Beyond the Mist by Ben Zwycky

Am I falling or flying? Powerless or mighty? Imprisoned or free? I have nothing: no possessions, no memories, no reference points or even solid ground to stand on; just falling (or is it flying?) through an endless mist. A voice beside me says this is the last free space in a world of slavery and suffering; another that it’s a self-imposed prison from a world of beauty and adventure. Who should I believe? What is waiting for me out there? I make my choice and begin to discover what lies beyond the mist.

I didn’t know what to expect going into Beyond the Mist by superversive author Ben Zwycky, and to my delight, I’m now certain that there’s no way I could have known what I was in for.

A man finds himself weightless in a rushing mist. He doesn’t know whether he is flying or falling, and he has no memory of anything prior to waking in the fog. Much like the book’s protagonist, the reader is immediately cast into an existential mystery on the first page.

Also like the protagonist, I didn’t know what to make of the character’s initial situation. Was I entering a strange science fiction world so advanced beyond our own as to make the setting itself a puzzle? Had Zwycky crafted a surrealist parable to illustrate the folly of relativism through style and mood? A metaphysical science-fantasy like Philip Jose Farmer’s Riverworld?

Since discovering the truth is among the primary joys of reading Beyond the Mist, I won’t spoil the answer. I will say that the process of discovery is masterfully handled by Zwycky and immensely satisfying.

It’s not a spoiler to point out that Beyond the Mist tackles weighty metaphysical, moral, and ethical questions. Unlike the message fiction that’s overtaken mainstream SF of late, this novel explores its themes through character and conflict; not story-interrupting lectures.

While reading, I couldn’t help picturing Beyond the Mist as a stylish indie video game in the vein of Journey. If Zwycky has the means and inclination to produce a game based on his novel, I’ll be the first in line to play it.

Most importantly of all, Beyond the Mist is fun. It avoids the trap of falling into its own navel that snares so many other cerebral SFF stories. This book remains a compelling adventure novel throughout, with elements of the mystery genre deftly woven in so as to support and advance the main plot.

With Beyond the Mist, Zwycky has made a worthy contribution to the superversive canon that stands poised to succeed the Big Five publishers’ morally, intellectually, and creatively exhausted output. If you’re one of the many former readers driven away from SF by the thought police, or just looking for a fun and engaging work of speculative fiction that won’t insult your intelligence, Beyond the Mist is the perfect introduction to superversive SF.

And since you’re trying the gateway drug, you’ll want to secure a supply of the hard stuff.

@BrianNiemeier