New Pompeii: A New Pompeii Novel

by Daniel Godfrey

Overview

Some time in the near future, energy giant NovusPart has developed technology to transport people from the past to the present day, and they have just moved the lost population of Pompeii to a replica city. Historian Nick Houghton is brought in to study the Romans, but he soon realises that NovusPart are underestimating their captives. The Romans may be ignorant of modern technology, but they once ruled an empire. The stage is set for the ultimate clash of cultures...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781783298129
Publisher:	Titan
Publication date:	06/21/2016
Series:	New Pompeii , #1
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	874 KB

About the Author

Daniel Godfrey has had several short stories published, including in My Weekly and Writers' Forum, and is a dedicated reader of SF and historical fiction. He studied geography at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and gained an MSc from Leeds in transport planning. He lives in Derbyshire.

Editorial Reviews

04/18/2016
In this paradox-inflicted techno-thriller, all roads lead to Pompeii, or at least a modern recreation populated by original residents stolen from the historical city. Nick Houghton, a history scholar, takes a position with the mysterious Novus Particles corporation, which has the ability to snatch items and people out of the past. Its founders want Nick to join their latest project, New Pompeii, to infiltrate the populace and help maintain the fiction that it is still 79 C.E. Nick, already leery of Novus Particles, is further worried when he sees how the Roman “subjects” are learning to subvert the experiment. Debut novelist Godfrey puts in a lot of historical detail, comparing and contrasting the modern and ancient political schemers looking to turn situations to their own advantage. The ethics of time travel are also explored with intriguing results. Godfrey’s nuanced affection for all things Roman shines through, but readers will have to wait for the sequel to get the answers they seek. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Deliciously Readable” - Barnes & Noble 

“A story so irresistibly entertaining, it should be accompanied by a bottomless bucket of popcorn” -  Barnes & Noble Sci Fi blog

"A perfect replica of Pompeii has been built in a formerly Soviet central Asian republic.  But this isn’t some grand-scale historical re-enactment venue.  The town has been populated with the residents of the real Pompeii who have been snatched from their homes just before Vesuvius erupted and dragged forward in time using cutting-edge technology.  The corporation responsible intends to exploit their creation for all it’s worth, but things, of course, do not go to plan.  The Pompeiians are smarter and less biddable than anticipated and have no wish to be exhibits or reality-TV fodder.
 

“Fascinating, cleverly wrought, intelligent and occasionally brutal, New Pompeii is a thrillingly original take on the time travel genre.” – Tim Lebbon, New York Times bestseller
 
“An exuberant, high-concept thriller that brings ancient Rome crashing into the present day. Smart, inventive and action-packed.” – Tom Harper, bestselling author of The Lost Temple
 
“That rare science fiction novel that reads like a thriller – fast-paced and intricate. Godfrey has crafted an astonishing debut, and I can’t wait to see where his story goes next.” – Alan Smale, Sidewise Award winner
 
“An impressive debut. A smart, intriguing thriller in the tradition of Michael Crichton and Philip K. Dick.” – Gareth L. Powell, BSFA Award winner
 
“A first class debut. I couldn’t put it down!” – Adam Christopher, author of Empire State
 
“A cleverly woven tale of ancient Romans, time travel, and ageless power struggles, which builds to a stirring conclusion.” – Janet Edwards, author of Earth Flight

 “I was completely engulfed within this book, unable to put it down for days straight. New Pompeii has all of the elements that every Sci-Fi fan would want” - Gamers Sphere

“You better pick-up this book” - Retrenders

“Sci-fi entertainment at its best and most fluent” -  Rising Shadow

“New Pompeii is part sci-fi, part historical thriller.  I’ve yet to read a novel that balances both genres so well." - Geekmundo

“New Pompeii is a fast-paced, intense thriller, reminding me most of Tom Clancy’s page-turners, where the technology matters, but not nearly as much as what people choose to do with it.” - Fangirl Nation

“Much like Crichton, Godfrey seems most at home delving into the nerdy details of his thought experiment, bringing to life the world of the Pompeiians with a convincing degree of historical accuracy” - Shelf Awareness

“A treat for fans of well-thought out science fiction. There are twists and turns that are dizzying but it’s an enjoyable ride.” - Impedimenta Magazine 

“As a graduate with one of my degrees focused in Ancient Roman History, I was pleased the look at Pompeii and Roman society was well-researched, with enough historical facts to make the characters and setting believable without bogging down the narrative.” - Borg.com

From the Publisher

05/15/2016
A mysterious company called Novus Particles has developed a technology that can pull people out of the past and into the present. To avoid creating a paradox, they only draw forward those who are about to die. Historian Nick Houghton is brought on to a top-secret project run by the agency to re-create the city of Pompeii in Central Asia after its residents are rescued just as Mount Vesuvius erupts. But Novus seems to have little regard for the individuals they move about like puppets, and Nick is in over his head. Godfrey's first novel offers an intriguing concept that never gathers enough steam. Nick is a boring character, and the villainy of the antagonists is heavy-handed and makes no particular sense. Moreover, a parallel plot about a ghost takes too long to gel. VERDICT For a better take on an attempt to reconstruct a classical setting, try Jo Walton's The Just City.—MM

Library Journal