By Robert J. Sawyer

CAEZIK SF&F Books (US), Red Deer Press (Canada), available now

What if J. Robert Oppenheimer’s services were needed for something even greater than the atomic bomb?

It’s been four years since we’ve had a new novel from Robert J. Sawyer, one of the cream of contemporary SF writers, whose knack for explaining scientific concepts and incorporating them into gripping narratives has made his books ones about which I always keep an eye out for news. He’s said before that he likes to challenge himself with each new project, and this time he’s ventured into alternate history.

My guess is that most people will recognise Oppenheimer’s name, and if pushed, connect him to the creation of the atomic bombs dropped in August 1945. They might even be aware of his quote from the Bhagavad Gita about becoming Death, the destroyer of worlds. But his life story, his character, his friends, colleagues and lovers – these are a closed book to most. In a book released to mark the 75th anniversary of the first use of the atomic bomb, Sawyer brings the man to life before your eyes.

There’s a scene at the start of Peter Capaldi’s last Doctor Who story, which shows William Hartnell, the first Doctor, delivering a speech to the Cybermen. During that speech, the picture turns from its original monochrome to colour, TV ratio to widescreen, and David Bradley – who goes on to portray that incarnation for the rest of the episode – completes the lines. Its purpose was in part to acclimatise viewers to the “fictional” first Doctor. Sawyer very successfully does something similar here, recounting Oppenheimer’s life up to and including the dropping of the bombs, putting us clearly inside his head, and almost imperceptibly colouring our view of the other scientists around him. That’s aided (and sometimes counterpointed) by some very astute epigraphs at the top of chapters that widen our knowledge of the way that Oppenheimer was regarded. Amongst Sawyer’s other gifts as a writer is his ability to present multiple sides of an argument, in such a way that you understand not only what’s being said, but also why someone might choose to take that position. That’s very much on display here, and you can see why some of the characters might want to tear their hair out over what’s being proposed at various stages.

I’m not an expert on the subject, so I can’t tell precisely where Sawyer’s account of Oppenheimer’s life begins to deviate. I suspect that it’s probably a bit earlier than I believe, but you are so drawn in by the detailed descriptions that you aren’t necessarily aware of when the train has left the original rails, so to speak. (In this case, the “train” is reminiscent of the one from the very end of the Back to the Future cycle!) A problem of a literally global scale is posited – and you need to know how (or indeed if) it can be solved…

Verdict: An excellent blend of hard science, alternate history and the inner workings of one of the key men of the 20th century. Highly recommended. 9/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order the ebook from Amazon.co.uk