[RM5]⇒ Read Gently Down Michael Walterich 9781484899441 Books

Gently Down Michael Walterich 9781484899441 Books

Download As PDF : Gently Down Michael Walterich 9781484899441 Books

Gently Down Michael Walterich 9781484899441 Books

Killian knows life only through the connection of the Stream. And as a psychiatrist he works most intimately with the internal internet which connects the world with thoughts instead of websites. He is responsible for adjusting filters, for helping people navigate their way through the Stream. However, Killian does not truly understand the dangers of the waters until he is reacquainted with a childhood crush and her younger sister. In his need to look back, he begins to see things with more clarity; painful, truthful clarity.

This book was an absolute thrill to read. I am well versed in the science fiction genre (thanks to a very wonderful teacher! ;)) and I found the book to be different than a lot of things I have been able to read. Which was really refreshing. There were moments in the book where I thought I knew what was going to happen, only to have everything turned on its head.

I really appreciated the depth of the characters, as well. I found myself hating then liking then hating then sympathizing with Killian, Dona, Progner, and especially Ophelia. Actually, I think Ophelia is one of the best representations of the "hott woman" in science fiction that I have ever read. She is not the hero, she does not deserve the guy. She is cruel and she is selfish. And I found that I liked being able to hate her because of her personality and far more than because she appeared to be the hott damsel in distress trope. Thank you so much for that!
The depth of the characters in the novel also kept the reader from truly seeing which ones were truly important. Every character mentioned has a part to play one way or another in the book; if they have a name they are going to come up again, even if in small way. All are significant.

I also enjoyed the writing style. There were a lot of one liners/sentence which relayed what the book was saying without preaching to the audience. It's also a book where I want to go back and re-read knowing what I know, looking for the signs which are no doubt hidden in plain sight at the beginning of the novel.
In fact, I was going to state a "weakness" which bothered me in the book which upon further thought I realized was a strength! I was very confused and disoriented by the time jumps in the novel. I was having difficult switching from one time line to a flashback...which sometimes is me because I can be slow about non-linear narration in novels! But then I realized- THIS HAD A PURPOSE THE ENTIRE TIME! And I just got really excited about how even the writing style completely fit with the development of the character and plot. That takes a lot of skill, patience, and hard work!

Finally, I just want to talk about the importance of the messages. The first is obviously society's obsession with being plugged into computers/phones/ipods/tablets to get instant information, instant communication. And the problem with always being locked in the computer program is that we forget to look out for the person beside us. We forget that there is more in the world outside our fantasies and our ambitions and our plans- which all are well and good. But we do need to be looking out for our fellow man. We need to be there when they are suffering, when they are drowning in something out of their control to assure them that it is going to be alright!

The message that I appreciated the most in this novel was the message about the importance of the arts. Being an English major and graduating next semester with my B.A. I see how much reading and history and writing and every aspect of the arts has become forgotten in the computer age. We are pushing students to be math majors and computer science majors and anything which will help advance technology. And as we focus on that, we lose the people which have always been around to keep our society in check. People today may be angry at books which poke fun at the people we love, or the entertainment business, or political cartoons. But the point is-all these forms of art, whether we agree with them or not, make us think about the issues. Why do we agree? why do we disagree? And what can we do to change that.
I loved how Walterich created Killian as a repressed artist, as many artists must be in today's society to even survive. But when he put aside his sketching, when he forgot about the talent he had at seeing past the surface and seeing the beauty in people because he so intimately studied t hem, that was when he forgot who he was. He lost his moral compass in a sense; he lost his sense of judgment. And in his loss of art, he loses his agency.
The novel really shows the importance of keeping the arts around, preserving them in our evolution toward the next big thing. The next giant building, the next advancement in technology. Because art is nothing if it is mass produced and computer generated. Art comes from the human ability to create. And I think that's such an important message which needs to be taught to our young kids.

Oh, also. The ending. I am not going to give anything away, but again, I appreciated it so much! It not only enhanced the importance of the messages of the work, but it really showed the time and dedication Walterich took in penning this novel. I am going to definitely go back and re-read knowing what I know now. Because so many things were buried in plain sight!

Basically, you should read this book. It's fantastic. It is intelligent, but not unreachable for someone who does not read often or does not appreciate the genre of science fiction (which, you should!). I hope that this book is mass produced one day and that it's something which is read in schools or universities. And I am serious. I think the messages in this book are too important to the problems that we have in our society today- and the terrible consequences we will reap if we continue on our isolating path into the depths of technology.

I am very glad I read this book. And I am sure you will be too.


