TIME'S ADVERSARY

The author sent me a copy of his novel to review:

How can J.G. McGovern write a sci-fi novel so complex and yet be so easy to understand? Maybe because he avoided the scientific jargon (which I hate) and just told a story. Is he another one of those self-published authors that’s a storyteller? I think so. He is one of several Indie writers that I have reviewed recently that has impressed me. Oh sure, their prose can be improved upon, but is that so important? Or is the story the paramount goal of a writer? I say yes to the latter. At first, I thought that he had too many characters, but as the novel progressed, most of them became byproduct beings. I liked the author’s style, touching on various innuendos of the past without saying enough to take your eyes off the present, which is the year 2118. Can this sci-fi story challenge the best out there? No, I don’t think so, but it was a hell of a effort. Okay, what’s this novel about?

Andrew Vaughan (he was the third wealthiest man on Earth) wakes up about 90 years after he passed away. Wow, what a opening. Tella Urquhart (a principal shareholder of Eyelight Industries) tells Andrew that his memories were transferred to a cybernetic brain and placed into a android body. Why? Tella tells him that his name is now Anders Vorg, and he has been brought back to life to serve as CEO of Eyelight Industries. He is to defeat the Church of Sagacity, Eyelight’s nemesis, and if he does...he will live forever. Eyelight considers the Church of Sagacity a doomsday cult. The religion that Eyelight favors is the Church of the Adherents of Tetra. The author spends almost no time telling the reader about this church, which I think was one of the novel’s flaws. Anyway, Vorg takes the job and tries to find out how the church is taking Eyelight consumers away via Apotheosis (what is this?). He secures an employee, Oscar Mathieson (who wants to divorce his boss/wife but can’t afford it) to become a spy for the church. Since Oscar is in love with his assistant Cornelia (who is already a church member), it’s easy to infiltrate the church.

Meanwhile on Mars, Governor Miriam Heath, is experiencing a weird program in her Eyelight visor...a virtual reality program called Elysian Fields. She is able to go to places that delight her. She considers letting the people in her hovel share the program. She does...and it’s blissful. Where did this program come from? Did Eyelight give it to the Mars population to break the boredom of mining on a bleak planet? Or is there a unknown entity controlling what they see? If you have read my previous reviews, you know that I ask a lot of questions (even though I read the book and know the answers). I’m trying to tempt you to buy this novel and help an emerging talented author.

Before I continue, let me state what the other flaws are in this novel (all minor, but worth mentioning). I think the author should have written another 100 pages or so (that would bring the total to 336, no big deal for a novel) to answer some questions that I have, such as how does a person gain their social position? I know that there were Brains A, B, C, D and E, but how did someone attain that ranking? Why did some of the people wear Greek or Roman armor? What exactly is the drug, InTox? Again these are minor flaws, but I wanted to know...maybe they will be explained in the ensuing novels (don’t new writers always write at least a trilogy?)

So Oscar goes to the Church of Sagacity with Cornelia for a sermon. The speaker at the sermon calls Eyelight...Satan. A bomb goes off, and the speaker and the front two rows at the church are vaporized. On his way home, Oscar starts seeing a burning man that has his face. Only he can see this image (it will get worse as the novel continues). Oscar asks Cornelia what apotheosis is. On page 57 (I’m early into this story), Cornelia says, “It’s quite simple. As soon as God decides that one of his worshippers has reached a holy enough state, he sticks his hands down from the heavens, plucks up the worshipper, and carries him all the way to the New World. After that, we never see the person again. That is, not until we’ve reached apotheosis ourselves.” Do you think that she is telling the truth? Who bombed the church? I love questions, I should have been a lawyer.

In the meantime, Vorg has Eyelight make a new robotic body so his brain can temporarily go into it and then he can appear as the prophet Jaddar at the 5th annual Church of Sagacity meeting. He appears at the meeting as the prophet Jaddar and on page 74, says to the Sagacity believers, “I have been sent by God (after making a miraculous appearance from the clouds), I am Jaddar. And I have come to tell you that God has a name: He is Tetra! (the other religion)” Then he says, ”Does any man question that I have been sent by Almighty God?” Nobody questions him. Although he convinces many of the parishioners, the majority still believe in Sagacity. The church believes that Jaddar is a false prophet and challenges him to meet their prophet on November 20th for a showdown of truth. On the day of the showdown, Jaddar is resting in his chamber before the match, and a grey shape appears in his room and says, “I’m the prophetess, my name is Saturnina.” Wow, who will win this faceoff before a sold-out stadium?

This is where I stop my review and you buy a copy of this sci-fi thriller. I have many more questions, such as: Who is Saturnina? Is the burning man that Oscar sees real? What’s really happening on Mars? What truly is Elysian Fields? And when a Church of Sagacity member reaches apotheosis, does he actually go to heaven? I undoubtedly enjoyed this maiden novel by J.G. McGovern. There were some minor flaws that I mentioned, but this is a highly recommended novel.  

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Comment: On 8/15/2012, Forbes published a story about Indie writers (the self-published independent writers). Apparently the published writers don’t like the Indies. The article asks, “Why do mainstream authors dislike Indie publishing to the point where some even disagree with the coined term ‘Indie’? It comes down to worldview. Bestselling authors who are talented and hard working are inclined to believe that publishing is a meritocracy where the best work by the most diligent writers get represented, acquired, published, and sold.”  That might be, but I’ve read some really good Indie novels over the past five years.

Thirty-two time bestselling author, Sue Grafton (A is for Alibi ) says, “To me, it seems disrespectful...that a ‘wannabe’ assumes it’s all so easy she/he can put out a ‘published novel’ without bothering to read, study, or do research...Self publishing is a short cut and I don’t believe in short cuts when it comes to the arts. I compare self-publishing to a student managing to conquer Five Easy Pieces on the piano and then wondering if she/he's ready to be booked into Carnegie Hall.” Sue brings up a good point, however many great novels would be unpublished if there wasn’t the Indie industry.

I can bring up many Indie books that were monster bestsellers and then later picked up by a major publisher, but I’ll only mention two. The first novel is Wool by Hugh Howey (see my review of 1/21/2016). This major bestseller was originally an Indie and turned into a major trilogy. Simon & Schuster now publishes Hugh Howey’s novels. The second novel is the award winning psychological thriller The Memory Box by Eva Lesko Natiello. I believe that she still self-publishes. Good for you girl!