Zombie Queen, Carol Burgess Hobbs, CreateSpace, 2016
David is a Special Forces veteran who is living off-the-grid in very rural Arkansas. His wife, Carol, is about to give birth, and David is over the moon about it. While she is in labor, she is bitten by a zombie who has managed to enter their compound. Carol does not survive childbirth. Is this one of those inexplicable things, or is Something Going On?
His daughter, Queen, grows into a normal, healthy young woman, who becomes an expert in self-defense. The only strange part is that she, physically, needs to consume fresh blood every day. As she grows up, David calls veterans around the country, recalling them to duty. It becomes known that a very secret government program is being tested in the nearest town to David and Queen. People are quietly kidnapped off the street and taken to a barn outside of town. They are injected with a virus that destroys their immune system, and they end up craving red blood cells. Basically, they are turned into zombies (no, the dead don't rise). They are then released to infect more people. David and Queen do their best to kill them before that can happen. The local police have been specifically ordered to back off.
The official story is that the virus is purely defensive, but the opposite is the real story. The US President is a liberal idealist who refuses to believe that there is a target on his back, which was put there by senior members of his administration. Can the veterans get the President to safety?
This is much better than the average zombie story. It is more like a suspense story about zombies. It is pretty bloody, but it is very much worth the reader's time. I look forward to a sequel.
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
The Pinochet Plot
The Pinochet Plot, David Myles Robinson, Terra Nova Books, 2018
Will Munoz is a successful attorney in San Francisco. He is also the son of Ricardo Munoz, a well-known Chilean writer, who died when Will was a child. His mother's suicide note asserts that his father was murdered on the orders of Augusto Pinochet, who ruled Chile for more than 15 years in the late 20th century.
Will learns that his father wrote a novel, as yet unpublished, that would have been very unfriendly to Pinochet. A million-dollar reward was established, by Pinochet, for the return of the original manuscript and all published copies. As Will starts to ask questions about his father's death, focus turns to the CIA's famous, or infamous, MKULTRA mind control program. Chuck Evans was a part of MKULTRA, along with Milton Fisher, his CIA handler. After the program was "officially" cancelled, could Milton have kept Chuck supplied with drugs, and turned him into some sort of assassin-for-hire? As an extra complication, Chuck is also Will's step father. Could he have killed Will's father, and married his mother, to find the novel and get that million dollar reward?
This is a very "quiet" novel, in that there are no car chases or hair-raising escapes from the bad guys, But it is a very well-done novel. It explores a pair of unpleasant bits of recent American history, and it is very much worth reading.
Will Munoz is a successful attorney in San Francisco. He is also the son of Ricardo Munoz, a well-known Chilean writer, who died when Will was a child. His mother's suicide note asserts that his father was murdered on the orders of Augusto Pinochet, who ruled Chile for more than 15 years in the late 20th century.
Will learns that his father wrote a novel, as yet unpublished, that would have been very unfriendly to Pinochet. A million-dollar reward was established, by Pinochet, for the return of the original manuscript and all published copies. As Will starts to ask questions about his father's death, focus turns to the CIA's famous, or infamous, MKULTRA mind control program. Chuck Evans was a part of MKULTRA, along with Milton Fisher, his CIA handler. After the program was "officially" cancelled, could Milton have kept Chuck supplied with drugs, and turned him into some sort of assassin-for-hire? As an extra complication, Chuck is also Will's step father. Could he have killed Will's father, and married his mother, to find the novel and get that million dollar reward?
This is a very "quiet" novel, in that there are no car chases or hair-raising escapes from the bad guys, But it is a very well-done novel. It explores a pair of unpleasant bits of recent American history, and it is very much worth reading.
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Voices of the 21st Century
Voices of the 21st Century: Women who Influence, Inspire and Make a Difference, Gail Watson, WSA Publishing, 2018
This book consists of a group of short essays that are designed to help women of any age as they make their way through the twists and turns that constitute daily life.
Whatever your emotional challenge is, someone in this book has been there. It could be dealing with the death of a spouse, attempting to survive, let alone thrive, in a male-dominated field like construction, being in an emotional rut, or the aftermath of being shot by an AK-47. They show how they came out the other side, with the help of spirituality, a new mindset, or simply not giving up.
