The Fold

Accessible Science Fiction! That, my friends, is exactly what The Fold delivers. Quite well in fact, if I do say so myself. As a fair-weather reader of Sci Fi, I tend to shy away if things get too technical. I love the ideas that this genre puts forth. Especially because so much of what it offers up is actually plausible! Still, when I can't comprehend some of what I'm reading I tend to loose interest. The Fold walked that beautiful line between facts, and fiction. It gave me characters that I could love and understand. It gave me chilling mystery, and profound moments too. Long story short? This was a great read!

Although I've never known anyone like Mike, with his staggering IQ and eidetic memory, he was so likable that I felt like we were friends. Imagine having a brain like a super computer. Able to recall anything that you've ever seen, heard, or even tasted. What would you do with such a power? If you're Mike, you'd work as a high school English teacher. I won't get into the particulars, since I'd rather you discover them for yourself, but trust me when I say that Mike is one fascinating individual. Watching him slowly unravel all the secrets surrounding the “Albequerque Door” had me riveted. Not two weeks before I read this book, I was reading an article about scientists working with dark matter, and looking at folds in space. After reading this book? Well, I'll simply say that I really hope things don't turn out that way they do in here.

I think what makes this book so accessible, honestly, is that it doesn't just dwell on the scientific aspect of things. The team working on this project feel like real people. We see how they interact with one another, along with their strengths and flaws. Every time it seemed like things might be getting a bit too heavy, something would happen to pull me back. I had such an investment in the characters of this book, such a deep need to see them through, that I couldn't stop reading. I knew what they were doing was dangerous, I just didn't realize how right I was. The twist here is amazing!

My final verdict is a simple one, and that's simply that this book needs a spot on your reading list. While it wasn't perfect, it was a ton of fun to read! It's not often that I power through a Sci Fi book, but this one made it impossible not to. I hope there's a follow up, because I could definitely read more about Mike.