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The Betelgeuse Oracle
Every civilization has ended in collapse. Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome. All were sophisticated cultures brought low by unanticipated forces greater than themselves.
What forces hasten the collapse of our civilization? Not nuclear war, or climate change, or even an asteroid strike.
For millions of years the supergiant star Betelgeuse has waited patiently on Orion’s right shoulder. Now its moment has arrived. It severs the single thread suspending Western civilization over a great abyss.
Something we take for granted disappears forever. Everything changes now that it is gone. Electronic equipment fails. Aircraft plummet from the sky. Motors cease to work. Distances that seem trifling by car become days-long slogs. Food and water are scarce. Forces awaken that have remained dormant for centuries. In a matter of hours, Western civilization teeters and falls.
James Muir is trapped in the midst of this huge calamity. Struggling to reunite with his wife and young daughters, he suffers bizarre, overpowering visions. A mysterious Voice berates him in ancient Egyptian. Amazed, he comprehends its command to embark on a quest for something it identifies only as ‘the Stone.’
Hunted by cadres of well armed, highly trained militiamen, haunted by the erosion of his own sanity, James flees urban warfare, riot and pillage. He joins a group of desperate strangers, united to escape a metropolis transformed into a burning, violent wasteland.
But what awaits them beyond the fringes of the city? The further they get, the stronger is the painful tug exerted by the Voice on James’s exhausted mind. As strangers grow into friends and lovers, James comes to realize that the thing called the Stone has a fanatical will of its own. Even if he survives the trek, he may not be strong enough to match the Stone’s baffling power.
The Betelgeuse Oracle is a sweeping saga of loss and heroism, mysticism and visceral horror. Reading this novel will change the way you see the world.
What forces hasten the collapse of our civilization? Not nuclear war, or climate change, or even an asteroid strike.
For millions of years the supergiant star Betelgeuse has waited patiently on Orion’s right shoulder. Now its moment has arrived. It severs the single thread suspending Western civilization over a great abyss.
Something we take for granted disappears forever. Everything changes now that it is gone. Electronic equipment fails. Aircraft plummet from the sky. Motors cease to work. Distances that seem trifling by car become days-long slogs. Food and water are scarce. Forces awaken that have remained dormant for centuries. In a matter of hours, Western civilization teeters and falls.
James Muir is trapped in the midst of this huge calamity. Struggling to reunite with his wife and young daughters, he suffers bizarre, overpowering visions. A mysterious Voice berates him in ancient Egyptian. Amazed, he comprehends its command to embark on a quest for something it identifies only as ‘the Stone.’
Hunted by cadres of well armed, highly trained militiamen, haunted by the erosion of his own sanity, James flees urban warfare, riot and pillage. He joins a group of desperate strangers, united to escape a metropolis transformed into a burning, violent wasteland.
But what awaits them beyond the fringes of the city? The further they get, the stronger is the painful tug exerted by the Voice on James’s exhausted mind. As strangers grow into friends and lovers, James comes to realize that the thing called the Stone has a fanatical will of its own. Even if he survives the trek, he may not be strong enough to match the Stone’s baffling power.
The Betelgeuse Oracle is a sweeping saga of loss and heroism, mysticism and visceral horror. Reading this novel will change the way you see the world.
386 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2012
26 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Macchiusi
1 book8 followersMy previous online publications include two short stories, “Of Smelly Toilets and Wet Cheese” and “Triage”. Another story, “The Pythagorean Theorem” was short-listed for the 2006 CBC Literary Awards and The Writers’ Union of Canada 2010 Short Prose Competition for Developing Writers. “The Perseids” also made this short list.
My current obsessions include Motorhead, the experiences of frontline soldiers during the First World War, and the pathological psychology of Ajax Quire. Quire is the hero of another (soon-to-be-published) Macchiusi novel, Lurking in Plain Sight. I am currently at work on the The Prion File, which is the second of the Quire thrillers; and The Betelgeuse Shaman, the second book of the Betelgeuse Chronicles.
