String Theories - Softcover
He arrived at Los Alamos National Laboratories as an amnesic heap in a dusty arroyo with only a candy wrapper as a hint to his identity. But Reese Archuleta would soon become one of the leading string theorists of his age. Dahlia "Sage" Stipes, a gun-wielding Buddhist-in-training from Wichita, is on the lam from a train wreck of a marriage. When she and Reese meet, apparently by chance, they soon suspect that what binds them together - and inflames their passion - may be anything but coincidence. A heady and rollicking adventure of intrigue, Taoism, physics and love -- set against the unruly cultural landscape of New Mexico -- STRING THEORIES careens through a broad sweep of unlikely characters and events toward a final, mind-bending revelation.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
From the Author:
Of my five completed novels, String Theories is my favorite. I also believe it's my best.
I wrote most of it in 1997, in Brattleboro, Vermont, where Iwas fortunate enough to meet several people who were devotees of literature,quantum physics, Buddhism and Taoism, and any number of "New Age"prisms through which to view the world in a different way. A small independentbookstore was a one-minute walk from my apartment where some of us would gatherto discuss David Bohm's take on physics and the general absurdity of quantumtheory, and there was a fine local pub just down the street on the corner tocontinue these conversations. It was a brief but fertile time of connection, friendship,and incubation of new ideas.
The finished novel quickly found representation with anexcellent and enthusiastic agent in New York, who has since become one of the bestin the business. But she couldn't find a buyer, and in time I opted to take itoff the market to do more work on it. Other things intervened, and so it lay dormantfor nearly twenty years.
---------------------
First and foremost, StringTheories is a love story. Two people with damaged pasts and deep questionsabout their own identity come together, ostensibly by chance, only to learnthat something obscure but powerful closely binds them, beguiles them, propels theirpassion. Their shared journey of discovery is what drives the story toward its finale,with more than just a few metaphysical bumps in the road. He (Reese Archuleta)is a quantum physicist resistant to anything not explainable by science; she(Sage Stipes) is an ardent student of Taoism, ancient texts, and esoterica -- oneseeking a better understanding of paranormal events in her life. And so scienceand spirituality collide, shooting off sparks, enlarging each other.
Part of the story is about the effect and inspiration oflandscape, dominated by the far western reaches of the Great Plains, insouthwest Kansas and the Oklahoma panhandle, with their supreme flatness, and thevast views of the mountains and mesas and plains of northern New Mexico. I'velogged thousands of miles in this region, and, like others, have come to see itas much more than geography. The impact of landscape is integral to the mindsand souls of the people who live there.
Real people I've known have found their way into some of thecharacterizations in the novel, breathed some life into them, given them themusic of their language and voices - especially the book's Hispanic characters.Most of the locations are real, or were when I lived there: Fred's Restaurant(Fred Muller is still in Taos, with his new restaurant, El Meze), the OldSantistevan Lounge (based on the Old Martinez Hall in Ranchos de Taos, where I sometimesshot pool), Eusebio Rodarte's house in Ranchitos, the rocks at Tres Piedras -sacred to the Anasazi, the labs at Los Alamos, nearly everything else. Onemajor exception: The American Junk Barn on Route 54 in southwest Kansas doesn'texist. Shame. It should.
Several years of heavy immersion into dozens of books onphysics and string theory inform the novel's science foundation, albeit from a1997 perspective. I highly recommend two books in particular that were bothinspiring and instructional, and easily accessible to the lay reader:
Firein the Mind: Science, Faith, and the Search for Order, by New York Time's science writer GeorgeJohnson, offers excellent access to the fundamentals of quantum theory, butmore broadly is an ode to the mystery and mysticism of New Mexico (whereJohnson lives), with explorations into physics, complexity theory, and thetransformative passions of ancient and modern religion. One comes tounderstand: New Mexico is "ground zero" for the most radical edges ofscience, thought, and faith.
Physicist Brian Greene's 2010 book,The Elegant Universe: Superstrings,Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory, is the bestoverall introduction to string theory I know of. It's a bit brainy at times,but a very good and stimulating read.
There's much more I could say about String Theories, but it would spoil the fun. I hope you enjoy it.
From the Inside Flap:
I wrote most of it in 1997, in Brattleboro, Vermont, where Iwas fortunate enough to meet several people who were devotees of literature,quantum physics, Buddhism and Taoism, and any number of "New Age"prisms through which to view the world in a different way. A small independentbookstore was a one-minute walk from my apartment where some of us would gatherto discuss David Bohm's take on physics and the general absurdity of quantumtheory, and there was a fine local pub just down the street on the corner tocontinue these conversations. It was a brief but fertile time of connection, friendship,and incubation of new ideas.
The finished novel quickly found representation with anexcellent and enthusiastic agent in New York, who has since become one of the bestin the business. But she couldn't find a buyer, and in time I opted to take itoff the market to do more work on it. Other things intervened, and so it lay dormantfor nearly twenty years.
