Mr. G: A Novel about the Creation

"As I remember, I had just woken up from a nap when I decided to create the universe." So begins Alan Lightman's playful and profound new novel, "Mr g, " the story of Creation as told by God. Barraged by the constant advisements and bickerings of Aunt Penelope and Uncle Deva, who live with their nephew in the shimmering Void, Mr g proceeds to create time, space, and matter. Then come stars, planets, animate matter, consciousness, and, finally, intelligent beings with moral dilemmas. Mr g is all powerful but not all knowing and does much of his invention by trial and error. Even the best-laid plans can go awry, and Mr g discovers that with his creation of space and time come some unforeseen consequences--especially in the form of the mysterious Belhor, a clever and devious rival. An intellectual equal to Mr g, Belhor delights in provoking him: Belhor demands an explanation for the inexplicable, requests that the newly created intelligent creatures not be subject to rational laws, and maintains the necessity of evil. As Mr g watches his favorite universe grow into maturity, he begins to understand how the act of creation can change himself, the Creator. With echoes of Calvino, Rushdie, and Saramago, combining science, theology, and moral philosophy, "Mr g" is a stunningly imaginative work that celebrates the tragic and joyous nature of existence on the grandest possible scale.

About the Author :
Alan Lightman is the author of five previous novels, a book-length narrative poem, two collections of essays, and several books on science. His work has appeared in "The Atlantic, Granta, The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, "and "Nature, " among other publications. A theoretical physicist as well as a novelist, he has served on the faculties of Harvard and MIT, and was the first person to receive a dual faculty appointment at MIT in science and in the humanities.

Review :
"A soulful riff on the birth and eventual demise of our universe...Lightman the humanist allows room for the compatibility of rationality with spirituality and mystery, while Lightman the scientist plays devil's advocate with the partisans of Genesis, blinding them with logic." -"The New York Times Book Review " "Though Lightman's clever irreverence recalls Salman Rushdie and Kevin Brockmeier, his plainspoken style lends the book a fitting earnestness...Readers who don't mind the liberties the author takes with the sacred might enjoy this scienced fiction." -"Library Journal" "A scientific vision laced with the mirthful aura of divinity...aglow with wonder." -"Washington Post" "Just as he did with his incomparable "Einstein's Dreams," Alan Lightman again surprises us with a work that is utterly original in both form and content. "Mr g" is a philosophical fable which is at turns hilarious and moving, rendered with a literary hand so deft that the weightiest metaphysical topics levitate into pure delight." -Rebecca Newberger Goldstein " " "It would not seem possible for Alan Lightman to match his earlier tour de force, "Einstein's Dreams," but in" Mr g" he has done so--with wit, imagination, and transcendent beauty." -Anita Desai "Here is the creation of the Universe and the young Creator who grapples with what he has made--and ultimately with responsibility and loss...a gem of a novel that is strange witty erudite and alive with Lightman's playful genius." -Junot Diaz, author of "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" "The beautiful writing throughout this little gem of a book is an Alan Lightman trademark...delightful." -"Washington Times " "This delightful novel takes the reader on a light hearted romp through the development of the universe from the Big Bang to its cold dark end, addressing along the way some of the big questions that inevitably arise from the development of intelligent life." -Jerome Friedman, Nobe "Just as he did with his incomparable "Einstein's Dreams," Alan Lightman again surprises us with a work that is utterly original in both form and content. "Mr g" is a philosophical fable which is at turns hilarious and moving, rendered with a literary hand so deft that the weightiest metaphysical topics levitate into pure delight." -Rebecca Newberger Goldstein " " "It would not seem possible for Alan Lightman to match his earlier tour de force, "Einstein's Dreams," but in Mr g he has done so--with wit, imagination, and transcendent beauty." -Anita Desai "Here is the creation of the Universe and the young Creator who grapples with what he has made--and ultimately with responsibility and loss...a gem of a novel that is strange witty erudite and alive with Lightman's playful genius." -Junot Diaz, author of "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" "This delightful novel takes the reader on a light hearted romp through the development of the universe from the Big Bang tol