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The Raft
“The day every person on earth lost his and her memory was not a day at all. In people's minds there was no actual event. . . and thus it could be followed by no period of shock or mourning. There could be no catharsis. Everyone was simply reset to zero.”
On Day Zero, the collapse of civilization was as instantaneous as it was inevitable. A mysterious and oppressive movement rose to power in the aftermath, forcing people into isolated communes run like regimes. Kayle Jenner finds himself trapped on a remote beach, and all that remains of his life before is the vague and haunting vision of his son. . .
Kayle finally escapes, only to find a broken world being put back together in strange ways. As more memories from his past life begin returning, the people he meets wandering the face of a scorched earth—some reluctant allies, others dangerous enemies—begin to paint a terrifying picture. In his relentless search for his son, Kayle will discover more than just his lost past. He will discover the truth behind Day Zero—a truth that makes both fools and gods of men.
On Day Zero, the collapse of civilization was as instantaneous as it was inevitable. A mysterious and oppressive movement rose to power in the aftermath, forcing people into isolated communes run like regimes. Kayle Jenner finds himself trapped on a remote beach, and all that remains of his life before is the vague and haunting vision of his son. . .
Kayle finally escapes, only to find a broken world being put back together in strange ways. As more memories from his past life begin returning, the people he meets wandering the face of a scorched earth—some reluctant allies, others dangerous enemies—begin to paint a terrifying picture. In his relentless search for his son, Kayle will discover more than just his lost past. He will discover the truth behind Day Zero—a truth that makes both fools and gods of men.
424 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
May 26, 2016
Once you decide the events of your past did or did not occur in the way that you once believed, you harm yourself in ways you cannot fathom...Your memories are what are left of your experiences, and a memory tampered with is not easily fixed.
On Day Zero everyone in the world lost their memory. Now memories are trickling back, but in a haphazard fashion that still leaves holes in identities and more questions than answers. Kayle Jenner is living in on a beach in a commune run by the New Past movement. Whether he wants to be there or not isn't entirely clear at the outset of the book. In fact, for most of the book, the only thing the reader knows for certain is that Kayle Jenner has a son, that his son has been separated from him somehow, and that he wants to find him.
I can't say much more about the actual story itself without spoiling it. The author makes use of first, second, and third person narratives telling the story through memories and present acts. The result is a patchwork quilt that comes together at the end presenting the reader with a picture of the whole of the story.
Or does it? Honestly, even by the end you may still be questioning what is real and what isn't.
There's nothing we can't doubt. But that has always been the case. And maybe this is all a dream. Maybe it's always been a dream. But at least we still have a choice, Mr. Kayle -- the only real choice -- because if this is nothing but a dream, we still have a choice. Either we end it all...or we try to make it the best dream we can.
The author deftly handles a tricky story about memory and uses various devices to great effect. The result is a meticulously plotted book in which some parts of the story feel crystal clear while others slide around in a hallucinogenic haze. I wasn't quite sure where the book was going at times, but I thought it did a pretty good job of taking me there.
On Day Zero everyone in the world lost their memory. Now memories are trickling back, but in a haphazard fashion that still leaves holes in identities and more questions than answers. Kayle Jenner is living in on a beach in a commune run by the New Past movement. Whether he wants to be there or not isn't entirely clear at the outset of the book. In fact, for most of the book, the only thing the reader knows for certain is that Kayle Jenner has a son, that his son has been separated from him somehow, and that he wants to find him.
I can't say much more about the actual story itself without spoiling it. The author makes use of first, second, and third person narratives telling the story through memories and present acts. The result is a patchwork quilt that comes together at the end presenting the reader with a picture of the whole of the story.
Or does it? Honestly, even by the end you may still be questioning what is real and what isn't.
There's nothing we can't doubt. But that has always been the case. And maybe this is all a dream. Maybe it's always been a dream. But at least we still have a choice, Mr. Kayle -- the only real choice -- because if this is nothing but a dream, we still have a choice. Either we end it all...or we try to make it the best dream we can.
The author deftly handles a tricky story about memory and uses various devices to great effect. The result is a meticulously plotted book in which some parts of the story feel crystal clear while others slide around in a hallucinogenic haze. I wasn't quite sure where the book was going at times, but I thought it did a pretty good job of taking me there.
