GENE BREWER

Published in a dozen countries throughout the world with movie rights sold to Lawrence Gordon at Universal Picures, K-PAX introduced its readers to a fascinating young man who calls himself "prot" and claims to be a visitor from the planet K-PAX, an idyllic world without wars, government, or religion. Dropped off at the Manhattan Psychiatric Institute, he falls under the care of psychiatrist Gene Brewer who discovers that except for certain supernatural abilities, the "alien" prot appears to be sane. In On a Beam of Light, Dr. Brewer attempts to determine whether prot is real or simply a schizophrenic personality of the young man named Robert. When prot claims to be returning to his planet K-PAX for good, Dr. Brewer must dig deeper and deeper to find the key to unlock this man's psyche, before he is left with a shattered, broken shell.

Cinco años después de haberse escapado de una institución para enfermos mentales de Manhattan el ente conocido como prot está de vuelta. Ahora, a lo largo de dieciséis sesiones con el psiquiatra Gene Brewer, prot revela que ha vuelto para llevarse consigo a unos pocos elegidos a K-PAX, el planeta de donde procede. K-PAX es un planeta idilico libre del sufrimiento que existe en la Tierra. Prot tiene ideas radicales sobre como curar ese sufrimiento y sus planteamientos le han convertido en una celebridad. Ahora legiones de personas anhelan seguir sus pasos. Pero las ideas de prot no son nuevas para el doctor Brewer. Cinco años atras habia descubierto a otra persona arraigada profundamente en la personalidad de prot: Robert Porter de Montana. El misterio de la enfermedad de Robert y de los origenes de prot subyacen dentro de la psique trastornada de Robert. Ahora el doctor Brewer tiene que batallar contra el reloj para desentrañar los secretos del traumatico pasado de Robert y no solo salvar a su paciente sino tambien a la humanidad.

Prot is back and patient Robert has returned to catatonia at the Manhattan Institute. This visit to EARTH, prot promises, will be his very last and so Dr. Gene Brewer has limited and precious time in which to unravel the mystery of prot and recall Robert to life. But around him excitement turns to hysteria as prot's charm and influence on the other patients and on the world exerts itself. Prot will be taking one hundred beings with him when he leaves, to live on the perfect planet K-PAX, and everybody is clamouring to be chosen. Will prot's true identity be revealed, and will Dr. Gene be left wondering for ever?

Prot acaba de ingresar en una de las instituciones para enfermos mentales de la ciudad de Nueva York. El motivo está plenamente justificado: afirma ser un alienígena proveniente del planeta K-Pax, un planeta donde reina la armonía. Es suúnico rasgo peculiar, puesto que por lo demás, Prot es una persona cuerda, inteligente y de maneras agradables. Pacientes, celadores y médicos enstán encantados con su presencia. Tanto que incluso los especialistas han empezado a dudar.¿Y si K-Pax existiese en algún lugar del universo?¿Y si Prot pudiese indicarnos el camino?

When a man who claims to be from outer space is brought into the Manhattan Institute, the mental ward seems to be just the place for him. However this patient is unlike anyone psychiatrist Dr. Gene Brewer has had under his care before. Calling himself 'prot', he has no traceable background but says that he is an inhabitant of the planet K-PAX, a perfect world without wars, government or religion, and where every being coexists in harmony. Setting a departure date - August 17th at 3.31am - on which he plans to return home on a beam of light, 'prot' keeps us guessing right up until the end.