LitPick Review
The concept of a life after death has been widely discussed for years, across both time and in many different cultures. In the novel A Once-Dead Genius in the Kennel of Master Morticue Ambergrand: From Deathbed to pethood & beyond in Earth’s distant future, author R. Gary Raham delves into a new take on after-death discourse through the narrative of Albert Rudyard Goldstein, a deceased human genius whose brain has been preserved and now lives in a sort of afterlife limbo with an artificial intelligence aid in order to provide higher-level observation and contribution to the universe. In this unequivocally unique science fiction tale, readers can expect the unexpected as they follow Goldstein’s musings and adventures through this hypothetical portrayal of Earth’s potential.
Opinion:
The writing style in this novel is comfortable and engaging, with clever history and science references based in the humor. There is an underlying sarcasm and sardonic tone that feels socially-commentative while also light-hearted. Despite moments of science jargon that may be tedious for some readers, the narration and character conversations are distinctly witty from the first page onward.
Raham provides an interesting perspective on life, death, humanity, alien interaction, evolution, and soul preservation. If there is only one thing for certain, it is that this book is unlike anything I have ever encountered. For any science fiction fanatics, this timeless novel may be considered a thought-provoking discussion on time and the nature of the universe. While Raham shares cross-cultural discourse in concepts, this book is novel in actual perspective and execution, providing a fresh examination and hypothesis on humanity and its relation to death, change, and colonization.
Rather than the dystopian side to science fiction that is so commonly penned and acclaimed (often taking place on a specific planet and in a specific culture and era), this novel fits better within the realm that the Star Trek television series and Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy novels dwell, due to its scientifically-removed view of Earth and its specificities. However, this is where any comparisons end, as this story feels singular in style and subject, definitely science fiction yet indescribable in general quality. As this novel’s dedication so fittingly confirms, this story is clearly “dedicated to a capricious, but fascinating, universe.”
This unique story is both entertaining and arduous, proving to be the perfect science fiction commentary on the universe for some, while possibly rendering a verbose reading experience for others in which it may be difficult to keep track of characters and plot. I found it to be somewhere in between the two; it can be engaging yet also dizzying and occasionally dull in presentation. Overall, while R. Gary Raham’s A Once-Dead Genius in the Kennel of Master Morticue Ambergrand may be information-rich (proving boring for some and stimulating for others), it’s hardly an unimaginative construction, a sure love letter to the bewildering phenomenon that is our universe.
