The Passage
A sudden climatic change brings about a furious onslaught of ice, which, within a matter of few days, covers most of the planet, wiping out every aspect of civilization. The survivors call this the Cold as they flee for their lives, forgetting whatever came to pass.
A writer recounts his adventures in the Cold. His hopeless mission: to recover the traces of an eccentric millionaire-cum-scientist, a certain Norman Feynman, the only person who foretold the Cold and may hold the knowledge of reversing it.
“This is the first written work of the new era of humanity”, claims the fictional writer. Torn within and loveless, he wanders in a shapeless world covered in ice, his quest weaving together the myths of Orpheus and the Argonauts, bequeathing their deconstruct memories to generations to come.
Until he arrives at the Crossing, at the end of the iced super-continent that the world has become. Next to what used to be the archeological site of an ancient theatre he witnesses the spectacle of Circus Exelsior, a magnificent troupe made up of people and non-people. Amonsgt them the narrator discovers the lover of Feynman, a woman named Innocenta.
Together with her and the artists of the Circus he will ride the Phantom, an ice-boat made up of ideas from another novel; Wolf is the captain and during the passage of the Phantom, they will live the most amazing adventures. Until they will finally reach Chthonia, the Underworld, where the remnants of the human civilization have found a refuge.
A major power struggle takes place in Chthonia. The Whites are fighting the Reds, for what seems like a desperate and hopeless attempt to survive. And yet, beneath his apparent hopelessness lies the biggest hope of all.
The writer will meet Feynman at Chthonia, but it will be a meeting totally unlike he had expected. And yet, whatever Feynman knows or has to say, the course of history must persevere regardless, as new forces of consciousness are set in motion. The end finds the narrator in command of a new mission to bring back the days of warmth. Again, in a new twist of the plot, he has some other things in mind….
Greece: Kastaniotis (2004); Italy: Croccetti (2007)
REVIEWS
If contemporary Greek literature is a tree with many literary roots, and books are its leaves, then “The Passage” by George Zarkadakis has plenty of chlorophyll to contribute to its development and growth.
TA NEA
George Zarkadakis focuses his enquiry upon the dead-ends that haunt contemporary people, writing a particularly interesting and symbolic novel of existential agony.
Kathimerini (included in the list of recommended books for 2005)
The situations that he sets up are convincing and his literary personas are highly effective in their inner world. [Zarkadakis] successfully incorporates in the action many scientific facts without being carried away into recitation of pointless detail and without falling into narcissistic dangers. Furthermore, his novel is read in a single breath!
Eleftherotypia (from its weekly literary review “Vivliothiki”)
Zarkadakis chooses the road of fiction to arrive at a rather beautiful ending. Thus he departs from the narrow limits of logic, guiding his story into a purely literary sphere, of myth and tale. It is novel set apart from the rest, with its very own and individualistic charm.
Avgi
A fascinating ecological thriller that rings the bells of imminent danger for the looming catastrophe of our planet, if humans decide to arrogantly pursue even further their hurt of mother nature, disregarding her eventual revenge…
Peloponissos
With cutting-edge imagination, deep ecological sensitivity, surreal overtones, as well as a critical and revolutionary eye on our self-destructive civilization, George Zarkadakis creates a literary universe able to carries us away unto the bottom of the ultimate nightmare, thankfully leaving a window open to dreams and escape…
7 Days TV
A well-written and fascinating novel, for those readers who care about the future of our planet while they enjoy reading action-packed and suspense-filled stories. A suspense that goes over its zenith, caused by the ever-looming threat that everything is about to end…
Eleftheri Ora