When our imagination has no place in everyday life, we dream. When in a dream we exist in the grip of rationality, we dream in a dream. If the scope of his work is close to the writer and there is something else to say “about”, a book is born in the book - an independent artistic organism, the autonomous existence of which is very arbitrary. This is an alien in our literary world, organically living only in the cocoon of his novel world.
Who are you, Mr. Wells?
The "Encyclopedia of Relative and Absolute Knowledge" by Edmond Wells was created within the universe of Bernard Werber’s novels. Mentions and references to it are found in many works of the modern philosopher-writer. Gathering and processing the facts published earlier in various novels, supplementing them with new ones, Verber published his only non-fiction book.
He did not give authorship to the fictional character Edmond Wells by chance. Thus, the isolation of the created reality from the really existing was emphasized. The worlds of Verber, like any developed civilization, have their own literature and science. Perhaps the prototype of the invented author was the grandfather of the writer, whose habit of preserving interesting facts in a special notebook was also transferred to Bernard.
On the pages of Werber’s novels, Edmond Wells appears not only as the author of the book quoted by the heroes, but also as an active character, and in different ways. In Empire of Angels, he is an angel mentor. In the novel "We Gods" - a disciple god. And in the "Breath of the Gods" - already a dolphin. One can safely call the author of the Encyclopedia not only a sage, but also a great original.
Is it worth it to believe
The "Encyclopedia of Relative and Absolute Knowledge" by Edmond Wells does not claim to be a fundamental scientific work. This is a fun collection of scientific facts that do not always have evidence.
A few examples:
- The fact that vocal cords are removed in Singapore dogs, fortunately, is not confirmed in reality.
- Antochorides scolopelliens. A non-existent species of blood-sucking insects, but how features of their life are described in detail and fascinatingly!
- The cooperation strategy in game theory is outlined with distortions and inaccuracies.
Unusual events and conclusions in articles are seasoned with a fair amount of fiction:
- Omelette. The principles of entropy on the example of the preparation of this dish. Such an explanation will be understandable and interesting to many.
- Alchemy. Her connection with the solar system and types of human characters. An elegant sketch that will make everyone think about their own.
- A paradoxical request. It can be adopted as a method of education or manipulation. And unexpected historical parallels give this article a depth of worldview.
At the same time, Verber himself, as the creator, does not pretend to be a teacher and recognizes the superficiality of his discoveries. The main task of the facts selected for the Encyclopedia is to "sparkle neurons."
The easy-to-read book by Edmond Wells does an excellent job of this.
Who about what
The book of Edmond Wells "Encyclopedia of Relative and Absolute Knowledge" has many reviews. Analyzing them, we can conclude that the experience of working in popular science journalism was not in vain for B. Verber. Admirers of his work are clearly accustomed to the headings “this is interesting” and view them regularly, like news sites. They write reviews: "interesting", "unexpectedly", "makes you think," "read the whole department" and "be sure to let my son read it." Such reviews emphasize ease of presentation and non-standard forms of presentation of the material.
Post-science fiction, a lot of pseudoscientific terminology, and author's reflections by professionals cause a condescending smile or annoyance. Reviewers dispute theories and assumptions made by the author, point out inaccuracies, and complain about "false thought."
But thanks to the accessibility and simplified presentation, Bernard Weber in the person of Edmond Wells manages to convey progressive and modern ideas to the mass consumer. The author’s desire to encourage readers to draw independent conclusions, giving him food for thought, lies at the heart of his work.
The creative path of B. Verber
Having been published regularly since 1991, Bernard Werber did not immediately come to fame and recognition by critics. The first edition of the novel "Ants" went unnoticed by the public and the literary community. Trying to convey his ideas, Verber tries to write in different genres and forms: short novels, philosophical novels, a detective story that can be called anthropological.
In the new millennium, B. Verber’s books have repeatedly taken leadership positions in various ratings and best-seller lists. In almost thirty years, four trilogies have been created, which have become classics of modern science fiction. Over 10 independent works published. The novel "From Beyond the World", the last one to date, was released in 2017.
At the heart of each of them, Verber puts such a twisted plot and strong intrigue that the reader forgives all pseudo-scientific mistakes and simplifications.