Blasphemy

By: Douglas Preston

Narrated by: Scott Sowers

Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

In Douglas Preston's Blasphemy, the world's biggest supercollider, locked in an Arizona mountain, was built to reveal the secrets of the very moment of creation: the Big Bang itself.

The Torus is the most expensive machine ever created by humankind, run by the world's most powerful supercomputer. It is the brainchild of Nobel Laureate William North Hazelius. Will the Torus divulge the mysteries of the creation of the universe? Or will it, as some predict, suck the earth into a mini black hole? Or is the Torus a Satanic attempt, as a powerful televangelist decries, to challenge God Almighty on the very throne of Heaven?

Twelve scientists under the leadership of Hazelius are sent to the remote mountain to turn it on, and what they discover must be hidden from the world at all costs. Wyman Ford, ex-monk and CIA operative, is tapped to wrest their secret, a secret that will either destroy the world…or save it.

The countdown begins…

©2007 Splendide Mendax, Inc. (P)2008 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Listeners are in exceedingly capable hands - Sowers never lets us down. He weaves together the complex subplots of what happens when science and religion collide.” —AudioFile

“When a talented reader narrates a spellbinding story by a consistently powerful author, great things happen in the audio world. Scott Sowers nails the suspense of Preston's latest novel; listeners will be grabbed from the very first line of this 'ripped from the headlines' story of science and religion clashing, with tragic results...Preston never fails to deliver a first-rate thriller, and with Sowers providing the outstanding narrative, listeners are in for a non-stop - and thought-provoking audio experience.” —Library Journal, starred review

Very sad

I love so many other of Douglas Preston’s books, so was saddened to realize this whole story followed along with a totally anti-Christian theme. It seemed evident that the characters in the book who were pastors were not “Christian” at all!

Science v. Religion

Note: That my title is NOT science v. GOD. If you thrill to physics mysteries: dark matter, string theory, subatomic particles, 'the big bang', quantum mechanics & all huge mysteries on beyond human understanding (like God.)You'll LOVE this book. If a devout (fill in blank) religion, you may hate it. Well enough narrated, excellently edited I couldn't put this one down. WHAT was happening??? The clever interweaving of Navajo creation myths (which on a quick computer search do jibe with the story) an unpredictable plot. And as a previous reviewer said.. "It's only a book" (a FICTIONAL book, I'd add ..so lighten up.) True faith shouldn't be threatened a by mere thriller. Again fifth stars reserved for "required reading." If I could give it 4 1/2 stars I would because it's darn close. Finally the author is expert at relating key physics ideas (a big Stephen Hawking theory) in layman's terms without insulting us. No small feat! That passage alone was worth the credit.

Enjoyable Science Thriller

I enjoyed this book. It is a steady paced story. The main character, familiar to me from a previous book by the same author, is a former CIA agent, a computer expert, and a former Catholic monk who has been hired to investigate a problem at a high energy physics project. Evangelical pastors, politicians, and reservation Navajos complicate the problems of scientists who encounter a strange being who might be God when they fire up their super high energy accelerator in order to investigate the beginnings of the universe. The narrator is adequate, except for the voice he uses for the scientist-leader of the project. Fans of this author won't be disappointed.

A great listen

I found myself looking forward to my commute to listen to this one. It is very entertaining, as good or better than Tyrannosaur Canyon. I definitely recommend it.

God, man's invented control freak

Good story and shows how paths to so called righteousness can and have been created. The hunger for power in men, not a good trait.

Trite characters, boring listen

What did you like best about Blasphemy? What did you like least?

The characters were very stereotypical and predictable without depth. Story was ultimately boring. I had to force myself to finish this which is very unusual for me.

Would you ever listen to anything by Douglas Preston again?

I usually like Preston's work - this one just missed the mark for me.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Scott Sowers?

I really disliked the narration. One of the main characters was supposed to be a charasmatic, suave, educated man but the voice used for him sounded nasal and whiny. I kept picturing a character from the Simpsons which took me out of the stoy completely.

Do you think Blasphemy needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. I finished this one, would NOT go back for a second dose.

Any additional comments?

I would normally recommend Douglas Preston but I do NOT recommend this particular book or narrator. Also be aware that there are some religious themes involved.

A Fun Tale

Although this stretched the belivability factor it was a fun listen even with the wacko's. Keep finding yourself saying "yeah how can that be?", but it is worth it, if your looking to be entertained.

Not MY favorite, but may be for others.

I have become a fan of Mr. Preston, but came away disappointed a bit. The story went well enough and I found it typical of his work ... full of mystery, odd characters, and a well-painted backdrop in which to play out the story. I must say I found the narrator's voices for some of the characters didn't quite seem to match the situations, but this is a small distraction. But, when it became apparant what the plot truly was, I began to lose interest. I found it just too far-fetched to be satisfying. I suspect this is just MY personal perspective, and would not be surprised to find others who were as excited as I was dismayed. But, once I had accepted the plot, I continued to listen. However, I was truly let down with the ending. It felt like the author had painted himself into a corner with this story-line, and was in as much of a hurry to finish it as I was. I am not saying this was a bad book or story. I have a very singular view on God and faith and all things spiritual. It was on this level that I felt at odds with this story. It felt like the author was rationalizing or sterilizing the essence of faith and justifying the pragmatic scientific approach to our existance and our faith. For many, perhaps even most, his story may be satsifying. For me, it just felt lame. I have not given up on Douglas Preston, but I will view his work a bit more skeptically for a while.

Who says this is blasphemy?

Really a fantastic story that will make a great movie. It shows basically how easy it is to capture the total minds of people, especially those with simple minds. As a westerner, I can appreciate and see the setting. I loved it.

Science Meets God

Very well read and fast paced story. I could not put it down.