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The purpose of this blog is to have a little fun. It is NOT to start arguments. I don't profess to be an expert on Sci-fi, nor do I aspire to become an expert. You are welcome to comment on any and all content you find here. If my opinion differs from yours, as far as I am concerned, it's all okay. I will never say that you are wrong because you disagree with me, and I expect the same from those that comment here. Also, my audience on the blog will include some young people. Please govern your language when posting comments.

Posts will hopefully be regular based on the movies I see, the television shows I watch, and the books I read as well as what ever strikes me as noteworthy.


***SPOILER ALERT***
Spoilers will appear here and are welcome.

Autograph Collecting

Sunday, August 1, 2021

An Audience For Einstein by Mark Wakely - An Amazing Character Driven Young Adult Science Fiction Must Read!

An Audience for Einstein by Mark Wakely

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I found this book on the BookSirens site. What immediately caught my attention was the cover art and the title. The blurb sealed the deal, and I downloaded it. I've since read An Audience for Einstein and was mesmerized from the first page. This is an incredible treatment of the old sci-fi trope of transferring memories from one being to another. It is young-adult sci-fi book I would say is appropriate for 7th grade readers and up. Don't be fooled by the designation young adult. Anyone who is just looking for a great story to enjoy will enjoy this one, no matter the age, or what genre you enjoy. 

Percival Marlowe is a retired professor and Nobel laureate, dying from old age.

Dr. Carl Dorning is a former neurosurgeon turned researcher.

Miguel Sanchez is a street urchin who hangs out with older boys who spend their days on the streets panhandling for cash.

So, what do these three people have in common? Dr. Dorning's research is to prolong life by transferring one person's memories to others. He receives funding from Dr. Marlowe to continue his research and have his memories transferred to someone younger so he can continue his groundbreaking discoveries in astrophysics. Thinking Miguel has no family or future, Dorning chooses Miguel to inherit not only Marlowe's property, but his memories as well.

Dorning delivers an amazing sales pitch to Miguel, but doesn't tell him everything. One small detail Dorning leaves out is, if what he plans to do is successful, Miguel will no longer exist while Marlowe continues to live; Miguel will become Marlowe.

Miguel is not a bad kid, but he is in a bad situation as far as his family life is concerned. His situation leaves him vulnerable to be exploited by Dorning. He never seems to trust Dorning, but the promises made to him are so appealing, he doesn't want to pass it up. He believes it will not only help him but will help his family as well. He is scared, but really has no place else to go. Miguel meets Dr. Marlowe, and they have a friendly relationship, visiting together about many things.

Dr. Marlowe is old and frail. He doesn't have long to live, and he's made a deal with the devil in the person of Dorning. He also doesn't know all of what will happen when his intellect is transferred to Miguel. If he did, he most likely wouldn't go through with the procedure.

Dr. Carl Dorning quit his career as a neurosurgeon to pursue his idea on mind transfer. He lives alone in a home with a full laboratory in his basement, funded mostly by Marlowe. His character is strange in that, as a reader, I liked the guy one minute and despised him the next. He seems to care for both Miguel and Marlowe, but he actually only cares for his work and its success. It is more of an obsession than a research project and this make him scary.

All three characters are well developed, and in the case of Miguel and Marlowe, they are people the reader can care about and a young reader might actually empathize with Miguel at some level. As far as Dorning is concerned, he comes across as somewhat of a snake-oil salesman who convinces others his motivations are noble, but his only motivation is a successful outcome to his project and his own fame once he releases his findings.

My favorite point of the plot in An Audience for Einstein is when we meet Miguel's family and see that they aren’t the people they are assumed to be. I found my own implicit bias causing me to make judgements about his mom and dad and thinking he might be better off with Dorning. I was pleased to learn his parents do care about him and are working toward making a better life for themselves and Miguel as well.

What I am taking away from this book is the theme of one's identity. Dorning justifies taking Miguel's identity by deeming him as one who has no potential. As far as he is concerned, Miguel will be given a gift that will improve his life. He is, in essence, plotting the murder of one human being's personality in favor of making them someone who they were not meant to be. On the other hand, Miguel thinks he and Marlowe will live sharing personalities. When he learns the truth, he asserts he wants to be who he is, free to explore his own potential. Dorning is not just unethical, he is criminal, and one might even find him pathological. Along with Miguel, Marlow doesn't have all the facts, but when he learns the eventual outcome intended by Dorning, he also rejects the taking of another life to enhance his own.

I was fascinated with An Audience for Einstein from the first page and the book held my interest and attention all the way through the end. There isn't any filler in this story, and it moves at a lightning speed. There is a lot in it to provoke thought on many levels and I think it is a wonderful story to introduce a young person to the world of Science Fiction. There isn't a lot of jargon the wade through, the language is plainly written on a level anyone can enjoy. The characters are well written and real. They will elicit emotions and reactions in the reader's mind.

I looked on Wakely's web page and found he has done his homework on the science in the story. There is an actual scientific hypothesis on the idea of memory transfer. Follow this link to see the basis for that part of the story: http://www.anaudienceforeinstein.com/from-the-author.html

The author also provides resources for teachers who may like to use An Audience for Einstein in their classes. Follow this link for those resources: http://www.anaudienceforeinstein.com/resources-for-educators.html

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good story whether or not a sci-fi fan. Five Stars.

Mark Wakely has held a lifelong interest in all things science-related, dating back to high school when he won the Bausch & Lomb science award in high school. Mark holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and is a college administrator at prestigious Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Illinois. He lives in a nearby town with his wife and three children, and is an avid reader and amateur astronomer.

Here is a link to the author's blog: https://markwakelyauthor.blogspot.com/

Well, there it is...

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