My current obsessions include Motorhead, the experiences of frontline soldiers during the First World War, and the pathological psychology of Ajax Quire. Quire is the hero of another (soon-to-be-published) Macchiusi novel, Lurking in Plain Sight. I am currently at work on the The Prion File, which is the second of the Quire thrillers; and The Betelgeuse Shaman, the second book of the Betelgeuse Chronicles.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 2, 2013
I got this ebook free in a contest and am I ever happy I did. I really enjoyed the ride it took me on and can't wait to read the next in the series.
First of all, the characters are well developed and compelling. Even the minor characters have traits that make them memorable. The group's interactions as they get to know each other were compelling and I came to like and understand more of them.
Occasionally, there was a part that was difficult to follow and visualize but these were the exception. I hope that the "green dust" will be better explained in the next book along with a few other sketchy details.
Overall, I found myself missing the characters when away and wanted to get back to reading. I even stayed up very late last night to finish and with only 3 hours of sleep, hope that his review makes sense.
I would recommend (and already have) The Betelgeuse Oracle to anyone who enjoys dystopian literature and scifi.
First of all, the characters are well developed and compelling. Even the minor characters have traits that make them memorable. The group's interactions as they get to know each other were compelling and I came to like and understand more of them.
Occasionally, there was a part that was difficult to follow and visualize but these were the exception. I hope that the "green dust" will be better explained in the next book along with a few other sketchy details.
Overall, I found myself missing the characters when away and wanted to get back to reading. I even stayed up very late last night to finish and with only 3 hours of sleep, hope that his review makes sense.
I would recommend (and already have) The Betelgeuse Oracle to anyone who enjoys dystopian literature and scifi.
August 6, 2014
Review:: THE BETELGEUSE ORACLE by Joseph Macchiusi
A complex but very riveting contemporary science fiction novel, in which the end of Civilization occurs in a manner few of us expect (well, maybe some scattered astrophysicists might). What I found so frightening was not the loss of electricity and communications; we expect that. Nor the breakdown of law; that's expected too. What scares is the accompanying insanity, seemingly unrelated to the "loss" of civilizing influences, and especially the "this-could-really-happen and-soon" nature of the cataclysmic, catastrophic, event.
A complex but very riveting contemporary science fiction novel, in which the end of Civilization occurs in a manner few of us expect (well, maybe some scattered astrophysicists might). What I found so frightening was not the loss of electricity and communications; we expect that. Nor the breakdown of law; that's expected too. What scares is the accompanying insanity, seemingly unrelated to the "loss" of civilizing influences, and especially the "this-could-really-happen and-soon" nature of the cataclysmic, catastrophic, event.
October 30, 2021
Really great read, very different. A shame the author has disappeared!
August 6, 2014
Title: The Betelgeuse Oracle
Author: Joseph Macchiusi
Publisher/Year: The Betelgeuse Oracle 11/19/12
Length: 379 Pages
Overview
Every civilization has ended in collapse. Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome. All were sophisticated cultures brought low by unanticipated forces greater than themselves.
What forces hasten the collapse of our civilization? Not nuclear war, or climate change, or even an asteroid strike.
For millions of years the supergiant star Betelgeuse has waited patiently on Orion's right shoulder. Now its moment has arrived. It severs the single thread suspending Western civilization over a great abyss.
Something we take for granted disappears forever. Everything changes now that it is gone. Electronic equipment fails. Aircraft plummet from the sky. Motors cease to work. Distances that seem trifling by car become days-long slogs. Food and water are scarce. Forces awaken that have remained dormant for centuries. In a matter of hours, Western civilization teeters and falls.
James Muir is trapped in the midst of this huge calamity. Struggling to reunite with his wife and young daughters, he suffers bizarre, overpowering visions. A mysterious Voice berates him in ancient Egyptian. Amazed, he comprehends its command to embark on a quest for something it identifies only as "the Stone."