Tags : Gently Down [Michael Walterich] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. t,Michael Walterich,Gently Down,CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform,148489944X,Dystopian,FICTION Dystopian,Fiction,Fiction - General,Fiction-Science Fiction,PRINT ON DEMAND,Science Fiction

Gently Down Michael Walterich 9781484899441 Books Reviews

Awesome book. One of the most exciting books I've encountered in a while. A compelling plot, coupled with an important and intelligent contemplation of the perils of social media. The prose is stellar too. It was the kind of book that makes you excited to read more of. Read this book before "the stream" sweeps you up and drowns you!
(I tried not to include spoilers. The problem is that after reading this book, I'm so confused with what happened that I can't figure out what would classify a spoiler for the story. I'm baffled by this entire book.)

It breaks me to have to give GENTLY DOWN only one star. It had promise. For the first half of the book, it had more of a three star feel. The scenes were shaky and a bit confusing for a paragraph or two at a time, but the story was a diamond in the rough. The jumps between POVs often come without warning and its only in retrospect that I realize the shift. Yet, the premise and characters of the book have a realness to them that was quite compelling to witness.

Then it all fell apart. There’s scenes like this one (all quotes taken from page 144)

--A few discrete meetings left her pregnant.

--Three years later, Penelope Redenbacher tracked Bates down after not hearing from him for five months.

--He had no interest in physical pleasures anymore. He didn’t even notice how very pregnant Penelope had become until she insisted she would go to the press if he didn’t marry her.

Was she pregnant once or twice? Had she not seen him for three years or had she not seen him for five months? How did he get her pregnant if he had no interest in sex?

As the book progresses, the story becomes less coherent and the typos are enough to distract me from reading. For example, on page 184, the sentence opens with a bracket, which is what is being used to illustrate thought; however, the punctuation ends with a quotation mark, which is what is used to demonstrate spoken words. I don’t know if Killian physically spoke the words to his companion or he sent a thought via mind reading.

It's impossible to keep track of what is going on. One second Killian is with a character and then he’s transported to a memory and then back to the present in a completely different setting. I could only figure out what was going on by piecing together dialog. For example, one of the characters is kidnapped (I didn’t know until he talks about rescuing her) and then a scene or two later that same character is dead according to dialog (I just found out she was missing!).

Pages 209-213 is a philosophical ramble about God and human evolution. I have no idea what was the point of it. I technically finished the book, but the last chapters were so disorienting. The plot much have taken a suicidal jump from an open window after Killian left the stream for the first time. I read words…the characters kept changing…there was no logical connection between the pages. Nothing made sense.

Things like this

--So, after zero training and a lifetime of avoiding conflict, what was it inside of him that had snapped back there, allowing him to break a man’s rib with his elbow? (page 245)

--He allowed it to happen. And, it just so happened, he was pretty damn good at breaking ribs. Two ribs, on his first try. (page 246)

What? Killian just went kung fu on someone? WHAT?

Page 250 – Killian finds out that his beloved Kathryn is dead. KATHRYN IS NEVER MENTIONED BEFORE THIS HAPPENS. Who the hell is Kathryn and where has she been for the past 250 pages? I THINK that this was a name typo and the person that actually died was one of the other female characters…who, well you have to read the last page to find out all the characters that die. Then use that list of dead characters and cross out the names that you actually witness die. The name that’s left must be Kathryn. There may have been a love triangle (or love square if Kathryn is a completely separate person).

This truly feels like I read the first draft of a good story. It’s a good NaNoWriMo novel. However, it is NOWHERE near ready for publication. Books like this one are the reason why it’s not a good idea to self-publish without the thumbs up from a handful of beta-readers. They will fix the flow and cohesiveness of the story. They will point our discrepancies. They will save you from one star reviews like this one.

I haven’t been this sad and disappointed in a book in a long time. It’s not that the author is a bad writer; he rushed publishing this book. It’s just not ready. Read this book only if you want to practice your editing skills as a beta reader.

