This was my favorite scene in your book which I actually read twice. The way that Kierk was able to see the parts of the riot and the whole scene as a living entity had me mesmerized. I loved the book's mystical feel as Kierk's mind drifted into the Tree of Life to look for the answer to consciousness. The dream like scenes that may have been real. Was it a murder or an accident. The mystery of it all was great. I think that this book needs a sequel. Revelations II - The Answers. Please, please continue Kierks search into the unknown. Keep in mind that it is often an authors second or third book that is a great hit. Recently an authors third book got my attention and it was then that I headed into Jabberwocky and asked for everything that author had ever written.
It was on May 17th (Desiderata#25) that I had asked if this scene was an example of causal emergence? I am now thinking it may be more like your Integrated Information Theory. Either way I enjoyed this scene above all others.
The search to definitively delineate consciousness may forever be like dividing the distance between any two points in half ad infinitum…or a dog chasing its tail. New words/ terms will surely be added to the vocabulary but consciousness will forever contain knowledge , not the other way around.
You are so right. For every answer I found through meditation, I then found 10 more questions to ask the universe. New words / terms only to lead us back to the same questions. Dogs chasing our tails, interesting and great fun.
The most fascinating aspect of this excerpt is the relationship of the “blindsight” phenomenon and the reader catching the zeitgeist you portray in the story.
This is a better cover than the one they gave you, and I think you should also change the name. The book is so good, but I don’t think the title works.
Agree, Naughton's art better captures the mystery and suspense of the book. I did like the title but the book left me with more questions and the hope for a sequel.
Kierk and the gang were in search of revelations but only found more questions. I didn't think of it as religious but I can see how one could get that. I love the science / mystical blend which is so rare. Seeing the world through the eyes of a scientist (logic) and the spiritual questions that arise from that search, is what I enjoyed the most.
Definitely agree, but I just think from a marketing/sales perspective, the cover and title undersold the book or at least oddly sold it. The cover/title makes it look like a Patricia Lockwood book, and it’s just not that.
I like how the writing oscillates from minimal punctuation to pretty standard punctuation. It adds variety. I also like the raw snippets from each lecture discipline and how they’re separated from the text main body.
Ah interesting! I was hoping someone remembered. Sad to hear about Queen Street West - there were shop owners frantically boarding up their windows with no help. Imagine the predicament: where do you find a bunch of plywood at last minute notice and how do you nail it into your store so it doesn't get trashed?!
Erik,
This was my favorite scene in your book which I actually read twice. The way that Kierk was able to see the parts of the riot and the whole scene as a living entity had me mesmerized. I loved the book's mystical feel as Kierk's mind drifted into the Tree of Life to look for the answer to consciousness. The dream like scenes that may have been real. Was it a murder or an accident. The mystery of it all was great. I think that this book needs a sequel. Revelations II - The Answers. Please, please continue Kierks search into the unknown. Keep in mind that it is often an authors second or third book that is a great hit. Recently an authors third book got my attention and it was then that I headed into Jabberwocky and asked for everything that author had ever written.
It was on May 17th (Desiderata#25) that I had asked if this scene was an example of causal emergence? I am now thinking it may be more like your Integrated Information Theory. Either way I enjoyed this scene above all others.
The search to definitively delineate consciousness may forever be like dividing the distance between any two points in half ad infinitum…or a dog chasing its tail. New words/ terms will surely be added to the vocabulary but consciousness will forever contain knowledge , not the other way around.
You are so right. For every answer I found through meditation, I then found 10 more questions to ask the universe. New words / terms only to lead us back to the same questions. Dogs chasing our tails, interesting and great fun.
The most fascinating aspect of this excerpt is the relationship of the “blindsight” phenomenon and the reader catching the zeitgeist you portray in the story.
Holy wow! Never read anything like this, it’s full of insight, some ugly, nothing neurally neutral.
This is a better cover than the one they gave you, and I think you should also change the name. The book is so good, but I don’t think the title works.
Agree, Naughton's art better captures the mystery and suspense of the book. I did like the title but the book left me with more questions and the hope for a sequel.
I also want a sequel! I think the title is too religious sounding. It’s kind of not nailing the true genre of the book.
Kierk and the gang were in search of revelations but only found more questions. I didn't think of it as religious but I can see how one could get that. I love the science / mystical blend which is so rare. Seeing the world through the eyes of a scientist (logic) and the spiritual questions that arise from that search, is what I enjoyed the most.
Definitely agree, but I just think from a marketing/sales perspective, the cover and title undersold the book or at least oddly sold it. The cover/title makes it look like a Patricia Lockwood book, and it’s just not that.
Totally right. Marketing/Sales perspective. Cover and title definitely undersold the book. I fear that we will never see that sequel.
He said maybe to a sequel! He could always self publish the sequel or serialize it here on substack. Or maybe someone will do a fan fiction sequel.
I also want a movie version!
In want of Sub-stack-er discussions ongoing
I like how the writing oscillates from minimal punctuation to pretty standard punctuation. It adds variety. I also like the raw snippets from each lecture discipline and how they’re separated from the text main body.
Good writing. Connie Rossetti’s comments resonate. You somehow captured the nearly ineffable experience of being present in the moment.
Ah interesting! I was hoping someone remembered. Sad to hear about Queen Street West - there were shop owners frantically boarding up their windows with no help. Imagine the predicament: where do you find a bunch of plywood at last minute notice and how do you nail it into your store so it doesn't get trashed?!