Bill Myers
Eli (2000)
Author: Bill Myers
Genre: Science Fiction (Alternate History)/Christian
Plot Summary:
After a coma-inducing car accident, Conrad Davis is transported into a parallel world exactly as ours, except that Jesus Christ did not come to earth 2000 years ago. In our own parallel world, Conrad lays comatose in a hospital while his daughter has with the responsibility of deciding whether or not to pull the life-support plug. She struggles with her anger at him for leaving her and her mother as well as with her own faith. But in the parallel world, the Messiah comes in the year 2000 as Eli Shepherd, and after an introduction by Conrad's ex-wife, Suzanne, Conrad has been chosen as one of Eli's disciples. Conrad and the other followers travel the United States with Eli, watching him heal people, raise the dead, and speak to masses about God, his Father. Although Eli continually reassures them, Conrad and the other followers struggle with their faults, their doubts, and their faith. With the best intentions, Conrad entertains the idea of setting up a meeting with Eli and t
wo very strong religious figures and is promised $30,000 for his trouble. When a bomb is detonated in a church that Eli had previously condemned, Eli is the main suspect. SPOILER: At the group's last supper, Conrad fears that he may actually be this parallel world's Judas, until he realizes another member of the group accepted the money and turned Eli in. Prophecies unfold as Eli is lynched, then resurrected. Shortly after Conrad's daughter decides to pull the plug in our own world, Eli makes another regular spiritual visit to his followers in the parallel world, and takes Conrad home with him this time from both worlds.
Geographical Setting: Los Angeles, California, United States
Time Period: present day (2000)
Appeal Characteristics:
In this evangelical novel, Myers utilizes a lot of dialogue to move the story along fairly quickly, and the parallel occurrences between the two worlds come together neatly. There is also a fair amount of action, and because Conrad is transported into a parallel universe where God sends his son to earth in modern day society, there is a challenge in trying to connect the experiences Eli and his followers go through with the experiences known of Jesus from the Bible. All of the characters are flawed, grasping with their faith in God and His Son, although only Conrad and his daughter are fleshed out in any detail. Some are fleshed out just enough to be unbelievable. Instead, Myers relies on the ideas and teachings of the Bible to carry the story. The mood is mainly curious and romantic for Conrad in the parallel world, and more sad and contemplative for his daughter. Although Myers often employs a humorous tone, he also sometimes gets very preachy.
Read-alikes: Myers is a jack of all trades and writes in many different genres. Although quite different from Eli, readers interested in reading another of his books might like to try his apocolyptic Blood of Heaven trilogy. Start with Blood of Heaven, a scientific thriller where experiements are conducted to transfer the DNA from a blood sample of Jesus Christ's found on an ancient artifact into a convicted felon. If you like the relationships that evolve among Conrad and his ex-wife and daughter, you might like to try Forever by Karen Kingsbury, a romance drama in the Firstborn series in which Katie Hart's fiance is injured and lies in a coma. The alternate history is a fascinating concept, and readers who would like to read more might like to try Orson Scott Card's Seventh Son, the first in the Alvin Maker series about the seventh son born to the seventh son in an alternate American Frontier history where the young boy has a special and miraculous gift. If you would like to read other contemporary stories about modern-day biblical figures, you might like Maggie's Story by Dandi Daley Mackall, a modern retelling of a teenage Mary Magdalene set in the 21st century. Finally, if you felt drawn into the societal problems that occur with modern day messiahs, you might enjoy Frank Peretti's The Visitation about a messiah who takes over a small town, healing the sick and performing miracles, although a frustrated minister suspends his belief sensing something is wrong.
Red Flags: The book is somewhat preachy, Christian symbolism is roughly interpreted, has highly flawed characters, and a few instances of violence.
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