Matt Haig

Review: Echo Boy by Matt Haig

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echoboyWhat does it mean to be human? Is it merely to be made up of flesh and bone? Is it the structure of our DNA? Is having a soul what makes us human? Or is it more than that? Perhaps it is our actions? No matter how you answer, there is some way that one can dispute your answer. Isn’t an evil person human? Do they have the correct DNA? Aren’t they made up of flesh and bone? A stone cold killer can be classified as human, although their actions might say otherwise….

Here we have the future. A world where continents can be visited within seconds…even the moon within hours. Boundaries between places that we know now are smaller and less apparent. It is a world that is now made easier by the help of Echoes. More or less computers made of flesh and bone that are there to look like humans….perform as humans….teach humans….do the work of humans….look after the young of humans….protect the humans….but to never, ever, be human. They are highly intelligent. They excel at whatever they are programmed to do….but they will never have the emotional capacity that humans possess.

Or can they?

Here we can have a look at the path that we are currently heading down….One where we (the human race) are able to jump into a pod and be transported to our love ones in a blink of an eye. One where we communicate more by machines than by touch. One where we can learn everything we *need* to know without ever really leaving our homes. Ones that although the boundaries of the past seem nonexistent, they are in fact even greater….

You might wonder what I mean by that….but look at your grandparents. How hard would it had been for them to facetime with someone in another country? How many friends did they talk to daily from foreign countries?

Now stop and think….makes you think that we’ve come a long way, eh? But wait……those same grandparents….did they spend hours a day locked inside their houses? Glued to their phones? Worried about the latest technology? Or did they truly interact with others? Did they learn about life virtually or by reality? How are you and the younger generation learning such things today?

It really gives you something to think about, doesn’t it?

Now back to what makes us human…..

This novel will give you much to ponder here….

Some of the humans portrayed have no real value of other human life….They are not thoughtful of other humans…..some of them, really, have no idea how to even interact with other humans…..

So when we isolate ourself from other humans….at some point do we lose some of that which makes us human? At one point does this happen?

So if we have no value of other human lives, does that make us less human? Again, at what point does this happen?

Finally, is it possible for *something* not fully human….something made of flesh and bones….something with some DNA…..something supposedly *without* a soul….something made in a lab….programmed….but made with love and hope and devotion……a machine that cares about the value of human life…..a machine that does not seek to isolate itself……to become human? Again, at what point does this happen?

Matt Haig, might not have written the best literary work of all time here….but hey ho….how many people can? However, what he has done is given us much to think about……and much to be watchful of…..

This book was left with an ending that can no doubt be picked up and continued on with further novels….I hope we get at a least one more…..

I really enjoyed this novel, as I have Haig’s other works…..I’m sure you won’t be disappointed…go on then….go see what the future has in store for you and I……..buy the book…..

Until next time….

Urania xx

Review copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review….

Currently available to buy in the UK Echo Boy by Matt Haig

Review: The Humans by Matt Haig

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20131116-183654.jpgIt should come as no surprise if we were to find out that beings from other planets look down on humans with immeasurable disdain. After all, we’ve managed to destroy species of life, make a mess of our planet, are controlled purely by our emotions, and can’t seem to stop fighting amongst ourselves.

This is the exact reason “Alien” from Vonnadoria has been sent to Earth. Otherworldly beings see Earth as a planet characterized by violence and greed. Professor Andrew Martin has made a discovery that may finally cause the downfall of mankind. Alien’s mission is simple: take over the body of Professor Martin, destroy any evidence of his discovery, and eliminate any humans with knowledge of this discovery. An easy enough mission considering that Alien is disgusted by everything about humans-their looks, their need to wear clothing, even what they eat. But as he lives in Martin’s skin, he begins to reconsidered his original views. For what is life without pain as well as joy? He begins to see that a Utopian society leaves much to be desired. He develops a special fondness for Martin’s son, Gulliver. As Alien grows increasingly attached to life on Earth, he finally comes to the realization that it is, indeed, a beautiful planet. Maybe even the most beautiful planet of all. However, there are consequences to his change of heart and the story concludes in dramatic, thrilling fashion.

This was an amazingly well written story that had me eagerly reading it to the end. It’s very different from everything else I’ve read lately, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s filled with humor and all too real descriptions of life on Earth. My favorite part of the book is when Haig describes Gulliver as belonging to a subcategory of humans known as a teenager: characteristics being a weakened resistance to gravity, a vocabulary of grunts, a lack of spatial awareness, copious amounts of masturbation, and an unending appetite for cereal. How much more accurate could that be? I couldn’t decide if I was pulling for Andrew Martin to survive his “bodily takeover” or if I wanted Alien to live happily ever after on Earth. Matt Haig truly has a gift for words and has given us unique, engaging story in The Humans.

~Thalia

Buy it Now: The Humans: A Novel