Review: Sci Fi Journey of Man
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 30, 2013
Altered is set in space, starting out with Luke Jared being abruptly woken from a cryosleep-type chamber because the space ship he was traveling in was hit by a derelict ship and was torn apart. He manages to escape the ship and drifts for awhile alone in an escape shuttle before he crash lands on a desert planet. This is where it starts to slow down. Jared spends a lot of time wandering and soul searching, railing against his lack of memories (a result of his abrupt awakening) and thinking he's a criminal or a "lifer" because the woman that woke him called him a lifer and implied he was probably a criminal. He is rescued by Blake and Dr. Moriel, who he finds is doing genetic experiments on creatures he calls "Beast Men", manlike creatures he claims were once animals and he was genetically manupulating to evolve them into men. There's a lot of internal monologue as Jared goes on his journey of self discovery and awareness. Who makes our destiny? Are we on a predetermined course? So on. Overall, it's not terribly exciting but I still found myself wanting to know where it was going, was Jared going to remember, and what was beyond the compound? My only real issues were how many times he gashes his leg on a rock (it seemed like he gashed it so many times there should only be a nub) and that in the end you never find out how long it had been since he had first been put into the cryosleep, something I felt was a bit relevant. I get where the author was trying to be very deep and thought provoking, and he occasionally got there, but generally it could've used a little more action.I recieved a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***Edit*** Having now read "The Island of Doctor Moreau" this book is a space knock-off! Still ok though