September 4, 2017
4.5 stars for this one, believe me when I say that I have read a lot of science fiction books so for one to surprise me it needs to be very good, this book surprised me , I can honestly say that while the author makes use of some of the genre cliches (world recently destroyed, dystopian communities, and otherworldly interference) he uses them in a very innovative way and takes you in a journey till the end and you are just swept along for the ride till the end , Imagine not remembering anything, and then after your memories come back you could not be even sure they are your own , who can you trust ? If you are not even sure who you are . Everyone in the world has lost its memories, a shadow and mysterious government has taken over and divided the world population into small communities where even having a family is prohibited...but why ? What is the purpose? Is there a purpose? ....and how a interstellar ship that came back after being lost for 40 years plays into this reality, or does it? ....I recommend reading this book if you are looking into an innovative way of reading science fiction.
August 25, 2015
A few weeks ago I attended the South African Book Fair to dip my toe into the SA publishing industry and see what I found. The fair brought together authors, publishers and book-lovers from all over the country to meet and talk shop about the state of South African literature. This took the form of various panels, debates and discussions around a wide variety of topics – some of which I went to be a part of.
The most entertaining talk I went to was themed around the genres of horror, science fiction and fantasy and it contained a panel of some of South Africa’s most talented writers in those areas, namely: Lauren Beukes, Melissa Delport and the author I want to talk about today: Fred Strydom.
Now, all three of these authors impressed me with their enthusiasm and dedication to a genre of fiction that is only slowing starting to grow in this country and as I listened to them speak, it dawned on me that as a self-diagnosed erudite, I had given very little support to South African authors. So I went and bought one of each of their books and got stuck in.
‘The Raft‘
Fred Strydom’s masterpiece is where I started and that sure sets an incredibly high bar!
The Raft is the meticulously woven story of an odyssey across a broken world – with one burning question for the protagonist. Who am I?
To borrow from the book blurb:
On Day Zero, humankind collectively lost its memory. The collapse of civilisation was as instantaneous as it was inevitable. For a man name Kayle Jenner, confined by a regime to a commune on a remote beach, all that remains is the vague and haunting vision of a son. That, and a wooden raft.
In this world without memory, Strydom’s story looks at who we are without our memories and what makes us the unique little snowflake we think we are. It is a thought experiment like no other, because it requires you to disregard thought altogether.
Without memories to build off – there are no reference points.
There is no knowledge.
There is no ‘me’.
In a feat of storytelling that I haven’t come across in a long time – this book truly deserves to be read and re-read by everyone. It is sad that because it is a South African author, there is a stigma that comes part and parcel – but I implore you to look past that and give this book a chance. It is simply incredible.
--
This post appeared first on barrymorisse.com
The most entertaining talk I went to was themed around the genres of horror, science fiction and fantasy and it contained a panel of some of South Africa’s most talented writers in those areas, namely: Lauren Beukes, Melissa Delport and the author I want to talk about today: Fred Strydom.
Now, all three of these authors impressed me with their enthusiasm and dedication to a genre of fiction that is only slowing starting to grow in this country and as I listened to them speak, it dawned on me that as a self-diagnosed erudite, I had given very little support to South African authors. So I went and bought one of each of their books and got stuck in.
‘The Raft‘
Fred Strydom’s masterpiece is where I started and that sure sets an incredibly high bar!
The Raft is the meticulously woven story of an odyssey across a broken world – with one burning question for the protagonist. Who am I?
To borrow from the book blurb:
On Day Zero, humankind collectively lost its memory. The collapse of civilisation was as instantaneous as it was inevitable. For a man name Kayle Jenner, confined by a regime to a commune on a remote beach, all that remains is the vague and haunting vision of a son. That, and a wooden raft.
In this world without memory, Strydom’s story looks at who we are without our memories and what makes us the unique little snowflake we think we are. It is a thought experiment like no other, because it requires you to disregard thought altogether.
Without memories to build off – there are no reference points.
There is no knowledge.
There is no ‘me’.
In a feat of storytelling that I haven’t come across in a long time – this book truly deserves to be read and re-read by everyone. It is sad that because it is a South African author, there is a stigma that comes part and parcel – but I implore you to look past that and give this book a chance. It is simply incredible.
