Review by Marlaszw -- Project Tau by Jude Austin
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Review by Marlaszw -- Project Tau by Jude Austin
[Following is a volunteer review of "Project Tau" by Jude Austin.]
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Project Tau by Jude Austin. This science fiction novel is not about interstellar war, but rather about a struggle within one scientific research facility. And even more than that, the struggle of the main character, Kata (formerly known as Kalin Taylor), to escape. Kata trespasses on the Gen Tech research lab attempting to get a picture of Project Tau in order to prove himself worthy of joining a college fraternity. Two years later he finally escapes, taking Project Tau with him.
The style of the science fiction in this book is interesting. Overall, the writing is very good. The action and plot will keep you turning pages. The prologue takes you to a scene which happens near the end of the book. This gives away quite a bit about how the story will end. But as you read, you don't know how the story will get to that point, and so your curiosity drives you on to the next page. Other than knowing a good part of the ending before the story begins, the book also has other unique factors.
Although set in the future, (I won't spoil the date, but it is revealed towards the end of the book), many every day elements of modern society are retained. For example, football, coke, e-mail, fraternities, a reference to Hollywood mansions, and a character who identifies as a devout feminist. I am not used to running into such present-day cultural details in a science fiction novel. Especially without any reference to Earth. It almost felt similar to reading a magic realism book, except instead of magic, we had the science fiction of cloning, space stations, and interstellar travel. I'm still not sure if I like this aspect of the book, and I do wonder, since it is a series, if Earth's history will at some point be addressed and if that will explain why things like football and coke still exist thousands of years later on other planets. However, it may just be the authors style/voice.
What I liked most about the book was the vividness of the characters. They were well developed and you felt like you knew them. The author does an amazing job of creating complex, believable, and interesting characters. The book is professionally edited and I did not find any typos, spelling, or grammar errors in it.
What I disliked most about the book was some of the 21st century references. They just felt out of place. I was particularly thrown by a woman who identified as feminist. I guess it just doesn't seem like feminism would be a thing women would need a thousand years from now. There was also a quote which referenced Nazi Germany. This is important history to us because it is very recent history. On a different planet, thousands of years later, it just didn't feel realistic to me that the story of Nazi Germany would be significant. Surely, every planet has their own tragic history stories? Again, this is a series and I am willing to wait and see if these details are explained later. These details will definitely not keep from continuing to read the series. Although they seem out of place I think they do serve a purpose which is to help the reader, who is familiar with these things, connect with the characters.
I give Project Tau by Jude Austin 4 out of 4 stars because it is a well written and entertaining read which also deals with deep psychological and human rights themes.
I would recommend it for adults, my only caution being that some of the characters do swear a lot. Of course, they have good reason to be swearing, but if that bothers you this might not be a good book choice for you.
******
Project Tau
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Project Tau by Jude Austin. This science fiction novel is not about interstellar war, but rather about a struggle within one scientific research facility. And even more than that, the struggle of the main character, Kata (formerly known as Kalin Taylor), to escape. Kata trespasses on the Gen Tech research lab attempting to get a picture of Project Tau in order to prove himself worthy of joining a college fraternity. Two years later he finally escapes, taking Project Tau with him.
The style of the science fiction in this book is interesting. Overall, the writing is very good. The action and plot will keep you turning pages. The prologue takes you to a scene which happens near the end of the book. This gives away quite a bit about how the story will end. But as you read, you don't know how the story will get to that point, and so your curiosity drives you on to the next page. Other than knowing a good part of the ending before the story begins, the book also has other unique factors.
Although set in the future, (I won't spoil the date, but it is revealed towards the end of the book), many every day elements of modern society are retained. For example, football, coke, e-mail, fraternities, a reference to Hollywood mansions, and a character who identifies as a devout feminist. I am not used to running into such present-day cultural details in a science fiction novel. Especially without any reference to Earth. It almost felt similar to reading a magic realism book, except instead of magic, we had the science fiction of cloning, space stations, and interstellar travel. I'm still not sure if I like this aspect of the book, and I do wonder, since it is a series, if Earth's history will at some point be addressed and if that will explain why things like football and coke still exist thousands of years later on other planets. However, it may just be the authors style/voice.
What I liked most about the book was the vividness of the characters. They were well developed and you felt like you knew them. The author does an amazing job of creating complex, believable, and interesting characters. The book is professionally edited and I did not find any typos, spelling, or grammar errors in it.
What I disliked most about the book was some of the 21st century references. They just felt out of place. I was particularly thrown by a woman who identified as feminist. I guess it just doesn't seem like feminism would be a thing women would need a thousand years from now. There was also a quote which referenced Nazi Germany. This is important history to us because it is very recent history. On a different planet, thousands of years later, it just didn't feel realistic to me that the story of Nazi Germany would be significant. Surely, every planet has their own tragic history stories? Again, this is a series and I am willing to wait and see if these details are explained later. These details will definitely not keep from continuing to read the series. Although they seem out of place I think they do serve a purpose which is to help the reader, who is familiar with these things, connect with the characters.
I give Project Tau by Jude Austin 4 out of 4 stars because it is a well written and entertaining read which also deals with deep psychological and human rights themes.
I would recommend it for adults, my only caution being that some of the characters do swear a lot. Of course, they have good reason to be swearing, but if that bothers you this might not be a good book choice for you.
******
Project Tau
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Flat Top Mountain Ranch -- the beginning by James E Doucette
