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Raised by an uncle and a beloved nanny after WWII, Harlan never knew his mom, Fanny, and two fathers, Silas and Alfred, before they died. He is a mystery to himself and to the wife he left to answer a telegram summons to Black Mountain to learn his origins. What he finds reveals more than Harlan ever wants to know. Together, in Black Mountain in the 1930s, his parents created Nautilus. It is more than a machine. Instead, it is an encased unconscious working through space and time on the people attached to it. As it develops, it is meant to save the world from the devastating effects of war. But does it serve its intended purpose?
In scavenger hunt fashion, the story emerges as Harlan discovers the clues Fanny, Silas, Alfred, as well as Nautilus leave him. Made of copper and wire plus earth elements and imagined ones, Bigfoot, as it is nicknamed, is difficult to picture. On the other hand, his parents’ multidimensional means of conveying information to Harlan—the telegram, notes, instructions, and letters—are printed in different fonts and sizes, representing robust characters. The narrative, like the threesome and their invention, plays with time and space, weaving in and out of past and present with style and flair. Music and literature also shape ideas conveyed to Harlan. His dreams include songs and lyrics. 2001: A Space Odyssey is referenced often, as are Oppenheimer’s ideas and quantum theories. Just as the Nautilus is conceived around the World’s Fair, a world-changing event, so too are the plot’s many layers set to effect an exciting, idealistic, and heady tone.
As Harlan digs deeper and submits his own contribution to Nautilus’ bank of unconscious data, he is privy to Silas’ and Alfred’s secret tweaks, altering Nautilus’ ultimate purpose and destiny. The book, therefore, is about lies and deception as much as it elucidates the truth about and hopes for humanity. In this way, it is an introverted novel, turned in on itself like Silas and Alfred turn on the team. The scenes are mainly indoors in huddled spaces—caves, the cluttered store where Harlan received further instructions to find Nautilus, and bedrooms. The atmosphere feels claustrophobic at times, which is an intended effect given Nautilus’ weightiness.
The book’s meat is a psychological and philosophical paradox and question: is what saves humanity also what has the power to destroy it, too? What is the nature of man’s instinct for survival? Without becoming an essay, the book delves into these subjects through character studies, focusing in particular on their interactions with Nautilus. Each person’s distinct diction emerges as the subjects describe their experiences in their own words. Harlan’s experience under Nautilus is a climax, a fever dream, and a turning point. After an esoteric trip through history with a larger-than-life cast, in and out of visions and dreams, the finish is realistic and sober. Part science fiction story, part apocalyptic tale, and part thriller, this book defies genres. The title suggests it is also part horror novel, containing a danger best kept at a distance. It is best for readers ready for a challenge, both intellectually and spiritually.