MrgANovelAbouttheCreation

“AsIremember，IhadjustwokenupfromanapwhenIdecidedtocreatetheuniverse.”SobeginsAlanLightman’splayfulandprofoundnewnovel，Mrg，thestoryofCreationastoldbyGod.BarragedbytheconstantadvisementsandbickeringsofAuntPenelopeandUncleDeva，wholivewiththeirnephewintheshimmeringVoid，Mrgproceedstocreatetime，space，andmatter.Thencomestars，planets，animatematter，consciousness，and，finally，intelligentbeingswithmoraldilemmas.Mrgisallpowerfulbutnotallknowinganddoesmuchofhisinventionbytrialanderror.Eventhebest-laidplanscangoawry，andMrgdiscoversthatwithhiscreationofspaceandtimecomesomeunforeseenconsequences—especiallyintheformofthemysteriousBelhor，acleveranddeviousrival.AnintellectualequaltoMrg，Belhordelightsinprovokinghim：Belhordemandsanexplanationfortheinexplicable，requeststhatthenewlycreatedintelligentcreaturesnotbesubjecttorationallaws，andmaintainsthenecessityofevil.AsMrgwatcheshisfavoriteuniversegrowintomaturity，hebeginstounderstandhowtheactofcreationcanchangehimself，theCreator.WithechoesofCalvino，Rushdie，andSaramago，combiningscience，theology，andmoralphilosophy，Mrgisastunninglyimaginativeworkthatcelebratesthetragicandjoyousnatureofexistenceonthegrandestpossiblescale.