Eve by Aurelio O'Brien

[dwndrgn]

Eve by Aurelio O’Brien, a review by dwndrgn

This novel shines a light on the basic human fact that what you want is not necessarily what you need.

Eve is the story of Pentser, the obsolete mechanical robot, Govil the romantic bioengineer who’s looking for love and companionship, and Eve herself, the manufactured biological person Govil creates as a companion for himself. Their world is a sterile place where death is no longer a factor and intimate human contact is considered obscene. There is no love, no war, no illness and no families.

Eve’s creation is the catalyst that forces a change of thought. Shouldn’t we have love and companionship? Isn’t being completely satisfied without any disappointments or obstacles terribly dull and onerous?

O’Brien has created an interesting little fable about the human condition of wanting it all and not wanting to pay the price. The back cover of the book says it all, ‘beware of what you wish for, it may come true.’

I quite enjoyed this little romp through the human psyche. It proves my point that you can have no light without darkness, no ups without downs. Our inadequacies are what make life interesting and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

 

[Brian G Turner]

And here's a link to the book:
http://www.evethenovel.com

Without setting out spoilers, are there any parts of the book that really stand out as positive or negative? And is there any particular writer or work you might find yourself inadvertently comparing it to?

 

[Foxbat]

Sounds kind of like a modern-day Pinnochio

 

[Lacedaemonian]

I was thinking the same thing, sounds good if not my usually cup of tea.

 

[dwndrgn]

I don't know that there's a particular writer that came to mind as far as style goes but it was certainly written with a sarcastic tone that has been present in other works, specifically the Spellsinger series of Alan Dean Foster. I see it as a compilation of early SF exuberance and modern cynicism that may sound unlikely but works for the type of tale he was telling.

The author clearly had fun imagining the wonders of bioengineering gone wild. What would you create if you could make any biological construct to make your life easier and fun?

I think my favorite bits had to be where the bioengineered clerks and tourguides had an over-the-top, in your face obsequiousness that actually made me giggle and imagine car salesmen the world over

 

[aurelio]

I already thanked Dwndrgn personally for taking the time to read and review my book for Chronicles Network, but I wanted to thank her publicly too!

I really appreciate this site and our group here, and feel honored to have my novel reviewed. I am going to add a review page to my site in the near future, which will include Dwndrgn's review (she has graciously allowed me to include it).

If anyone else decides to give "EVE" a read (no pressure, truly), I would really appreciate any and all comments. It looks like the book is actually starting to sell too! (Although I'm still waiting for my first sales report to show up, and that will only give figures up to the end of September - argh!)

Fingers crossed.

Aurelio

 

[Space Monkey]

I just finished eve today and want to buy Aurelio a beer.

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time; it blew me away.

Not only is the book extremely smart, creative and hysterical, it's written so tightly and evenly paced that you breeze through it without effort. Every word is the right word for the job. Every phrase is spot on and meticulously scrutinized, and the way the story is told is not only unique, but brilliant too. Let me explain (without spoiling anything.)

The story is told in first-robot narrative, from the perspective of Pentser. However, by the use of some discreetly placed trans-dots, Pentser is constantly monitoring the goings on of all the main characters in the story, and so perfectly combines the unique voice and insights of first person perspective with the freedom of third person perspective. This is the best technique for getting the full picture I've ever seen. Ingenius.

The all-powerful corporation, GenieCorp, is probably what Bill Gates has in mind as far as monopolies go, and one of the main things on my mind all the way through was how feasible all of this felt. If the race survives another thousand odd years, this is probably how the planet will look/act/think!
But still, even so far ahead, people are people, and every interaction in this book was so real, you felt like you knew them all and the dynamics of their relationships. Every character is somebody with whom you can associate, and because of that, the ending is extremely intense and poignant. Very symbolic, funny and did I say smart already?

Next time you buy a book, buy this one. You won't be disappointed.

 

[aurelio]

Thanks, Space Monkey! I really appreciate your comments. It's so fun to hear that you liked EVE, and that it made you laugh and ponder the future.

All the best, my friend!



