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Eternity Begins
When Piya Rajan meets Abhimanyu Raghavan at a nightclub, she doesn't know quite what's in store for her.
At first she thinks that Abhi is your regular recluse. But as their relationship deepens, she begins to wonder if he was not interested more in her father's top secret government work than in her. Then suspicion turns into certainty, and it falls on Piya's shoulders to stop Abhi before he escapes. But who Piya thinks a spy is in fact something else, a man unlike one she had ever met...
Far into the future, humanity is on the brink of extinction, driven to death by a relentless virus. All attempts to thwart it have failed. Now the last thirty-two living humans are sending a man back in time to right a few wrongs in the cold, distant past.
Can the lone traveller accomplish his mission? Will one young woman's pursuit of love save the human race? Find out in this gripping time travel story.
At first she thinks that Abhi is your regular recluse. But as their relationship deepens, she begins to wonder if he was not interested more in her father's top secret government work than in her. Then suspicion turns into certainty, and it falls on Piya's shoulders to stop Abhi before he escapes. But who Piya thinks a spy is in fact something else, a man unlike one she had ever met...
Far into the future, humanity is on the brink of extinction, driven to death by a relentless virus. All attempts to thwart it have failed. Now the last thirty-two living humans are sending a man back in time to right a few wrongs in the cold, distant past.
Can the lone traveller accomplish his mission? Will one young woman's pursuit of love save the human race? Find out in this gripping time travel story.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 26, 2016
3 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Sharath Komarraju
134 books214 followersSharath Komarraju is an author of fiction and nonfiction based in Bangalore, India. Once a software engineer, now he writes for a living, and on lazy days he watches cricket and talks to his wife (often at the same time).
His most popular work to date is the Hastinapur series, in which he speaks into the silences of the Mahabharata story through the epic's many women characters.
His most popular work to date is the Hastinapur series, in which he speaks into the silences of the Mahabharata story through the epic's many women characters.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 6, 2016
I have always believed that good sci fi books are ones that are set in a world markedly different from the one we are used to, but feels just as real because of believable characters you can relate to. Eternity Begins does exactly that, setting up a dystopian world where mankind is on the brink after a nuclear blast. However, its not a nuclear winter or radiation poisoning or mutated humans and animals with superpowers that end up threatening the existence of the human race, and hope is also not found in any of the usual places. The premise itself is very novel. How does a nuclear weapon that explodes in the atmosphere without hitting any population centers end up causing so much damage to the human race over generations. It makes you think a little more about how we might bring about our end in a thousand different ways we never thought of because of our irresponsible behavior today.
The plot jumps across time-lines and universes effortlessly and hits you with a twist towards the end which you may or not expect but works well nevertheless. Another thing to appreciate is that the author shows you a future which is not a complete extrapolation of the western hemisphere alone. When the world is becoming more and more interconnected now with cultures across the world gaining prominence, its a little difficult to believe a future world which doesn't seem to have the diversity which we have even now. This book thankfully doesn't have that problem and shows future Indians, although India as a country doesn't seem to exist in the future. The plot also provides a good reason for why all the characters seem to be descended from one country in our present world.
I only had two complaints about the book. 1. Although I do appreciate the tight storytelling which avoids too many boring descriptions of every room, flying car and futuristic gadget, I think I would have liked a little more insight into what the world looked like to these future humans. For example, when Abhi travels in the hypercar, what does it feel like, what does he see? How does he react to the alien world he encounters when he reaches his destination? The other complaint is, I felt the story could have gone on a little. It seemed to end a little too soon after the climatic twist. Don't get me wrong- the story IS wrapped up and completed, but I just wanted more. And the ending didn't seem to hint that there is more to come. I half wish the ending was left ambiguous so that I could imagine what happened next, or that there was more story after that or a hint of a sequel. Hopefully the author will see the response to the book and decide to write a sequel that takes care of that need.
But at the end of the day, these are minor quibbles and the book is a must read if you like short, hard hitting sci-fi from a fresh perspective.
