Wow. That was something different!
This book looked to be unusual from the get-go: with a wonderfully exotic premise, and containing fantasy- my kryptonite- I picked it up with gusto. What I got out of it was something that could either be seen as a modern classic or, at times, very dense.
The Lightning Stenography Device is what’s at the heart of this book. Often shortened to LSD, it’s a device that transmits your thoughts straight to words on a computer screen. However, it also seems to have its own agency, and when people start unconsciously producing work in their sleep- work which seems oddly prophetic, and which they have no memory of writing- things start to get a little more confusing. Or a lot.
The book is broadly split into four parts, each focussing on a different character. Though the first three are broadly linked- concentrating on the life of the person who invented the LSD, and two people it affects- the last chapter takes a sudden swerve into the confusing. So much so, that I wondered whether this bit wasn’t from a completely different book altogether. Where the first two thirds are set, more or less, in the present day, this takes a swerve into fantasy territory, with witches, curses, kings and mythology. To be honest, if this had been a book in itself, I would have loved it- and probably asked fewer questions at the end!
That sense of what is going on fits into the abstract nature of the novel, though. Though the premise of the book is really interesting, and raises equally interesting questions- what happens if the book you’re writing is coming true as you live it? Is it God? Does reading it make it come true, or will it come true anyway? How interconnected is life and art?- these questions quickly become very complicated. Though interesting, you get the feeling that the author got a little too pleased with the questions they were raising, because things start going around in circles, we don’t really get many answers, and I had to reread several sections to be certain of what was going on. Though there are sections of the first three chapters that are interesting, it got boring very quickly- which was a shame, because it almost put me off reading the excellent final third!
This was a really hard book to review, because it felt like I should have been reviewing two separate stories. The author’s prose is lovely and lyrical, and the final third really is worth a read! But this was a complex, confusing and dense novel that I took a little too much time to unpack.
But worth a second read? Definitely.

Genre - Fantasy/Metaphysical
Pages - 472
Publication Info - Painted Blind Publishing (March 19, 2018)
Format - Kindle
Stars - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The Lightning Stenography Device” by M.F. Sullivan is a literary evolution. Told in four parts, with each part being a story unto itself and later inter-woven into the whole. The first three parts are pretty much near future fiction and stick to the same cast of characters and storyline. Part 4 deviates from the first 3 parts and takes you on a mind altering journey. Be prepared to think and get involved. This is not an easy read, but it is well worth every single minute I spent reading it. It’s complex, visionary and at times involved, but by books end you will have a better understanding of why the deviation or change in storyline was taken. I think the hardest part about reviewing this book is that it really does not fit into any specific genre, but bends many to the point of redefining them. If that’s hard to get your head around, well that’s kind of what this whole book tends to do. This was one of the most unusual and interesting books I’ve read in a very long time. I am looking forward to checking out more of M.F. Sullivan’s work.

M.F. Sullivan is a playwright and author of two novels.

From back cover: 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, the boundaries of reality, and the limits of human consciousness.

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.

Two brothers, Hermes and Enoch, managed to create a device which can perfectly re-transcript one's thoughts into words without the actual act of writing. They call it the Lightning Stenography Device, or LSD, and for anyone who's ever tried to write something (anything, really), this is a dream come true. But what does it mean when the LSD start to re-transcript real, actual events and thought processes, prophesy them even, when the user is asleep?

“You know why I love reading, Cassius? It's because you're there without being there at all.”

Boy oh boy, this book, THIS BOOK. This was definitely a strange one, I've been having a love-hate affair with it for a couple of weeks and almost DNF-ed it a few times.
It's composed of 4 parts, each one focused on one character, and let's just say that the first half of the book is very... intellectual. Now, I don't mind smart books; hell, most books are smarter than me! But LSD delves quite a lot into philosophical concepts, challenges what is Being, Life and God in long dialogues (or monologues), mostly between “Enoch” and Cassius. After a while, it all feels very self-indulgent, like an essay written by the author through the characters' dialogues. I'm pretty sure it was a conscious choice, and I'm not saying questioning the act of writing and being is not interesting, but the way it was done was... so tiring.

Then comes the second half, and I fell a little bit in love. I'm not going to say much, but the moment you recover from the whiplash and finally (FINALLY) understand what was going on in this book all along, it feels really good. But not good enough to forgive how tedious most of the book is, and how many times I thought about giving up. As a result, I wouldn't recommend LSD if you want a quick/easy read.

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.

I could not finish the book. I tried but just could not push through the dense and confusing prose. When I stopped I was only at 32% after 21 hours of trying to give it my all. I can only sum up the reading experience as follows:: it felt as if I was reading scrambled eggs that needed to be unscrambled to uncover and understand what the author was really trying to cook.

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.