Jumper (novel)
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| 1992, Hardcover Edition | |
| Author | Steven Gould |
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| Cover Artist | Romas, cover art |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science Fiction |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Released | August, 1992 |
| Media Type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 344 p. |
| ISBN | ISBN 0812522370 (hardback edition) |
Jumper is a 1992 science fiction novel by Steven Gould. It tells the story of Davey, a teenager who has just escaped an abusive household. Davey discovers that he can teleport himself by using his thoughts, although he doesn't know how it works. As he tries to make his way alone in the world, he looks for his long-lost mother and uses his talent for criminal activities and to foil hijackers around the globe.
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[edit] Film adaptation
A film version by the same title is currently in production and set for a 2008 release. The movie will be directed by Doug Liman, written by David S. Goyer, and will star Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson , Rachel Bilson, and Jamie Bell.
[edit] Reviews
[edit] Library Journal
The sudden discovery of his teleportation ability rescues teenager David Rice from his abusive father. It also signals the beginning of a new life for the troubled young man. Gould's first novel features a hero who is not particularly wise and whose ethics are sometimes questionable, but whose yearnings and psychological turmoil ring true. A dollop of suspense and a dash of romance make this fast-paced sf adventure a good purchase for large libraries.
Library Journal, 1992, Reed Business Information, Inc.
[edit] Publishers Weekly
Gould makes an auspicious debut with this playful and moving look at a hallowed science fiction concept: teleportation. Gould gives us no teleportation chambers, no shimmery beaming a la Star Trek , no worries about mingling one's own molecules with a fly's--here only one person can teleport, and he has no idea how he does it. David Rice, age 17, first "jumps" spontaneously in order to escape his abusive father. Having run away, he learns to control his strange talent, using it first to survive on the street and then to set himself up comfortably via bank robbery. Gould does not focus on moral implications so much as keep the plot moving quickly. David searches for his long-lost mother, meets and woos a girl, enjoys the pleasures of a leisurely life in New York and (despite his best efforts) eventually runs afoul of the authorities, who of course want to understand his powers and then put him to work for them. Short fiction has earned this author a reputation in "hard" science fiction, and he applies similar logic to teleportation (though he glosses over some points to make the story work). His warm, delightful and compulsively readable novel displays assured storytelling skill.
Publishers Weekly, 1992, Reed Business Information, Inc.
[edit] Awards
- Compton Crook Award Final Ballot (an award for first novels)
- Locus Poll, second place, best first novel, 1992
- American Library Association, Best Book List, YA division
- International Teacher's Association's Recommended Reading List
- Pacific Northwest Reader's Association, YA Award Final Ballot
[edit] Banned
"Jumper was on the American Library Association's list of most banned books in America, 1990 to 1999. And considering that it wasn't published until the latter half of 1992, it had to work extra hard."
See: (Jumper, Digital Noir, webpage, author Steven Gould)
[edit] Sequel
A 2004 sequel to this novel is Reflex, which continues the story of David as an adult.
