Bats of the Republic: An Illuminated Novel (2015)

by Zachary Thomas Dodson

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483	25	51,047	(3.48)	11
"In 1843, fragile naturalist Zadock Thomas must leave his beloved in Chicago to deliver a secret letter to an infamous general on the front lines of the war over Texas. The fate of the volatile republic, along with Zadock's future, depends on his mission. When a cloud of bats leads him off the trail, he happens upon something impossible...Three hundred years later, the world has collapsed and the remnants of humanity cling to a strange society of paranoia. Zeke Thomas has inherited a sealed envelope from his grandfather, an esteemed senator. When that letter goes missing, Zeke engages a fomenting rebellion that could free him--if it doesn't destroy his relationship, his family legacy, and the entire republic first. As their stories overlap and history itself begins to unravel, a war in time erupts between a lost civilization, a forgotten future, and the chaos of the wild."--from Amazon.com.… (more)

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Showing 1-5 of 25 (next | show all)

While this is an interesting and beautiful book, I somehow felt unfulfilled at the end. Reading it as a story, rather than some sort of exploration of how fiction works, I wanted a more definitive end to both stories (

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cspiwak | Mar 6, 2024 |

An incredible piece that weaves together many detailed strings of a story into one, cohesive plot. Part sci-fi thriller and part romantic historical fiction, and very much ergodic, which I am partial to. The story itself aside, what incredibly detailed book design! A visual masterpiece unto itself, it sucks you right into the world of the story.

The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because it was a little long for my taste, though I'm not sure that one could tell a complex story like this in any fewer words. (

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eurydactyl | Jul 20, 2023 |

It's only right to commend an new author when they present the reader with something bold, different, and innovative. So I do indeed, commend Zachary Thomas Dodson for this fascinating work of fiction. But I can't but help that this work had the wings to fly so much higher and was really disappointed with the ending. The plot and characters just seemed to wither away, leaving me wanting more. (

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kevinkevbo | Jul 14, 2023 |

I picked this book up in Taylor in a used book store. It is in the most fascinating format--and I loved that about it. I read just bits and drabs at a time. I probably would have liked it better if I had read it more quickly. Still I'm very impressed by its style. (

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spounds | May 24, 2023 |

This book is a mixture of historical fiction, science fiction and dystopia. Reading it is an experience. Very original, in plot and design. (

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_Marcia_94_ | Sep 21, 2021 |

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The Morning News Tournament of Books (Semi-Finalist – 2016)

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2015

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Chicago, Illinois, USA

Republic of Texas

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"In 1843, fragile naturalist Zadock Thomas must leave his beloved in Chicago to deliver a secret letter to an infamous general on the front lines of the war over Texas. The fate of the volatile republic, along with Zadock's future, depends on his mission. When a cloud of bats leads him off the trail, he happens upon something impossible...Three hundred years later, the world has collapsed and the remnants of humanity cling to a strange society of paranoia. Zeke Thomas has inherited a sealed envelope from his grandfather, an esteemed senator. When that letter goes missing, Zeke engages a fomenting rebellion that could free him--if it doesn't destroy his relationship, his family legacy, and the entire republic first. As their stories overlap and history itself begins to unravel, a war in time erupts between a lost civilization, a forgotten future, and the chaos of the wild."--from Amazon.com.

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