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Mysterium
In Mysterium, Robert Charles Wilson "blends science, religion, philosophy and alternate history into an intelligent, compelling work of fiction" (Publishers Weekly). In a top-secret government installation near the small town of Two Rivers, Michigan, scientists are investigating a mysterious object discovered several years earlier. Late one evening, the local residents observe strange lights coming from the laboratory. The next morning, they awake to find that their town was literally cut off from the rest of the world...and thrust into a new one!Soon the town is discovered by the bewildered leaders of this new world—at which point, the people of Two Rivers realize that they've arrived in a rigid theocracy. The authorities, known as the Bureau de la Covenance Religieuse, have ordered Linneth Stone, a young ethnologist, to analyze the arrivals and report her findings to the Lieutenant in charge.What Linneth finds will challenge the philosophical basis of her society and lead inexorably to a struggle for power centering on the mysterious object that Two Rivers' government scientists were studying when the town slipped between worlds.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 1994
93 people are currently reading
758 people want to read
About the author
Robert Charles Wilson
96 books1,681 followersI've been writing science fiction professionally since my first novel A Hidden Place was published in 1986. My books include Darwinia, Blind Lake, and the Hugo Award-winning Spin. My newest novel is The Affinities (April 2015).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
August 3, 2020
An Essay on Theocracy
Mysterium uses sci-fi to compare and contrast a theocratic state with its secular equivalent within which religion is practised. It’s an interesting idea. And Robert Wilson does an intelligent job of identifying where and how the differences are established and maintained. In his theocracy, the ultimate power of the Church is represented by its control over the development of the nuclear bomb. This makes for good fiction but begs the question of how such authority might be created. I have some suggestions based on the history of the Church and some more recent events.
In my sunset years I have grown to despise Christianity as a philosophy and as a moral force in the world. One, I suppose, has to take it very seriously in order to reach this conclusion since on the face of it, the religion is just some admonitions about moral behaviour touted by many obviously normal, that is to say, immoral, people. Only close scrutiny and considered thought reveals that it is the adherence to Christian beliefs which produces the consistent history of immorality that is evident and persists in those societies it has infected. Looking beyond the surface appearance is a principle theme of Mysterium; so my remarks are in the spirit of the book.
My conclusion and attitude, of course, could all be put down as an old man’s disappointment with his life (not to mention dementia). This is certainly a possibility. But, although I have more than a few regrets, I can’t say that my life is in any sense a disappointment. It has provided me far more than I deserve as an average human being and given me the chance to think beyond my immediate needs for survival. And I fancy I think more clearly, certainly with more experience, than my youthful self (dementia or not).
I can’t even say that I am disappointed in Christianity. The Christian religion has always appeared to me as exactly what it says on the tin - the only way to eternal salvation. As long as one maintains the fictional notion of eternal salvation, one can hardly be disappointed in the institution that claims to give access to it. But I have never really been troubled by this salvation-neurosis. The Jansenist fire and brimstone retreat masters of my youth just never struck me as credible. Even then the contradictions between a loving God and the vindictive pains of hell were obvious.
No, my gripe with Christianity is about power, the coercive power that it exercises and justifies through its tribal theology of faith. This has been a surprise to me rather than a disappointment. Despite its rhetoric of love and forgiveness, Christianity is primarily a religion of human power over other human beings. This power takes a variety of forms, from its hierarchical organisation which claims that some of its members are intellectually or spiritually superior to others, to its doctrines that those who are not its members are vastly inferior to those who are.
But the most important, and in many ways least noticed, power-grab by Christianity has been its attempt to control language. From the re-invention of religion as ‘faith’ by Paul of Tarsus, to the definition of the Biblical canon, to the formulation of specific dogmas (and their antithetical heresies), to the systematic development (or restriction) of theological thought, to the frequent violence used to enforce all of these, Christianity has sought to control the language of the divine by making language divine, by effectively claiming it as a religious artefact. And by controlling language it means to control everything else from history to science, in other words, reality.
Christianity divinised language for its own purpose - to bring others under its authority. Very few of those who pronounce the various Christian creeds on a Sunday have any idea of the meaning of the words they are using. And even fewer of those who think they do understand the meaning of the words agree among themselves. But this doesn’t matter because the significance of the creeds is only in the words as words. Whatever they refer to can be left to the individual imagination. Words are tokens of tribal membership, a symbolon or confirmation to others that one is a respectable member of the band, and subject oneself to hierarchical obedience regarding language.
According to Christianity, nothing is unforgivable, but only for members of the Church and only through its authority. This doctrine is stated in words, derived from other words, and applied through words to those who profess the right words. This is the essence of theocracy. No theocratic functionary dare claim direct communication with the divine. Those that do are considered mad. But through their claim to a definitive understanding and interpretation of words, the theocracy can dominate human behaviour. Not necessarily by changing it but by approving or forgiving as required. All human foibles and crimes are permitted as long as they are subject to review by the Church.
So there is no reason to suppose that a theocratic state would be any more moral than an atheistic one. In fact there are logical reasons to consider it more likely to tolerate socially harmful behaviour - because it has the power of forgiveness for those who have faith. This is what the political philosopher Carl Schmitt, a Catholic, called the power of the exception. At root this is a linguistic power to either negate or re-interpret laws, which are of course words. Such is the case in Mysterium - the power of the exception - and such has been the case in the Church since its foundation.
Another way of saying the same thing is that Christian faith is a principle of amorality, that is, arbitrary and self-serving norms of behaviour. It puts all actions beyond public criticism. This is one reason for the Catholic (and many Protestant) Church’s historical animosity toward democratic government. It is also the reason why the Church has resisted exposing the extent of its own immorality, not for decades but for centuries. It has forgiven itself as a matter of faith. Contemporary Evangelical forgiveness of Trump’s lies, racism, misogyny, and frequently expressed personal hatreds is a compelling example of just how powerful this idea of Christian faith can be in rationalising aberrant, even criminal, behaviour. And it entirely bypasses established political channels.
So Trump’s assault on language is a very Christian one. The Evangelicals and their politicians get this. It is their route to that ideal of faith, the Christian nation. Mysterium is a parable of that strategy and its consequences. Let him who hath ears to hear...
Mysterium uses sci-fi to compare and contrast a theocratic state with its secular equivalent within which religion is practised. It’s an interesting idea. And Robert Wilson does an intelligent job of identifying where and how the differences are established and maintained. In his theocracy, the ultimate power of the Church is represented by its control over the development of the nuclear bomb. This makes for good fiction but begs the question of how such authority might be created. I have some suggestions based on the history of the Church and some more recent events.
