Philip Why
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An author of some renown is sat, meditating and writing. He’s got rituals, which he performs almost religiously; ensuring his mind is empty enough to allow ideas to form, take shape and become almost tangible. But, suddenly, his deep reverie is broken by an unexpected knock on the door. There, a woman stands, looking lost, confused and a maybe more than a little bit scared. She doesn’t know her name, but she knows she’s not where she’s supposed to be. Somehow, she’s entered an alternate dimension! In this world, politicians meet to debate – nakedly. They are heavily reprimanded if it’s found out that they’re benefitting from personal gain in the political world – with punishments ranging from straight up execution to torture. Similarly, the media is watched – and punished – for publishing untruths or false news. Technology is advanced, with airships being the main form of international travel and incredibly fast, smooth trains for domestic commuting. Tesla Towers dot the landscape, emitting a faint purple glow, and provide the power for devices – which are all wireless.
A Mind For Mischief is a powerful, fun and enigmatic sci-fi/speculative fiction novel, set in two worlds – our own (contemporary/near future) and Sol III, the world where technology has advanced thanks to the work of Nikola Tesla and the fact that the people who mattered actually listened to him. There’s a lot of inward thinking throughout the novel. The characters contemplate different meanings and levels of consciousness – which although interesting, sometimes the passages felt a little too long, and well, contemplative.
As the book continues, we find that all the characters are somehow connected to each other in both worlds. Why assembles the threads of the narrative into a loose knot, before pulling it tightly to become a loop of sorts. Nothing in the book is linear as proven by the final chapter. If you can manage the long contemplative passages, have an open mind and love a bit of weird, time-bending, worlds-hopping speculative sci-fi, then A Mind for Mischief is for you.
S. A
First published on Reedsy Discovery as part of their ARC program. You can read the review here.
A Mind For Mischief by Philip Why is available on Amazon
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