---------------------
First and foremost, StringTheories is a love story. Two people with damaged pasts and deep questionsabout their own identity come together, ostensibly by chance, only to learnthat something obscure but powerful closely binds them, beguiles them, propels theirpassion. Their shared journey of discovery is what drives the story toward its finale,with more than just a few metaphysical bumps in the road. He (Reese Archuleta)is a quantum physicist resistant to anything not explainable by science; she(Sage Stipes) is an ardent student of Taoism, ancient texts, and esoterica -- oneseeking a better understanding of paranormal events in her life. And so scienceand spirituality collide, shooting off sparks, enlarging each other.
Part of the story is about the effect and inspiration oflandscape, dominated by the far western reaches of the Great Plains, insouthwest Kansas and the Oklahoma panhandle, with their supreme flatness, and thevast views of the mountains and mesas and plains of northern New Mexico. I'velogged thousands of miles in this region, and, like others, have come to see itas much more than geography. The impact of landscape is integral to the mindsand souls of the people who live there.
Real people I've known have found their way into some of thecharacterizations in the novel, breathed some life into them, given them themusic of their language and voices - especially the book's Hispanic characters.Most of the locations are real, or were when I lived there: Fred's Restaurant(Fred Muller is still in Taos, with his new restaurant, El Meze), the OldSantistevan Lounge (based on the Old Martinez Hall in Ranchos de Taos, where I sometimesshot pool), Eusebio Rodarte's house in Ranchitos, the rocks at Tres Piedras -sacred to the Anasazi, the labs at Los Alamos, nearly everything else. Onemajor exception: The American Junk Barn on Route 54 in southwest Kansas doesn'texist. Shame. It should.
Several years of heavy immersion into dozens of books onphysics and string theory inform the novel's science foundation, albeit from a1997 perspective. I highly recommend two books in particular that were bothinspiring and instructional, and easily accessible to the lay reader:
Firein the Mind: Science, Faith, and the Search for Order, by New York Time's science writer GeorgeJohnson, offers excellent access to the fundamentals of quantum theory, butmore broadly is an ode to the mystery and mysticism of New Mexico (whereJohnson lives), with explorations into physics, complexity theory, and thetransformative passions of ancient and modern religion. One comes tounderstand: New Mexico is "ground zero" for the most radical edges ofscience, thought, and faith.
Physicist Brian Greene's 2010 book,The Elegant Universe: Superstrings,Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory, is the bestoverall introduction to string theory I know of. It's a bit brainy at times,but a very good and stimulating read.
There's much more I could say about String Theories, but it would spoil the fun. I hope you enjoy it.
FOREWORD
Physics has changed since this book was written in 1998.Existence of the Higgs boson, described in these pages as purely theoretical,has been proven by experiment at CERN. Likewise, just recently, gravity waves -which appear inside as gravitons. String theory itself has progressed throughever more complex mathematics and computations to become a strong candidate forthe ultimate Theory of Everything. But the book strives to be faithful to our understandingof physics some 18 years ago -- however inappropriate the word"understanding" may be in any discussion of quantum theory.
New Mexico, too, has changed, but not enough to diminish itsreputation for science and strangeness, bewildering beauty and endlesseccentricity. Several characters in this novel are inspired by people I waslucky enough to encounter during my seven years of living in and around Taos.Others are complete inventions.
Thanks to New Mexico and its people for being such aninspiration. I knew, in time, they'd end up in print.
March 2016
So. Thomaston, Maine
Physics has changed since this book was written in 1998.Existence of the Higgs boson, described in these pages as purely theoretical,has been proven by experiment at CERN. Likewise, just recently, gravity waves -which appear inside as gravitons. String theory itself has progressed throughever more complex mathematics and computations to become a strong candidate forthe ultimate Theory of Everything. But the book strives to be faithful to our understandingof physics some 18 years ago -- however inappropriate the word"understanding" may be in any discussion of quantum theory.
New Mexico, too, has changed, but not enough to diminish itsreputation for science and strangeness, bewildering beauty and endlesseccentricity. Several characters in this novel are inspired by people I waslucky enough to encounter during my seven years of living in and around Taos.Others are complete inventions.
Thanks to New Mexico and its people for being such aninspiration. I knew, in time, they'd end up in print.
March 2016
So. Thomaston, Maine
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherCreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
- Publication date2016
- ISBN 10 1530138159
- ISBN 13 9781530138159
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages374
Buy New
Learn more about this copy
US$ 33.66
Shipping:
US$ 3.99
Within U.S.A.
Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace
Stock Image
String Theories
Published by
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
(2016)
ISBN 10: 1530138159
ISBN 13: 9781530138159
New
Softcover
Quantity: > 20
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # ABLING22Oct2018170181276
Buy New
US$ 33.66
Convert currency
Stock Image
String Theories
Published by
Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
(2016)
ISBN 10: 1530138159
ISBN 13: 9781530138159
New
Paperback / softback
Quantity: > 20
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. This item is printed on demand. New copy - Usually dispatched within 5-9 working days. Seller Inventory # C9781530138159
Buy New
US$ 26.27
Convert currency