I'm finding this character driven sci-fi book a difficult one to review as it is not often I've encountered a book that was as much of a mixed bag as this one. But, I'd like to laud K.K. Edin a bit for writing an epic, large-scale science fiction/philosophy novel. A lofty ambition, and one that should be taken more seriously.

A good read!

I'm not usually a reader of Sci-fi but I''m trying to broaden my genre choices. While this was incredibly off the wall, entirely as it was supposed to be, I couldn't help thinking that if you were a regular sci-fi reader you'd love it. It was well written, and very easy to follow. I became fully invested in each of the three characters and was very eager to learn how each of their stories would pan out. I loved the references to the various locations. It really drew me in. I would definitely recommend this book and I'm going to read more of this genre from now on.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy,

I struggled to get into this novel. However, it was well-written with an interesting plot.

So, it's been a while since I've read a softer sci-fi and the premise of THE MEASUREMENTS OF DECAY appealed to me for a number of reasons: the cover was gorgeously mysterious, an alternating POV, science fiction elements, philosophical themes, and the writing style was flowery, but beautiful.

I don't think the blurb of this book does it any justice. In fact, it actually tickles your fancy just enough to glance at those first few pages before you're pulled into a sci-fix epic that begs the question, "Where has this author been hiding all this time?!".

Edin has displayed an excellent skill not only in general world-building, but created a dynamic cast of characters that bled life into the story as much as the plot and technology within.

Kickass? Badass? Epic?

Tick. Tick. Tick,

Even if I liked the subject and some of the ideas, the language was too flowery and complicated, and it often felt overwritten, with loooong philosophical lectures in every chapter. I was not prepared to work that hard for a non-fiction, sci-fi book, so I will postpone it for a [hopefully, maybe] later reading.

So, I started to read this book and honestly, found it a little difficult to keep the storylines straight.

It is well written as individual chapters but I didn't get into the flow of it as a book. I think it's partly because I didn't really find a character I liked or hated enough to keep reading (annoying certainly but not hate), only the fact that I knew I had to write a review kept me going.

It is written in a similar to GOT, which I love, but to me, the narrative didn't feel overly related through the chapters. For me, it is important to feel a connection with a character or a world and I didn't really feel either.

I tried reading this book a few times, but just couldn't get into it. The writing was good, the style was just not something I could get into. I have tried to bludgeon my way through it to see if it picked up, but just wasn't my cup of tea. That happens. Luckily, not everyone is the same and not everyone's tastes are the same, so.......

This is a fairly difficult book to review. There is a lot to like about the Measurements of Decay. It is a deeply philosophical work with a very interesting premise, but the story too often gets bogged down and the second half of the book becomes a bit a chore, even as you’re desperately wanting to see how it all ends; and while the antagonist is a truly despicable piece of work, most of the other characters are pretty unengaging. Then there is the language. But more on that later.

The Measurements of Decay primarily follows three main characters and the events unfold across multiple time periods. Tikan lives in a far future in which humans have colonised space. Tikan is an anomaly in his society. Everyone in this future has a brain implant called a procrustus which enables them to have virtual, or illusory, experiences. Tikan does not have a procrustus and, as far as we know, he is the only person in the future who doesn’t. The second character is an unnamed philosopher from our own time. He is convinced that he destined to write a philosophical treatise which will save humanity from itself. He is arrogant, conceited and completely self-obsessed, which makes him particularly unsuited for the role of saviour. The third character is Sielle, a young woman with the ability to ‘leap’ through time and space.

Their respective stories proceed independently through the first half of the book. We see Sielle through various time periods beginning in ancient Greece. The philosopher talks a lot about the brilliant work he is about to undertake while struggling to actually write anything down, all the while expecting everyone around him to service his obsession. Tikan, meanwhile, is travelling through space aboard a cruise liner, the Equuleus, which comes under attack by a mysterious enemy. Everyone on board is killed except for Tikan and two of his friends, Naim and Kira, all members of the crew, and a passenger by the name of Onasus. The four survivors set out on a quest to try and retrieve humanity from the dream-like state that it, as a whole, has entered into through the use of the procrustus.

The stories of the three main characters continue along their respective, separate courses through the first half of the book before they really come together and the relationship between the three starts to fall into place about half way through. Unfortunately, while the three separate storylines through the first half of the book all hold your interest, things come to a bit of a grinding halt through the second half. Almost every chapter in the book exists in order to advance some sort of philosophical point, but at least through the first half of the book the philosophising didn’t stop the progress of the actual plot. For much of the second half, it did.

