EXOSKELETON II Tympanum Shane Stadler 9780692551035 Books
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The thrilling sequel to 2012's Techno-Horror/Sci-Fi masterpiece, EXOSKELETON.
"Stadler - an experimental physicist by trade - effectively uses his background working in government and defense labs in painting vivid, appropriately clinical looks at the very base concept of torture. He spins it, however, into a horrifying tale of supernatural vengeance, one wrought with complex questions of faith, spirituality, and the after-life." - Chris Hallock, CHIZINE
" ... a cleverly executed [blend] of science fiction, suspense and horror. ... a certified dark journey into madness." - David Gammon, HORROR NEWS
"EXOSKELETON utilizes several science fiction and horror tropes the medical experiment gone horribly wrong, the malevolent secret government organization that will stop at nothing to achieve its aims, vengeful spirits against which the fleshbound have no defense, [still] Stadler never lets the story devolve into cliche, but instead uses these tropes with originality and energy." - Tracie McBride, EXQUISITE CORPSE
Synopsis
Freed from the Red Box, William Thompson finds himself at the center of a geo-political conflict spawned from a secret history of scientific and militaristic operations, setting in motion a deadly chain of events that threatens the world.
EXOSKELETON II Tympanum Shane Stadler 9780692551035 Books
I am really glad I didn't have to wait almost four years for this story the way a lot of people did. I only got to reading Exoskeleton, the previous novel from Shane Stadler, a couple of months ago, so thankfully I didn't have long to wait on the follow-up novel, Tympanum. Though even if I did have to wait years instead of months to catch up with William Thompson and the story of "Red Wraith", I still would have deemed the wait worth it. Which can only mean one thing: that Shane Stadler has again delivered the goods with a knock out novel powered by one corker of a story.The novel picks up some time after the events in Exoskeleton, when Will Thompson (the book's central character) was a victim of the Compressed Punishment program, a secret government project carried out in order to try and "separate" the soul from the bodies of the victims imprisoned inside the Exoskeletons, a process attempted through means of extreme physical and mental torture. After much brutal abuse in the Red Box, the program succeeded in allowing Will Thompson to achieve separation of his soul from his body, effectively launching him into another plane of existence, and giving him superpowers to boot, which Will eventually used to bring down the whole program in a very destructive way.
The raison d'être for the Red Wraith project was supposedly to create advanced weapons (as is usually the case with secret government programs) in the form of super-soldiers who could wreak havoc and destruction wherever they were deployed. That was the understanding set out in the first book, but the author of Exoskeleton also hinted at other, more deeper and sinister reasons for the program. But hints were all we got before the first book drew to an end.
Picking up the second book, I half expected Will to be in the employ of the FBI, helping them solve cases by using his superpowers. The way Exoskeleton was left, it kind of seemed things were heading in that direction, like, "Okay Will, we need you to do your soul separating thingy and go inside that building to save all those hostages from the vicious terrorists holding them," and Will would go do his thing and save the day.
All I can say is, thank Christ the story didn't go down that path, or I fear it would have become some lame, crime busting hijinks novel. But no, thankfully Tympanum is not that at all, and is in fact, much more.
As it turns out, there actually is a bigger purpose for the Red Wraith program, and we spend most of the book uncovering what that purpose is. It is the central mystery at the heart of Tympanum, and one which kept me fully engrossed for the two days it took me to read the book.
The story itself starts of at a fairly slow pace, and to be honest, I feared the book was going to be a let-down compared to the first book. I loved the first book, and I so wanted the follow up to be as awesome. I'm glad to say though, that I wasn't disappointed, and that the follow up turned out to be just as awesome, and a whole lot more.
As I said, what makes Tympanum such a joy to read is the intricately thought out story that drives everything along. It is like uncovering a giant conspiracy theory--perhaps the ultimate conspiracy theory--one fascinating piece at a time. I happen to love stories like this, simply because I can't resist a good conspiracy theory. There is something about government programs and secret projects that just makes me want to know more. Clandestine s*** like that never fails to arouse my curiosity. If nothing else, you will not want to put this book down, if only to find out what the whole thing is about; to find out what the real point of the Red Wraith project was in the first place.
