A great blend of sci-fi and horror, this book takes some of the best of both genres and combines them in a truly fascinating way. I found myself surprised by how far it was willing to go with some of its plot elements, yet also by how well it brought things back to a sort of reality – it turned things on their heads left and right, but managed to stay on track and give satisfying explanations for even the most outlandish sections.
Sci-fi hasn’t often been my favorite genre, especially when time travel/manipulation is the focal point. I just find a lot of books I’ve read that have attempted to use it as a plot device often leave a lot unaccounted for – or they spend a lot more time than necessary on technical aspects and hypotheticals. However, this book somehow managed to address almost all of my major issues and make something theoretically fantastic more tenable and fun to read about.

This story had great world building with some likeable and unlikeable characters. It was well paced but a little confusing at times - but it all comes together in the end. The time travel and twists along the way kept me fully engaged. Well done.

This was a good book but a personal preference against books written about the tech industry right now (was just laid off from tech industry) put me personally off the book.

"The Dent In the Universe" by E.W. Doc Parrish is a science fiction novel with a lot going on, which might be both a pro and a con depending on your preferences. The story follows the lives of a famous tech CEO, a determined detective, and a missing fire chief, while also incorporating elements of time travel, murder mysteries, and a viral pandemic.

While the complexity of the plot was intriguing at times, it also made the book feel a bit overwhelming and hard to follow. The different threads of the narrative took some time to come together, and the heavy focus on IT and computer technology might be a bit too technical for some readers, myself included.

The characters were well-developed and brought their own unique perspectives to the story. However, with so many characters and plot points, I found it challenging to connect with them on a deeper level.

The novel's portrayal of a dystopian world and the horrors that unfold were undeniably impactful, but at times, it felt overly gory and shocking, which might not be everyone's cup of tea.

While the pacing kept the story moving, I couldn't help but feel that some parts were explained well, while others were left unanswered, leaving me wanting more closure and clarity.

Overall, "The Dent In the Universe" is a decent science fiction novel with intriguing elements, but it may not be for everyone due to its complexity and graphic nature. If you enjoy fast-paced stories with multiple plot points and are comfortable with technical jargon, you might find this book to be an interesting read. However, for those seeking a more straightforward and easily digestible narrative, it might be best to approach this one with caution.

Don't get fooled by the old-timey name of the author. E. W. "Doc" Parris brings to mind the old Lensman series, does it not? And while that's a deliberate choice on the part of the author this is not your mother's science fiction. (my Mom was a great fan of E. E. "Doc" Smith) This is a thoroughly modern tale. And while I am not a practicing quantum mechanic the explanations work well enough for me.

This is a good book full of interesting and unexpected twists and turns. Yeah, it involves time travel but not like any time travel I've encountered in the past. No grandfather paradox here! (the reason why is one of my minor irritations. But I"ll let you decide how you feel about that) Instead we get very clever uses of the technology, far beyond simply ordering a pizza for instant delivery. What starts out as a somewhat innocuous and useful vision of its use turns into a nightmare beyond anyone's dreams. Well, anyone but the person who dreams it and makes it real.

And that's enough of that.

I would describe this as action-packed police procedural time travel horror geek SF. And if that doesn't satisfy you then I don't know what will!

The Dent in the Universe is the spectacular scifi thriller and debut novel from EW Doc Parris. With the scientific complexity of Blake Crouch or Michael Crichton and the mythology of a Robert McCammon story, this blend of genres has something to satisfy almost everyone. Gamers won't find a more compelling fictional universe than the one created for the Walrustech series.

Generally, I avoid series books because the author metes out the best content gradually while building to a series of meaningless cliffhangers to keep you locked in for another installment. In this case, Parris has fully realized a vision with imaginative concepts to spare, making the first entry of the series completely satisfying as a standalone novel. The reader is carried along almost helplessly as the action unfolds through the eyes of dynamic characters rendered with cleverly crafted humor and authenticity. So much so that the next book in the series can't come soon enough.

For a completely new vision of the future that addresses all our modern phobias of artificial intelligence, government-created pathogens, war mongering politicians and unstoppable technology, there's only one place to look, and that's the Walrustech Universe. Fans of Batman and Hannibal Lecter, 007 and Isaac Asimov will be equally at home there. Once you pick this one up, you won't want to read anything else.

A huge thank you, past-present-and-future to NetGalley and Magic Genius books for the ARC.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This book had the greatest hook ; what if you were hungry now? What if you could go back in time and order yourself a pizza to be delivered instantly to your present self? This got me immediately and I definitely wanted to read more.

There was a lot of world building in this book which made for a bit of a confusing start, but it started to come together mid-way. I think some of the characters introduced were a bit erroneous as they didn’t bring much to the plot besides cannon fodder. Also some of the science was a bit technical, and someone without a knowledge of science might be turned off by it.

