Prometheus Road

Rating:
Summary: Entirely Derivative
Review: A transparent pastiche of ideas from The Wizard Of Oz, Star Wars, The Matrix, Lord Of The Rings and Carlos Castaneda, among others. Nary an original theme or plot twist in the book.

Balfour has tongue-in-cheek fun with the Bay Area and Las Vegas locales, and since I live in San Francisco, I enjoyed some of that. Mainly, though, the story just recycles tired sci-fi and fantasy cliches.

Did he think we wouldn't notice?

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant, read it twice
Review: After reading three of his books, I love this author. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has even the faintest interest in the future, or science fiction, or good novels. You won't be disappointed. Mr Balfour weaves fascinating stories, with characters you will care about. For those who are well read in the classics, there is yet another level in this book with subtle, amusing references to great poetry and literature (which is also why I enjoy the novels of Dan Simmons). In fact, I read Prometheus Road twice (something I never do) to make sure I caught everything. Even without that undercurrent, the metaphysics, the multilayered worlds, and the character development were very strong.

Judging from one or two of the negative reviews, I think perhaps they missed the point, and from their references they seem to only watch movies, but anyone who likes good novels will like Prometheus Road. Be prepared to lose some sleep if you read late at night, because this book makes you want to read just a bit more, and a bit more, and a bit more....

This book isn't connected with Balfour's last two, which were more oriented to a hard science fiction audience, and it's nice to see the variety in his style, which is becoming more polished with each of his books. I'm anxious to read the next one.

Rating:
Summary: Castaneda goes High Tech
Review: The author borrows heavily, and by heavily I mean bordering on plagiarism, from the teachings of Carlos Castaneda and then sugar coats it with pulp computers-have-taken-over-the-world science fiction. The dreaming of hands, choosing a power ally, learning to travel on the astral plane, animal spirit guides...these are all copied en masse from Castaneda's early volumes. If you are interested in the metaphysical aspects of this book, try reading "The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge" instead.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: The Gods decreed that no one is allowed to enter the Forbidden Zones or the Water of Bey, but Tom Eliot is not like any of the other inhabitants of the small farming community of Marinwood. He escapes into the Zones and the Water whenever he can as an individualist in a sea of conformity. He comes to the attention of the Gods who treat him and his family like a contagious infection that needs quarantine and destruction. They kill the Eliot household, but Tom was not there so he goes on the run once he learns what happened.

Tom meets the mystical hermit Magus, who explains that the Gods are actually AIs; they developed so quickly they took control from their human creators by demonstrating the ability to destroy cities like San Francisco rather easily. The western region of the United States was sealed off because of runaway nanotech reactions and the AI's knowledge that it is easier to control the area by isolating it. The AIs are fearful of Tom because with his genetic makeup, he, with the proper training, has the ability to destroy their heart (the data center in their stronghold). Tom begins his learning process as his strategic objective is to defeat the AIs.

The hero's innocence at learning that the Gods are crazy AIs will endear him to readers who already will sympathize with him over the murders of his family and empathize with his desire for freedom. The villains are an enigmatic delightful seemingly omnipotent pantheon. With plenty of action and a naive champion, Bruce Balfour's work is a cross between The Matrix and the Terminator; thus would make a terrific movie.

Harriet Klausner


Rating:
Summary: A fantastic sci-fi novel.
Review: To start, I'm glad (for once) that I did not read the reviews of fellow Amazon.com members of Bruce Balfour's Prometheus Road.

Without boring you with the details, I was in Barnes and Noble last weekend and decided to pickup a few sci-fi books at random for a change.

Prometheus Road was the best random choice I've made in buying any science fiction book.

The story starts out with the protagonist, Tom Eliot, who lives in a California farm community that is governed by a council of rarely seen AI's (known as the "Gods" to those in the community).

However, Tom Eliot is a flaw in the grand design that the AI's system was designed to prevent.

The Dominion want Tom Eliot dead and dead fast, after an escapade to the underwater ruins of San Fransisco, a nanobomb is sent to destroy the Eliot household.

Tom escapes and meets up with an old Hermit named Magnus who guides him and helps him to realise his potential so that he may be the savior of humanity against the oppression of The Dominion.

From start to finish, this books is extremely addicting as I spent most of 6 hours today finishing it off.

A neat cross reminiscient of the Matrix and The Lord of the Rings , it is a sci-fi book that I would DEFINITELY recommend picking up.

-Travis S.