Jack Faust
by Michael Swanwick
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An alternate-history reimagining of the Faust legend from the Nebula Award-winning author of Stations of the Tide Taking as his canvas the classic tale of the temptation of Faust-made famous by such literary luminaries as Goethe, Marlowe, and Mann-author Michael Swanwick paints a fresh vision of the dangers posed by the pursuit of knowledge. Set in Old World Germany, this tale of science and damnation begins with the great scholar Dr. Johannes Faust burning his books, having concluded that show more all his knowledge is nothing compared to the vast sea of ignorance surrounding him. Out of his despair, he inadvertently summons the tempter spirit, Mephistopheles, who is the projection of a dying alien race determined to make the destruction of humankind its final deed. Their weapon is knowledge-of science and technology, the mechanics of flight, the nature of the atom, and the secrets of economics. When, in an act of defiance, Faust nails the Periodic Table of the Elements to a church door in Wittenberg, he ushers in a golden age of prosperity for Germany that will make him the most powerful man in the world. But the love of the beautiful Margarete will be his downfall. What happens when the greed for knowledge and glory goes unchecked? Has a demon ever made a bad deal yet? Nominated for the Hugo Award, the Locus Award, and the British Science Fiction Award, Jack Faust is a masterful retelling of legend by one of science fiction's finest craftsmen. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Clever reimagining of the Faustus legend. It begins evocative of the Middle Ages and concludes by being provocative of our own. Social psychologists have long been fascinated with the phenomenon of how well-intentioned, perhaps even personally virtuous individuals can be drawn to participate in the most awful things. The social science research often proves inadequate--explanations may only best come through the vehicle of story and metaphor. Here's the book's theme, expressed through the thoughts of one of the main characters:
"One thinks of oneself as a good person. One is not an objective judge. Some of the things she'd done . . . she didn't want to think about them. It was so easy to be corrupted by events. All it took was the show more decision, not necessarily conscious, not to bother thinking about the consequences."
It's the tragedy of the human condition. show less
"One thinks of oneself as a good person. One is not an objective judge. Some of the things she'd done . . . she didn't want to think about them. It was so easy to be corrupted by events. All it took was the show more decision, not necessarily conscious, not to bother thinking about the consequences."
It's the tragedy of the human condition. show less
Ranks as possibly my favorite book I have ever read, possibly than for no other reason than this is tackling my favourite thought experiment - if I could go back in time with what I know, how would I change the world.
Except that's not really the thought experiment being tackled, but good enough. We see the story of a man who wants scientific knowledge and is offered it in abundance. He thinks it will improve mankind, those who offer it him do so because they are convinced it will destroy mankind.
Not sufficient to tell just this story it does track his pursuit, capture and eventual fall of his sweetheart. Again asking the question that if something comes with too much ease is it worth having anymore?
nothing i can say can do this book show more justice - if you like alternate timeline thought experiments then this is the book for you. show less
Except that's not really the thought experiment being tackled, but good enough. We see the story of a man who wants scientific knowledge and is offered it in abundance. He thinks it will improve mankind, those who offer it him do so because they are convinced it will destroy mankind.
Not sufficient to tell just this story it does track his pursuit, capture and eventual fall of his sweetheart. Again asking the question that if something comes with too much ease is it worth having anymore?
nothing i can say can do this book show more justice - if you like alternate timeline thought experiments then this is the book for you. show less
Imagine, broadly speaking, the Faust legend starts the same way. But... instead of Faust asking for knowledge in line with the sources of history that he reveres, this Faust is convinced they're all charlatans and seeks out new (scientific) knowledge.
He also takes Mephistopheles' advice about how to disseminate his new knowledge to a largely unready world. The Spanish Armada is suddenly ironclads, defeated by rockets from the English fleet... word is spread by radio and so much more.
This is the basis of this book and for quite a long time it works pretty well but there are a couple of weird patches where it seems like the ideas weren't worked out and sadly one of those is the last 5 chapters leaving a rather bitter taste in the mouth.
He also takes Mephistopheles' advice about how to disseminate his new knowledge to a largely unready world. The Spanish Armada is suddenly ironclads, defeated by rockets from the English fleet... word is spread by radio and so much more.
This is the basis of this book and for quite a long time it works pretty well but there are a couple of weird patches where it seems like the ideas weren't worked out and sadly one of those is the last 5 chapters leaving a rather bitter taste in the mouth.
*note to self. Copy from A.
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Faust legend
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Author Information
455+ Works 8,466 Members
Michael Swanwick has received the Hugo, Nebula, Theodore Sturgeon, and World Fantasy Awards for his work
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Awards
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Belongs to Publisher Series
Coleção Bang! (101)
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Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1997
- People/Characters
- Johannes Faust
- Epigraph
- The new Philosophy calls all in doubt,
The Element of fire is quite put out;
The Sun is lost, and th'earth and no mans wit
Can well direct him where to look for it.
--John Donne
A sudden burst of sunshine seemed to illumine the Statue of Liberty, so that he saw it in a new light, although he had sighted it long before. The arm with the sword rose up as if newly stretched aloft, and round the figure ... (show all)blew the free winds of heaven.--Franz Kafka
From Hell, Mr. Lusk.--Jack the Ripper - First words
- Wittenberg at the birth of the century was a microcosm of the human world, a walled and fortified city of six thousand souls, twice that when the university was in seession, an island by virtue of moats, and the Elbe, smugly ... (show all)ignorant of all that lay beyond the town walls, as wicked, crowded, and devout a place as any on Earth, and as ripe with life as an old pear that sloshes when shaken.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"God help them all."
- Blurbers
- Gibson, William; Cadigan, Pat
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- 451
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- 67,432
- Reviews
- 7
- Rating
- (3.37)
- Languages
- English, French, Portuguese
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 9
- ASINs
- 3