--
This post appeared first on barrymorisse.com
March 30, 2016
On Day Zero every person on earth lost his or her memory, but memories are what make us what we are. Who are we without our memories? This confounding, confusing imaginative book plays with memories, breaks them apart and moves them around as the protagonist, Kayle Jenner, has one constant memory and quest. He has to find his son Andy who was taken from him by a group of social engineers soon after Day Zero. Time is also not exactly linear in this book. It condenses and expands.
It's very difficult to discuss this book without spoiling it, but it has spaceships, robots, sunken cities, dangerous plants strange dreams and more ideas than one usually finds in dystopian fiction.
This book was very well written, especially considering that this appears to be the author's first book. I did feel that it took too long setting up the story. I didn't really get engaged until around the 40% point. Because I wasn't fully engaged, I started quibbling about irrelevant details, like why there was electricity and what was happening to all the other people in the world. However, it was a very enjoyable and intriguing book that constantly surprised me. I'd be happy to read more from this author.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
It's very difficult to discuss this book without spoiling it, but it has spaceships, robots, sunken cities, dangerous plants strange dreams and more ideas than one usually finds in dystopian fiction.
This book was very well written, especially considering that this appears to be the author's first book. I did feel that it took too long setting up the story. I didn't really get engaged until around the 40% point. Because I wasn't fully engaged, I started quibbling about irrelevant details, like why there was electricity and what was happening to all the other people in the world. However, it was a very enjoyable and intriguing book that constantly surprised me. I'd be happy to read more from this author.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
December 16, 2017
I thought this book was going to be post-apocalyptic fiction. And I will admit that yes, it was. But what this book actually is is basically the same as the movie "Inception" and is more of a sci-fi or even horror thriller kind of thing than anything I would ever want to read.
My initial reaction to the book was very unfavorable. Eventually, a few chapters in, I became engaged with the story and stopped constantly asking myself if I should just set it aside. It was the story of Jai-Li that finally interested me in the book. If you have read as far as that story and are still not engaged then don't bother continuing.
In the end, I really did not like the book. I did not dislike the writing, but I just didn't like the kind of story. I cannot stand the kind of existential questioning of what is real and what isn't that is a theme in this and similar books. I find it so bothersome and annoying. But I do think that if I had liked that genre I would have liked the book, because I did think it was well written, or at least on the better side. Although I very much did not like it...
My initial reaction to the book was very unfavorable. Eventually, a few chapters in, I became engaged with the story and stopped constantly asking myself if I should just set it aside. It was the story of Jai-Li that finally interested me in the book. If you have read as far as that story and are still not engaged then don't bother continuing.
In the end, I really did not like the book. I did not dislike the writing, but I just didn't like the kind of story. I cannot stand the kind of existential questioning of what is real and what isn't that is a theme in this and similar books. I find it so bothersome and annoying. But I do think that if I had liked that genre I would have liked the book, because I did think it was well written, or at least on the better side. Although I very much did not like it...
June 29, 2016
It is good the know that the postapocalyptic novel can still surprise even an experience reader in this subgenre. I've read all kinds of postapocalyptic fiction but I've never encountered this kind of mind-fuckiness in which all the characters are living in a confusing and mind-bending world, but the readers are also sucked in this world because of the structure of the novel, its story and the point of view that shifts between 1st, 2nd and 3rd person. Being a completely confused reader in the hands of a talented writer is a wonderful feeling. And it was interesting to read The Raft after The Sudden Appearance of Hope, because both books are about memory and identity.
October 24, 2022
I had no expectations going into this book and I was simply blown away. The narrative that is weaved through this surreal post apocalyptic book through memory is brilliantly done. Deserves a re-read. Beautiful writing, twists and turns I never saw coming, and strong characters even with their pasts erased and little to no memory of who they really are.
“Memories are their own strange creatures, flitting between the tall trees of our experiences, inviting us to enter the dark and uncharted woods of our lives, promising nothing”
“Memories are their own strange creatures, flitting between the tall trees of our experiences, inviting us to enter the dark and uncharted woods of our lives, promising nothing”
May 18, 2016
Well this was interesting. This dystopian is based on adults which I've not read in a while. The ending surprised me although I'm not sure if I'm happy about it just yet. Difficult to say much more without giving anything away.
