Comments on: The Dark River

By: Richard Bates

Richard Bates — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:39:50 +0000

‘Some interesting comments here.
Not being much of a reader, my expectations were stuffed in my back pocket as I took John’s “take” of this dark world at face value. I was able to move with it mentally and although I saw the formulaic I ran with it without going ahead in any way, so
I was free to build my own imaging scheme.

I enjoyed both books but am now afraid for John with the pressure that must be evident.The third swing’s gotta take it outta the park. We the people need to have the best possible round up of creative thoughts he’s possible of summoning up.

John … you’d better solicit the help of at least two additional writing muses. It’s a big nut to crack!

By: Jan

Jan — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 20:10:14 +0000

Just read The Traveler and I thought it was awesome. Great plot, well written – I couldn’t put it down.

By: HarleyQ

HarleyQ — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:25:13 +0000

I think there were some high expectations, and that people wanted to be taken to the next level. The traveler in itself, isn’t as much a medium of escape from our tedium, as was implied above, but a vehicle instructing us to look at our lives, and the future of our lives. Many times while reading The Traveler, I asked myself is this true, and is this possible at this time. I think Mr. Hawks was/is more concerned with the people getting the big picture of how life as we know it is heading. Anyone still believe in 911, or Osama Bin Ladens weapons of mass destruction? As a vehicle devised to question our reality, I think Mr. Hawks is successful.

By: jmfausti

jmfausti — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:30:20 +0000

I think Twelve Hawks’ agenda is so overwhelming that even he couldn’t disguise it in a fable like he was trying to. I get that he’s a smidge on the paranoid side, but he’s using the same scare tactics he claims to abhor. These books just did not work for me.

By: RP

RP — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 03:16:59 +0000

That’s an interesting comparison–reading the book is sort of like looking at an awesome cover of a Yes album, and then having to listen to it. Deceptive.

By: Rod Lott

Rod Lott — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 02:56:33 +0000

I barely remember anything about reading THE TRAVELER when it first hit, but I do remember I couldn't connect with it at all. The closest experience I could liken it to would be sitting in a movie theater with your eyes closed the whole time. There's no way I was going to try out Book II. What's with the pinballs on the cover? Does it come with a prog-rock soundtrack CD?

By: RP

RP — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 00:15:23 +0000

I think a big problem is that he tells us that these things are scary and evil, but I’m never actually made to feel that way. The same with the good guys: I’m told over and over again that they’re good, but they mostly come off as whiny and purposeless.

By: jmfausti

jmfausti — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 20:31:15 +0000

Did you get this free from the publisher, too? I’m trying to figure out how I want to word it. I’ve never rolled my eyes so much in my life. I may be in danger of detaching a retina. This is so much Purina Paranoia Chow. The perfect recipe to really fuel your paranoid and conspiracy folk. He’s complaining about how the, don’t make me say it, “Vast Machine” keeps us in fear, but he’s trying his best to scare his of The Man/Big Brother. In the same church as Dan Brown, just sitting on a different pew.

Umm, was I a little too harsh here?

By: RP

RP — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 00:26:15 +0000

Thanks! I was sad, too. Twelve Hawks has tons of good ideas here, but they just aren’t well developed.

By: N

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 21:15:58 +0000

Oh NO! I really liked Traveler. I have been waiting for the next. Bummer! Great review, though.