Clockwork Angels - The Novel

[skullchrist]

Got this a few years ago from my wife for Christmas along with the R40 DVD (God bless her for understanding how much Rush and music in general means to me).

 

She openly admitted that the novel was an impulse buy because it popped up on amazon when she was purchasing the DVD and saw all the positive reviews. (Was she meant to buy it?)

 

Well, I was super psyched about the DVD but the novel I set aside because at the time it wasn't really 'speaking' me. But on Friday while still in a bit of shock and mourning Neil Peart, drummer extraordinaire and fellow Astromancer, I remembered that she had given me that book where I found it on a low shelf, still sitting there dutifully collecting dust.

 

I'm a firm believe in fate and destiny and now was the time...

 

I'm only a few chapters in but I have to tell you Neil's soul is all over this thing (Not written by but based on a story and lyrics by Neil). It's beautiful, poetic, whimsical and a little scary (full of cautionary tales yet to come).

 

If you haven't read it already and were ever amazed/inspired by his lyrics I highly recommend you take the journey now.

Edited January 13, 2020 by skullchrist

[ctbadger]

Got this a few years ago from my wife for Christmas along with the R40 DVD (God bless her for understanding how much Rush and music in general means to me).

 

She openly admitted that the novel was an impulse buy because it popped up on amazon when she was purchasing the DVD and saw all the positive reviews. (Was she meant to buy it?)

 

Well, I was super psyched about the DVD but the novel I set aside because at the time it wasn't really 'speaking' me. But on Friday while still in a bit of shock and mourning Neil Peart, drummer extraordinaire and fellow Astromancer, I remembered that she had given me that book where I found it on a low shelf, still sitting there dutifully collecting dust.

 

I'm a firm believe in fate and destiny and now was the time...

 

I'm only a few chapters in but I have to tell you Neil's soul is all over this thing (Not written by but based on a story and lyrics by Neil). It's beautiful, poetic, whimsical and a little scary (full of cautionary tales yet to come).

 

If you haven't read it already and were ever amazed/inspired by his lyrics I highly recommend you take the journey now.

 

Personally I found it jarring every time I saw a Rush lyric in there, as it made me stop reading. I think Anderson is a hack and it's unfortunate that he was the one to drive Neil's dream into existence. The book could have been so much more, but it felt like it was written for an 8th grader.

[Mosher]

I have it but haven't read it. I'm a big reader of SF and heard very mediocre reviews. I will read it soon, however, because even if it wasn't given a decent treatment it IS likely the last bit of Peart I'll ever have, save for the inevitable releases of items he never deemed worthy in the first place. This one he believed in, so I will check it out.

[Nova Carmina]

It's not that great. It should be read in the spirit of completism or as an act of faithfulness. The shoe-horned quotes, the flat characterizations, the odd affect of the writing generally -- it made me appreciate the storytelling of the album all the more.

[Running Rebel]

I liked it and the sequel only Neil won’t be around for the 3rd, ugh.

[Running Rebel]

Seems Kevin J Anderson was also in the know, at least in the last few months:

 

Kevin J. Anderson

 

17 hrs ·

 

At least I got to say goodbye. As it became clear that the time was getting close, I frantically looked for when I could schedule a trip to LA to see Neil, but if you’ve followed my posts, you know that this was one of my most crammed years for travel, as well as my two-week Residency at college. I also flew out to Arizona four times to see my dad as he was in the last stages of liver cancer. (He died July 27.)

 

I stared at the calendar and it just didn’t seem possible to add another trip, never home for more than one or two days at a time. Screw it. I contacted Neil, “Are you free for lunch Tuesday? I’ll come to LA.” He was. I bought a ticket, got on a plane in the morning, flew to LAX, caught an Uber and went to the Cave (Neil’s private sanctuary). He was glad to see me, we talked for an hour, and we discussed Clockwork Destiny, even though we both knew it would never be finished in time for him to read it.

 

We went out to a nice lunch and on the way back, he asked, “So what brings you to LA? Do you have a conference?” I was surprised. “No, I came to see you.” He was clearly dubious. “No, why are you really here?” “I came to see you. I fly back home this afternoon.” He paused for a long time, trying to get his head around the idea. Anybody who knew Neil will understand it. He just didn’t let himself believe that someone would do that.

