Machina

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Summary: God is dead. Now what?
Review: God is dead. Kaput. The artist formerly known as God.
Now what?
What happens if the government, or governments find out? Will they hurry to let the people know?
What happens if God's replacement is an all-too-human, drug-using, bisexual college dropout with money woes?

Rating:
Summary: Machina - A Very Unique Novel
Review: Machina is a very unique novel that raises questions about even the most fundamental theories of creation and substantiation. Jonathan Lyons has explored the frightening question of what would happen to us all if God were dead.
The story begins with Major Delphina Hutchings an intelligence agent that is in the middle of a very disturbing briefing. She is given a list of extraordinary events that have taken place leading her supervisors to the conclusion that God may no longer exist. This is when Hutchings is introduced to Project Oversight and were things begin to get even more bizarre. Then we are taken to a time several years in the future and introduced to Sinclair, a midnight janitor at the university. Sinclair runs into Deuce Mackenzie, a student at the university and the two begin to piece together some very strange conclusions to many happens of late. Soon back in the past again, doctor Errol Mannheim, a doctor of Parapsychology and the Assistant Director of the Geller Metaphysics Institution comes into the picture. We find that an unusual amount of paranormal activities have been occurring with frightening frequency. Finally a very rebellious professor Trull enters the story and we begin to see some of the many pieces of the puzzle coming together.
The lives of these many lively characters run parallel and eventually intertwine in a maze of mind boggling experiences. The detailed dialogue provides pages of information and a look into the psychics of these many individuals. As things heat up, it is impossible to distinguish between right and wrong or good and bad. What is very apparent is that when everything is said and done, mankind will never be the same.
I enjoyed the plot of this story and the feel of the characters but I did get a little impatient for some action. The first one hundred and twenty pages seemed to be more for scene setting than actual doing. I also was somewhat confused with the switching between time periods. I had to go back and reread several times to make sure I was in the right year. Once the action picked up though, things went along rather well. Many drastic and thought provoking details were provided and the ending was unusually enlightening.
Jonathan Lyons has expressed himself with a gifted talent and I hope to see future work of this refreshing author.

Reviewed by T.A. Von Reiman for Coffee Cramp Reviews


Rating:
Summary: Machina is excellent speculative fiction!
Review: Machina is an excellent piece of speculative fiction that rises far above the average sci-fi novel!! From the author of Burn, one of my favorite sci-fi books, this novel raises exciting metaphysical, philosophical, and paranormal questions that kept me enthralled throughout this fast-paced read. If we take Nietzsche's words that "God is dead" literally, then what does that mean for life as we know it? Who would notice? What would change in our daily lives? And what would the government do about it? These are the ambitious questions with which Lyons constructs his novel. From the very beginning, when Sinclair struggles with the voice inside his head and we wonder if our college-dropout protagonist is crazy, to the late-night metaphysical discussions between Sinclair and his lover, Deuce, about the nature of reality, to the dark inner workings of the government's top secret Project Oversight, this story kept me completely engrossed! I also enjoyed Lyons' well-rounded, real-world cast of characters, his frank discussions of sexuality, and the overall emphasis on ethics. It's my favorite book of the year!!