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The Return of the Incredible Exploding Man

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Brilliant - really enjoyed this novel, found it more exciting than initially thought. Looking forward to what Dave Hutchinson writes next and will recommend to friends!

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The Return of the Incredible Exploding Man by Dave Hutchinson is a highly recommended science fiction thriller.

Multibillionaire Stanislaw Clayton has bought a town and county in Iowa to build his dream supercollider, but now he needs someone to write about the evolution of Sioux Crossing and his project. Clayton recruits and hires Alex Dolan to write some articles and a book about the Sioux Crossing, Iowa, Supercollider. Alex is a Scottish science/tech journalist living in Boston who has been struggling to make a living, so the generous offer is too tempting to pass up. When Alex arrives to look over the town and everyone in the town knows who he is and why he is there, he begins to find the town a little unsettling, especially when a few people tell him to get out why he can. Alex, however, needs the money and can't back out anyway because a spy at the British embassy in Minneapolis has contacted him and threatened deportation if he doesn't spy on the facility for him.

From this beginning, when it seems to be just a mystery and you're expecting problems on the collider campus, the narrative rolls along, intriguing and interesting with little sightings and observations of odd, disturbing occurrences popping up now and then. And, make no mistake, it is a compelling plot and had my attention but I was waiting for the titular theme promised by the title. When that hits, in the last quarter of the book, the novel absolutely erupts and I dare you to set it aside. It's at this point that the narrative is all-consuming, riveting and engrossing. There was no way I was going to stop reading.

Now, I'm going to admit that there were some issues with the narrative, especially in saving the big bang for essentially the end, when it could have been explored and used to the advantage of the plot sooner. The lead up to the final quarter was great as a mystery, but it would have made for an even stronger and more exciting story line if what was the last twenty-five percent of the plot had been extended and further developed. The ending felt rushed and I was left wanting more. I did like it quite a bit, though, and do highly recommend The Return of the Incredible Exploding Man.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Solaris.

http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2019/09/the-return-of-incredible-exploding-man.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2962108417
https://www.librarything.com/work/23572035/book/172853446
https://twitter.com/SheTreadsSoftly/status/1168630535092080650?s=20

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There is a randomness to this tale that might not be everyone's cup of tea but if you expect something of that sort to occur, you might just like the story. 

For some strange and inexplicable reason, I had fun reading this book. I say strange because I am not sure I could convey to you why that might be the case but I am going to give it a try. This has sci-fi as the backbone of the narrative but it all about Alex. Alex Dolan is stuck in a hard place, he has no job prospects until something strange drops into his lap. It should wipe away all his worries but it just makes him more curious. The first half of the story is about how Alex builds a new life and the second (smaller half) is all about how he has to do that all over again. The crowning glory of the book is the narration which kept up this interesting tempo making you curious about the whys of the events that unfold. The only thing is that we may not get all the answers. I am usually someone who needs everything tied up in a bow to move on from a book but some things here kept me from ripping my hair out in any form of frustration. I think it was the subtle tongue-in-cheek remarks about the events that pepper the background with interesting stories or even the fact that almost nothing gets tied up in a bow. These little things have you follow Alex's adventure with no expectations for how things turn out. The last chapter was surprisingly satisfying despite its vagueness ( it is not a spoiler, just a heads-up from someone who actually liked it). I am saying as little as possible about the actual situations themselves as it is more fun to watch it unravel a little at a time as you read the book.

I liked the people I encountered and I had my paranoid moments as well as trusting ones with the lead protagonist(s) and sometimes I suspected I missed something with my speed of reading and actually had the time and patience to go back and reread parts of it! Overall I recommend this book to those on the lookout for a different kind of read and find this review even remotely stimulating. 

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is completely based on my own reading experience.

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I loved this book. I loved the authors writing style, though sometimes it felt like some descriptions were lacking. The science was explained in ways that did not feel dumbed down, and the idea of the main character being an outsider in all ways already was perfect. It was a fun ride from start to finish, with a killer ending!

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This had potential and is definitely not the blurbed "new sci-fi masterpiece" in my opinion.
The first 3/4 are incredibly dull and boring and I don't care about Alex at all, because he had absolutely no drive and is floating in the wind like a tiny flag.
The supporting characters are flat.
The writing itself isn't bad, but there are issues with pacing and plot lines.

I'm quite disappointed. I really wanted to like this one.

Thanks Netgalley for providing me with an eARC.

