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Mr g: A Novel About the Creation (Vintage Contemporaries) Kindle Edition
Once before time existed, Mr g woke up from a nap and decided to create the universe. In the shimmering Void, where he lives with his Aunt Penelope and Uncle Deva, he creates time, space, and matter. Soon follow stars, planets, animate matter, consciousness,and intelligent beings with moral dilemmas. But the creation of space and time has unintended consequences, including the arrival of Belhor, a clever and devious rival. Belhor delights in needling Mr g, demanding explanations for the inexplicable, offering his own opinions on the fledgling universes, and maintaining the necessity of evil. As Mr g’s favorite universe grows, he discovers how an act of creation can change everything in the world—including the creator himself.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherVintage
- Publication dateJanuary 24, 2012
- File size2.2 MB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"It would not seem possible for Alan Lightman to match his earlier tour de force, Einstein's Dreams, but in Mr g he has done so—with wit, imagination, and transcendent beauty." –Anita Desai
From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Time
As I remember, I had just woken up from a nap when I decided to create the universe.
Not much was happening at that time. As a matter of fact, time didn’t exist. Nor space. When you looked out into the Void, you were really looking at nothing more than your own thought. And if you tried to picture wind or stars or water, you could not give form or texture to your notions.
Those things did not exist. Smooth, rough, waxy, sharp, prickly, brittle—even qualities such as these lacked meaning. Practically everything slept in an infinite torpor of potentiality. I knew that I could make whatever I wanted. But that was the problem. Unlimited possibilities bring unlimited indecision. When I thought about this particular creation or that, uncertain about how each thing would turn out, I grew anxious and went back to sleep. But at a particular moment, I managed . . . if not exactly to sweep aside my doubts, at least to take a chance.
Almost immediately, it seemed, my aunt Penelope asked me why I would want to do such a thing. Wasn’t I comfortable with the emptiness just as it was? Yes, yes, I said, of course, but . . . You could mess things up, said my aunt. Leave Him alone, said Uncle Deva. Uncle toddled over and stood beside me in his dear way. Please don’t tell me what to do, retorted my aunt. Then she turned and stared hard at me. Her hair, uncombed and knotted as usual, drooped down to her bulky shoulders. Well? she said, and waited. I never liked it when Aunt Penelope glowered at me. I think I’m going to do it, I finally said. It was the first decision I’d made in eons of unmeasured existence, and it felt good to have decided something. Or rather, to have decided that something had to be done, that a change was in the offing. I had chosen to replace nothingness with something. Something is not nothing. Something could be anything. My imagination reeled. From now on, there would be a future, a present, and a past. A past of nothingness, and then a future of something.
In fact, I had just created time. But unintentionally. It was just that my resolution to act, to make things, to put an end to the unceasing absence of happenings, required time. By deciding to create something, I had pressed an arrow into the shape- less and unending Void, an arrow that pointed in the direction of the future. Henceforth, there would be a before and an after, a continuing stream of successive events, a movement away from the past and towards the future—in other words, a journey through time. Time necessarily came before light and dark, matter and energy, even space. Time was my first creation.
Sometimes, the absence of a thing is not noticed until it is present. With the invention of time, events that had once merged together in one amorphous clot began to take shape. Each event could now be enveloped by a slipcover of time, separating it from all other events. Every motion or thought or the slightest happenstance could be ordered and placed exactly in time. For example, I realized that I had been sleeping for a very long time. And near me—but I couldn’t say how near, because I had not yet created space—Aunt Penelope and Uncle Deva had also been sleeping, their loud snores rising and falling like something or other, their tossings and turnings unfolding in time. And their interminable bickering could now be identified with moments of wakefulness, which in turn could be understood as taking place between periods of sleep. I refused to think how much time I had wasted. In fact, we had all slept in a kind of pleasant amnesia, a swoon, an infinite senselessness. In various ways, had we not luxuriated in the unstructured Void, unaccountable for our actions? Yes, unaccountable. Because without time, there could be no reactions to actions, no consequences. Without time, decisions need not be considered for their implications and effects. We had all been drifting in a comfortable Void without responsibilities.
See, my aunt complained when it became apparent that we were now conscious of time. I told you that you would mess things up. She shot Uncle a look of disapproval, as if he had encouraged me to act as I had, and then she began an unhappy summary of the various things that she had done and not done during the immediate past, then during the past before that, and so on, back and back through the now visible chasms of time, until Uncle begged her to stop. You should never have created the past and the future, she said. We were happy here. See, now I must say were, when before . . . Oh! There it is again. It was nicer when everything happened at once. I can’t stand to think about the future. But don’t you think that we have some responsibility to the future? I suggested. To all the things and beings I might create? Non- sense, shrieked Aunt Penelope. What a foolish argument. You have no responsibility to things that don’t yet exist and won’t ever exist if you could just keep your big thoughts to yourself. But it’s too late now, she went on. I can feel time. I can feel the future. She had gotten herself into one of her states, and the Void twisted and throbbed with her displeasure.
