Two patients in a mental hospital, one lives and one dies; a brain altering drug called Numinous, and the search to find the remaining creators of the drug form the basis of this new book by Daryl Gregory. Is there any way to stop the rise of the drug's use?
Numinous is a drug created by "Little Sprout," a group of five people that included Lyda Rose. It was meant to help eradicate schizophrenia, but had a side effect that made those who took it believe in some type of God. The five decided to never let the drug out to the public because of that side effect. As an atheist, Lyda had great difficulty dealing with the angel that she saw and that landed her in a mental institution, which is where she found out that someone had let the drug out. Another Numinous victim ended up there - a seventeen year old girl who took the drug as a sacrament in a church, was arrested, lost her supply, and killed herself for lack of the drug. Lyda really woke up to the consequences of the drug and decided to find the others who helped her create Numinous and "put the genie back in the bottle." There were only three of them left. Could she find them and convince them to help her get rid of the drug? How did it get out? Would they find a cure?
This is an interesting and relevant book in our world today. So many people look to drugs for answers to problems, not really taking into account the side effects. If you enjoy different types of books that make you think, this book is for you. There are light-hearted moments mixed in with the seriousness, which brings the characters and story to life. It is an interesting mix of chemistry and religion.:
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Afterparty by Daryl Gregory (April 22, 2014, Tor Books) is part science fiction, part thriller and completely mind-bending.
This futuristic novel opens in Toronto, in the years after the smart drug revolution where all you need is a chemjet and Internet connection to print—or invent—drugs. One such drug is the brain-altering Numinous, new to the street drug scene. Credited with leading people to God, it is being used as a sacrament by a new church that preys on the underclass.
After Francine, a 17-year-old street girl and victim of that church, is thrown into a detention facility and in withdrawal from Numinous, she meets Lyda Rose who has a dark secret: she is one of the original creators of the drug that she thought no longer existed. After Francine commits suicide, Lyda sets out to make things right.
With the help of an ex-government agent and an imaginary, drug-induced doctor, Lyda begins a fast-paced chase across Canada and the United States to find the other survivors who created Numinous—and stop whoever is making the drug.
This thought-provoking novel about neuroscience, drugs, crime and God is one unique, exhilarating adventure; it has been featured by Kirkus Reviews and Publisher’s Weekly.
About the Author:Daryl Gregory is an award-winning writer of genre-mixing novels, stories, and comics. His first novel, Pandemonium, won the Crawford Award and was nominated for a World Fantasy Award. His other novels include The Devil’s Alphabet (a Philip K. Dick award finalist), Raising Stony Mayhall (a Library Journal best SF book of the year), and the upcoming Afterparty. Many of his short stories are collected in Unpossible and Other Stories, which was named one of the best books of 2011 by Publishers Weekly. He lives in State College, PA.
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