The Stone Man - A Science Fiction Horror Novel
2 journalers for this copy...
I enjoyed the Audible audiobook version of this novel, read by Matt Addis, and had to hunt up a print copy to register.
The premise intrigued me: an 8-foot-tall stone man appears one day in a crowded city center, and then goes on an apparently emotionless but deadly and unstoppable walk through buildings, across country, in spite of every attempt to stop it. Its destination and ultimate purpose are even more distressing...
Most of the story is told to us by small-time reporter Andy, who's dictating his memoirs of the events - with lots of foreshadowing as to why he's doing it now and what possible doom might be impending. There's a lot of minute detail as to the way events unfolded, Andy's own experiences with the side effects of the First Arrival (as it came to be known), his interest in trying to get a career-boosting scoop by following what seems to be his personal connection to the stone man's destination - and his gradual involvement in events beyond his control, with growing horror as he finally realizes what's at stake here.
He meets another man, Paul, who has a similar ability to sense the stone man's course, and when the two work together they find they can fine-tune their "signals". This puts them on the spot when the stone man reaches its target, and gets them in contact with the military as well.
I won't go into the additional twists and turns of the plot - or perhaps "twists" isn't the right word, as the events unfold in an eerily direct manner, not that that helps much. Whether any solutions are found to stop the course of the invader, and how extreme those might be, I'll leave for the reader to discover. I enjoyed the growing suspense, the personal details, and the overall impact.
If you like your stories wrapped up neatly by the end, this one may not be for you, but if you enjoy some ambiguity and what-happens-next, give this a try!
[This edition includes an afterword by the author chatting about how it was written and published (and how much he hopes the reader will post good reviews and ratings online {wry grin}). It also includes a summary of an alternate ending, one that the author chose not to use but that provides a little bit of resolution for at least one character. I rather liked it, but I found the author's preferred ending satisfying too.
The premise intrigued me: an 8-foot-tall stone man appears one day in a crowded city center, and then goes on an apparently emotionless but deadly and unstoppable walk through buildings, across country, in spite of every attempt to stop it. Its destination and ultimate purpose are even more distressing...
Most of the story is told to us by small-time reporter Andy, who's dictating his memoirs of the events - with lots of foreshadowing as to why he's doing it now and what possible doom might be impending. There's a lot of minute detail as to the way events unfolded, Andy's own experiences with the side effects of the First Arrival (as it came to be known), his interest in trying to get a career-boosting scoop by following what seems to be his personal connection to the stone man's destination - and his gradual involvement in events beyond his control, with growing horror as he finally realizes what's at stake here.
He meets another man, Paul, who has a similar ability to sense the stone man's course, and when the two work together they find they can fine-tune their "signals". This puts them on the spot when the stone man reaches its target, and gets them in contact with the military as well.
I won't go into the additional twists and turns of the plot - or perhaps "twists" isn't the right word, as the events unfold in an eerily direct manner, not that that helps much. Whether any solutions are found to stop the course of the invader, and how extreme those might be, I'll leave for the reader to discover. I enjoyed the growing suspense, the personal details, and the overall impact.
If you like your stories wrapped up neatly by the end, this one may not be for you, but if you enjoy some ambiguity and what-happens-next, give this a try!
[This edition includes an afterword by the author chatting about how it was written and published (and how much he hopes the reader will post good reviews and ratings online {wry grin}). It also includes a summary of an alternate ending, one that the author chose not to use but that provides a little bit of resolution for at least one character. I rather liked it, but I found the author's preferred ending satisfying too.
Journal Entry 2 by 
GoryDetails
at Little Free Library - Albemarle Rd. in Waltham, Massachusetts USA on Monday, November 30, 2015
GoryDetails at Little Free Library - Albemarle Rd. in Waltham, Massachusetts USA on Monday, November 30, 2015
Released 8 yrs ago (11/30/2015 UTC) at Little Free Library - Albemarle Rd. in Waltham, Massachusetts USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
I left this book in the Little Free Library at a little after 2; hope the finder enjoys it!*** Released as part of the 2015 The 'The' release challenge. ***
This book showed up at our Little Free Library in Waltham, MA. I'm just recording the information and then placing it back for circulation in our LFL.