Hunted by cadres of well armed, highly trained militiamen, haunted by the erosion of his own sanity, James flees urban warfare, riot and pillage. He joins a group of desperate strangers, united to escape a metropolis transformed into a burning, violent wasteland.
But what awaits them beyond the fringes of the city? The further they get, the stronger is the painful tug exerted by the Voice on James's exhausted mind. As strangers grow into friends and lovers, James comes to realize that the thing called the Stone has a fanatical will of its own. Even if he survives the trek, he may not be strong enough to match the Stone's baffling power.
The Betelgeuse Oracle is a sweeping saga of loss and heroism, mysticism and visceral horror. Reading this novel will change the way you see the world.
My Thoughts
When i started reading this book, i wasn't exactly sure what i was getting since the prologue - the introduction to the story was in a different writing style than i'm used to. I wasn't sure to be honest that i was going to stick with this book since it seemed a bit more vulgar than i'm accustomed to - a bit more 'dirty' than i like, but i think that it was intentional in the sense that if you get past that, then you'll get into the heart of the story and there's so much more there.
What we have here is a story of survival - and of sci fi meets dystopia. (I feel like this and the last story that i read were in the same area). Anyhow, we have a lead who is put into a position where he's given power and powers yet all he wants to do is find a way to be with his family.
There's so much going on here - a lot of personalities and characters that some how become integral to the story without distracting too much from the main flow ...in general. I'll admit that there were parts that i just wanted to skim through, read rather quickly just to keep the story moving. don't hate me - i still got to the same place at the end of the book.
While i usually associate dystopia with places in the US so i can get a full grasp on things, this too a heritage and worldly feel that kind of left me thinking about things differently. It's nice to change things up a bit, so i would say that if you're looking for the next sci-fi dystopia that's just different enough from what you're reading, then check this one out. Enjoy!
Author: Joseph Macchiusi
Publisher/Year: The Betelgeuse Oracle 11/19/12
Length: 379 Pages
Overview
Every civilization has ended in collapse. Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome. All were sophisticated cultures brought low by unanticipated forces greater than themselves.
What forces hasten the collapse of our civilization? Not nuclear war, or climate change, or even an asteroid strike.
For millions of years the supergiant star Betelgeuse has waited patiently on Orion's right shoulder. Now its moment has arrived. It severs the single thread suspending Western civilization over a great abyss.
Something we take for granted disappears forever. Everything changes now that it is gone. Electronic equipment fails. Aircraft plummet from the sky. Motors cease to work. Distances that seem trifling by car become days-long slogs. Food and water are scarce. Forces awaken that have remained dormant for centuries. In a matter of hours, Western civilization teeters and falls.
James Muir is trapped in the midst of this huge calamity. Struggling to reunite with his wife and young daughters, he suffers bizarre, overpowering visions. A mysterious Voice berates him in ancient Egyptian. Amazed, he comprehends its command to embark on a quest for something it identifies only as "the Stone."
Hunted by cadres of well armed, highly trained militiamen, haunted by the erosion of his own sanity, James flees urban warfare, riot and pillage. He joins a group of desperate strangers, united to escape a metropolis transformed into a burning, violent wasteland.
But what awaits them beyond the fringes of the city? The further they get, the stronger is the painful tug exerted by the Voice on James's exhausted mind. As strangers grow into friends and lovers, James comes to realize that the thing called the Stone has a fanatical will of its own. Even if he survives the trek, he may not be strong enough to match the Stone's baffling power.
The Betelgeuse Oracle is a sweeping saga of loss and heroism, mysticism and visceral horror. Reading this novel will change the way you see the world.