And my, what a tale it turns out to be. I'm not giving anything away by telling you that the roots of the program exist with the Nazis. That much was made clear in the first book. With this book though, we are privy to even more detailed accounts of the Nazis involvement in the program, and the lengths they went to in order to pursue it, and to keep it all a secret from an unsuspecting world.
As you might have guessed from the cover, much of the action takes place in Antarctica, where a strange beacon that exists in the depths under the ice has drawn the attention of the worlds intelligence agencies to go check it out. The main plot of the novel revolves around everyone trying to work out what the hell the strange object is and why it appears to be a beacon of some sort.
Quite a few of the characters from the first book are involved in unraveling this mystery, including Will himself obviously, and also his friends Jonathan and Denise. The bulk of the researching and uncovering of information is done by three characters known as Omniscients, who work in secret for the CIA. It is through them that we get to learn the secrets of the Red Wraith project and its ultimate purpose, which as one character says, may have "existential consequences" (which become clear by the end of the book).
Even though there is a s***load of information delivered in this novel, the author manages to deliver it all in the context of a page-turning thriller, just as he did in the first book also. Tympanum is fast-paced and features enough action to satisfy the reader and give them a break from the constant stream of uncovered information. Not that you will need a break. As I said, the gradual revealing of the mystery at the heart of the book will keep you turning the pages as much (if not more) than the action scenes.
There is a danger with stories like these that the build-up throughout will come to nothing. I have read many books (and seen more movies) where the story has a really interesting and captivating build towards solving some mystery, only to have things fall flat at the end. Sometimes a story can make promises that it ultimately fails to deliver on and the ending can be a let-down. I'm happy to report however, that that isn't the case here. The ending of the book is very satisfying and equally as engaging as the story that got it there in the first place.
What I also appreciated about this book, as I did in the first book, is that the author raises existential questions through the story and the actions of the characters, especially at the end of the novel. I couldn't help thinking of Prometheus, the Ridley Scott movie. Tympanum raises the same kinds of questions about our existence as that movie, all of which add depth to the novel and somehow make the overall story and plot more credible.
Not that you will question the credibility of the novel either. I would say a staggering amount of research went into this book, and that is evident, not only in the layers of the conspiracy story, but also in every scene. The scenes that take place on the submarine especially, I thought were very believable and well executed in the way that the crew behaved and ran things. The author obviously has a firm mental picture of how everything looks in the novel, and he does a great job of putting his vision across by being precisely detailed about things. I guess that's the scientist coming out in him :)
Like the first book, Tympanum ends with the promise of more to come. The story is not yet concluded, and I'm excited to read what happens next, though I beg the author not to wait as long this time for a follow-up. I'll wait if I have to though. With a story this fascinating and engaging, the wait will always be worth it, I'm sure.
Via npmartin.com
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Tags : EXOSKELETON II: Tympanum [Shane Stadler] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b>The thrilling sequel to 2012's Techno-Horror/Sci-Fi masterpiece, EXOSKELETON.</b> Stadler - an experimental physicist by trade - effectively uses his background working in government and defense labs in painting vivid,Shane Stadler,EXOSKELETON II: Tympanum,Dark Hall Press,0692551034,Fiction - Espionage Thriller,Fiction Thrillers Suspense,Thrillers - Suspense
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EXOSKELETON II Tympanum Shane Stadler 9780692551035 Books Reviews
Exoskeleton I and II are both excellent reads. Very interesting premises that propose some very different reasons behind some of the darkest moments in history. Well thought out and entertaining. Makes the reader consider the possibilities humans may possess and may manifest in the direst of circumstances. Feeds the reader many tasty "what ifs" to make us think about the world as it is, or as it appears. The few stereotypes and tropes of the spy genre are not too overly played and still leave you with a thoroughly enjoyable experience. A bit graphic in violence and torture in places, but necessary to convey the story as it unfolds. Already awaiting the third installment which we've conveniently been left anticipating in true cliffhanger style.
