Shreds of Humanity came out in the latter part of May 2006. Here is the first professional reviewer''s rating:
- Shreds of Humanity
This latest work by Phillip E. Carpenter veers off course from his established genre, however it turns out to not be a bad thing. As I read this book, I immediately recall why I liked his writing so much, he brings an intelligent and literate application to a decidedly masculine and forceful style. The prologue of the book begins with what now has become almost a cliche mode, thanks to Hollywood beating the concept of a world-wide post-apocalyptic cataclysm to death, but to be fair, it is merely a set up for the main plot and there is no other way the reader could get the information required to understand the following story line. It also introduces at least two of the main characters and their backgrounds, a glimpse into their previous lives at the time of Earth’s major disaster.
How they and the other interesting and unique individuals they encounter adapt to survive horrific climatological and geographical changes and the loss of their comfortable technological civilization is amazingly detailed and realistic. It becomes an adventure in the truest sense of the word, a quest for life and a struggle to maintain some form of civilized behavior among the most primitive conditions. I have always liked Carpenter’s ability to get inside the minds of the various characters, making the reader feel he or she knows them personally. And these characters are very intriguing. They are too numerous and strange to list here, but one clue is the artwork on the cover of the book, the woman Samantha, a red-headed former stripper from Argentina who joins the Jaguar tribe of the Nomad Nation and must have their totem tattooed on her face to assure loyalty. Her story alone is well worth reading the book, but she is only a part of the great ensemble. The way Carpenter weaves many people’s lives into this plot is a work of art and reinforces the basic premise that perseverance, integrity and honor will prevail over greed, degeneration and evil. The war between the Nomad Nation and the Host of Jesus becomes the pivotal point in the book and it is told in a manner that gives one serious pause and reflection on the human condition. Conflict over ideology is not glorified nor is it abhorred, but treated in a realistic manner, warts and all.
The only criticism I find is that in this book, as in Elephant Gun and Arabian Assignment, Carpenter tends to provide too much detail about weaponry and personal combat for my tastes. I do not need to know how to kill someone in twenty different ways or use every type of weapon from knives, bow and arrows, seige machines and antique cannons to infra-red-scoped sniper rifles, however I admit it is all well within the context of the story and emotionally entertaining. I am still shuddering from the description of how a man dies when bitten by a rattlesnake and another tortured on a cross. On balance, I prefer the parts of the book where separated people discover courage and loyalty within themselves and find each other, develop new loves and strengthen relationships and family ties. There is where the author’s writing is most powerful and moving. Those who choose this book will soon see what I mean. C.L. Barker - Barker Reviews
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