tapped into a virtual reality program called the Mall. In Beerlight, killing is a way of life.
Slaughtermatic takes us into a chaotic day in the life of Dante Cubit. On this day, he and his pal, the Entropy Kid, hold up a bank. They do not do it for the money, as you might expect, but for something that has a deeper meaning to Dante: answers. The heist involves time travel, and from there, the mass confusion sets in. Two realities intertwine, and a bizarre, expeditiously paced tale ensues, peppered with hired killers, hackers, and cops with warped laws to uphold.
The main characters are memorable. Dante Cubit is a book obsessed textropist. Rosa Control, a deadly assassin who mixes pleasure with pain. Findley Taz is better known as the Entropy Kid; a pill-popping, death obsessed twenty-something. The weapons of Ayelett's imagination are intriguing. Imagine a gun that does all the deciding for you, or one that fires calories, or perhaps one that melds to your arm with a seamless fit.
Ayelett's writing style is a sort of poetic prose. Perhaps that sounds nonsensical, but Slaughtermatic is on the fantastical side. His wordplay is fitting for the fictional reality and virtual reality of this book. It is interesting as well. There are many humorous bits, such as the writer's subtle hatred of mimes.
Unfortunately, I struggled with this book, as short as it is. Granted, writing is an art form, and the audience is already specialized, but I am not a specialist in this field of science fiction. There are almost too many characters to keep up with. The story was very fast paced as well, and difficult to unsnarl. It is unquestionably a book to be read in one sitting. Alas, I haven't the time; and without much time, you hope for that lull in a story, so you can look for a job, write a paper, rearrange your life, get a cup of coffee, urinate and catch up with it later.
Nonetheless, I am glad I trekked through the muddled mess. The farther you venture, the easier it gets. As soon as the snarl of a story began to untangle, I felt an explicit need to finish the race. I can honestly say I have never read anything like this. It was a workout for my brain.
I would definitely read Slaughtermatic again, if I ever obtain the luxury of bountiful leisure time. If you not already familiar with Steve Ayelett, I would not suggest buying the book. I would suggest borrowing it from the library or a friend. Set aside a couple of hours and be prepared for some intense brain activity.
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Summary: Addendum:
Review: SLAUGHTERMATIC is one of five nominees for the 1998 Philip K. Dick Award, given to the best original paperback publication.
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Summary: Confusing.... but, Aylett still rocks.
Review: The often times befuddling plotline gets saved easily by Aylett's superb writing...in my opinion anyways. It reminded me of 'Naked Lunch' in a bizzarre sort of a way... where almost every line you read is a quotable piece of warped poetry, or song lyric, or sample for a song. Granted, this style of writing can be hard to swallow at times; but, when you are in the mood for this book, it's incredible. My most deeply layered wit grinned many times at Aylett's seemingly random/chaotic craftiness.
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Summary: Too hard to follow whats going on
Review: This book has some good funny lines, and a very interesting plot. If only the author wrote in a way where it was easier to follow. Half the time I didn't know what was going on, where the characters were, or who was who talking. The names are hard to remember, there were too many characters, and it was just a big mess to read. I was so interested in the plot, but it was too confusing to follow. The author only writes action, not narrative, so he doesn't explain whats going on. You basically have to guess for yourself. NO thanks, I do enough work at work. Reading is for pleasure, not for head aches.
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Summary: The thinking man's Baudrillard
Review: This has got to be one of the cleverest science fiction/dystopian/comic texts I've read since...well, I'm not quite sure...but it was probably something by Baudrillard. This novel was laugh out loud funny at times, especially Cubit's frantic race from the law that mirror's (almost exactly) his pre-flight, TV car chace-influenced imaginings. A fast-paced and humorous read for fans of postmodern critical theory, cyberpunk, or straight-forward slapstick comedy. Think William Gibson as re-written by Douglas Addams and filmed by the Cohen Brothers and you'll start to get an idea of what this wacky and wonderful text is like.
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Summary: Artistic Mélange of Language
Review: While I didn't actually like this book, it definatly provided an interesting read. The style is such that every third sentence could be completely skipped and not change the story much. However, the colorful use and misuse of the english language makes this somewhat worth the effort - if you have nothing else to read.
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