Light on the Sound

1982 Sucharitkul, Somtow [Papinian] (b. 1952). Light on the Sound. New York: Timescape. Rev. as The Dawning Shadow: The Light On the Sound. New York: Bantam Books, 1986. Part previously published as “The Thirteenth Utopia.” Analog Science Fiction--Science Fact [99].4 (April 1979): 144-60, 162-64; which was rpt. in The Annual World’s Best SF 1980. Ed. Donald A. Wollheim (New York: DAW Books, 1980), 20-42; and in his Fire from the Wine Dark Sea (Norfolk, VA: Donning, 1983), 17-38; and “Light on the Sound.” Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine 4.8 (August 1980): 84-169. Described as the first volume of a trilogy, the series was later extended to four volumes. MoU-St, PSt

Religious dystopia that destroys all utopias because of its belief that due to the Fall all utopias are necessarily false. But after the destruction of the twelfth utopia, a thirteenth is discovered that causes those assigned to destroy it to try to save it. The book discusses the nature of utopia. First volume in a series; see also 1983, 1984 and 1985 Sucharitkul. The author was born in Thailand and currently lives both there and in the U.S.