The Reason We’re Waiting

Pat Clor
Xlibris (2010)
ISBN 9781450062466
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (09/10)

 

Upon finishing reading the 792 pages of “The Reason We’re Waiting,” I did a self-assessment to see how the book affected me. My first thought was that I felt like I had a just run a marathon.  My next thought was that since I can’t run, I would never have been able to finish it.  So that was a bad comparison. I knew that what I was feeling reminded me of something, but at first, I couldn’t quite place it.  Then it came to me, I felt like this as a young adult when I got off of the Space Mountain Rollercoaster ride at Disneyland.  That is definitely what I was feeling.

 “The Reason We’re Waiting” by Pat Clor combines a science fiction story with philosophical lessons.  The science fiction aspects of the story involve using technology that is incredibly advanced.  This technology also results in creating extremely bright and colorful special effects. The vividness of the descriptions and the emotional rollercoaster that the story took me on, reminded me of Space Mountain.  When I road that ride, I remembered being both awed by the special effects and overcome by the intensity of the experience. That is how I sum up “The Reason We’re Waiting.”

Most of the story takes place in Pangaea, which is now a country within the United States, near Illinois.  It was established by an unbelievably wealthy man who created a home there for his daughter to live in after she is horribly assaulted by a man.  The daughter and the man who assaults her both have huge roles in this story.  At the time of the attack, she was a young woman who had lost her loving mother as a child, and was being raised by her emotionally inadequate father. Her name was Cindy Stark.  In rebellion, she changes her name to Aris Desiderita.

Exceptionally intelligent and curious, Aris would put herself in dangerous situations, for the sheer purpose of exploring her philosophical ideas in discussions with less than desirable characters.  One of these characters changes her life forever.  Unfortunately, Aris is not the only person whose life has been changed by him, he has also abused others to help mold a future that he envisions.

To avoid arrest, this man hides his identity by using another name.  Seeing a brighter future for himself then he deserves, he moves away and pens a text called, “The Science of God.”  This book is written under the name, Satica Azmodious.  With the intent of uniting all of the world’s religions with the socialist ideas in this book, Satica intends on the world viewing him as the next Messiah. 

The independently thinking, capitalists who reside in Pangaea do not share the views of Satica. They plan on using their technology to prove him wrong to the whole world.  This results in some very complex planning and the use of incredible technology.  With both groups of people working against each other, and the involvement of a few others who still have to decide where they stand, time seems to speed up, as both sides race to defeat each other.

“The Reason We’re Waiting” contains a great deal of deep philosophical discussions and irreverent humor.  By the author combing these two, it makes for a fun, quirky story full of eccentric characters.  I have to admit, I had the strangest dreams while reading this story.  Both Pat Clor’s ideas and my dreams led to a great deal of deep thinking about my own philosophical ideas. Being provided with the means to do exploration, through a fictional novel, was an unexpected gift because I got to read a great story, and also deepen my understanding of myself.  Oh yeah, and holding an 800 page book also helped strengthen my biceps.  I definitely recommend reading this book, especially to people who enjoy depth in their stories.

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