Waves (novel)

For the German novel by Eduard von Keyserling see Wellen (novel).

Waves (also known as Waves - The Trilogy) is a three-part novel by Ogan Gurel published in 2009. A 21st century version of Faust, the novel explores good and evil in both individual and global settings focusing around a hypothetical (though reality-based) technology that has both medical and military applications. The protagonist, Tomas Twarok, is a contemplative and idealistic doctor-turned-entrepreneur who strikes a deal with his college friend, Maximilian Iblis, a ruthless hedge fund manager.

The novel is constructed around three interleaved frame-narratives. The Melody, a reality-based sci-fi thriller that goes forward in time. The Harmony, which passes backward in time is a psychological drama (Bildungsroman) focusing primarily around the protagonist. The Rhythm, a scientific dialogue, which takes place over twelve hours in a single day. Music as metaphor plays an important unifying theme throughout the book.

Background

Waves is primarily a work of fiction in which several principal characters (and nations) grapple in competition as well as in parallel over the development and application of a new technology that utilizes terahertz radiation to detect and manipulate the function of individual proteins, specifically their motions (or molecular dynamics). Waves is also a scientific treatise (in the form of literature) that outlines some of the background and implications of this technology which, in turn, CREATES a literary device by which the reader realizes that all that transpires in the plot may not necessarily be fantasy. Tomas Twarok, the protagonist, calls this technology the 'Novum Organum'; the reference to Francis BaCon's work of the same name is not accidental. The Singaporeans (who develop the technology in parallel) call it EastStar.

Plot Summary

The plot is complex. What begins as a deal struck between the two main characters, Tomas Twarok and Maximilian Iblis, spins out of control. Parallel developments occur in Colombia, Singapore, Iran, and Malaysia, all requiring a response by the American President complicated by a concurrent (and deepening) financial crisis.

Major Characters in Waves

Over 100 characters appear in the book. Major characters are listed below as they appear in the Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm sections.

Melody

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Tomas Twarok: A doctor-turned-entrepreneur thwarted in several attempts to bring his technology (Novum Organum) to fruition makes a deal with a college friend of his, Maximilian Iblis, now a leading hedge-fund manager. Contemplative and idealistic he tries to guide the application of his idea towards medical aims but learns that the world has other plans. His character is modeled after Goethe's Faust and Bulgakov's 'Master' in The Master and Margarita. Tomas is American with some mixed Hungarian and Polish ancestry. In terms of the meaning of the name 'Twarok', the Polish folklore character Pan Twardowski presents some similarities to Faust. Twaróg refers to a special type of Central European cheese, also known as Quark cheese which can be used for both sweet and sour applications, reflecting the concept that good and evil are resident within all.
Maximilian Iblis: A Harvard educated German hedge-fund manager, whose initial fortune was earned through dubious circumstances. He is portrayed as being foul-mouthed and ruthless; yet he is also practical and, at times, even warm. Iblīs (Arabic إبليس), is the name of the primary devil (Shaitan or Satan) in Islam.
Abdul: One of Maximilian Iblis' bodyguards. He is modeled on the character of Billy Budd in Hermann Melville's novel of the same name. Though he is killed in Chapter 1, his influence persists throughout the story.
Nina: Tomas's wife. Her character is akin to 'Gretchen' in Faust and 'Margarita' in Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita. She is both philosophical and practical; supportive of Tomas's dreams, she also guides him away from this obsession.
Julien: The family cat who makes an appearance in nearly every chapter of the Melody. He is analogous (in the opposite sense) to the cat character, Behemot, in Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita.
Olga: Step-daughter of Tomas (daughter of Nina). She personifies adolescent angst.
Ceferino Diago: Colombian [...] lord who launders his group's money through Maximilian Iblis' hedge fund.
Nigel, Jax, and Adhi: Maximilian Iblis' bodyguards. Adhi tries to steal the technology though his efforts are eventually thwarted.
Kashif Mahboubi: Newly installed Prime Minister of Singapore.
Yinglan Yousuf: A deputy researcher in the Singaporean Ministry of Defence who develops a parallel version of the technology (called EastStar) for military purposes.
Eleanor Shanmugam: Defence Minister for Singapore.
Elijah Mason: Fictional U.S. President who survives an assassination attempt and grapples with widespread financial disaster and mysterious terror attacks.
William Madison: CIA Director.
Helga Iblis: Maximilian Iblis' mother, suffering from advanced Alzheimer's disease. Her mind is mentally stuck in the world of [...] Germany and Tomas, in an effort to demonstrate the medical applications of his 'Novum Organum', hopes to cure her.
Jenna Mason: Wife of President Elijah Mason. Her character is modeled on Lady Macbeth from Shakespeare's Macbeth.