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JEWEL–LESS CROWN: SAGA OF LIFE By B. S. Murthy, Self imprint, F9, Nandini Mansion, 1-10-234, Ashok Nagar, Hyderabad. 238 pages. Price Rs. 150/-.
The novel is in two parts, Book I and Book II. Each book has catchy sub-titles : Artha and Kama, Dharma and Moksha. The sub-titles, in essence, reveal the theme of the novel. The novel deals with the saga of life. Man tries to reach the top of the ladder for the crown. But there are snakes, big and small, that pull him down to the bottom. Life, after all, is a game of ladders and snakes.
Gautam, the ambitious engineer, chooses to climb the ladder of life using the despicable but profitable way through flesh to wash off the vestiges of his humble beginnings. He involves his beautiful wife Sneha in the detestable game. Their only son, Suresh, grows up developing Oedipus complex. He witnesses his mother’s sexploits in a clandestine manner and desires her. Spoilt child as he is and a rapist, he rapes and murders a young girl, Shanti. He is imprisoned for life. Sneha commits suicide out of remorse to gain retribution for her guilty life. The crown which the Gautams manage to snatch in high society is devoid of jewels!
In Book II repentance converts Gautam into ‘guruji� in an Ashram run by ‘swamiji� at Annavaram. Guruji now spends his vast and ill gotten money in establishing Shanti Sadan for destitute women. Suresh gets reformed in jail and is released after seven years for good behaviour. He meets his father at the Ashram as also Vidya, a beautiful dancer who manages the Sadan efficiently. The young things naturally fall in love. They have the blessings of ‘swamiji� and ‘guruji� to lead a sensible and useful life. They leave for Delhi to live in Misty Nest, the posh and sprawling residence of the Gautams of their hey day. Misty Nest of the murky days now houses the Kuchipudi Dance School run by Vidya.

In Gautam’s rise and fall resulting in his enlightenment the dramatic twists and turns keep the interest of the readers. Gautam encourages kama to attain artha which in turn makes him to discern dharma leading him towards moksha. A saying goes that unless one is a kami, one cannot turn into a mokshakami. The novelist strikes a balance between the carnal and the spiritual in the novel with ingenuity. Gautam is transformed into ‘guruji�, Sneha wins peace for her soul at the price of her life and their son, Suresh the prodigal, plays the good Samaritan at the end. The message is clear. True repentance has its rewards.

The novelist introduces a lot of sex, psychology, legal wranglings, skills of entrepreneurship, maneuverings and such other ingredients in this materialistically spiritual novel offering good reading experience.
In the choice of words and expressions the novelist leans towards the uncommon for the simple which makes the style affected. The too frequent use of expressions like ‘in time�, ‘nevertheless� etc. and the errors of different types, particularly in Book II, mar the narration.
The attractively designed illustration on the cover page is imaginative and symbolical.
D. Ranga Rao

Tejolinga Rahasyam :Dr. KRK Mohan; Srimukha Publications, 101 Kanchi Residency, 11-19, P&T Colony, Dilsukh Nagar, Hyderabad;  + 151 pp; Rs.80/-.

Dr. KRK Mohan is a well-accomplished, versatile, and highly ranked writer of our times respected for his literary work in both Telugu and English.  He has numerous novels, children’s stories, short stories, and more significantly science fiction� a theme rarely attempted by Indian authors, to his credit.

‘Tejolinga Rahasyam� is Dr. Mohan’s latest work on science fiction. The book  comprises two short novels: ‘Tejolinga Rahasyam� and ‘Antharikshamlo Anthardhanam�.

The story is expertly built around science, espionage, and adventure. A secret agent, Jayanth, is assigned with an exciting mission, deep in the Brazilian jungles, to explore a mysterious object known to be rendering all physical matter in its vicinity invisible for the human eye. The primitive natives are superstitious and attribute the phenomenon to the divine powers of the object, which they believe is a manifestation of God. But the secret agent, well educated and fully trained, is conversant with the ‘Kinetic theory of matter� and the phenomenon of ‘Optical illusion� of Physics�. The scientific aspects behind the ‘mysterious� behavior of the object. He finally procures the object and succeeds in his hazardous mission.

The author sounds his valuable message loud and clear to the young reader in favour of rational thinking against all superstition.

Antharikshamlo Anthardhanam:
The body of an ancient alien from a far off planet that got totally destroyed millions of years ago, is discovered in a blasted cave. The alien was the foremost physicist of his planet that was technologically far more superior and sophisticated than our own. He wakes up from his ‘programmed� sleep and narrates his tragic ancient past. At the end he explicitly expresses his unhappiness over the tension-some international situation on our planet, and takes off in search of another planet where he can, hopefully, find total peace and genuine brotherhood.

The story is clearly a satire on our ultra modern advancements in science and technology. It stresses on the mindless rivalry, mutual suspicion, and hatred between our nations, eventually leading to warfare involving liberal usage of deadly hi-tech weaponry, with consequent irreversible disaster and mass devastation. The author conveys a highly relevant and timely message of peace to the young reader of our nuclear era.

As is usual with Dr. KRK Mohan’s stories, �Tejolinga Rahasyam� is yet another suspenseful and thoroughly enjoyable work of science fiction. Undoubtedly the book will be a welcome addition to the young reader’s library.        
- Kambhampati Krishna Prasad