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Ismail Ersevim A.C. 2084 First Published 2006 307 Pages ISBN: 1-905226-22-5 |
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Reviewer: Lesley November 2006 |
It is AC2084 and a second ice age has practically destroyed and Earth and its inhabitants. The only survivors live in isolated communities across the ravaged planet. One such community is New Atlantis where a near Utopia has been established. Every one is equal. Every one is given exactly what then NEED, no more, no less. People work for the greater good. Ismailov is President of New Atlantis and strives to maintain the status quo. So when he overhears a group of Mormons discussing the Moroni Angel and Moroni Plates he is curious as to what they are discussing. Despite his expert knowledge of religions he has never heard either phrase before. He begins to suspect they are plotting against the government and society he has vowed to protect. Remembering a number of diaries written by his grandfather he looks to them for clues behind the Moroni Angel and Plates but will he find out the truth before a revolution occurs? This is an extremely unusual book. Set in the not too distant future it follows the life of President Ismailov as he tries to determine if there is a plot to overthrow the system being formulated within the Mormon church. The structure of New Atlantis is fascinating. The concept of a Utopian existence where no one wants for anything is very appealing – on the surface. Ersevim goes further than this; considering what could happen if a section of that society became unhappy with their situation and decided to try and change things. If the whole book had simply explored this concept then I think I would have enjoyed it more. However, there was one aspect of the writing style that didn't quite gel for me. As the main character carried out his responsibilities as President, he was called upon to make a number of lectures on aspects of different religions. To reflect this Ersevim has decided to include the entirety of the lectures. Unfortunately this made me feel as though I was periodically delving into a Religious Studies text book. There is no doubting that this was an excellent concept – may be a little too hard core SF for my taste. |
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