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The Boolean Gate
Mark Twain versus the Singularity!
Mark Twain may be the most celebrated man in the world, but his alter ego Sam Clemens is tottering through life, disillusioned by the massacres and madness of the human race and stalked by guilt over the deaths of his children, his brother, and his wife. Sam’s friend, the brilliant scientist Nikola Tesla, creates dazzling new technologies that may transform the world--- but as Sam discovers, Tesla’s inventions may not belong to him, but might instead be the calculating creations of an malevolent intelligence from beyond the Earth.
Mark Twain might be able to save the world, but first Sam Clemens must make up his mind whether the “damned human race” is worth saving.
In “The Boolean Gate,” Walter Jon Williams continues his brilliant series of stories about writers, and brings to life the milieu and the towering personalities of America’s Gilded Age.
“This one is 99% historical fact, although readers unfamiliar with the career of Tesla may think it’s the stuff of science fiction. Tesla was a science fiction writer’s dream made flesh, with also a bit of the mad scientist in the mix . . . but the story really belongs to Sam Clemens, who was in fact Tesla’s friend.”
Lois Tilton, Locus
‘‘Despite the Ragtime-like sense of a slice of Gilded Age life among the historically prominent, this really is SF… Once again, Williams demonstrates the range of his writerly chops.’’
Russell Letson, Locus
Mark Twain may be the most celebrated man in the world, but his alter ego Sam Clemens is tottering through life, disillusioned by the massacres and madness of the human race and stalked by guilt over the deaths of his children, his brother, and his wife. Sam’s friend, the brilliant scientist Nikola Tesla, creates dazzling new technologies that may transform the world--- but as Sam discovers, Tesla’s inventions may not belong to him, but might instead be the calculating creations of an malevolent intelligence from beyond the Earth.
Mark Twain might be able to save the world, but first Sam Clemens must make up his mind whether the “damned human race” is worth saving.
In “The Boolean Gate,” Walter Jon Williams continues his brilliant series of stories about writers, and brings to life the milieu and the towering personalities of America’s Gilded Age.
“This one is 99% historical fact, although readers unfamiliar with the career of Tesla may think it’s the stuff of science fiction. Tesla was a science fiction writer’s dream made flesh, with also a bit of the mad scientist in the mix . . . but the story really belongs to Sam Clemens, who was in fact Tesla’s friend.”
Lois Tilton, Locus
‘‘Despite the Ragtime-like sense of a slice of Gilded Age life among the historically prominent, this really is SF… Once again, Williams demonstrates the range of his writerly chops.’’
Russell Letson, Locus
- GenresScience Fiction
120 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2012
11 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Walter Jon Williams
238 books893 followersWalter Jon Williams has published twenty novels and short fiction collections. Most are science fiction or fantasy -Hardwired, Voice of the Whirlwind, Aristoi, Metropolitan, City on Fire to name just a few - a few are historical adventures, and the most recent, The Rift, is a disaster novel in which "I just basically pound a part of the planet down to bedrock." And that's just the opening chapters. Walter holds a fourth-degree black belt in Kenpo Karate, and also enjoys sailing and scuba diving. He lives in New Mexico with his wife, Kathy Hedges.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 12, 2012
Originally posted at FanLit. http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Walter Jon Williams' The Boolean Gate is a story about the famous friendship between Sam Clemens / Mark Twain and Nikola Tesla. Clemens was fascinated with Tesla's scientific experiments and spent a lot of time in Tesla's lab. Williams' version of this relationship suggests that Clemens discovered that Tesla's genius had some supernatural help. When Clemens realizes what's going on, he has to make a decision that may affect the future of the human race.
The Boolean Gate is a fast-moving novella (I read it in just a couple of hours) filled with lots of interesting facts about Sam Clemens, Nikola Tesla, and New York City at the end of the 19th, and beginning of the 20th, century. We learn all about the guilt Clemens feels about the death of his son, daughter, and wife. We see him offering his humorous quotes to waiting reporters each morning. He tells us about his financial difficulties and how he got into and out of bankruptcy. We learn about Tesla's wardrobe, celibacy, dining and exercise habits, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, relationships with investors, and some of his projects including his Teleautomaton and the tower at Wardenclyffe. We spend some time with other famous people of the era, too -- J.P. Morgan, Robert and Katharine Johnson, Andrew and Lucy Carnegie, Charles Schwab.
