Weaving a surreal and disarming story of one man’s journey through the varied lenses of philosophy, psychology, politics, mythology, physics, and precognition, Gelman deftly spins a tale truly cross-genre in nature. The protagonist, held by government forces seeking to utilize his precognitive abilities to secure the national security interests of the United States, is, in many ways, just an ordinary fellow caught up in all the ensuing madness. He, of course, has a love interest, Alyssa, and their accompanying group of friends, who all meet on Halloween for a dreamy costume party. What follows is a highly animated—and quite humorous—game of sorts in which the main character rattles off a listing of precisely how each of the party guests will eventually meet their deaths. Meanwhile, government scientist Dr. Karp sends the book’s narrator through “merry-go-round,” spinning centrifuge tests in an attempt to glean useful information from his dreams. But what is funny is that each recall of his spinning dreams expresses itself rather like an outlandish sitcom storyline.

Classic Greek mythology is invoked aplenty in Gelman’s work, such that readers who enjoy new narratives informed by classical mythology will surely devour this highly innovative tale of a man who, quite literally, can see into the future. A remarkable hallmark of Gelman’s engaging and multi-faceted book is that many of the passages read rather like exquisite poetry. A grand work of sci-fi and fantasy fiction, this book is written in a beautifully poetic—and indeed philosophical—manner, defying any strict categorization or label. The outlandish sitcom qualities of the central figure’s blackout dreams not only tickle the funny bone in a ludicrous manner but also serve well the larger context of the author’s eccentric take on post-modern America, making Gelman’s work something of a small masterpiece.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

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