In addition to the slowing of the plot, I actually found the characters of Tikan and Sielle pretty unlikable. Or perhaps unremarkable is a better description even though they are remarkable people in the context of the plot. I didn’t develop any connection or empathy towards them (which may be ironic considering that human empathy is one of the main themes of the story). Given that, along with Onasus, they are the only characters in the future timeline that are fully in control of their own thoughts, they seem to be very quick to abandon their friends. Tikan leaves Naim and Kira with seemingly very little prompting, and Sielle later leaves Tikan to his fate. I may be being a little harsh on them, people are not perfect after all, and maybe the author was trying to make a point that was lost on me, but I found few redeeming features in either character that made me actually care about them.

The unnamed philosopher I actually found to be the most engaging character, simply because he is so repulsive. He too has few redeeming features, but at least he is not meant to. He is an easy character to hate. There is an interesting contradiction in the character in that he believes that a lack of individual empathy is one of humanity’s greatest problems, yet he himself shows no empathy for anyone else.

Empathy is just one of themes examined in the Measurements of Decay. The book is thematically heavy and it would certainly help if you’re pretty well versed in western philosophy and Greek mythology, but it’s not essential. Even if you don’t know where terms like ‘procrustus’ and ‘metempsy’ are derived from, you can still follow the thematic aspects of the book. You certainly have to concentrate and think about what you’re reading, bur that is not bad thing. I appreciate an author that is not afraid to tackle big themes and present big ideas, and for that K K Edin should be commended. For me, the final result was a little uneven, but the ambition behind this book pretty big and not easy to pull off.

Which finally brings me to Edin’s use of language. This seems to be one of the big discussion points about this book, and for good reason. Almost every sentence contains some dense, abstruse simile or alliteration. At times the prose is quite evocative, but most of the time it’s kind of distracting and sometimes borders on ridiculous. For example;

“The two stared at each other without words for a short while, the older man’s head looking like some outland chimera’s hideous egg heated by brimstone and doused in ceremonial paint shortly before hatching.”

I don’t know what a chimera’s egg looks like (I’m not sure that anyone does), let alone an outland chimera, whether it’s been heated by brimstone or not, so I’m not really sure what the purpose of this passage is. And it is not unique. Additionally some of the dialogue between characters is equally ridiculous which led me to recall the infamous urban legend about Harrison Ford’s statement to George Lucas when they were making the first Star Wars film; “You may be able to write this shit George, but you sure as hell can’t say it.”

But, and this is a big but, about a third to half way through the book I began to think that maybe there was a specific reason why the author was using this kind of language; maybe there’s something else going on here; maybe…. Well, let’s just say that what I thought might be going on turned out to be correct, and by the time I’d finished the book, the author’s use of language was put into perspective. I don’t want to say too much else (I may have already said too much) but if you have started this book and you are enjoying the story, or the philosophical aspects, but the language is putting you off, my recommendation is to persist. It is worthwhile.

Ultimately, I did enjoy this book. Yes, it has its flaws but, as I mentioned before, a book with this much ambition is an extremely difficult thing to pull off. I wouldn’t exactly call it a classic, but it is a worthwhile read.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Amazon, however, the Amazon review had not been processed at the time I provided this feedback.

Genre-bending book that provoked thought while telling a solid sci-fi story. See full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2364644235

This book is definitely one of the harder to read sci-fi novels. You need to be fully aware without any interruptions or you find yourself repeating chapters. This books plot is something you don’t read about often. If you’re into these kinds of sci-fi books I definitely recommend this book. If you’re just jumping into sci-fi definitely not. It’s like diving into fantasy and reading Brandon Sanderson. Definitely do that later when you have read others. I received this for review from NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book. It is written unlike some of the science fiction that is out now days, but don't let that stop you. Once you start reading this book, by the second chapter you will be drawn in wandering where it's going to lead you and how it's going to end. This book is very well thought out and written. I can't wait to read more of this authors work.

I had a look on K. K. Edin’s Goodreads page the other day; one of his answers to a popular question basically summed up my reading experience of The Measurements of Decay. I’m paraphrasing here, but he said that although some of the prose was written with more philosophical and stylistic writing, it wasn’t necessarily impenetrable. I fully agree with that here – I had one issue with the novel which has ultimately led me to giving this a 3 star rating, and I can honestly say that it had nothing to do with any kind of conception which states that Edin is a terrible writer. In fact, I loved his writing. It was a little excessive in some parts, but that’s likely because he is a philosopher, and is prone to using such language in his writing.

