#paradise-1

[kammartinez]

You okay?” she asked. “I’m trying out one of those weird human emotions. You know, the ones that don’t seem to do any actual good but you apparently need them anyway.” “A human emotion? Which one?” “Hope,” Rapscallion told her. “I’m hoping this goes well. Despite the fact nothing else has, ever since we got here.

Paradise-1, by David Wellington

[importantnightmares]

When you finish the book you though was a standalone and see this

[whatchasaytobeingnice]

Have you ever read a book that is both amazing and terrible in its presentation that you both have to finish it and yet at the same time wish it would just end?

No? Well let me introduce you to Paradise-1, a story unlike any I've read before.

For the record, I am not, nor have I ever been a professional reviewer. I am simply a man with a strong taste for good Sci Fi and horror. You want professional opinions, ask someone else. Now with that out of the way:

The Premise: Two ostracized individuals, a pilot with a chip on his shoulder, and a rapscalious robot named... wait for it... rapscallion embark on a mission to Paradise-1, a colony that has gone dark for some strange reason. What follows is a tale of horror as the crew struggle to complete their mission against an impossible enemy and a question that no one can seem to answer: how does one fight an idea?

If you like what I've read so far, feel free to pick up the book, because from here on out there be spoilers.

Now, for the good: The ideas this book presents in terms of an 'other' are absolutely unique and phenomenal. Rather than a simple zombie virus, the entity known simply as "The Basalisk" takes on the form of an idea. But never the same idea twice. Which makes each encounter unique in how it is portrayed. "You are hungry. You are unclean. You cannot be in the light." All of these ideas are fascinating and create unique hurdles to be overcome. The fact that the A.I. of this world can also be infected gives the Basalisk an extra level of danger and depth not normally seen in these types of books. At one point in time the A.I. literally makes a mouth out of discarded pieces of metal in an attempt to eat one of the Protagonists. Everything feels real and lived in within the confines of the story, and the craziness of the Basalisk means you can never quite be sure what new horror will leap out from each new ship. Because it's not just one area, but four different ships the protagonists go to in an attempt to understand their new foe. I felt a real sense of curiosity trying to understand what this thing was even as it showed how dangerous ans uncaring it felt in destroying the humans that had come to the planet. If only the dialog could keep pace with the story...

The bad: This story feels like it was written by two different people. The first is the world builder, who sets everything up in a believable way. From the ships, to the technology, to the way a person undergoing the Basalisk thinks and feels. It all feels quite alive and believable. Some of the details of the scenes can be a little off, but I never felt truly confused as to where I was. The same, could not be said sadly, for character interactions and ideas. So many times the book has the characters say what is needed to move the plot to the next point along, but without any consideration if someone would actually say that. For example, during one scene near the end of the story, a character has another in a standoff of sorts. Upon seeing she is outnumbered, the character mutters the word "Shit" and runs. Now in a book full of over the top swearing and violence, this line would feel natural. But this character has been portrayed as sinister and composed, not prone to outbursts such as these. This feels like something someone would write just to move the scene. Which brings me to my next point: the chapters are short. Now when I say short, I don't mean five pages. I mean like two. Sometimes not even that. And with each chapter, almost always there is a perspective shift to one of the four characters. This results in such whiplash in both tone, voice, and scene that I often found my head hurting and the characters hadn't even left the room from the previous scenes. It feels like it wants to be a fast paced edge of your seat thrill ride... with the slow methodical style of a well paced horror movie. The two styles do not fit as intended, causing headaches for this reader if nothing else.

The middle: The characters themselves are a mixed bag to be quite honest. The main focus character of Petrova is not necessarily an interesting character beyond her interactions with and eventual desire to move away from her mother, this being of legendary status in Firewatch, the settings version of space cops. She makes rash decisions with no real thought and can be frustrating to root for even as she comes into her own. That said, the second main focus, Dr. Zeing, does have a bit more to work with. Having encountered the Basalisk before, he has the unique role of being the only one who knows the danger they are all facing. But he remains the same throughout the book, never taking charge or working past his previous trauma. He is the same as he was when he first left for Paradise 1 as when he crashes on its surface.

Verdict: I think this is a story worth reading, seeing just how something like a thought can eat a person from the inside out. And despite my criticisms, I am actually looking forward to next book, if for no other reason then to see the plot continue dragging its characters behind it at a breakneck speed.

