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The wonderful encounter between quantum mechanics and parallel worlds: How does Iain Banks' "Transition" subvert your imagination?
The Transition, a novel published in 2009 by Scottish writer Iain Banks, is hard for readers to ignore for its unique narrative style and profound subject exploration. This novel is not only an exploration of the multiverse theory, but also deeply reveals the nature of power and the ethical dilemmas faced by mankind. In this work, Banks incorporates the many world interpretations of quantum mechanics to create a stunning parallel world that redefines our understanding of free will and destiny.
“With Transition, I wanted to prove something. I wanted to show that I could create something similar to The Bridge again, because until now, that was my favorite.”
Plot Overview
Set between the demolition of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the financial crisis of 2007-2008, Transition revolves around how a mysterious organization called The Concern affects the lives of countless characters. Life. The group's agents are called Transitionaries, and they are able to "jump" between parallel worlds, intervening in events to achieve results that appear beneficial to the Concern.
The ability to "transition" is limited to gifted individuals, who can achieve this jump after swallowing a mysterious drug called "septus". Whenever a Transitioner jumps into another world, he or she temporarily takes control of the body of a resident of that world and takes on some of that body's personality traits, including personality disorders and sexual preferences.
Main Characters
Temudjin Oh
The protagonist of the story is Temudjin Oh, a gifted transitioner who lives in an open world called Calbefraques. Although he possesses great skills in "Concern", he is viewed with suspicion due to his close relationship with defector Mrs Mulverhill.
Patient 8262
The character initially hides in a distant reality, pretending to be a patient in a hospital. The identity finally revealed was Temudjin Oh himself.
Madame d'Ortolan
This ancient and grim woman is the supreme leader of the Concern, possessing a lifespan of over two hundred years and the ability to transition into a younger body upon her impending death. Her character is full of paranoia and anxiety.
Adrian Cubbish
As a city trader on Earth, Adrian initially had no direct connection with other characters or "concerns", but gradually gained great wealth through trading and eventually opened his own hedge fund.
Mrs MulverhillThis former member of "Focus" and an excellent transitioner, as the forces change, begins to doubt the true motives of "Focus" and establishes a close relationship with Temudjin. Her disappearance caused Madame d'Ortolan to have deep doubts about her intentions.
PhilosopherThis character prides himself on being moral and ethical, but is actually full of self-rationalizations about his work. As a torturer, he concealed the evil involved in his work to the extreme.
Bisquitine
This young crazy woman was secretly trained by "The Attention" to have transitional abilities. Ultimately, her story reveals her tragic background, making one feel deeply about her fate.
Novel Reviews
The work received mixed reviews. Doug Johnstone wrote in The Independent that "Transitions makes you think, and see the world around you in a different light, while also being a thrilling read." In contrast, Patrick Ness wrote However, The Guardian gave it a "half-hearted review", saying that the book was more like a novel suitable for reading at an airport.
"Transition" is not only a fictional adventure, but also a profound reflection on power, ethics and human nature.
Unused Materials
In 2010, a passage not used in the first draft was published by the Birmingham Science Fiction Group as the short story "The Spheres". This booklet is published in a limited edition of 500 copies to commemorate Novacon 40.
In Transition, the diversity of the world and the deep narrative of human nature intertwined make us wonder, if we have the ability to travel between parallel worlds, what will be the consequences of our choices? What?