In my sunset years I have grown to despise Christianity as a philosophy and as a moral force in the world. One, I suppose, has to take it very seriously in order to reach this conclusion since on the face of it, the religion is just some admonitions about moral behaviour touted by many obviously normal, that is to say, immoral, people. Only close scrutiny and considered thought reveals that it is the adherence to Christian beliefs which produces the consistent history of immorality that is evident and persists in those societies it has infected. Looking beyond the surface appearance is a principle theme of Mysterium; so my remarks are in the spirit of the book.
My conclusion and attitude, of course, could all be put down as an old man’s disappointment with his life (not to mention dementia). This is certainly a possibility. But, although I have more than a few regrets, I can’t say that my life is in any sense a disappointment. It has provided me far more than I deserve as an average human being and given me the chance to think beyond my immediate needs for survival. And I fancy I think more clearly, certainly with more experience, than my youthful self (dementia or not).
I can’t even say that I am disappointed in Christianity. The Christian religion has always appeared to me as exactly what it says on the tin - the only way to eternal salvation. As long as one maintains the fictional notion of eternal salvation, one can hardly be disappointed in the institution that claims to give access to it. But I have never really been troubled by this salvation-neurosis. The Jansenist fire and brimstone retreat masters of my youth just never struck me as credible. Even then the contradictions between a loving God and the vindictive pains of hell were obvious.
No, my gripe with Christianity is about power, the coercive power that it exercises and justifies through its tribal theology of faith. This has been a surprise to me rather than a disappointment. Despite its rhetoric of love and forgiveness, Christianity is primarily a religion of human power over other human beings. This power takes a variety of forms, from its hierarchical organisation which claims that some of its members are intellectually or spiritually superior to others, to its doctrines that those who are not its members are vastly inferior to those who are.
But the most important, and in many ways least noticed, power-grab by Christianity has been its attempt to control language. From the re-invention of religion as ‘faith’ by Paul of Tarsus, to the definition of the Biblical canon, to the formulation of specific dogmas (and their antithetical heresies), to the systematic development (or restriction) of theological thought, to the frequent violence used to enforce all of these, Christianity has sought to control the language of the divine by making language divine, by effectively claiming it as a religious artefact. And by controlling language it means to control everything else from history to science, in other words, reality.
Christianity divinised language for its own purpose - to bring others under its authority. Very few of those who pronounce the various Christian creeds on a Sunday have any idea of the meaning of the words they are using. And even fewer of those who think they do understand the meaning of the words agree among themselves. But this doesn’t matter because the significance of the creeds is only in the words as words. Whatever they refer to can be left to the individual imagination. Words are tokens of tribal membership, a symbolon or confirmation to others that one is a respectable member of the band, and subject oneself to hierarchical obedience regarding language.
According to Christianity, nothing is unforgivable, but only for members of the Church and only through its authority. This doctrine is stated in words, derived from other words, and applied through words to those who profess the right words. This is the essence of theocracy. No theocratic functionary dare claim direct communication with the divine. Those that do are considered mad. But through their claim to a definitive understanding and interpretation of words, the theocracy can dominate human behaviour. Not necessarily by changing it but by approving or forgiving as required. All human foibles and crimes are permitted as long as they are subject to review by the Church.
So there is no reason to suppose that a theocratic state would be any more moral than an atheistic one. In fact there are logical reasons to consider it more likely to tolerate socially harmful behaviour - because it has the power of forgiveness for those who have faith. This is what the political philosopher Carl Schmitt, a Catholic, called the power of the exception. At root this is a linguistic power to either negate or re-interpret laws, which are of course words. Such is the case in Mysterium - the power of the exception - and such has been the case in the Church since its foundation.
Another way of saying the same thing is that Christian faith is a principle of amorality, that is, arbitrary and self-serving norms of behaviour. It puts all actions beyond public criticism. This is one reason for the Catholic (and many Protestant) Church’s historical animosity toward democratic government. It is also the reason why the Church has resisted exposing the extent of its own immorality, not for decades but for centuries. It has forgiven itself as a matter of faith. Contemporary Evangelical forgiveness of Trump’s lies, racism, misogyny, and frequently expressed personal hatreds is a compelling example of just how powerful this idea of Christian faith can be in rationalising aberrant, even criminal, behaviour. And it entirely bypasses established political channels.
So Trump’s assault on language is a very Christian one. The Evangelicals and their politicians get this. It is their route to that ideal of faith, the Christian nation. Mysterium is a parable of that strategy and its consequences. Let him who hath ears to hear...
June 19, 2020
An odd radioactive artifact had been found in an archaeological site and taken to a remote area in Michigan, near the small town named Two Rivers, for further research. One night, there was a highly intense flare and the next day, the inhabitants have woken up in a different world, a parallel universe.
The story is focused mostly on the differences between the two societies, the alien one being a theocracy based on Gnosticism, as far as I understood, because I don’t have a lot of knowledge in this field.
One thing I can tell for sure: it is a scary society and I’m glad ours didn’t develop in this way. RCW’s depiction of it is very realistic and a sense of dread accompanied me the whole reading. But I was less interested in this aspect; I have found more interesting the way people dealt with their new situation and the interaction between them.
As always, RCW puts ordinary people in extraordinary situations and makes them deal with it. It was not that awe inspiring as other of his works (it reminded me in a way of Last Year), but nonetheless, it was a good story with a surprising ending.
The story is focused mostly on the differences between the two societies, the alien one being a theocracy based on Gnosticism, as far as I understood, because I don’t have a lot of knowledge in this field.
One thing I can tell for sure: it is a scary society and I’m glad ours didn’t develop in this way. RCW’s depiction of it is very realistic and a sense of dread accompanied me the whole reading. But I was less interested in this aspect; I have found more interesting the way people dealt with their new situation and the interaction between them.
As always, RCW puts ordinary people in extraordinary situations and makes them deal with it. It was not that awe inspiring as other of his works (it reminded me in a way of Last Year), but nonetheless, it was a good story with a surprising ending.