My Thoughts
When i started reading this book, i wasn't exactly sure what i was getting since the prologue - the introduction to the story was in a different writing style than i'm used to. I wasn't sure to be honest that i was going to stick with this book since it seemed a bit more vulgar than i'm accustomed to - a bit more 'dirty' than i like, but i think that it was intentional in the sense that if you get past that, then you'll get into the heart of the story and there's so much more there.
What we have here is a story of survival - and of sci fi meets dystopia. (I feel like this and the last story that i read were in the same area). Anyhow, we have a lead who is put into a position where he's given power and powers yet all he wants to do is find a way to be with his family.
There's so much going on here - a lot of personalities and characters that some how become integral to the story without distracting too much from the main flow ...in general. I'll admit that there were parts that i just wanted to skim through, read rather quickly just to keep the story moving. don't hate me - i still got to the same place at the end of the book.
While i usually associate dystopia with places in the US so i can get a full grasp on things, this too a heritage and worldly feel that kind of left me thinking about things differently. It's nice to change things up a bit, so i would say that if you're looking for the next sci-fi dystopia that's just different enough from what you're reading, then check this one out. Enjoy!
August 23, 2014
I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.
The world as we know it has come to an end. Nothing works any longer. If it needs electricity to run then it will no longer work. Cell phones, iPads, iPhones, Kindles, PCs, Laptops, Tablets, Xboxes, Wii, and PlayStation are all dead. Cars, trucks no longer run. Everybody is in the dark. Some people are running around like chickens with their heads chopped off wondering what is happening and some have totally lost their mind and don't have a clue what they are doing much less anyone or anything else is doing.
James Muir works at York U as a security guard. James is sitting in a quiet place on campus with his laptop trying to write a story. James is a writer or wants to be but he is having a little trouble in that area at the moment. While James is eating his lunch and trying to write his story he has a seizure. When he comes out of the seizure he sees other people that are just coming out of a seizure as well. James starts trying to help some of the people who like himself were hurt while having a seizure. Then everyone sees something in the sky and are wondering what it is when they realize that it is an airplane falling out of the sky. During this time is when the sane people start realizing that nothing works. That everything is just shutting down. This is just the beginning for James and everyone else that is still alive in the world.
James starts thinking about his wife and daughters. His daughters are just little girls and are both probably scared out of their wits. All James wants is to get home to his wife and daughters to see if they are safe. But there is a voice in his head that keeps telling him to go northeast. At first James is like no way he is going home to his family. Well he finally makes it home and his home is gone, it has been destroyed by fire. There is nothing left of his home but the good thing is he did not find his family. Yes it is good because hopefully they are still alive and looking for him as well. So James decides to listen to the voice in his head and go northeast. What else is he going to do while he is looking for his family right? He can go northeast and look for his family at the same time. Hopefully the voice is leading him to his family.
James meets a lot of different people, characters on his journey to the northeast. They are all like him you knowing looking for their families or have nowhere else to go so they go along with him. It is too dangerous for anyone to stay in one place any longer. There are bad people in just about all of the towns. It is not safe to go into any of the towns but sometimes they have to find food. Some of these people are just like them just trying to survive and some that just want to be the boss and take control of everything and everyone. James and his group have to stay on the run all of the time they can't stay in one place to long because someone is following them.
The Betelgeuse Oracle will make you laugh one minute and then the next minute you want to cry. Sometimes you want to reach in and give some of the characters a great big shake and say what are you doing? The Betelgeuse Oracle will take you on a long journey with James and all of his new friends that he meets along the way. I loved all the gore among other things that I read in the book and how it was described. I loved how the author just put everything out there and didn't leave much to the imagination. He just told it like it is; there was no reading between the lines as they say.
The world as we know it has come to an end. Nothing works any longer. If it needs electricity to run then it will no longer work. Cell phones, iPads, iPhones, Kindles, PCs, Laptops, Tablets, Xboxes, Wii, and PlayStation are all dead. Cars, trucks no longer run. Everybody is in the dark. Some people are running around like chickens with their heads chopped off wondering what is happening and some have totally lost their mind and don't have a clue what they are doing much less anyone or anything else is doing.