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This is sensational. I loved the voice, it amused me and was just properly enough cynical and humorous to lend credibility to this futuristic, surreal story of creating a gap in time and space that our traumatised man experiences like no other. A customised town and a giant scientific apparatus feature.
Characters lend grounding to the story too from the irascible old man to previous police officers, and a fresh young woman scientist, and a newspaper editor as he settles in. I'm definitely going to look for other books by this terrific writer.

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I have very mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it’s a great character piece, examining the workings of a down-on-his-luck journalist as he tries to write a book about an impossible project in the middle of nowhere. He forms a couple of interesting relationships and gains a few months of every day experiences.

Hutchinson adds a lot of humor to the book and creates a compelling protagonist. That being said, it felt like there was something big missing from the story. The book promises explosive events and extreme science fiction and it mostly reads as a character piece that happens to take place around a science facility. While the final 25% of the book is definitely full science fiction, I found myself confused by the events and the sudden jumps in time. There didn’t seem to be a major conflict or a solution to any major issue. I expected to see this alternate realm in depth or to see some kind of final ending to the big villain, but instead it just kind of ended. I enjoyed reading the book but the journey was drawn out and there wasn’t any kind of definitive ending to be satisfied with.

While I did enjoy parts of the book, I won’t be publishing a review to my blog. I do appreciate the chance to read it in advance.

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The Return of the Incredible Exploding Man
By Dave Hutchinson

I gobbled this book up in just a couple of days!

Dave Hutchinson is the king of rising dread!

The story is building towards a big event, which happens 75% of the way into the novel, but Dave Hutchinson keeps his cards very close to his chest! He gives you just enough to hint at what's going on - but I wouldn't put any money on it if I were you!

The Protagonist: Alex Dolan the Scot, in Boston (Bawston), USA

Alex, a science journalist, has my kind of humour! I laughed quite a few times at his dry wit and irreverent sarcasm.

The Premise

The premise of the book is that Alex's life is efficiently and unashamedly hacked by the billionaire Stanislaw Clayton (because apparently the line between research and hacking is moot when you've got that kind of money), and he uses that information to make Alex an offer that he can't refuse.

Stanislaw commissions Alex to write a book about his latest science project, but to do that, Alex has to move to a new town:

Sioux Crossing in Iowa

Alex finds the whole 'newness' of the place so strange. Too good to be true.

And it's not just Sioux Crossing that feels off.

Right from the beginning of the story and Alex's very first encounter with Stanislaw, right to the end of the book, something never feels quite right.

Dave Hutchinson gives you plenty of clues, which don't offer any clarity, however, but rather add to the descending haze of mystery.

Character-Driven Story

My favourite characters are Alex's good friend Ralph, also a (former) writer, and Ralph's flatulent dog Homer. It's worth reading the book just for them!

Alex and Ralph (and Homer) also develop a great friendship with Wendy (a scientist working on Stanislaw Clayton's project), and the dynamic between them is brilliant!

Larry Day, the rockstar scientist, is a central (but very enigmatic) character. He's more of a presence on the page rather than a character we get to interact with long enough to figure him out.

We don't become aware of Larry until about a third of the way into the book, and even then we meet his bright red 1968 Ford Mustang GT before we meet him!

Larry's reputation precedes him, as is often the way with rockstars - or so I've heard.

Every page is ripe with potential for everything to kick-off, yet mostly not a great deal is happening; which is great for character-driven stories - especially when the characters are Alex, Ralph and Homer. I could read about them all day!

I'd say that the first 75% of the book is very character-driven, mysterious and suspenseful. The rest is a mixture of character, and SciFi-fuelled drama!

The Science

The science and the weird and wonderful things that happen towards the end of the book are dealt with in such a matter-of-fact way (and in human speak), that when what's happening in the room is juxtaposed with the underwhelmed (almost bored) reactions of the characters present, it's actually quite comical.

The nearest comparison I could think of is the contrast between making a movie versus watching a movie.

This book takes you behind the scenes on the action. There are no clever camera angles, there's no dramatic music, and there are no lingering shots or heroic gestures. Dave Hutchinson very successfully keeps it real in a very surreal situation.

That said, visually it would be incredibly entertaining if this was made into a movie, but without the typical Hollywood sheen. With all this mad stuff happening on screen and it barely raising an eyebrow from the group of bored scientists, it might raise a chuckle or two.

'Sensawunda'!

There is so much I would love to say about this book, but I don't want to spoil it for you!

The ending is fantastic and absolutely makes it worth the wait.

There is also definite potential for a spin-off; but if Dave Hutchinson doesn't write one, I may just try my hand at a piece of fan fiction because this story has my imagination absolutely buzzing!