Anger and fear are normal human emotions. How a person deals with those emotions separates the adults from the children. It is not possible to change the circumstances of what happened to you; it is possible to change your reaction to those circumstances. Consider forgiving the person who has wronged you. It is not intended to let them off the hook. Instead, it is to let you off the hook by letting go of that anger that is keeping you from moving on. If you wish, consider yoga. meditation or a vision board. Set a goal for yourself, whether personal or professional, then break that goal into smaller, more manageable pieces.
These essays are short; just a couple of pages each. This book can easily be read while waiting at the doctor's office, or at the grocery store. This book can be picked up and read starting on any page. It is also very much recommended.
This book consists of a group of short essays that are designed to help women of any age as they make their way through the twists and turns that constitute daily life.
Whatever your emotional challenge is, someone in this book has been there. It could be dealing with the death of a spouse, attempting to survive, let alone thrive, in a male-dominated field like construction, being in an emotional rut, or the aftermath of being shot by an AK-47. They show how they came out the other side, with the help of spirituality, a new mindset, or simply not giving up.
Anger and fear are normal human emotions. How a person deals with those emotions separates the adults from the children. It is not possible to change the circumstances of what happened to you; it is possible to change your reaction to those circumstances. Consider forgiving the person who has wronged you. It is not intended to let them off the hook. Instead, it is to let you off the hook by letting go of that anger that is keeping you from moving on. If you wish, consider yoga. meditation or a vision board. Set a goal for yourself, whether personal or professional, then break that goal into smaller, more manageable pieces.
These essays are short; just a couple of pages each. This book can easily be read while waiting at the doctor's office, or at the grocery store. This book can be picked up and read starting on any page. It is also very much recommended.
Saturday, October 6, 2018
First Amendment for Beginners
First Amendment for Beginners, Michael J Lamonica, For Beginners LLC, 2018
The forty-five words that make up the First Amendment to the US Constitution embody some of America's most basic rights. Among them are the right to follow the religion of your choice, and the right to express their opinions in public without fear of government interference. This book looks at the court cases that have turned those rights into reality.
The concept of a "wall" between church and state was never in the US Constitution. It comes from letters between President Thomas Jefferson and a group of Connecticut Baptists in the early 1800's. They were complaining because Connecticut had established Congregationalism as the official religion and did not guarantee religious freedom for other faiths.
When it comes to religion in public schools, in 1948, the Supreme Court struck down an Illinois law that set aside class time in public schools for religious instruction. Several years later, in 1952, the Court upheld a New York program that let students out of school to attend private religious instruction.
The Supreme Court has said that the First Amendment protects only speech, not conduct. What about "symbolic speech" like burning the American flag? The book also explores the question of whether money equals speech, like in the Citizens United case.
This is an excellent book. It is easy to understand for the average reader. It is also recommended for law students who need a First Amendment review. This is very much worth reading.
The forty-five words that make up the First Amendment to the US Constitution embody some of America's most basic rights. Among them are the right to follow the religion of your choice, and the right to express their opinions in public without fear of government interference. This book looks at the court cases that have turned those rights into reality.
The concept of a "wall" between church and state was never in the US Constitution. It comes from letters between President Thomas Jefferson and a group of Connecticut Baptists in the early 1800's. They were complaining because Connecticut had established Congregationalism as the official religion and did not guarantee religious freedom for other faiths.
When it comes to religion in public schools, in 1948, the Supreme Court struck down an Illinois law that set aside class time in public schools for religious instruction. Several years later, in 1952, the Court upheld a New York program that let students out of school to attend private religious instruction.
The Supreme Court has said that the First Amendment protects only speech, not conduct. What about "symbolic speech" like burning the American flag? The book also explores the question of whether money equals speech, like in the Citizens United case.
This is an excellent book. It is easy to understand for the average reader. It is also recommended for law students who need a First Amendment review. This is very much worth reading.
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Culture Man: An Adventure
Culture Man: An Adventure, Guy Cook, 2017, Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Rob is a resident of present-day England, specifically, the town of Winchester. He runs a blog where he commits to do one culture thing per week, like visiting a local museum or art gallery, and then writes about it. Marianne, his ex-girlfriend, is a biochemist for a major food company.
