Rob Swigart. 2005. Xibalba Gate: A Novel of the Ancient Maya. ISBN 0-7591-0878-1 AltaMira Press, Walnut Creek California.
Xibalba Gate arrived on my doorstep late last year, and is a historical novel set partly in a fictional university and partly in the Mayan underworld during the collapse of the civilization in 837 AD. It looks like it's going to be a fascinating mixture of computer simulations, academic hassles and mystery/horror, and I can hardly wait to carve out some time to read it. It got rave reviews from a handful of archaeologists, including Mayanist Wendy Ashmore, so I suspect the archaeology/culture history is spot on.
Note: I have a ton of books stacked on my desk that I really need to get to. In the mean time, I'm going to post little book notes like these, teasers for the larger book reviews that I promise to eventually write. In the meantime, why should you miss out on a great read? The cover art is courtesy AltaMira Press (2005).
Xibalba Gate arrived on my doorstep late last year, and is a historical novel set partly in a fictional university and partly in the Mayan underworld during the collapse of the civilization in 837 AD. It looks like it's going to be a fascinating mixture of computer simulations, academic hassles and mystery/horror, and I can hardly wait to carve out some time to read it. It got rave reviews from a handful of archaeologists, including Mayanist Wendy Ashmore, so I suspect the archaeology/culture history is spot on. Note: I have a ton of books stacked on my desk that I really need to get to. In the mean time, I'm going to post little book notes like these, teasers for the larger book reviews that I promise to eventually write. In the meantime, why should you miss out on a great read? The cover art is courtesy AltaMira Press (2005).
Comments