So grab hold of a copy when it's published by Rebellion on 3rd September 2019 and read it!

Side note: This book is listed on NetGalley as 'General Fiction (Adult), SciFi & Fantasy,' but I'd say it reads strongly like 'General Fiction (Adult), SciFi, Mystery, Suspense Drama.'

Thanks for reading!

D x

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Loved this! Alex is an unassuming hero and the story of how he became a great deal more was a fascinating and fun journey. I enjoyed the dark humour, the twists, the setting - all of it. Will definitely be looking out for more from Dave Hutchinson as his writing is droll, well-paced and entertaining.

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DNF'd @ 40%

The Return of the Incredible Exploding Man by Dave Hutchinson sounded like it had a lot of potential, but unfortunately didn't work for me. I kept thinking this would take off, but I never took interest in the story, the world, or the characters. Thanks anyway, NetGalley.

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Whoa, this was really good. The most exciting weird stuff didn't happen til close to the end (and I would have liked to have had more of that) but the character development, plot, dialogue - all spot on! I would have liked the book to be longer, honestly, because I was enjoying it so much,.

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he Return of the Incredible Exploding Man. I thought was a sequel but it appears to be the first one, although the author has a short story about the Incredible Exploding Man. I only mention this as it may be off putting to a reader. I was excited to read this book however, it’s blurb and cover being very appealing.

The story starts with a failing scientific journalist being poached by a multi-billionaire to write a book about a supercollider he is funding. It’s a slow burner of a book that suited me. I enjoyed reading of the struggles he goes through deciding whether to take the assignment and his gradual integration into the local area. It allowed you to see what sort of character Alex really was. The residents of Sioux Crossing are a weird bunch of individuals. From the editor of the local paper to the police chief, there is a feeling of mystique around the place. Strange events add to the feeling that all is not what it seems.

This is the first book by Dave Hutchinson I’ve read and I was impressed by his writing style. His use of vocabulary keeps you reading and he lays traps in the plot that you want to solve. About two thirds of the way through the plot takes off with a bang, literally. Then you’re plunged into a must faster pace, explosive even.

The end niggles me slightly that it appears to be over so soon. I guess it allows a sequel, but in a way it leaves you cheated. In spite of these flaws I really enjoyed the book. The story is interesting, even in the getting to know you stage.

All in all, I can recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good classic science fiction read. Very suitable as well to anyone over the age of eleven, indeed the cover is very Young Adult in style.

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I very much enjoyed this book.

It’s a slow burner which is a nice antidote to the fast paced thrillers that throw stuff at you on every page.

The language and timing makes this book stand out and you can enjoy the writing for what it is. I laughed out loud on a few occasions and identified with the main character as I’m sure others will too.

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I enjoyed parts of this book, I kept on reading to the end. It was interesting and not normally my taste. The characters were great and the storyline did confuse me at times. Would still recommend.

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Because of the name, I thought this was going to be a jokey book within a sf context but in fact it turned out to be a thriller in the mold of "The Hulk", or the "Invisible Man" where a random laboratory accident confers Super Powers on the leading character. The story of how this comes about and what happens next is mildly interesting but having got that sorted what happens next should have been fascinating. The problem is that er, nothing happens next. Our newly minted superhero decides to take on the aspect of a slightly overweight, middle aged and distinctively dull underachiever. With the power to manipulate reality and assume any appearance does he lead mankind in overcoming poverty, disease and war? Does he help to bring scientific knowledge to new and unimaginable heights? Does he lead mankind to the stars? No, he seems to do absolutely nothing but to occasional help to maintain the status quo. He reminds me of those people who win the pools and say," This wont change my life in any way", and who go on living in public housing and working at the sausage factory.
This book is well written and might have led to great visions but in the end it just disappeared up its own fundamental. Its hard to enjoy a book where the lead character is quite so disappointing.

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I appreciate having had an opportunity to read this book in ARC form. The appeal of this particular book was not evident to me, and if I cannot file a generally positive review I prefer to simply advise the publisher to that effect and file no review at all.

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Reviewed by a YA fan of sci-fi and mystery genres:

"Overall, I did enjoy this book ( The Return of the Incredible Exploding Man) but there are some areas which are lacking or others where there is too much padding. For example, there was, in my opinion, too much build-up to the main event in this book. I understand that some things needed explaining but there was just too much of it. Another point is that the actual event happened very very quickly and after that, the story was very "jumpy" in the sense that time seemed irrelevant, barring the cases of a few mortalities. Lastly, the ending was very abrupt and slightly disappointing with no obvious place to pick up from if there were to be a second book, as I would feel the book would be incomplete without."

