AmerIndian 2192
A science fiction novel by J. Scott Garibay. Your comments are welcome!
AmerIndian 2192 is a science-fiction novel that explores the intriguing possibilities of Native Americans in mankind’s star flung future. AmerIndian 2192 presents the story of two brothers, Wovoka and Keokuk, restoring the Native American people to a Homeland where their vibrant culture can thrive. Lodge ships, Cybershaman rituals and Tsimshian high technology are all elements in this action-oriented tale of interstellar politics and personal struggles.
December 23rd, 2005 at 12:15 pm
Hosting a science fiction talk show for years, I’ve been looking for the multicultural aspect of SF. Obviously, the future story can be about any culture the author cares to create. But I’ve been looking for a different take from cultures here on earth.
Turns out I was looking too far away, and didn’t even think that there might be some Native American aspects of science fiction. So naturally, I was intrigued. And happy at the end. Let’s do this thing:
Audio Quality: Good, for the most part. There are times where some distortion comes into play and the limitations of the recording equipment are noticeable, but by and large they are easily overlooked.
Narration Performance Fine job. Leah Ann holds her own, and does an admirable job trying to get the male voices (which are the majority) distinct from one another. Her pacing and delivery style are a treat.
Writing Skills: Quite good. This is a good story, with well developed characters and a plot. The dialog is sold, as is the narration between.
Overall Rating:Three damned dirty apes. This isn’t a work of hard SF, and a leap of “fantasy” is needed for a key plot element, but it’s likely only noticed by stodgy old scientist-rejects like myself. I’d read it again!
January 6th, 2006 at 1:41 pm
I very much enjoyed this book. I think it is one of the best “podcast” type books out there now. I would love a sequel…. I think there is plenty of “plot” left.
Joe Moraca
Sarasota, FL
January 13th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
A really good book! The use of Native American morals put a very interesting spin on this book. Looking forward to a sequel. Leah Ann dose a good job of reading the book & keeping the different voices straight.
January 28th, 2006 at 10:50 pm
most excellent, a refreshingly original amalgam of scifi and mythic elements.
Even if it does require a pretty significant suspension of disbelief in order to accept that primitive pantheistic culture has survived into the 23rd century.
It would be nice if it did though, technology bleeds all the soul right out of life
February 13th, 2006 at 10:46 am
Terrific Book. Hard Ass guys fighting. Big Ass Space ships fighting. Worlds to Conquer. Powered Armour. 20 - 1 odds against the good guys.
BRING IT ON!
February 14th, 2006 at 11:02 pm
I really liked the premise but was having problems in the intial chapter with what seemed to be some volume variance in the podcast. Since I often am walking or driving with traffic noise, it was unfortunately hard to follow. I did try to set it to equalize the sound on my iPod which helped tremendously in the variance but the volume ended up dropping too low to be heard outside.
The premise sounds good and I suspect that in normal sound environments, the audio will be satisfactory but I found that the effort was taking away from the story so that I had to quit listening in the first installment.
March 31st, 2006 at 6:28 am
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was creative, engaging, exciting and thought provoking. I hope the author is planning more work. I look forward to it.
[To Josh, Feb. 13: I don’t know where you are from but last I checked the “primitive” culture you mentioned that could never make it to the 23rd cent. STILL exists! Granted their culture has changed some, but Amerindian 2192 clearly reflected some of the necessary changes Native culture would and has been through; it’s a LIVING culture, just like all the other cultures in America. You should go to a pow wow some time you’d be amazed at what these “primitive” people are capable of, I mean some can even drive cars!! I am assuming you are not from the United States.]
August 3rd, 2006 at 5:01 pm
Being Native american and a huge fan of Sci-fi I was excited to find that Native Americans have a place in someones vision of the future. I followed the story with vigor yet I await more to come. I would follow this story in a series if it was ever to become one. thanks for the time you spent on such a fantastic story. You must be a true story teller.
October 14th, 2006 at 3:31 pm
I resisted and resisted. The story did not catch my fancy. However, when I did give it a chance, I was ery impressed.
I must admit that I’m a bit disappointed about one thing. The story has been over for how many hours or days now and the obvious sequel has not been posted. What? Do you want us to beg, act like one of Scott Sigler’s junkies? OK, PLEASE, PLEASE, PUUULEASE. I can’t wait to hear the next adventure which I expect will feature the chauvinist clone adherents of Niccolò Machiavelli. The setup for this sequel was masterful. Kudos J. Scott and Leah Ann Garibay.
J. Anthony Acker
Compelling Image Portrait Studios
225 Laredo Drive, Suite B
Decatur, GA 30030-2209
December 23rd, 2006 at 9:20 am
I really enjoyed listening to this story. I had a tough time with the Narrator in the beginning. I do not think her voice fit the story. I like the story and continued listening anyway. I agee their is enough story left that a sequel could be done.
March 25th, 2007 at 11:47 pm
I wasn’t all that impressed by this book. To me it felt more like a social commentary wrapped around a sci-fi theme. It doesn’t necessarily make this a bad story, but i think it detracts from what could otherwise be an excellent story. That said, i do appreciate the fact that they chose to release it as a podiobook.
April 24th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
I’m Native American (Navajo) and I think the author doesn’t know much about Indians. I got turned off after the first few chapters. It bugged me how these future people are grouped by tribe and that all of one tribe have the same characteristics and specialties. It reminds me of how tribes were forced onto reservations and set apart from the larger society. Would British, Germans, French, etc. be treated in the same manner as the premise in this book?
