Saturday, June 08, 2019

Scott's Take: The Fold by Peter Clines


The Fold by Peter Clines came out in 2015 from the author of Ex-Heroes Series. This scifi/thriller/mystery/horror story stars Leland “Mike” Erikson as our point of view character for most of the novel. Mike is a unique guy as he is a genius who remembers everything he ever sees. He could be doing incredible world changing things with that ability. However, he is happily teaching English literature to high school kids until a friend from DARPA asks him to evaluate a secret government project.

The project created a doorway that allows instant travel from one point to another by folding space and dimensions. The creators claim everything is perfectly safe and that there is nothing going wrong at all with the project. His friend from DARPA thinks differently. He is sure they are hiding something. Are the creators just being protective of their world changing technology and research or is something more nefarious going on?

It is hard to discuss this book without revealing the two main twists that happen halfway through the novel. Despite me being a big time sci-fi fan, both of the twists surprised me as I did not see them coming. Just like in Ex-Heroes there are a lot of deaths. Characters are smart and while they do frequently die, it is not a result of being stupid. Or, as Dad would call it, that too stupid to live phenomenon when you agree to meet somebody at the abandoned warehouse at 2 in the morning and leave your gun at home in the cookie jar.

The one thing I did not like is that I found out that green roaches really do exist. I could have gone my whole life without knowing that green roaches are a thing.

I enjoyed The Fold a lot. It is a B-Budget movie turned into a book and full of unique characters. This is stand alone novel that leaves a hint of potential sequel if the author decides he wants to do it.


The Fold: A Novel
Peter Clines
Broadway Books
2015
ISBN# 978-0-553-44747-7
Paperback (also available in hardcover, audio, and digital formats)
384 Pages
$16.00 

Material supplied by the good folks of the Dallas Public Library System.

Scott A. Tipple ©2019

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