Gently, Uncle caressed her. For the first time ever, she responded to his touch. Her ranting diminished. Soon after, she realized that her hair needed combing, and that was the beginning of something and probably all for the best.
Product details
- ASIN : B004YWKKDC
- Publisher : Vintage
- Accessibility : Learn more
- Publication date : January 24, 2012
- Language : English
- File size : 2.2 MB
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 225 pages
- ISBN-13 : 978-0307907042
- Page Flip : Enabled
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,045,777 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #423 in Cosmology (Books)
- #1,115 in Metaphysical & Visionary Fiction (Books)
- #2,155 in Psychological Literary Fiction
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Alan Lightman is an American writer, physicist, and social entrepreneur. Born in 1948, he was educated at Princeton and at the California Institute of Technology, where he received a PhD in theoretical physics. He has received five honorary doctoral degrees. Lightman has served on the faculties of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and was the first person at MIT to receive dual faculty appointments in science and in the humanities. He is currently professor of the practice of the humanities at MIT. His scientific research in astrophysics has concerned black holes, relativity theory, radiative processes, and the dynamics of systems of stars. His essays and articles have appeared in the Atlantic, Granta, Harper’s, the New Yorker, the New York Review of Books, Salon, and many other publications. His essays are often chosen by the New York Times as among the best essays of the year. He is the author of 6 novels, several collections of essays, a memoir, and a book-length narrative poem, as well as several books on science. His novel Einstein’s Dreams was an international bestseller and has been the basis for dozens of independent theatrical and musical adaptations around the world. His novel The Diagnosis was a finalist for the National Book Award. His most recent books are The Accidental Universe, which was chosen by Brain Pickings as one of the 10 best books of 2014, his memoir Screening Room, which was chosen by the Washington Post as one of the best books of the year for 2016, and Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine (2018), and extended meditation on science and religion. Lightman is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also the founder of the Harpswell Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is “to advance a new generation of women leaders in Southeast Asia.”
Photo by Alan Lightman (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.
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Customers find the book thought-provoking, with one review highlighting its profound reflections on existence. Moreover, the writing style is elegant and whimsical, and customers describe it as a delightful read. The storytelling style features a fanciful tale of creation, with one customer noting how it blends science into the narrative.
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Customers find the book thought-provoking, appreciating its interesting perspective and engaging take on creation. One customer describes it as a profound meditation on existence, while another notes its poetic appreciation for science.
"...Lightman’s narrative blends science, philosophy, and theology in a way that is both whimsical and deeply profound...." Read more
"...The book itself was pretty good. Interesting perspective; maybe not worked out the best it could have been." Read more
"An interesting and light-hearted story about the creation of our universe written by a physicist and based on current theories of its existence...." Read more
"...It's a clever enough conceit, and Mr. Lightman does pull some interesting things out of it...." Read more
Customers find the book delightful and enjoyable to read, describing it as a masterpiece.
"...This book is not a heavyweight, but rather a delightful and fanciful tale of the creation and evolution of humans, with more than a touch of wry..." Read more
"...Great book. Loved it." Read more
"...This was an enjoyable read; a pleasant way for the layperson to understand our evolution from nothing to something." Read more
"...The book itself was pretty good. Interesting perspective; maybe not worked out the best it could have been." Read more
Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as elegant, whimsical, and well-imagined.
"...blends science, philosophy, and theology in a way that is both whimsical and deeply profound...." Read more
"...tale of the creation and evolution of humans, with more than a touch of wry humor to make the story enjoyable." Read more
"...creation, such as the accidental independence of Belhor and Co. is clever enough...." Read more
"I found Mr. g to be so entertaining and so funny in spots, and so reverently irreverent...." Read more
Customers enjoy the storytelling style of the book, particularly its fanciful tale of creation, with one customer noting how it blends science with narrative.
"...Lightman’s narrative blends science, philosophy, and theology in a way that is both whimsical and deeply profound...." Read more
""Mr. g" is an interesting fictional tale that involves a god figure that creates the universe...." Read more
"An interesting and light-hearted story about the creation of our universe written by a physicist and based on current theories of its existence...." Read more
"...in physics and spiritual longing, Mr g posits a fantastical story of creation and life that sweeps the reader into considering both in an..." Read more
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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2024Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseAlan Lightman’s Mr. g: A Novel About the Creation is a thought-provoking and imaginative exploration of the origin of the universe, told from the unique perspective of Mr. g—a being who, out of curiosity, decides to create time, space, and all that inhabits them. Lightman’s narrative blends science, philosophy, and theology in a way that is both whimsical and deeply profound.
