I just finished this interesting book–one which captured my attention from the first page, and held it until the end. When I don’t get distracted by the author’s “voice,” noticing how he or she is attempting to manipulate me through story and emotional charting, then I have to admire the author’s skill. Stephen Kiernan has written a great story, and I have to grant him that. The novel is about scientists who are practicing reanimation–bringing very small animals (such as shrimp) back to life from being frozen in “hard ice.” When a scientific excursion discovers a human in hard ice, then the race is on to see if they can reanimate him, successfully.
Soon named Subject One for the “Lazarus Project,” Jeremiah is quite the miracle, having died in 1906 from being washed into the freezing seas when he was on a scientific excursion himself. But the wildly arrogant Erastus Carthage–who heads the project–pretty much arrogantly invites a heated discussion about the ethics of “playing God.” As a result, angry protesters hound Jeremiah and Dr. Kate Philo, who does her best to protect the novelty, with whom she soon falls in love.
There are numerous anecdotes about the differences between Jeremiah’s world in 1906 and Boston of 2013, some quite humorous. And the budding relationship between Kate and Jeremiah is sweet, especially in light of the fact that he still feels so pulled to his wife and daughter from his world of the early 1900’s–and who, in his mind, were essentially only a heart-beat away. Because–and this is where I take exception to the novel’s basic development–he has no memories of the in-between time, the entire century plus when he was dead.
Clearly, this is not a Christian novel. I didn’t expect Jeremiah to have memories of experiences that would agree with my views of heaven. But, for me, here’s the rub: Jeremiah never really grapples with that lack–and therefore, makes pretty much no mention of God or his beliefs in God–at all. He was a judge, one who would preside over the (I’ve got to think this) then much more accepted vow to “tell the whole truth, so help me, God.” In 1906, belief in God must’ve been much more commonplace than today: prayers were given in more public places, Christmas was an accepted holiday for public schools and carols were sung, and God wasn’t a no-no for government meetings, elected personnel and publications. Yet this author would have us believe Jeremiah wouldn’t think about his beliefs, the lack of any evidence of God in his afterlife, nor–and this is a glaring omission, in my opinion–his coming second death? Really, Mr. Kiernan? Jeremiah would face death, again, without one thought about God’s existence? It’s astounding to me that you would imply that Jeremiah easily, completely and whole-heartedly accepted that all religion was false, life was an accidental phenomena, and we’ve all evolved from an evolutionary spark? Especially in light of his imminent death? No panic, no grappling of these concepts with Kate, no worries at all about simply…falling into that void of non-existence, again?
I find it interesting that Hollywood films and secular novels so often totally ignore God in stories which deal with life and death issues. Funny, but that’s not the reality of what I hear about serious cancer diagnoses and deathbed questions and discussions. When faced with death, I have to think that a majority must ask themselves, “Do I really believe this is it? That there is no God?” I’m convinced Jeremiah would’ve asked the very same questions.
Make it real, secular authors. Even with your biases, make it real.