Hollow World

What can I say? I liked this reimagining of Well's Time Machine better than the original.

It's full of fully modern sensibilities and SF concepts and even brings about a cool 50's villainiazation among a populace that has miraculously found a post-scarcity paradise, true gender equality because sexual dimorphism has been eradicated (but not orgasms:), and an old school SF idea of making God through better tech.

In fact, there was a lot of good mirroring and exploration of ourselves, what we think about God, sexual identity, and especially love.

And for those of us that have to have a bit of murder and intrigue and nuclear blasts and teleportation into space and other galaxies, we have that, too, and it's cool.

It's not exactly popcorn show more fiction. It owes beyond that and it is serious, but for all that, it was also great fun.

What is it about predominantly fantasy authors producing even better SF, anyway? It seems to be happening more and more often, or maybe it's all my sampling error. ;) show less

Hollow World was easily one of my top reads of 2013. I was fortunate to receive the ebook version early because I was a backer in the Kickstarter campaign, a project I pledged my support to as soon as I found out about it because I am a fan of the author. At the time I had just finished reading his Riyria Revelations series and was still coming off from the high, so I was pretty keen on the idea of seeing Hollow World take off.

First, though, a bit of history: in his afterword, Michael J. Sullivan writes that he first took this project to Kickstarter because while everyone he spoke to about it loved the concept behind the book, the general consensus was that this kind of story just wasn't marketable. The science fiction landscape these show more days is dominated by space operas, military sci-fi, or books from established franchises. It seemed there was very little room left for Hollow World and its good old cross-genre time traveling tale about a 58-year-old man dying from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, who decides to journey into the future in the hopes of finding a cure.

To be honest, reading about the reasons why Sullivan ultimatedly decided to crowdfund Hollow World came as a surprise to me, especially after just having finished the book. Yes, the story is undoubtedly very different than what is typical in the mainstream right now, and Ellis Rogers would not be what you would call a traditional protagonist. Yet the character's adventure through time is no less extraordinary. Hollow World tells the tale of a man who has played it safe his whole life until he has nothing left to lose, and what he finds in the far, far future is way more than just the freedom from his illness.

It's a great time for speculative fiction right now, with what I've noticed is an increased interest in cross-genre novels and so many great and original ideas having found their way into being published in recent years. I thought surely -- SURELY -- this book could have found a place. In any case, thank goodness for small press and self-pubs as well as sites like Kickstarter, because Hollow World is probably my new favorite book by Michael J. Sullivan, right up there with Heir of Novron. I think his style suits a book like this very well, with its modern character and simply astonishing setting.

The story was compelling from page one, with its masterful introduction to Ellis in the moments after he first receives the life-altering news about his disease. Both character development and world building are Sullivan's greatest strengths, and it was easy to establish a connection with Ellis right away. But that feeling of "Oh wow, this book is something REALLY special" did not hit me until later, when we actually find ourselves in Hollow World and the breathtaking version of the future that the author has created.

It's obvious that Michael J. Sullivan drew inspiration from The Time Machine, and he even makes mention to H.G. Wells' classic in his Author's Note. How Ellis Rogers managed to travel forward in time in a disembodied old van seat surrounded by a stack of plastic milk crates isn't the point of Hollow World -- it's the storytelling, its fascinating concepts and the heartfelt emotions it invoked, that will make this book stay with me for a long time. Authors of time-travel fiction have long speculated on the future of our planet and humankind, and Sullivan has accomplished something truly amazing with Hollow World, mixing together elements from many different genres including science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller and suspense, action-adventure and even a bit of romance.

This confluence of ideas from so many different genres is likely what made the book such a tough sell to publishers to begin with, but its multiple facets is actually what I enjoyed the most. In fact, Hollow World is like a study in pluralities. There are some heavy subject matters within, from interpretations of God and religion, to sociological discussions of hive mind versus individuality, harmony versus chaos. It asks questions like, when does a utopia become a dystopia, and does it matter from whose perspective we look at? Is it worth it to trade comfort and security for freedom? Or how about sacrificing peace and happiness for a sense of accomplishment? Is there a middle ground? Why can't we have it all?