December 19, 2017
"The Raft" is a strange novel that cannot be easily categorised. It came to my notice as it was described as being science fiction. While there are certainly elements of science fiction in it, I really don't think its entirely accurate to categorise this book as science fiction. At times it felt more like surrealism, like wandering around in the writer's imagination, through a dreamlike world where the reader has difficulty working out what's going on.
The first half of the novel felt slow to the point of tedium. But hidden in the languid descriptions of life in a beach side commune populated by amnesiacs, and buried within the seemingly pointless tales of each character's false memories, you'll find the clues to help decode the mystery.
The second half of the novel is more engaging, as the narrative gradually unravels the tangled threads of each of the character's stories and begins to explain to the reader how this unfamiliar world came into being and sets the protagonist on course to restore something approaching normality.
One of the aspects of this novel that made it challenging was the difficulty in determining what was a dream, what was an hallucination and what was reality. It is clear that this was a deliberate ploy on the part of the writer. In fact, the novel would not have worked if the distinction between dream and reality had been obvious.
The novel suffers from a few places where the narrative seems contrary to well known scientific concepts and, for me, this was a bit distracting. But, to be fair, this seems a minor quibble and readers should focus on the novel's primary theme of memory.
I think "The Raft" can be viewed as an allegory, but I'll leave it up to each reader to develop their own theory about what the author is trying to say. It raises questions about the nature of what it is to be human, what makes us individuals and gives us our identity.
The first half of the novel felt slow to the point of tedium. But hidden in the languid descriptions of life in a beach side commune populated by amnesiacs, and buried within the seemingly pointless tales of each character's false memories, you'll find the clues to help decode the mystery.
The second half of the novel is more engaging, as the narrative gradually unravels the tangled threads of each of the character's stories and begins to explain to the reader how this unfamiliar world came into being and sets the protagonist on course to restore something approaching normality.
One of the aspects of this novel that made it challenging was the difficulty in determining what was a dream, what was an hallucination and what was reality. It is clear that this was a deliberate ploy on the part of the writer. In fact, the novel would not have worked if the distinction between dream and reality had been obvious.
The novel suffers from a few places where the narrative seems contrary to well known scientific concepts and, for me, this was a bit distracting. But, to be fair, this seems a minor quibble and readers should focus on the novel's primary theme of memory.
I think "The Raft" can be viewed as an allegory, but I'll leave it up to each reader to develop their own theory about what the author is trying to say. It raises questions about the nature of what it is to be human, what makes us individuals and gives us our identity.
February 25, 2019
One of the best science fiction stories I have ever read! There are stories within stories within stories, and memories lost, stolen, and returned. Most of the story revolves around a man who is searching for his son. Everyone on Earth lost their memories, and some people have memories that don't belong to them. There is a group of people who claim to know a better way, by separating families and forcing them to live in communes where the 'Body' (ruling group) essentially runs their lives. In order to evolve into better humans, they must give up everything, all their ties, all their things. No one is allowed to escape. If you don't behave, you get tied to a raft (that's also tethered to a pier), and given hallucinogens; no food or water for up to 3 days. This all happened because a astro-mining ship somehow disappeared in space for 9 years, and when it returned, everyone's memories were reset. This is the simple explanation, but the book is actually much more complex. Surprises abound and the end is not at all expected. Great read!
July 28, 2015
Dystopias are kind of my thing, you know? With that in mind, after reading this book I both despise and adore Fred Strydom. In my opinion, Fred out-dyatopia'd me (bastard!). Does he deserve a fantastic review for that... Absolutely.
Fred is a talented author and The Raft is a thought-provoking read that is so much more than its dystopian classification. I can see exactly why it has been picked up by Skyhorse and is on its way to international acclaim. The story, while technically set in South Africa and containing a few colorful S'Affricanisms, is not at all "traditionally" African, and would appeal to a wide range of readers. This book took me in an incredible journey, with a motley crew of memorable characters. The plot was well thought out, with twists and turns along the way that I never saw coming.
A remarkable book... I highly recommend!