April 7, 2025
Robert Charles Wilson has been writing some of the most thought-provoking science fiction that I have read. This one is one of his earlier ones, published in 1994, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. You can tell you are totally caught up in a book when you lose all track of time, even missing a mealtime. Well, I could have gone on a diet with this book. Wilson takes us to a small town somewhere in Michigan where the local people find themselves living near a top-secret lab set up by the government. No one knows what kind of experiments they're carrying out there, but one night strange lights are observed coming from the lab. The next morning, the townspeople discover they are cut off from the outside world. It seems that ancient old-growth forest is hemming them in on all sides. As it turns out, they are not in some pre-Columbian world, but in a remote part of a new world which is controlled by a rigid theocracy. And, of course, the Michigan folks are seen to be heretics and a threat to the religious leaders...
November 22, 2010
I picked this one up thinking it was a new novel by Wilson, but it turned to be one of his older books with a new cover. It was also rather disappointing and somewhat offensive. We've got 3 female characters in this book and after the "big event" not one, but two of them immediately start trading sexual favors for special treatment from the men in charge. Really? Is that the only way females can respond to a disaster situation? The third woman, who according to the back of the book description is our main character, appears in only about five chapters of the entire book and is only a viewpoint character for one of those, then mostly gets relegated to the role of being someone's girlfriend. Meanwhile the male characters are all bland and interchangeable. I was also disappointed with the weak plans that many of the characters come up with to solve their dilemmas and felt like some of the most interesting stuff was being done by other characters off-screen who don't get to be in the book. There's a band of rebels that's been meeting secretly and gathering members for months and...none of the viewpoint characters are a part of this group or are even recruited to join the group. Ugh! I've enjoyed some of Wilson's books, but this one isn't making the list.
June 10, 2019
Other people might laugh because I’m late to the game on this one. But so excited I just discovered a great (new) author. Speculative, mysterious science fiction. I really enjoyed this novel and it appears he has a whole host of others that sound just as intriguing.
October 28, 2022
I'm always game for a Robert Charles Wilson book, but this one fell on the "meh" side for me. Rather than a whole city getting displaced in time, it gets displaced into an alternate history. So, that's an interesting concept, right? But the book felt like more of a concept than anything else. I wasn't rooting for any of the characters, and the big reveal wasn't really very big. I suppose it's worth reading for the concept if you're a Wilson fan, but if you abandoned it mid-read, you'd not have missed much.
February 8, 2011
This is the fourth book I've read by Robert Charles Wilson. He seems to have a certain patented approach: a wildly improbable concept, vividly imagined and somehow made to seem plausible, at least for a while, building irresistibly toward a conclusion, a revelation of some central mystery that promises to explain it all. Tension arises because it seems an impossible feat, but the payoff comes at the narrative climax. It all comes together in a manner that is deeply satisfying — when it works.
I've also been impressed by RCW's general well-roundedness. Prose style, characters, location, plot, pacing — all are nicely fleshed out and complementary. He's one of the better writers of straight-up genre science fiction, in my humble opinion.
Mysterium is the earliest of his books I've read. His basic approach is here. The wildly improbable concept is that a whole town in Michigan has been suddenly transported to an alternate Earth. It's still recognizably "our" planet, but with a different history, which emerges slowly and intriguingly as the bewildered residents try to come to make sense of their new reality.
I enjoyed the ride. It was a pleasurable read on an action-adventure level that kept me turning pages to see what would happen next.
But when all was said and done it felt a little superficial. There was nice twist at the very end, but ultimately I didn't feel the deeper questions raised by the novel's premise were explored in meaningful fashion. That said, maybe someone more familiar with the history of Gnostic Christianity would have picked up on some subtleties I missed.
In the end I felt Mysterium not as fully developed as RCW's later novels like The Chronoliths or Spin.
I've also been impressed by RCW's general well-roundedness. Prose style, characters, location, plot, pacing — all are nicely fleshed out and complementary. He's one of the better writers of straight-up genre science fiction, in my humble opinion.
Mysterium is the earliest of his books I've read. His basic approach is here. The wildly improbable concept is that a whole town in Michigan has been suddenly transported to an alternate Earth. It's still recognizably "our" planet, but with a different history, which emerges slowly and intriguingly as the bewildered residents try to come to make sense of their new reality.
I enjoyed the ride. It was a pleasurable read on an action-adventure level that kept me turning pages to see what would happen next.
But when all was said and done it felt a little superficial. There was nice twist at the very end, but ultimately I didn't feel the deeper questions raised by the novel's premise were explored in meaningful fashion. That said, maybe someone more familiar with the history of Gnostic Christianity would have picked up on some subtleties I missed.
In the end I felt Mysterium not as fully developed as RCW's later novels like The Chronoliths or Spin.
June 28, 2013
First book I have read by this author.
A shard is found by an excavator. When subjected to radiation as it is studied, it transports the town of Two Rivers to an alternate reality / timeline where Christianity is not a major religion, instead Gnosticism holds sway. The town members of Two Rivers are subjected to the strict laws and rules of this different society with resultant severe punishments.
The novel reads very similar to a Stephen King novel with some disturbing images and occurrences but not the level of horror of King's work. I was pleasantly surprised and will likely look for other works by this author.
A shard is found by an excavator. When subjected to radiation as it is studied, it transports the town of Two Rivers to an alternate reality / timeline where Christianity is not a major religion, instead Gnosticism holds sway. The town members of Two Rivers are subjected to the strict laws and rules of this different society with resultant severe punishments.
The novel reads very similar to a Stephen King novel with some disturbing images and occurrences but not the level of horror of King's work. I was pleasantly surprised and will likely look for other works by this author.
May 27, 2024
Mysterium_ by Robert Charles Wilson is a skillfully written, engrossing earlier work of the author's, one that hasn’t gotten anywhere near the attention of his other works (such as _Darwinia_, _Bios_, and _The Chronoliths_).
_Mysterium_ is a book one could place in the "island in the sea of time" sub-genre of books on alternate history and parallel universes, one made famous recently by of course _Island in the Sea of Time_ by S. M. Stirling (1998), _1632_ by Eric Flint (2000), and _Weapons of Choice_ by John Birmingham (2004) and their sequels, the premise being that some little corner of the modern day world (or a whole fleet instead of an island or a town in the case of _Weapons of Choice_) of our Earth gets sent into the past (which becomes from that point on a parallel universe, when those people from our time interact with the rest of the world). _Mysterium_ differed in two respects; first, this story came first (for whatever that is worth), as it is copyright 1994 (though I am sure others can provide earlier examples of this sub-sub-genre), and second, the town of Two Rivers, Michigan found itself in is a parallel universe from the beginning, contemporaneous with our Earth but with a history that diverged from our own close to two thousand years ago. But I get ahead of myself.