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I enjoyed quite a lot of The Return Of The Incredible Exploding Man, but I had some pretty severe reservations about it.

The first thing to say is that Dave Hutchinson writes very well. I’m not normally much of a sci-fi fan, but he developed such a good sense of slow menace and a lot of very good, complex characters that I was very drawn in to the quite slow-paced first two-thirds of the book in which the protagonist, a struggling science writer, is brought in to write about a huge, privately funded supercollider. There are some quite shrewd, well balanced observations about the way in which the super-rich behave toward the rest of us and Hutchinson creates a group of people with whom I became quite involved.

The trouble is, there is a massive event about two-thirds of the way through which changes everything, including the tone and pace of the book, and all those people are quite quickly left behind as the story moves on at a time-skimming pace. It’s reasonably interesting from a sci-fi point of view, but not very well developed and ultimately a disappointment.

Hutchinson seems to be setting us up for a series (or a sequel at least). Despite my enjoyment of the first section, I don’t think I’ll be bothering with any more because I thought the later parts were much weaker. Others may fell differently, but overall I can’t really recommend this.

(My thanks to Solaris for an ARC via NetGalley.)

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I found this a captivating read, but not in the way I was expecting.

The story centers around an out of work science journalist, Alex Dolan, who gets offered an opportunity from one of the world's richest men, Stanislaw Clayton to write a book about the Sioux Crossing privately funded supercollider coming on line. It's one of those opportunities you can't really say no to.

He moves from Boston to Sioux Crossing and the story follows his progress in the new community and the writing of his book.

In many ways, neither the book nor the supercollider are the focus of the story. For me it's more about how Alex develops relationships and finds living in a small town where everybody knows your business. It's an intriguing situation, normally in a small town everybody knows everything about everybody else but this is different, people seem to know a bit too much for it to be just gossip and strangely this seems to be accepted as part of everyday life.

The writing is excellent, there are some really perceptive observations and a range of cynical, mysterious and flamboyant characters that develop through the story so you gradually learn more about them, there's an excellent human element.

I say the supercollider isn't the focus of the story, that's because the first 80% or so of the story focuses on the town and exploring the facility. The last 20% does involve the facility, some extreme quantum weirdness and subtle links back to events earlier in the story.

The ending does feel a bit sudden after the build up though, that said it resists the temptation to drag the story out or develop too complex or farcical plot lines so overall it still works really well, even though I'd have liked it to have lasted a bit longer.

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Back in 2007, Heroes was a popular TV show, the finale was called How to Stop An Exploding Man. Throughout the series, comic art showed the "exploding man", it was imagery that stayed with me ever since. It's an image that I held in my mind as I was reading this novel.

Following his successful Fractured Europe series, Dave Hutchinson brings us the tale of Alex Dolan. Leith-native, relocated to Boston, trying to earn a living as a freelance science journalist.

He's offered the job of a lifetime, contracted to write a book and articles about the Sioux Crossing Supercollider - like the Large Hadron Collider, but bigger.

Alex finds himself taken on a whirlwind trip to the Bay Area to meet the man funding the collider, before being deposited in Sioux Crossing, Iowa, to see the town and campus for himself, before deciding whether to accept the job or not.

And something isn't right. There is something unsettling in the town and the people, and the writing makes me feel like I imagine Alex to be feeling - what the hell is going on here? What am I not being told? And I had to keep reading to find out. Everything seems too perfect, far too good to be true, but there's a feeling that there's something going on that people aren't talking about. With his journalistic curiosity piqued, he accepts the job.

Moving into a neighbourhood just out of Sioux Crossing, his new neighbour is an disgraced and irascible writer. The previous residents of his new house have left everything behind, and everyone in town

When the Large Hadron Collider at CERN was powered on, I remember being terrified that the world was going to end, or there would be some sort of freak accident. Once the Sioux Crossing Supercollider is switched on in the novel, all my fears no longer seem so irrational. I pretty much spent the last quarter of the novel open-mouthed.

While the Exploding Man of the title isn't a central figure until later in the novel, I enjoyed the build up. The novel reads as a mystery novel rather than straight sci-fi, and is very easy to dive into, before finding that hours have passed without you noticing.

Thank you to the publisher, Rebellion Publishing, and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of this novel for review.

The Return of the Incredible Exploding Man is released on September 3 2019, and I've already pre-ordered my copy.

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