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A review by trilbynorton
The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This first trilogy in Bakker's Second Apocalypse series ends on a high note. The philosophical discussions here are quite engaging and serve to crystallise the ideas Bakker has been working with. I was reminded of Frank Herbert's later Dune books and their examinations of history and government. There's more than a little of the Kwisatz Haderach about Kellhus.
What struck me the most was how bleak and almost nihilist the series is. Bakker is exploring themes of free will versus determinism, truth versus faith, and a mechanistic universe versus a transcendental one, and constantly advocates for the more depressing sides of these coins. His world is one in which people are slaves to their passions, and those passions can easily be predicted and controlled by someone with right tools. I'm curious to see how this thoroughly materialist world view extends to the more explicitly fantastical elements of his world Bakker keeps teasing.
What struck me the most was how bleak and almost nihilist the series is. Bakker is exploring themes of free will versus determinism, truth versus faith, and a mechanistic universe versus a transcendental one, and constantly advocates for the more depressing sides of these coins. His world is one in which people are slaves to their passions, and those passions can easily be predicted and controlled by someone with right tools. I'm curious to see how this thoroughly materialist world view extends to the more explicitly fantastical elements of his world Bakker keeps teasing.