7/10

[kamreadsandrecs]

Title: Paradise-1 (Red Space #1) Author: David Wellington Genre/s: science fiction, horror Content/Trigger Warning/s: blood, gore, violence, cannibalism, emotional and mental manipulation, sexual assault, emotional and physical abuse of a child, depictions of extreme PTSD and depression Summary (from publisher’s website):  Paradise-1. Earth’s first deep space colony. For thousands of people, it was an opportunity for a new life. Until it went dark. No communication has been received from the colony for months. And it falls to Firewatch inspector Alexandra Petrova and the crew of the Artemis to investigate. What they find is more horrifying than anything they could have imagined. Buy Here (publisher’s website): https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/david-wellington/paradise-1/9780316496742/ Spoiler-Free Review: So I picked this up because I needed some more horror after finally wrapping up my reread (and read, in the case of The Lure of the Moonflower!) of the Pink Carnation series. I was in the mood for a little more horror after practically devouring Catriona Ward’s Sundial. And since I’m always game for some cosmic horror, Paradise-1 seemed right up my alley. And in a way, it was! The overall concept was intriguing, and I was pulled into the whole thing by the first handful of chapters. I really wanted to know what was going to happen to the characters as they left the Solar System and headed for Paradise-1, and when the first disaster struck, I was ready to see how things would devolve and how the (surely) horrific mysteries teased at the beginning of the story would be revealed. But that didn’t turn out to be the case. Fun as the concept is, the potential horror lost a LOT of its power when the story began to go on, and on, and ON. Put simply: this was way, WAY longer than it needed to be. In fact, there are twenty to thirty chapters - whole chunks of narrative - in this novel that could absolutely be taken out and it wouldn’t affect the narrative at all - in fact, it would be a significant improvement. Take it down to something in the vicinity of 300-350 pages, instead of the 600+ it currently has, and it might read much better. Trim out all the fat, as it were.  As for the horror, I can SEE where it would be scary, but instead there’s a lot of parts where it feels like the author’s presenting a kind of set piece to play out in front of the reader, in the hopes that it’ll scare them. Which honestly, just doesn’t work for me: I’m someone who can watch a slasher movie while eating and not be put off my meal. I need something more insidious than blood, gore, and guts to really get to me - and the sad thing is? This novel HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR THAT. It was just stretched out for far longer than it needed to be, and many of the scenes that SHOULD have felt scary felt more like they were there for nothing more than shock value - which honestly becomes really old, pretty fast (especially when the same scenario is presented THREE TIMES, just in slightly different flavors). The above also affects the characters. Initially they feel likable enough, but it gets kind of hard to keep on liking them when bad things keep happening to them and they keep on walking into them. I’m especially disappointed with the way Zhang was characterized, as there was plenty of potential there to explore the effects of PTSD when one is thrust into a scenario that reopens all those old traumas, but given how long the story dragged and how often he walked into the Same Scenario in Three Different Flavors thing, it’s easy to lose sympathy for him. The only one I think I actually liked was Rapscallion, but I can easily imagine him being an even more interesting character if the aforementioned flaws weren’t there. You know what really gets me about this though? As long as it already is, as bloated as it already feels, IT ACTUALLY HAS A SEQUEL. Which I’m slightly intrigued by because I want to know what happens next, but if it’s another overlong monstrosity like this one? I might have to pass.  Rating: two AI cores

[wolfythewitch]

I have the curse of starting animatics and doing 1-2 minutes before losing motivation or getting busy and then losing motivation after LMAO

[kittykatninja321]

I understand where the “Jason should get his own city” people are coming from but I could not disagree more. Gotham is his wire mother. And you know how Jason gets about his moms

[harunayuuka2060]

WHB Series #1 (Cont.)

MC: ...

Lucifer: ...

Buer, Marbas, and Morax: ...

Morax: His Majesty Lucifer is evaluating the descendant of Solomon.

Marbas: If he’s unsatisfied with them, we can always eliminate them.

Buer: *nods in agreement*

Lucifer: ...

MC: ...

MC: Your silent treatment is going to get me killed.

Buer, Marbas, and Morax: !!!

MC: It's not really a problem for me, but at the very least, I'd like to go out with some action, y'know.

Lucifer: ...

Lucifer: My apologies.

MC: Hm. I’m sure you’ve had a good look by now.

Lucifer: ...

Lucifer: There's no question about it—the rumors are true.

MC: *looks disappointed* I was hoping to hear something different.

Lucifer: I do have one.

Lucifer: Return to heaven.

MC: 'Return'?

Lucifer: You, descendant of Solomon, are the reincarnation of god.

Buer, Marbas, and Morax: *have grown even more silent*

MC: ...

MC: Dude, what?

Gamigin: ...

Gamigin: Are they alright? They’ve been staring at the sky for nearly an hour.

Morax: They’re likely still in shock after receiving such a revelation from His Majesty.

Buer: *who's been looking at MC for a while* Are you sure that's why?

Gamigin and Morax: ???

Buer: Look at them carefully.

Buer: They are not in a state of shock.

Buer: That’s the look of someone who’s carefully planning things in their mind.

MC: *smiling* Thanks for the advice.

Lucifer: ...

Lucifer: Are you returning with Gabriel?

MC: Yes. I just realized that it's much better than what I previously planned.

Lucifer: ...

Lucifer: Stirring up a dispute among the seraphim wasn’t a bad move.

MC: I’m impressed. You weren’t there, yet you figured it out?

Lucifer: *smiles*

Lucifer: You had two of my brothers in the palm of your hand.

MC: ...

MC: Anyway, I have one last question.

MC: I'm not allowed to destroy anything that god made himself, yeah?

Lucifer: *nods* If you're playing safe.

MC: *smirks* Good. That would be easy.

Satan: What?! No! You're not leaving!

MC: Calm down. I'll just be up there.

