I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The voice and the writing in this book is stellar. It has a captivating narrative that threatens to suck any reader right into Hermes' and Enoch's world.

At the time I picked this up, I was so excited by the premise. I love bizarre stories. What didn't resonate with me though is how deeply philosophical the book got right away. While there are times this path would call to me to continue on, I'm currently at a point in my reading where I need something more engaging in my tales. More meat and substance to sink my teeth into with the characters. I was skimming by the end of the first chapter, so this is a purely subjective DNF. I would highly recommend this though to anyone who loves a deeper, slower literary substance to their novels. :)

This was a deliciously different read. In the beginning, two brothers invent the first thought-to-text device. Flash forward, and an author gives in to his partner and tries the device. It seems like a miracle, but scientific advancement comes at a price.

Okay, so I tried to read this book five different times and I just couldn't get past the first chapter. The synopsis sounded really intriguing to me, but I think after five tries it is time to say that this is not my cup of tea and I don't want to force myself to read it and not give this book a fair and honest review.

MIND BLOWN! This book is super slow to start, but it was psychologically intriguing and rutting around in the philosophical, so I stuck with it. Around 20% the different characters begin to relate to each other and the plot picks up speed. The first half of the book takes place in 2031 and then switches to unknown times. The writing was engaging and I filled my Kindle with highlighted quotes and I never do this.

Now, I'm not saying it was intentional on the author's part, but the story in the second half of the book seemed to evolve from a biblical type narration through parables, fables, folk stories, classic fairytale style, to modern Fantasy; and I loved it. This is a book I will need to re-read to be able to more fully absorb its undercurrents and shadows of meaning.

This isn't a book for the lighthearted reader. It is dense, and the themes are psychologically and philosophically heavy. There is also a good dose of spiritual content within both halves of the book, not preachy, but thought provoking. Brilliant!

This book was very hard for me to get into and when I saw the part about a horse massacre, I decided not to go further. The two brothers didn't speak like two farmers from CO but maybe that's because they were more scientist than farmer, Others may like this book and I know I'm not giving a full review of the book but maybe it' will helps others decide if they want to read the book. I received this book in advance, to review, from NetGalley. and Painted Blind Publishing.

I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.

It took me longer to read this book than others of the same size. The premise of the book, an electronic device that turned thought into text was fascinating and thought-provoking (no pun intended). I found myself reading some of the text slowly in order to absorb what the author was intending.

The book starts with the creation of a new, esoteric device by two brothers. The Lightning Stenography Device, or LSD. Now what? The brothers have definitely different reactions to the success of their endeavors. When two writers test the device, their reactions are also different from each other. One accepts the device for what it is, and one is terrified of it. But each one continues to use it creating their own stories. This part of the story is filled with philosophical discussion of God and consciousness. If that is not what you are looking for, hang in there! Do not put it down.

There is so much more to this story and the writers than you will believe at this point in the book. A tale of kings and queens, greed and love and purity; the descent into afterlife reminiscent of Dante’s Inferno, sacrifice, and redemption.

I recommend this book to any and all who love thoughtful literature. This is one of the best.

To start with...I will not be publishing this review anywhere... I did not like the book. And I can't really give it a fair review because I couldn't get past the opening chapters. Two guys, who I really didn't know, holding boring conversations. No action what-so-ever. I did understand that the device they were inventing was going to scribe their thoughts when they were asleep. I was asleep before too long.

Unfortunately, I just could not finish this book. Not my type of read, I guess.

2031 is the year that the first thought to text transcription device is released to the public. That's also the same year that Cassius Wagner, an author, has a seizure. At least, that is what his novel says - the fragmented novel which he wakes up to after a late night of writing. Afraid he has the makings of a prophecy on his hands, he's desperate to change his fate which prevents him from noticing that his editor might just be dealing with her own destiny.

DNF @ 10%

As soon as I saw this novel on NetGalley, I knew I wanted to give it a shot because the concept behind it sounds exactly like something I could get behind. I mean, a thought to text device that transcribes a possible prophecy about it's sleeping user? That sounds like there would be so much potential, if you ask me. I was thoroughly expecting to be hooked. Unfortunately, though, I ended up giving up at only 10% of the way into this story. I feel terrible about quitting, but I just couldn't force myself to slog on after dragging myself through the first tenth of the novel. I wasn't expecting a lighting paced read since it's billed as literary fantasy, but come on - at least make me want to have an excuse to continue on. The Lightning Stenography Device was just far too slow, boring, and stuffy for my taste. I've got too many books and not enough time to keep pushing my way through this one. Ah, well. I can't win them all. Thanks anyway, NetGalley.

When I started reading The Lightning Stenography Device, I thought it was a great premise for a book. But, as I kept reading, the more confusing the book became too me.  At one point, during Cassius's chapters, I had to stop reading and I almost DNF'd. But, I have a personal vow to never stop reading a book and I picked it back up. I will say that the book was beautifully written and was very descriptive. I do think that the author should have stuck to two people to follow. It would have made the book less confusing. I would not recommend this book to family and friends and I would not reread.

I feel as though M.F. Sullivan’s The Lightning Stenography Device is a book that will divide readers – you’ll either love this one or you will struggle to get through it. I feel as though there will not be many people in the middle ground between.

