An Elegant Theory
by Noah Milligan
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Pub Date 1 Nov 2016 | Archive Date 14 Jun 2017
Description
Indies Unlimited, Top Indie Picks for December 2016
Finalist:
2016 Foreword INDIES, General Fiction
Coulter Zahn sees reality differently than others. Much like light can theoretically be in all places at once, Coulter sees multiple versions of his life. A promising PhD candidate at MIT, he and his young wife are nervously expecting their first child. When his dissertation comes under intense criticism, his estranged mother returns, and Sara tells him she's leaving him, Coulter’s already delicate mental state becomes further fragmented.
One evening, with his life and mental health unraveling, Coulter loses control, irreparably changing the course of the lives around him. But the very next morning, he catches a break in his research, discovering the true shape of the universe. Influenced by those around him and his own untrustworthy psyche, Coulter must decide whether to face the consequences of his actions or finish his research, perhaps making the greatest contribution to science since Einstein’s theory of relativity.
An existential psychological thriller, An Elegant Theory explores how the construction of memory and consciousness can shape motive, guilt, and identity through the lens of a modern-day mad-scientist motif.
A Note From the Publisher
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Advance Praise
Foreword INDIES Finalist
Shortlisted for Horatio Nelson Fiction Prize
Foreword INDIES Finalist
Shortlisted for Horatio Nelson Fiction Prize
Available Editions
EDITION | Paperback |
ISBN | 9781771680998 |
PRICE | US$14.95 (USD) |
PAGES | 320 |
Featured Reviews
This is a novel that starts off like a science textbook and proceeds like a mad existential trip and yet somehow never ceases to be as elegant as the title. In fact it's such a strange book it would be difficult to describe and even more so to recommend, but I found it to be terrific and by far one of the most original works of recent fiction. If you're into linear narrative and reliable narrators, don't even try this one...it's all over the place, narration alternates from first to third person, timelines alternate with easy and frequency varying times and realities. Yes, realities, this is, after all, a book about quantum physics, specifically strings theory. The protagonist is an ambitious scientist, who might just make the most important discovery since Einstein's theory of relativity, if he manages to deal with his troubled marriage and equally challenging family life. It's a dizzying ride of a book, it really is, and not the easiest of reads, but a very rewarding one. Milligan doesn't just get the science right, he also succeeds tremendously with the dramatic writing, his relationship depictions are visceral, stunning and strikingly emotionally intelligent. If you can wrap your mind around 11 dimensions and in the mood to try something different, this is just the book. Awesomely impressive debut. Enthusiastically recommended. Thanks Netgalley.