Inside a Silver Box - SFBA Book Club

eBook, 304 pages

English language

Published Jan. 27, 2015 by Tor.

ISBN:: 978-1-4668-5844-2
OCLC Number:: 899511632
ISFDB ID:: 1797513
Goodreads:: 22670783

(1 review)

Walter Mosley's talent knows no bounds. Inside a Silver Box continues to explore the cosmic questions entertainingly discussed in his Crosstown to Oblivion. From life's meaning to the nature of good and evil, Mosley takes readers on a speculative journey beyond reality.

In Inside a Silver Box, two people brought together by a horrific act are united in a common cause by the powers of the Silver Box. The two join to protect humanity from destruction by an alien race, the Laz, hell-bent on regaining control over the Silver Box, the most destructive and powerful tool in the universe. The Silver Box will stop at nothing to prevent its former master from returning to being, even if it means finishing the earth itself.

3 editions

Phil in SF reviewed Inside a Silver Box by Walter Mosley

Why?

2 stars

Ronnie Bottoms kills Lorraine Fell and stuffs her body under some rocks in Central Park, which is also where a mysterious all-powerful alien box is. Lorraine talks the box into letting her convince Ronnie to bring her back to life. She has to possess Ma Lin, a former South Vietnam soldier who took care of enemies of the state, because he sits next to Ronnie. Ronnie then returns to Central Park, digs up Lorraine's body, and by the power of the Silver Box, brings Lorraine back to life. They spend the night in a hotel where Lorraine tries to fuck her murderer (and would be rapist) but he can't get it up. Then they are jailed because Lorraine has been missing and they used her credit card. After a bit of being roughed up by the cops, a lawyer hired by the Silver Box springs Lorraine and Ronnie.

And at …

Ronnie Bottoms kills Lorraine Fell and stuffs her body under some rocks in Central Park, which is also where a mysterious all-powerful alien box is. Lorraine talks the box into letting her convince Ronnie to bring her back to life. She has to possess Ma Lin, a former South Vietnam soldier who took care of enemies of the state, because he sits next to Ronnie. Ronnie then returns to Central Park, digs up Lorraine's body, and by the power of the Silver Box, brings Lorraine back to life. They spend the night in a hotel where Lorraine tries to fuck her murderer (and would be rapist) but he can't get it up. Then they are jailed because Lorraine has been missing and they used her credit card. After a bit of being roughed up by the cops, a lawyer hired by the Silver Box springs Lorraine and Ronnie.

And at this point they are all transported somewhere else in the galaxy where Ronnie (yes Ronnie the wanna be rapist) explains that Ma Lin now contains a molecule of an intergalactic race called the Laz and the Silver Box, tells Lorraine and Ronnie their quest is to save earth from the Laz molecule.

Yes. That is the story so far. I'm sure there's a reason why all of this is set up this way, but I am not willing to read through to the end to find out because it sure as hell won't be worth it.

DNF at 22%