The Darkest Side of Saturn
Odyssey of a Reluctant Prophet of Doom
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- £3.99
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- £3.99
Publisher Description
Eric Hoffer Book Awards First Place for Commercial Fiction
Visionary and satiric. Two astronomers discover an asteroid: Death is possible -- will it hit? Strong doses of romance, science, religion and sex . . . with some ballet thrown in for good measure.
A courageous and visionary work an instant classic
--BlueInk Reviews
From IndieReader Reviews:
Two astronomers discover an asteroid on a potential collision course with Earth.
Harris Mitchel and Diana Muse are old friends and scientific rivals, but when they jointly discover a new asteroid, which they name Baby, their lives are upended for good. Harriss wife Jennifer is growing increasingly frustrated with his dedication to work over marriage. A fundamentalist minister with money troubles hopes to boost his ministry by taking public exception to Mitchels advocacy of science as a new frontier and a new inspiration -- and a conservative radio personality is stoking the fight for his audiences amusement. A New Age community views Mitchel as a new prophet. But the stakes are higher than any of them realize, since Baby appears to be on a collision course with Earth. Can Harris and Diana manage to save the world as well as their own personal lives?
The Darkest Side of Saturn manages to play with the religion-science divide in a truly thought-
provoking and entertaining fashion. Mitchels inspired and dramatic view of science and discovery as the meaning and purpose of human existence is shown not only from his perspective, but refracted through the viewpoints of others, whether Dianas intelligent pragmatism, the cynical whats-in-it-for-me attitude of politicians and administrators, the angry fundamentalist reaction of the Rev. Farnsworth, or the mystical, but somewhat scatterbrained, devotion of his New Age true believers. The writing is both poetically lyrical and driven, full of energy and force, especially when the topic is either science or sex. Rapier-sharp verbal fencing and a snarky, witty sense of humor brighten the book. The romance is feisty, vigorous, and sensual, with electricity vividly present from the beginning of the novel. The ending offers a fascinating perspective on the whole, combining both scientific awe and mystical philosophy in a new and intriguing way.
The Darkest Side of Saturn is a mischievous, playful, and intelligent look at human consciousness, science, religion, inspiration and truth.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Taylor (Counters) starts this near-future novel strongly with well-rendered protagonists, but the story soon falters and collapses. Dreamer spacecraft engineer Harris Mitchel and driven astronomer Diana Muse-Jones discover an asteroid that, unbeknownst to them, is on a possible collision course with Earth. Soon the intrigue of astronomical discovery gives way to a hackneyed critique of religion, personified by Rev. Ernest Farnsworth, an evangelical leader who vilifies Harris in a last-ditch attempt to keep his congregation going. The inciting plot point, the asteroid's path, isn't revealed until halfway through the overlong slog and is buried in a mess of romantic affairs both real and speculated. Layered characterizations become flat archetypes, and the women including, most disappointingly, Diana become either leering seductresses or angelic stay-at-home wives and mothers. The book's unfocused attempts at humor sometimes succeed but mostly fail. (BookLife)
