Hype. The modern American way of getting attention. It seems to have worked for John Twelve Hawks, the pseudonym for the author of The Traveler.
The book is a cautionary tale set in the near future (or today) about the pervasiveness of surveillance and intrusions on privacy. Twelve Hawks claims to live "off the grid," avoiding contact with "the Vast Machine," the worldwide system of computer systems and cameras that track our daily lives. Twelve Hawks isn't doing a book tour. He doesn't do media appearances or interviews. He has not met with his publisher in person, speaking only by satellite phone. Random House has launched a sophisticated web page for the book. There are plans for it to be the first in a three-book series, and the movie rights already have been optioned.
All this hype has pushed Twelve Hawks and his book into the pages of the national press and on to The New York Times bestseller list. Hype may be necessary because the tale boils down to a battle between the Illuminati and Buddhist/new age philosophy over whether anyone will retain any privacy in the modern world.
The world of The Traveler consists basically of four groups. At top are the Brethren, also know as the Tabula. They control the computer systems and surveillance cameras, and are the shadows behind what are essentially puppet governments. For decades, they have been hunting and exterminating The Travelers, individuals with the ability to have their inner "Light" leave their body and travel to different realms. Travelers have been responsible for bringing beneficial change to the world throughout history. Travelers are guarded by the Harlequins, ninja-like martial arts and weapons experts whose sole purpose is to protect Travelers from harm and combat the Tabula. Like the Brethren, Harlequins have virtually disappeared in modern society. Everyone else is a "citizen," more accurately, drones going about their lives ignorant of the true state of affairs.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - DrPat
Perhaps the author is trying for a Scientology/Battlefield Earth kind of thing, a la L. Ron Hubbard...
2 - Pat Cummings
This book review has been selected for Advance.net. You’ll be able to find this and other Blog Critics reviews at such places as Cleveland.com’s Book Reviews column.
3 - Michelle
I liked this book, even if it did make me very uncomfortable for awhile. Or maybe that's actually why I liked it... I haven't decided. It did get me thinking about how much I am willing to give up for the illusion of safety and security.
4 - Boa
Is it a coincidence that the Traveller by "so called" John T.Hawks" was published by the same publishing house as Dan Brown's books?The topic and style when I read this book is also very like Brown's. Well if that's for getting one more best selling book its a masterful move.
5 - dannecgf
I thought the book was great. I'm tired of books not trying to push the envelope of what is acceptable. That's what made Da Vinci's Code great and now this book.
6 - Josiah
Well there seems to be a ton of speculation about John Twelve Hawks. Like how is he getting paid. Anonymously? And if so how?
If he actually lives off the grid how come he drives a 15 year old car? Surely it must be registered somewhere? Etc. etc.
These are intelligent questions to ask, and even more easy to answer. For those of you who "live on the grid" you may think it hard to be able to stay so invisible. However when you know how, living off the grid is surprisingly easy (sure it needs some serious planning though) but "doing it" just takes grit and determination.
If you're actually interested in the IDEAS behind The Traveler, rather than whether it is a well written book, you may want to checkout this site Live Off The Grid which explores practical ways to "live off the grid" like Twelve Hawks claims he does.
7 - Bob
Good review by Gebhart, although half-way through the book I realized it was just setting up a series. Even money says the realm that wants to travel to ours is actually a hell dimension that wants to rule the earth. I enjoyed the book because it is a nice conventional fast paced read. But don't expect much substance. For all the talk of realms the characters never make it beyond two dimensions.
8 - Doug
I liked it. A fast paced adventure story with more than its fair share of interesting ideas. I also thought the "splicers" an incredibly nasty foe that will be leaping off movie screens a few summers from now.
What no one has yet mentioned is that the story puts forward as fictional fantasy the idea of a "Traveler". The fact is, they do exist in our world today.
The spiritual cynics and the know it alls may poo poo it, but for those who are truly adventurous, 2 bonafide groups with thousands of practitioners are showing people today how to travel into higher realms, making the story that much more compelling.
More information can be found at:
www.msia.org
&
www.eckankar.org
9 - Henry94
I picked this up as part of a three for two package without knowing anything about it. I must say I enjoyed it. Good story and cracking pace. If there´s a bit of hype involved then so what?
I´m looking forward to the next one.
10 - 12 Hawks
Why the hec should I use a pseudonym?? Have you ever considered the idea I may be a Hopi Indian?
