Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Science Fiction: Charisma By Michael G.Coney


 (Drivebycuriosity) - Are there other universes beyond ours? Some physicists believe that a infinite number of parallel worlds exist, some almost identical to ours, others extremely different. "Maybe our universe is just a bubble in an ocean, with new bubbles forming all the time" speculates physicist and blockbuster author Michio Kaku (driveby )

The topic of alternate or parallel worlds is a great material for science fiction writers of course. The novel "Charisma" by Michael G.Coney is a very plausible and gripping take ( amazon).

The novel, told in first person, is a complex mixture of science fiction, drama, romance & crime mystery (this is a spoiler free blog). Scientists discovered numbers of parallel worlds, which are more or less similar to ours. Their timelines run either ahead or past of our time line. Some people, who are part of secret similar science projects on the different timelines, cross the lines and switch from one world to another. 

The narrator, a complex & challenged person, is one of them. There are a lot of surprises and sometimes dramatic & thrilling situations, spiced with romantics & erotics. "Charisma" is a dark philosophical tale. Even though the novel belongs to the scifi genre it reminds  me of Raymond Chandler, Georges Simenon and even Jack London.

The story is of course highly speculative but based on logic and analytic thinking - almost scientific - which makes is very plausible. The course of events and Coney´s writing talents kept me on the edge. "Charisma" is an underrated germ of the science fiction genre.

No comments:

Post a Comment