There is a Place in the Throat that Has No Voice 8:0:8

In his new science fiction/fantasy novel, There is a Place in the Throat that Has No Voice 8:0:8, Jacob Young creates a compelling world, but struggles with giving his characters depth. As such, 8:0:8 starts slow and is hard to get into, but once Young settles upon a protagonist, it becomes a real page turner. Following the Compass family through a series of apocalypses, 8:0:8 (and the “puppet” show that Young performed at his book reading at Backspace in Portland) shows a fascination with reaching the spiritual through science. In this way he blends sci-fi and fantasy: the book begins with a Kunstmärchen before becoming sci-fi with (SPOILER ALERT) gladiator robots that run amuck and destroy the world. From there the two genres blend in ways that give the story a fascinating unpredictability that makes up for Young’s thin grasp on character. The mystery of the new species born of science and destruction was enough to keep me plowing through till the end. However, Young doesn’t spend enough time with his first three protagonists to flesh them out and explore what makes them tick beyond telling us point-blank: “Jackal doesn’t like books” or “Nell is a nature writer.” When he does settle upon a protagonist, Young ignores his motivations and the reasons behind the decisions he makes in the interest of fleshing out the world of the story. The world works, but I would like Young to take as much an interest in his characters as he does in his exploration of how spirituality can manifest in our world through science and destruction.