Stage of Fools

by Sean Pauzauskie

"Stage of Fools" is the centerpiece of the Thomas Mariner Neurotechnology Trilogy. It is a tale told from a San Francisco intensive care unit, by billionaire Steven Levinson, a patient who has fallen into a coma, who must take captive time to reexamine and learn from the suppressed events of his life, so that he might reawaken healed and save the family he has set at the brink of destruction by his jealousy, vanity, and recklessness. If there's still time for this modern King Lear.

236 pages, Hardcover

Published October 20, 2025

Reviews

[Teri M Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stage of Fools is a literary fiction by Sean Pauzauskie. We quickly meet Thomas Mariner, a billionaire who appears to have it all - until an unfortunate fishing accident leaves him in a coma in a San Francisco ICU.

The entire story is in the mind of Thomas while he is in a coma and flashbacks to his childhood and early adulthood. Despite his fortune and fame, Thomas has demons, and these demons have created problems in his family. His hope? To figure things out, make the needed changes, and save them from what he set in motion due to jealousy, his ego, and rash actions.

I think what is most interesting is that the author is a neurologist. He offers a lot of information to help us understand what it might be like inside a brain during a coma. And for Thomas, his obsession with the play, King Lear, shows up throughout.

I found the novel interesting and thought-provoking with an ending I didn't expect.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

A haunting and evocative intellectually written novel. An enjoyable journey through the comatose mind of Steven Levinson, a business magnate. His thoughts while in this state throughout his life are examined along with his awareness of what is happening around him. Plots and subplots and interesting twists and turns made a great read. Enjoyable and distinctly different.