The Stone Man - A Science Fiction Thriller, Book 1

De: Luke Smitherd

Narrado por: Matt Addis

The #1 Amazon and Audible best seller, shortlisted for Audible UK's Audiobook of the Year Award 2015

Nobody knew where it came from.

Nobody knew why it came.

When an eight-foot-tall man made of stone appears in the middle of a busy city center one July afternoon, two-bit (and antisocial) reporter Andy Pointer assumes it's just a publicity stunt.

Indeed, so does everyone else...until the Stone Man begins to walk, heading silently through the wall of the nearest building, flattening it, and killing several people inside as a result.

As efforts by the local police - and soon the government - to halt the Stone Man's inexorable progress prove futile, only three questions are on the watching world's lips:

Where has it come from, where is it going, and what does it want?

Andy is determined to be the first person to answer those questions; after all, he was there when it arrived. Surely the headaches and visions he's experiencing are proof of a mental connection to the Stone Man. Clearly his dreams of champagne and notoriety are all about to be fulfilled once he uncovers the truth...and the scoop of a lifetime.

In a pursuit that carries him the length of the country and the breadth of the Atlantic, Andy uncovers the jagged pieces of an increasingly terrifying puzzle. As the number of lives lost in the wake of the Stone Man reaches grim figures, the terrible results of Andy's blind determination force him to confront the savagery of human nature.

When irresistible forces aren't met by immovable objects, how far is too far? Andy must discover the answer - and find out who he really is - in the shadow of the Stone Man.

©2012 Luke Smitherd (P)2015 Luke Smitherd

Reseñas de la Crítica

" The Stone Man is a novel that intrigues, enthralls, horrifies, thrills, and hits the reader with an emotional resonance as only the best stories can." ( Ain't It Cool News)

A great read, but unsatisfying ending

I listened to this book with intensity and my interest in the story and characters grew every minute. The relentless pursuit of the Stone Man raised the anxiety notch by notch. While it's hard to find fault with the book, the ending left me hanging. Perhaps there simply was no ending that could satisfy every reader, so the author chose something vague... maybe room for a sequel with more answers? We can hope so! only the ending kept me from giving this 5 stars. A great listen.

Insert rocky headlines about a good story here!

What made the experience of listening to The Stone Man the most enjoyable?

Most definitely the performance by Matt Addis. Wow! He rocks this character driven story. The plot does stumble at times, but the characters are so alive courtesy of Mr. Addis that it more than compensates for weaknesses.

Would you be willing to try another book from Luke Smitherd? Why or why not?

After listening to this offering, definitely. The resolution will leave some listeners disappointed ( count me as one, mildly to be sure ) but overall a solid , interesting offering. To call this a horror story is abit of a stretch with a couple of exceptions, but definitely full of suspense, drama and it does leave the listener wondering...what if....

What about Matt Addis’s performance did you like?

Everything. Every word, every accent, every character. Goodness this is a tour de force with no exception. I do understand that some listeners may have troubles with his authentic Midlands accents, but hey folks, it comes with the territory.This reader is a force to be respected and attention needs to be paid!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I almost did! 3 days or so. A quick listen to a wonderful telling.

Any additional comments?

Given the highly entertaining afterword, this may well prove to one of those great combinations of writers and performers that come along once in a while. The characters that Smitherd has visualized and formed the dialogue for literally come to life in the capable hands of Addis. A wonderfully entertaining, thoughtful offering that comes HIGHLY recommended!

Shameless plug

I was paid handsomely by the author to say all sorts of glowing things about this book. Not really. I don't think he's wealthy enough to pay off reviewers like that. But he should be that wealthy once they make this a movie. And there should be a movie because this story is edge of your seat awesome. So if you're reading this review Mr Smitherd, remember me then. I take PayPal.

Compelling Characters Keep Mystery Alive

Where does The Stone Man rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I felt this was a book of themes. I suppose the chief one would be the difference in how the two protagonists evolve through the story. A few days ago I watched a YouTube video in which the author explains why he decided to cut some scenes from the book. Evidently the audiobook doesn't contain these edits, and I'm glad. Andy starts out as very self-centered, and even later, when the magnitude of his experiences begin to take some of his edge off, he never develops the ability to make and maintain relationships. The science fiction/horror aspect of the stone man threat is really secondary to the development of the characters. Since it's clear fairly early that the character arc is the main plot, the stone men become a means to that end. However, I liked Andy and Paul, with all of their human failings, and I think that's the mark of a talented story teller.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Stone Man?

The horror here is more atmospheric than direct and descriptive. It's the idea of being relentlessly but unhurriedly pursued by an inexorable force that cares about nothing except its target's extinction. There are no villains here, except perhaps Brigadier Straub...but she's not really a villain, either, just a human version of the stone men, implacable and unfeeling. By the way, making that character female helped add to the psychic disconnect-- a woman representing a government that should protect its citizens, but is instead willing to assist in their extermination "for the good of the country". A teacher could use this book to generate some serious ethical debate.

Have you listened to any of Matt Addis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

While I don't want to take away from the author, who's created an excellent novel, I believe that listening to the audiobook made it better. The narrator was outstanding, and his various voices and characterizations were great. Being an American, I would have had no idea how different the characters' dialects would have sounded by just reading the prose. The narrator not only brought each one to life, but his dramatic flair added to the suspense of the story.

Great character-driven story

Would you listen to The Stone Man again? Why?

I'm not sure if I will listen to it again. I rarely listen to audiobooks more than once, so for me not to be sure is a plus for this book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

No one character was my favorite. It's like an indie movie with a great ensemble cast: no one person stands out, but they're all enjoyable in their own ways.

Have you listened to any of Matt Addis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first time listening to Matt Addis. He's good; in future, his presence as reader will make me give a book a second look. He did a good job of creating separate voices for the different characters, and he handled long sentences well without overlong pauses for breath. (You can tell when authors don't consider that their sentences may be read aloud.)

Any additional comments?

The best science fiction is about the people, not the technology, and "The Stone Man" fits right in there. Smitherd tells a good story; I wanted to know what was coming next.

Andy is better developed than Paul, which is understandable given that it's his voice telling us most of the story, but Paul still comes across as a real person. The times when Smitherd gave Brigadier Straub a bit of humanity were deftly handled; he let you know that there was a person inside the iron-hard general... and that she wouldn't let that stop her from doing her job.

In his afterword, Smitherd indicated that some people didn't like not knowing exactly where the Stone Men came from, nor did they like the open ending. I didn't find that either thing took away from the story. The story wasn't about an invasion from Planet X; it was about how ordinary people behave under extraordinary circumstances, and Smitherd told that story well.

Damn the man! He's going to cost me money, because now I'll have to look for his other books...