An archaeological team working in a remote area of Turkey on what was believed to be a rather unremarkable prehistoric site come across what they first think is a piece of jade – remarkable enough to be sure – but that instead turns out to be something else, something with odd optical properties and that is quite radioactive. Unfortunately, as is the case with many works, the discoverers do not fare well, most if not all dying of radiation sickness.
The powers that be determine that the object is not of this earth. Furthermore, with Turkey’s permission of course, the object is taken to the a heavily guarded research facility in the U.S. The facility is just outside of Two Rivers, Michigan, on a military base of sorts, cut off from the town. The base, very much aloof and apart from the town, at first piqued the curiosity of the locals, wondering what the meaning of the new base was in an era of declining defense spending and also hopeful of new jobs. When the new jobs don't really materialize to any great degree and the base stayed extremely quiet, they quickly forgot about it.
One night though - a mere twelve pages into the book I would like to add - mysterious bright lights and an explosion at the facility, just visible to those in the town, signified a bizarre event, one that removed the entire town and the military base to a parallel universe, the exact same spot on the globe on a world with a totally different history, in an alternate Michigan. Fully aware that there was some accident at the base, the townspeople awoke to find the power, water, and phones out, and those few with battery powered radios not able to get any stations except for a very distant one, one that seemed to be putting on some quasi-religious radio play of all things. Most just went on with life for a bit as best they could, hopeful that the utilities would be restored, though several tried to leave town and made an amazing discovery; all roads and trails out of town just stopped, ending in a cut as sharp as if a laser had made it. So sharp was the divide that trees were split right down the middle along the line, bare heartwood exposed for all to see. The other side of the line, inches beyond the road, was virgin forest, deep dark woodlands that had never known an axe.
One of the locals who possessed a floatplane took off, hoping to uncover more of this mystery. He found that the town was now deep in the wilderness, all nearby other roads and towns long vanished, and what should be Detroit had completely different architecture, odd-looking cars, and even horse-drawn wagons. Heading back home, his flight apparently attracted the attention of the authorities of this world, who moved in with aircraft, tanks, and soldiers, putting the town under martial law.
The startled locals learned that they were in an alternate reality; they were not in the United States of America, but in an entity called the Consolidated Republic, a French-English nation that ruled most of North America and was regrettably run by an authoritarian religious theocracy. What's more, it was not a Christianity as the townspeople knew it; it became apparent later in the book that the Christianity in this world was a intolerant descendent of Gnostic Christianity, this world's history having diverged considerably during Roman times, as the Roman Empire never became Christian and indeed even to the present Apollo and other Greco-Roman gods were still worshipped in many countries of Europe (ones at war with the Consolidated Republic). The locals privately derided this world's Christianity as being practically polytheistic, while the Proctors (much feared Gestapo-like religious police of the Bureau de la Convenance Religieuse) despised the Two Rivers Christians as worshipping a "stick figure Christianity," one unbelievably crude and simplistic. I hope I am not giving too much away here – I don’t think I am – but I just thought I would include that in the review, as I had not seen this used before in parallel universe/alternate history stories.
Regrettably, the conflict between Two Rivers and the authorities was much more severe as that, as the Proctors had dire plans for the town, for they believed it to be both incredibly useful as source of advanced technology and weaponry (being about roughly 50 years ahead of them) and as a blasphemous and dangerous threat to their social order. The remainder of the book dealt with the ugly plans of the Proctors and the secret resistance lead by several townspeople and their sympathizers.
I really liked the idea of transporting a part of our world to a parallel universe, not the past (as much as I might like those stories). I found the word intriguing and generally liked the characters though did not find them terribly memorable. What I did not like was the story was too short and while it had an ending, it could have gone on longer. Also, though this is not a huge problem, the device that got them to the parallel world does not seem to figure into the rest of the story at all; it is just that, a plot device. If you like Wilson’s work as I do, I think you will like this book and if you like parallel universe adventures I think you will appreciate this one as well.
_Mysterium_ is a book one could place in the "island in the sea of time" sub-genre of books on alternate history and parallel universes, one made famous recently by of course _Island in the Sea of Time_ by S. M. Stirling (1998), _1632_ by Eric Flint (2000), and _Weapons of Choice_ by John Birmingham (2004) and their sequels, the premise being that some little corner of the modern day world (or a whole fleet instead of an island or a town in the case of _Weapons of Choice_) of our Earth gets sent into the past (which becomes from that point on a parallel universe, when those people from our time interact with the rest of the world). _Mysterium_ differed in two respects; first, this story came first (for whatever that is worth), as it is copyright 1994 (though I am sure others can provide earlier examples of this sub-sub-genre), and second, the town of Two Rivers, Michigan found itself in is a parallel universe from the beginning, contemporaneous with our Earth but with a history that diverged from our own close to two thousand years ago. But I get ahead of myself.
An archaeological team working in a remote area of Turkey on what was believed to be a rather unremarkable prehistoric site come across what they first think is a piece of jade – remarkable enough to be sure – but that instead turns out to be something else, something with odd optical properties and that is quite radioactive. Unfortunately, as is the case with many works, the discoverers do not fare well, most if not all dying of radiation sickness.
The powers that be determine that the object is not of this earth. Furthermore, with Turkey’s permission of course, the object is taken to the a heavily guarded research facility in the U.S. The facility is just outside of Two Rivers, Michigan, on a military base of sorts, cut off from the town. The base, very much aloof and apart from the town, at first piqued the curiosity of the locals, wondering what the meaning of the new base was in an era of declining defense spending and also hopeful of new jobs. When the new jobs don't really materialize to any great degree and the base stayed extremely quiet, they quickly forgot about it.
One night though - a mere twelve pages into the book I would like to add - mysterious bright lights and an explosion at the facility, just visible to those in the town, signified a bizarre event, one that removed the entire town and the military base to a parallel universe, the exact same spot on the globe on a world with a totally different history, in an alternate Michigan. Fully aware that there was some accident at the base, the townspeople awoke to find the power, water, and phones out, and those few with battery powered radios not able to get any stations except for a very distant one, one that seemed to be putting on some quasi-religious radio play of all things. Most just went on with life for a bit as best they could, hopeful that the utilities would be restored, though several tried to leave town and made an amazing discovery; all roads and trails out of town just stopped, ending in a cut as sharp as if a laser had made it. So sharp was the divide that trees were split right down the middle along the line, bare heartwood exposed for all to see. The other side of the line, inches beyond the road, was virgin forest, deep dark woodlands that had never known an axe.
