The Elementary Particles

My Thoughts

A book about 2 half-actualized, half-brothers who never quite got what they wanted out of life, book ended by a Prologue and Epilogue that were by far my favorite parts of the book. These sections describe the "third metaphysical mutation" brought on by the biological breakthrough of one of the main characters, the first 2 mutations being Christianity's toppling of the Roman Empire and Modern Science's defeat of medieval Christianity's "complete, comprehensive system which explained both man and the universe." The speculative historical account of this metaphysical mutation, and the poetic missives from the post-human beings created by it are what my mind goes back to. All the sexual frustration, disappointment and nihilism between these bookends has faded from my memory in favor of the more exploratory discussion of how empires and "the way things are" can change in an instant.