BLASPHEMY
Douglas Preston
Forge Books
Thriller
ISBN: 9780765311054

Douglas Preston is probably best known for the series of highly successful novels he has co-authored with Lincoln Child, the most recent of which was the bestseller THE WHEEL OF DARKNESS. Preston also has found success as a solo author of both fiction and nonfiction books, and is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. With his latest effort, BLASPHEMY, he may be taking on the most controversial topic he has ever written about: science vs. religion.

I always look forward to anything Preston is involved with writing because I know the topics will be diverse and intricately researched, and I usually come away learning something in the process. BLASPHEMY is no exception. Its plot revolves around the controversy created by the most expensive machine ever assembled --- Isabella, a supercollider hidden deep in Red Mesa, Arizona, that is probing the causes of the Big Bang. Great concern has arisen over Isabella, both from the U.S. government and several religious groups. Wyman Ford, ex-monk and CIA operative, has been sent undercover to join the team of scientists in Red Mesa in an effort to report on what is going on there and learn about any issues that the team may be covering up.

The leader of the Isabella scientific team is former Nobel Laureate, and self-proclaimed “world’s smartest man,” William North Hazelius. Directly opposing Hazelius is powerful television evangelist Reverend Don T. Spates, who claims that Hazelius and the Isabella team is involved in a satanic attempt at disproving Genesis and challenging God Almighty. Assisting Reverend Spates is a fanatical follower, Reverend Eddy, who is housed just outside of Red Mesa and working on uncovering the secrets that the Isabella team is hiding. Members of the U.S. religious right fear that the Isabella scientists are promoting an anti-Christian agenda that they feel pervades the entire nation.

Wyman is thrown right into the middle of this storm. As a former monk he has deeply rooted religious beliefs of his own while also maintaining a scientific perspective for the work that the Isabella team is doing. To further complicate things for Ford, his ex-lover, Kate Mercer, is the Assistant Deputy Director to Hazelius, and Wyman finds himself falling for her again.

As things begin to heat up on the religious front, the Isabella team comes across what they feel is a “hacker” who has broken into their system and is beginning to communicate with the team under the guise of being “God.” Once Reverend Eddy uncovers some of the Isabella team’s secrets and reports them to Reverend Spate, in addition to posting them on every religious website he can, an uprising begins that draws thousands of angry people to Red Mesa in an attempt to thwart what they see as “Armageddon.”

To tell more would give away too much. Suffice it to say that, as the Isabella team is distracted by their dialogue with “God,” the conflagration that is building outside of their deeply hidden encampment is reaching epic proportions that will bring about tragic results. Overall, BLASPHEMY is a fast and thrilling read that tackles deep scientific reasoning while displaying some of the prevailing religious sentiments in the nation today. It is quite contrary to novels like the Left Behind series and goes to great lengths to show that scientific discoveries in the wrong hands can be a dangerous thing. Hazelius sums up the scientific perspective best when he states: “Perhaps no rational, intelligent person can ever be absolutely sure of his faith. Or in my case, sure of my lack of faith.”

I truly enjoyed BLASPHEMY and turned the pages in great anticipation of the inevitable tragic confrontation when science and religion, polar opposites, meet head on. My only criticism is that I would have liked to have seen more direct debate between Hazelius and Reverend Eddy, and I felt that some of the characters in the conflagration were dispatched of too quickly. Even though the subject matter is quite sensitive, Preston does a great job showing all sides and has put together a compelling and intriguing read.

    --- Reviewed by Ray Palen

Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.com.

© Copyright 1996-2008, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.

Back to top.