Aldous Huxley and the mysticism of science

Can religious belief survive in a scientific era? Will the desire for the transcendent outlast postmodern nihilism? Aldous Huxley thought so. One of the first writers to grasp the profound significance of the new physics, Huxley invoked science more often than any other artist of his generation. He also sought a religion compatible with the new scientific picture.

Today his synthesis of mysticism and science is being played out in high and popular culture - in postmodern fiction, the Internet, and various psycho-religious movements.

June Deery's groundbreaking study of his fiction and nonfiction uncovers Huxley's contribution to crossdisciplinary debates between literature, science and religion and traces his influence on recent popular developments such as the 'New Age movement'. It combines a detailed assessment of one twentieth-century writer's use and knowledge of science with general theoretical guidelines for judging scientific fact in literary fiction.