Go back to your history books, and finally read something about my people...
Then start The Traveler all over again and understand.
11 - Monifa Johnson
I really enjoyed it. It reminded me of the Yaqui way of knowledge. I want to meet 12 Hawks. He seems extremely deep. It is time for native Americans to put more of their theology or cosmology out there for those who are tired of a monoworld. We all know on some level that there is more to it than this.
J.J.
5/26/05
12 - Eggz
I'm reading the Traveller and lovin' every minute of it! It's got me thinking twice, which I think is a good thing.
13 - Wayne
The book was great! Sometimes we just want to be taken to a place where the mind is allowed to expand - this book does that. I can not wait for the next in the series. I listened to the book using Audible and maybe that was why I feel so strongly about it - it was great and I would suggest to others to get an audio copy and see what you feel.
14 - Ian
I guess I'm enjoying this book in the way that I enjoy Joss Whedon productions. fast, flashy, dispensable entertainment.
As for the ideas in the book itself, I suppose there'll always be a market for pseudo-spiritual babble ala Celestine Prophecy. Reference to Jesus and Buddha as visionaries of the same ilk does not a deep book make.
15 - Matt
This is possibly the worst review I've seen of this book so far. First off, as someone well versed in most topics covered by the book, the "Brethren" are not even remotely based on the Illuminati, an actual group with no global-control interests founded by Adam Weishaupt a couple hundred and some years ago. If anything, the "Brethren" are based on the old money and power families of Europe and the Unites States that control vast corporate and media multinational conglomerates, and would like nothing more than more power, more money, and more control.
This review comes off an extremely thin diatribe by an extremely transparent "blogcritic": "Anything something hyped comes out, I like to bash it to appear trendy and uber-indie. I don't really know what I'm talking about because I, as a blogger, have absolutely no literary credentials to my name. I couldn't understand most of the medical or philosophical terminology of the book because I don't have to the faintest clue as to what protein glycomics are or the Allegory of the Cave is. I figure that the author only knows about the scary surveillance progams of various goverments after 9/11 because that's when I found out about them. I have no idea that Carnivore's been active for nearly a decade and that a similar program enacted by the US and British governments over 7 years ago was discovered in France and neighboring countries by their intelligence community, running without their knowledge."
Bloggers, if you ever want to be taken seriously, get some credentials. Please.
16 - Khat
I loved this book and it's characters. I enjoyed reading something where I hadn't figured out the plot before I read it.
The best part about it was the last line of text. I can't wait until the next addition is out. Wish I knew how long the wait will be.
17 - Danni
Love the book. Can't wait for the next one. I especially enjoyed the character Thomas Walks the Ground. A strong native, with convictions enough to take to the grave. The only thing I'd love to see in an upcoming book is an Artist character. There must be art in this world, and as a writer/editor/artist, I would love to see a character who embodies this important aspect of society. John Twelve Hawks, if you're listening, keep on keeping off the grid. It's a lifestyle that works.
18 - student
the traveler was fun reading.
here comes the 'but.'
i am tired of entertainers making their living off writing about violence and firearms who don't use the gunnies vocabulary and phrasing.
why call the 'chamber' a 'firing chamber'?
why say 'putting one in the chamber' instead of saying 'chambering'?
why say one is 'in the chamber' instead of 'chambered'?
i have seen evidence that some authors merely read each other in place of research- example: in the seventies, two authors used the same long phrasing of slipping off the safety on a common revolver- and when i recently wrote a famous author about his off the mark descriptions he wrote back that most of his readers did not know one end from the other.
19 - micki
I'm in the midst of the book and enjoying it tremendously. I am also a little bit familiar with the lore the author infers. I think that the critique does not give credit where credit is due and should have been a little less negative.
I have had a number of friends (who shall remain nameless) who have successfully lived "off the grid" and still do without having the need to do anything illegal or immoral. It is possible, but without the proper knowledge and more importantly motivation, I would not recommend it.
The best defense against constant surveillence is defiance, refusing to be intimidated and giving "them" a good middle finger salute!
20 - Semiaza
Just finished and was thoroughly absorbed and entertained from page one. Matters not that the subject matter (in the grossest sense) is an old Orwellian warning " it’s even more valid today, as the technology already exists and is being implemented all around us under an artificial climate of fear. I can think of far worse ways to bring this to the fore than an entertaining book. I look forward to the next installment.