Synopses & Reviews
A scientist shocks the world with proof of the human soul—the discovery ignites a struggle between physics and theology, free will and fate, and reveals more than we were ever meant to knowA novel worthy of comparison to works by Michael Crichton and William Gibson, Ted Kosmatka returns with his best and boldest thriller yet. Eric Argus has one last chance. His earlier scientific work—groundbreaking and infamous—jeopardized his reputation and threatened his sanity. But an old university friend hires him at Hansen Research, a Boston laboratory that provides researchers a probationary period of free reign. Argus has a final opportunity to regain his standing and renew his faith in science.
He replicates Feynman's double-slit experiment that famously demonstrated the mysterious dual nature of light and matter. Building upon that work, Argus discovers a staggering and elemental difference between humanity and the rest of the animal kingdom. He proves the existence of the human soul.
His findings are celebrated and condemned in equal measure. But no one can predict where the unraveling truth will lead. Soon reports surface of "soulless" individuals, humans seemingly devoid of spiritual substance, known as "the Fated." Who are they? Why are they here? And what happens now that they are known? As Argus seeks answers, a powerful syndicate seeks him, and the race for the truth turns deadly—but for how many?
Synopsis
"A high-speed thriller. . . . The pages turn rapidly with well-orchestrated suspense." -The New York Times
"If Stephen Hawking and Stephen King wrote a novel together, you'd get The Flicker Men. Brilliant, disturbing, and beautifully told." -Hugh Howey, New York Times bestselling author of the Wool series
A quantum physicist shocks the world with a startling experiment, igniting a struggle between science and theology, free will and fate, and antagonizing forces not known to exist
Eric Argus is a washout. His prodigious early work clouded his reputation and strained his sanity. But an old friend gives him another chance, an opportunity to step back into the light.
With three months to produce new research, Eric replicates the paradoxical double-slit experiment to see for himself the mysterious dual nature of light and matter. A simple but unprecedented inference blooms into a staggering discovery about human consciousness and the structure of the universe.
His findings are celebrated and condemned in equal measure. But no one can predict where the truth will lead. And as Eric seeks to understand the unfolding revelations, he must evade shadowy pursuers who believe he knows entirely too much already.
Synopsis
Brilliantly conceived and multilayered, The Flicker Men is a high-concept thriller that questions what it really means to be humanIn Ted Kosmatkas wildly original and genre-busting The Flicker Men, a groundbreaking new discovery changes the world forever.
Out of a job and struggling with depression and alcohol abuse after a breakdown, the brilliant quantum physicist Eric Angus is given a second chance after hes hired on a probationary basis by an old friend who runs Hansen, a prestigious Boston-area research lab. Unable to find inspiration for a project, Eric stumbles upon old equipment used for Feynmans double-slit experiment and decides to re-create the test in order to see the results for himself.
Eric probes deeper into Feynmans theory, with the help of fellow scientists Satish and Mi Chang. After extensive tests on frogs, dogs, chimps, working their way up every phylum, class, and order in the animal kingdom, Eric and his team establish a link between conscious observation and an evolutionary trait that is distinctly human: the soul. Mass chaos ensues after they publish the results of their experiment and Eric is bombarded by reporters angling for exclusive interviews and wanting to debate the varying implications. Questions arise when certain people appear to be “soulless,” and after Satish mysteriously disappears, Eric risks everything to answer them.
About the Author
Ted Kosmatka is the author of Prophet of Bones and The Games, a finalist for the Locus Award for Best First Novel. His short fiction has been nominated for both the Nebula Award and the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award. He works in the video game industry, and is a full-time writer at Valve.