Review: Incredible
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 5, 2013
This is a truly incredible work of speculative fiction. While I tend to love fictionalized historical characters, I usually find something that downright irks me while reading the novels that feature them. This was not the case at all with 'In the Matter of Nikola Tesla.'I was very afraid that this book, being a work of fiction, might take on the same viewpoint and satirical silliness as the movie 'The Prestige' did, but thankfully the liberties the author took were well thought out and intelligent. There was never any eye-rolling moments. (Unlike the aforementioned movie, the author of this book included inventions we can actually credit to Tesla.)This book fascinated me for a multitude of reasons, least of which was not the way Edison was portrayed. His character was pompous and self-centered just as I would have imagined him to be. I was particularly impressed by the way the author introduced the subject of the alternating current. I also thought it was a nice touch that the solitary white dove was mentioned more than just in passing as history would dictate that the bird became very important to Tesla toward the end of his life.The love story portion of this book is unique and written in a way that makes you wonder if the man might just have known something we don't. His muse was at one time a real person and later a fanciful creation of his mind...or was she? I thought the internal look through the eyes of this genius made for a very entertaining story and I would encourage others who have an interest in Tesla to read this book. I am simply amazed by how good it actually is.Were Tesla to read this book, he might have used one of his famous quotes to describe it: "I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success...such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything."This review is based on an ARC from the publisher.