Book reviews

Dead Lines
Greg Bear Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography History
Greg Bear Books
New book search
Greg Bear Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of Dead Lines
"

Ballantine, June 2004, 24.95, 246 pp.
ISBN 0345448375

Peter Russell's life turned out much different than he expected. He wanted to write books but instead made a living taking picture and making movies of naked people when the soft porn industry flat-lined. Now he is a little more than an errand boy for movie producer and real estate executive Joseph Benoliel, dependant on him for cash. A consortium is trying to get Joseph to invest in Trans, a wireless telephone that uses a broad bandwidth so that people can communicate with each other almost instantaneously.

The people making the Trans are giving them away as a promotional gimmick and folks all over the world have one. The transponder that is heart of the Trans is located in the bowels of San Andrea Prison. The investors of the new means of communication didn't know that it interferes with the ghosts of the dead moving on. Earth is populated with ghosts and nobody knows how to get rid of them except Peter.

Fans of Peter Straub and Stephen King will love this old fashioned ghost story. From the very beginning of DEAD LINES, there is a sense of foreboding and of anticipation as readers wait for events to reveal themselves. Some might think that the protagonist wasted his life but in reality he experienced life as few people can and accepts the consequences.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Dead Lines
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 20%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%




Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy story on current Earth
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Horror story? Yes
Horror plotlets - the ghost chased me!

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - servant
Age: - 40's-50's
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - magical being
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor

Setting
Earth setting: - near future (later in 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - some scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Dead Lines
Brother Odd by Dean Koontz
The Ghost in the House by Betty Ren Wright
Midnight Is A Lonely Place by Barbara Erskine
Pharos by Alice Thompson
Don't Close Your Eyes by Robert Ross


Click here for more information about this book


Greg Bear Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Greg Careaga  

SCHOLARS:
Eric Terrell  Cees Hameete  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Science Fiction books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
Feedback
About us
Bribe your congressman!
Rudy Giuliani



Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
Online Dating Advice
J.K. Rowling 4:10:39 PM
David Baldacci 2:09:26 PM
Norah Lofts 1:31:35 PM
George W. Bush 12:01:37 PM
David Gerrold 8:16:47 AM
Mitzi Loftus 8:28:27 PM
Robert Stanek 9:21:18 AM
Southampton Row 1:23:14 AM
Nicholas Sparks 3:33:54 PM
Jeffrey Archer 7:34:47 AM
Frances Salomon Murphy 11:27:09 PM
Warren Getler and Bob Brewer 4:47:55 PM
David Pelzer 1:27:48 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun 10:22:20 PM
Barack Obama 9:55:05 PM
Sister Souljah 12:29:03 PM
Ray Bradbury 9:11:31 PM
Erin Hunters 7:19:58 PM
Robert Segarra 4:07:19 PM
Robert Newton Peck 4:54:54 PM

More message boards