James Muir works at York U as a security guard. James is sitting in a quiet place on campus with his laptop trying to write a story. James is a writer or wants to be but he is having a little trouble in that area at the moment. While James is eating his lunch and trying to write his story he has a seizure. When he comes out of the seizure he sees other people that are just coming out of a seizure as well. James starts trying to help some of the people who like himself were hurt while having a seizure. Then everyone sees something in the sky and are wondering what it is when they realize that it is an airplane falling out of the sky. During this time is when the sane people start realizing that nothing works. That everything is just shutting down. This is just the beginning for James and everyone else that is still alive in the world.
James starts thinking about his wife and daughters. His daughters are just little girls and are both probably scared out of their wits. All James wants is to get home to his wife and daughters to see if they are safe. But there is a voice in his head that keeps telling him to go northeast. At first James is like no way he is going home to his family. Well he finally makes it home and his home is gone, it has been destroyed by fire. There is nothing left of his home but the good thing is he did not find his family. Yes it is good because hopefully they are still alive and looking for him as well. So James decides to listen to the voice in his head and go northeast. What else is he going to do while he is looking for his family right? He can go northeast and look for his family at the same time. Hopefully the voice is leading him to his family.
James meets a lot of different people, characters on his journey to the northeast. They are all like him you knowing looking for their families or have nowhere else to go so they go along with him. It is too dangerous for anyone to stay in one place any longer. There are bad people in just about all of the towns. It is not safe to go into any of the towns but sometimes they have to find food. Some of these people are just like them just trying to survive and some that just want to be the boss and take control of everything and everyone. James and his group have to stay on the run all of the time they can't stay in one place to long because someone is following them.
The Betelgeuse Oracle will make you laugh one minute and then the next minute you want to cry. Sometimes you want to reach in and give some of the characters a great big shake and say what are you doing? The Betelgeuse Oracle will take you on a long journey with James and all of his new friends that he meets along the way. I loved all the gore among other things that I read in the book and how it was described. I loved how the author just put everything out there and didn't leave much to the imagination. He just told it like it is; there was no reading between the lines as they say.
August 6, 2013
There is no way to rate this book using standard measures. The language and sentence fragmentation were off putting. The author built his story very well, but I couldn't find any resolution in the end. Survivors of Lights Out foraged for food and water and safety. James Muir was on a quest to find the oracle that he believed would restore his family and his world. The oracle had power but not of the kind that James sought. Despite the things I found wrong with the book, it was a compelling read.
March 19, 2016
Take away everything to do with Egyptian gods and supernatural possessions, and this is a pretty darned good post-apocalypse tale, including some genuinely touching family backstory, and a couple truly original twists on surviving the first few months after the apocalypse. This would be an easy 4 start novel just focusing on those. Even the cause of the apocalypse - Betelgeuse going supernova - is unique.
Unfortunately, the book devotes a LOT of time to the fantasy aspects, enough time that it made me wonder whether reading the whole thing was worth it or not.
Unfortunately, the book devotes a LOT of time to the fantasy aspects, enough time that it made me wonder whether reading the whole thing was worth it or not.
February 25, 2014
I am not a fan of this book. The profanity is awful, the characters are unlikable, the storyline is confusing, and if those things don't make it hard enough to read, the grammatical mistakes will definitely turn you away. I don't recommend it, but I for sure do not recommend it for anyone who is not an adult. You may read my full review on my book blog: www.the-readathon.blogspot.com.
November 8, 2012
A moving and complex story from a dark imagination. I found the dog-headed dude truly terrifying and he haunts me still. The characters are rich and well-drawn. I enjoyed that even in the story's darkest moments, there is a wry humour.
March 14, 2013
Very slow in some parts and "the quest" made no sense
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews