Title: Rarity From The Hollow
Author: Robert Eggleton
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy
First published: March 11th 2012
Finished reading: August 16th 2015
Pages: 354
“Right is right and wrong is wrong. It’s just like you know in your heart. Good and evil have always been and will always be the balance on which survival of the universe depends.”
*** A copy of this novel was kindly provided to me in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
I received a copy of Rarity From The Hollow for review and it turned out to be an interesting enough read. It might not be for everyone because of the use of swear words, many sexual references and the use of marijuana, but then again Rarity From The Hollow is supposed to be ‘a children’s story for adults’. The swearing and drug use didn’t really bother me, but some of the sexual references did. Especially the way Lacy Dawn’s parents act around her and talk to her… And I wasn’t really sure what to think of the fact that Lacy Dawn is really young and constantly asks if Dotcom wants to see her panties either. That said, the story in general is quite creative and tells us Lacy Dawn’s adventures while growing up. Especially the scenes set in Shptiludrp, the largest Shopping Mall in the universe, are quite creative and show an alternative future where materialism corrupts the world even more than the current situation… And the cockroach infestations was a nice twist as well. The pace is fast and makes it easy to read: all in all it was an enjoyable read.
Lacy Dawn is not an ordinary little girl and she doesn’t live in an ordinary place. With talking trees, the ghost of her best friend and a two thousand year old alien named Dotcom to keep her company, she tries to escape her brutal life at home. Her dad is the violent type and her mom doesn’t know how to protect herself or her daughter… And Lacy Dawn is determined to make them better. But there is a bigger task out there for her; it has been decided many years ago Lacy Dawn is the one that must save the universe. How? There is a cockroach infestation at the Shptiludrp Shopping Mall, the central planet of the universe, and Lacy Dawn has to find a way to get rid of it. But things are not that easy and she will need all the help she can get…
Rarity From The Hollow is without doubt an intriguing story. The adventures of Lacy Dawn are nothing less than creative and the story is told almost like a diary. I’m not sure I can truly appreciate the prose as the many sexual references, especially those related to the young Lacy Dawn, were actually quite disturbing. But the pace is fast and the rest of the story is definitely interesting. This novel might not be for everyone, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good.
Purchase links:
http://www.lulu.com/shop/robert-eggleton/rarity-from-the-hollow/paperback/product-22910478.html
http://www.amazon.com/Rarity-Hollow-Robert-Eggleton-ebook/dp/B017REIA44
http://www.doghornpublishing.com/wordpress/books/rarity-from-the-hollow
Great review 🙂 Not sure if I could read it though. My blood runs cold at the thought of cockroaches. Eek !!!
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Thanks! I’m not a big fan of cockroached either, but these are actually talking ones (I imagined them like those aliens in Men In Black) and not that scary. 😉
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I don’t know if it’s one I’ll read but your review gives the story intriguing originality.
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It’s without doubt a very original read!
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Unsolicited Top 100 Amazon Book Reviewer posted a five star review of Rarity from the Hollow today: “…This is one brilliant book and Highly Recommended for all readers – for entertainment and reinforcement of much needed values.” 9-18-15
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Hi. Rarity from the Hollow just received a Gold Star review: http://awesomeindies.net/ai-approved-review-of-rarity-from-the-holly-by-robert-eggleton/
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Hi Yvo,
It’s been quite a while since we last communicated about Rarity from the Hollow. A lot has been going on (see below). I’m writing to update you and your readers about the project. Thanks again for the great review.
Since we last talked, the book’s cover was changed a little to emphasize that it is a children’s story for adults, and a new blurb was written and the Amazon link has changed as the publisher works toward republication in 2016: http://www.amazon.com/Rarity-Hollow-Robert-Eggleton-ebook/dp/B017REIA44
My novel has now appeared on over eighty blogs or magazines worldwide, in seventeen different countries including all over the U.S. and the U.K., Finland, Mexico, Bulgaria, Belgium, South Africa, Croatia, Uruguay, India, Taiwan, Australia, Nigeria, Egypt, Malaysia, and Canada. Today’s spotlight is from a book blogger from Vietnam. The owner of the press, Adam Lowe of Dog Horn Publishing in Leeds, has asked if I would be interested in local promotions once the second edition is available. Since you are well-known, a review by you would be very helpful. I can send you an eBook, or maybe Adam could ship you a paperback but it would be expensive because of international shipping costs. Please let me know and take care. Please share.
