The Seven Circles

A story harmonizing science, philosophy and religion and using the science fiction genre as a vehicle, The Seven Circles is the account of a 20th century man who is cryonically frozen and is awoken in the 500th century when spiritual reality has been proven to be a fact. This future world is the Era of Light and Life, a time when mankind has evolved to a higher state. William Drake, the protagonist from the 20th century, finds that his entire view of existence has been turned upside down. Spiritual reality being accepted as fact by all, he comes to realize that his values are completely irrelevant and that his competitive attitude gained through living in the 20th century dog-eat-dog environment is a barbaric anachronism. That being the case, he is surprised to find that his company is desired by many just because his savage qualities are rare and gives the people the opportunity to "turn the other cheek" when faced with his behavior and gain spiritual growth from the experience. The downside is that he is not allowed complete freedom until he has progressed in his own self-mastery through the conquest of the "Seven Circles" of spiritual, intellectual and material attainment - a daunting challenge for anyone, much less an atheist.