I love Jeremy Robinson’s mind. Jeremy writes the kind of stories that I like to read and or listen to. NPC was a tough book. Seriously. Before buying this book I had read the reviews, even the negative reviews, and had a preconceived notion that I might not like this book. however being a Robinson fan, I thought I would give it a shot. I’m glad I did. Normally, I shy away from books that dwell too heavily on theology, religion, spirituality, the meaning of life, etc. however I knew that if I started this book and didn’t like it then I could return it. I started the book and was hooked. As a former believer, I understand a crisis of faith, doubt, disbelief, apologetics, and existential dread. for years I struggled with my own Christian faith, and finally left things at being a Humanist. I am a Humanist.
Some reviews lamented on the religious angle however for me it was no different than a space opera that deals with alien intelligence or an alien characteristic. If one merely substitutes religion with an alien culture then it’s easier to get through instead of being bogged down in any theological ideology. I challenge those that left bad reviews saying that this book was proselytizing the Christian faith, and say that it was merely the authors theory that our world might possibly be a simulation and how the simulation could be written or managed or programmed… somebody’s got to be at the keyboard to write the code, right? At the end of this audiobook the author has an epilogue or author’s notes that discuss and explain why he wrote the way he wrote.
I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed the journey that Ezekiel took and I enjoyed the pace in which the story moved, like the way the story ended. I actually got quite breathless in some of the scenes because I got so wrapped up in the action and the mystery. In fact, one day as I was listening to this story my dog and I took an extra long walk going much farther than we normally would because I lost all track of time, all sense of space, location, bearings, etc. Luckily, she didn’t mind the extra long walk.
One more challenge for you. I suggest you give this book a try. If you read or listen to The Others, then this book is just as good if not better. There’s action, romance, mystery, dirty dealings, terrorism, science fiction, comedy, two grumpy old men, and a couple of $20 four letter words. It’s good fun; it really is.