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Panoptemitry
Short description
With a goal as high and lofty as the unspecified pursuit of knowledge, there may not be a clear point at which to stop. Acting as one has been taught to can seem to hold just as much purpose as the actual reason for taking those actions. When the growth of technology begins to hold the same powers as religious doctrine has declared divine, does the simple recording of events become blasphemous?
Extended description
On a research mission to provide information for a great galactic computer network (called S.Y.M.A.C.), Emilija Lithuan and her assistants run up against the higher ranks of the Caytalan Church. The punishment that these religious leaders try to stick them with, could possibly have a greater effect than was ever intended.
When their escape saddles them with a famous outlaw, a careful reassessment of what is right and wrong can't be avoided. How much of what is 'common knowledge' is even actually true?
And if it's not, just how much preceived reality is built upon a lie?
With a goal as high and lofty as the unspecified pursuit of knowledge, there may not be a clear point at which to stop. Acting as one has been taught to can seem to hold just as much purpose as the actual reason for taking those actions. When the growth of technology begins to hold the same powers as religious doctrine has declared divine, does the simple recording of events become blasphemous?
Extended description
On a research mission to provide information for a great galactic computer network (called S.Y.M.A.C.), Emilija Lithuan and her assistants run up against the higher ranks of the Caytalan Church. The punishment that these religious leaders try to stick them with, could possibly have a greater effect than was ever intended.
When their escape saddles them with a famous outlaw, a careful reassessment of what is right and wrong can't be avoided. How much of what is 'common knowledge' is even actually true?
And if it's not, just how much preceived reality is built upon a lie?
300 pages, ebook
First published December 1, 2012
8 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Baethge
14 books122 followersSarah Baethge is a fan of Science-fiction and fantasy who lives and writes in central Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 1, 2013
The thing I love about Panoptemitry is the undertones of the age old struggle between science and religion. The priests of the Caytalan Church use prison planets to grow and harvest “sprites”, a substance that enables those with high quantities in their blood to communicate with one another and even a god named Caytal.
Science is represented by the galactic computer network S.Y.M.A.C. Using S.Y.M.A.C., humans learned to create artificial life or androids by studying the growing cells of their fellow man. A combination of biology and technology, the androids are designed with certain parameters to guide their interactions with humans, ie they won’t attack and can’t knowingly lie.
One android, Max, is sent to study ancient Cayatlan texts that result in the capture of his human controllers Ryan Mead and Emilija Lithuan by the Caytalan Church. The Caytalans inject Mead with their sprites while banishing Lithuan to a prison planet where she befriends a killer sent there to die.
Following Max’s rescue of the three of them, they’re confronted with the moral implications of their actions to one another as well as trying to determine whether they should trust the words of Caytal while the god attempt to use them to do his bidding.
Sounds exciting right? It is, but there were a couple of drawbacks. I never harp on editing or formatting, but there were times I was taken out of the story by a few glitches here and there. The story had such a great buildup that I expected more at the ending. This could just be me, but the ending seemed rushed as the loose ends were tied up faster than I would’ve liked.
If you’re like me and can’t get enough of sci-fi, then check it out. But read some of the free sample first to make sure it’s your cup of tea, so to speak.
Science is represented by the galactic computer network S.Y.M.A.C. Using S.Y.M.A.C., humans learned to create artificial life or androids by studying the growing cells of their fellow man. A combination of biology and technology, the androids are designed with certain parameters to guide their interactions with humans, ie they won’t attack and can’t knowingly lie.
One android, Max, is sent to study ancient Cayatlan texts that result in the capture of his human controllers Ryan Mead and Emilija Lithuan by the Caytalan Church. The Caytalans inject Mead with their sprites while banishing Lithuan to a prison planet where she befriends a killer sent there to die.
Following Max’s rescue of the three of them, they’re confronted with the moral implications of their actions to one another as well as trying to determine whether they should trust the words of Caytal while the god attempt to use them to do his bidding.
Sounds exciting right? It is, but there were a couple of drawbacks. I never harp on editing or formatting, but there were times I was taken out of the story by a few glitches here and there. The story had such a great buildup that I expected more at the ending. This could just be me, but the ending seemed rushed as the loose ends were tied up faster than I would’ve liked.
If you’re like me and can’t get enough of sci-fi, then check it out. But read some of the free sample first to make sure it’s your cup of tea, so to speak.
February 14, 2013
My Review: The plot of the book was interesting and the conflict between the church and science was great. However I felt that the characters could have been developed better and the story got muddled in places. The conflict between treating a machine even as far advanced as Max was as a human or machine or pet was good. I felt like Emilija was not a very well thought out person her character switched all over the place. The ending could use some work and the editing and formatting was bad
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June 6, 2013Leaving unrated because I did not finish.
The basic concept is potentially promising, but this story is severely in need of an editor. I'll pass until it's been heavily revised.
The basic concept is potentially promising, but this story is severely in need of an editor. I'll pass until it's been heavily revised.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews