Here today/Gone tomorrow ...

In a previous post, I blogged the merits of Karen Hancock's Guardian-King series. Remember, MOST of the books I mention here in this handy little space are numbered among the collection at Lovett Memorial Library in Pampa, Texas.

Be advised, however, that books go unreturned, lost or damaged on a dismally regular basis. The bottom line? The library's collection is constantly in flux.

An item here today can be summarily lost or discarded by tomorrow or even, sigh, by this afternoon. Just a little something to bear in mind, especially while viewing this blog and contemplating the borrowing of any of the titles targeted in these posts. Thanks, by the way, for visiting ...

Let's focus this post on Bill Myers' "The God Hater" where the cutting edge of technology meets the cutting edge of contempt. Central to the story is Dr. Nicholas Mackenzie, a brilliant, yet embittered, university professor.

Myers' softens Mackenzie's abrasive personality through clever development of a father/daughter, grandfather/grandson friendship between the curmudgeonly professor and the mother/son duo of Annie and Rusty Brooks. Whew, that was a lot of slashes!

Let me reprise: Mackenzie serves as a sort of father figure to Annie and as a sort of grandfather figure to her young son.

Most surprising of all, Myers makes Annie a devoted follower of the Christian faith and somewhat of an underdog.

Mackenzie is not only a "God hater" but an acerbic critic of all forms of theology. A man of many quirks -- most particularly a deep-seated mistrust of electronic gadgets and other variations of modern communication -- Mackenzie holds himself severely aloof from fellow academics, from his students, and from life.

Myers uses technology and science to parody civilization and societal structures in a truly creative and original way while at the same time dipping his literary toes into differing philosophical pools of debate to further advance and enhance plot and story.

Conclusion: Myers crafts "God Hater" into a page-turner chock full of twists and curves. On a scale of one to ten, I give "The God Hater" a solid nine-plus!

If you're ever in the Texas Panhandle, please remember to stop in at Lovett Memorial Library in Pampa. We love visitors and have a nice upstairs area with a number of easy chairs and sofas perfect for thumbing through a magazine or lounging back with a good book. You may even want to check out "God Hater."

See you next time!