Enoch the Traveler: Tempestas Viator

De: Lady Soliloque

Narrado por: Gareth David-Lloyd

"And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." Genesis 5:29

Enoch, The great Enoch, born into a world as a stranger, taken out of time to the Caelestis Concilium where he learned all the secrets of creation: the parallel dimensions, parallel worlds, and multitude of universes which make up the multiverse along with all of the races and beings that exist within them. An immortal existence surrounded by the Angelus and a millennia of knowledge, all that ever was and all that ever could be, distanced him from the humanity he was born with and he traveled through creation without purpose or empathy.

Ultimately, his loss of humanity and inability to empathize caused a disastrous string of events in various universes and forced the Angelus to put him on trial for his involvement and imprison him.

Tempestas Viator is the story of Enoch the Traveler, and of how he finds Violette, who changes the Caelestis Concilium’s ruling and leads him on a journey through the worlds and dimensions of the Multiverse to rediscover that which he has lost.

©2013 Lady Soliloque (P)2014 Lady Soliloque

TV sit-com style sci-fi theology

Enoch the Traveler is a short story based in a biblically themed universe that respects a scientific basis for laws of nature as opposed to vague, ill-defined mystical magical powers. In this universe (and there are multiple iterations - the multiverse), Heaven and its celestial inhabitants exist as a corporate, bureaucratic, mundane "adjustment bureau: like entity keeping things moving along.

In this tale, Enoch, the biblical character, is a vagabond wanderer who accidentally becomes involved with a blissfully ignorant human, Violette. The story is a series of short, dangerous and exciting adventures as Violette is exposed and comes to appreciate her new reality in a Dorothy in Oz style rendition. The sci-fi elements are muted with a few odd gadgets as well as restrained attempts to explain theological aspects in scientific terms.

Narration is in the style of a performance, rather than a more straightforward reading. There are multiple narrators, one for each unique character along with background sound effects which can either be enhancing or distracting depending on preferences. This is a short, quick listen, best absorbed in a single sitting.

Don't know what all of the hype is about

What would have made Enoch the Traveler: Tempestas Viator better?

Less focus on Southern American and Christian religious stereotypes, and more focus on characters, especially Enoch, who is about as intelligent and interesting as a rock. The titular character is merely a glorified cabbie, moving the story from universe to universe. The idea of parallel universes is heavily used throughout, but without any real science. Instead we get some explanation by religious magic nonsense.

What was most disappointing about Lady Soliloque’s story?

As a Southerner myself, I found the depiction of a modern American Southerner offensive and ill-informed. The lack of science in a supposed science fiction is also appalling. It is so clear that this is a poor fanfic copy of Doctor Who and other episodic adventure stories.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Narrator was great, but his heart couldn't have been into this at all.

What character would you cut from Enoch the Traveler: Tempestas Viator?

I can't think of a character to keep.

Any additional comments?

There were some surprisingly interesting ideas in some of the parallel universe travels, but the horrible over-the-top characterizations and story arc crushed them.