Galactic Rapture

This book depicts a future in which the Vatican has its own planet and has recognized the existence of Christs on other planets, reality television has evolved to three-dimensional, recordings of experience called "senso," and a con man native to a backward planet is passing himself off as a divine figure. The story follows multiple convoluted threads which ultimately connect back in a cohesive whole; along the way are some historical details of Christianity, Catholicism, and Mormonism, and amusing and interesting extrapolations. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Refreshing, original, and very entertaining. Nothing is sacred in this witty saga of politics, intrigue, and the human psyche. Galactic Rapture is satisfying on so many levels. Unique ideas and plot twists, well developed characters and an action filled story line, will keep you fully engrossed. Kudos to this new writer on the sci-fi scene.

This is by far the best SF book I have read in ages. A truly involving, convoluted plot combined political/religious intrigue with blinding action, suspense and humour.Best of all, despite the plot twists and turns, gadgetry and ideas introduced, it all made sense and fitted together tightly, without any holes or logic gaps. This book has some of the most original thinking and ideas in it that I have come across in ages. Well worth a read.

A totally engrossing, and supremely intelligent, epic journey into the imagination. Tom Flynn transports us into the future while exposing a large chunk of human folly with great wit and flair. The book is highly entertaining, thought-provoking, and essential reading for anyone intrigued by the human appetite for unreality. Highly recommended.

It isn't every day you discover a black comedy about philosophy, religion, and media ethics that is also a kick-butt thriller. Galactic Rapture, which I think is secular humanist radical Tom Flynn's first novel, succeeds on all counts. Devout Catholics or Mormons with blood pressure problems should avoid this book; everyone else should read it at once!The plot in a snapshot: Earth (now called Terra) is part of a future galaxy-wide Confectory in which only a handful of planets are voting members. Most of the more than 40,000 worlds are colonies, protectorates, or "Enclave" planets which the elite have decided must never know that the rest of galactic civilization is out there. For entertainment, the elites watch "sensos," an updated version of Orwell's feelies, which are shot on the primitive Enclave worlds by Spectators, members of the galactic elite who pose as natives but whose sensory fields are recorded and transmitted around the galaxy. Think of "Mad Max" meets "The Truman Show."Terra was so primitive it might have been one of these voteless, exploited worlds, if the galactics hadn't been so impressed with earth religions. The Catholics have a planet of their own now, called (of course) Vatican, and they're raking in fortunes by going from world to world and telling the natives which (if any) of their historic holy men was a genuine incarnation of Christ. The elites believe God sends his son to one world after another. But they've never had any advance notice where he'd appear next. A math genius gives such a prediction to the pope; the next incarnation of Jesus will occur on Jaremi 4, one of the most twisted and horrible of all the Enclave worlds. In short order churchmen, con men, and fast-buck artists from around the galaxy are all running their own schemes to get onto the forbidden planet and get a piece of the new Christ (who is actually a huckster the galactics have mis-identified as the new Jesus).The plot resolves with the fury of a high-speed crash at a six-way intersection. Along the way there's vicious satire of TV news morality, Catholic piety, and everything having to do with Mormonism. Oh, and I almost forgot the lesbian nun shower rape scene (on page 300-and-something).If you like sci-fi, sharp satire, and plotty thrillers, you gotta read this book.