The Book of Skulls

Silverberg is a new author to me, I am reading the Book of Skulls for the first time as part of a chronological assault on the SF Master works series.

The story is told from the POV of its four protagonists.  Each member of the quartet stands on the extremes of a set of characteristic axis, they are not like each other, but they do complement each other.  Other reviewers have commented that non of the characters are like able. They are not intended to be likable, simply human and realistic.

Eli: Weak, Intellectually Proud, Frugal, Sexually Disfunctional Hetero
Timothy: Strong, , Rich, , Sexually Assertiv Hetero
Ned: Weak, Romantic, Assertive Homo
Oliver: Strong, Intellectually Determined, Sexually Comfortable Hetero

The rhythm of the book is very strong.  Over forty relatively short chapters in total, the story is told from the perspective of each member in turn.  Usually a chapter is up to ten pages (on my e-reader), with every so often (somewhere around every sixth) a chapter double the length appears to provide some more detail about the narrative or a specific characteristic of a character.

The first half of the book introduces us to the characters, and takes us on typical road trip across America.  We learn a lot about our leads, from Timothy's inherited wealth, Oliver's driven determination to cheat death to Ned's private fantasies about Oliver and Eli's sexual dysfunction.  The roommates are undertaking their road trip to track down a cult who hold the promise of eternal life.  Four must present themselves to the cult as a receptacle.  All well and good, but in order for two to live, two must die.

When we arrive at the cult, our chacters are seperated and we are shown the daily lives of the members, and they're life extending with work, meditation, diet and yoga.  In 2012, much of this now feels relatively modern fare, we are old repeatedly that good diet, exercise and some form of spiritual nourishment we can live to a ripe old age.  The cuilists understand that life must come with vigour, for what use is eternal life if you are too weak to use it?  The diet feels much like the paleolithic diet, the gmnastics are a combination of Yoga and Pilates and meditation feels buddhist.  The daily routine is strenuous, and the friends are permitted little, if any time, to communicate to each other.  The grand gesture of the routine appears to be formative.  Eternity is a long time, and filling that time requires patience and routine.  This routine also has the effect of eroding away at the Id, preparing the initiates for life among the collective.

The final part of the ritual is confession.  Each member must confess their deepest guilt to another member, who just then hold it secret.  The effect is of a daisy chain with each member telling their next their guilt.  These guilts are not to be shared, but a final act of betrayal sets the course in motion for the inevitable conclusion.

I spent time attempting to understand where "science fiction", came in to this story.  Yes, there is immortality, but immortality itself does not make a SF yarn.  But the chapters spent with the cult, learning their secrets, are a high form of science which appears as magic.  And magic it remains to us, since while it is presented as a science, and as a successful science, we do not know it's inner most workings.

A worthwhile read.  Not typical science-fiction.  Approach with care.