The 3 star rating is simply because my intellect doesn’t reach so far, and it was hard for me to grasp some of the things he was trying to portray without having to read and reread passages. I’m not usually a girl who reads philosophical novels such as TMOD, but all things considered, I did (for the most part) enjoy reading it. I was going to give it a 2, maybe a 2.5, but upon reflection, I realised it wasn’t so bad that it deserved such a low rating.

The science fiction element of the novel – as in, Tikan and Sielle’s storylines – was probably my favourite part. I’m a sucker for a good, action-packed science fiction plot, and this was pretty much it. I have to say it wasn’t as fast-paced as I had hoped (then again, it was almost 600 pages), but the sci-fi action was still enough to give me chills in various parts. I was definitely more invested in this storyline than in the philosopher’s storyline (as you’ve probably already guessed), just because it was so much easier for me to understand, and because it felt like there was more happening, like there was more of a point to their storyline. Towards the end, the philosopher’s plot does tie in with Tikan/Sielle’s storyline, but I think I will always favour sci-fi over philosophy, regardless of what I read. I was genuinely just a bit baffled by the chaos of the ending…

I’m sure this is the perfect book for anyone who enjoys both philosophy and science-fiction, but I definitely found that I had a preference. I did enjoy reading this, and I’m hoping that my giving it 3 stars doesn’t suggest otherwise. Though it took me a while to get through it, do bear in mind that I was trying to study for exams at the same time, and celebrate six birthdays within two weeks!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, to Cameron Publicity & Marketing, and to K. K. Edin, for providing me with both an e-copy and a paperback copy of The Measurements of Decay!

This is a long hard read and I am not entirely sure I understood all of it. It is highly imaginative and I didn’t see what was coming at any point.

A fantastic blend of sci fi and philosophy. Solid story which had me hooked from the outset and well penned to boot. Original and of the highest calibre. I expect to see this on multiple award lists next year.

The Measurements of Decay by K.K. Edin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sometimes you will read a book that stuns you into such a deep silence that the backlash envelops you and kicks you out of space and time.

This is one of those books.

I'm still reeling. It's not every day that an author goes out of their way write a complex philosophical dissertation in the style of David Mitchell but goes on to make it hardcore SF with mind-blowingly cool science tropes, transhumanism, and a man-made god in the service of the serious philosophical treatise. Indeed, the multiple PoVs are deadly serious about driving home their ideas and their idealism and I was treated to one of the coolest villains I've ever read in the form of the primary narrator.

This is empathy, understanding, and wisdom taken to its full completion, yo.

Just what would happen if idealists and focused heavy philosophical thinkers gained the physical and temporal power to overcome all obstacles and fulfill their ambitions? Or how about just one. A serious one. One who believes that empathy and understanding is the ultimate goal.

I'm of the mind that the Borg collective fits that bill. If you're part of it, there's perfect empathy and understanding. :) Run with that.

I give this book top marks for being fearlessly dense and super intelligent and creative as a mother****er. I was somewhat worried about the somewhat less clear language used, but the sheer scope and beauty of the imagery and the speed at which so many wonderful scenes happen make up for just about anything.

This is NOT your average adventure hard-SF novel, nor is it a lofty philosophical discussion with a few SF trappings. This is a true shotgun wedding of the best of both worlds.

I'm flabbergasted. This is the kind of SF novel that comes along only a handful of times in a generation and it is NOT something to undertake if you want a light and thoughtless read. I'm putting this novel in the category of *OMG YOU MUST READ THIS*.

This is serious literature. This is thought-provoking and deserves a devoted cult following and if not recognition now, then at least serious recognition in 5 or 10 years. It may take that long for enough serious fans to get their hands on this or work their way through it, but I'll tell you now: it's worth it.

How's that for a squee? I want discussions on this book, people! PHD's welcome. :)

This is a deeply philosophical novel that uses its SF background to explore ideas about the ability or otherwise of people to be able to communicate to one another. The book takes big risks, and by the end these pay off, however this is definitely not an easy ride. Anyone expecting space opera will meet something completely different; the story is hard to get into and stay with - especially given the choices the writer has made in terms of the narrator - yet the further you go the greater the rewards. Not useful to try to read this book in long sittings, yet ultimately very rewarding.