Fred is a talented author and The Raft is a thought-provoking read that is so much more than its dystopian classification. I can see exactly why it has been picked up by Skyhorse and is on its way to international acclaim. The story, while technically set in South Africa and containing a few colorful S'Affricanisms, is not at all "traditionally" African, and would appeal to a wide range of readers. This book took me in an incredible journey, with a motley crew of memorable characters. The plot was well thought out, with twists and turns along the way that I never saw coming.
A remarkable book... I highly recommend!
May 1, 2016
I admit that based on the description I expected an other story.
The beginning was confusing. Whenever I thought I saw the light at the end of the tunnel the world turned upside down.
Time leaps and different memories caused a lot of knots in my brain. But nothing has been written in vain or without reason. Nevertheless I read the book in one day because I needed to know what comes next. The author is such a clever story teller.
He achieved to turn me into a distrustful reader and I'm still not sure if the end was just one more fake memory.
I don't know how to tell details of the story without spoiler.
In order to enjoy the book to full extent it is most important to be open-minded, to be patient at times and to show endurance.
The beginning was confusing. Whenever I thought I saw the light at the end of the tunnel the world turned upside down.
Time leaps and different memories caused a lot of knots in my brain. But nothing has been written in vain or without reason. Nevertheless I read the book in one day because I needed to know what comes next. The author is such a clever story teller.
He achieved to turn me into a distrustful reader and I'm still not sure if the end was just one more fake memory.
I don't know how to tell details of the story without spoiler.
In order to enjoy the book to full extent it is most important to be open-minded, to be patient at times and to show endurance.
April 19, 2015
What an awesome book - once I got into it didn't want to put it down. Such rich characters and original plot. Had me hanging onto each page.
July 26, 2016
Meh. Fragmented and clumsy.
March 18, 2019
I have to come back and review this one. Too many thoughts right now. But I really enjoyed it!
May 15, 2016
The Raft by Fred Strydom is a highly recommended clever postapocalyptic novel.
"The day every person on earth lost his and her memory was not a day at all. It couldn’t be slotted in a schedule or added to a calendar. In people’s minds, there was no actual event - no earthquake, tsunami, or act of terror - and thus whatever had happened could be followed by no period of shock or mourning. There could be no catharsis. Everyone was simply reset to zero. This moment of collective amnesia could not be understood within any context because it was the context itself that had been taken away. There was nothing anyone could do to repair themselves because they didn't know what was broken." (location 1348)
On Day Zero civilization collapsed because no one had any memories of relationships, how everything worked. From the confusion and aimlessness left behind a new movement arose, the Renascence. The Renascence collected people and sent them to distant, random collectives/communes. Families were separated because the concept had been lost. There is a mysterious group in charge of the communes who monitors the individuals collected there, and their dreams.
Kayle Jenner is in a commune located on a random beach. The trouble is Kayle remembers his son, Andy. Andy appears in his dreams and Kayle's one goal is to find Andy. But how does one do that when he has no clue as to where Andy has been sent and how to find him in this world without a set frame of reference, where little is understood or remembered. All Kayle knows is that he must escape and find Andy.
The characters are well developed - multifaceted and complicated. Due to the nature of Day Zero, the recollection and memories shared by characters may be dreams or real. Characters tell stories/dreams to each other that may have meaning. You can't tell and won't know until later... maybe. It's not a puzzle to be pieced together. It is many puzzles all mixed together without context that must be sorted to come to some semblance of an answer. This is one of those novels that you have to stick with, through everything, even if you feel confused or have many more questions than answers. The ending will be worth staying the course.
Strydom does an excellent job presenting his very complex, carefully plotted debut novel. The writing is incredible - descriptive and thoughtful. I like the advice one reader gave, to be patient while reading The Raft. There is action, but much of it is more cerebral. The ending will have you shocked and then very thoughtful. Some readers might follow my thoughts and say "But, wait, didn't... and what about..."
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Talos for review purposes.
http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/2...
September 26, 2016
Wow! This goes down as one of my fave surprise reads of this year but again its one that I'm not sure who I would recommend it to. The basic set up is that on Day Zero, everyone in the entire world loses their memory. The story follows Kayle who is living in a commune on a beach. Was drawn to the cover and knew it would be a little bit dystopian but didn't completely read the back to realize it was definitely more sci-fi. I probably never would have picked this out if I new it was sci-fi!! But I loved reading it so much because it was so completely out-there that I quit even attempting to figure out what would happen or where it was heading and instead just enjoyed the writing and the journey of the main character. And even better, I never saw the ending coming!! The two themes that ran throughout (man vs. the environment and our memories) were both intriguing. Tons of quotes that I wished I could have highlighted but was reading a library copy. I'm definitely going to pick up a copy to add to my own collection at home and will be on the lookout for this author's next book.
