BIRTH OF AN AGE

In this second volume in BeauSeigneur's Christ Clone Trilogy, a standout entry in the subgenre of Christian apocalyptic fiction, the world teeters on the brink of annihilation. It is the year 2019, and U.N. diplomat Christopher Goodman is just back from a 40-day stay in the desert where he has been conversing with his father, God. Goodman, cloned in volume one from skin cells found on the shroud of Turin, strides into the United Nations, vanquishes his enemy, the head of the French diplomatic delegation, and is then elected secretary-general. Simultaneously, a daylong nuclear war between Pakistan, India and China erupts, killing hundreds of millions. In Israel, a cult of messianic Jews led by the 2,000-year-old Apostle John bends gravity and cause three asteroids to strike the earth. The pages involving the science of asteroid collision are undeniably riveting, and the bird-sized locusts that appear next are wonderfully creepy. After the populace suffers an ensuing plague of madness, several seasons of famine, unchecked forest fires and the effects of radiation poisoning, Goodman reveals his origins and true nature to what's left of the world. BeauSeigneur's uninflected style gives the novel an aura of reportage, which helps the reader follow the complicated plot developments (those who have not read In His Image, the first book in the trilogy, would be advised to do so before attempting this second installment). A daring final twist—Goodman's relationship with God is not exactly reverent—will shock some Christian readers, but many others will be enthralled by the author's science-fortified vision of the Apocalypse. (July 17)

Forecast:Fans of the bestselling Left Behind series will gravitate toward this trilogy—though some may balk at the idea of a cloned Christ—and should make it a solid hit. The third volume, Acts of God, will be published in January 2004.