Williams brings the high society of turn-of-the-century New York City to life. I enjoyed visiting Manhattan's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel where Oscar the maître d' is responsible for such well-known treats as Waldorf Salad, Eggs Benedict, and Thousand Island dressing.
As you can tell, there's a lot of name dropping in The Boolean Gate. Much of it is basic information I already knew about these famous figures and, though there are many personal and historical facts presented, few if any aren't easily found within a few minutes at Wikipedia. In other words, Williams' research is rather shallow. But that's okay for this little novella.
What Williams does best in The Boolean Gate is to play with Telsa's belief that he could use his scientific discoveries to communicate with aliens. In fact (according to Wikipedia), Tesla really did believe he had intercepted messages from outer space. Walters puts a fun science fiction spin on this and asks Mark Twain to make some ethical decisions and to, perhaps, save the world. Or, maybe he didn't save the world. Maybe he set us back instead. I guess we'll never know....
The Boolean Gate is a fast and amusing alternate history with exciting characters set in an elegant New York City venue. Recommended for a couple of hours of pleasant entertainment.
Walter Jon Williams' The Boolean Gate is a story about the famous friendship between Sam Clemens / Mark Twain and Nikola Tesla. Clemens was fascinated with Tesla's scientific experiments and spent a lot of time in Tesla's lab. Williams' version of this relationship suggests that Clemens discovered that Tesla's genius had some supernatural help. When Clemens realizes what's going on, he has to make a decision that may affect the future of the human race.
The Boolean Gate is a fast-moving novella (I read it in just a couple of hours) filled with lots of interesting facts about Sam Clemens, Nikola Tesla, and New York City at the end of the 19th, and beginning of the 20th, century. We learn all about the guilt Clemens feels about the death of his son, daughter, and wife. We see him offering his humorous quotes to waiting reporters each morning. He tells us about his financial difficulties and how he got into and out of bankruptcy. We learn about Tesla's wardrobe, celibacy, dining and exercise habits, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, relationships with investors, and some of his projects including his Teleautomaton and the tower at Wardenclyffe. We spend some time with other famous people of the era, too -- J.P. Morgan, Robert and Katharine Johnson, Andrew and Lucy Carnegie, Charles Schwab.
Williams brings the high society of turn-of-the-century New York City to life. I enjoyed visiting Manhattan's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel where Oscar the maître d' is responsible for such well-known treats as Waldorf Salad, Eggs Benedict, and Thousand Island dressing.
As you can tell, there's a lot of name dropping in The Boolean Gate. Much of it is basic information I already knew about these famous figures and, though there are many personal and historical facts presented, few if any aren't easily found within a few minutes at Wikipedia. In other words, Williams' research is rather shallow. But that's okay for this little novella.
What Williams does best in The Boolean Gate is to play with Telsa's belief that he could use his scientific discoveries to communicate with aliens. In fact (according to Wikipedia), Tesla really did believe he had intercepted messages from outer space. Walters puts a fun science fiction spin on this and asks Mark Twain to make some ethical decisions and to, perhaps, save the world. Or, maybe he didn't save the world. Maybe he set us back instead. I guess we'll never know....
The Boolean Gate is a fast and amusing alternate history with exciting characters set in an elegant New York City venue. Recommended for a couple of hours of pleasant entertainment.
February 2, 2019
What a horrible book.
I read quite a bit of Williams back in the 90s, and to the best of my recollection I enjoyed everything I read by him, but not this.
For the first 2/3 or so of this book I'd say the primary question the narrative raised was what is the point of this narrative. Clemens is depressive and depressing, certainly not a narrator I particularly wish to spend any time with. Among the memorable moments are him repeatedly needling "his friend" Tesla, (famously celibate and one could make a case for asexual), implying he needs to give the wives of various rich men some sexual gratification if he wants any funding for his projects, when Tesla is clearly distressed by the idea.
But it gets worse.
The story starts to paint Tesla as a tool, , and Clemens
I thought an author I enjoyed writing about a historical figure I like would be a good read, but this didn't make me happy at all. It's a depressing sort of vaguely Lovecraft, vaguely Tim Powers type of thing that felt really disrespectful to its subjects. Yuck.
I read quite a bit of Williams back in the 90s, and to the best of my recollection I enjoyed everything I read by him, but not this.
