Science Fiction
First Contact ... Colonies on the Moon and
Mars ... Intergalactic Civilizations ... A Digital Universe ...These are just
some of the themes of this month's spotlight on Science Fiction. Included
here you will find a couple of Young Adult books that are perfect for your
teenage reader -- or for those adults who are still young at heart!
Science Fiction continues to capture our imagination through alternative
realities and what-if scenarios designed to answer our essential questions about
the future. Where are we going? Will we have company when we get
there?
Distant
Cousin by Al Past
A young woman appears at a west Texas observatory with a warning
of disaster to the planet. Obviously deranged, she is turned away. But she is,
in fact, a scientist from another planet, sent to observe the earth from a
distance on behalf of her own people, who may have originated here - hence the 'Distant
Cousin' - but she has good reason to keep quiet about many things, even
among those friends she makes in the course of her quest, who aid her in evading
her pursuers. She is an endearing person, observant, studious, given to sudden
impulses and often quite uncertain about herself, and her progress through
scenic west Texas and New Mexico and into the world at large makes for an
unforgettable and highly readable diversion.
Al Past has taught college English and linguistics for
over twenty-five years. Now retired, he lives in south Texas.
Reviews:
“Distant Cousin is an interesting and
eccentric book that manages to cross a number of genres – a little bit science
fiction, sprinkled with alternative-sociology, a generous dash of
techno-thriller, several roman-a-clef conventions gently folded in, and a rather
sweet love story." ~ Blogger News
"Al Past's Distant Cousin is
a pure delight, too good to give away any of the details. However, one must say
that it is the story of a petite blonde underdog from far, far away, who must
overcome insurmountable obstacles in order to save...well, that is already
telling you too much." ~ Beeville Bee-Picayune
"Distant Cousin is a screenplay waiting to
become a Spielberg movie. You cannot escape the visions in your mind from E.T.
and Close Encounters as you read through it, and the magic so aptly personified
in those two movies is also prevalent in Distant Cousin." ~ iUniverse Book
Reviews
Read excerpts from Distant Cousin and the
rest of this acclaimed series, which includes Distant Cousin 2: Repatriation and
Distant Cousin 3: Reincarnation, at the
author's website.
First
Duty by Marva Dasef
Years
ago, Robert A. Heinlein thrilled millions of younger readers with his YA novels
filled with adventures among the stars. Remember The Star Beast? Citizen of the
Galaxy? Podkayne of Mars? Starman Jones? Now comes a YA novel from Marva
Dasef that is surely the adventurous equal of those long-ago tales. First
Duty is the story of Nyra Hutchings, a young woman born into a life of
servitude on a repressive factory planet, who is desperate for a different life.
When she's accepted into the Space Service Academy, run by the organization that
enslaves her planet, she discovers the truth behind generations of rebellion.
Now, she must decide what to believe, where her first duty lies, and fight for
more than her life against impossible odds.
Marva Dasef lives in Eugene, Oregon, with her husband and a fat
cat. She has dabbled in a variety of genres, with fantasy, science fiction,
romance, literary, children's, and historical fiction published in a variety of
on-line and print magazines. First Duty is her breakout into longer fiction.
Buy First Duty at
The Genre Mall or
visit the author's website for
more information on the work of this prolific writer and blogger.
Maurice on the Moon by Daniel Barth
Maurice Haberman's father works for the lunar mining company that owns the town,
his mother is a ecologist, both of them work hard to earn a living in the little
town of Gassendi LEX that has been carved out of a crater rim on the edge of an
ancient lunar sea of frozen lava. Maurice's parents have come to the Moon to
escape the crowded, desperate conditions of Earth. They have worked for years
for a chance to earn their citizenship in their adopted country; a dream that
seems to be within reach at last. Maurice doesn't share his parents
enthusiasm for his adopted homeland. In fact, he hates the Moon and dreams of
nothing but leaving Gassendi LEX forever. Living in a lunar colony isn't easy,
the work is hard and everyone has to do his part to help the family survive. To
make everything worse, the Earth hangs like a jewel in the black lunar sky,
spinning in place just out of reach with the promise of everything Maurice
wants, but can never have.
Dr. Daniel Barth has been an active astronomer for almost 40 years and
has introduced thousands to the wonders of the night sky. His Science
Through Literature series, including Maurice on the Moon and Maurice
and the Doomed Colony of Mars, has helped students and teachers rediscover
the joys of reading and exploring science in schools across the nation.
