[Rob B]

With my fingers on the keyboard, some buried-alive instinct thumps within my chest: this is going to be a good discussion.
I take a deep breath and wait until February 1st

[Rob B]

Well it is February 1st time to start the official discussion.

Reading Heroes Die for the book club discussion was the second time I read the book, and as much as I loved the book the first time, I honor and cherish it even more now, after a second reading.

I was able to more appreciate Stover's style as well as the minor characters such as Duncan Michaelson. While he was on stage, he really made the most of it.

The dialogue scenes between Caine & Ma'elKoth were probably some of the best dialogue scenes I've ever read.

That's just a teaser for now, I'll wait to see what others have to say before I gush any more.

[DarthV]

I finished the book off last night, and overall I really liked it.

A nice amount of violence...vulgarity...and just a good cast of bad-assed motherf...errr know what I mean. Lots of plot twists and betrayals...some you could see coming and some you couldn't.

One interesting thing that made me think was that Caine wasn't any less effective in getting the job done by not killing people. Then again his whole rise to fame was based on that....and that's what Shanna couldn't stomach? But a lot of what he did accomplish doing it this way was also a result of his reputation.

I also felt like some of the themes were similar to The Running Man. Entertainment has control on what is delivered to the people... The Soapies didn't have a large role in the book, but hey, everyone can see a little 1984 big brother is watching type thing going on. The caste system was also interesting... it kept rigid lines of separation between the different classes of citizens in a global social engineering project. It was a good way to keep people in line, but the upcasting allowed for hope of the lower castes to better their family standing... be good little worker bees and maybe you can become something better.

[ChrisW]

Great book!

Can I make one small suggestion? Yes...ok.. well can I suggest that everyone who makes a comment rate the book using the rate this thread option thats at the bottom of the reply box. Oh and admins if it's not enabled on this forum do you tink you could.:)

[Rob B]

I think the thread rating thing is active, however I can't seem to rate the thread myself.

I think one of the most effective aspects of the book was how Stover switched from 1st person POV while Caine was in Overworld and a the third person narrative on Earth. It was a fairly simple tool or device to use in conveying how each handler can view the adventures, but with most things, the simple things are often most effective.

Regarding the whole Big Brother thing, yeah, there were definitely echoes of that and what really made this effective, was how plausibly the future was laid out.

[kater]

I have to disagree, I thought Stover created the central premise of the book and then evolved a world around that premise which would aid in the central focus of the narrative, plausibility would be one of the last words that came to mind.

[Rob B]

Originally posted by kater
I have to disagree, I thought Stover created the central premise of the book and then evolved a world around that premise which would aid in the central focus of the narrative, plausibility would be one of the last words that came to mind.

What did you see as the central premise?

I wasn't saying the future was the central premise or the starting point, I probably wrote it incorrectly. I meant the future world, as one of the aspects of the novel, was plausible.

[kater]

I know and thats what I was disagreeing with.
The central premise for me is an individual that has a dual personality that is expressed through the link between two worlds and how his life is lived out between the two. Both worlds are fitted to this dichotomy in order to convey Stover's, at times ott, preachy style and carry the narrative along smoothly without any glaring errors not as a plausible construct of a future Earth.

[Shehzad]

I felt that Caine is essentially a street "punk" who's restrained by society on one hand, and given the full opportunity to express himself via Overworld. As to what came first, the character or the world, its difficult to say. Caine would be certainly out of place in the real world while Hari Michaelson would not survive long on Overworld.

[Eventine]

Caine would be certainly out of place in the real world while Hari Michaelson would not survive long on Overworld.

Exactly. Whichis why when we see each displaying characteristics of the other, it shows the growth of Caine/Hari and their understanding that they don't have to be who they are perceived to be.


*Back from a 6 week holiday and raring to go*