Publisher: Mundania Press

ISBN: 1-59426-096-6

The following review was contibuted by:  Theresa Derwin: Click here to read more of Theresa’s reviews.

Sometimes the simplest ideas work best, and this is the case with An Audience for Einstein, Mark Wakely’s third novel. It’s an old fashioned story of dying Nobel Prize Winner/scientific genius meets megalomaniac neurosurgeon, megalomaniac neurosurgeon meets homeless boy; homeless boy meets dying Nobel Prize Winner/scientific genius, megalomaniac neurosurgeon transfers brain cells & memories of dying Nobel Prize Winner/scientific genius into homeless boy – see – simple!

All joking aside, if you can manage to suspend disbelief and get past the initial concept, An Audience for Einstein takes an interesting slant on the “mind/brain swap” sub genre of Science Fiction. After all, this story has been done many times before. From Philip K Dicks “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” (latterly filmed as the bicep infested Total Recall), and Nebula/Hugo award winning Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, to the deliciously kitsch Star Trek: The Original series episode “Spock’s Brain”, Science Fiction is no stranger to the old mind/memory swap chestnut. Yet in Wakely’s novel, simplicity is indeed the key. The science elements, which are at times necessary are never intrusive and add an element of realism to an otherwise implausible idea. Better still, Wakely’s initial education was formerly in the scientific fields, adding weight to his theories and lending the novel a tone of hard SF. With this novel though, you don’t need a degree in neurosurgery or quantum physics to understand it.

What makes An Audience work however, isn’t the fantastical science. This is merely a backdrop for strong characters and interwoven themes of egotism, self-identity and the “right to live” debate, which is handled effectively without being morally overbearing. The homeless boy, Miguel Sanchez, is naively considerate of others, and as child characters go, he is actually likeable and well written. The growing friendship and respect between the child and the dying Nobel Prize winner (Professor Percival Marlowe) is also very believable despite the premise of them sharing a body. The only downside, and it is a small one, is the villain of the piece (neurosurgeon Dorning) tends to be rather clichéd at times, but this is a minor flaw. An Audience for Einstein is an enjoyable and though provoking read, which never veers into the realms of “too heavy” yet still has something to say.