Blasphemy
by Douglas Preston
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Book Reviews of Blasphemy
Book Review: Lame, lame, lame!
Summary: 1 Stars
I've enjoyed other works by Preston, especially his collaborations with Lincoln Child, but this book is terrible. I could only get through half of it. I couldn't suspend disbelief to the levels required by this novel.
The problems I have with Blasphemy have been raised by others, but here are ones I found most annoying:
(1) It is a ridiculus portrayal of big science. A dozen people -- most of whom have a mental illness, substance abuse problem or personality disorder -- operating a 40 billion dollar particle accelerator(at start up, no less)? One security guy -- no technicians, no janitors, no firefighters, no oversight. Budget cuts, I guess.
(2) Cardboard cutout characters. The author relies on stereotypes as a substitute for character development. I never came to care about any of these characters. For the most part they weren't credible or likable in the least.
(3) Awful, unbelievable, and stupid dialogue. Wow. This book must have been thrown together in a hurry, perhaps to meet a contractual obligation. The dialogue is juvenile. After Kate remarked, "Don't ma'am me, I've got a PhD" to the Navaho medicine man I couldn't take it anymore.
(4) The premise of the book is okay, but when Preston puts his ideas in the mouths of physicists and "the smartest man in the world" they come up short. I feel sorry for the characters that got stuck sounding arrogant and condescending while lecturing common folk about what happened BEFORE the big bang. (Hey, I guess I actually can connect with some of the characters.)
In the "praise for Blasphemy" section that precedes these reviews, Lincoln Child is quoted as saying, "One way or another, I'm afraid he may burn for this book." Maybe, but don't count on it.
Book Review: Superb thriller
Summary: 5 Stars
Physicist Gregory North Hazelius sold the concept of creating a humongous forty billion dollar "superconducting supercollider particle accelerator" based on finding a new source of energy. He knows not to tell anyone about his personal secret agenda behind why he pushed the Isabella project as it is called; he plans to duplicate the Big Bang of creation in order to speak to God.
The Navajo Indian Reservation in the southwest is chosen as the locale for Isabella. Work begins inside the five-hundred-square-mile Red Mesa tableland. However, the project falls behind schedule disturbing DC politicos who bet on its quick success. Presidential science adviser Dr. Stanton Lockwood sends former CIA operative Wyman Ford to investigate why the delay and is there any way to propel the project back on schedule. At the same time, others strongly oppose Isabella fearing the wrath of God. Televangelist Reverend Don Spates claims scientific blasphemy challenging heaven; Navaho shamans share Spates' fears that the world is coming to an end. These two diverse groups plan to destroy the evil scientists and their blasphemous Isabella before the Armageddon Big Crunch occurs.
This is exciting thriller in which science and religion clash; in many ways the tale is a modernizing of Frankenstein as Isabella is considered the monster by the evangelists and the Navaho while Dr. Hazelius (and twelve other scientists) is the zealous creator. The story line starts slow as the cast is set, but once everyone converges on the southwest, the plot is faster than an atom flying around a supercollider. Fans will enjoy Douglas J. Preston's entertaining action-packed tale.
Harriet Klausner
Book Review: Caricatures galore
Summary: 3 Stars
I read Blasphemy by sheer coincidence on the heels of another book with an out-of-control machine as a central character, and in comparison, Blasphemy doesn't hold up well. The other book was Blind Lake, by Robert Charles Wilson.
While Douglas Preston has written a page-turner with non-stop action taking place during the latter part of the story, I found the lack of character development disappointing, and as a result considered not finishing the book on several occasions. The technological aspects of the story were well done, but not enough to compensate for the unrealistic religious zealotry of the "villains" in this story, and the scientists ultimately turned out to be unbelievably gullible as well. The Scientology-like twist at the end of the story didn't pull it out of the hole for me, and the real motive behind the Isabella malfunction seemed too obvious long before then.
A number of misspellings and other errors were distracting. For example, in one passage Alan Turing, the scientist who invented modern computing, is referred to as "Turning". (Cringe) Writers who are handling technological subjects in their narratives should be able to get the facts straight.
For sheer break-neck action, the book succeeds, but at the expense of believability. (If you enjoy a challenging read about cutting-edge technology and/or unexplained cosmic anomalies, I recommend checking out any of Robert Charles Wilson's works. His character-driven fiction integrates scientific extrapolation into wonderfully compelling and believable storytelling.)
Book Review: "Blasphemy" a Thought-Provoking Tome
Summary: 4 Stars
Douglas Preston's "Blasphemy" succeeded in a the sense that it left me thinking about science, religion and faith in a deep, thought-provoking manner that I rarely do, consumed as I am by the mundane, time-consuming minutiae of everyday life.
As for the story itself, I found it to be quite fascinating. No, it's not completely realistic and I wish there had been some more depth to certain characters, but it was, aside from thought-provoking, a fun book to read. I couldn't put it down.
Some of my views Preston's work reinforced, though, was that extremism in just about any form is lethal to long-term survival prospects and, two, beware the operator with a honeyed voice. Regarding the former, the evangelical, fundamentalist Christians represented in the book certainly aren't admirable, but neither are they *all* of Christianity. As for the latter, as much as I admired what the lead scientist was attempting to achieve (since it mirrors some of what I believe in), I simply can't support him 100 percent because of the deceitful method he used to lay the foundation for changing humanity's outlook on faith. The truth shall make you free, indeed.
Last, but not least, the end result of all the machinations surrounding the Isabella supercollider will likely only last as long as it takes for other scientists to fire up their own supercollider to see if they can duplicate the findings of the Isabella team. Imagine the fireworks when they can't ... (those who've read the book will know what I'm hinting at).
Overall, Preston's "Blasphemy" was a decent read, one I have no problem recommending to others.
M. Keck
Book Review: ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VE EVER READ
Summary: 5 Stars
Douglas Preston did it again. He wrote an outstanding book that makes some very valid points about religion. On a scale of 1 - 10, I give this book a 10. Indeed, Preston and Child, whether alone or together, write some of the best books I've ever read.
This is the story of science and politics teaming up to produce a super colliding supercollider. It's a particle accelerator, and it's the biggest and faster ever built. When it's in full power, the particles go as fast as the speed of light. The idea is to create the conditions of the Big Bang to see how the beginning of the universe happened.
Unfortunately, the religious right takes it to be another attempt by science to disprove the Christian god and the book of Genesis. Of course this religious right gets involved. They are fighting the Anti-Christ, they believe. And there are references, if you watch for them, to Pat Robertson and the 700 Club as well as to how gullible Christians can be. Put a book by Tim LeHaye in their hands, or others like him, and they will believe every word of it. Watch for the reference to "666" and you'll see what I mean.
This book is fast paced. I couldn't put it down until I finished, and thus I finished in one day. It was a shame, really, because I had waited so long for this book to be released. I should have made it last longer. Ah well, there's always more coming. Such as "Cemetery Dance," the 9th book in the Pendergast series, and "Terminal Freeze," a solo book by Lincoln Child.
I'm definitely hooked on both of these authors. Keep them coming, guys.
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