Bøger af Richard Lee Ferguson

It is war-torn China in the 1930s. Nationalist forces, communist rebels and the invading Japanese army are seemingly everywhere. Amidst this backdrop, a group of pilgrims, accompanied by a schizophrenic American named John Powers, search for a mysterious female known as Her. They bring with them a golden statue, the Precious Object, within which something is tapping undecipherable messages. As the travelers try to somehow survive, John hears voices arguing over his fate. The voices, apparently working in league with Her and the Precious Object, want him to conceive a son with one of the women in the group, a beautiful Chinese pianist. Who is Her? What is the Precious Object tapping? And why do they want the American and the pianist to have a son?

It is war-torn China in the 1930s. Nationalist forces, communist rebels and the invading Japanese army are seemingly everywhere. Amidst this backdrop, a group of pilgrims, accompanied by a schizophrenic American named John Powers, search for a mysterious female known as Her. They bring with them a golden statue, the Precious Object, within which something is tapping undecipherable messages. As the travelers try to somehow survive, John hears voices arguing over his fate. The voices, apparently working in league with Her and the Precious Object, want him to conceive a son with one of the women in the group, a beautiful Chinese pianist. Who is Her? What is the Precious Object tapping? And why do they want the American and the pianist to have a son?

What if. . . .Greeks and Trojans reimagined in Vietnam; women as unspoken victims-and unsung heroes-of war; all of humanity as inherently schizophrenic? These are some of the fascinating ideas raised by this remarkable first novel.~Trapped in an abandoned French fortress during the Vietnam War, a group of American soldiers, their two female prisoners, and a nearby village of women are thrown together by a besieging enemy, a gold statue, and an unnaturally violent monsoon. War, deception, religion, greed, plunder, heroism; the Trojan War seemingly being played out in the jungles of Southeast Asia. Yet one key participant may be orchestrating the conflict from the confines of a 21st century mental institution, spurred on by the Voices of a timeless, arguing God and Goddess. Greeks and Trojans are recast as contemporary men and women locked in a struggle to survive. Most chillingly, post-traumatic stress disorder triggers schizophrenia, as a complex weave of past and future eventually lead to the deceptively simple mystery of a skeleton waiting patiently in a tunnel.

What if. . . . Greeks and Trojans reimagined in Vietnam; women as unspoken victims--and unsung heroes--of war; all of humanity as inherently schizophrenic? These are some of the fascinating ideas raised by this remarkable first novel.Trapped in an abandoned French fortress during the Vietnam War, a group of American soldiers, their two female prisoners, and a nearby village of women are thrown together by a besieging enemy, a gold statue, and an unnaturally violent monsoon. War, deception, religion, greed, plunder, heroism; all actors seem to be playing out the ancient Trojan War in the 20th century jungles of Southeast Asia. Yet one key participant may be orchestrating the conflict from the confines of a 21st century mental institution, spurred on by the Voices of a timeless, arguing God and Goddess. Greeks and Trojans are recast as contemporary men and women locked in a struggle to survive. Most chillingly, post-traumatic stress disorder triggers schizophrenia, as a complex weave of past and future eventually lead to the deceptively simple mystery of a skeleton wating patiently in a tunnel.

When the novel opens, Michael Powers, schizophrenic protagonist (and narrator) of the first two novels of the series, has been institutionalized and is undergoing treatment by two psychiatrists. While the psychiatrists unsuccessfully try a variety of treatments, Powers projects his delusions and hallucinations onto them by engaging in complex mind games laden with emotional and psychological manipulations (spurred on by the insidious voices in his mind of God and Goddess). Using subterfuge, he escapes the institution and experiences a number of psychotic episodes while on the run. While he is gone, one of the psychiatrists begins to have hallucinations himself, and dies under mysterious circumstances. Powers is eventually located and returned to the institution where, shortly thereafter, the second psychiatrist also dies from suspicious causes. In both cases, the cause of death is determined to be natural, with no indication of criminal intent. A third treating physician, a specialist, is called in to investigate this extraordinary patient. He also falls under the powerful influence of Michael Powers, and helps him to escape again, only to die in the process. Autopsies have revealed all three deaths to be by natural causes, but the investigating detective believes there is some undetermined culpability on the part of Michael Powers. In an extended cat-and-mouse game, the detective pursues Powers, and himself falls under the strange spell of this schizophrenic, who may be a multiple murderer, or may, indeed, possess powers beyond the understanding of science and common sense. Is Michael Powers a murderer? Are the voices of God and Goddess hallucinations, or real? And should Michael Powers kill himself . . . or kill others?