One day, Rob makes himself a peanut butter and jam sandwich. It's not jam, it's one of Marianne's biochem creations. Combined with a painful, but non-fatal, bite from a lizard during a previous trip to Greece, Rob suddenly gains super-hero powers.
No, he does not turn into the Incredible Hulk. He does gain the ability to run 100 meters in six seconds, and he can fly. The first thing Rob wants to do is to win a local tennis tournament. Because of his culture blog, Rob starts to call himself Culture Man.
Every super-hero needs a super-villain. Someone called the Velvet Vandal has evidently been reading Rob's blog. That is because items from the places mentioned in the blog are stolen. The two eventually agree to meet at the top of Winchester Cathedral for the Final Confrontation. Who is the Velvet Vandal? Does someone fall dramatically to their death from the top of the cathedral? Are Rob's abilities permanent or do they have an expiration date? Does an ambitious Oxford Professor of Biochemistry have any involvement?
This is a very "quiet" superhero tale, but a very good one. It shows what can happen when an average person becomes a super-hero. Yes, it is well worth the reader's time.
Rob is a resident of present-day England, specifically, the town of Winchester. He runs a blog where he commits to do one culture thing per week, like visiting a local museum or art gallery, and then writes about it. Marianne, his ex-girlfriend, is a biochemist for a major food company.
One day, Rob makes himself a peanut butter and jam sandwich. It's not jam, it's one of Marianne's biochem creations. Combined with a painful, but non-fatal, bite from a lizard during a previous trip to Greece, Rob suddenly gains super-hero powers.
No, he does not turn into the Incredible Hulk. He does gain the ability to run 100 meters in six seconds, and he can fly. The first thing Rob wants to do is to win a local tennis tournament. Because of his culture blog, Rob starts to call himself Culture Man.
Every super-hero needs a super-villain. Someone called the Velvet Vandal has evidently been reading Rob's blog. That is because items from the places mentioned in the blog are stolen. The two eventually agree to meet at the top of Winchester Cathedral for the Final Confrontation. Who is the Velvet Vandal? Does someone fall dramatically to their death from the top of the cathedral? Are Rob's abilities permanent or do they have an expiration date? Does an ambitious Oxford Professor of Biochemistry have any involvement?
This is a very "quiet" superhero tale, but a very good one. It shows what can happen when an average person becomes a super-hero. Yes, it is well worth the reader's time.
Monday, September 3, 2018
The Reign of the Vedic Gods
The Reign of the Vedic Gods: The Galaxy of Hindu Gods Book 1, Swami Achuthananda, 2018, Relianz Communications Pty Ltd.
This book attempts to introduce the reader to the world of Hindu gods. There are a million of them (gods, that is).
Ganesha is the one with the head of an elephant. He was created, according to one folk tale, because Shiva (his father) had been intruding too often on Parvati's (his mother) bath. Using the dead skin and dandruff from her body, she created a son and gatekeeper. After Shiva is driven away by Ganesha, Shiva gets furious and chops off his head, not realizing that it was his own son. Parvati is very upset, but Shiva tries to console her by putting the head of an elephant on Ganesha's body. Shiva is known as the god of destruction; he does not do so well at creation.
Indra, the greatest of the Vedic gods, was hidden as a baby for a long time. Prithvi, his mother, did it to keep him away from a jealous Dyaus Pita, his father. At the time of his birth, humans were in the midst of a major famine, because the demon Vritra had stolen the clouds. There was a major battle between Indra and Vritra, which was won by Indra, and the rains returned. Indra also defends people and animals from other demons, leading to his becoming ruler of the universe.
Most Hindu and Aryan holy books talk about there being thirty-three gods (a reasonable number). So where did the number of 330 million gods come from? The book also talks about India's caste system, still entrenched in Indian society, despite attempts to change it.
First of a series, this book does a very good job at painlessly introducing the reader to Hindu gods. As a suggestion, for anyone who wants to learn more than the basics, read about one god at a time, instead of trying to understand all of them. This book is the place to start.
This book attempts to introduce the reader to the world of Hindu gods. There are a million of them (gods, that is).
