That is how the author was dubbed by the New Yorker in an interview about his life, work and "Sum". Possibilities he does offer in his 40 tales of what afterlife might look like and with astonishing fecundity of mind. Of course it's all a bit tongue-in-cheek, yet each story is carefully crafted from scientific or philosophical insights, and each ending with its own unexpected twist, leaving the reader with something to ponder about.