June 3, 2020
I didn't enjoy this. I nearly gave up after getting halfway through and was really tired of the endless pointless parade of dreams, hallucinations, wishful character fantasies, non sequiters and exposition where essentially nothing happened at all and had close to zero effect on the conclusion, with many characters and events being purely imaginary or irrelevant (to everything).
Then when the story actually picked up, it was hurried to conclude a bit too neatly and easily. I did like the twist at the end which fits in well with the central premise of mass amnesia.
Maybe I am just too stupid to understand this but I felt this was an overblown rewriting of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland albeit with a neat trick and aliens, that would have been better served in short story or novella form
Then when the story actually picked up, it was hurried to conclude a bit too neatly and easily. I did like the twist at the end which fits in well with the central premise of mass amnesia.
Maybe I am just too stupid to understand this but I felt this was an overblown rewriting of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland albeit with a neat trick and aliens, that would have been better served in short story or novella form
October 12, 2019
Fantastic read.
Kayle Jenner and all the people of the world experience a sudden and devastating loss of memory. No one is connected anymore. Everything stops. Except for a group that collects people for the communes - tent cities on beaches with regular interrogations.
Except some memories seem to come back, and Kayle knows he has to find his son. He seems chosen to hear stories from a series of people who have only one story to give: some fantastical, some heartbreaking. His escape starts a quest that he is never sure he has the measure of.
Categorized as science fiction, and it is, but it's also magical realism, folklore, mystery, and quite poetic. He has one other book published that I will definitely read.
Kayle Jenner and all the people of the world experience a sudden and devastating loss of memory. No one is connected anymore. Everything stops. Except for a group that collects people for the communes - tent cities on beaches with regular interrogations.
Except some memories seem to come back, and Kayle knows he has to find his son. He seems chosen to hear stories from a series of people who have only one story to give: some fantastical, some heartbreaking. His escape starts a quest that he is never sure he has the measure of.
Categorized as science fiction, and it is, but it's also magical realism, folklore, mystery, and quite poetic. He has one other book published that I will definitely read.
August 20, 2015
When I started reading The Raft, I felt like a Day Zero survivor - trying to sort through the narrative and find my footing in the novel. Once I got going though, I couldn't put it down! It's a mind-bending journey through a world and a humanity that's lost its collective memory, and from one page to the next it is filled with beautiful imagery and memories, once found, that stick with a reader.
August 30, 2015
This book frustrated me. I felt so confused for so long and then got annoyed that I was confused and then That AH HA moment came and I was like damn you Fred, how the hell did you come up with that story! I know that this story is going to be on my mind for a while still. My advice to all who get confused, just push through it is worth it.
June 24, 2016
Fluff, fluff, and more fluff.... I wanted this book to be good, truly I did, but the author has a flair for being too detailed. 3 chapters in and I felt no attachment to anything, just numb and confused. I would not recommend this to anyone I know.
April 30, 2015
A futuristic epic that will bend your mind with its genius!
August 2, 2016
It was ok.
October 5, 2016
Too slow a start to continue. Some reviews said it picks up, but my to-read pile has many more tempting offers, so...adios!
October 11, 2016
Meh. Who cares what happens to these people ... and that's if you can follow it.
March 16, 2021
This novel is tons of fun, a high speed, energetic romp through a well-developed world populated by multi-dimensional characters.
March 9, 2020
I'm going to be straight-up honest. I don't think The Raft by Fred Strydom quite worked for me. I've heard so much about the book, that it's amazing, and all that, but my feeling upon finishing the novel was that it could probably have had about a quarter of its content dropped on the cutting room floor and been a stronger novel for it.
If you're looking for a post-apocalyptic quest in a similar vein as kind of world you'd expect in The Last of Us, or The Walking Dead, sans the zombies, this is not that book, although there is an inner and outer journey–just not in any strict linear fashion. What we do have is a nested narrative filled with seemingly unconnected vignettes and a fair amount of existential dread.