The plot jumps across time-lines and universes effortlessly and hits you with a twist towards the end which you may or not expect but works well nevertheless. Another thing to appreciate is that the author shows you a future which is not a complete extrapolation of the western hemisphere alone. When the world is becoming more and more interconnected now with cultures across the world gaining prominence, its a little difficult to believe a future world which doesn't seem to have the diversity which we have even now. This book thankfully doesn't have that problem and shows future Indians, although India as a country doesn't seem to exist in the future. The plot also provides a good reason for why all the characters seem to be descended from one country in our present world.
I only had two complaints about the book. 1. Although I do appreciate the tight storytelling which avoids too many boring descriptions of every room, flying car and futuristic gadget, I think I would have liked a little more insight into what the world looked like to these future humans. For example, when Abhi travels in the hypercar, what does it feel like, what does he see? How does he react to the alien world he encounters when he reaches his destination? The other complaint is, I felt the story could have gone on a little. It seemed to end a little too soon after the climatic twist. Don't get me wrong- the story IS wrapped up and completed, but I just wanted more. And the ending didn't seem to hint that there is more to come. I half wish the ending was left ambiguous so that I could imagine what happened next, or that there was more story after that or a hint of a sequel. Hopefully the author will see the response to the book and decide to write a sequel that takes care of that need.
But at the end of the day, these are minor quibbles and the book is a must read if you like short, hard hitting sci-fi from a fresh perspective.
October 3, 2016
I enjoyed reading the book. Other reason could be that I am currently reading articles on the robots and this book and other book of his 'Loyalty Net' has given me a different perspective of the robots. These books show how the system can be compromised and at the same time show us what can an early lead do to a nation. Hope to see more such books from him.
October 1, 2016
The book is robots all the way and those who love robotics will love this book. I also liked it and I visualised being with robots around me. The author has a way with robotics and has a good hold on the subject. An interesting sci fi book . A must read. Kudos to the author
October 5, 2016
The is the second sci-fi book by Sharath that is set in the future and has robots as the integral part of the story line. No - this is not the sequel or the prequel to the earlier book. The books are set in the same universe but along different timelines.
Its sci-fi and set into the future. So we have humans, robots, robotic research and development ... and Time Travel :) ... so we have the story set in two different timelines / eras also. In this case, post and pre Robots. And ... it has a dystopian touch so we have a Nuclear weapon discharged too leading to the 'near' extinction of the human race ... albeit in a slow gradual manner over centuries rather than a one-shot wipe-out by the nuclear blast.
So the basic story line is around the attempts of Mankind to save itself from extinction by going back into the past and changing the reason/event that led to the nuclear detonation. Only problem being that they dont know what triggered the detonation and the time machine which they finally manage to build gives them a small window of the past to travel to.
As in the earlier book, Sharath beautifully gives a philosophical and moral touch to the sci-fi storyline and best of all, gives us a very nice twist in the story in the climax.
He also uses a red herring in the story to keep us mis-directed. All along the story, we suspect something and finally it is proven true ... and then Sharath does the BIG Reveal and shocks the reader. The climax hits hard and if you look at it a bit philosophically, u r stunned by the implications.
All in all, i would give it 5 stars except that there needs to be some tightening of the writing here and there. Maybe, Sharath could build the suspense even better. having read so many books by Sharath, I believe in his ability to write across genres and he is doing a splendid job at that.
A must read for the sci-fi fans around ... but be ready to read a different kind of sci-fi :)
Its sci-fi and set into the future. So we have humans, robots, robotic research and development ... and Time Travel :) ... so we have the story set in two different timelines / eras also. In this case, post and pre Robots. And ... it has a dystopian touch so we have a Nuclear weapon discharged too leading to the 'near' extinction of the human race ... albeit in a slow gradual manner over centuries rather than a one-shot wipe-out by the nuclear blast.
So the basic story line is around the attempts of Mankind to save itself from extinction by going back into the past and changing the reason/event that led to the nuclear detonation. Only problem being that they dont know what triggered the detonation and the time machine which they finally manage to build gives them a small window of the past to travel to.
