Greg Jackson’s first novel, The Dimensions of a Cave, explores the nature of consciousness through Quentin Jones, a reporter for the Beacon (a stand-in for the Washington Post). He becomes entangled in the rabbit-hole of a government program known as VIRTUE. Initially created to interrogate suspects painlessly using artificial intelligence and virtual reality, it morphed into a complete metaverse in which Jones’ younger colleague, Bruce Willrich, has disappeared. In the end, Jackson lays out a thesis for computer consciousness based on Plato’s Parable of the Cave.
Jackson begins with the unpromising use of the first-person plural point-of-view, as four friends from journalism school hold a reunion on what might be Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Gradually, Quentin’s voice emerges, and he becomes the primary narrator. Transitions between the afternoons and evenings when Quentin unfolds his tale are handled by a return to the first-person plural. Adding to the mix, Bruce takes over when he and Quentin meet in VIRTUE, and Jackson uses Bruce’s voice to refine and speculate on his kaleidoscopic vision.
We are propelled into an alternative present where AI can swallow one’s awareness whole, creating a metaverse in which Quentin (and Bruce) manipulate the seemingly real environment, filled with very familiar people and places from their shared life. Bruce, reflecting on his time caught up in the corruption of the US-Afghan war, takes us on an extended journey through the perennial bestiality of humankind.
As the narrative unfolds, Jackson becomes more interested in his philosophical inquiries than with following the standard arc of a detective novel. While the first half of the book has Quentin following a series of leads and sources ever deeper into an opaque government bureaucracy, the second half explores the nature of perception and reality through the lens of Plato’s Parable. This serves as a conceptual anchor for Jackson’s examination of human and computer consciousness, raising questions about the nature of self-awareness and the ethical implications of technology.
Amidst the techno-dystopian setting, Jackson weaves a nuanced exploration of the nature and value of love. Bruce and Quentin both had a relationship with Jade, a lawyer who appears both their real world, and their shared VR. And, Quentin and Cy are in the midst of a slow-motion break-up while he travels further into the world of VIRTUE. This portrayal of the complexities of human connection in the face of advancing technology adds a welcome emotional depth.
Lyrical descriptions of the natural world punctuate the story, offering moments of respite and reflection, serving as a counter-balance to the political dangers Quentin uncovers. Otherwise, we might be overwhelmed by the stranglehold Jackson fears in both democratic and autocratic states over their economic milieu and the behavior of individuals within them.
This is not an easy book to take in. Jackson’s prose has strong echoes of early Thomas Pynchon. Sentences abound which require re-reading two or three times to cut through the unique syntax. At least once every 10 pages, I had to stop and look up an unfamiliar word; once defined, I felt it was either unnecessary, used poorly, or could have been replaced with minimal loss of understanding. Examples: thewy, lemniscates, sempiternal, rufous, jallissant, antres, penetralium; amazingly, most of these are in my word processor’s spell check. I can only assume that Jackson and his editors were being deliberately obtuse. The esotericism challenges the reader to slow down and examine the layers of meaning hidden within the labyrinth of ideas and observations. The intellectual stimulation is captivating at the expense of artistic coherence.
In a literary landscape dominated by formulaic storytelling, The Dimensions of a Cave engages in unbridled creativity. It is not as complex or clearly written as Pynchon’s Against the Day, and not as expansive as Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake. Jackson may be on the path towards the vistas they revealed, or he may end up in Gonzo storyland following Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.