One of the locals who possessed a floatplane took off, hoping to uncover more of this mystery. He found that the town was now deep in the wilderness, all nearby other roads and towns long vanished, and what should be Detroit had completely different architecture, odd-looking cars, and even horse-drawn wagons. Heading back home, his flight apparently attracted the attention of the authorities of this world, who moved in with aircraft, tanks, and soldiers, putting the town under martial law.
The startled locals learned that they were in an alternate reality; they were not in the United States of America, but in an entity called the Consolidated Republic, a French-English nation that ruled most of North America and was regrettably run by an authoritarian religious theocracy. What's more, it was not a Christianity as the townspeople knew it; it became apparent later in the book that the Christianity in this world was a intolerant descendent of Gnostic Christianity, this world's history having diverged considerably during Roman times, as the Roman Empire never became Christian and indeed even to the present Apollo and other Greco-Roman gods were still worshipped in many countries of Europe (ones at war with the Consolidated Republic). The locals privately derided this world's Christianity as being practically polytheistic, while the Proctors (much feared Gestapo-like religious police of the Bureau de la Convenance Religieuse) despised the Two Rivers Christians as worshipping a "stick figure Christianity," one unbelievably crude and simplistic. I hope I am not giving too much away here – I don’t think I am – but I just thought I would include that in the review, as I had not seen this used before in parallel universe/alternate history stories.
Regrettably, the conflict between Two Rivers and the authorities was much more severe as that, as the Proctors had dire plans for the town, for they believed it to be both incredibly useful as source of advanced technology and weaponry (being about roughly 50 years ahead of them) and as a blasphemous and dangerous threat to their social order. The remainder of the book dealt with the ugly plans of the Proctors and the secret resistance lead by several townspeople and their sympathizers.
I really liked the idea of transporting a part of our world to a parallel universe, not the past (as much as I might like those stories). I found the word intriguing and generally liked the characters though did not find them terribly memorable. What I did not like was the story was too short and while it had an ending, it could have gone on longer. Also, though this is not a huge problem, the device that got them to the parallel world does not seem to figure into the rest of the story at all; it is just that, a plot device. If you like Wilson’s work as I do, I think you will like this book and if you like parallel universe adventures I think you will appreciate this one as well.
August 6, 2020
This book has it all - a plot and characters that compel you to stay up late reading, an alternate world with a parallel history, a cosmic reality based an extrapolation of modern physics, and references to the historical philosophical/religious system of Gnosticism. It's a mystery to me that this book isn't better known than it is.
The idea of a small town thrown into an alternate reality is a recurring one in sf, there are some parallels here to Clifford Simak's ALL FLESH IS GRASS. However, instead of encountering advanced aliens, contemporary Two Rivers is occupied by a repressive North American alternate nation that uses roughly World War II technology. The internally divided occupiers try to make use of the technology that they find in the libraries and computer shops of Two Rivers for less than honorable purposes, pushing events to a crisis. Wilson then takes his story more in the direction of THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE, by Philip K. Dick, where the nature of the creation of this alternate world could be a matter of human subconscious will. This is a book I expect I will read again, to appreciate the subtleties.
The idea of a small town thrown into an alternate reality is a recurring one in sf, there are some parallels here to Clifford Simak's ALL FLESH IS GRASS. However, instead of encountering advanced aliens, contemporary Two Rivers is occupied by a repressive North American alternate nation that uses roughly World War II technology. The internally divided occupiers try to make use of the technology that they find in the libraries and computer shops of Two Rivers for less than honorable purposes, pushing events to a crisis. Wilson then takes his story more in the direction of THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE, by Philip K. Dick, where the nature of the creation of this alternate world could be a matter of human subconscious will. This is a book I expect I will read again, to appreciate the subtleties.
March 5, 2012
If you are offended by the mere mention of wormholes or are disturbed by children hanging from light poles, then this is probably not the book for you. However, if you love atomic blasts and Gnostic Christianity and cities being teleported into other dimensions and everyone is like "What the hell just happened here?" then you may want to pick it up.
October 13, 2018
No he llegado a conectar del todo aunque la trama y el desarrollo de la historia es de lo más interesante.
June 19, 2019
This book surprised me. I didn't think I'd like it as I'm not much of a sci-fi fan, but something about it grabbed my interest.
It is easy to read, fast paced and yes, myterious. We are thrown right in the middle of things. There are a few issues while reading though. At times we jump so much in the story that I had to seriously think about what just happened and tried to catch up. It seems as though whole chunks of the story was just cut out. One chapter ends on a high with a probable invasion, and the next chapter starts 2-3 months down the track. Even though it explains later on what happened but only in passing, which to me wasn't enough as it was a significant event in the story.
The reason I ended up liking this book so much was that it was more about the Universe beyond the quantum but still within the creation. It was more about evolution and creation, about the rise of religions, it's differences in beliefs and about how the world would be a different place if our history took another turn.
The ending though was a disappointment. I expected something more, something different, something more revelatory. It seemed to have been just thrown together and was a bit stupid.
But all in all, a good, entertaining read.
It is easy to read, fast paced and yes, myterious. We are thrown right in the middle of things. There are a few issues while reading though. At times we jump so much in the story that I had to seriously think about what just happened and tried to catch up. It seems as though whole chunks of the story was just cut out. One chapter ends on a high with a probable invasion, and the next chapter starts 2-3 months down the track. Even though it explains later on what happened but only in passing, which to me wasn't enough as it was a significant event in the story.
The reason I ended up liking this book so much was that it was more about the Universe beyond the quantum but still within the creation. It was more about evolution and creation, about the rise of religions, it's differences in beliefs and about how the world would be a different place if our history took another turn.
The ending though was a disappointment. I expected something more, something different, something more revelatory. It seemed to have been just thrown together and was a bit stupid.
But all in all, a good, entertaining read.