As in the earlier book, Sharath beautifully gives a philosophical and moral touch to the sci-fi storyline and best of all, gives us a very nice twist in the story in the climax.
He also uses a red herring in the story to keep us mis-directed. All along the story, we suspect something and finally it is proven true ... and then Sharath does the BIG Reveal and shocks the reader. The climax hits hard and if you look at it a bit philosophically, u r stunned by the implications.
All in all, i would give it 5 stars except that there needs to be some tightening of the writing here and there. Maybe, Sharath could build the suspense even better. having read so many books by Sharath, I believe in his ability to write across genres and he is doing a splendid job at that.
A must read for the sci-fi fans around ... but be ready to read a different kind of sci-fi :)
September 15, 2016
Another science fiction from Sharath which is more a suspense thriller. The best part of the book is the plot, which twists and turns and leave us surprised and to some extent shocked. Sharath is best at mysteries which is clearly found woven in the plot. The characters are realistic and acceptable. There are some small mistakes like when Abhimanyu first introduced himself to Piya he had a south Indian surname which changes to Saxsena when gets introduced to Dr Rajan. I felt Nakshtra's character to be a bit vague but again its not her story so it is okay. I especially liked the part where the people get to know that the Facility they live in is actually "Taj Mahal" and Goutham's thought on why it has been specifically choosen. Over all a good holiday read.
September 27, 2016
It was a complete joy ride.
The story is amazing. The flow is very nice. End (although guessable towards the last chapters) is brilliant.
(Possible spoilers) I did not understand how almost everyone gets so easily convinced with the male protagonist Abhimanyu.
It could have added visual impact if the author had described objects, environment and buildings from the future. I especially missed the description for the hypercar. Otherwise, the entire book is filled with detailed visual descriptions of things.
Overall a very nice read. It is loosely connected to the book by the same author called Loyalty Net. Those who liked this book should definitely try that as well.
The story is amazing. The flow is very nice. End (although guessable towards the last chapters) is brilliant.
(Possible spoilers) I did not understand how almost everyone gets so easily convinced with the male protagonist Abhimanyu.
It could have added visual impact if the author had described objects, environment and buildings from the future. I especially missed the description for the hypercar. Otherwise, the entire book is filled with detailed visual descriptions of things.
Overall a very nice read. It is loosely connected to the book by the same author called Loyalty Net. Those who liked this book should definitely try that as well.
October 3, 2016
Sharath has surprised me with the book. The way mystery unfolds, its amazing. For some time, you might even start thinking you have to be like the leading character only to get a sweet and pleasant surprise later on. I am pretty sure, the day is not far, when human beings would create humanoid robits as perceived by the author, ofcourse with the kind of Loyalty net he has mentioned in another book of his. Good work Sharath, keep going.
November 8, 2016
It's a good book and there are certain parts I really enjoyed reading. The entire concept of robotics is very Asimov-ish and the book has a got a good taste of classic Science Fiction writing. However, that being said, it's not really a show-don't-tell kind of book. As a reader i wasn't really surprised at the twists and turns in the book and I was somewhat expecting them. I think the book has a lot of potential and it depends on Sharath how he takes it from here onward.
September 20, 2016
This is a wonderful novel set in the world of humanoids, electronics, robotics and hyperspace travel. It is so fascinating about the various networks like loyalty networks, eraser networks, etc., about robots. A lot of human characteristics that evade in the design of robots prove a great challenge. On the whole, very interesting to read till the end.
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September 11, 2016a sci fi fiction about not so distant future. the story line of book can not be said as new but the writer has surprised here and there and kept me reading till end . Over all it can be a good one time read.
Read
October 23, 2016Not good as Loyalty Net. After reading Loyalty Net you may feel that this would be same and give you a sense of thrill that it had but I found Eternity Begins as a very average novel. The Author could have done a better job.
November 5, 2016
Amazing Stuff. Hatsoff to the imagination and creativity of Sharath.
May 30, 2017
Excellent Novel by Sharath Komarraju
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews