- Eon (novel)
infobox Book |
name = Eon
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image_caption = The cover art of "Eon"
author =Greg Bear
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country =United States
language = English
series = The Way
genre =Science fiction novel
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media_type = Print (Hardback &Paperback )
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preceded_by =
followed_by = Eternity"Eon" is a 1985
science fiction novel byGreg Bear . It is the first story written in The Way fictional universe.Events in "Eon" take place in the early 21st century, when the
USA and Russia are on the verge of nuclear war. In that tense political climate, a 300 kmasteroid appears within the solar system following an unusual supernova, and moves into a highly eccentric Near-Earth orbit. The two nations each try to claim this mysterious object (dubbed "the Stone" by the US, or "the Potato" by Russia), with the US and NATO allied nations succeeding.Story
The Stone
The asteroid itself is an elongated
prolate spheroid which appears to be virtually identical to Juno, a large asteroid in the main belt. It has been hollowed out along its long axis, and subdivided into seven vast cylindrical chambers. It rotates to provide artificial gravity. The chambers are terraformed, the second and third containing abandoned cities which appear to be built by humans from Earth's future.The Death
The humans who built the Stone (which they call the "Thistledown") seem to come from approximately 1000 years in the future. Their libraries record that human civilization was nearly destroyed by "The Death", a calamitous World War involving
nuclear weapon s, in the early 21st century. Events recorded in the libraries prior to The Death (with the exception of the Stone itself) are almost identical to events occurring on Earth in the explorers' present time. Rising tensions between the US and Russia, now exacerbated by both rumors of the information in the libraries and the general situation on the Stone (Russia and her allies have only limited access to the asteroid), suggest that such a war is imminent.Since the Stone appears immediately prior to the recorded date of The Death, and there is no record of its own appearance at the time, the scientists reason that the Stone "may" come from an alternate future. Patricia Luisa Vasquez, a brilliant but naive young theoretical physicist from
Caltech , is hastily sent to the Stone to determine if The Death can be avoided on the current timeline.The Way
A startling discovery is that the Stone is larger on the inside than outside: the seventh chamber extends beyond the end of the asteroid and appears to go on forever. When Patricia is mysteriously abducted by a strange looking human and an alien, an expedition is sent after her. They travel down the final chamber (called "the corridor" or "the Way"), where they encounter humanity's descendants.
The Axis City and The Hexamon
The society of human descendents, called the "Hexamon", live in the "Axis City", a large structure on the axis of the Way, one million kilometers from the Thistledown. The Hexamon is presided over by a governing body known as the "Nexus". It is loosely divided into two social groups, "Naderites" and "Geshels", based on widely differing cultural and political viewpoints.
The conservative Naderites reject much of the high technology trappings of their society for a simpler life. They are in fact, followers of
Ralph Nader , whom they call "the Good Man". Nader, who was "martyred" during The Death, came to be canonized by the followers who took his name. This was largely because he opposed the technology (particularlynuclear energy ) that led to the catastrophic war.The futuristic Geshels, on the other hand, embrace all manner of technological advances including human augmentation and artificial bodies. Many radical Geshels go so far as to choose non-human (or "neo"morphic) shapes for themselves, as opposed to moderate ones who choose a more human (or "ho"morphic) appearance.
Major themes
The high technology of this civilization with their control over
genetic engineering , human augmentation (includingpost-symbolic communication ), and matter itself is a major theme in the latter half of the novel. The Way itself cuts across space and time: "gates" may be opened through its surface at regular intervals, which lead to space and worlds occupying other timelines. As a result ofcommerce through the gates, several alien species have come to be partners of the Hexamon as well. Another major theme is the Hexamon's ongoing war with an alien race known as the Jarts. The Jarts come from further down the Way, beyond 2.0 ex 9 (2 billion kilometers).Adaptations
In
2007 , CGSociety organised a "CG Challenge" based upon "Eon", with thetagline "Worlds Within Worlds" [ [http://features.cgsociety.org/story_custom.php?story_id=3987 CG Challenge XX - Eon] ] . This produced many 2-d and 3-dillustration s, as well as several mockfilm trailers.Footnotes
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.