| There is a war raging on all fronts, and Louis Sachetti is a 35 year old poet who is imprisoned for being a conscientious objector. A few days into his five year sentence, Sachetti is taken against his will to a mysterious subterranean compound. He is told he was chosen for his verbal skills, and is instructed to observe the other inmates in the compound, and to keep journals of all his observations.
Soon Sachetti learns that the other inmates are there voluntarily, recruited from military prisons and hospitals, and that they are taking part in an experiment. The inmates are given a drug that heightens their intellectual abilities to astonishing levels, though the side-effects are a series of illnesses that result in death within 9 months. After a while, Sachetti begins to suspect that he himself has been infected with the drug. He continues to chronicle his observations, however, providing poetic observations of the mad/genius inmates who have been pursuing their own experiments in alchemy in hopes of finding the secret of immortality. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book - cynical or dry-wit FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story Lifeform altered? Yes Kind of alteration: Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Descript. of chases or violence - 0 % planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 % Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10 % Main Character Identity: - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Really unusual traits? Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a substantial amount How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Average intelligence Setting Terrain Earth setting: - 20th century Takes place on Earth? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog |
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