A Free Will Manifold by David Allen
I purchased this book (on amazon POD) partly because David Allen is a friend, but mainly because the pitch felt so Borgesian I couldn't resist. And indeed, the book opens on a Borges quote, so I knew I was in good hands. Interestingly, David Allen manages to get a sizable and endearing story about the meaning of life from a simple premise that Borges would have likely expedited in a dozen pages: a mathematics professor is tipped to a library that contains not only all of his memories, but all of his future memories as well. From this, Allen explores the impacts of this momentous discovery not only on his main character but on those closest to him. The novel clearly stems from the author's own academic life (and love of theoretical mathematics) and feels all the more authentic for it. Ultimately, David Allen manages to answer the age old question of what you would do if you had knowledge of your own future in a paradoxical yet convincing way, not a small feet. I recommend it without hesitation.
Comments
Post a Comment