The Lightning Stenography Device is a book with a wonderful premise, one that sucked me in instantly. I was intrigued by all the possibilities, and I wanted to know more. Such is what had me jumping into the book, and what convinced me to continue turning pages.

It is one of those books you will need to take your time with. I’m the kind of person who reads a book a day, quite often multiple books a day, but every so often a book comes along that I need to sit and read at a slower pace. The Lightning Stenography Device was one such book, as it had a lot of information and I needed to make sure I took it all in. It’s a heavy read, one with a lot of detail, and if you’re not careful some of the information may go over the top of your head.

I’ll be completely honest, this book wasn’t quite what I had anticipated but it was enjoyable enough. As I said, though, it will not be for everyone.

Though the premise is pretty interesting, the book sufferers from a writing style that would be better suited in a book written 150 years ago. This show was a constant distraction, especially with the modern setting.

Terrified to have a prophetic manuscript unfurling at his heels, his desperation to evade his fate prevents him from considering that his lover and editrix, Katherine Beauvoir, might be wrestling with a destiny of her own--one which seems to concern the discovery of a human skull.

This is a well written book told from four different perspectives. I like the psychic aspect set in the future. I think many readers will find this enjoyable.

I loved how wacky this book was, balancing a mix of horror and surreal fantasy in a way that kept me moving through the pages. Unlike anything I've ever read, with a quad of narrators, deep philosophy, and the stitching together of Science Fiction and Fantasy in a delightfully horrific way.

Hands down LOVED it.

DNF @ 25%. I absolutely loved the writing style of this book, but the story wound up being more convoluted than I cared for. I'd definitely recommend this to fans of surrealist science fiction/fantasy, but sadly this just wasn't my cup of tea.

There were parts of this book that I found really interesting. There were parts of this book that were extremely boring. It was cyclical and repetitive (on purpose), so since the same points were made in about 10 different ways, I'm not sure why all the boring ways needed to be included.

The Lightning Stenography Device by M. F. Sullivan was not what I expected. I can sum it up in one word – boring. I tried multiple times to finish. In the end I could not force myself beyond 28% complete. Therefore, it goes to the DNF list with no regrets.
I knew going in the book was classified as literary fantasy; therefore, I expected the pace to be slow and the story thought provoking. I got the slow part, but never in a million years would I count it as thought provoking. Maybe I did not read far enough to get into the real philosophical parts.
I also did not read far enough to comment on the characters and other aspects of the book. Below is the synopsis of the book as provided by the publisher. In closing, this book was just not for me. However, I believe there is a small audience for books of this type.
I received a free copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.
For more of my reviews, and author interviews, see my book blog at www.the spineview.com.
Synopsis:
The first marketable thought to text device is released for public consumption in 2031. That same year, author Cassius Wagner will have a seizure. At least, that is what the novel says: the novel to which he awakens in fragments one morning after a late night of writing. This novel. Terrified to have a prophetic manuscript unfurling at his heels, his desperation to evade his fate prevents him from considering that his lover and editrix, Katherine Beauvoir, might be wrestling with a destiny of her own--a destiny which seems to concern the discovery of a human skull, and the true identity of the device's mysterious creator. Told in four psychedelic parts which peak with the fable of a sublingual Huntress as she fights to save her King, THE LIGHTNING STENOGRAPHY DEVICE blurs the speculative fiction and fantasy genres to explore the fabric of literature, and the boundaries of reality.

Very surreal and philosophical. Feels older than it is.

The Lightning Stenography is about two brothers who have created a device that records thoughts and prints them out. One brother is having his thoughts/dreams recorded and interprets that this is a book his mind is writing. I thought this sounded interesting and I decided to give the book a shot. Unfortunately, the book is too philosophical and steeped in debate about the existence of God. One brother is slightly pro, the other more con. This leaves the book open to a potentially interesting subject for a more religious person. But personally, I don’t find the subject or debate interesting and I couldn’t care less.

The dialogue between the brothers didn’t move the story along with enough substance to hold my interest. There were many long sentences, that while trying to give the characters a sense of self, felt unnecessary and like filler. The book also spent a great deal of time debating whether we are the authors of our lives, or if the thoughts being recorded by the device are deciding how we live our lives. I think the premise had potential but it really fell short for me. At times I felt like I was reading a textbook for a college class. Maybe, I am not on the same level mentally as the author or the subject was too deep and required a level of thought I don't possess. Either way, I can’t recommend this book, it was far too heavy and slow for my taste.

Don;t be misled by the 2 star review, I am following the Netgalley system of responding to "would you recommend this book?" with "not really, it depends"

Hermes accidentally invents software to decode the human consciousness via a device known as the Lightning Stenography Device, or LSD. Enoch is jealous, and many strange happenings ensue

The majority of people I know would not be interested in reading this book.
However, there are a select few out there who are looking for the feeling that this book gives you
An aura of "WTF" with a bit of "woah" thrown in and some floaty brain-feels

This book is for you if you enjoy existentialism, I Heart Huckabees (the popular movie), Sophie's World, anything offbeat or otherworldly, and maybe (just maybe) a passing interest in hallucinogenics.