Leamas: Descendant of Solomon, are you really sure about this? *is genuinely worried*

MC: ...

MC: Well, if I die, maybe they'll drop my body here.

Satan: CAN YOU NOT TALK ABOUT DEATH?!

MC: THEN TRUST ME ON THIS!

Satan: ...

MC: ...

MC: Are you done now?

Satan: No. At least let me kiss you before you go.

MC: Ew! Fuck off!

Satan: *laughs*

Random angel: Sir Michael! Sir Gabriel has captured the descendant of Solomon, and brought them here!

Michael and Raphael: !!!

Raphael: What did you say?

Michael: Where are they?

Random angel: They're in-

Gabriel: How dare you pass on a false message? *has stabbed the angel from behind*

Random angel: *falls to the ground*

MC: ...

MC: *then looks at Raphael* *smiles* Long time no see.

Raphael: God... *runs to hug them*

Gabriel: *glares*

Michael: What's the meaning of this?

MC: *smirks*

MC: I'm back.

[box-off]

Omggg he's so quirky and radoooom!! O_o

[brigitoshaughnessy]

"Beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young."

[bugcouncil]

hey man u better not eat that

[thehammerhorse]

Postaltober day 5 (war journal) and day 12 (paradise lost) because they're the only ones I've done

[kammartinez]

What happens if a god devours a mortal. Does the mortal’s flesh become deified by the act of consumption? It removes the moral conundrum as well. If, by eating you, I make you something more, something greater, then that’s hardly a sin. Is it?

Paradise-1, by David Wellington

[autisticandroids]

CASTIEL: Stop. What's the point if you don't mean it? You fear me - not love, not respect, just fear.

[youtube with closed captions]

a godstiel pity party. i'd like to thank an anon i got way back in february of 2021.

[kamreadsandrecs]

Out here in the endless night you couldn’t forget how small you were, or how much you could never know. You were reminded that you would not exist forever, that even robots could die, be destroyed, whatever. That time would continue unrolling before him long, long after he would cease to be aware of its passing.

Paradise-1, by David Wellington

[harunayuuka2060]

WHB Series #1 (Cont.)

Lucifer: ...

Buer: ...Your Majesty?

Lucifer: *has received reports regarding MC*

Lucifer: It's impossible for a human to be mistaken for a god, unless…

Lucifer: ...

Lucifer: I want to meet the descendant of Solomon.

Buer, Marbas, Morax, and Gamigin: *smiles*

Buer: Then we shall bring them to you.

MC: *notices the gradual changes in Gabriel as they continue to feed him their blood*

Gabriel: *takes pleasure in the fact that his god is still giving him attention*

MC: The marks on his face faded, but a new one has appeared.

MC: Now the thing is, I don't understand what the fuck this means.

Gabriel: God...

MC: I forbid you from talking, didn't I?

Gabriel: ...

Gabriel: *tries to get closer*

MC: *activates the bomb inside him*

Gabriel: *coughs up blood*

MC: I let you stay by my side, but that doesn't mean you can act comfortable with me.

Gabriel: *smiles* My apologies...

Satan: *walks in* Are you done with your lab rat?

Gabriel: *glares at him*

MC: Is there an emergency?

Satan: ...

Satan: Devils of Paradise Lost are here. They want to see you.

MC: Paradise Lost? Who's the king ruling there?

Satan: Lucifer.

MC: ...

MC: Are they here for my head? *smirking*

Satan: You don't look nervous at all.

MC: I don't have the reason to. Let's go.

Gabriel: God, please take me with you!

MC: *looks at him with a hostile expression* And what use may you be?

Gabriel: ...

Gabriel: *his face turns ecstatic*

Satan: *grabs MC's hand and drags them out of the room*

Satan: He's falling in love.

MC: You mean getting obsessed.

Satan: For someone who doesn't give a shit, you don't know how to control your charm.

MC: Why is it my fault? He's a masochist incarnate.

Buer: Greetings to the descendant of Solomon.

MC: ...

MC: You're Buer, aren't you? You really look like a sly fox.

Buer: !!!

MC: *then looks at the others* We also have Morax and Marbas here. The top healers.

Marbas and Morax: !!!

MC: And- *looking at Gamigin*

MC: ...

MC: Who the fuck are you?

Gamigin: My name is Gamigin! *grins* Nice to meet you!

MC: ...

MC: You're not a devil.

Gamigin: Nope! I'm a dragon!

MC: Ah... You're a breath of fresh air.

Gamigin: ???

Satan: What's that supposed to mean?

MC: What's your business here?

Marbas: We want to invite you to Paradise Lost.

MC: And?

Gamigin: And??

MC: I only get invited to visit a country to deal with angel attacks.

MC: And with the reputation of Paradise Lost, I don't think you will need my help.

Buer: *smiles* You are indeed the descendant of Solomon.

Buer: Yes, you are right. We've come here for a different reason.

Morax: We've heard about the rumors. You have quite the reputation as well.

MC: ...

MC: If I go with you, what are my chances of getting out alive?

Marbas: Little to none.

Gamigin: Why would you say that-

MC: I accept.

Satan: Oi!