A review by rustymiller
Billy and the Cloneasaurus by Stephen Kozeniewski
5.0
Billy and the Cloneasaurus was the book that most surprised me last year. I had never read anything by this author so I went into the book with no expectations. I actually listened to the audio book and was instantly drawn in to the bizarre world. (Side note: If you have the means to do so, please listen to the audio book. This may be the best example of the narrator hitting a character’s voice perfectly. The narration probably made this very good book into a great book!)
I was also surprised by this because I wasn’t expecting the amount of depth that was woven into a relatively short book. This is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world that is filled with clones, 6 billion copies of an unassuming, bland, and unremarkable man named William. Each city in this world is neatly organized with 3,650 duplicates of the same middle-aged man who fit into their role within the society for their term of 365 days at which point they are slurried (yes, it means what you would probably guess) and they are simply replaced by another identical Will. These Williams all share the same physical features (middle aged, balding, a little bit of a gut, and not very fit), and the same personality (rule-followers, prefer routine and predictability, and compliant). And then this city is duplicated with other identical cities around the world. Trust me, it feels ridiculous at first, but, please, PLEASE, stick with it.
We focus on William 790-6 on the day when he and ten other Williams are due to be slurried. Due to a malfunction with the slurry machine, Will (as everyone casually calls each other) is asked to come back in the morning to be slurried first before the next day’s ten Williams are processed. This causes a cascading effect, because the next version of William 790 has already been “decanted” (or born). Which of the two William 790-6s “owns” the car? Which one should drive? When they get home, who gets the bed, and what about food since they are given an exact ration of ramen noodles each week? And it spirals from there. The “older” Will 790 begins to realize that he would rather not die, and this radical thought (at least in this world it is unheard of) takes him places that no other Will would ever dare to go.
The world is beautifully crafted, making it seem so very plausible that this system would work, and maintain itself perpetually. There are so many little touches that are written into this world, so many casual conversations that only add deeper nuance. It also makes the reader wonder, as the story unfolds, and as Will 790 moves into uncharted territory, if there is more going on than any of the Wills ever realize.
Regarding the characters – or can I say character (singular) since everyone we meet in the book is an exact copy of each other – they are done brilliantly. It is especially seen as they all feel the innate pull to stay in their lanes, unquestioning the status quo. Will 790 is constantly questioning if what he is doing is permissible, let alone right. Will Will 790 become an unlikely “hero”?
Finally, the story is going somewhere, but it constantly takes the reader into unexpected directions, culminating with an ending that is both unbelievable but strangely appropriate. Again, I listened to this audio book together with my 14-year-old son. The depth of the story, and the implications from what it all represents, led to hours of conversation between the two of us, trying to unpack all its intricacies.
For example, the Wills are told day in and day out to do their part to help the Corporation which is responsible for every aspect of their lives by buying more and more. This is symbolic for what our society could become if large businesses begin to get more and more control, and the theoretical horrors that could ensue if capitalism was monopolized. This book is not only thought provoking on a story aspect, but on a political one as well.
I highly recommend this book, especially if you are looking for:
- A short stand-alone (187 pages) – although we would love to see more written about this world, maybe from the time when this world was developed?
- A horror comedy – there are creepy elements, but also a lot of funny ones as well
- A book that is not in everyone’s spotlight, but should be – it has been out since 2014 and only has 120 reviews in Goodreads (as of the writing of this review).
Seriously, everyone. Give this a chance!!!
I was also surprised by this because I wasn’t expecting the amount of depth that was woven into a relatively short book. This is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world that is filled with clones, 6 billion copies of an unassuming, bland, and unremarkable man named William. Each city in this world is neatly organized with 3,650 duplicates of the same middle-aged man who fit into their role within the society for their term of 365 days at which point they are slurried (yes, it means what you would probably guess) and they are simply replaced by another identical Will. These Williams all share the same physical features (middle aged, balding, a little bit of a gut, and not very fit), and the same personality (rule-followers, prefer routine and predictability, and compliant). And then this city is duplicated with other identical cities around the world. Trust me, it feels ridiculous at first, but, please, PLEASE, stick with it.
We focus on William 790-6 on the day when he and ten other Williams are due to be slurried. Due to a malfunction with the slurry machine, Will (as everyone casually calls each other) is asked to come back in the morning to be slurried first before the next day’s ten Williams are processed. This causes a cascading effect, because the next version of William 790 has already been “decanted” (or born). Which of the two William 790-6s “owns” the car? Which one should drive? When they get home, who gets the bed, and what about food since they are given an exact ration of ramen noodles each week? And it spirals from there. The “older” Will 790 begins to realize that he would rather not die, and this radical thought (at least in this world it is unheard of) takes him places that no other Will would ever dare to go.
The world is beautifully crafted, making it seem so very plausible that this system would work, and maintain itself perpetually. There are so many little touches that are written into this world, so many casual conversations that only add deeper nuance. It also makes the reader wonder, as the story unfolds, and as Will 790 moves into uncharted territory, if there is more going on than any of the Wills ever realize.
Regarding the characters – or can I say character (singular) since everyone we meet in the book is an exact copy of each other – they are done brilliantly. It is especially seen as they all feel the innate pull to stay in their lanes, unquestioning the status quo. Will 790 is constantly questioning if what he is doing is permissible, let alone right. Will Will 790 become an unlikely “hero”?
Finally, the story is going somewhere, but it constantly takes the reader into unexpected directions, culminating with an ending that is both unbelievable but strangely appropriate. Again, I listened to this audio book together with my 14-year-old son. The depth of the story, and the implications from what it all represents, led to hours of conversation between the two of us, trying to unpack all its intricacies.
For example, the Wills are told day in and day out to do their part to help the Corporation which is responsible for every aspect of their lives by buying more and more. This is symbolic for what our society could become if large businesses begin to get more and more control, and the theoretical horrors that could ensue if capitalism was monopolized. This book is not only thought provoking on a story aspect, but on a political one as well.
I highly recommend this book, especially if you are looking for:
- A short stand-alone (187 pages) – although we would love to see more written about this world, maybe from the time when this world was developed?
- A horror comedy – there are creepy elements, but also a lot of funny ones as well
- A book that is not in everyone’s spotlight, but should be – it has been out since 2014 and only has 120 reviews in Goodreads (as of the writing of this review).
Seriously, everyone. Give this a chance!!!