August 2, 2011
I enjoyed Mysterium (which won Wilson the 1994 Philip K Dick Award). I really wanted to love it, but it didn't quite deliver. It has a great set up - a government research installation in Two Rivers, Michigan is investigating an ancient and mysterious relic and triggers an event that sends the installation and the neary town into an alternate world (i'm a sucker for a good alternate world story). The alternate USA the town ends up in is technologically inferior to our own, and is controlled by a rather totalitarian government. Wilson does a good job exploring the reaction of the town's citizens to their new circumstances, as well as the inhabitants of the alternate USA, and the story of the conflict between them carries the narrative quite effectively. While the story is quite good, the characters are rather unremarkable and unmemorable. My only other complaint is that I wanted to learn more about the physics/metaphysics behind the transfer, and I was left wanting.
December 21, 2014
félelmetes egy könyv. itt is, ott is keresztények, ott gnosztikusok, de semmivel sem könyörületesebbek, mint a mi barbár korszakaink bármelyikében a sima keresztények, vagy épp a nemkeresztények.
nincs túl nagy különbség a vallási és politikai eszméken alapuló diktatúrák között, a fennálló hatalmi rendszer bármelyiket szívvel és lélekkel képes szolgálni, és a hatalom demonstrálásnak mindig pusztítás és halál a vége, még a párhuzamos létsíkon is.
és pont ezért félelmetes. bizonyos szempontból jobban már nem is különbözhetne a mi világunktól, más szempontból meg mintha csak rólunk olvasnék.
viszont a vége előtt értetlenül állok. valami történt, de mi a fene? el lett kenve a misztikus semmitmondással, és így megtörténhetett a lehetetlen, és az élet megy tovább. shit. ilyen béna befejezést...
nincs túl nagy különbség a vallási és politikai eszméken alapuló diktatúrák között, a fennálló hatalmi rendszer bármelyiket szívvel és lélekkel képes szolgálni, és a hatalom demonstrálásnak mindig pusztítás és halál a vége, még a párhuzamos létsíkon is.
és pont ezért félelmetes. bizonyos szempontból jobban már nem is különbözhetne a mi világunktól, más szempontból meg mintha csak rólunk olvasnék.
viszont a vége előtt értetlenül állok. valami történt, de mi a fene? el lett kenve a misztikus semmitmondással, és így megtörténhetett a lehetetlen, és az élet megy tovább. shit. ilyen béna befejezést...
October 12, 2020
Really liked this book. Apocalyptic in nature but with an unexpected approach. Two Rivers, Michigan wakes up one morning to a radically changed world, thanks to some tampering/tinkering being done out at the top secret government research laboratory at the edge of town. Their world no longer exists and has been replaced by a theocratic low tech one. The citizens of Two Rivers are considered Aliens and must be dealt with accordingly by those in control. The excitement and tension continues to grow throughout the book, and is completed with a masterful ending. Robert Charles Wilson's writing style is very enjoyable, keeps one glued to the pages, and wanting more. This one definitely rates all five stars.
March 7, 2020
4.5 Stars
Robert Charles Wilson almost always re-ignites my love of storytelling, especially after reading a row of bland or deeply flaws books beforehand.
While it's not his best and the ending is a little rushed (But for Wilson that's actually not that bad. His endings tend to be very...blah sometimes), I thought this was an exceptionally written meditation on theocratic control and how religions can justify that control against the Other. It's also got some great tension and set pieces.
It was wonderful to discover this underrated little gem from one of my favorite writers.
Robert Charles Wilson almost always re-ignites my love of storytelling, especially after reading a row of bland or deeply flaws books beforehand.
While it's not his best and the ending is a little rushed (But for Wilson that's actually not that bad. His endings tend to be very...blah sometimes), I thought this was an exceptionally written meditation on theocratic control and how religions can justify that control against the Other. It's also got some great tension and set pieces.
It was wonderful to discover this underrated little gem from one of my favorite writers.
December 13, 2017
Mysterium is one of Wilson's earlier works, and focuses on how the issue of a parallel universe. He has created a nice little town that is thrown into another world, yet one that is not too far removed from our world. As a reader who has read almost all of his other works, I would rate this as one of his stronger works. I almost wish he would revisit this universe again!
September 12, 2015
Started well, but dragged later
December 30, 2023
No one does alternate universes like Robert Charles Wilson. Excellent book with a surprising, sad, but realistic ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2024
I chose this book after reading some high regard for the author. I then remembered I had read "Spin" some years ago and thought it interesting, although not great, and also had an unsatisfying ending. This is certainly the last book I will ever read by Wilson.
Some of the characters were well developed and the descriptions of place were appealing, so I kept on reading. The mysterious possible metaphysical explanation of the phenomenon and the tie to Gnosticism was slightly intriguing, but poorly presented and ultimately never explained (in my mind). A whole lot of nothing happens throughout the book. When I approached 90% (reading in Kindle), I thought that an awful lot would have to happen to wrap this story. But not much happened except for wild shooting by desperate people and possible escape to an unknown future by a few. The end was extremely "mysterious" indeed and extremely unsatisfying.
Some of the characters were well developed and the descriptions of place were appealing, so I kept on reading. The mysterious possible metaphysical explanation of the phenomenon and the tie to Gnosticism was slightly intriguing, but poorly presented and ultimately never explained (in my mind). A whole lot of nothing happens throughout the book. When I approached 90% (reading in Kindle), I thought that an awful lot would have to happen to wrap this story. But not much happened except for wild shooting by desperate people and possible escape to an unknown future by a few. The end was extremely "mysterious" indeed and extremely unsatisfying.
October 28, 2025
An alien artifact is found in the Middle East and taken to a government facility in UP Michigan for study. There is an explosion, and when the people in the town nearby wake up the next morning, they find themselves transported to a frightening alternate reality. Rome is still pagan, and a bizarre Christian theocracy rules most of the world. The French and English are united in a diesel-powered war with Spain. When the natives become aware of the strange town that has appeared in their midst, they quickly realize the knowledge behind its strange devices, if harnessed, could tip the balance in the war. Robert Charles Wilson tantalizes the reader with unfathomable mysteries of time and space, not to mention the fascinating glimpses he gives us of the strange society he has imagined. This could have been a MUCH bigger (possibly more profound, probably less fun) book. But by keeping the focus tight on the increasingly desperate situation of the trapped townspeople, he amps up the dread in a gripping, propulsive adventure.
December 3, 2019
A northern Michigan town gets Twilight Zoned into an alternate dimension in which much of the U.S. and Canada are part of the same country and ruled by a theocracy. Thought it was clever that the secular authorities are English and the superseding religious bureaucrats are French. It works as an allegory or simply as a reflection. There are countries around the world ruled by theocrats or by ideological dictators with the same impulses as theocrats (it's interesting how much Chinese officials sound like Catholic authorities when they urge any government that displeases them to "reflect on its mistakes").
