cover image The Oracle Year

The Oracle Year

Charles Soule. Harper Perennial, $21.99 (416p) ISBN 978-0-06-268663-3

When struggling New York City bassist Will Dando, the hero of bestselling comic book writer Soule’s wildly entertaining first novel, awakens with the precise knowledge of future events—some seemingly trivial and others of monumental importance—he and a longtime friend decide to slowly disclose the information online as the omniscient Oracle. As the world’s population becomes obsessed with the Oracle’s posts—some thinking he’s a savior and others vilifying him—unmasking the Oracle’s identity becomes the prime objective for government agencies, religious groups, and journalists worldwide. On the run from those seeking to kill him or exploit his knowledge, Dando realizes that all the predictions are somehow connected and that someone—or something—could be orchestrating the end of the world. Although the premise is a bit shaky, the relentless pacing, richly developed characters, and brilliant ending make this apocalyptic speculative thriller an undeniable page-turner. [em]Agent: Seth Fishman, Gernert Company. (Apr.) [/em]