Ganesha is the one with the head of an elephant. He was created, according to one folk tale, because Shiva (his father) had been intruding too often on Parvati's (his mother) bath. Using the dead skin and dandruff from her body, she created a son and gatekeeper. After Shiva is driven away by Ganesha, Shiva gets furious and chops off his head, not realizing that it was his own son. Parvati is very upset, but Shiva tries to console her by putting the head of an elephant on Ganesha's body. Shiva is known as the god of destruction; he does not do so well at creation.
Indra, the greatest of the Vedic gods, was hidden as a baby for a long time. Prithvi, his mother, did it to keep him away from a jealous Dyaus Pita, his father. At the time of his birth, humans were in the midst of a major famine, because the demon Vritra had stolen the clouds. There was a major battle between Indra and Vritra, which was won by Indra, and the rains returned. Indra also defends people and animals from other demons, leading to his becoming ruler of the universe.
Most Hindu and Aryan holy books talk about there being thirty-three gods (a reasonable number). So where did the number of 330 million gods come from? The book also talks about India's caste system, still entrenched in Indian society, despite attempts to change it.
First of a series, this book does a very good job at painlessly introducing the reader to Hindu gods. As a suggestion, for anyone who wants to learn more than the basics, read about one god at a time, instead of trying to understand all of them. This book is the place to start.
Monday, August 27, 2018
Fate and the Twilight of the Gods
Fate and the Twilight of the Gods: The Norns and an Exegesis of Voluspa, Gwendolyn Taunton, Manticore Press, 2018
This is a short book on Northern European (specifically Norse) mythology.
Fate is a force that is outside of human control. In Northern Europe, fate is usually shown as a Goddess with three aspects, known as the Norns or Nornir. They are not separate and distinct figures, which leads to the possibility that they were imported from somewhere else, and merged with the existing belief system via Roman incursions into Europe.
There is a problem in trying to study the surviving textual references to the Nornir. Christians destroyed a lot of indigenous literature during their aggressive converting of Europeans. Therefore, the concept of the Nornir could have been part of something much bigger.
Many different traditions have their own apocalypse story; for the Norwegians, it is called Ragnarok. It is similar to other traditions in that there is a cycle of decline in the quality of life until the end comes. Then the world is purified through destruction and things begin again.
Loki is the antagonist behind the coming of Ragnarok. He is never fully accepted into the community of Asgard. He is eventually imprisoned and tortured. Ragnarok can not be prevented, only postponed, because of a mistake in Odin's (Loki's father) past.
This is a very specialized book. It is recommended for mythology scholars, or those who otherwise know their way around Norse mythology. For the average reader, this book can be skipped.
This is a short book on Northern European (specifically Norse) mythology.
Fate is a force that is outside of human control. In Northern Europe, fate is usually shown as a Goddess with three aspects, known as the Norns or Nornir. They are not separate and distinct figures, which leads to the possibility that they were imported from somewhere else, and merged with the existing belief system via Roman incursions into Europe.
There is a problem in trying to study the surviving textual references to the Nornir. Christians destroyed a lot of indigenous literature during their aggressive converting of Europeans. Therefore, the concept of the Nornir could have been part of something much bigger.
Many different traditions have their own apocalypse story; for the Norwegians, it is called Ragnarok. It is similar to other traditions in that there is a cycle of decline in the quality of life until the end comes. Then the world is purified through destruction and things begin again.
Loki is the antagonist behind the coming of Ragnarok. He is never fully accepted into the community of Asgard. He is eventually imprisoned and tortured. Ragnarok can not be prevented, only postponed, because of a mistake in Odin's (Loki's father) past.
This is a very specialized book. It is recommended for mythology scholars, or those who otherwise know their way around Norse mythology. For the average reader, this book can be skipped.
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Finding Sarah
Finding Sarah, Paul Walker, Michael Terence Publishing, 2018
This novel is about one man's attempt to fill in a large hole in his family history -- the sudden disappearance of his grandmother more than thirty years ago.
In 1980's England, Jack runs a home-based business selling software to catering companies. Things are not going well. He had to let go his sales manager, who then jumped to the competition. An important client did not renew their contract. A lucky bet on a horse race keeps the company afloat, for a while. A new sales manager was hired, who seemed to be the answer to Jack's prayers. That is, until large discrepancies were found in his resume.
