Book Review: The Naked God

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Naked God     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Peter F. Hamilton
Class/Genre:   Science Fiction   Apocalyptic Fiction
Series: The Naked God
Warner, Jan 2000, $26.95, 975 pp.

Mankind's reign appears to be through when a tear between humanity's plane and the afterlife occurs. Seeing an opportunity, many souls rush across the hole to steal the bodies of living beings. None of the dead wants to linger in the nothingness that allowed them to see the active physical universe with nothing else in their dreadful hell. Several planets are yanked into the void of the dead in an attempt to bring some physical life to the environs.

However, many of the dead refuses to return to hell. Al Capone and his Mafia grow stronger and the Quinn Dexter cult continues their march towards the end of humanity. On the other hand, the Liberation Army exorcises the dead souls from their host. Mankind's last hope resides in persuading a remote God to give up its eternal sleeping and intercede on their behalf.

THE NAKED GOD is an incredible accomplishment that shows how thought provoking yet entertaining science fiction could be. The epic stimulating story line centers on an apocalyptic future in which humanity appears on the brink of being annihilated by its own dead. Though unable to figure out how the extraordinary Peter F. Hamilton kept track of everyone, the myriad of characters are all fully developed so that readers understand their motives. Not for readers who want a quick action-packed thriller, this novel and the previous two tales (see THE REALITY DYSFUNCTION and THE NEUTRONIUM ALCHEMIST) make up some of the best fiction to occur in many years.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner