The Return of the Incredible Exploding Man

I love stories like this. Characters were great and it made me laugh out loud on a few occasions. The end wasn't as good as the rest of the book, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I'll be looking out for more from this author in the future.

What a title, am I right? This book promises some crazy sci-fi shit. And it lays the groundwork for it – we’ve got a faded science writer, we’ve got a supercollider, we’ve got some shady billionaire business (whom I hope to see get his comeuppance but I’m also a dirty commie so that’s just me) – everything that makes you ready for some crazy good times.

And yet at 45% of the way through the book, I found myself fading. I was ready for the sci-fi and while the book was entertaining, it wasn’t delivering in the way that I desperately wanted. I’m super intrigued, and at some point I’m super down to finish it, but it’s not the cathartic escapism that I desperately require when a supermassive black hole is acting fucky at the center of the Milky Way.

The prose is absolutely stunning, and the nods to Midwestern culture are apt enough to keep me nodding - I live in Omaha, just across the river from Iowa, and we really do know how to pack a plate.  (Them farming kids don't go hungry, I'll tell you what.)  But so much of the book is in the. setup, and I feel like I'm waiting for the inciting incident to drop while I keep getting held off with the dramatic tension.  I would've loved for the initial setup to be just a tad shorter, but that's just me.  

I really did like what I read, but I just could muster the attention to keep going.  So a good 4/5 stars for keeping me rolling, even if the momentum wasn't enough to get me to the end.