Antiphony
Chris Katsaropoulos
What if the universe, instead of being a giant machine, is really a giant thought?
Theodore Reveil is one of the leading lights in String Theory physics, on his way to present his latest research at a triumphant meeting of his colleagues from around the world, when he realizes he has lost the notes for his presentation.
At the podium, in the midst of his distraction and confusion, he poses the question: “What if the universe, instead of being a giant machine, is really a giant thought?”
Then he crosses a line which he can never step back over again, saying, “The infinities and singularities in these equations may be telling us that what we are missing is unknowable in terms of physical science. These unsolvable terms in our equations may be roadsigns pointing to consciousness—to God—as the missing piece of the puzzle.”
Antiphony traces the downward spiral of Theodore’s career in the wake of what he has said, and the remarkable transformation that leads him into the depths of madness . . . or the revelation of the Final Theory, the ultimate secret of the universe.
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Hold on to your chair or you will be totally transported out of your comfort zone by local author Chris Katsaropoulos’ new novel. Published just as NOVA is featuring new programs on String Theory, Antiphony (Luminis Books) does what its title intends — it ensnares you with “alternative or responsive ideas or opinions.” The juxtaposing takes place in the mind of Theodore Reveil, described as “one of the leading lights in String Theory.” />
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It doesn’t matter if you haven’t the foggiest idea what String Theory is or why anyone wants to debate its virtues or vices as the definitive answer to what holds our universe together. What does matter is that you will fall down a metaphorical rabbit hole alongside a scientist driven to prove his theory. When the glow of surety is clouded by doubt, Reveil, pun intend, gets unstrung. />
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Antiphony follows in the wake of Katsaropoulos’ mesmerizing first novel, Fragile (2009), a collection of fragments spoken by three voices that eventually cohere in an unexpected way. />
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The lyrical writing in Antiphony deftly dances between Reveil’s meandering thoughts and the world in which he is moving about. It starts with Reveil wondering: “What if the universe, instead of being a giant machine, is really a giant thought?” It ends with a shocking revelation about one human in the pursuit of one truth. Katsaropoulos is an emerging fresh literary voice not to be overlooked. />
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~Rita Kohn, NUVO Magazine
Antiphony is, in many ways, an awe-inspiring novel. It was, I think, written in awe. Awe of science and reason. Awe of intuition and faith. Awe of the one and the many, unity and diversity. />
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Writer Chris Katsaropoulos has a way of delving deeply into what seem like small moments–the whole novel takes place in just three or four days–and capturing all their nuances and vibrating tension. />
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Throughout Antiphony, the protagonist (a physicist researching string theory) experiences dreams and visions that fill pages the way a flash flood fills a ravine–a torrent of words flowing into the space between the margins and pressing onward to the next page and the next. />
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It makes me wonder how he did it. />
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~Al Riske, author of "Precarious Stories of Love, Sex and Misunderstanding", and "Sabrina's Window" (5/2012)
Mark Twain once said that “When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.” That succinctly stated thought is at the heart of the new Chris Katsaropoulos novel, “Antiphony.” This is a complex and challenging story that revolves around the book’s central character Theodore Reveil, “one of the leading lights in String theory physics,” a contender for the explanation for everything. Through Theodore, the author compels the reader to wonder if we are not all mad scientists whose lives are our laboratories where we experiment to find life’s meaning and a way to embrace it. />
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The story begins with Theodore, on his way to present his latest research to an assemblage of his colleagues from around the world, discovering that he has lost the notes for his presentation. Unbeknown to the reader is that from this point forward, Katsaropoulos is about to take them along with Theodore to uncharted, unimaginable and incomprehensible territory of the mind. />
In presenting Theodore’s state of mind, Katsaropoulos’ stream-of-consciousness style and the alternation between Theodore’s seemingly clear, albeit quirky thoughts and the incoherent, often unfathomable expressions of his dissociative world, creates a powerful, excruciating portrait of an individual in the midst of a meltdown to madness. As the story progresses, visions and dreams begin to dominate Theodore’s mind. In describing one of these dreams the author writes “…Everything collapses into nothing, and everything that makes him who he thinks he is is gone completely. He is drawn within and lifted within; he is every reason and no reason at all.” Katsaropoulos’ distinctive, mesmerizing cadence further adds to the ethereal feeling of these passages. />
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What I found most engaging about “Antiphony” are the questions it raises. For scientists, questioning is critical to finding possible explanations. And so it is for the reader of this book. Antiphony’s greatest relevance is derived from the questions it cannot answer. For example, Theodore poses the unanswerable question “What if the universe, instead of being a giant machine, is really a giant thought?” Katsaropoulos raises many intriguing questions that offer metaphysical food for the mind. />
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The ultimate questions “Antiphony” poses for the reader are: What if Theodore isn’t mad? What if, indeed, we are all? Read the book! The story is fascinating and the writing is powerful and poetic. />
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~ Joseph Yurt for Reader Views and in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
At the podium, in the midst of his distraction and confusion, he poses the question: “What if the universe, instead of being a giant machine, is really a giant thought?”
Then he crosses a line which he can never step back over again, saying, “The infinities and singularities in these equations may be telling us that what we are missing is unknowable in terms of physical science. These unsolvable terms in our equations may be roadsigns pointing to consciousness—to God—as the missing piece of the puzzle.”
Antiphony traces the downward spiral of Theodore’s career in the wake of what he has said, and the remarkable transformation that leads him into the depths of madness . . . or the revelation of the Final Theory, the ultimate secret of the universe.
Hold on to your chair or you will be totally transported out of your comfort zone by local author Chris Katsaropoulos’ new novel. Published just as NOVA is featuring new programs on String Theory, Antiphony (Luminis Books) does what its title intends — it ensnares you with “alternative or responsive ideas or opinions.” The juxtaposing takes place in the mind of Theodore Reveil, described as “one of the leading lights in String Theory.”
Antiphony is, in many ways, an awe-inspiring novel. It was, I think, written in awe. Awe of science and reason. Awe of intuition and faith. Awe of the one and the many, unity and diversity.
Mark Twain once said that “When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.” That succinctly stated thought is at the heart of the new Chris Katsaropoulos novel, “Antiphony.” This is a complex and challenging story that revolves around the book’s central character Theodore Reveil, “one of the leading lights in String theory physics,” a contender for the explanation for everything. Through Theodore, the author compels the reader to wonder if we are not all mad scientists whose lives are our laboratories where we experiment to find life’s meaning and a way to embrace it.
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Chris Katsaropoulos is the author of more than a dozen titles, including two novels, Fragile and Antiphony, which is scheduled for release in September 2011. He has traveled extensively in Europe and North America, and enjoys collecting books and music. To schedule an author visit or speaking engagement for Chris Katsaropoulos, contact Ellen Myrick at Myrick Marketing & Media ~ ellen@myridkmarketing.com 615.287.0105 |
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More Books by this Author
 | Fragile |
| Paperback | 978-1-935462-33-0 | $16.95 |
| E-Book | 9781935462552 | $10.95 |
| Category | Literature |
| Imprint | Luminis Books |
| Publication Date | 2011-10-15 |
| Publication Status | In Print |
| Trim Size | 5.5 x 8 |
| Page Count | 204 |
