![Calibration 74: An Experimental Novella by [William F. Aicher]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41PYsCH8H0L.jpg)
It took me a while to figure out how to write this review because there’s just so much to think about packed into a relatively short book. I think I could read it over and over again and come away with something new each time. I’m going to try to focus on a few thoughts:
First, there are so many nuggets of truth, of wisdom scattered throughout the book. I could write a whole list of favorite quotes or lines I still think about. The book is a journey through the unnamed narrator’s mind as he searches, as he says in Calibration 42, for the answer to the ultimate question: “Life. The universe. Everything.” There are so many explorations of reality – what is reality? Is it perception? Is it mental? Not surprisingly since it was written during this pandemic, the book is so timely in a world where we’re increasingly living virtually, disconnected and yet hyperconnected.
Second, while it’s at times evocative of mental illness it’s not ABOUT mental illness. I identified with the narrator from the start, reflecting multiple times in early Calibrations that my stream of consciousness often mirrored his. At first this was comforting—maybe I’m not so strange after all!—but it eventually became slightly disturbing and I started to wonder whether I wanted to identify with this guy… I mean, there has to be something wrong with a guy who peeps in a woman’s window and boils skulls! I think, ultimately, that’s part of the exploration of reality, of humanity. Of how fine the line often is between being okay and not being okay.
Finally, I really liked that I never knew what to expect from the next Calibration. By the end of the book especially, it’s like reading a dream sequence. Things seamlessly change and morph in a completely nonsensical way that at the same time seems perfectly natural. Reading it felt like when you’re recounting a dream to someone – it all makes sense but then you say it out loud and you realize it makes no sense at all but it FELT like it made sense when you were in it. It’s trippy, but it works. Really well.
I didn’t know what to expect when I picked this up, but I was thoroughly pleased and impressed. It’s philosophical, edgy, and very different from anything else I’ve read. I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to read this book and will definitely look forward to Aicher’s upcoming work!
Thank you to William F. Aicher for gifting me a copy of this book! Get your copy here – you’ll be glad you did!
***** Five stars (and you know I don’t give those out lightly)
So I haven’t had much time for reading or blogging lately, with our first year of homeschooling starting up. I, will, however, be keeping this up because I have really come to love indie authors and their books. Some of my favorite authors are self-published, and most of my editing clients are as well. It’s a really fun part of the publishing industry to be a part of, and I hope this series can benefit both the authors presented and you all as readers as you learn about new, great people to check out! Right now my reading is kind of intermittent, but my current indie fiction read is The Markings by Catherine Downen, who is joining me here this week. I’m impressed by Catherine’s professionalism, and I’m enjoying learning about the world she created in The Markings. I’ve barely gotten into the meat of the story, but I can’t wait to see how Adaline develops on her journey and I hope you’ll consider giving the book a read!
Welcome, Catherine, and thank you for joining me at The Edifying Word. Let’s start with genre – do you write in a particular genre?
about the second book, perhaps even more than I was for the first! You can expect that Crowning Keys will be about the same length as book one. We’ll have the same structure, 30 chapters with ten in each part. I can tell you that the part titles are Part One: the Arrival, Part Two: The Royals, and Part Three: The Storm. There are lots of new characters coming into the story. Book one leaves off with the new island of Libertas coming into play and with a new island comes new people, ideas, and plot lines. It’s a very fast paced book. I think the whole book spans over just 9 or 10 days, very similar to book one. Adaline and Alexander will remain our lead characters in book two, but I promise the biggest surprise of their characters has yet to be told. Another thing you can look forward to in Crowning Keys is some more history on Libertas and how it came to be. Also, we’ll get to learn more about who Alexander is and what his childhood was like.
Kristin Houlihan, Writer 