The Darkest Side of Saturn
Odyssey of a Reluctant Prophet of Doom
by Tony Taylor
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Pub Date Jul 07 2014 | Archive Date Jun 20 2015
Description
Visionary and satiric. Two astronomers discover an asteroid: Death is possible. Strong doses of romance, science, religion and sex . . . with some ballet thrown in for good measure!
At a mountaintop observatory in Southern California, spacecraft navigator Harris Mitchel and astronomer Diana Muse-Jones discover a dangerous asteroid which may hit the earth within two decades. As the asteroid tumbles through space towards an uncertain impact, Harris and Diana fight bitterly over how to announce their discovery.
When Harris goes public to a skeptical world—at the cost of his and Diana’s careers—he sends their already turbulent relationship into a blaze of conflicting passions. As his notoriety builds, a fanatical preacher and his unhinged followers stalk him while an obnoxious radio personality provides disruptive help. Harris becomes an unwilling Pied Piper for his own clueless followers hungry for belief and eager for guidance into an uncertain and tumultuous future.
In this science fiction drama the characters battle each other in contests of Damn your world view! against a background of hard science, religion, romance, metaphysical speculation, and the forces of nature versus human passions and dreams. Meanwhile an asteroid hurtles through the solar system and global salvation or disaster hangs in the balance.
At a mountaintop observatory in Southern California, spacecraft navigator Harris Mitchel and astronomer Diana Muse-Jones discover a dangerous asteroid which may hit the earth within two decades. As the asteroid tumbles through space towards an uncertain impact, Harris and Diana fight bitterly over how to announce their discovery.
When Harris goes public to a skeptical world—at the cost of his and Diana’s careers—he sends their already turbulent relationship into a blaze of conflicting passions. As his notoriety builds, a fanatical preacher and his unhinged followers stalk him while an obnoxious radio personality provides disruptive help. Harris becomes an unwilling Pied Piper for his own clueless followers hungry for belief and eager for guidance into an uncertain and tumultuous future.
In this science fiction drama the characters battle each other in contests of Damn your world view! against a background of hard science, religion, romance, metaphysical speculation, and the forces of nature versus human passions and dreams. Meanwhile an asteroid hurtles through the solar system and global salvation or disaster hangs in the balance.
Advance Praise
"A fusion of fanaticism and hard science, the visionary and the
profane, . . . a union of two streams of metaphysics and literature
which flow into a sea of overwhelming consequence. It has the visionary
sprawl of Baxter, Macauley, Stross, in an unromanticized view of
religious process which refracts Sinclair Lewis' ELMER GANTRY. An
impressive work. . . . Can stand with James Blish's A CASE OF CONSCIENCE
or Walter Miller's CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ as serious uncompromising
statement. Most impressive. And to its benefit and mine, utterly
accessible."--Barry N. Malzberg
"Extraordinarily well-crafted and deeply thought-provoking . . . a science fiction tour de force; a courageous and visionary work . . . comparable in thematic power to Walter M. Miller, Jr.'s Hugo Award-winning novel A Canticle for Leibowitz. . . . An apocalyptic thriller, a powerful romance, a cautionary tale about religious fanaticism. . . . A disturbingly insightful self-examination of humankind and our apparent decline into a society powered by apathy, ignorance, and intolerance. . . . A jaw-dropping, unforgettable literary experience! . . . An instant classic." --BlueInk Reviews
"A scientific prophecy propels this ominous Armageddon thriller. . . . This incredible story captures attention and sustains the constant doubt required to motivate the characters. . . . Presents an eccentric cast in innovative passages and messianic scripture. . . . The psychological basis of this mind-spinning tale is a classic messiah complex . . . The trip to the final page is filled with bizarre descriptions and poetic madness. . . .Taylor presents a world teetering on the brink of the blackness of nothing and the lightness of life."--Foreword Clarion Reviews
"A satire; a romance; a disaster epic; a treatise on science, religion, bureaucracy and hysteria; a coming-of-age tale; a meditation on messianic savior versus unbalanced fanatic; and the story of man's obsession with space, alternate realities and doomsday prophecies. . . . Expansive brilliance . . . A wild ride . . . Mind-boggling at the end." --Kirkus Reviews
"Extraordinarily well-crafted and deeply thought-provoking . . . a science fiction tour de force; a courageous and visionary work . . . comparable in thematic power to Walter M. Miller, Jr.'s Hugo Award-winning novel A Canticle for Leibowitz. . . . An apocalyptic thriller, a powerful romance, a cautionary tale about religious fanaticism. . . . A disturbingly insightful self-examination of humankind and our apparent decline into a society powered by apathy, ignorance, and intolerance. . . . A jaw-dropping, unforgettable literary experience! . . . An instant classic." --BlueInk Reviews
"A scientific prophecy propels this ominous Armageddon thriller. . . . This incredible story captures attention and sustains the constant doubt required to motivate the characters. . . . Presents an eccentric cast in innovative passages and messianic scripture. . . . The psychological basis of this mind-spinning tale is a classic messiah complex . . . The trip to the final page is filled with bizarre descriptions and poetic madness. . . .Taylor presents a world teetering on the brink of the blackness of nothing and the lightness of life."--Foreword Clarion Reviews
"A satire; a romance; a disaster epic; a treatise on science, religion, bureaucracy and hysteria; a coming-of-age tale; a meditation on messianic savior versus unbalanced fanatic; and the story of man's obsession with space, alternate realities and doomsday prophecies. . . . Expansive brilliance . . . A wild ride . . . Mind-boggling at the end." --Kirkus Reviews
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781491734213 |
| PRICE | $25.95 (USD) |
