THE MIRACLE'S CURSE

Inspired by an SF television series, a well-intentioned graduate student invents a wondrous device in this debut novel.

Peter Harris, Vincent’s protagonist, has dreamed of creating a replicator ever since he first saw the device on Star Trek: The Next Generation. The life of Peter, a science nerd, changes when he meets Tracy Simmonds, who needs a physics tutor. They fall in love, and she becomes his rock. A graduate student at Boston College, Peter has finally figured out how to create a replicator. His adviser, Dr. Paul Horton, is so impressed that he contacts old college friend and attorney Ira Zonmann. Ira in turn reaches out to venture capitalist Phil Martinson. After meeting with Peter, Ira and Phil propose setting up a company to manufacture replicators. They decide to build their factory in Costa Rica so they don’t have to deal with the United States government’s resistance. Leading that resistance is President Samuel J. Menéndez, an independent, who bans sales of replicators in the U.S. Peter eventually returns to America and uses a replicator to create a new heart for his father-in-law, Jim. That transplant breaks down the government’s opposition, paving the way for replicators to be sold in the U.S. But Peter’s device doesn’t end up being the societal boon that he envisioned. In his book, Vincent skillfully pokes a big, philosophical hole in one of SF’s most intriguing devices. This engaging volume doesn’t pit good guys against bad guys but instead ideas versus reality. Peter may have been a well-meaning genius, but, in the end, his invention isn’t the gift to society that he hoped it would be. Handing people everything they want removes any incentive for them to strive to improve their lives. This is ironic because Peter had been pushing all his young life to fulfill his dream of creating such a machine. Neither Peter and his collaborators nor naysayers like Menéndez are the villains of this story. They just have different viewpoints about humanity. The replicator isn’t inherently evil; it just gets misused. Vincent’s striking message for readers is to be careful what they wish for.

A chilling, thought-provoking fantasy that questions the value of a miracle machine.