Reviews:
"Maurice is a delightful protagonist - he's inventive and impulsive, stubborn
and persistent." ~ Amazon Customer Review
"This is a cleanly written novel aimed at the coming-of-age youngster. Unlike
many tales aimed at this age group, there are no appeals to glitz and false
popularity. This book, although shot through with the adventure and derring-do
that appeals to youngsters, takes its science seriously. There are no miracle
inventions out of the blue, no deus ex machina, just solid, reasonable and
scientifically accurate technology." ~ Amazon Customer Review (This review is
about the sequel, Maurice and the Doomed Colony of Mars)
Visit the author's website to
learn more about the Maurice series and the Science Through Literature curiculum.
The
Sirian Redemption by Linda Tuck-Jenkins
Is today's freak weather caused by ocean currents and global
warming? Are the electricity blackouts really the result of inadequate supplies?
Or is something momentous about to occur ... The X-Files meets the
Celestine Prophecy in this fast-paced thriller centering on ordinary people who
must come to grips with alien encounters and their destiny of helping humanity
make a leap in consciousness.
Linda Tuck-Jenkins describes her work as "Upbeat Fiction
with a Metaphysical Twist." In addition to The Sirian Redemption, she has
authored the DAFFODILS mystery series under the name of Mary Clay.
Reviews:
"... a terrific read that blends fact, science fiction and New
Age concepts with cliffhanger suspense and a rollercoaster plot!" ~ Midwest
Book Reviews
"... it reminded me of the first time I read The Celestine
Prophecy, except the technique was so much better." ~ New Book Reviews
"... as exciting as any master thriller and as spiritually
pungent as Redfield's Celestine Prophecy....you won't put [it] down." ~
Visionary Fiction
Awards:
Independent Publishers' 2002 Award Finalist
Read an excerpt from The Sirian Redemption and learn about this
author's other publications at
her website.
Zero Station by Amanda Hamm
Humans have known for years that they are not alone in the universe. Those in
power have chosen not to seek further contacts because of a tragic history, but
sometimes contact cannot be avoided. When an unidentified ship crashes in
Antarctica, a team is assembled to communicate with the new arrivals. First
agonizing silence, then a confusing plea for help. Who or what caused the ship
to crash? Will scars from the past interfere with the mission? And will the team
understand the danger in time? Zero Station is a gripping tale of first
contact, uniquely told from both the human side and the alien.
Amanda Hamm was born and raised in a small town in northern Ohio where
her father is currently serving as Mayor. She now lives in North Carolina with
her husband and two young children. She is a stay-at-home mom and doesn't have
nearly enough time to devote to writing.
Reviews:
"Zero Station sidesteps cliche and delivers a compelling plot driven by well
developed characters." ~ Amazon Customer Review
Author Comments:
"My husband serves as the primary sounding board for my work. After "torturing"
him with my first book (a love story), a decided to write something more in line
with his tastes. One morning I woke up with what I thought was a wonderful idea
for a science fiction story. I began work on Zero Station a few weeks later.
The finished novella bears little resemblance to my original notes, but I
couldn't be happier with how it turned out."
Visit the author's blog to learn
more about Zero Station and the author's other works.
Cyberdrome
by Joseph Rhea and David Rhea
Human minds are trapped inside a digital universe. One man has a daring
plan to rescue them. One problem: Who will rescue him? In the near
future, a series of tragic events, both in the real world and the
digital version, lead software "plumber" and reluctant hero, Alek Grey,
into a computer-generated world called Cyberdrome. In an attempt
to free human minds held hostage by a virus-infected artificial life
program, Alek discovers a secret project that has the potential to
destroy humanity as we know it. Mankind's future could rest on what Alek
chooses to do next.
Joseph Rhea is a research scientist working
in Washington D.C. His preoccupations include writing, game
design, and raising his two young children. David Rhea is a
mechanical special effects artist working in Southern California. His
preoccupations include game design, computer art, and 3D computer
modeling.
Reviews:
"One of the beauties of this thoroughly entertaining tale is
that it emerges as intensely visual in every phase. David Rhea's graphic design
concepts and Joseph Rhea's storytelling skills give Cyberdrome the clarity and
momentum that so often escapes sci-fi writers." ~ Amazon Customer Review
Awards:
2007 Best Story Blue Ribbon BitBooks
2007 Editors Choice Online Writing Workshop
Learn more about Cyberdrome and the simulation games based on
this book at the authors' website.
Xanthan Gumm by Robin Reed
Earth - The forbidden planet! Where strange beings called humans
toil endlessly, creating the stories loved throughout Galactic Civilization.
