A sci-fi thriller replete with psychic energy and covert intel action, The Message by Bill Harvey is a creative chapter of an expansive near-future world.
Instilled with the quiet knowledge that he was always destined for a greater purpose than an anonymous military life, Martin Williams is the perfect reluctant hero protagonist. His uncanny hunches, guided by “the advisor in his mind,” have made him a renowned military man, but hint that his instincts may be heightened by dormant psychic abilities. The world is changing, and the rules of war continue to shift, as do the weapons.
Williams is unexpectedly dropped into secondary command of a brand-new psychic division of the military under Tim Shannon, leading to a non-traditional mentorship and authority dynamic at the core of Theta Force. Seana is one of the first recruits and shows remarkable promise – an undeniable femme fatale among the rapidly growing ranks of the psychic brigade. It doesn’t take long for Williams and Seana to realize that they had known each other in previous lives, and they soon find themselves reunited as rapturous lovers.
On the other side of the world, buried in a nuke-proof bunker, is the Russian’s Psychotronics division and the disarming young psychic, Nastassia Slayevsky, whose immense power and mischievous mind make her a dangerous and seductive geopolitical weapon. Just as money, power, sex, and loyalty begin to blur, an androgynous voice invades and unites the minds of every psychic on the planet, sending an enigmatic message of unity, purpose, and a joint destiny that transcends life and death.
It’s a pleasure to suspend your disbelief in the face of this semi-dystopian premise with a wide cast of colorful characters – there are eccentric billionaires, sinister power brokers, and even a psychic who once walked in the sandals of Jesus. While Harvey does spend time fleshing out this rich cast, as well as the detailed nuance of a paradigm of weaponized psychic power, the narrative moves at a healthy clip. Harvey isn’t afraid to dig deep into a particular type of tech, an ideology, or a military procedure, and that storytelling flair for flowing in and out of detail keeps the rhythm enticing and the read addictive.
The dialogue tends to be straightforward and to the point, capturing the rigidity of a military mood, while still leaving room for unspoken emotions within meaningful but brief exchanges. That subtlety is often overlooked in scene crafting, especially in science fiction, and Harvey demonstrates a clear ability to embed significance between the lines.
There are some challenges to the read, given its complexity. Time jumps are common, demanding a certain level of attention and engagement from readers who want to lose themselves in the story. There are also some sloppy mistakes and typos, which a final fine-tooth proofread would clear up, but the flow of the read is generally strong, and immersion in the story is ultimately rewarding.
For an inventive work of visionary sci-fi with an allegorical tinge of social commentary, The Message is a riveting addition to Harvey’s enigmatic Agents of Cosmic Intelligence series.
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