What sets Mr. g apart from other creation stories is Lightman’s ability to seamlessly merge scientific concepts with poetic and philosophical reflections. Mr. g is a creator who is not omnipotent or all-knowing, but rather a curious, almost human-like figure navigating the consequences of his creation. The novel doesn’t delve into complex equations or overwhelming scientific jargon, but it conveys the beauty of the physical laws and the randomness that shapes the universe. Lightman uses his background as both a physicist and a writer to explore themes of time, entropy, free will, and the moral dimensions of creation.
One of the most captivating aspects of the novel is the relationship between Mr. g and his aunt and uncle, who provide comic relief but also represent deeper philosophical ideas about existence, morality, and the nature of power. The antagonist, Belhor, introduces tension as he challenges Mr. g’s creation, raising questions about suffering, imperfection, and the inherent nature of the cosmos.
Lightman’s prose is elegant, with a sense of lightness that complements the weighty themes. The book is not a traditional novel with a plot-heavy narrative, but rather a meditative exploration of creation, existence, and the role of the creator. This may not appeal to every reader, especially those seeking action or dramatic tension, but for those intrigued by the intersections of science, philosophy, and storytelling, Mr. g is a rewarding read.
In summary, Mr. g is a unique and philosophical novel that offers a fresh take on creation mythology. It combines a poetic appreciation for science with profound reflections on existence, making it a book for those who enjoy pondering the universe’s mysteries.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2024Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase"Mr. g" is an interesting fictional tale that involves a god figure that creates the universe. In the background are the creator's aunt and uncle who are constantly engaged in galactic squabbles. The aunt pretty much runs the show with Mr. g attempting to unsuccessfully referee the domestic arguments between his aunt and uncle. Lightman is artful in this almost sci-fi tale of the creation of the universe, never resisting the opportunity of showing off his physics chops. This book is not a heavyweight, but rather a delightful and fanciful tale of the creation and evolution of humans, with more than a touch of wry humor to make the story enjoyable.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2012Alan Lightman presents his version of the creation tale and works with you to unfold it like a cat's cradle in his book "Mr g". The central character of this alluring little book wakes after a long rest in the Void and simply decides to make things. He is accompanied by his rumpled Aunt Penelope, who from the start warns him to leave well enough alone and his sympathetic Uncle Deva who is his main (and only) supporter.
Lightman offers enough math and science for the reader to understand how "Mr g" accomplishes his goals but never so much that you give up in frustration. If you're able to watch a PBS Nova episode you will be able to appreciate this book. We see the "invention" of time, space and music all pop into existence. We follow as a multiplicity of universes are set into motion and filled with "gyrating cosmoses thrashing with energy." We also see that some of the basic laws used to control these objects don't necessarily work at first but in subsequent versions "Mr g" sees his creations as "Good" and he likes them.
Mr. g decides to allocate most of his energies on one universe he has named Aalam-104729 - our own. As the newly developed Time passes, "Energy begat matter which begat energy which begat matter. It was a spectacle to behold." Live evolves, sometimes intelligent life, and "Mr g" is faced with the problematic concepts of evil and suffering.
The derisive Belhor is the other character in this book and is the obvious representation of "you know who". He taunts "Mr g" with logic and perceived reason but it's obvious his real goal is to stir the pot and cause a little chaos. I find it interesting that in this book the dialogue between "Mr g" and Belhor is punctuated with the normal quotation marks but between "Mr g" and his Aunt and Uncle they are missing. There must be a level of deep meaning here but I won't even attempt to struggle with that one or go into it.
Lightman is a theoretical physicist and the story has sound basis for his interpretation of the construct of our universe. He presents these abstract notions in a way that laymen can visualize - almost hear and touch. After his novel "Einstein's Dreams", which has had a cult following since its publication in 1992, many people may have preconceived notions of what this book will offer. I can only say that if you love imaginative tales and are secure enough in your religious fundamentals to accept science as part of our basic inception this is the book for you. If you are open to a bit (actually quite a lot) of anthropomorphizing the creator - you will be delighted with this tale that answers the age old question: "where did we come from daddy?"
- Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2013Format: KindleVerified PurchaseAn interesting and light-hearted story about the creation of our universe written by a physicist and based on current theories of its existence. It begins with Mr. g waking up from a nap in the void and deciding that he wanted to create something. He implements some very basic guidelines and there suddenly appear millions of universes floating around in the void. After sometime, he decides to experiment with one, snags it, does his thing, then ‘stands’ back and watches it develop its galaxies, stars, planets, plus some unusual activity on some of the planets, which over time, develop into thinking creatures. All of the galaxies expire and are re-created into new galaxies numerous times before Belhor arrives, who was inadvertently created within Mr. g’s guidelines. Philosophical conversations with Belhor acknowledge this life and these creatures; nothing heavy, just thought provoking. The story ends with; well, something to think about but nothing heavy.
The story is based on theory, does not discount other ideas or religious beliefs and would be interesting to read by all but the ultra-conservative.
Top reviews from other countries
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Nicolas LardenoisReviewed in France on August 17, 2013
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent !!
C'est un excellent livre, avec de très bonnes références scientifiques et beaucoup de réflexion et d'humour.
Il se lit assez facilement en langue anglaise et je le recommande sans hésitation.
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Fiver111Reviewed in Germany on October 24, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Toll geschrieben!
Vorab: Man muss sich darauf einlassen. Ebenso wie auf Filme wie beispielsweise "Life of Pi". Lässt man sich darauf ein, wird man verzaubert. Lässt man sich nicht darauf ein, wird man nicht sehen, nicht zwischen den Zeilen lesen können, nicht verstehen. Dieses Buch gehört in dieselbe Kategorie. Ich habe es bereits zum dritten Mal gelesen und ich bin mir sicher in ein paar Jahren folgt Nummer vier. Ich mag es sehr. Und ich mag es, wie der Autor Wissenschaft mit Glauben verbunden hat. Und das sage ich, die ich nicht an Gott glaube. Aber diese Darstellung wie alles entstanden ist könnte ich glauben. ;-)
- EJSReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 24, 2012
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb! Well-written, thought-provoking, humorous, whimsical, even enlightening
A highly original, entertaining and enlightening book. A biography of a (non-religion-specific) godlike figure as he creates the universe and lets it grow. The devil-like character is particularly compellingly drawn, and is a wonderfully subtle evocation of evil (and a nice take on traditional explanations for how evil could co-exist with a god who is both caring and all-powerful). Lots of surprisingly beautiful, almost poetical, writing. Quite a few references to physics (as befits the author's primary profession), but not so much or so complicated that it would scare off a non-scientific reader who is otherwise interested in philosophy etc. Well worth a read.
- Christine BorsukReviewed in Canada on December 3, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Perspective
Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseThoroughly enjoyable. (Though in my opinion the book is done something of a disservice by being subtitled "A Novel About the Creation". It doesn't read like a novel, but rather as a fable / > L <i>fabula</i>: story, tale; play /: so, "Mr g: A Fable". )
Respectful of mystery---both macrocosmic (astronomical / cosmic) and microcosmic (human soul); the page describing the music is simply...'divine', in itself worth the cost of the book.
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chsbaReviewed in Germany on June 7, 2016
4.0 out of 5 stars Schöpfung naturwissenschaftlich
Mr. G ist allwissend - oder besser gesagt, allwahrnehmend, und lebt mit Tante und Onkel im großen Nichts. Aus großer Langeweile heraus schafft er Universen und fängt an zu experimentieren. Und auf einmal gibt es im großen Nichts erst Zeit, dann Entfernung, und unerwarteterweise neue Bewohner. Als dann zufällig ein Universum herausgegriffen wird, dem ein paar quantenbezogene Grundprinzipien gegeben werden, beginnt sich im ausgewählten Universum etwas zu entwickeln.
Alan Lightman schafft es in seiner Geschichte, eine Brücke zwischen der biblischen Schöpfungsgeschichte und den naturwissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen zur Entwicklung des Universums und des Lebens zu schlagen. Dabei geht Lightmann teilweise sehr ins Detail, an anderen Stellen muss er dann natürlich auch in größeren Schritten seinen Geschichte entwickeln.
Mir hat die Idee hinter der Geschichte gut gefallen, auch die sich entwickelnden Dialoge in Bezug auf Schöpfung und das gut/böse-Problem hatten ihren Reiz. Andererseits ist es auch kein Text, der einen beim Lesen so richtig mitreißt, dazu passierte mir außerhalb des Universums zu wenig (und mir ist bis zum Ende nicht klar geworden, warum das große Nichts nun ausgerechnet neben Mr. G. von dessen Onkel und Tante bewohnt wurde Freiheit des Autors).
Um Gefallen an diesem Text zu finden, sollte man meiner Meinung nach schon Interesse an eher philosophischen Fragestellungen und Interesse an Naturwissenschaften haben.