What is worse is that Jack's behavior is getting increasingly erratic. With no warning, Jack suddenly gets angry, and lets loose with lots of profanity (even in front of friends). Jack pleads business stress, but his wife, Sarah, is sick of it. On the way to a patch-things-up vacation in the country (Sarah is an unwilling passenger in the car), Jack stops at a highway rest stop, and has a nap in the car. Sarah goes inside, and vanishes. When Jack goes in to get her, she is gone. The police are called.
Fast forward to the present. Jack is in a nursing home, suffering from advanced dementia. Matt, his grandson, is inspired to look into Sarah's disappearance. Slowly, he begins to put it all together. Focus shifts to an abandoned well at the cottage where Jack and Sarah were supposed to have their vacation. Are there human remains at the bottom of the well?
This is a very good story, but a very "quiet" story. There are no car chases, or hair-raising escapes from the bad guys (there are no bad guys). There is just lots of good writing, and an ending that will keep the reader guessing.
This novel is about one man's attempt to fill in a large hole in his family history -- the sudden disappearance of his grandmother more than thirty years ago.
In 1980's England, Jack runs a home-based business selling software to catering companies. Things are not going well. He had to let go his sales manager, who then jumped to the competition. An important client did not renew their contract. A lucky bet on a horse race keeps the company afloat, for a while. A new sales manager was hired, who seemed to be the answer to Jack's prayers. That is, until large discrepancies were found in his resume.
What is worse is that Jack's behavior is getting increasingly erratic. With no warning, Jack suddenly gets angry, and lets loose with lots of profanity (even in front of friends). Jack pleads business stress, but his wife, Sarah, is sick of it. On the way to a patch-things-up vacation in the country (Sarah is an unwilling passenger in the car), Jack stops at a highway rest stop, and has a nap in the car. Sarah goes inside, and vanishes. When Jack goes in to get her, she is gone. The police are called.
Fast forward to the present. Jack is in a nursing home, suffering from advanced dementia. Matt, his grandson, is inspired to look into Sarah's disappearance. Slowly, he begins to put it all together. Focus shifts to an abandoned well at the cottage where Jack and Sarah were supposed to have their vacation. Are there human remains at the bottom of the well?
This is a very good story, but a very "quiet" story. There are no car chases, or hair-raising escapes from the bad guys (there are no bad guys). There is just lots of good writing, and an ending that will keep the reader guessing.
Friday, July 6, 2018
Dark Energy
Dark Energy, Robison Wells, Scholastic Inc., 2016
Contact with an alien race has finally happened. A mile-long spaceship has crashed, putting a 300-mile-long gouge in the American Midwest, killing thousands of people. Alice has been put into a local boarding school, because her father, who works for NASA, has to be at the crash site.
After several days, a hole is cut in the side of the ship, and the aliens start coming out, by the thousands. They call themselves the Guides, and they sure do look human. A bit of secret genetic testing shows that they really are human. They also speak a version of an old Native American language from the American Southwest. The humans get a look inside the ship, and see large rooms with lots of spilled blood. Perhaps the ship crashed because of a major battle or mutiny on board.
The Guides are not the only inhabitants of the ship. These other aliens are gray-skinned, much taller than the Guides, with lots of horns and claws and a nasty disposition. It seems that the Guides were practically slaves, and that a mutiny did cause the crash, and that the "bad guys" are not going to let the Guides go that easily.
Alice and a couple of friends have been taking care of a couple of the Guides. They suddenly find themselves racing across America, to a supposed sanctuary, knowing that, at any moment, they could be blasted into atoms.
This is a really good Young Adult novel. The author does a first-rate job from start to finish. It has plenty of action, and is very much worth reading.
Contact with an alien race has finally happened. A mile-long spaceship has crashed, putting a 300-mile-long gouge in the American Midwest, killing thousands of people. Alice has been put into a local boarding school, because her father, who works for NASA, has to be at the crash site.
After several days, a hole is cut in the side of the ship, and the aliens start coming out, by the thousands. They call themselves the Guides, and they sure do look human. A bit of secret genetic testing shows that they really are human. They also speak a version of an old Native American language from the American Southwest. The humans get a look inside the ship, and see large rooms with lots of spilled blood. Perhaps the ship crashed because of a major battle or mutiny on board.