When the novel opens, Michael Powers, schizophrenic protagonist (and narrator) of the first two novels of the series, has been institutionalized and is undergoing treatment by two psychiatrists. While the psychiatrists unsuccessfully try a variety of treatments, Powers projects his delusions and hallucinations onto them by engaging in complex mind games laden with emotional and psychological manipulations (spurred on by the insidious voices in his mind of God and Goddess). Using subterfuge, he escapes the institution and experiences a number of psychotic episodes while on the run. While he is gone, one of the psychiatrists begins to have hallucinations himself, and dies under mysterious circumstances. Powers is eventually located and returned to the institution where, shortly thereafter, the second psychiatrist also dies from suspicious causes. In both cases, the cause of death is determined to be natural, with no indication of criminal intent. A third treating physician, a specialist, is called in to investigate this extraordinary patient. He also falls under the powerful influence of Michael Powers, and helps him to escape again, only to die in the process. Autopsies have revealed all three deaths to be by natural causes, but the investigating detective believes there is some undetermined culpability on the part of Michael Powers. In an extended cat-and-mouse game, the detective pursues Powers, and himself falls under the strange spell of this schizophrenic, who may be a multiple murderer, or may, indeed, possess powers beyond the understanding of science and common sense. Is Michael Powers a murderer? Are the voices of God and Goddess hallucinations, or real? And should Michael Powers kill himself . . . or kill others?When the novel opens, Michael Powers, schizophrenic protagonist (and narrator) of the first two novels of the series, has been institutionalized and is undergoing treatment by two psychiatrists. While the psychiatrists unsuccessfully try a variety of treatments, Powers projects his delusions and hallucinations onto them by engaging in complex mind games laden with emotional and psychological manipulations (spurred on by the insidious voices in his mind of God and Goddess). Using subterfuge, he escapes the institution and experiences a number of psychotic episodes while on the run. While he is gone, one of the psychiatrists begins to have hallucinations himself, and dies under mysterious circumstances. Powers is eventually located and returned to the institution where, shortly thereafter, the second psychiatrist also dies from suspicious causes. In both cases, the cause of death is determined to be natural, with no indication of criminal intent. A third treating physician, a specialist, is called in to investigate this extraordinary patient. He also falls under the powerful influence of Michael Powers, and helps him to escape again, only to die in the process. Autopsies have revealed all three deaths to be by natural causes, but the investigating detective believes there is some undetermined culpability on the part of Michael Powers. In an extended cat-and-mouse game, the detective pursues Powers, and himself falls under the strange spell of this schizophrenic, who may be a multiple murderer, or may, indeed, possess powers beyond the understanding of science and common sense. Is Michael Powers a murderer? Are the voices of God and Goddess hallucinations, or real? And should Michael Powers kill himself . . . or kill others?

When the novel opens, Michael Powers, schizophrenic protagonist (and narrator) of the first two novels of the series, has been institutionalized and is undergoing treatment by two psychiatrists. While the psychiatrists unsuccessfully try a variety of treatments, Powers projects his delusions and hallucinations onto them by engaging in complex mind games laden with emotional and psychological manipulations (spurred on by the insidious voices in his mind of God and Goddess). Using subterfuge, he escapes the institution and experiences a number of psychotic episodes while on the run. While he is gone, one of the psychiatrists begins to have hallucinations himself, and dies under mysterious circumstances. Powers is eventually located and returned to the institution where, shortly thereafter, the second psychiatrist also dies from suspicious causes. In both cases, the cause of death is determined to be natural, with no indication of criminal intent. A third treating physician, a specialist, is called in to investigate this extraordinary patient. He also falls under the powerful influence of Michael Powers, and helps him to escape again, only to die in the process. Autopsies have revealed all three deaths to be by natural causes, but the investigating detective believes there is some undetermined culpability on the part of Michael Powers. In an extended cat-and-mouse game, the detective pursues Powers, and himself falls under the strange spell of this schizophrenic, who may be a multiple murderer, or may, indeed, possess powers beyond the understanding of science and common sense. Is Michael Powers a murderer? Are the voices of God and Goddess hallucinations, or real? And should Michael Powers kill himself . . . or kill others?When the novel opens, Michael Powers, schizophrenic protagonist (and narrator) of the first two novels of the series, has been institutionalized and is undergoing treatment by two psychiatrists. While the psychiatrists unsuccessfully try a variety of treatments, Powers projects his delusions and hallucinations onto them by engaging in complex mind games laden with emotional and psychological manipulations (spurred on by the insidious voices in his mind of God and Goddess). Using subterfuge, he escapes the institution and experiences a number of psychotic episodes while on the run. While he is gone, one of the psychiatrists begins to have hallucinations himself, and dies under mysterious circumstances. Powers is eventually located and returned to the institution where, shortly thereafter, the second psychiatrist also dies from suspicious causes. In both cases, the cause of death is determined to be natural, with no indication of criminal intent. A third treating physician, a specialist, is called in to investigate this extraordinary patient. He also falls under the powerful influence of Michael Powers, and helps him to escape again, only to die in the process. Autopsies have revealed all three deaths to be by natural causes, but the investigating detective believes there is some undetermined culpability on the part of Michael Powers. In an extended cat-and-mouse game, the detective pursues Powers, and himself falls under the strange spell of this schizophrenic, who may be a multiple murderer, or may, indeed, possess powers beyond the understanding of science and common sense. Is Michael Powers a murderer? Are the voices of God and Goddess hallucinations, or real? And should Michael Powers kill himself . . . or kill others?

It is war-torn China in the 1930s. Nationalist forces, communist rebels and the invading Japanese army are seemingly everywhere. Amidst this backdrop, a group of pilgrims, accompanied by a schizophrenic American Named John Powers, search for a mysterious female known as Her. They bring with them a golden statue, the Precious Object, within which something is tapping undecipherable messages. As the travelers try to somehow survive, John hears voices arguing over his fate. The voices, apparently working in league with Her and the Precious Object, want him to conceive a son with one of the women in the group, a beautiful Chinese pianist. Who is Her? What is the Precious Object tapping? And why do they want the American and the pianist to have a son?