Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Metaphysical Science Fiction

  • TO BE ENLIGHTENED by Alan J. Steinberg, MD – Metaphysical Science Fiction, Magic Realism, Metaphysical and Visionary

    TO BE ENLIGHTENED by Alan J. Steinberg, MD – Metaphysical Science Fiction, Magic Realism, Metaphysical and Visionary

    If you have never read a work of philosophical fiction, be prepared—it’s not fluff.

    Dr. Alan J. Steinberg’s latest work in some ways echoes other works with similar themes, e.g., Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, or Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. But To Be Enlightened provides a distinctive, twenty-first-century take on setting and characters, giving it a uniquely California flavor.

    In a tale of ambivalence and obsession that would captivate a Freudian psychologist, Steinberg uses the main character, Abe Levy, a conflicted philosophy professor at a Southern California college, as a vehicle to recount the philosophical underpinnings of Transcendental Meditation, relating the tenets of Indian Vedic philosophical beliefs to those of Western and Middle Eastern civilizations over the ages.

    Abe’s conflict is both spiritual and mundane, affecting every aspect of his life.

    When he was fifteen, Abe experienced an inexplicable, life-altering event. At that time, two strangers transported him to another plane of existence—heaven, if you will—on another planet. There he lived a joyful, perfect life without the complications of sex, avarice, or any of the seven deadly sins, with a soul mate whom he had known forever. One day, when he was very old, the same two strangers returned him to his previous adolescent existence on earth.

    From that time, Abe’s obsession has been to return.

    Stuck in 21st century California, he is ambivalent toward his wife, Sarah, whose anxiety and panic attacks, along with her healthy libido, both distract from and interfere with the meditations that will transport him back. Abe is happiest when teaching The Insider’s Guide to Our Self, which allows him to escape his worldly concerns and responsibilities and focus on enlightenment. When Sarah masters the technique and joins him in advanced night meditations, Abe is delighted. However, he doesn’t anticipate what comes next.

    A well-crafted book, To Be Enlightened is weighted with philosophical thought from multiple sources, documented with citations and footnotes worthy of a doctoral dissertation. Most of this, presented in classroom scenes, slows the pace—only the repartee between/among the students and professor save it from a complete stall. However, quirky characters and unexpected events, while stretching credulity, keep it alive.

    Worthy of finishing—the reader should be prepared to set aside the time and patience it demands. To Be Enlightened is sure to illuminate the unenlightened readers, expanding their understanding of eastern philosophy and religion.

     

     

  • CONFESSIONS FROM the CONSORTIUM of ROGUE GENE SCIENTISTS by Charles and Cassandra Doe – Metaphysical Science Fiction, Medical Fiction, One-Hour Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads

    CONFESSIONS FROM the CONSORTIUM of ROGUE GENE SCIENTISTS by Charles and Cassandra Doe – Metaphysical Science Fiction, Medical Fiction, One-Hour Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads

    Confessions from the Consortium of Rogue Gene Scientists is presented as a letter to guide the surviving children of a pair of married scientists who have died as a result of a mysterious genetic illness. The letter is an attempt to prepare the children, explain who and what they are, and what they will likely encounter and why.

    I would be remiss if I didn’t start with what Confessions from the Consortium of Rogue Gene Scientists isn’t before I try to describe what it is. It isn’t a novel or novella. It is around 6,200 words. In literary terms, that’s about 25 pages. It is a mixture of poetry and rational reasoning that borders on brilliant.

    The children’s parents are genetic engineers and researchers. The children are the products of their parents’ work. They are genetically engineered, even though the practice is against the law. Despite the intense societal backlash against the genetic engineering of people, it was the only way to assure the children would not be afflicted with the diseases that killed their parents.

    Confessions from the Consortium of Rogue Gene Scientists is written in the first-person, past tense in the voice of the children’s last surviving parent, their father. The observations within it are revealing; observations on the nature of man, the nature of life, and the root of why things are the way they are. This short story will open your eyes and make you think, and maybe make you a little sad.

    In a sense, this remarkable, thought-provoking treatise serves as a chilling warning to what the children can expect in the future—a warning, perhaps, not only for the scientists’ children but for us all. In a very real way, the letter feels like the start of something bigger, a strong foundation for a groundbreaking work. We can only wait and see. What is certain, the work may be short, but it will stay with you for a very long time.