Rarity from the Hollow by Robert Eggleton

Posted January 8, 2016

Lacy Dawn’s father relives the Gulf War, her mother’s teeth are rotting out, and her best friend is murdered by the meanest daddy on Earth. Life in The Hollow isn’t great. But Lacy has one advantage — she’s been befriended by a semi-organic, semi-robot who works with her to cure her parents. He wants something in exchange, though. It’s up to Lacy Dawn to save the Universe.

To prepare Lacy for her coming task, she is being schooled daily via direct downloads into her brain. Some of these courses tell her how to apply magic to resolve everyday problems much more pressing to her than a universe in big trouble, like those at home and at school. She doesn’t mind saving the universe, but her own family and friends come first.

Will Lacy Dawn’s predisposition, education, and magic be enough for her to save the Universe, Earth, and, most importantly, protect her own family?

Rarity from the Hollow is adult literary science fiction filled with tragedy, comedy and satire. It is a children’s story for adults, not for the prudish, faint of heart, or easily offended.


Rarity from the Hollow was referred to as a Hillbilly version of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy  and awarded a gold medal by Awesome Indies:  “…Tucked between the folds of humor are some profound observations on human nature and modern society that you have to read to appreciate….”  http://awesomeindies.net/ai-approved-review-of-rarity-from-the-holly-by-robert-eggleton/  

 

With respect to the story’s treatment of tough social issues, this reviewer of Rarity from the Hollow said: “…I was hesitant to accept. I usually do not read or review books that discuss child abuse or domestic violence; however, I was intrigued by the excerpt and decided to give it a shot. I am glad that I took a risk; otherwise, I would have missed out on a fantastic story with a bright, resourceful, and strong protagonist that grabbed my heart and did not let go….”  http://www.onmykindle.net/2015/11/rarity-from-hollow.html

 

Rarity from the Hollow was named as one of the best five books that a book reviewer from Bulgaria had read in 2015. http://codices.info/2015/12/top-5-for-2015-ventsi/


[goodreviews isbn=”B017REIA44″ buyinfo=”off” bookinfo=”off”]


9 responses to “Rarity from the Hollow by Robert Eggleton

  1. The second edition of Rarity from the Hollow is scheduled to be released on September 30, 2016! There’s still time to get a copy of the original, uncut version. The second edition is toned down a little and the political allegory strengthened.

  2. On 1-6-17, the first review of the final edition was published, five stars. The closing lines were: “…Brilliant satires such as this are genius works of literature in the same class as Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm.’ I can picture American Lit professors sometime in the distant future placing this masterpiece on their reading list.” https://marcha2014.wordpress.com/2017/01/06/5-stars-for-rarity-from-the-hollowby-robert-eggleton/ On 2-17-17, Dan’l Danehy-Oakes, a critic whose book reviews often appear in the New York Review of Science Fiction, published his review of the final edition, five stars: “…I know this all sounds pretty whack, and it is, but it’s also quite moving. Lacy Dawn and her supporting cast – even Brownie, the dog – are some of the most engaging characters I’ve run across in a novel in some time….” http://sturgeonslawyer.livejournal.com/

  3. roberteggleton

    Alibopo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great storytelling.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 2, 2018
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    I read once that the foundation of Science Fiction was captured in the two words; what if!
    I’ve also heard these words used as a therapeutic tool; what if you woke up tomorrow and things had changed, things were better, what would that be like? So, what would that tomorrow be like if you were a very smart 12-year-old girl called Lacy Dawn, and you lived in a rundown farm property in near poverty. In ‘Rarity from the Hollow’, Robert Eggleton has some very surprising answers to that question.

    But here’s a few more what ifs to help set the scene; what if Lacy Dawn‘s war traumatised dad spent half his day stoned on weed and regularly beat her and her mother? And what if Lacy Dawn’s best friend Faith had been beaten to death by her abusive father, but was still keeping her company as a spirit that could jump from object to object? And what if, somewhere along the way, Lacy Dawn had learned the magical ability to transport herself telekinetically, skimming across the ground at great speed? And what if Lacy Dawn’s secret friend, DotCom, was a super intelligent shape-shifting alien bio-android who lived in a hidden cave nearby? And what if Dotcom was here on earth for a very specific reason, a reason that probably makes Lacy Dawn the most important person on our planet!

    The only way to find out the answer to how things might get better for Lacy Dawn is to read this book. With hints of Heinlein, Kornbluth and Pohl, and the golden age of SF, I found this a gritty, challenging, often too honest, and always entertaining story. No rose-tinted glasses here folks; just great storytelling with challenging adult themes.

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