Exoskeleton was very good. This is great. This is also the first time I've seen a sequel that jumps to a completely different genre from the first book. And Mr. Stadler pulls it off beautifully. This is suspense in the best tradition of "The Hunt for Red October". The action is fast-paced. The characters are well-developed. The story line is coherent. The espionage is realistic. The proofreading is excellent (a pet peeve of mine). Overall, a really good story told very well. I look forward to the third book in the series.
I am really enjoying this series... I hope the third book is coming out soon, this is just one of those stories where you want to find out what happens next. This is an international thriller, a tale of corporate intrigue and hideous medical experiments dating back to the very beginnings of the third reich. A program has been developed to separate the human soul from its body; a project with one known successful result (read the first book, Exoskeleton to learn those details) but the process has an endgame no one realized; to make contact with something of unknown origin in the ocean near Antarctica. A sequel that uses the existing characters and set pieces of the first book, while simultaneously shifting tone into almost an entirely different genre. I must say I loved this book.
***If you are at all squeamish about blood, dentistry, violence, or the paranormal, then you should not read this!***
Mr. Stadler begins this book right where Exoskeleton left off. Will is recovering and trying to move on with his life. But the world has other plans for him. And so does the author.
This sequel is well-written. It has a lot of characters to remember and new ones to learn. Because the setting is a global stage, above and below ground, there is room for confusion at times. I found the plot to be intriguing. I certainly wanted to keep reading to find out where this was all headed. When I thought I had guessed, the course of action changed and the storyline went well beyond what I had imagined.
It's a long book. There are a lot of details and explanations to get through. It took about 40% of the book to get to the first reveal, and it was worth it. I would say this book is not as gruesome as the first, but it certainly has its moments! I definitely appreciated the author's ability to take the first book even further. Separating the soul from the body definitely opens up an infinite amount of storyline potential. And of course, Mr. Stadler has left the door open for a Book 3.
There are some editing issues that need to be resolved. This may annoy some readers. I felt the Horace storyline was left unfinished - there is more to that character than we are being told. The story gets repetitive when the sub first goes into the station, and then returns with Daniel. The descriptions are virtually the same. Other than that, I found it to be a good book. At times, it was a page turner. Well-thought out, takes a leap of faith that the reader will join in/buy in to the plot, and a good forwarding of the story told in book one.
I am really glad I didn't have to wait almost four years for this story the way a lot of people did. I only got to reading Exoskeleton, the previous novel from Shane Stadler, a couple of months ago, so thankfully I didn't have long to wait on the follow-up novel, Tympanum. Though even if I did have to wait years instead of months to catch up with William Thompson and the story of "Red Wraith", I still would have deemed the wait worth it. Which can only mean one thing that Shane Stadler has again delivered the goods with a knock out novel powered by one corker of a story.
The novel picks up some time after the events in Exoskeleton, when Will Thompson (the book's central character) was a victim of the Compressed Punishment program, a secret government project carried out in order to try and "separate" the soul from the bodies of the victims imprisoned inside the Exoskeletons, a process attempted through means of extreme physical and mental torture. After much brutal abuse in the Red Box, the program succeeded in allowing Will Thompson to achieve separation of his soul from his body, effectively launching him into another plane of existence, and giving him superpowers to boot, which Will eventually used to bring down the whole program in a very destructive way.
The raison d'être for the Red Wraith project was supposedly to create advanced weapons (as is usually the case with secret government programs) in the form of super-soldiers who could wreak havoc and destruction wherever they were deployed. That was the understanding set out in the first book, but the author of Exoskeleton also hinted at other, more deeper and sinister reasons for the program. But hints were all we got before the first book drew to an end.
Picking up the second book, I half expected Will to be in the employ of the FBI, helping them solve cases by using his superpowers. The way Exoskeleton was left, it kind of seemed things were heading in that direction, like, "Okay Will, we need you to do your soul separating thingy and go inside that building to save all those hostages from the vicious terrorists holding them," and Will would go do his thing and save the day.
