"An intriguing Sci-Fi novel"
In Denver realtor Sarah Beaumont and her architect
explore the possibilities of the old vacant house. They
quickly find a reference to a late nineteenth century
gunfight in which an innocent bystander, Brady Quinn, a
former owner of this house, was the only victim. They also
find a list of other seemingly unrelated events from the
second half of the nineteenth and throughout the twentieth
century. Finally, there is the word clilology, but neither
knows what it means. Unable to resist, Sarah begins to investigate the death
of Brady. That leads her to Babbage's analytical machines,
1880s computers. Soon her methodical research brings her
to the attention of the Babbage Society, who control the
world, but are split over how far to use their powers and
what to do with Sarah. This is a reprint of a late 1980s science fiction tale
with a revised afterward, providing stronger insight and
support to cliology so that those readers wanting more
science and math will have that too. This reviewer, who
never heard of cliology before, remains uncertain whether
the afterward is satire like that of Professor Putts' R&D
articles from the 1970s or the real thing. The story line
is intriguing and well written as the Babbage Society
forecasts the future and uses any means including
assassination to alter the dynamics of their prediction and
change what will happen. With the exception of Sarah, the
characters represent plot devices to enhance Mr. Flynn's
theories yet they are cleverly interwoven into the tale.
Fans of classic style science fiction will want to read IN
THE COUNTRY OF THE BLIND. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted July 31, 2001
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