Tunnel Out of Death

Nasir (Houses of Time) leaps headlong into the pool of queries about death and what comes after, examining them from fantastic and scientific perspectives, and blending hypotheses with occasionally disjointed storytelling. Heath Ransom, an “endovoyant” who can read other people’s emotions, is hired to return a comatose woman’s consciousness to her body. As with any mystery, all is not what it seems, leading Random on a metaphysically rich, intellectually challenging investigation into the true nature of death in an intriguing world not too different from ours. What first presents itself as a simple story quickly spirals out of control, with questions generating more questions until symbolism and science threaten to overwhelm plot. The intellectualism elevates the writing, imbuing it with authority, but readers in search of a gripping story won’t find one here. (May)