Lord of All Things
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Summary
Childhood dreams are always naive. Yet once some roads are taken, there is no turning back. Setback after setback forces him to bow to reality. But by now that "reality" has been torn open by him, and subtle changes have begun to show...
Hiroshi discovers that someone long ago attempted what he is doing now—and succeeded. Through this communion across billions of years, he brings to life marvelous technologies found only in science fiction, and in doing so unearths the enormous secret behind this technology—one that involves the whole world, and indeed the entire universe.
Editor's review
The novel's core plot revolves around a striking science fiction premise: a group of archaeologists in Israel discovers a camera from the future containing complete footage of the Crucifixion. This discovery fundamentally overturns existing understandings of history and faith. Eschbach does not simply treat this as a time-travel adventure; instead, he uses it as a point of departure for an in-depth exploration of the nature of faith, the ethical boundaries of technology, and the relativity of historical truth. Drawing on his background in informatics, the author's technological speculations are rigorous and logical, while being infused with a deep European humanist tradition, so that beneath its hard science fiction shell the novel is filled with serious inquiries into religion, philosophy, and sociology.
Unlike much American science fiction that pursues visual spectacle, The Lord of All Things has a more measured narrative pace, focusing on characters' psychological evolution and intellectual confrontations under the impact of extreme ideas. It offers no simple answers, but leads readers to fall into dilemmas of thought alongside the characters. In terms of translation, Chen Mengge's version effectively conveys the original's grave style and speculative character, clearing away obstacles for Chinese readers. The value of this book lies in the fact that it is a true "thought-experiment" science fiction that can provoke lasting reflection; its impact lies not in grand spectacle but in the depth of its conceptual subversion. For science fiction readers seeking intellectual challenge and humanistic depth, this is a masterpiece not to be missed.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Deep readers who enjoy works combining hard science fiction with philosophical speculation
- Exploratory readers interested in the intersection of religious history and science fiction
- Enthusiasts who appreciate the measured, introspective narrative style of European science fiction
- Readers hoping to go beyond pure entertainment and find science fiction that provokes lasting reflection
Not a good fit for
- Casual science fiction readers seeking fast pacing, strong action, and visual spectacle
- Readers who are completely uninterested in or uncomfortable with religious topics
Reading tips
- While reading, it is worth paying some attention to the book's discussion of the dialectical relationship between "evidence" and "faith."
- The book involves some archaeological and theological knowledge, but no specialized expertise is required to understand it; simply keep an open mind and follow the plot.
- After reading, consider this: if the ultimate evidence of technology appeared, would it strengthen faith or destroy it?
About the publisher
Sichuan Science and Technology Press features science and technology, popular science, and science fiction publishing, while also covering agricultural technology and medical and health books. In science fiction, the press has continued to release works by Liu Cixin, including The Wandering Earth: Selected Short Stories of Liu Cixin, boxed sets of Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction classics, and masterworks such as Ringworld, Snow Crash, and Minus Zero, organized into series including the Chinese Science Fiction Cornerstone Series and the World Science Fiction Masters Series. In popular science, classics such as George Gamow's One Two Three... Infinity reflect its orientation toward public science communication. Its author resources in the library include Liu Cixin, Yao Haijun, and Cheng Xi, among other science fiction and popular science editors and translators; the library contains 190 titles, classified mainly as popular science, science fiction, quality fiction, and foreign literature. Public information is limited, and the above is summarized only from the library's titles and existing profile.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 序幕
- 圣徒之岛
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 旅途
- 福音岛
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 旅途
- 弘司之岛
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 旅途
- 夏洛特之岛
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 群星之岛
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 孤独之岛
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 尾声
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About the author
Andreas Eschbach is an author about whom public information is currently limited. The Chinese book database contains only one of his works, Master of All Things, commonly classified under foreign literature. Because the name is transliterated from a foreign language and no standard Chinese rendering has been established, reliable records of his nationality, dates of birth and death, education, and writing career are unavailable, making a full biographical sketch difficult. As for the work at hand, Master of All Things is placed in the foreign literature category, suggesting that his writing may lean toward fictional narrative or literary expression, though the subject matter and style remain for readers to discover in the text. To Chinese readers, this author is still a relatively unfamiliar name, and the arrival of his work in Chinese translation offers a new sample of foreign literary reading. Given the limited material, it is better to focus on the work itself and to understand its narrative orientation and literary qualities through reading, rather than hastily attaching unverified labels to the author.
Chen Mengge is an author about whom only limited public information is currently available; her name appears in the Chinese book market as the author of a work of foreign literature. One work by her is held in the database, entitled Lord of All Things. Judging from the existing classification, this work falls under foreign literature, suggesting that it is written for fiction readers and that its subject matter, as the title implies, concerns grand themes such as the order of the world, the existence of life, or the ownership of power. Because reliable records of her birth and death dates, nationality, education, and writing career have not been found, it is not yet possible to determine her country or creative lineage, nor would it be appropriate to speculate excessively about her stylistic influences. On the basis of the available information, Chen Mengge is an author with a small number of works and a public profile that remains unclear; readers can chiefly come to know her through Lord of All Things. Should more complete author information or additional works become available, her creative profile and literary position could be presented more clearly.
