Oracle [Paperback]

Watson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1998

Time-travel fantasy in which a Roman centurion is brought forward in time by experiments carried out by the British security forces.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Tom Ryan, a classic Everyman pitched into an alligator swamp by surprise, begins his adventures by discovering a time-traveling Roman centurion marching along on a rainy night in modern Britain. The plot thickens when, after giving shelter to the Roman refugee, Tom and his sister, Mary, discover that the time-traveling is the result of a secret project called Oracle. The intent of the government security people involved in Oracle is to review the past and the future to prevent "threats to national security." Tom and Mary learn that one thing Oracle has already done caused the plane crash that killed their parents 20 years ago. This discovery gets Tom and Mary embroiled with the IRA, which Watson portrays as having an undeniably left-of-center bias, as does the narration of much of the rest of the book. This is a rather cerebral thriller, since Watson is a master of language and characterization rather than pacing. Yet even those who find Watson's politics paranoiac should recognize the intelligence of his storytelling. Roland Green

From Kirkus Reviews

Another contemporary sf thriller from Watson (Hard Questions, p. 1485, etc.). The British secret services are exploiting the ``surreal numbers'' theories of physics genius Robin Garland (he's so unstable that he even has a personal shrink) to build Oracle, a machine that can view the future and so anticipate terrorist attacks and other threats to the state. But in its first test Oracle somehow snatches up a Roman centurion, Marcus Appius Silvanus, from a.d. 70. Tom Ryan, a former aspirant to the priesthood who speaks Latin, and his sister Mary shelter Marcus and slowly become convinced he's genuine. Then complications ensue: An old IRA boyfriend tries to manipulate Mary; muckraking journalist Barney Barber discovers Marcus's existence and sells the story to the tabloid press; and a feud between M15 and M16 reaches the boiling point. Eventually, Oracle previews the Queen's assassination in Belgium by the IRA one week in the future. Tom, Mary, and Marcus are captured by the IRA; British Intelligence pursues; and a storm-induced power discharge hurls somebody back to a.d. 70. Unbalanced--with a promising scenario and intriguing developments that degenerate into a long, stultifying chase--and populated by a largely anonymous and uninvolving cast. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 287 pages
• Publisher: Gollehon Press Inc (August 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0575602260
• ISBN-13: 978-0575602267
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,995,667 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tu es non solus, April 3, 2000

By 

Cartimand (Hampshire, UK.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oracle (Paperback)

Oracle is only the second Ian Watson book I've read, but I am very glad to have found this visionary sci-fi author. Like "Flies of Memory", "Oracle" is written in a very inventive and sometimes startling style. It also rattles along at a cracking pace and is an almost perfect blend of thought-provoking time travel yarn and political thriller. Let's face it, all sci-fi devotees love the time travel theme, and this one is better than most. The attention to detail is exceptional - one of Marcus' biggest problems is coping with lower case letters and non-Roman numerals for example. I also felt an immediate empathy with our reluctant hero Tom, who drinks real ale and knows which bridges have speed cameras on the M1! My only adverse criticism would be at the occasionally heavy-handed politics, which some may find irritating. Overall though, an extremely entertaining read, which leaves the way open for a fascinating sequel (please Ian!).

5.0 out of 5 stars Top notch thriller with a Sci-Fi theme., August 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Oracle (Hardcover)

A tremendous roller-coaster ride from the quiet midlands of England to the cosmopolitan heart of Brussels. When you first pick up this book you wonder if the science or the story is going to take precidence. Actually the shear tension and excitement -, the booing at the villans, the hooraying at the good-guys - keeps you addicted until the tremendous finale, regardless of the hows and whys. The Kirkus review tells it all, but the energy and *reality* of the settings makes this a triumph of storytelling. Buy it and enjoy it, you won't be disappointed.