 

Back at the Cave, we talked some more, but he was starting to lose energy and needed to rest, so I called an Uber to take me to the airport. Standing in the doorway he gave me a big hug—because he was about a foot taller than me—and I told him how much he meant to me, and he said he loved me. And that’s the last time I saw him, and now I can’t stop crying. I’m so glad I did it, and I couldn’t have written it better if I tried. At least I got to say goodbye, and I will treasure that always.

[skullchrist]

Got this a few years ago from my wife for Christmas along with the R40 DVD (God bless her for understanding how much Rush and music in general means to me).

 

She openly admitted that the novel was an impulse buy because it popped up on amazon when she was purchasing the DVD and saw all the positive reviews. (Was she meant to buy it?)

 

Well, I was super psyched about the DVD but the novel I set aside because at the time it wasn't really 'speaking' me. But on Friday while still in a bit of shock and mourning Neil Peart, drummer extraordinaire and fellow Astromancer, I remembered that she had given me that book where I found it on a low shelf, still sitting there dutifully collecting dust.

 

I'm a firm believe in fate and destiny and now was the time...

 

I'm only a few chapters in but I have to tell you Neil's soul is all over this thing (Not written by but based on a story and lyrics by Neil). It's beautiful, poetic, whimsical and a little scary (full of cautionary tales yet to come).

 

If you haven't read it already and were ever amazed/inspired by his lyrics I highly recommend you take the journey now.

 

Personally I found it jarring every time I saw a Rush lyric in there, as it made me stop reading. I think Anderson is a hack and it's unfortunate that he was the one to drive Neil's dream into existence. The book could have been so much more, but it felt like it was written for an 8th grader.

 

My understanding is that Neil was intimately involved throughout the entire creative process of the novel and being the perfectionist and the literary/lyrical skill he had I can only imagine he was satisfied with the end result.

 

I'm not sure what people were expecting but so far it seems to be a fun and fantastical little parable/yarn so I say one should be respectful. Like I said I see flashes of his creative soul throughout the book so far and it's a wonderful thing to see.

Edited January 14, 2020 by skullchrist

[Territorial_Game]

I really enjoyed it the second time around.

 

Like ctbadger said earlier, it was jarring (the first time) when those Rush references popped up. For whatever reason, it was easier to take those in stride the second time I read it. I also really enjoyed listening to Neil narrate the audiobook on a road trip over the summer.

[ytserush]

Have a few versions of this, even one with Neil reading it, but I've had no desire to crack it open. Still don't. That said, Kevin J. wrote a nice heartfelt tribute. May go back and read Drumbeats now that it suddenly popped back into my head.

[skullchrist]

 

We went out to a nice lunch and on the way back, he asked, “So what brings you to LA? Do you have a conference?” I was surprised. “No, I came to see you.” He was clearly dubious. “No, why are you really here?” “I came to see you. I fly back home this afternoon.” He paused for a long time, trying to get his head around the idea. Anybody who knew Neil will understand it. He just didn’t let himself believe that someone would do that.

 

 

Wow. Classic Neil. So incredibly humble. The man truly was a cosmic shaman.

[ctbadger]

I really enjoyed it the second time around.

 

Like ctbadger said earlier, it was jarring (the first time) when those Rush references popped up. For whatever reason, it was easier to take those in stride the second time I read it. I also really enjoyed listening to Neil narrate the audiobook on a road trip over the summer.

 

OK, you've convinced me to give it another go. It's the least I could do in memory of Neil.

[Territorial_Game]

I really enjoyed it the second time around.

 

Like ctbadger said earlier, it was jarring (the first time) when those Rush references popped up. For whatever reason, it was easier to take those in stride the second time I read it. I also really enjoyed listening to Neil narrate the audiobook on a road trip over the summer.

 

OK, you've convinced me to give it another go. It's the least I could do in memory of Neil.

 

I think what got me the first time around was expecting it to sound like Neil writing. The second time was probably 3-4 years afterward, so I went into it with a different mindset maybe. I dunno. It was really nice listening to the audiobook, though I doubt that will happen again.