Stories collectively called The Movies! One brave soul dares to go there,
because he has a dream. He wants to be a Movie Star like his hero, E.T. His name
is Xanthan Gumm and he has risked everything to be in The Movies and to
meet the King of Earth - Steven Spielberg!
Robin Reed lives in Los Angeles. After many years of
struggling, she has just started to make a living as a writer. Unfortunately,
it's boring web site advertising copy, not stories and screenplays. It’s still
better than her many other jobs in offices, factories, and as a school bus
driver. Robin has had stories published by Barnes and Noble, Dark Tales,
Twilight Tales, and in other anthologies.
Reviews:
"This hysterical book is so well done that I can't imagine it
not becoming a movie - and wouldn't it be wonderful if Xanth finally found his
dream in working with Spielberg? Robin Reed has produced a well thought out,
effective plot that is filled with cultural icons, intricate characters, and
laugh out loud humor." ~ BookReview.com
"A little bit Princess Bride, Galaxy Quest, and social satire
wrapped up in a thoroughly enjoyable tale." ~ Amazon Customer Review
Check out Robin Reed's serialized superhero stories at
Metahuman Press and her cartoons at the
author's website.
Briggen
by Ann B. Keller
Briggen, the brawny warrior prince, is plucked from a
hostile planet by the powerful wizard, Quinhelm, beginning his desperate plunge
into the midst of an interplanetary war. Briggen and Quinhelm rush home as the
powerful Xandoth and their allies surge across the galaxy, killing and laying
waste to everything they encounter.
Ann B. Keller is the granddaughter of an award-winning
Ohio author and poet. She is the president of Kodron Productions, an
author, and a screenwriter.
Reviews:
"By alternately weaving threads of science fiction and fantasy,
Ann B. Keller has created a tapestry of fiction that is unique and engrossing."
~ All These Books.com
"Briggen is an action-packed, breakneck-speed rollercoaster of a
tale, brimming with drama and sprinkled with wry humour." ~ Amazon Customer
Review
Visit the author's
MySpace page for more information on Briggen and her other works.
A Far Place in Time by Lee Cross
A Far Place in Time is a distinctive, fast moving science
fiction action yarn, unlike any other. Most of it takes place during World War
II. The hero, if he can be called that, must live through an unusual set of
events. He is on the run from the FBI and hides in the Merchant Marine. It is
here that he experiences World War II at its worst. The reader will find déjà
vu, alternate realities, the challenge of survival, tender romance and even
comedy in this book. There is a "Hitchcock" type ending which will surprise the
reader.
Lee Cross was born in Los Angeles and raised in the
Colorado Desert of Southern California. He first experienced the wonder of
snow at the age of eighteen. And this came as a shock when Uncle Sam made him
sleep in it for thirty days while stationed in Germany. He's come a long way
since then and walked down many roads in life. He has an abundance of stories to
share, some based on true events, others merely expressions of a vivid
imagination.
Reviews:
"It is actually a
combination of science fiction and WWII action-adventure story. A number of
interesting themes connect in this unusual story that includes a surprise ending
readers will enjoy." ~ Book Views.com
Stewards
of the Flame by Sylvia Engdahl
When starship captain Jesse Sanders is seized by a dictatorial
medical regime and detained on the colony planet Undine, he has no idea that he
is about to be plunged into a bewildering new life that will involve ordeals and
joys beyond anything he has ever imagined, as well as enduring love. Still less
does he suspect that he must soon take responsibility for the lives of people he
has come to care about and preservation of their hopes for the future of
humankind. Part science fiction, part what's sometimes called 'visionary
fiction,' Stewards of the Flame deals with the so-called 'paranormal'
powers of the human mind and will appeal to a wide range of readers who question
the dominant medical philosophy of today's society.
Sylvia Louise Engdahl is the author of several YA novels
of which Enchantress from the Stars was the first. It was awarded a Newbery
Honor in 1971 and the Phoenix Award in 1990. Ms. Engdahl currently resides in
Eugene, Oregon, and her newest book Stewards of the Flame is intended for
Adult audiences.
Reviews:
“A taut,
well-paced science fiction work . . . that transcends the genre's traditional
subdivisions and leads us into a world as relevant as today but as enthralling
as tomorrow.” ~ Paul H. Smith, author of Reading the Enemy’s Mind:
Inside Star Gate—America’s Psychic Espionage Program
“Extremely entertaining. . . . A cautionary tale that Big Brother is coming
through the government medical complex.” ~ Harriet Klausner, Midwest Book
Reviews
Awards:
Semifinalist for the 2008 IPPY Award
in Visionary Fiction
Visit the
author's website for more
information on Stewards of the Flame and other works by Sylvia Engdahl.
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