I loved how all the different tangents of the story were just pieces of the overall plot. The story had a good flow once it got rolling and it was exciting to see the characters piece together all the little puzzles.

Overall an enjoyable book, even if it was hard to get started. Look forward to more from this author.

Multiple themes in this book including torture, murder, pandemics and abuse. I found the book patchy and not strongly weaved together. Some elements were strong and enjoyable. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

What happens when you inadvertently give a time machine to a serial killer? Read this book and find out. What is the first book in a trilogy, part technological thriller, part horror, part dystopian, shows that even the greatest inventions can be used in the absolute wrong ways. As much as I enjoyed this story, its a bit of a niche read. Those who have a little technological background in computers might find it an easier read than those who don't. Without that basic knowledge, the reader may feel they are 'in over their heads' and not finish reading. Thankfully, most of the book is broken into several different stories, allowing the reader to break from the tech savvy jargon and slip right into a high action thriller/horror. This was a good start, for me at least, and I can't wait to see where the story goes from here. See you in the future...or the past.

A roller-coaster ride through a future world on the brink of collapse……

Book Information

"The Dent in the Universe" was written by E.W. Doc Parris. Spanning 346 pages, the book was published on May 29, 2023. This is Parris’ debut novel and the first of his ‘WalrusTech’ series. Thanks to Magic Genius Books for providing me with an advance copy of the book for review.

Summary

To resurrect his fading fame, tech CEO Stephen Lucas is willing to sacrifice everything. When his gaming subspace network crashes, his partner makes a mind-bending discovery: sending information back in time is possible.

Lucas envisions a product that grants instant gratification and will become a hit on Wall Street. What he doesn’t predict is that not everyone will use it to preorder pizza or get instant Uber pickups. Some people’s imaginations are darker, and this amazing creation can turn dreams into nightmares.

My Thoughts

"The Dent in the Universe" by E.W. Doc Parris takes readers on a roller-coaster ride of technology, murder, missing persons, and chaos. The fast-paced and action-packed narrative immediately engrosses readers, delivering multiple storylines which are connected. Parris's unique and creative approach in bringing them together is commendable. The level of chaos and destruction throughout the book is spectacular making me wonder just how many ways Parris can end civilization. Mystery, mayhem, and twisted technology collide in this captivating page-turner.

One standout aspect is the fresh perspective on "time travel" presented in the book. It introduces numerous possibilities that are thoroughly explored, albeit accompanied by complex and occasionally flexible rules depending on the situation. Parris adeptly crafts a futuristic world that not only reflects current challenges but also demonstrates their potential escalation and transformation. Add the ability to influence these challenges, either for good or bad, and things can spiral out of control rapidly.

Parris blends elements of science fiction, mystery, and a touch of horror, offering a twisted, captivating, and thrilling reading experience. The prose and descriptions are vivid, immersing readers in the story's atmosphere.

While the book is fantastic and inventive, it should be noted that it serves as an introduction to an anticipated series rather than providing a complete resolution to the chaos it creates. It primarily serves as a backstory and preamble, setting the stage for future installments. Nevertheless, the engaging storytelling ensures readers, or at least I, will eagerly anticipate the sequel.

Recommendation

I wholeheartedly recommend "The Dent in the Universe" by E.W. Doc Parris for fans of thrilling science fiction and mystery. With its fast-paced narrative, intricate plot connections, and vivid descriptions, this book is an absolute must-read.

Rating

4 Timeless Stars

Thanks to Magic Genius Books , E.W. Doc Parris and NetGalley for allowing me access to an early release copy of this book.

Very interesting book that developed some intriguing ideas and regularly brought new twists. The author developed multiple threads and brought them together to satisfying conclusion. Well done.

I'm not a horror fan so that aspect of this was not fun, but I liked the time travel and some of the characters. Probably best for horror fans.

I really appreciate the free copy for review!!

Trigger warnings: pandemic illness, extreme blood/gore, child abuse, graphic torture, murder, death

This book has multiple different plots/storylines they weave together into a whole. A tech billionaire, desperate to save his dying company discovers that you can send information back in time with the help of a special computer chip. A detective tries to find a serial killer while said killer tries to complete his Becoming. A deadly virus is sweeping the globe leaving deranged victims in its wake.

I spent the vast majority of this book having no idea what I was going to rate this book. There is a lot about this I loved but there was also a lot that I really didn’t like. To start with other the positives, there’s just so much stuff going on all the time that it can get a bit overwhelming. The book is super fast paced and all Yoon packed that it just sucks you into the story. I liked Stephen Lucas as a character most of the time. I think my favorite character was the female detective working the serial killer case though. While not started right away the boom is set in the future and I liked reading about all of the future tech that the author imagines might show up.