The prose is functional but at least lets you get through the book rapidly. The characterizations are functional at best. The mysterious physics of the strange event are not really explained. Intrepid individuals find small ways to rebel against the new rulers; that story goes back at least as far as Spartacus, but its inspiration in the context of popular U.S. culture may be the American Revolution. And the story ends with cars and guns, as do many others.
The 3 stars are generous; this type of speculative fiction tends to leave me unmoved because of its unreality.
The prose is functional but at least lets you get through the book rapidly. The characterizations are functional at best. The mysterious physics of the strange event are not really explained. Intrepid individuals find small ways to rebel against the new rulers; that story goes back at least as far as Spartacus, but its inspiration in the context of popular U.S. culture may be the American Revolution. And the story ends with cars and guns, as do many others.
The 3 stars are generous; this type of speculative fiction tends to leave me unmoved because of its unreality.
November 15, 2025
One of the most imaginative, arresting, mind mending reads that surprises right to the final line. Mr Wilson writes as eloquently as he creates.
November 15, 2025
Good storyline and prose, but has a terrible ending that tries to be profound but feels like pseudoscientific incoherence.
September 14, 2010
Originally published in 1994, Robert Charles Wilson’s Mysterium went on to win the Philip K. Dick Award that year. Released this year in a new paperback edition, it is the story of the discovery of a very strange artifact discovered beneath the ground in Turkey; no one has a clue what it is, and it kind of looks alien. Once the US government gets its hands on it, they secret it away in a lab near Two Rivers, Michigan. Everything returns to normal until the scientists decide to fire a large amount of radioactivity at the artifact and all of a sudden the laboratory, the entire town of Two Rivers and a perfectly concentric circle of terrain surrounding the town is transported to a parallel universe.
The residents of Two Rivers awake to find themselves in a foreign world, without power, with a whole new history, sociology, and system of government. One other big difference in this world is religion, as the people practice a form of Gnostic Christianity, and as the main characters put the pieces together, it appears this world went a separate way to ours during the days of the Roman Empire, when no emperor chose to adopt Christianity. Readers get hints that the rest of the world still practices Pagan, Greek and Nordic beliefs and religions in large numbers. The problem is this world is very threatened by the sudden arrival of Two Rivers, its people, its technology. The Proctors and their men move in and scrutinize the citizens of the town, watching their every move. If laws are broken, then the people are punished; a number are executed according to the way s of this strange world. Then a decision is made about what to do with Two Rivers; the question is what are the residents going to do about it?
For everyone who enjoyed Stephen King’s Under the Dome, you’ll find some similarities of the unknown in Mysterium, as Wilson takes on the subject of religion in a great what if that explores, probes and questions in the great way that good science fiction does, making the reader unavoidably question everything.
Originally written on September 29 2010 ©Alex C. Telander.
For over 500 book reviews, and over 40 exclusive author interviews (both audio and written), visit BookBanter.
The residents of Two Rivers awake to find themselves in a foreign world, without power, with a whole new history, sociology, and system of government. One other big difference in this world is religion, as the people practice a form of Gnostic Christianity, and as the main characters put the pieces together, it appears this world went a separate way to ours during the days of the Roman Empire, when no emperor chose to adopt Christianity. Readers get hints that the rest of the world still practices Pagan, Greek and Nordic beliefs and religions in large numbers. The problem is this world is very threatened by the sudden arrival of Two Rivers, its people, its technology. The Proctors and their men move in and scrutinize the citizens of the town, watching their every move. If laws are broken, then the people are punished; a number are executed according to the way s of this strange world. Then a decision is made about what to do with Two Rivers; the question is what are the residents going to do about it?
For everyone who enjoyed Stephen King’s Under the Dome, you’ll find some similarities of the unknown in Mysterium, as Wilson takes on the subject of religion in a great what if that explores, probes and questions in the great way that good science fiction does, making the reader unavoidably question everything.
Originally written on September 29 2010 ©Alex C. Telander.
For over 500 book reviews, and over 40 exclusive author interviews (both audio and written), visit BookBanter.
October 24, 2014
A kanadai – későbbi Hugo-díjas – szerzőnek ugyan viszonylag korai műve (a kötet 1994-ben jelent meg) a Misztérium, mégis sokat köszönhet neki. Két Philip K. Dick-díj jelölés után ezzel a művével végre el is nyerte a rangos díjat, ami ezáltal széles körben ismertté tette a nevét a science-fictiont olvasók előtt. Már ebben az írásában is jól megfigyelhető írói eszköztárának egyik legmeghatározóbb vonása – ami úgy tűnik, a kanadai sci-fi „írói-iskola” tagjainak (Wilson, Gibson, Sawyer) sajátja –, nevezetesen, hogy legyen könyvük témája bármennyire is tudományos (vagy akár elvont), a próza maradjon mindig olvasóbarát és közérthető. Ezért aztán ezeknek a könyveknek az olvasása igazi felüdülés, még akkor is, ha adott esetben a témája vagy a mondanivalója igen komoly.
A regényről annyit mindenképp meg kell még említeni, hogy a fontosabb nézőpont-karaktereket – a tanárt, a diákot és esetleg még a fiatal tudóst – leszámítva a szereplők elég kidolgozatlanok, sablonosak. Ez főleg igaz az alternatív világ „gonosz” alakjaira, akik mintha csak egy náci háborús filmből kerültek volna oda (vagy mondjuk a Fahrenheit 451 tűzőrségéből). Ne essünk abba a hibába, hogy azt gondoljuk, biztos jobb a helyzet a főszereplők esetében, hiszen végletekig kidolgozott szereplőkről az ő esetükben sem beszélhetünk, ez nem az a regény, amit a szereplők érdekes személyiségjegyei vinnének el a hátán. Ettől eltekintve – és igen pesszimista hangvétele dacára/miatt (Olvasója válogatja, melyik a helyes válasz…) – azonban feltétlenül ajánlott olvasmány a kortárs science fiction könyvek rajongóinak épp úgy, mint a műfajjal csak most ismerkedők számára.
Bővebben a blogon:
http://profunduslibrum.blogspot.hu/20...
