WHAT if Dark Matter, the 90 per cent of the universe which we know nothing about at all, is actually hell? What if, 300 years from now, the Prince of Dark Matter imposes his terrifying, high-tech-fuelled will on our post-apocalyptic world, including the enforced unification of all religions into his own Great World Church in which “everyone believes the same thing so it must be right”?
But what if everyone doesn’t believe the same thing, and an Elijah v. the Prophets of Baal-type showdown sees Cleric20, “a hedonistic loner with a chequered past”, overcome the forces of darkness, at least for now? This religion-meets-sci-fi-meets-computer-gaming geekdom is a gory, witty adventure with more than a passing nod to H. G. Wells, C. S. Lewis, and Douglas Adams.
If you see the drama of salvation as a continuous feedback loop holding out hope for humankind even in the most dystopian of futures, then this is for you. But if not, don’t worry: the mystery of Dark Matter may be solved before Matt Adcock’s hyperactive imagination delivers Complete Darkness 2, 3, 4, or more.
Dr John Saxbee is a former Bishop of Lincoln.
Complete Darkness
Matt Adcock
Burton Mayers £7.99
(978-0-9573387-7-7)
Church Times Bookshop £7.20