Even though I thought I knew the answers, reading this book was an eye-opener. Ellis Rogers' journey to Hollow World changed his understanding of life and love, making him rethink all the things he always thought he knew, and I found myself naturally immersed in his experiences. At certain points, the story made me so angry I wanted to smack the main character upside the head; at others, I was so moved that I was almost in tears. Whether or not you'll find yourself shocked, disturbed, ecstatic, annoyed, or deeply touched (I was all of these and more), Hollow World is character driven story packed with humanity and emotion.

I rate this book highly based on pure enjoyment factor; Hollow World is so many things, but without a doubt, the best part about it is also its most obvious duality: that is it at once a light and entertaining read, but also heavy on important issues and philosophy. Most important of all, this story will make you feel and think. I absolutely loved it. show less

Ellis Rogers has a crappy life. Still grieving his son’s suicide, unhappy in his marriage, 58 years old and never getting ahead as an engineer—it couldn’t get any worse, until he gets some really bad news. He’s got a degenerative pulmonary disease and can’t expect to live much longer.

So he decides to take a flying risk—literally and figuratively—by using the time machine he’s constructed in his garage to skip ahead a couple of hundred years in hopes that there’s a cure for what ails him. So, what are the odds that he found the error in a theoretical physicist’s calculations and corrected it? Or that a machine made from recycled car parts and milk crates with an iPad will work?

It really doesn’t matter, because Ellis show more ends up two millennia in the future. And what might be just another time travel story then takes a huge and creative twist, as Ellis witnesses a murder in a future were our descendants have supposedly genetically-engineered themselves free of violence.

Teaming up with Pax, a genderless therapist who deals with trauma, to solve the murder, Ellis uncovers a plot to destroy the Hollow World. Full of plot twists and great character development, Michael J. Sullivan’s novel offers several unusual perspectives on gender, work, individuality, our propensity toward violence, and what makes us human.

Oh, and the idea of a middle-aged protagonist with health problems? Such a nice change from the typical young, gorgeous and able-bodied heroes of science fiction.

Sullivan includes an author’s note in which he addresses the unlikelihood of time travel possibilities; it’s really unnecessary, though, as the time travel isn’t the point here. The story takes off as a mystery/thriller and as an exploration of what it means to be emotionally healthy. The key is in the character development, and Hollow World has that in a big way.

Hollow World is one more piece of evidence that Tachyon Publications is bringing some original and fascinating science fiction to readers. show less

Ellis Roger’s world is falling apart: his son has committed suicide, his wife blames him, and he has just learned he is terminally ill. He has built a time machine in his garage and plans on going 200 years into the future in the hopes that, by that time, they will have discovered a cure for his disease. To his own amazement the machine works but it takes him a bit further than planned – he ends up 2000 years in the future in a world he could never have anticipated.

As author Michael J Sullivan points out, the time travel in the book is more a means to an end, ie the future world, so don’t expect any real science or even any pretence at it (his machine is made from old plastic crates). Rather, Hollow World is more about world show more building. It is also a surprisingly hopeful view of man’s future despite the fact that much of the story revolves around a murder mystery. In this tale, Sullivan looks at some pretty heavy issues like religion, politics, homophobia, and individual rights versus the common good.

This is quite a departure from Sullivan’s Riyria Series. Sullivan, himself, admits he was taking a big chance moving from fantasy to sci fi but it definitely pays of. One thing it does have in common with the earlier novels, though, is the fact that the novel is more character- than plot-driven. There are very few major characters but those there are are extremely well-drawn. Ellis is extremely likable as a man suffering from guilt as well as disease and Pax, in particular, will appeal to readers.

Some may find the novel a bit slow but for those who enjoy stories with well-drawn characters, interesting world-building, and a more contemplative style which inspires a great deal of thought about many of the issues we face today, Hollow World is definitely worth the read. show less

“You’re unique—truly unique. You have hair—and it’s two colors. Your skin sags, and has all those great creases, like a beloved knapsack that has been taken everywhere and shows evidence of every mile. No one else has that.”



This is going to be a slightly biased review because I’ve read pretty much everything Michael has published and loved most of it. That combined with the fact that Michael is immensely approachable and a very straight-forward person makes for a mixture I can’t resist.

