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Psychology / Hard Sci-Fi / Parenting / Movie / Consilience / Humor / Buddhism
Thoughts
on Vacation
Michael Lyons
This novel is the 6th in the series "My Years of Apprenticeship at Love". The time is some 10 years in the life of the main character of the series now an older Walker Undererwood, as he grows into being a father, and confronts the demise of loved ones from his family.
The concept of Thoughts on Vacation, is that state of mind where the pressures of work and relationship have been put aside for a brief time and a person is able to feel his own self. Walker feels himself through his relationship with his child and writing. There are some painful realizations in his writing and some brilliant high energy runs at being.
What was done with an amalgamation of word and image in novels of the earlier trilogy are now being done with straight go-ahead story in prose.
Thoughts on Vacation has within it a novel length chapter, Mr. I (Crossing the Brain Blood Barrier). This is in the hard-science sci-fi tradition where the creativity is in the projection and extrapolation of current ideas into the future. This long chapter has 4 sections, the first setting it up that Walker is afraid for his sister undergoing chemo therapy for breast cancer. In this section he works out a way to use the computer and does a glorious hack and steals money from ATM machines . Now that he has the money to underwrite scientific creativity he puts together a team of cutting edge scientists form several disciplines and develops a MRI system that does feedback with the patient. It is called Phaser. The next section has an extended book movie about using the system as well as a lot of interesting material on overthrowing the tyranny of the mind holds over the body. Material on memes and the use of visualization in healing. The last section is a tour d force lecture from a CEO character who contains and inspires the scientists with his vision of the future. then the whole story is pulled down like the monks taking down a mandala, for this story is not only talking about something, but it is something.
The next section, The Little Girl in the Corner, is a mature Walker attending the death of his sister. He has some excruciating scene, but is filled with human pathos and compassion. The last chapter of the sextet shows the protagonist dealing with decline and finding love in his family.
Michael Lyons is a freelance writer of fiction,
technical manuals and theatre performance in San Francisco.
April 2005
234 pp. 5 x 8
ISBN 0-9655842-5-9 Paper $25.00