Dead Lines
Greg Bear
(Reviewer - D. H. BROWN)
2004 Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0345448375

A washed up psychotronics film director is reduced to producing infomercials & doing strange errands for a wealthy friend.

After flying high, Peter Russell now has a broken family & a rusted-out Porsche. Still grieving for his daughter's death two year before, he has withdrawn from the world, watching his life go down the plughole, until one morning when three events collide.

First his best friend dies, then a representative for a communications company offers him a nice fat sign-up fee to test their radically new product, Trans, a kind of cell phone with a seemingly unlimited bandwidth. Finally, a wealthy friend sends him to find a well-respected psychic & ask one question -- can someone live without a soul?

Sr. Staff Reviewer D. H. BROWN writes:

Let's get one thing out of the way immediately, I have always been a fan of Greg Bear! Always! From his Songs of Earth & Power to Darwin's Radio & everything in between, I can never once remember being disappointed. So it was with some trepidation that I picked up Dead Lines: a novel of life after death.

It's funny that, because with the same title & an author like Dean Koontz, I would have read it without giving it a second thought. However, knowing Greg Bear's body of work, this present/future thriller came into my lap with a somewhat muted flash of lightening, which made me hesitate.

So with that in mind, I picked it up about midnight, & cracked the cover. Blurry-eyed I finally shut the book as dawn was glowing through my windows. Now that is when you know you have forgotten the author & all your reservations, & have been totally engrossed in the reading.

Dead Line is written in a style that just starts with the line: “Paul is dead. Call home.” & ends with “You're next.” In between there is a nightmare of chills & thrills that engages the imagination & leaves you with “God, I hope it isn't so!” But written so convincingly a still small voice follows you for days whispering “It might be! It might be! It might be!”

So dear readers, if you don't read science fiction & have passed up Greg Bear, pick up Dead Lines, if you like the feeling of shivers down your spine!

& for the sf fan & you've passed up Dead Lines because you feel it's too much of a departure from the genre, you're right! But you're also going to be very, very wrong!

Well done, Mr. Bear, well done!

More from Greg Bear:
Darwin's Radio
Darwin's Children
Vitals
Anvil of Stars
Moving Mars
The Forge of God
Hegira & many, many more!
(08/15/04)

D. H. BROWN
A RebeccasReads.Com Sr. Staff Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
D. H. BROWN is the author of the critically acclaimed HONOR DUE and the Citizens Warrior Series. The son of missionary parents and with the help his Uncle Sam, he has touched base in more than 40 countries.  In 1986 he produced the independent children's film Lessie's Rainbow.  During the late 80s and early 90s, he wrote the book Common Sense and delivered the seminars of the same name for the Community Action Network of Seattle (CAN).  While doing his early Vietnam recovery work, he counseled Veterans and spoke widely to men's groups in Washington state, and was a founder of The Lodge of the Wolf.

D. H. BROWN has worked as a Logistics and Weapons Specialist in Viet Nam; day laborer; Director of Security; Armored Car Driver; Police Officer; Professional Hunting Guide; Trapper; Dog Sledder; Homesteader; Truck Driver; General Contractor; Minister; Editor; Writer; Speaker; Restaurateur; Movie Producer; Antique Restoration Specialist; Personal Care Worker; PC Repair Specialist; Computer Instructor; Webmaster and Web Designer. "I write about what I know."

He lives deep in the Pacific Northwest rainforest with his wife, author and editor Rebecca and Buddy Dog, working on his next book.
Visit him at: www.dhbrownbooks.com