Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2006, Page 97
Roger narrates the story from the perspective of reflection months after things have fallen
apart. The comic events originally occurred when Roger got in over his head in more ways
than one during the project. The story is his effort to make sense of all the apparent
nonsense that happened then.
The core of the cult depends on Verena, a college dropout at age 19, who moves in with her
Aunt Elsie, an avid Spiritualist. Elsie encourages Verena‘s mediumistic sensibilities. Through
automatic writing, Verena makes contact with an alien race of Guardians from the planet
Varna. The Varnian leader Ro channels information to the group through Verena‘s cryptic
scrawls written after she enters a trance state. The group also hears from Mo and Ko of
Varna in this way.
Roger describes Verena as both a nut and a sensitive, alluring waif with sculpted features
and hypnotic, liquid eyes. McMann poses as the professor that he is, but in personality more
like an affable, accommodating car salesman. Throughout the text, Roger refers to himself
as both Roger Zimmern, the objective scholar, and as ―Stupid Roger,‖ the klutzy, shy
professor truly interested in contact with Varna. His split persona adds to the tension he
feels and the confusion he exhibits, all of which cause uncomfortable, if comic, moments. He
eventually wonders who is crazy: Is it he, McMann, or the group?
During weeks of meetings with six or seven others in Elsie‘s house, Roger endures
progressive changes in diet and belief structures. He tries ineffectively to memorize layers
of lessons derived from Ro, Spiritualist doctrine, and idiosyncratic truths that members add
to group metaphysics. McMann and Zimmern try their best to be nondirective and
participatory, but some circimstances push their acting abilities. For example, during a
private conference, Verena attempts to ―clear‖ Roger of icy blocks in his mind by holding his
hands while she stands almost against his body and gives an invocation to Ro. ―Stupid
Roger‖ believes that she is trying to seduce him, and he wants to let her. ―Roger Zimmern‖
knows that if he dares to have sex with the leader, he could screw up, literally, the entire
project, and McMann might kill him. Later in the novel, McMann tells Zimmern that he
[Zimmern] missed a grand opportunity for some good sex.
The novel includes truly ridiculous scenes that anyone (like me) who was in a New Age cult
might identify with. Ro tells the group through Verena that he and other Varnians will
appear to them on Earth from their spacecraft if only devotees prepare the way through
purification. Ro gives instructions and announces the hour. The group members remove all
organic items from their persons, including cotton underwear, woolen jackets, and leather
shoes. They scamper through the house looking for wearable items made of ―scientific‖
materials such as nylon, polyester, and plastics.
The description of women in mismatched apparel gleaned from Elsie‘s closet and men in odd
items such as rubber galoshes taken from her husband‘s closet creates quite a madcap
scene for the reader‘s imagination. One man in the group had to wear a synthetic quilt wrap
throughout the ritual session. After the group removes the offensive organic clothing,
Verena directs them to put it all, piece by piece, in the fireplace and watch the stuff burn.
Zimmern has a real problem with letting go of his only expensive jacket for something that
only Stupid Roger has to believe in. Later in their motel, McMann laughs at him, reassuring
him that replacing the jacket is an expense covered by the budget.
The oddly attired group marches outside into the snow in Elsie‘s backyard to await ―The
Coming.‖ They sing hymns of praise, offer invocations to the Light, and wait and wonder for
a long time. Ro and the Varnians fail to appear long after the expected time. An exhausted
Verena, who had been fasting and not sleeping for days, finally announces that Ro did
indeed appear in a spiritual way. Ro‘s spirit is in ―man‖ she says, and then she faints. After
the motley entourage carries Verena back into the house, Elsie interprets ―man‖ as Tom
McMann. When the lead sociologist reacts on cue to accept his role as Ro, Zimmern gets
Roger narrates the story from the perspective of reflection months after things have fallen
apart. The comic events originally occurred when Roger got in over his head in more ways
than one during the project. The story is his effort to make sense of all the apparent
nonsense that happened then.
The core of the cult depends on Verena, a college dropout at age 19, who moves in with her
Aunt Elsie, an avid Spiritualist. Elsie encourages Verena‘s mediumistic sensibilities. Through
automatic writing, Verena makes contact with an alien race of Guardians from the planet
Varna. The Varnian leader Ro channels information to the group through Verena‘s cryptic
scrawls written after she enters a trance state. The group also hears from Mo and Ko of
Varna in this way.
Roger describes Verena as both a nut and a sensitive, alluring waif with sculpted features
and hypnotic, liquid eyes. McMann poses as the professor that he is, but in personality more
like an affable, accommodating car salesman. Throughout the text, Roger refers to himself
as both Roger Zimmern, the objective scholar, and as ―Stupid Roger,‖ the klutzy, shy
professor truly interested in contact with Varna. His split persona adds to the tension he
feels and the confusion he exhibits, all of which cause uncomfortable, if comic, moments. He
eventually wonders who is crazy: Is it he, McMann, or the group?
During weeks of meetings with six or seven others in Elsie‘s house, Roger endures
progressive changes in diet and belief structures. He tries ineffectively to memorize layers
of lessons derived from Ro, Spiritualist doctrine, and idiosyncratic truths that members add
to group metaphysics. McMann and Zimmern try their best to be nondirective and
participatory, but some circimstances push their acting abilities. For example, during a
private conference, Verena attempts to ―clear‖ Roger of icy blocks in his mind by holding his
hands while she stands almost against his body and gives an invocation to Ro. ―Stupid
Roger‖ believes that she is trying to seduce him, and he wants to let her. ―Roger Zimmern‖
knows that if he dares to have sex with the leader, he could screw up, literally, the entire
project, and McMann might kill him. Later in the novel, McMann tells Zimmern that he
[Zimmern] missed a grand opportunity for some good sex.
The novel includes truly ridiculous scenes that anyone (like me) who was in a New Age cult
might identify with. Ro tells the group through Verena that he and other Varnians will
appear to them on Earth from their spacecraft if only devotees prepare the way through
purification. Ro gives instructions and announces the hour. The group members remove all
organic items from their persons, including cotton underwear, woolen jackets, and leather
shoes. They scamper through the house looking for wearable items made of ―scientific‖
materials such as nylon, polyester, and plastics.
The description of women in mismatched apparel gleaned from Elsie‘s closet and men in odd
items such as rubber galoshes taken from her husband‘s closet creates quite a madcap
scene for the reader‘s imagination. One man in the group had to wear a synthetic quilt wrap
throughout the ritual session. After the group removes the offensive organic clothing,
Verena directs them to put it all, piece by piece, in the fireplace and watch the stuff burn.
Zimmern has a real problem with letting go of his only expensive jacket for something that
only Stupid Roger has to believe in. Later in their motel, McMann laughs at him, reassuring
him that replacing the jacket is an expense covered by the budget.
The oddly attired group marches outside into the snow in Elsie‘s backyard to await ―The
Coming.‖ They sing hymns of praise, offer invocations to the Light, and wait and wonder for
a long time. Ro and the Varnians fail to appear long after the expected time. An exhausted
Verena, who had been fasting and not sleeping for days, finally announces that Ro did
indeed appear in a spiritual way. Ro‘s spirit is in ―man‖ she says, and then she faints. After
the motley entourage carries Verena back into the house, Elsie interprets ―man‖ as Tom
McMann. When the lead sociologist reacts on cue to accept his role as Ro, Zimmern gets