Following are some of the highlights about the novel since we last communicated:
As you know, the novel was found by the editor of Atomjack Science Fiction Magazine to be laugh-out-loud funny in some scenes. Long-time science fiction book critic, Barry Hunter, closed his review, “…good satire is hard to find and science fiction satire is even harder to find.” http://thebaryonreview.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T0… A former Editor of Reader’s Digest found that, “Rarity from the Hollow is the most enjoyable science fiction that I’ve read in several years.” http://warriorpatient.com/blog/?p=58
Rarity from the Hollow was referred to as a hillbilly version of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and awarded a Gold Medal by Awesome Indies: “…Tucked between the folds of humor are some profound observations on human nature and modern society that you have to read to appreciate…it’s a funny book that most fans of sci-fi will thoroughly enjoy.” http://awesomeindies.net/ai-approved-review-of-rarity-from-the-holl… With respect to the story’s treatment of tough social issues, this reviewer said: “If I could, I would give it all the stars in the universe…I was hesitant to accept. I usually do not read or review books that discuss child abuse or domestic violence; however, I was intrigued by the excerpt and decided to give it a shot. I am glad that I took a risk; otherwise, I would have missed out on a fantastic story with a bright, resourceful, and strong protagonist that grabbed my heart and did not let go.” http://www.onmykindle.net/2015/11/rarity-from-hollow.html
A prominent book reviewer from Bulgaria named Rarity from the Hollow as one of the best five books that he had read in 2015. http://codices.info/2015/12/top-5-for-2015-ventsi/ On January 20, 2016, Rarity from the Hollow was awarded a second Gold Medal by another popular book review site: https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/rarity-from-the-hollow.
An Affiliate of Fantasy Fan Federation, an international organization that has been around since the 1940s, posted on Amazon: “The author has created a new narrative format, something Ive never seen before, with a standard third-person narration, interspersed, lightly, with first-person asides. This makes me think of Eugene ONeills play Strange Interlude where internal and external dialogue are blended. Rarity from the Hollow begins with some rough stuff, hard to read, involving child neglect and child abuse. But it soon turns the corner to satire, parody, and farce, partaking a little of the whimsical and nonsensical humor of Roger Zelazny or even Ron Goulart….”
“…There is much here worthy of high praise. The relationship between Lacy Dawn and DotCom is brilliant. The sense of each learning from the other and them growing up and together is a delight to read. The descriptions of DotCom’s technology and the process of elevating the humans around him again is nicely done. Eggleton reminds me very much of Robert Heinlein at his peak….” http://sfcrowsnest.org.uk/rarity-from-the-hollow-by-robert-eggleton…
The publisher is currently working on putting together an editorial reviews section for Amazon. Feel free to send a blurb along with your review and I’ll forward it to Adam Lowe, owner of Dog Horn Publishing.
The link between this novel and child abuse prevention was recently shared by a very kind book blogger: http://www.lindseywinsemius.com/blog/writing-for-a-cause-robert-eggletons-story
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The second edition of Rarity from the Hollow was released on November 3, 2016: http://www.lulu.com/shop/robert-eggleton/rarity-from-the-hollow/paperback/product-22910478.html. The eBook version was released on December 5, 2016: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017REIA44/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk.
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For an extended period, the eBook version of Rarity from the Hollow, an adult literary SciFi novel, is on sale for $2.99 and the Paperback is on sale for $16.99. https://www.amazon.com/Rarity-Hollow-Robert-Eggleton/dp/190713395X/ Author proceeds contribute to the prevention of child maltreatment: http://www.childhswv.org/.
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Thanks again for your review. After 2017 Christmas, the publisher is going to make the next deposit of author proceeds from the Rarity from the Hollow project into the nonprofit agency’s account for the prevention of child maltreatment. Millions of American children will spend this holiday in temporary shelters. A lot more world-wide are likely to spend their respective “holidays” in worse conditions. Having once been the director of emergency children’s shelters in West Virginia, it is still heartbreaking to think about children not having a “real” family during Christmas. I remember the faces, the smiles and thank yous for the presents from staff, but….
I also wanted you to know that the novel received a very cool review by Amazing Stories Magazine. This is my tweet: “Amusing at times, shocking at others, a touching and somehow wonderful SFF read.” Full review by Amazing Stories Magazine: http://bit.ly/2kbsAlV On Sale for Christmas: http://amzn.to/2lF5BPS Proceeds help maltreated children: http://www.childhswv.org
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The 2018 Edition of Rarity from the Hollow Paperback is now on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LfzP84. It is also available for Any eReader: https://bit.ly/2KNJkI2 Proceeds help abused children.
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Rarity from the Hollow has a new website: https://www.hostingauthors.com/books/RarityfromtheHollow
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