Folly of the Gods is a science fiction adventure story. For me, much of it also felt like a fantasy story without magic. It is also an amazing work of world-building in great detail. One can appreciate the amount of work and imagination that went into creating this story with the promise of two more volumes to come. I'm not sure what direction the next two books in the series will take, and Folly reads well as a standalone story.
There are illustrations interspersed throughout the story to help the reader visualize creatures mentioned in the text. I appreciated the well-drawn artwork helping to enhance the story.
This was an incredible effort for a first-time author. It is well written, well edited, and reads like a story from a seasoned professional.
The book opens with a preface tracing the development of artificial intelligence beginning in 1943 with the ENIAC computer (the spark of AI) and moving through humankind's spread in the galaxy. Along the way, are some tremendous advances in the sciences that lead to extending human life almost indefinitely. Thanks to the development of Subatomic Fabrication, anything could be reproduced and there was no want. All along the way, there is human conflict until AI steps in and solves the problem in a unique and humane way.
In the first chapters of the book, we are introduced to a genetically engineered species called the Androgenari. These beings are the dominant sentient species on the planet Drodenar. The Androgenari, or Andros for short, carry both male and female parts and can choose to be father or mother to their offspring. The humans invented the species for study, but after they were created, a war broke out and the Drodenar project had to be abandoned for some time. Meanwhile, the Andros set up a society complete with conflicts and differences in philosophies, causing friction between groups. One of the things causing conflict between the Andros was their religion. They worship their creators, the human scientists, as gods.
The planet itself was intended to be a place with a stable environment to provide the Andros with a place to thrive. Unfortunately, owing to the apparent passing of a rogue planet, the axis of Drodenar was increased, and the orbit changed enough to plunge the planet into a never-ending winter with brief periods of thaw.
When the last human conflict was done, they return to an orbital space station known as Dev Lok to continue to observe their creation. The humans are the very scientists that created the Andros.
There is a plethora of characters to follow in Folly, both among the humans on the station and among the Andros on the planet. However, there is very little between the two parties in this book. Since Folly strikes me as an exposition to the planned trilogy, I imagine there will be more interaction as the story moves forward.
Occasionally, I found myself a little confused about who was who among the Andros because of the sheer numbers of characters on the planet. But they are all dynamically written and many are heroic in their purpose and deeds.
As far as the humans are concerned, there isn't too much on them except they all seem quite taken with themselves. Except for one human, they appear to be more interested in sorting out their own lives and mostly ignore the inhabitants on Drodenar. It will be interesting to see how the humans develop as the rest of the story unfolds in future volumes.
There are also numerous themes one could extrapolate from reading Folly, but for me, the major lesson was how, when left unchecked, humans seem to ruin just about everything they involve themselves in. Drodenar was a perfectly peaceful place before the scientists came along and created the Androgenari. As time passed, the Andros developed human characteristics that brought about conflict where there should have been none. This is a recurring theme throughout human history, and it seems, at least according to the author, it is one that will continue far into the future.
Folly of the Gods is epic in its scope. I would dare to say that the story, and the writing, make me think of Asimov's Foundation stories. There is a lot of detail to keep track of and one must be prepared to devote one's full attention to this complex story. I would recommend this for those who enjoy a tale to become immersed in.
One thing I wondered is if the author didn't intentionally give nods to other Sci-Fi franchises. I read a few things that caused me to think of Star Trek and Dune. If the author did intentionally do that, my hat’s off to him for doing it subtly, making me smile as I read.
This book is well worth the investment and the time to read, but don't rush through it. There's a lot to think about in Folly of the Gods.
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