Atom

In Atom by Stephen Sutcliffe, a young man named Michael is trying to find his place in the world – and make his mark on it – in dramatic fashion. His belief that atomic development will inevitably lead to the end of humanity drives him to plan an unforgettable attack – an undeniable statement about the risks of atomic proliferation that no one can ignore.

He and his friends, similarly young and wealthy white men with an axe to grind against nuclear weapons and modernity, devise a plan to make their own nuke and demonstrate the terrifying capacity on American soil. This sounds like a clear-cut domestic terror thriller, but in reality, the book is more about expressing philosophical standpoints and diatribes against nuclear development.

The narrative has plenty of twists, and the suspense is high, but few of the characters reveal enough about themselves to become fully formed characters. Readers are encouraged to think more critically about certain subjects, but the characters delivering those sentiments lack emotional depth. At times, the book reads like a manifesto, replete with back-and-forth conversations about global geopolitics and corruption, but it is difficult to see Michael, William, Brad and John as heroes – or even anti-heroes.

Back in this time period, discussion about nuclear disarmament and proliferation was commonplace, where even running atomic bomb drills in elementary schools was a frequent occurrence. Despite being a crucial part of their lives, and the source of sincere distress in many parts of the world, the characters in this book talk dispassionately, almost academically, about the subject. It is clear that Sutcliffe has his own belief system, and he seems to use the “Children of Atom” as his delivery system, but the words don’t always ring true, which affects the book’s overall message.

The simplicity of the plan and the nonchalance with which many of the decisions are made also make the book less than believable. If people are so determined to wake up the world that they risk killing hundreds or thousands of people, one would expect more of their personalities to appear, along with more moral discomfort at the idea of sacrificing the few for the many. The writing itself is clean, and the vocabulary is diverse, with very few grammatical errors to note or fix, but the ideas being covered change very rapidly, often before readers have a chance to fully absorb what is being expressed.

At times, the prose is poetic, and a scene may be beautifully captured by Sutcliffe, while at others, the dialogue feels jerky and unnatural, as if the characters are marionettes being used to create a memorable line or image. More organic storytelling is needed in the book, as it presently seems quite systematic and procedural. Using more vivid imagery and focusing less on extolling a specific philosophy would make this good book into something great. Readers must be allowed to make their own conclusions and form their own opinions, rather than having those realizations forced upon them.

All of that being said, Sutcliffe creates a visceral portrait of a troubled time in America, and this book is certainly worth a careful read, as it is especially prescient given dangers in the present moment.

- Self-Publishing Review

"The only people to wield nuclear weaponry for genocidal purposes were the ones who most deserved to see and experience the same."
Sutcliffe has fashioned an incendiary thriller based on the exploits of wealthy, disaffected youth who make Bret Easton Ellis’ Less Than Zero crowd look like Mouseketeers. These alienated narcissists of the 60’s and 70’s use and sell dope, become transfixed by classic rock and roll, and engage collectively in a topsy-turvy philosophy that proposes the best way to end nuclear proliferation is to set off an atomic explosion in the good old USA.

Today’s environmental activists can’t hold a candle to Sutcliffe’s committed conspirators who fly planes, assassinate drug lords, steal dirty money, bribe officials, infiltrate secure facilities, and handle lethal weapons, explosives, and military armaments like The A-Team. The author imbues his cockeyed collective with enough pseudo intellectual palaver to seemingly convince one another that their motives are pure. Of course this purity of pursuit doesn’t stop each of them from planning to be somewhere far, far, away when the mushroom cloud makes its dramatic entrance.

All things considered, ATOM is both an interesting and fun read if one is frequently empathetic to adolescent altruism, no matter how illogical it may be. The author’s extensive vocabulary is put to effective use without slowing down a narrative that steadily builds suspense. Will the self-styled revolutionaries complete their mission? Will one of America’s sleepy hamlets be consumed in a nuclear conflagration? Will sanity prevail or will zealotry triumph? And who is to say which is which? It’s just possible that ATOM may be unlike any novel you’ve read before. That alone might make it worth your time.

- The US Review of Books

In his novel Atom, Stephen Sutcliffe explores the intrigue, fear, and paranoia that would follow any sort of apocalyptic event such as the atomic bomb. Living in the nuclear age that follows the atomic bomb, Michael Brethren and his friends refer to themselves as the Children of Atom. They formulate a plan to build and unleash a bomb of their own on their town to prove a point. While the group of friends have limitless funds from their parents and money from their own drug deals, they are still a long way from being able to purchase the massive amounts of plutonium they need, so what better plan than to steal from a drug kingpin. Surprisingly enough they accomplish their heist without little repercussions.

Spanning a wide range of territory, this story takes the reader on a crazy train ride. The story takes place in about 1974-1975, a time when the fear and panic about the atomic bomb and nuclear weapons was surmounting. Stephen Sutcliffe is able to capture that fear and panic within his writing. He makes the readers feel every emotion associated with those fears. The book is well written and engaging. The readers will find themselves immersed into the story and feeling as if they too are a part of the Children of Atom group. The action scenes are intensely vivid and descriptive. It is so easy to picture the setting, the sounds of each conflict, the inflection of the character’s voices when they are angry, the scent of the post nuclear war air. Sutcliffe does such an excellent job at describing all of this in a way that doesn’t overpower the story.

Michael and his friends talk immensely on nuclear policy, rants on the worship of the god of nuclear power: Atom. Sutcliffe writes these interactions with clarity and knowledge, showing he did the legwork needed to provide readers with something that is easy to understand. Michael and the other Children of Atom have very intense and in depth questions that challenge the readers to think about their own beliefs about war, religion, and national policy. With the use of the God Atom, Sutcliffe creates his own mythology that seems plausible. He creates a belief system that stands out and contends with the other mythology of the Greeks and Romans.

Atom has an interesting concept that has not been attempted before. While it covers a lot of information, it flows well together. The only struggle in this book was the characters have similar speech patterns, which makes it a little difficult to distinguish which character is speaking at a given time. Their conversations tend to run together and almost become a deterrent from reading. Overall the story has huge potential and market. Mythology and folklore fans will enjoy the Atom mythos. Post apocalyptic fans with enjoy the post nuclear war aspect. Suspense and thrill fans will enjoy the Children of Atom’s plan to steal from the drug dealer. It has a little something for every genre to enjoy.

- Pacific Book Review