Black: The Birth of Evil is a novel written by author Ted Dekker. It is the first book in the Circle Series, and is a part of the Books of History Chronicles. The book was published in 2004 by Thomas Nelson.
Plot
This book is about a man named Thomas Hunter in Denver, Colorado, 2010, who, after being knocked unconscious from a bullet wound to the head, wakes up to find himself in a strange world full of black, twisted trees. After being attacked by evil bats called Shataiki and led out of the Black Forest by a white bat, he is rendered unconscious again due to blood loss. He wakes up to find himself back in Denver. Startled at the sudden change, he can’t figure out which world is real. He soon discovers that every time he falls asleep, he wakes up in the other world, until he falls asleep there. Outside of the Black Forest is the Colored Forest, a paradise inhabited by a civilization of immortal-yet innocent-human beings who are watched over by Elyon, a God-like being, along with white, bat-like Roush, who are opposites of the Shataiki and act as servants of Elyon. Thomas eventually finds out that this other world is our own thousands of years in the future, and that a virus, mutated from the Raison vaccine, would wipe out his present-day Earth later that year. Thomas is forced to fight evil in both worlds, a difficult prospect, for while evil is portrayed differently in each reality, it is equally as potent, and Thomas quickly finds that putting a stop to an event of apocalyptic proportions is no easy task.
Characters
Thomas Hunter: a 20-year-old man living in Denver, Colorado. He travels between Other Earth and his Earth through his dreams. Also known as the Histories. He has to find answers in Other Earth in order to save Earth before a deadly virus is spread that will destroy humanity.
Kara Hunter: Sister of Thomas who helps him travel the world to stop the spread of the Raison strain.
Michal: One of the Roush that Thomas encounters on Other Earth who tells him information he needs to help Earth.
Gabil: The Roush who helps him escape the Black Forest from the evil Shataiki.
Rachelle: Uses healing water to cure Thomas when he escapes from the Black Forest. She instantly falls in love with Thomas and claims him as hers.
Tanis: The first human of Other Earth and leader of the Colored Forest who wants to eradicate the Shataiki from the Black Forest. When he goes to fight the Shataiki, he is tempted by Teeleh.
Elyon: Creator of Other Earth.
Teeleh: Leader of the Shataiki who tries to convince Thomas to drink the forbidden water.
Carlos Missirian: Assassin who is hired to kill Thomas Hunter on Earth.
Valborg Svensson: Multi-billionaire who discovers how to make the Raison vaccine into a deadly virus.
Monique de Raison: Creator of the Raison vaccine. She is kidnapped by Thomas so he can convince her what Svensson plans to do to her vaccine. After Thomas convinces her, she tries to find a cure for what she has created.
Jacques de Raison: Founder of Raison Pharmaceutical. Father of Monique.
Symbolism
The tale in Black represents the story of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden, although there are many more than two people living in the paradise on Other Earth. Elyon represents God, Teeleh represents Satan, the Shataiki represent Demons, the Roush represent Angels, and the character Tanis represents Adam. The healing water represents the Holy Spirit. The title, "Black", refers to the color of the Shataiki and the "Black Forest", in contrast to the luminescent colored forest, but more importantly black is the color commonly associated with sinners' hearts in the Christian tradition, and of the world before Jesus Christ came to heal the curse of Adam.
As part of a promotional campaign called "Share the Love" in which participants would preorder three or more copies of Dekker's then-newest book, The Priest's Graveyard, he offered various incentives. Anyone who bought three or more copies of The Priest's Graveyard would receive a free copy of one of Ted's older manuscripts known as Genesis. It is a very early version of Black, and while it contains many of the same events and elements of Black, it is a completely different story with "over 50% new story content."
