The Chaos Principle

Under a Backwards Moon, Book 1

By: Nathan Johnson

Narrated by: Nathan Johnson

Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

"A measured and inquisitive speculative mystery with a lyrical soul." (Kirkus Reviews)

A mystery can require a series of otherworldly discoveries...and the spaces between are where the gods dwell.

In the Rim, a forsaken wilderness that abuts a vacuous geographical nightmare that is the Waste, there are no more detectives. Except for Ansel Black. With the help of an evolved artificial intelligence named ANI, Ansel is tasked with solving five anomalous murders, within a world where the reclusive populace has lost its taste for lawlessness.

His search leads to cryptic graffiti and otherworldly paintings that point to life beyond ANI’s virtual world, the Stream. But the more Ansel discovers about the five victims, the more he explores how little he knows about himself, or the world around him.

Ansel is solving a traditional mystery. But life is a greater one.

©2021 Nathan Johnson (P)2023 Nathan Johnson

Into the Unknown - Physically and Metaphysically

This book is completely not a comfort zone read, but when the author described it to me, I was intrigued. It's also been one of those books that I kept talking to people about, with a lot of ideas that made me stop and think.

Ansel Black is the last detective in a world where crime is nearly non-existent. He works with ANI who seems to him like a person but is the artificial intelligence behind this brave new world. As he investigates a series of five murders, Ansel delves into the meaning of life and existence.

The book is initially hard to follow. The stories of the people murdered are interspersed throughout the book with no clear introduction or connection. There are also several flashbacks to how this strange civilization came to be (my favorite parts of the book, although they are also a bit painful). Ansel's philosophizing also brought up many significant questions, which are as well worth pondering in our world as in his.

I also listened to the audiobook version and was very impressed with the quality. The author's voice fit the tone of his novel perfectly, and the engineering was fantastic. It sounded very professional.

To be honest, this was a little too philosophical than I tend to enjoy, but I'm pretty sure that's a me problem. The author did a fantastic job balancing multiple styles of storytelling and if you like psychological and philosophical science fiction (is that a genre? if not, it should be), then you will love this book.

I received an audio ARC from the author and have reviewed it willingly.

Mystery, Chaos, Life Questions

Ansel Black is a detective in a world where AI is heavily involved and depended upon. Tasked with solving five peculiar murders, Ansel’s discoveries lead him to things well beyond ANI’s (the name of the AI) virtual existence. Ansel realizes that things just got weirder!

The author, Nathan Jones creates a world where AI is prevalent, and crime is all but gone. Jones does not craft your usual detective mystery but rather puts a philosophical twist to it. The character development of Ansel Black was well done as one could not help but fall into the same mindset and begin questioning and contemplating the same issues in the book as one does in the real world. The storyline was complex and at times difficult to follow. I think mainly because it is not a typical murder mystery.

As the narrator, Nathan Jones does a good job performing the book and communicating the tone of this book accurately and with comfort. He spoke clearly and sounded professional. As both the narrator and author, he did a great job.
This is a different book than one would expect. It is difficult to follow as I feel the author’s purpose was more to make us question life and existence and used the mystery to help us contemplate more deeply.

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.

Captivating and thought provoking

Science fiction is not my typical genre choice but The Chaos Principle certainly keeps you hooked until the last page. There’s suspense and mystery woven into the story of Ansel Black. The characters in the story are well developed causing you to become invested in their lives. The idea of artificial intelligence running human society and solving crimes is terrifying. This book really gets you thinking.

The author’s voice and the quality of the audiobook was also very enjoyable.