For the first 2/3 or so of this book I'd say the primary question the narrative raised was what is the point of this narrative. Clemens is depressive and depressing, certainly not a narrator I particularly wish to spend any time with. Among the memorable moments are him repeatedly needling "his friend" Tesla, (famously celibate and one could make a case for asexual), implying he needs to give the wives of various rich men some sexual gratification if he wants any funding for his projects, when Tesla is clearly distressed by the idea.
But it gets worse.
The story starts to paint Tesla as a tool, , and Clemens
I thought an author I enjoyed writing about a historical figure I like would be a good read, but this didn't make me happy at all. It's a depressing sort of vaguely Lovecraft, vaguely Tim Powers type of thing that felt really disrespectful to its subjects. Yuck.
February 18, 2013
A great introductory look into the life and times of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) in his golden years in New York City. The characters of both Clemens and his friend Nicola Tesla were well-exposed. The plot was interesting but a bit thin and watered-down. It's disappointing, too, because so many interesting things could have been done with Tesla's hidden secret and his sinister alter-ego. I realize it was important to remain concise and focused, due to the short form, but it is no excuse, really. In fact, I love the novella form as a reader, but it is obviously dangerous and risky for the author because it forces her or him to master the plot while still providing all of the entertainment in between along with her or his own style.
The premise, character development, sense of period and place, and humor in this story make it definitely worth reading.
The premise, character development, sense of period and place, and humor in this story make it definitely worth reading.
January 23, 2013
This book was fun but frustrating. The fun part was going back and seeing the world during Mark Twain and Tesla’s time. The characters are fully developed and interesting.
The book is disappointing in that the main element of the story line is only briefly touched on in the book and then it is dealt with. Tesla is the antagonist and Twain his foil. I wanted to get deeper into what was happening to Tesla but it just wasn’t there. It was like an extended movie preview, and then it ended.
If you can pick this up cheap, then get it, otherwise I don't recomment it.
The book is disappointing in that the main element of the story line is only briefly touched on in the book and then it is dealt with. Tesla is the antagonist and Twain his foil. I wanted to get deeper into what was happening to Tesla but it just wasn’t there. It was like an extended movie preview, and then it ended.
If you can pick this up cheap, then get it, otherwise I don't recomment it.
October 3, 2013
I LOVED THIS BOOK! What a creative story idea! Sam Clemens and Nikola Tesla are friends and discuss everything from romance to electricity to the resonant frequency of the Earth. Somewhere along the way, Tesla is made aware of an alien intelligence. But was he really? Less than a sweeping epic and more than a mere philosphical diatribe, The Boolean Gate is a masterful work of dialogue and storytelling. Through wonderful interactions, Clemens and Tesla explore their respctive passions. Tesla is an inventor and Clemens laments being Mark Twain while revelling in his notoreity. Each has his own faults but they need each other to bounce ideas off of and acheive the right perspective. It's hard to give the novel a plot because it's very faint. Mostly, it's about Tesla's need for funding for his World Network of air-borne electricity. Clemens is fascinated and terrified. Most of the "action" is seen through Clemens' eyes, but what a main charcter he is! Mr. Williams has a gift for finding Twain's voice. The dialogue positively sparkles with wit and intelligence. All I can say is that this book is worth the ride. It's a short novel so HAVE AT IT!
August 12, 2017
Pleasant read
A pleasant short read - one of those books that take real historical characters and incorporate them into a story line that enables the author to introduce the milieu. The story line is fairly thin, but it is readable, and it paints a picture of Mark Twain and Nikolai Tesla that seems fairly accurate (excluding the invasion from outer space).
A pleasant short read - one of those books that take real historical characters and incorporate them into a story line that enables the author to introduce the milieu. The story line is fairly thin, but it is readable, and it paints a picture of Mark Twain and Nikolai Tesla that seems fairly accurate (excluding the invasion from outer space).
September 7, 2023
An alternate history novella nominated for the Locus award in 2013, featuring the relationship between Mark Twain / Samuel Clemens and Nikola Telsa and his countless ideas, "inventive fits" and plans for the future of the world.
December 28, 2016
If you're a Twain vs. Tesla kinda person, then a recommended read. Likewise for the Grand Conspiracies sort.
October 9, 2016
Strange doings with Mark Twain and Nicolai Tesla.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews