Abstract:
What would be the biggest news story of all time? For an elderly and eccentric billionaire named Z.Z. Mellon, it would be proof of life after death. With the help of his old friend, Dr. Frank Blackman, he’s willing to pay any amount to find out if it exists. What might the human brain look like at the very moment of death? A fireworks display, of sorts? A fast-fading dot of light? And would the most ancient memory of the brain reside in the last part of it to die? There’s one way to answer all these questions: kill someone -- scientifically. A small island nation is clandestinely chosen for the site of the experiment. A prisoner is selected. And so begins a secret series of ghoulish explorations into the mind of man. No secret like this can stay hidden for long, however, and soon a firestorm of controversy erupts.