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The late Philip K. Dick spent the greater balance of his literary career dealing with questions of perception and reality, leading to a penultimate trilogy --- VALIS, THE DIVINE INVASION and THE TRANSMIGRATION OF TIMOTHY ARCHER --- which dealt with the concept of God and divine intervention in affairs of humanity.
Greg Iles in THE FOOTPRINTS OF GOD undertakes issues evocative of, though certainly not imitative of, Dick's work, combining the divine with elements of quantum physics and the ever-evolving world of computers. While other authors have explored this territory --- Arthur C. Clarke comes most immediately to mind with both the 2001 books and his award-winning short story "The Nine Billion Names of God" --- THE FOOTPRINTS OF GOD has an immediacy to it that adds tension to the mix. The events taking place here could be happening now, at least with respect to Artificial Intelligence, or "A.I."
I've been of the opinion that laptop and desktop computers have a rough A.I. that leads to the performance of what we humans would call a practical joke. I'm referring to the things that computers occasionally do that cause the SYSOP guys to shrug and roll their eyes when asked for a cause of the irritating effect that has manifested itself in the middle of some task. What is discussed here, however, involves a bit more than that.
THE FOOTPRINTS OF GOD concerns Project Trinity, an attempt to construct a computer that will surpass the power of the human mind. Rather than trying to replicate the human brain, Project Trinity is attempting through an advanced MRI procedure to upload a "map" of the brain, with images, memories and thought processes, into the computer itself. Each member of the Project Trinity team has undergone this procedure and has experienced unique side effects. Dr. David Tennant is attached to the team as an ethicist, with his presence tolerated --- or not --- to varying degrees by the others on the team. Tennant, since undergoing the MRI scan, has experienced somnambulism, with dreams and visions that include the memories of the experiences of Jesus.
When a friend and fellow scientist on the project dies suddenly and unexpectedly, Tennant quickly realizes that he was murdered and that the individual responsible for the murder is the head of Project Trinity. Tennant turns to Dr. Rachel Weiss, the psychiatrist who has been treating him for the nightmares and visions that he reports. Weiss at first believes that the nightmares and Tennant's interpretations of them are an extreme result of a prolonged grief reaction to the deaths years ago of Tennant's wife and daughter. When an assassin attempts to kill Tennant and Weiss, they are forced to leave Project Trinity in a chase that winds across the country and around the world. By the time they uncover the truth behind Project Trinity, however, the computer is operational, indestructible and holding all of humanity hostage.
Iles has acquired a well-deserved reputation for writing intelligent, suspenseful thrillers, and he has outdone himself once again with THE FOOTPRINTS OF GOD. Iles's introduction of quantum physics and the concepts of God and creation into THE FOOTPRINTS OF GOD is perfect. He throws in just enough to whet the reader's appetite, explains the concept simply enough to avoid any confusion, and jumps back into the story. A lesser writer would have bogged down the narrative with the hows, whys and wherefores that at this point are all unknowns anyway. Iles's suspenseful ending is just about perfect as well, combining a satisfactory resolution with just a hint of the unknown.
THE FOOTPRINTS OF GOD is ultimately more than just a novel of speculation; it may be a roadmap to what is just around the corner.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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