The Jesus Incident
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| The Jesus Incident | |
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| Author | Frank Herbert and Bill Ransom |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | G. P. Putnam's Sons |
| Publication date | 1979 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-399-12268-0 |
| Preceded by | Destination: Void |
| Followed by | The Lazarus Effect |
The Jesus Incident (1979) is the second science fiction novel set in the Destination: Void universe by the American author Frank Herbert and poet Bill Ransom. It is a sequel to Destination: Void, and has two sequels: The Lazarus Effect and The Ascension Factor.
[edit] Plot introduction
The book takes place following the events in Destination: Void where the crew of "The Tin Egg" has succeeded in their attempts to create an artificial consciousness. Instead of creating a "rogue consciousness," as had been the case with the original Earth-bound experiments, the crew created an omnipotent artificial being known as Ship. Ship effectively becomes a deity, and immediately transports itself and the crew to a planet known as Pandora.
The planet Pandora is highly inhospitable, leaving the colonists deposited there in a constant battle with their environment. The novel opens with the awakening of Raja Flattery, who has been in long hybernation since the completion of Ship's consciousness, and who is therefore aware of the origins of Ship, as well as the fact that all of the occupants of the original mission were clones of scientists from the Moonbase which conducted the experiment. The planet-bound colonists have been led to believe (by Ship) that they are not clones, and that they are superior to the clones which they themselves have created in attempts to better adapt to Pandora's environment.
Ship informs Flattery that for centuries the humans have failed to learn how to WorShip him. He tasks Flattery with intervening in the society which has developed on Pandora to solve this riddle of WorShip, or else Ship will destroy all of humanity under his control.
[edit] Major themes
The book deals with concepts such as Artificial Intelligence, worship and the inherent problems of totalitarian systems. Clones and genetic engineering take up themes of racism.