You might want to read another of Michael’s books first, though, to find out if you like his style. Hollow World, while definitely a Sullivan, is maybe not the best introduction. For that, I’d like to recommend his Riyria books to show more you.



That said, bias or not – this book was very interesting, exciting and entertaining. In “Hollow World”, Ellis Rogers, a 58-year old man with a difficult family history escapes his wife of 35 years and his best friend, Warren, when he receives the news that he’s terminally ill. Using a DIY time machine built in his garage, he jumps 2000 years into mankind’s future.



I have a few (minor) gripes with Hollow World: I’d certainly have enjoyed to get to “see” a bit more of the world itself. Yes, we get introduced to some individuals (voxes, wonderful!) but I know for a fact that Michael has a real knack for world building (read Legends of the First Empire if you don’t believe me) and I wish he’d used it more extensively.

When we reach the main part of the story (a bit too early), we’re strongly exposed to “god and country”, “Old West” and “Good old times” stuff. Again, yes, it’s intentional but it’s going slightly overboard for my taste.

Especially when Ellis Rogers – who seemed mostly sane till that point – picks up on the religious stuff I rolled my eyes.



I also wished for Michael to be a bit bolder about Ellis and Pax. There’s a lot to be said for not making things too easy and even at some key moments (“You recognised me!”) even the daftest old-fashioned guy should come around to see what’s happening.

On the other hand, the way Michael describes the relationship between Pax and Ellis is believable and – considering Ellis’ past experience – it's probably much to ask for him to embrace what’s going on.

Plus: The door is not closed to more stories from Hollow World, I think. It has a lot of potential yet and I'd like to read more of it, especially about Ellis and Pax and humanity at that point of its development because the philosophical issues beyond the shallow religious meandering are still to be explored more fully.

Maybe taking up just a little fewer major topics in one book would be good because, as Michael writes in the afterword, Hollow World encompasses “liberal versus conservative, gay rights, religion, and God” and it’s hard to do justice to all of those within the confines of a single novel.

And, honestly, there’s nothing to argue about equality (not “gay rights”, Michael). Trying to tell anyone whom they’re supposed (or not supposed) to love has nothing to do with “dualities” but is simply infringing on other people’s turf – just ask Pax.



Anyway, one conclusion still holds true after reading a less-typical Sullivan: When I look at my "Favourites" shelf on GoodReads, I see Paul Auster, Isabelle Allende, Thomas Mann, J. R. R. Tolkien and Michael J. Sullivan - it's just that only the last one never disappointed. show less

Even though I am a fan of fantasy fiction I have not read any of Mr. Sullivan’s previous novels. I only read this one because the book cover and description sounded interesting as I was browsing for advanced reader copies. I am very glad I did pick this up.

The book opens with the main character Ellis finding out he has a terminal illness and does not have long to live. He also is in a loveless marriage where his wife and him share the same house, but have separate lives. The one thing Ellis does have going for himself is the intelligence to take a design for a time traveling machine and figure out how to make it actually work. Ellis hopes that he can travel to the future where his disease can be treated and where he can try and start show more a new life. The world he finds when he travels 2000 years into the future is not at all what he expected. Humanity has taken some different directions.

The author covers a number of social, political, and environmental issues in the book. What I liked is he made me think about them, but did not do it in an overly preachy way. The book really reminded me of a lot of the science fiction I read and fell in love with as a young teen. I also enjoyed the well-placed pop culture references. Working in a library I thought it was particularly funny for me the part about how they would read from one of the few surviving print books from the past to an appreciative crowd only to find out the title was Second Chance by Danielle Steel! Of all the books to survive…

This is one of those books with a simple premise that takes only a few moments to tell someone about, but would not come close to describing the experience of reading it. Highly recommended for fans of old school science fiction. show less

Hollow World harks back to classic scifi like H.G. Wells' Time Machine, fiction that dealt with big issues in the context of a rollicking adventure. Sullivan is a wonder at presenting moral and philosophical issues in an entertaining way, and making the reader see both sides of each issue. But the book is not dry at all. After a bit of a slow beginning, the adventures are exciting and the characters are people we can really care about. The ending was a little drawn out, but all in all this book is a wonder.