4 out of 4 stars
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Zargnon considers many questions about the universe the moment before the big bang occurred. If an entity designed and created the big bang, then the author believes there must have been two different time-frames in existence.
In Of Zots and Xoodles, Theodil is the protagonist who throws the dice to begin creation. Theodil presents to an audience of disbelievers – the committee. Zargon helps us imagine the pre-big bang humorously by suggesting that the days of the week did not exist, a room did not exist, space did not exist, and time did not exist. He calls it a "dimensional playground." Zargon borrows from Dr. Seuss with "Maybe he's too big, maybe he's too small, maybe he is hiding behind the wall, maybe he's not there at all!" Theodil's dice makes spots that hover over his hand in constant motion. The audience calls them "dot-like Zots." Internuncio, explains to the audience what Theodil has done and says, "Theodil has created Zots." As Theodil goes on conducting the Zots, they turn into Xoodles. Internuncio turns up at regular intervals to tell us that Theodil has created Xoodles, Light, and Time.
Theodil uses two noodles and makes a particle of light and bubbles, creating NOW. Not time or past or future, only now. A child is used to ask questions we have all asked like "why can't mass be mass and light be light?". Why can't we get to the end before the middle? Theodil continues to move the dots as though using telekinesis, and they dance, they knot, they collide, they are alive. Theodil smiles, he is happy making the universe, the zots (dots) become xoodles (noodles). They repel and attract and mature, and carve out their space. Theodil gathers up and reshapes the left-overs.
Zargon's writing style for this book consists of a mixture of Dr. Seuss, Douglas Adams, and Steven Hawking. He employs unexpected words, strangely uses words, and makes up words. It has a rhythm and cadence and is enjoyable when said out loud. I enjoy his collaboration with Frank Louis Allen, and the artwork is spectacular and so right. Zarqnon is like Walt Disney with Fantasia, and only he uses prose to describe chaos, movement, acceleration, development, and entropy. Allen produces fabulous illustrations. Conceivably Zots are neutrons, and protons and Xoodles are hydrogen and helium atoms. Then again, Xoodles could be polymers, and Zots could be quarks and electrons. Or perhaps they come from The Flying Spaghetti Monster.
We learn Zargnon is on the autism spectrum, and he sees, "all he has ever learned, observed, and experienced existentially sat on a matrix and available all the time." His illustrator Frank Louis Allen is also on the autism spectrum and is legally blind. Zargnon and Allen have collaborated to produce a fantastic 48-page booklet that uses the allegory of Zots and Xoodles to explain the complexity of the creation of the universe. I loved the surprise ending; it was so apt.
I enjoyed Zargon's view of the world, and we see the human brain could think in quite a different way than the conventional. In the future, humans may choose to be on the autism spectrum and enjoy an unorthodox way of looking at life. Meantime, Zargon has put his talents to good use in writing Of Zots and Xoodles to help teach physics. A little nonsense goes a long way.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars for its originality and fun approach to a serious, complicated subject. I do not rate it 3 out of 4 stars because it is thought-provoking. I found no errors and believe it to be professionally edited. I liked having to work hard to relate this book to my layperson's knowledge of the subject. I found nothing to dislike. It is eminently suitable for its intended audience of Teen and Young Adult Physics pupils, and many other people who love eccentricity, and surprises.
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Of Zots and Xoodles
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