The Wave

by Walter Mosley

Book Overview

A New York Times Bestselling Author Walter Mosley, the New York Times bestselling author of the Easy Rawlins novels and acclaimed author of Futureland and Blue Light , returns to science fiction with... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446533637
• ISBN13: 9780446533638
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Aspect
• Length: 209 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

(RAW Rating: 4.5) - On the edge of reality

After nightly calls from someone eventually claiming to be his father, Errol Porter sets out on a path to find the truth which lands him at a cemetery in the middle of the night. The man he finds there isn't his father -- not as Errol remembers him, but is instead a younger version of his deceased father, with all his memories, mannerisms, and more. Unknowingly and without much choice, Errol is catapulted into another dimension, on the edge of reality as he knows it. Though Errol teeters back and forth from believing what is being presented to him, those around him who he shares the information with have no trouble believing that the young stranger is his father. It is up to Errol to keep him (and those like him) safe as the federal government becomes involved and will stop at nothing to keep their findings a secret from the world. Once again, Walter Mosley has written a captivating story that is original and outside of the box. What I loved about THE WAVE is that it is a thought-provoking and out-of-the-ordinary, and though it delves into the supernatural, it is actually believable. Mosley showcases some of mankind's major flaws wrought about by laws, rules of society, and the reluctance to change. His writing is, as always, intriguing, and inspires one to think and question reality as we know it. His characters are multi-dimensional, complementing one another and the reader is instantly pulled into the story. Reviewed by Tee C. Royal of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

WELL READ SCI-FI FROM THE MASTERFUL MOSLEY

Walter Mosley fans are in for a surprise with The Wave - no more Easy Rawlins or Fearless Jones, but for the third time this author ventures into the world of science fiction. It's his 19th novel, and I've lost count of his awards, an O. Henry, a Grammy, a Sundance Institute Risk-Taker Award. There seem to be few writers who can switch genres as flawlessly as he does. Simply goes to prove what we've known all along - Walter Mosley is one terrific wordsmith. With The Wave we meet Errol Porter who is receiving what he believes to be crank phone calls. Perhaps, he thinks, someone in a mental institution has gotten his number and put it on redial. With the first call all he heard were moans and grunts. It was a man's voice. With the second call he heard single words - cold, naked. There's cause for concern when the caller claims to be Errol's father who died and was buried in 1996. It is only when Errol visits the site of his father's grave that he begins to learn of `the wave,' an incredible force that can bring corpses back to life in great good health with their minds and memories intact. What then would happen to our world as we know it? To further complicate matters Errol is grabbed by a psychotic scientist and taken to a frightening underground world. Narrator Tim Cain's deep, resonant voice is particularly appropriate for this tale of suspenseful horror. With pacing and nuance he carries listeners along to a shocking conclusion. - Gail Cooke

An Unforgettable Journey of Self-Discovery and Belief

When Errol Porter starts receiving late night phone calls from someone claiming to be his dead father, he's more than scared --- he's terrified. Although he doesn't want to believe it, this person knows too much information to be an imposter. Letting his curiosity get the best of him, he decides to go and meet this person, hoping for the best. What he receives, however, is more revelation than he bargained for. Arthur Porter is determined to see his family and mend fences that were broken long ago. Fully aware of his reincarnation, his mission is not only for reconciliation but for protection of the one thing that has allowed him to come back and make things right: The Wave. As hard as it is to believe that his father is back, Errol seems to be the only one unable to accept it. His sister and even his mother have embraced his father's corpse and continued life as they know it. As Errol and Arthur spend time with each other, Arthur alters destiny quite a bit with his appearance. He reveals not only secrets from the past that cause great mayhem but also the truth that's been hidden for many years about his reason for reappearing. Through curiosity, Errol discovers this truth behind the mystery. After being kidnapped, interrogated and held in confinement by the government against his will, he vows to protect the one thing that holds this very valuable key. The government has been keeping secrets that can alter the entire mindset of the human race. With a psycho plastic surgeon on staff keeping his own agenda, the main goal of the mission is terribly compromised. What could have been an awesome discovery ends up being a weapon of mass destruction. With time running out and a madman on his heels, Errol realizes he has the fate of the world in his very hands. It's difficult to learn new things, but Errol is able to obtain new information on the human existence and information that was passed from ages ago. One thing is for certain: he's up against time and it doesn't intend to stand still. Walter Mosley takes readers on an unforgettable journey of self-discovery and belief, leaving you to question what's real. Although written as fiction, this storyline exercises your mind, forcing you to examine governmental dealings and the notion of other world exchanges. Eerily evoking emotion and deep thought, Mosley has done it again. THE WAVE is an excellent read and a thought-provoking story. --- Reviewed by Belinda Williams

This Man Can Write

When I think of Walter Mosley I think of Easy Rawlins and a rollicking, yet noirish treatment in the private eye genre. If you're expecting this, The Wave will disappoint but it is certainly not a disappointing book. Mosley can write and he can write science fiction very well, as this novel proves. Mosley's hero, Errol Porter, is a middle aged black man trying to cope with life. One night he's awakened by an eerie telephone call from someone claiming to be his long dead father. Errol visits his father's grave and finds a younger version of the man he remembered as dad who tells him he's his father but also actually part of an ancient race of single-cell creatures making their way from under the earth to meet their fate. Errol's amorous adventures with a free-spirited girl friend, imprisonment by a mad government scientist and his military minions and the slaughter of a benevolent race plus much more makes this quick reading story (only 209 pages) a pleasure. It will leave you thinking. I can picture the movie now.

superb science fiction thriller

Unemployed system administrator Errol Porter thinks nothing of the calls except for the inconvenience as they wake him up every night. He assumes someone is pranking him with the insistence that the caller is his father. Errol's dad died in 1996. As the calls keep coming, Errol begins to wonder if he might be a bit deranged as the person on the other end is beginning to speak and sound just like his father and more frightening the man knows insider information that only he and his father Arthur Bontemps Porter III could know. Unable to resist Errol agrees to meet Arthur, but is stunned when he sees his dad's face, albeit a much younger Arthur than he remembers. He wonders if GT ("Good Times") is a con, but has no idea what the person would benefit from this ruse or could he be a ghost? US Army officer Dr. David Wheeler places Errol under house arrest until he can figure out how to persuade his superiors that we have been invaded by "demons from hell" and how to combat them. While David expects the invasion of the body snatchers, Errol trusts no one especially the Feds or his so-called dad, but admits while he ponders what next as the sex with David's wife is good. As he did with FUTURELAND, Walter Mosley displays his vast skills with this superb science fiction thriller. The story line focuses mostly on Errol who keeps digging one step at a time only to find that next stride even more convoluted and confusing. Like the hero, readers will wonder what is going on until suddenly the 200 plus page novel is finished in one delightful sitting. Sci Fi fans will see why mystery readers find it easy to give THE WAVE to the great Walter Mosley. Harriet Klausner