November 16th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
I listed to a couple episodes, and then stopped listening from lack of interest. There were a few things about this story that bothered me. First, I thought the level of techno detail was too much, and detracted from the story. Second, I found the whole premise that the Native American tribal customs and cultures had been restored somehow wasn’t all that credible. I also found the voice and audio quality distracting. I found myself rewinding and relistening several times, which was too much work.
While I found the description and plot line intriguing, it didn’t work for me. Keep trying!!!
December 9th, 2007 at 5:20 am
I very much enjoyed this podiobook and would love to hear the sequel.
June 13th, 2008 at 3:50 am
Though it would not be true to say I didn’t like this book, I still would not recommend it. In fact, I only made it to the fourth episode before abandoning it to find something more interesting; which really sums up the book for me quite succinctly: Boring. This is a bit of a shame becasue I think it has promise. Unfortunately I think it needs to be reworked significantly before it is anywhere near acceptable. The extensive ‘information dumps’ are almost unpalatable, and anyone how manages to make it past these alone deserves some credit. There are some eyebrow raising world situations I found difficult to swallow - the division of function by tribe, the relationship with the UDA, the whole existence of AC for example. This is not too big an issue if you are prepared to follow the author along this path of paradoxical indulgence, but unfortunately the story has much bigger issues. It bumbles along with no continuity, rhythm or even any semblence of order, and this is so terribly distracting from the already arduous task of listening.
It seems ‘to me’ the author has lost him/her self in the details of this world that he/she has created and not given sufficient thought or planning on how this should be conveyed in the story. Strangely! What does seem quite clear is that the author does have a vivid understanding in his/her own mind of how this world fits together. It’s just a shame it was so poorly transferred to this medium. The story is not all bad though, and there are some some redeeming sections. The fight that takes place in the betting arena is very well described and quite gripping. When I got to this section I thought Ah! at last he/she has found their stride! Sadly the bland flavour was back all too quickly, and the pace returned to a stumbling awkwardness with no real enthusiasm. Some of the dialogue is good. The relationship with Wovoka and his girlfriend is well written and engaging, but again the story falls into mediocrity after once it concludes.
After listening for two hours to a story that essentially goes nowhere, offers nothing and sought to drive my attention span into a record breaking low, my only surprise is that I managed to make it that far. I suppose taht is the ‘promise’ I alluded to.
As always I like to make seperate assesments on the reading, as I think it is unfair to do otherwise for obviuos reasons. This one was fair at best, but largely below par. The single monotone, a running commentary with very little expression and poor phonation faild to do this story any favours.
The audio installments begain with what I believe was an ordinary low priced condenser mic, then graduated to what seemed a more professional model. The orignial podcasts were easier to listen to because the volume was correctly levelled. Though subsequent episodes were of better quality, unfortunately the badly adjusted low levels were dissapointing. I learned some time ago to normalise the levels of downloads, as frustration through inadequate file preparation can ruin a good story.
This is a bit lengthy, so I will wrap it up by saying, I was not happy to put this one down, but the effort involved was simply too enormous. If the author ever decides to rewrite this one with a litte more care and practice, I will definately give it a second chance.
June 27th, 2008 at 10:04 am
I just finished the audio book AmerIndian 2192 by J. Scott Garibay while commuting to work. Garibay is a new author and I have to say I’m very impressed.
The story is easy to follow with the exception of the flashbacks to 20 years prior (during the White Earth massacre segments). There wasn’t a clear transition between the present and the flashback. I assume there was in the printed book. Perhaps a 5 second delay in the audio or similar could be performed in future audiobooks.
I had trouble with dialog of the Admiral Lye character. He appears to be a cross between Captain Ahab, General Custer and Darth Vader. I believe that the point of view of such a butcher is alien to the author… making it difficult for the dialog to be largely believable. Fortunately, the dialog of Admiral Lye is short. I’m hoping Garibay is able to revisit Admiral Lye in future novels… the character has a great deal of potential (how did Lye become what he did?).
The AmerIndian Confederacy (AC) was created by the AmerIndian tribals to regain their homeland. The problem, albeit a minor problem, is that we’re not given any real incite on how they became a power in the universe - it was created twenty odd years prior and now is able to take on Earth? The AC is a utopian society, a highly successful business, a mercenary group, and a terrorist group.
The premise:
AmerIndian 2192 is a science-fiction novel that explores the intriguing possibilities of Native Americans in mankind’s star flung future. AmerIndian 2192 presents the story of two brothers, Wovoka and Keokuk, restoring the Native American people to a Homeland where their vibrant culture can thrive. Lodge ships, Cybershaman rituals and Tsimshian high technology are all elements in this action-oriented tale of interstellar politics and personal struggles. — Podiobooks.com
I would put it differently:
AmerIndian 2192 is the story of the rebirth of pre-Columbian Native American culture and a homeland in a far flung galaxy. The price required by the Grand Fathers nearly destroys the homeland after the Ghost Dance ritual is performed.
The narrator, LeighAnn Garibay, performed quite well but it is obvious she isn’t a professional narrator. She doesn’t have to be for this novel. Kudos to her!
The audiobook on Podiobooks.com easily leaves room for a sequel (please let there be one!). What happens to the UDA, the clones, and the Admiral Lye (sp)? Does Wovoka ever find peace? How many of the tribals fail transition to the new life even though they try? The author has the opportunity to make a “Garibay” universe here.
I would love to see short stories related to AmerIndian 2192 by Garibay and other authors (fan fiction).
I definitely recommend this audiobook!