(I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.)
Gently Down is a well written, thought provoking novel. Walterich captures the consequences of a society that is consumed by technology. This novel could be the new 1984.
If you enjoy dystopian and sci-fi novels, you'll enjoy this book. Imagine a not-so-distant future where everyone is constantly connected to the internet in their heads. Scary!
Looking for something to read in my spare time last week, a friend recommended this book. After starting, it drew me quickly and I could not put the book down. Now that I have finished it, I need another Michael Walterich book to read!!!!
This is a great little book that ponders ideas about what it means to be human in a technological age. Walterich draws vivid characters, that, much like the protagonist of the novel, capture the essence of the person. A quick read, hopefully it will not be the author's last.
Interesting concept for a first time science fiction writer. He should write more and refine his line of thought regarding the use and misuse of current electronics
Killian knows life only through the connection of the Stream. And as a psychiatrist he works most intimately with the internal internet which connects the world with thoughts instead of websites. He is responsible for adjusting filters, for helping people navigate their way through the Stream. However, Killian does not truly understand the dangers of the waters until he is reacquainted with a childhood crush and her younger sister. In his need to look back, he begins to see things with more clarity; painful, truthful clarity.

This book was an absolute thrill to read. I am well versed in the science fiction genre (thanks to a very wonderful teacher! ;)) and I found the book to be different than a lot of things I have been able to read. Which was really refreshing. There were moments in the book where I thought I knew what was going to happen, only to have everything turned on its head.

I really appreciated the depth of the characters, as well. I found myself hating then liking then hating then sympathizing with Killian, Dona, Progner, and especially Ophelia. Actually, I think Ophelia is one of the best representations of the "hott woman" in science fiction that I have ever read. She is not the hero, she does not deserve the guy. She is cruel and she is selfish. And I found that I liked being able to hate her because of her personality and far more than because she appeared to be the hott damsel in distress trope. Thank you so much for that!
The depth of the characters in the novel also kept the reader from truly seeing which ones were truly important. Every character mentioned has a part to play one way or another in the book; if they have a name they are going to come up again, even if in small way. All are significant.

I also enjoyed the writing style. There were a lot of one liners/sentence which relayed what the book was saying without preaching to the audience. It's also a book where I want to go back and re-read knowing what I know, looking for the signs which are no doubt hidden in plain sight at the beginning of the novel.
In fact, I was going to state a "weakness" which bothered me in the book which upon further thought I realized was a strength! I was very confused and disoriented by the time jumps in the novel. I was having difficult switching from one time line to a flashback...which sometimes is me because I can be slow about non-linear narration in novels! But then I realized- THIS HAD A PURPOSE THE ENTIRE TIME! And I just got really excited about how even the writing style completely fit with the development of the character and plot. That takes a lot of skill, patience, and hard work!

Finally, I just want to talk about the importance of the messages. The first is obviously society's obsession with being plugged into computers/phones/ipods/tablets to get instant information, instant communication. And the problem with always being locked in the computer program is that we forget to look out for the person beside us. We forget that there is more in the world outside our fantasies and our ambitions and our plans- which all are well and good. But we do need to be looking out for our fellow man. We need to be there when they are suffering, when they are drowning in something out of their control to assure them that it is going to be alright!

The message that I appreciated the most in this novel was the message about the importance of the arts. Being an English major and graduating next semester with my B.A. I see how much reading and history and writing and every aspect of the arts has become forgotten in the computer age. We are pushing students to be math majors and computer science majors and anything which will help advance technology. And as we focus on that, we lose the people which have always been around to keep our society in check. People today may be angry at books which poke fun at the people we love, or the entertainment business, or political cartoons. But the point is-all these forms of art, whether we agree with them or not, make us think about the issues. Why do we agree? why do we disagree? And what can we do to change that.
I loved how Walterich created Killian as a repressed artist, as many artists must be in today's society to even survive. But when he put aside his sketching, when he forgot about the talent he had at seeing past the surface and seeing the beauty in people because he so intimately studied t hem, that was when he forgot who he was. He lost his moral compass in a sense; he lost his sense of judgment. And in his loss of art, he loses his agency.
The novel really shows the importance of keeping the arts around, preserving them in our evolution toward the next big thing. The next giant building, the next advancement in technology. Because art is nothing if it is mass produced and computer generated. Art comes from the human ability to create. And I think that's such an important message which needs to be taught to our young kids.

Oh, also. The ending. I am not going to give anything away, but again, I appreciated it so much! It not only enhanced the importance of the messages of the work, but it really showed the time and dedication Walterich took in penning this novel. I am going to definitely go back and re-read knowing what I know now. Because so many things were buried in plain sight!

Basically, you should read this book. It's fantastic. It is intelligent, but not unreachable for someone who does not read often or does not appreciate the genre of science fiction (which, you should!). I hope that this book is mass produced one day and that it's something which is read in schools or universities. And I am serious. I think the messages in this book are too important to the problems that we have in our society today- and the terrible consequences we will reap if we continue on our isolating path into the depths of technology.

I am very glad I read this book. And I am sure you will be too.