The God Project (original 1982; edition 1985)

Disappointing and fairly unremarkable, this book is hobbled by its age. As much as I've enjoyed Saul's more supernatural-based stories, All Fall Down (better known as The God Project), is a typical science-gone-too-far tale that unfortunately falls apart as the publication date passes and the innovations mentioned become not only familiar to readers, but also give way in real life to better, faster technologies. While I don't expect more than a fun, pulp fiction ride when picking up a John Saul tale, unfortunately the narrative twists are too easily telegraphed, and the thrills and scares rather lackluster.

I did enjoy the scenes at the Institute, and wish there had been more of them, as they were some of the most interesting passages. On the flipside of that, I'm definitely weary of the trope where women are cast as hysterical, emotional messes that no one believes (even when they're right), which meant the constant patting on the head and disbelief many of the female characters received wore thin very quickly. I was also frustrated with how Saul handwaved away any female children being embroiled in the major plotline, which could have added some interesting and complex questions around gender expectations. (Which might be asking a little too much from a pulp novel, I realize.) In terms of relationships, I was deeply disappointed that the only family depicted as healing itself was also the one that ended up punished the most harshly, presumably for not following the correct heterosexual trajectory from the first moment the couple got together. (Of course, there's a long history in horror of punishing women for sexual transgressions, such as sex outside of wedlock, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.)

The ending struck me as very last-minute tossed-together, as it all came to a crashing end, and while the twist regarding who was involved at the end was clever, I would have preferred if there had at least been some ambiguity that clicked into place at the reveal. As it stood, the moment when the final conspirator was revealed drew a huge, "What?" from me, as there was absolutely no foreshadowing. And after all of that, the end with the two boys confronting their parents was a bit eye-rollingly over the top, and I really didn't buy it.

I suspect this novel would be far more frightening to those with children, and on the whole, it wasn't bad per se. I found it a serviceable story to while away the hours with, but not at all frightening, and despite a few bright spots, there simply wasn't enough there to raise it above a paint-by-numbers outing. If I wanted Saul to scare me again, I'd be far more likely to reach for Comes the Blind Fury or The Blackstone Chronicles rather than All Fall Down. ( )

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/2985287/ ( )

This was the book that turned me on to John Saul. I remember reading it in high school and just being terrified that someone had the power to write these scenes that haunted me for nights on end. To this day I have passing thoughts of some of the more terrifying moments in this book. It remains one of my favorites because in a way it was my first love. ( )