cover image Mechanical Prophet

Mechanical Prophet

Peter Hart. Lyons Den Publishing (KY), $15.95 (248pp) ISBN 978-1-879745-00-1

Though ostensibly a novel, this jeremiad against science and godlessness reads more like a protracted sermon on the nature of good and evil. In 21st-century California, a team of scientists introduces Jonah, a computer whose capacity for thought far exceeds that of human beings. Initially the robot appears to have been created for the public good; his first task is to discover a cure for cancer. But after he is ordered to devise an artificial heart that will enable people to live for hundreds of years, Jonah--who preaches about the power of Christ when he's not making medical history--realizes that Satan is the force behind the research center that created him. With the help of Julie Vassal, a reformed scientist, and Mike Hammond, an investigative journalist, Jonah sets out to spread the word. Hart, a technical writer and theology scholar essaying fiction for the first time, proselytizes in wooden prose, and his characters are equally lifeless. Only the most devout enthusiasts of religious tracts will remain in their pews for the apocalyptic ending. (Jan.)