I have several complaints about this though. The computer chips that are developed in the book are very much based in physics and quantum mechanics. The author tried his best to dumb down how everything worked but I still had no idea how any of this is was supposed to work. Reading about the development of the time machine was interesting but I thought the invention timeframe was unrealistic. Some of the dialogue is just n my opinion not the best written especially at the start of the book and especially around the love subplot between Lucas and the female detective. The dialogue doesn’t sound realistic to me. Even outside of the science dumps. I don’t know if I want to say that I liked the serial killer but he was well done and terrifying. Last thing is whenever the computer chips were being talked about the author used a lot of technical language about computing and quantum mechanics and I had no idea what was going on with that most of the time. I got the rough idea of what was going on at any given time but wouldn’t be able to go in too much depth about any of what’s happening.

I would have to say my main complaint is the serial killer plot. The synopsis says nothing about that happening in the story. I don’t mind dark serial killer plots in most books but I felt very blindsided. The first look we have with this guy is when he’s torturing someone to eventual death. There are two torture scenes in the book and the second is even worse than the first. The scenes are graphic and drawn out and very unpleasant to read. He also goes into detail about how he was abused as a child during the first torture scene. Cutting back and first between his scenes and the scenes about the computer chip and time machine is as jarring when it happened. There are a lot of people that can’t handle this kind of content and literally any kind of warning that this was going to happen would have been nice (I’ll even take a single sentence about it in the book synopsis.)

Overall I surprisingly do recommend this for fans of more extreme sci-fi and horror. Apparently there is going to be a sequel to this and I can’t wait I’m gonna need to read it as soon as it comes out. (One of the disadvantages of reading an advanced copy you have to wait longer than everyone else to read the secnenone.)

Another ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review - excellent for those who like sci-fi - releasing May 29th

Let me start this review out by saying, sci-fi is definitely not my favorite genre. When I say I couldn’t put this book down, I mean it! This book spans so many different creepy and eerie potential total world collapse scenarios that are intricately woven throughout the plot and wrapped up perfectly. This book is giving the butterfly effect, the mandala effect, and the day after tomorrow on crack! It really made me think and there was a lot of scientific and intellectual speak that took a second to wrap your head around but this author does great at helping you to understand while also addressing doubt and skepticism that this could actually be happening. By the end of this book, my skepticism in technology has grown and I definitely hope we aren’t in this dimension by 2036. Great read, definitely recommend even if it’s not your genre. It’s got something for all: time travel, a serial killer, a strange death, zombies, technology (kind of) taking over and much more but it was written in a way that all this themes make sense and fit together like a puzzle. Can’t wait for the second book in the series!

Same review is posted on my goodreads.
3.5 stars.
The story had like three or four plot points going on. There's a famous owner of a highly adored tech company that aims high, a detective trying to solve a murder spree of a serial killer, time machine, and a virus pandemic slowly creeping in as the story goes. Surprisingly I found that by the end it all came together and it worked some hoe. It was definitely an interesting read that I had hard guessing the end. But I felt like some parts were explained well and other parts was left unanswered. But a weird yet engaging read.

Okay I have no idea what was going on here but I'm clearly not the right reader for this one...

I was really engaged and interested in the beginning. The concept is an intriguing one and the writing was easy enough to fall into. Then all of a sudden things took a 180° shift and The Monster was introduced and the sadism and utter lack of connection to the previous writing not only threw me for a loop but turned me off completely... I skimmed forward to see if I could figure out what was going on or get the thread back, when it took another massive shift.

I found these massive jumps in tone, language, pacing, and style to be very disjointed and it made the reading experience confusing and not enjoyable... Which is really too bad, because I quite enjoyed the opening section of the book - but I kept skipping ahead and finding more bizarre jumps and they were too frequent for me to stay with the story even when it shifted back to the original cast of characters and obvious plot development.

This one wasn't for me...

This is such a difficult book to review. The writing is excellent, the premise fascinating. Though the brief description of the book is so utterly inadequate as to what the story is really about. It's part futuristic sc-fi with a tech guru who's invented the most sophisticated gaming system ever, and whose top expert discovers an accident that leads to the possibility of a sort of time machine - not a DeLorean that will physically take you into the past, but a way to utilize quantum physics to retroactively order something in the past so it arrives now. On the flip side is a criminal investigation into a prolific serial killer which may intertwine with the tech company somehow. This is a finely layered combination of sci-fi/crime thriller for about two thirds of the book. And then, in the final third all hell breaks loose. The tale goes from being Blade Runner to the movie version of Doom. It starts as True Detective and ends up as some whacky Resident Evil video game offshoot. It almost feels like somebody other than the original author finished the book. Early on I would have rated this 4 or 5 start, but I was so disappointed in where it ended up I have to call it no better than 3.5, though I'll round it to 4 stars.