The Cerebranauts by Seth Sherman

I don't know Seth Sherman personally, but I wish I did. I know he is passionate about sailing and fine food, and since Corona lock down began across the world, he has probably been pining to get back to the sea. The first time I saw him on Facebook he was promoting a book with a strange premise, The Cerebranauts. After reading the sample I was hooked immediately and struck up a conversation telling him I thought the sample was great and I was about to buy his book.

Apart from being more at home at sea, Seth would seem to be the most grounded man I have talked to in recent times. Like the second lead character in his book, I imagine Seth lives life in stealth mode, observing people and how they interact. He does not blow his own trumpet, and has been fairly quiet in promotion of this great book. This just means that we, the readers, have to make noise for him.

This is the cover you guys should be looking for, the first thing to remember is that this story is essentially about brains, but don't let that fact stick inside your head, (Sorry couldn't resist.) Even though a lot of scientific principles are being discussed, many of them being cutting edge or straight out not possible yet, Seth illustrates the concept he is describing to you using very simple plot tools ... rats. When a concept gets complicated, Seth lays out a simple explanation so you understand immediately.

Genre:- Science Fiction

In Review

A fast paced and riveting read.

Misdirection abounds from the off with this great book from Seth Sherman and I read the whole thing in two sittings.

At first I found myself reading at a breakneck pace, the author’s use of words can only be described as efficient ... and detailed. The chapters are short, and shout, ”Come on, just one more.”

Each character has a well researched background, and the way each is presented, you feel like an interviewer with each character’s resume in front of you. Following this cleverly written dialogue allows us to know them better without further explanation.

As the title suggests, this excellent story is based in cutting edge science. The type which is only just starting to be explored, and yet the author uses clever scenarios to explain the basic principles bit by bit. This science is neither boring nor jarring.

The story moves at pace, much is given in a short time. Just when you think your brain might explode, the story settles down and the true mission begins, but add in a twist and a couple of interwoven sub plots and you will not be bored.

At a certain point the story cleverly moves to a first person narrative from the point of view of the main character. I found this refreshing and many more insights into their character can be gleaned.

I loved this book the whole way though, and while everything is put in place to allow a sequel, the ending was a little neat for me. It poses some interesting challenges though and I am saying nothing else ... See what you think.

I give The Cerebranauts ... 5 out of 5. Available on Amazon now.