Matt receives The Third Last Communique (review)

 

The Third Last Communique 

D.J. Hall 

Reviewed by Matt Adcock 

“He's locked himself in the toilet,” Sebastian said nervously. 

“What exactly happened?” Erika said as she steadied herself against the bar. 

“Don't know. We were having a couple of beers and a bit of a laugh, then all of a sudden, James went very quiet.” 

“What's up mate?” I said; he just stared at me will strange-like then he slowly got up and went to the loo.” 

Strange things are afoot in this oddball sci-fi which brings together 3 people – each with unique gifts. 

First, there’s James – the silent loo-goer from the extract above. He’s you average everyday Australian family man, but his nights have started getting disturbed – because he is being visited by an unknown entity!? 

Then there is Haloke, a female native American astronaut, who unwittingly gets caught up in the most bizarre of hoaxes after discovering a Coca-Cola can on the surface of Mars. 

And thirdly - Nadeeka, a little girl living in a small fishing village in Sri Lanka, who suffers horrendous injuries after stepping on a landmine while playing on a banana plantation. 

I know what you’re probably thinking… Something like ‘what the hell sort of tale could bring these folks from totally different backgrounds together?’ And if they do meet - in the most extraordinary of circumstances – what in the Third Communique is going to happen? 

The mind behind the madness...

I won’t spoil it for you, I’ll just say that the three individuals discover new mind-bending knowledge that could change the world as we know it forever. 

The plot sees James committed to a psychiatric prison where he nosedives into mental chaos after a freaky discovery. Meanwhile a post-Mars Haloke finds life becomes intolerable, as the press and the U. S. Government hound and scrutinise her relentlessly over her suspected involvement in the embarrassing episode that had occurred on the red planet. Might turning to booze help? Or seeking refuge with her grandfather on a Navajo Indian reservation? I can’t see it going well. But spare a thought for poor Nadeeka, recovering in hospital from the loss of both her legs… 

It’s James that is the linchpin to this strange tale of futuristic intrigue that jumps times and places in the most unexpected ways. 

But is it any good? 

Oh yes – D. J. Hall writes with a slightly demented style that works really well for such a left-field tale. 

If you take this trip there will be hard drug use, unexplainable art genius, many and varied conversations and lots to make you think. 

The good news? 

There is more to come as this Communique is followed by (yes you guessed it) Yes The Second Last Communique!! Review of that coming on Thursday…

Buy The Third Communique 

Out of a potential 5 - you have to go with a Darkmatters:

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(4 - Get in on the sci-fi messaging!)

>>> Imagine a world where the earth is becoming hell?

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