A regényről annyit mindenképp meg kell még említeni, hogy a fontosabb nézőpont-karaktereket – a tanárt, a diákot és esetleg még a fiatal tudóst – leszámítva a szereplők elég kidolgozatlanok, sablonosak. Ez főleg igaz az alternatív világ „gonosz” alakjaira, akik mintha csak egy náci háborús filmből kerültek volna oda (vagy mondjuk a Fahrenheit 451 tűzőrségéből). Ne essünk abba a hibába, hogy azt gondoljuk, biztos jobb a helyzet a főszereplők esetében, hiszen végletekig kidolgozott szereplőkről az ő esetükben sem beszélhetünk, ez nem az a regény, amit a szereplők érdekes személyiségjegyei vinnének el a hátán. Ettől eltekintve – és igen pesszimista hangvétele dacára/miatt (Olvasója válogatja, melyik a helyes válasz…) – azonban feltétlenül ajánlott olvasmány a kortárs science fiction könyvek rajongóinak épp úgy, mint a műfajjal csak most ismerkedők számára.
Bővebben a blogon:
http://profunduslibrum.blogspot.hu/20...
December 10, 2011
Un mystérieux complexe scientifique installé près de la ville de Two Rivers donne lieu à toutes les spéculations, jusqu’à ce que, du jour au lendemain, une explosion fasse basculer la ville dans l’improbable le plus absolu. Ses habitants s’éveillent dans une ville qui est toujours la leur, mais dans un univers qu’ils ne reconnaissent pas. Isolés du reste d’un monde qui leur est à la fois familier et étranger, ils sont rapidement mis en quarantaine par l’armée, surveillés et étudiés. Ce nouveau monde dans lequel s’est réveillée Two Rivers est principalement dominé par la religion, une variante omniprésente du catholicisme, mêlée de mythes et de superstitions que notre monde a épuré au fil des siècles. Dans ce monde la religion a pris un autre tournant, l’Histoire aussi. La technologie à quelques décennies de retard et Two Rivers se pose à la fois comme un miracle et un blasphème pour cette société très religieuse et hiérarchisée.
Globalement, j’ai trouvé le roman beaucoup trop court, le propos est riche, mais le traitement trop rapide. L’interprétation que fait l’un des personnages du glissement de Two Rivers vers ce monde alternatif est vraiment intéressante, et aurait mérité d’être mieux exploitée, ainsi que ce personnage lui-même et les autres principaux protagonistes, pas assez développés, à mon sens. Le personnage absent de l’oncle scientifique aurait lui aussi mérité plus d’attention, vu son importance dans l’intrigue. Une impression de trop peu pour un énorme potentiel, un propos passionnant pour un roman toutefois très bon, malgré la frustration de ne pas en avoir eu plus à me mettre sous la dent !
Globalement, j’ai trouvé le roman beaucoup trop court, le propos est riche, mais le traitement trop rapide. L’interprétation que fait l’un des personnages du glissement de Two Rivers vers ce monde alternatif est vraiment intéressante, et aurait mérité d’être mieux exploitée, ainsi que ce personnage lui-même et les autres principaux protagonistes, pas assez développés, à mon sens. Le personnage absent de l’oncle scientifique aurait lui aussi mérité plus d’attention, vu son importance dans l’intrigue. Une impression de trop peu pour un énorme potentiel, un propos passionnant pour un roman toutefois très bon, malgré la frustration de ne pas en avoir eu plus à me mettre sous la dent !
January 11, 2014
I could not put this book down. I even woke up in the middle of the night (a week night, even) to read it. It comes close to matching Wilson's later novel "Spin" in terms of pure excitement and plotting, although I can't say it necessarily strikes as deep a chord, being a bit more of action-thriller. However, it does address religion in an insightful way, although it's used more as a vehicle to explain the bizarre occurrences that form the core of the story. But this does not detract from the story; in fact, I appreciated the level of detail into religious apocrypha and Gnosticism, and his (or his characters') insights into how Gnostic thought happened to have some amazing similarities to the Big Bang, quantum mechanics, cosmology, etc etc, is, well...neat. Purely coincidental, but neat. Of course, for the sake of the story it was more than just a coincidence, but then, it would have to be for the story to work at all. And it does work. As in Spin, Wilson manages to balance beautifully the sci-fi with character development, something that is often lacking in the genre.
**A quick addendum I feel the need to add: Of the three books I've read by Wilson thus far, only one of them (Axis) had strong female characters. This women in this book were fairly weak, which is unfortunate. He can clearly do character development, so I hope this flawed approach to constructing female characters is something that does not show up throughout all of his work.
**A quick addendum I feel the need to add: Of the three books I've read by Wilson thus far, only one of them (Axis) had strong female characters. This women in this book were fairly weak, which is unfortunate. He can clearly do character development, so I hope this flawed approach to constructing female characters is something that does not show up throughout all of his work.
November 30, 2011
Two Rivers is suddenly thrust into a parallel universe that is technologically and socially primitive relative to ours. The religiously based government rules with a heavy fist and are greatly threatened by what they find in the new town.
Dex was a history teacher in Two Rivers. After the change, he is struck with the futility of his career when the history he knows no longer exists in this world. He is suspicious of this new fascist government.
Linneth Stone has lived her life in fear of her government and falls in love with Dex. As a cultural researcher, she and Dex set out to find out when their histories diverged.
Howard Poole is the only scientist from the facility who survived the transfer. He is obsessed with the idea that his genius Uncle Alan Stern is still alive.
When the proctors find our technology, they immediately build an atom bomb and resolve to destroy Two Rivers in order to contain the spread of ideas.
There were a few themes that I loved. Government hiding information in order to retain control. Parallel universes existing within us that express our deepest desires and thoughts. How ordinary people react when thrown into extraordinary situations.
Dex was a history teacher in Two Rivers. After the change, he is struck with the futility of his career when the history he knows no longer exists in this world. He is suspicious of this new fascist government.
Linneth Stone has lived her life in fear of her government and falls in love with Dex. As a cultural researcher, she and Dex set out to find out when their histories diverged.
Howard Poole is the only scientist from the facility who survived the transfer. He is obsessed with the idea that his genius Uncle Alan Stern is still alive.
When the proctors find our technology, they immediately build an atom bomb and resolve to destroy Two Rivers in order to contain the spread of ideas.
There were a few themes that I loved. Government hiding information in order to retain control. Parallel universes existing within us that express our deepest desires and thoughts. How ordinary people react when thrown into extraordinary situations.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews