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The Dome
The Dome is a fiction novel based on a theory that we are not what we think we are. It provides an alternative explanation to our beginnings and a spiritual alternative to our end. A fiction story with a believable philosophy and a valuable message.
306 pages, Paperback
First published October 29, 2009
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 3, 2012
This book is a unique creature, so I must anchor my review to 2 issues:
- What does THE DOME attempt to convey?
- Does it accomplish its purpose?
To the first question: THE DOME presents an allegorical theory for the origins and development (physical, spiritual, and social) of life on Earth.
To the second question: the answer is 'not quite', and the reasons for that are complicated. Conceptually, the book rates at least 4 stars. The problems with this novel are tied to its execution.
Author LG Space is a damned fine poet. The opening is elegant and the first section, which lays the foundation of the world, is powerful. When Mr. Space speaks in the mythic narrative his words are precise and his prose is faultless; it's when he gets down to the dirty work of making the machinery tick that the waters run muddy.
Fortunately, most of the snags are technical. THE DOME has pacing problems, mainly due to rapid scene transitions amplified by a fuzzy sense of place.
Also, there are numerous details that inflict cognitive dissonance. For instance, I can accept extra-dimensional invaders who exist outside of time, but to see them arrive with cups of coffee and an "Olympic-sized swimming pool" breaks the spell. It might well be that coffee exists on Earth because they brought it, and that's fine, but unless I'm solidly grounded in that possibility via the narrative before I see them drinking the stuff, the mind skips and the trance is broken. The same is true of the Olympic sized swimming pool because, without the Olympics, the term is a misnomer. This applies to other details: they look and they act human, they have human names, social orders and even military ranks. They are not human, but in every way they are human. My mind could not fit into the grooves of the allegory because, while the narrative fluctuated between allegory and apparent attempts at realism, the solid and the specific consolidated my disbelief instead of defeating it.
The work also needs mundane editing. The text is rife with Word-friendly typos as well as minor stylistic problems: smiles appear on faces; characters rattle off barrages of dialogue, like machine gun fire, without the benefit of breaks or physical cues; attempts to integrate characters into the story without taking the time to actually establish these characters, to let the reader meet and get to know them through characterization and interaction rather than description.
As it stands, this book tries to do too many things at once.
Myself, I'd eagerly read a reworked version because the author has a vision that deserves to be manifested. There's a beauty in this beast, but she's playing hard to get.
- What does THE DOME attempt to convey?
- Does it accomplish its purpose?
To the first question: THE DOME presents an allegorical theory for the origins and development (physical, spiritual, and social) of life on Earth.
To the second question: the answer is 'not quite', and the reasons for that are complicated. Conceptually, the book rates at least 4 stars. The problems with this novel are tied to its execution.
Author LG Space is a damned fine poet. The opening is elegant and the first section, which lays the foundation of the world, is powerful. When Mr. Space speaks in the mythic narrative his words are precise and his prose is faultless; it's when he gets down to the dirty work of making the machinery tick that the waters run muddy.
Fortunately, most of the snags are technical. THE DOME has pacing problems, mainly due to rapid scene transitions amplified by a fuzzy sense of place.
Also, there are numerous details that inflict cognitive dissonance. For instance, I can accept extra-dimensional invaders who exist outside of time, but to see them arrive with cups of coffee and an "Olympic-sized swimming pool" breaks the spell. It might well be that coffee exists on Earth because they brought it, and that's fine, but unless I'm solidly grounded in that possibility via the narrative before I see them drinking the stuff, the mind skips and the trance is broken. The same is true of the Olympic sized swimming pool because, without the Olympics, the term is a misnomer. This applies to other details: they look and they act human, they have human names, social orders and even military ranks. They are not human, but in every way they are human. My mind could not fit into the grooves of the allegory because, while the narrative fluctuated between allegory and apparent attempts at realism, the solid and the specific consolidated my disbelief instead of defeating it.
The work also needs mundane editing. The text is rife with Word-friendly typos as well as minor stylistic problems: smiles appear on faces; characters rattle off barrages of dialogue, like machine gun fire, without the benefit of breaks or physical cues; attempts to integrate characters into the story without taking the time to actually establish these characters, to let the reader meet and get to know them through characterization and interaction rather than description.
As it stands, this book tries to do too many things at once.
Myself, I'd eagerly read a reworked version because the author has a vision that deserves to be manifested. There's a beauty in this beast, but she's playing hard to get.
Displaying 1 of 1 review