When I picked up this book I really didn't know what to expect, fully prepared to dnf it. John Saul calls his work speculative fiction. I call it science fiction, key word: Fiction (with fantasy mixed in). I was intrigued and the basic story which follows a mom, her son and old/new boyfriend kept me reading. They are witnessing mysterious happenings and seeking to know more. Unfortunately this brings peril into their lives. It kept me reading. However, the end was disappointing as I believe in Creation and God's word in the Bible therefore (the story) lost me.

Differnt, thrilling, and creepy

I rather liked this story. I thought it was very interesting & presents some things to ponder. I also thought it had a good ending. Glad I finally got around to reading it :-)

I would have liked more information on the Alien Seed Theory - more explained about how humans adapted from the alien seeds sent out from a dying planet.


Join us in the John Saul Lit Group on Goodreads. We're always reading a John Saul title. The Presence is featured as our group read for November-December 2011. Visit the group anytime by clicking here: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/3...

Dissapointing book from Saul, in my opinion. Dull and really predictable. Bad lecture. The story was good. The book, awfull.

I love John Saul books. He is almost as good of a horror author as Stephen King. His writing style is unique and that is what makes him one of my favorite authors. I haven't read a book of his I haven't liked yet, they are all so great. I would reread any of his books anytime but there are too many to go into detail about each one.

John Saul has been a staple in my literary life for quite a long time. Since my early teens, I’ve owned some of his books or picked them out of the library because I knew that I would never be disappointed. No matter what the subject matter is, no matter what the description - though it’s usually vague - I’d start reading it and finish it within two or three days, such was the case with the Presence.

Surrounding Michael Sundquist, a lot of strange things happen. Though he reacts better to things than any sixteen year old boy that I’ve ever met or could imagine, he still has a touch of realism to his character and his desperation to stay true to his dream despite pain and loss. His mother is a strong female character who will do anything for her son, but the book does bring in an unnecessary love interest. It’s good to see that being a male for once.

The Presence, though it’s name and it’s cover suggest that it is a horror story, definitely comes off more as a science-fiction thriller. The terminology is all easy to understand, the plot is very easy to follow and you don’t need to be a ‘science-nerd’ to delve deep into this novel. It’s something that can be read quickly, even though it is lengthy. It’s hard to put down and a delight to read. I hated having to take breaks to do some adulting. Highly recommend.

8/10

Mostly read on an airplane! Slightly sci-fi fare, totally fine for an airport read.

I...don't even know where to begin with this one, partly because I finished it last weekend, but had problems logging into Goodreads until today. I guess the first thing I should say is the title has no bearing whatsoever on the plot. It seems like it's going to at first, with the anomalous bones discovered on Maui, and later a signal from space, but ultimately it's meaningless. It's like if Jurassic Park had been called, I don't know..."The Looming" or something.

But the title isn't the only thing that doesn't make sense here. The motivations of the antagonist are...non-existent, as far as I can tell. We're given absolutely no credible reason for why he's researching the McGuffin that drives the plot, aside from the need for the story to have a villain. Is he trying to weaponize it? Use it to help people adapt to an increasingly-polluted world (and make a profit in the process)? Who knows?

Heck, the way the McGuffin works doesn't even make a lick of sense. So, the McGuffin is a sphere from space that contains gas/spores/seeds that make anything that breathes it in allergic to oxygen, and only able to breathe a cocktail of toxic gases. It was apparently sent by 15-million-year-old humans from a distant star, as their sun was about to go nova, to try and seed other planets with their DNA...except, it affects everything that breathes it. And human beings clearly breathe oxygen. Oh, and the effects seemingly wear off after a couple weeks. The more I type, the dumber it all sounds. And don't even get me started on the red herring plot line of the bones.

Two stars for a good initial setup, but an absolute disaster of an execution. At least, narratively. There are elements here that work pretty well in a vacuum: the teenage feeling of invincibility leading to disaster, being in the wrong place at the wrong time and having it change your life forever, etc. It's just unfortunate that these interesting, human themes are attached to...this.

I didn't like this story. When Mark Reynolds (I believe that was the name of the first victim) killed himself I didn't think it was because he had a doctored oxygen tank. Yes, pollution is a major problem, getting really bad in some cities, but the concept introduced in this book seemed so far-fetched.

Ugh... Strike 1 for this author. I really want to like his stuff so I will give him another chance (or 2). We'll see how it goes.
This book was well written but the story failed to draw me in. It just wasn't Interesting.

It was interesting. Good theory arised at the end about life in earth

Loved this book.

Read like all of it could be possible. It really shows how all life is worthwhile and needs to be nurtured.