Our Lady of the Artilects
by Andrew Gillsmith
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Pub Date Apr 28 2022 | Archive Date Jun 28 2022
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Description
World leaders are on edge when reports start coming in of next generation androids having strange, apocalyptic visions of a lady in white.
But when an Artilect belonging to the wealthiest man in Africa shows up at Our Lady of Nigeria basilica claiming to be possessed, the stakes are raised.
The Vatican sends Father Gabriel Serafian, an exorcist who left behind a brilliant career as a neuroscientist, to Benin City to investigate...and to figure out who is behind what must surely be a hack.
The timing couldn't be worse. Rome is on the verge of reconciliation with the Chinese Economic Interest Zone after a 50 year cold war, and the Chinese are particularly sensitive about the so-called Apparition.
Serafian quickly finds himself caught up in a conspiracy of global--and possibly supernatural--dimensions.
To discover the truth and save not only humanity but the artilects themselves, Serafian enlists the aid of a tough-as-nails Imperial Praetor named Namono Mbambu.
Serafian and Mbambu are helped by a guilt-wracked Filipino Emperor, a taciturn Caliph, and a Uyghur Sufi named Ilham Tiliwadi as they race against time to stop a centuries-old plot that could end humanity as we know it.
Our Lady of the Artilects is a mind-bending supernatural science fiction novel where "The Exorcist" meets "Westworld,” with a light dusting of Snow Crash!
Will Serafian discover the truth?
Advance Praise
★★★★★ "One of the most thoughtful science fiction books I've ever read!" - Reader Review
★★★★★ "An astonishing novel!" - A. Karamazov
★★★★★ "OLotA has some of the most intricate world-building I’ve seen in the sci-fi genre, and the story itself is nothing short of highly captivating." - Ryan Galyon
★★★★★ "Gillsmith has obviously put extensive amounts of effort into researching and crafting his ideas. I was constantly entertained and surprised by little "wow" moments - twists and turns here and there that didn't make or break the novel but showed the depth of thought and planning that has gone into this book." - Rachel Welsh
★★★★★ "The most thoughtful and entertaining Catholic-centric science fiction since A Canticle for Leibowitz." - Ed Decillis
Available Editions
| ISBN | 9798819594711 |
| PRICE | $4.99 (USD) |
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Featured Reviews
D R, Reviewer
This is an astonishingly original and well-crafted science fiction novel. As others have noted, Gillsmith masterfully blends science fiction and spirituality. The character development, dialogue, pacing, and plotting are all first rate. So much so that it is hard to believe this is a debut novel. For my money, OLotA ranks up there with classics in the genre like Hyperion, Dune, and Canticle for Leibowitz.
Gillsmith has a gift for weaving together complex themes in a way that never feels forced or heavy handed. A lesser writer or researcher might have lost the reader, given the complexity and ambitiousness of the story. I felt completely at ease that Gillsmith had a firm grasp on his material at every stage.
Gillsmith's descriptive prose is beautiful as well, in a way that few sci fi writers ever achieve. I'm looking forward to his next book, which will apparently be a sequel based on the ending.
Highly recommended for readers who enjoy thoughtful speculative fiction.
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