All I can say is, thank Christ the story didn't go down that path, or I fear it would have become some lame, crime busting hijinks novel. But no, thankfully Tympanum is not that at all, and is in fact, much more.
As it turns out, there actually is a bigger purpose for the Red Wraith program, and we spend most of the book uncovering what that purpose is. It is the central mystery at the heart of Tympanum, and one which kept me fully engrossed for the two days it took me to read the book.
The story itself starts of at a fairly slow pace, and to be honest, I feared the book was going to be a let-down compared to the first book. I loved the first book, and I so wanted the follow up to be as awesome. I'm glad to say though, that I wasn't disappointed, and that the follow up turned out to be just as awesome, and a whole lot more.
As I said, what makes Tympanum such a joy to read is the intricately thought out story that drives everything along. It is like uncovering a giant conspiracy theory--perhaps the ultimate conspiracy theory--one fascinating piece at a time. I happen to love stories like this, simply because I can't resist a good conspiracy theory. There is something about government programs and secret projects that just makes me want to know more. Clandestine s*** like that never fails to arouse my curiosity. If nothing else, you will not want to put this book down, if only to find out what the whole thing is about; to find out what the real point of the Red Wraith project was in the first place.
And my, what a tale it turns out to be. I'm not giving anything away by telling you that the roots of the program exist with the Nazis. That much was made clear in the first book. With this book though, we are privy to even more detailed accounts of the Nazis involvement in the program, and the lengths they went to in order to pursue it, and to keep it all a secret from an unsuspecting world.
As you might have guessed from the cover, much of the action takes place in Antarctica, where a strange beacon that exists in the depths under the ice has drawn the attention of the worlds intelligence agencies to go check it out. The main plot of the novel revolves around everyone trying to work out what the hell the strange object is and why it appears to be a beacon of some sort.
Quite a few of the characters from the first book are involved in unraveling this mystery, including Will himself obviously, and also his friends Jonathan and Denise. The bulk of the researching and uncovering of information is done by three characters known as Omniscients, who work in secret for the CIA. It is through them that we get to learn the secrets of the Red Wraith project and its ultimate purpose, which as one character says, may have "existential consequences" (which become clear by the end of the book).
Even though there is a s***load of information delivered in this novel, the author manages to deliver it all in the context of a page-turning thriller, just as he did in the first book also. Tympanum is fast-paced and features enough action to satisfy the reader and give them a break from the constant stream of uncovered information. Not that you will need a break. As I said, the gradual revealing of the mystery at the heart of the book will keep you turning the pages as much (if not more) than the action scenes.
There is a danger with stories like these that the build-up throughout will come to nothing. I have read many books (and seen more movies) where the story has a really interesting and captivating build towards solving some mystery, only to have things fall flat at the end. Sometimes a story can make promises that it ultimately fails to deliver on and the ending can be a let-down. I'm happy to report however, that that isn't the case here. The ending of the book is very satisfying and equally as engaging as the story that got it there in the first place.
What I also appreciated about this book, as I did in the first book, is that the author raises existential questions through the story and the actions of the characters, especially at the end of the novel. I couldn't help thinking of Prometheus, the Ridley Scott movie. Tympanum raises the same kinds of questions about our existence as that movie, all of which add depth to the novel and somehow make the overall story and plot more credible.
Not that you will question the credibility of the novel either. I would say a staggering amount of research went into this book, and that is evident, not only in the layers of the conspiracy story, but also in every scene. The scenes that take place on the submarine especially, I thought were very believable and well executed in the way that the crew behaved and ran things. The author obviously has a firm mental picture of how everything looks in the novel, and he does a great job of putting his vision across by being precisely detailed about things. I guess that's the scientist coming out in him )
Like the first book, Tympanum ends with the promise of more to come. The story is not yet concluded, and I'm excited to read what happens next, though I beg the author not to wait as long this time for a follow-up. I'll wait if I have to though. With a story this fascinating and engaging, the wait will always be worth it, I'm sure.
Via npmartin.com
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