Pattern Black is a curious and exciting science fiction novel following Mason as he is brought in to a city prison in which snitching gives one currency. However, during his time in said prison, he quickly starts to notice that he is suffering gaps in time and lapses of memory. This is soon blamed on the therapy treatments that are given to some prisoners. But there is so much more to this therapy than meets the eyes, oh so, so, so much more.
Pattern Black is by far one of the most in-depth science fiction stories I have read in some time. And at 200000 words it will keep you reading for some time. I enjoyed it so much I finished the book in only a couple of days because I enjoyed the tale. However, not everyone can do so, so make sure you set aside an appropriate amount of time so you can enjoy this story.
Now, this is a science fiction story. However, its beginning feels more like an action cop movie until the fine details of the plan wind up. Do not let that get to you as this novel is more than worth finishing. The further you get in to the book the more sci-fi and in-depth this story gets eventually building in to a complex tapestry of technology, mind wiping drugs and daddy issues, all of which are a delight to read about.
Pattern Black’s characters are rough around the edges and feel like real people with actual issues. Particularly the main characters phobias which are painfully relatable. I feel for Mason, holes are creepy. This allows you to feel the emotional roller coasters that these characters are on and leaves you wanting to know more and keeps you deeply invested in their stories.
Now the fine details, there are a lot of curses and middle finger flying in this novel, so if you are uncomfortable with swear words of any sort you should probably skip this read. Otherwise, you are in for an amazing ride!
I got an advanced reading copy of this book on Reedsy Discovery.