Every once in a while, I like to showcase other projects that I have enjoyed. This month, it's the new science fiction novel The God Thought from author Dave Cravens. It's an awesome tale of an average guy who hunts the person responsible for the death of his wife and child, and learns that the world is not quite the place he thinks it is.

 

I don’t want to ruin the book for any of you (because it’s well worth the read) but let me just say that there’s a plethora of interesting characters: a farmer who doesn’t till the land but instead focuses on cultivating the minds of those he believes in, a mysterious (and sexy) woman bent on regaining what she lost at any cost, a cybernetic warrior with the most fashionable suits, and a radio jockey that’s as hilarious to read as he is horrifying to realize he represents most of the masses.

 

Dave Cravens has woven a tale that is both contemporary, grounded, and relatable while still offering me the fantasy I want in a good fiction book. I mean there’s a part where the main character ends up on our moon and another where giant incarnations of some of the major players duke it out over the Himalayas. And yet, the entire story is very real in the sense that it takes places in modern times, with normal problems and issues (bankruptcy, loss, traffic, complicated relationships and government officials).

 

There’s an undertone in The God Thought of real strife and being on the edge of enlightenment in a world that’s not very interested in anything that isn’t bite-sized, mainstream consumerism. It’s part of the reason the book works for me – it’s the story of someone trying to grow into a new identity amidst all the resistance that can come with that in life.

 

Mr Cravens has also woven the structure of the book to break up the main story with two other pieces of literary awesomeness. One is in the form of redacted transcripts of communication via things like text, phone call, government reports, Facebook posts, and confidential files. Each offers a different viewpoint on elements of the story, sometimes foreshadowing what’s to come, other times just illustrating a different character’s POV.