Now about that beer... hic*

 

[Circus Cranium]

Well, you guys just jumped ahead of me dinya? I guess I'll post mine here as well. This review will also be on The Swamp next week. Awesome book. Go buy it.


****************

EVE

By Aurelio O’Brien



Reviewed by Adrienne Jones





This is the second time in six months I’ve found myself reviewing a novel that revisits the popular dystopian themes of classic sci-fi. And as with the last one, (Carlos Hernandez’s The Last Generation to Die), Aurelio O’Brien’s Eve does borrow from the common vein, the escape from exploded social order which ran through films and literature like Brave New World, Logan’s Run, 1984 and George Lucas’s first born, THX-1138. But no, you have not read a story like Eve before, this I can guarantee. What Aurelio O’Brien does with his own futuristic vision is most certainly unique, and the most fun I’ve had with a book in a long time.



Like the biological ‘Creature Comforts’ in the novel, O’Brien takes bits and pieces of these themes, then mutates, warps and reshapes them like a strand of DNA, fitting them back together in such a way that leaves you shaking your head. Oh, and laughing every other page. Eve is told from the first person perspective of Pentser, a robot convinced that he, and machine kind in general is perfection, the highest life form ever created, and should therefore be more or less running the world. The conflict for Pentser lies in the irony that the world he lives in has done away with machines, long since thrown them over for designer genetics that can create custom biological life forms to serve humans. Pentser on the other hand is a relic, active only because his owner has a love of antiques, and though it is against the law, he keeps Pentser up and running as a sort of combination pet and companion.



Pentser’s owner, ‘Govil’, is our flawed hero. In a futuristic world that has been cleansed of sickness, death, and human reproduction, a world where everything is bioengineered, and even the dogs bark ‘I love you!’, Govil is depressed. Govil is a genetics expert, a Dr. Frankenstein in a world where humanity has customized mutant hybrid creatures designed to deal with any and all of life’s tasks. And these creations are one of the things that make this novel such brilliant fun, as the bio life forms have taken over the functions of all things, even household appliances; ClotheSchomper, WashWomb, DreamWeaver, Lick-n-Span, RodenTiller…But of course not all Creature Comforts are purely practical; we also have the BeddinBuddies, which you can imagine what function they serve. But don’t expect the Blade Runner version here; O’Brien’s creatures are far more surreal and entertaining.



With the help of Pentser, who has ulterior motives of his own, Govil, sets out to create something truly unique in this world of genetic perfection; a Random, i.e., a human being, a life form that evolves randomly. Here we get Eve, the scientist’s greatest creation, an ‘average’ human female, unaltered by any genetic perfecting.



Here exemplifies the irony that the author uses throughout the tale. We have Govil, a man that creates what are more or less well-behaved monsters for a living. Yet it is the average human he designs, which is viewed as monstrous, perverse, illegal. While the story is set hundreds of years in the future, the author seems to be poking fun at our own society as well; wherein the creation of an imperfect woman is the ultimate sin.



But aside from the fun the author obviously had with these themes, the writing is insightful and cleverly subtle. Peppered throughout are more parables seeming to relate to some of our own current cultural quagmires, exhibited in the following excerpt, taken from Pentser’s internal dialogue:



Human Studies further proved this; the least intelligent of Mankind were often the most verbose. This phenomenon of thoughtless articulation was labeled “The Scarecrow Effect,” referencing a line from the ancient film “The Wizard of Oz,” when said character observed, “People without brains do an awful lot of talking.”



But the highlight of this story is in the imagery, presented in such a visual manner that we get a clear view of this world we’re reading about, which if it were adapted for film would be pure eye-candy. And it’s not just the physicality of the ‘Creature Comforts’, but the personification. That such entities as a dismembered rooster head alarm clock can exhibit personality without any dialogue whatsoever, is the sign of a talented writer, in my opinion.



Eve, the novel, by Aurelio O’Brien. A great read for fans of any genre, regardless of personal taste.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Okay, I really should get around to reading this soon.

 

[aurelio]

In my relentless quest of endless self promotion - ----

EVE got another really kind review I wanted to share, from a guy named Scott Moore:

http://www.myclubhouse.org/book_list.htm

Cheers.