In the UK, we have quite the tradition of comedians writing novels. Not always a welcome one, particularly amongst full-time authors, but extremely popular with publishers and the UK book-buying public. Kanan Gill is an Indian comedian who has turned his hand to writing a novel. Unlike most UK comedians, he has written a science fiction novel and brought his comedic talents to the page. If Acts of God channels any influences, it’s Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett.
Huge footsteps to follow in. Does Acts of God manage it?
What Is Acts of God?
There’s a lot to unpack in Acts of God. It ostensibly follows the journey of Dr. Krishna and is set in the future on a planet Earth that is verging on utopia. He is a “category 3 genius,” the only one to ever exist, and therefore the cleverest man on Earth. Sadly, he’s deeply unhappy and has jumped off the rails.
Where it gets complicated is that Dr Krishna has created multiple pocket universes, all accelerating along timelines that mostly replicate the history of the world. That is, until they suddenly stop. In each universe, a private detective, P Manjuanth, causes the destruction of all life sometime during the 21st century. (I hope we’re not in a similar simulation.)
What is going on? Why do these pocket worlds cease? Why is Dr Krishna trying to prevent this from happening? And, if this is legitimate science, why is the creation of pocket universes illegal, and why is Dr Krishna keeping his research secret from his employers?
We’ll learn what’s going on via a deeply unreliable, fourth-wall-breaking narrator.
Why Read Acts of God?
Much like Ciruclar Motion, (my previous book review) Acts of God is an uneven read. They’re both debuts, so perhaps this is a symptom of a new author honing their craft. There are lots of ideas in Acts of God, and undoubtedly many funny moments, most notably during the knowing asides of the novel’s narrator.
I did spend parts of the book wondering what was going on and whether I’d missed something. The book flits back and forth between Mr. Manjurnanth and Dr. Krishna, with the latter including flashbacks, and I often struggled to place where certain snippets of narrative fitted into the overall picture. This does resolve, as the novel draws to a close. We begin to understand Dr Krishna’s motivations, and what was confusingly obscured comes into focus.
The book overall has some clever science fictional and philosophical conundrums, putting me more in mind of Adam Roberts’ novels than either Pratchett or Adams. I imagine Roberts would enjoy much of the humor in the book, too. I often struggle to understand Adam Roberts’ novels, so I suspect some of the blame lies with me as much as the writer or editor of Acts of God!
The book contains some interesting meditations on the nature of reality. What exactly is a universe, and would it ever be possible to create one inside another? Dr Krishna’s role as the progenitor of his pocket universes also allows Gill to poke at the nature of God, giving rise to the book’s title.
Beyond the novel’s pontification is a very human story. One that shows that behind great intellect and power, there can also be great stupidity and cruelty borne out of fear. If Dr Krishna is a god, he is definitely a fallible one. Of course, this god was a product of his upbringing, another facet to consider when summing up the qualities of Acts of God. A facet that offers a huge tick in its favor.
An uneven novel, then, and one that confused me at times. Yet, Acts of God is undoubtedly funny, and also does what all the best sci-fi does – challenges you to think differently about the world, nay, the universe, around you.
If you would like to pick up a copy of Acts of God, you can do so, here. (Affiliate Link)
If you enjoyed this review, check out my other book reviews, here.
I received a copy of this book in order to write this review.