So if something a bit more reflective and ambiguous in tale-telling is your thing, go for this book. This story will most likely speak to you then. I personally found it a little too loose, and taking just a little bit too long to reach a point. Reality is fluid, and it's difficult telling dream sequence apart from the actual happenings, to the point near the end that I was almost too afraid to trust anything the author laid down in the story. And who knows, maybe that was his intention. There's even a space where Strydom shifts to second person, instead of first, which just jarred me out of the story.
There were times where things got a little Event Horizon for me, so I suppose this is sufficiently SF, but even so, I do feel that the navel gazing Mr Kayle engages in kinda rubs the edges off the impact of the ending. The twist in the ending, when it came, wasn't wholly unexpected, and it had a pleasant sting. I just feel that we could have fewer twists and turns before we got there. Strydom can write, though, and he makes some great observations. I feel if The Raft is viewed in a more literary light, it stands a little straighter. But right now, lit-fic just isn't my jam.
If you're looking for a post-apocalyptic quest in a similar vein as kind of world you'd expect in The Last of Us, or The Walking Dead, sans the zombies, this is not that book, although there is an inner and outer journey–just not in any strict linear fashion. What we do have is a nested narrative filled with seemingly unconnected vignettes and a fair amount of existential dread.
So if something a bit more reflective and ambiguous in tale-telling is your thing, go for this book. This story will most likely speak to you then. I personally found it a little too loose, and taking just a little bit too long to reach a point. Reality is fluid, and it's difficult telling dream sequence apart from the actual happenings, to the point near the end that I was almost too afraid to trust anything the author laid down in the story. And who knows, maybe that was his intention. There's even a space where Strydom shifts to second person, instead of first, which just jarred me out of the story.
There were times where things got a little Event Horizon for me, so I suppose this is sufficiently SF, but even so, I do feel that the navel gazing Mr Kayle engages in kinda rubs the edges off the impact of the ending. The twist in the ending, when it came, wasn't wholly unexpected, and it had a pleasant sting. I just feel that we could have fewer twists and turns before we got there. Strydom can write, though, and he makes some great observations. I feel if The Raft is viewed in a more literary light, it stands a little straighter. But right now, lit-fic just isn't my jam.
April 22, 2018
Good science fiction to me, is the story of a society experiencing upheaval and change and "The Raft" certainly qualifies with the story set in a world where everyone lost their memories. Kayle Jenner finds himself living in a subsistence community with rules set by social engineers that discourage the sharing of dreams or even living with family members with the goal to lead humanity to "Renascence". What exactly are they trying to achieve? Kayle remembers his love for his son and his fellow communers have some rich and intriguing memories and stories that they share, providing Kayle with clues he needs to search for Andy, and the reader with a description of the world before Day Zero. The book makes some observations about the evolution of human society, tribalism and how we use the planet but the focus is on the stories and how they become one story. Kyle and the reader can never be sure how accurate the memories and interpretations are and there is an evolving mystery which certainly made me want to finish a chapter and go on to the next, always giving enough that the reader doesn't become frustrated with it all. What caused the collective memory loss and how would the various characters and the world come out of it all? The elements of the story are tightly woven and cohesive. Much makes sense before the end of the book. Nothing is gratuitous. It's the type of book one could read a second time just to catch and savour the clues and crosses genres to be more than sci-fi.
February 18, 2018
THE RAFT is hands down one of the most bizarrely intriguing books I’ve ever read. Equal parts post-apocalyptic, dystopian, hard sci-fi, horror, hero odyssey, time travel, and a smattering of the sci/fi-horror film Event Horizon. It was so weird I almost gave up on it 1/4 of the way in, but the writing kept pulling me back into the story, so much so I finished nearly the entire book in one sitting. I’m still not quite sure what I’ve read (the ending was quite unexpected).
THE RAFT is an incredibly bleak but oddly fascinating read if you enjoy tales told by unreliable narrators. A word to the wise - Don’t start this one unless you have an ample amount of time to invest to fully digest it - and don’t give up on it.
THE RAFT is an incredibly bleak but oddly fascinating read if you enjoy tales told by unreliable narrators. A word to the wise - Don’t start this one unless you have an ample amount of time to invest to fully digest it - and don’t give up on it.
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