White Light

I remember reading this when I was younger, probably around 14. This was a book that started out normal, and then I don't know what happened to it.Initially I thought the book lacked many key elements, and quite frankly if you're going to look at it in a strictly science-fiction / fantasy spotlight, then you're going to miss some of the finer details. A book, is not written to coform to a category, but rather; a category is written to conform to the book.This book is chonicles and exemplifies all of mankind's fallacies. The belief in auto-supremacy, the belief that man is higher than all, etc. The objectifying of women is another one of mankind's shortcomings. Regardless of what anyone says, this book does indeed highlight many, many things that should be of concern for today's society.The people gathered together are truly representative of a microcosm of today's society. Greed, sex, money, drugs, and "nubile" flesh, dominate everything.What it all boils down to is it's all about the sex, but pay attention, you'll learn something about yourself if you think hard enough about it.

Most of these reviews focus on the fact that the "book has too much sex". Well, that's kind of the point. The novel is heavily focused on the failures of its characters. Yes, given the backdrop of all this cosmic wonderment - alien species, the end of the universe, black holes - they are still **human** and still very much looking out for number one. This is the major character flaw of the human race, the inability to act selflessly to further the species, something the alien "conquerors" appear to have done rather well in their quest to "engulf" the universe. The ending of the book has some major religious implications, and will possibly confuse anyone not already familiar with Tipler's Omega Point theory. But the entire book can be summed up by this one line, spoken between two characters near the end - "Everything matters, Mr. Wolf. That's why excuses always fail". Yes, the book could have been better, but Barton and Capobianco have always been obsessed with the negative dynamic between any group of characters, the interplay between wants and needs. In reality each and every character in their books, ALL of their books, are looking for redemption and reconciliation. In this book, their characters finally find it.

This is the kind of book I rarely see these days. Immensely enjoyable, yet profoundly troubling. My only complaint was that it was over too fast.

I reviewed the book before it was available for sale. I found it brought back memories of books I read that were published in the 50's and 60's. With a modern twist and a mood four foul language, much like some of Harlan Elison's books it makes you feel like a part of the story. The main characters were grouped with a tighter focus. In my opinion, the two mains were Wolf O'Malley and Cory Saurez. Maybe it's best to say they were my favorite. Wolf is reminiscent of a Chuck Norris and Captain Kirk/William Shatner character. He just can't get enough of his women. Cory is the pawn / or fall character. A helpless teenage girl who has mixed emotions of love and sex all rolled in to one. Not to mention a few characters flaws resulting from abandonmont and confusion. To put it short the Post Nuclear Earth is going to Hell. Money, Influence, Sex contributes to this crew of six meeting and going to a colony planet, only to be sent further out to look for more habitable planets. In the process they find the Pleons whom are fleeing from a godlike race trying to engulf the universe. In the process Wolf, Cory, Stu, Mark and Thalia find themselves on a search for their inner being and the God o f the Universe in birthing kind of experience. I highly recommend this book if you are bored of the current SF/Fantasy drivel that has been on the shelf for the last 15 to 20 years.

Barton and Cappobianco have done it again. White Light has all the best of their previous collaborations and solo work, but none of the flaws. Yes, as many have said, it is hard to like their characters - that's because you aren't supposed to like them, you are supposed to find them human. They are well-thought out and complex (but not in the popular typology of popular authors where you can figure out a whole character from page one). Their ideas about the metaphysical AND physical are too much for most readers - that is, if you don't want to actually think while you read, perhaps you should try a different book. White Light is, as with their previous efforts, full of insightful references from the SF genre, designed to increase the depth of the work. If this book isn't nominated for the Nebula I may just have to believe Barton and Capobianco about what idiots the members of the human race have become. If you want to read the best SF novel of the year you will have to read this. It makes those of us who have been reading these two hunger for more; from both of them together and apart (that's a subtle message to Capobianco who needs to follow up his wonderful novel, Burster).