The Guides are not the only inhabitants of the ship. These other aliens are gray-skinned, much taller than the Guides, with lots of horns and claws and a nasty disposition. It seems that the Guides were practically slaves, and that a mutiny did cause the crash, and that the "bad guys" are not going to let the Guides go that easily.
Alice and a couple of friends have been taking care of a couple of the Guides. They suddenly find themselves racing across America, to a supposed sanctuary, knowing that, at any moment, they could be blasted into atoms.
This is a really good Young Adult novel. The author does a first-rate job from start to finish. It has plenty of action, and is very much worth reading.
Meeting Nihena
Meeting Nihena, Ervin Agayan, 2018, Amazon Digital Services
First of a series, this novel is about Arsy and Zens, a pair of traveling thieves. They enter the city of Mozakon, the shining city on a hill (literally). They are there because a local sensei is said to be the only person who can teach Arsy the martial art of cathastu.
Arsy has plenty of motivation to learn. Several years previously, he was an ally to a well-known outlaw named Erathos. Now they are on opposite sides. Maybe sooner, maybe later, the two will meet again. Without cathastu, Arsy is a dead man (again, literally).
Arsy is in love with Princess Parelia. She despises him, because of his past association with Erathos, and has made it clear that she never wants to see him again. While in Mozakon, Arsy and Zens run into Nihena, daughter of the city's Lord, and chief mercenary. Think of the human equivalent of a Tasmanian Devil. She is loud, brash, arrogant and with the fighting skills to back it up (which she is not afraid to use). She agrees to teach cathastu to Arsy, after the Lord withdraws official permission. Reports surface that Erathos is only a couple of days away from Mozakon.
There is a lot of dialogue, and not much sword or sorcery in this novel. The author almost, but not quite, reaches the level of writing an excellent story. I look forward to reading the rest of this series.
First of a series, this novel is about Arsy and Zens, a pair of traveling thieves. They enter the city of Mozakon, the shining city on a hill (literally). They are there because a local sensei is said to be the only person who can teach Arsy the martial art of cathastu.
Arsy has plenty of motivation to learn. Several years previously, he was an ally to a well-known outlaw named Erathos. Now they are on opposite sides. Maybe sooner, maybe later, the two will meet again. Without cathastu, Arsy is a dead man (again, literally).
Arsy is in love with Princess Parelia. She despises him, because of his past association with Erathos, and has made it clear that she never wants to see him again. While in Mozakon, Arsy and Zens run into Nihena, daughter of the city's Lord, and chief mercenary. Think of the human equivalent of a Tasmanian Devil. She is loud, brash, arrogant and with the fighting skills to back it up (which she is not afraid to use). She agrees to teach cathastu to Arsy, after the Lord withdraws official permission. Reports surface that Erathos is only a couple of days away from Mozakon.
There is a lot of dialogue, and not much sword or sorcery in this novel. The author almost, but not quite, reaches the level of writing an excellent story. I look forward to reading the rest of this series.
Nevermore!
Nevermore! Tales of Murder, Mystery and the Macabre, Nancy Kilpatrick and Caro Soles (ed.), Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, 2015
Here is a group of contemporary stories inspired by the writing of Edgar Allan Poe. They could be thought of as modern retellings of some of his most famous tales. Poe was a pioneer in several different literary genres, including detective stories, science fiction and, of course, horror.
The stories are mostly short (only a few pages each), and they are very easy to read. They are spooky/macabre stories, as opposed to actual horror stories. As with any Poe story, these stories will keep the reader awake, so don't read this book in bed.
Horror fans will love this anthology, and Poe fans will especially love it. All of these tales are really good.
Here is a group of contemporary stories inspired by the writing of Edgar Allan Poe. They could be thought of as modern retellings of some of his most famous tales. Poe was a pioneer in several different literary genres, including detective stories, science fiction and, of course, horror.
The stories are mostly short (only a few pages each), and they are very easy to read. They are spooky/macabre stories, as opposed to actual horror stories. As with any Poe story, these stories will keep the reader awake, so don't read this book in bed.
Horror fans will love this anthology, and Poe fans will especially love it. All of these tales are really good.
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
Armada
Armada, Ernest Cline, Crown Publishing, 2015
Zack Lightman is an average teen-age resident of Oregon. His passion is video games, especially an Alien invasion game called Armada, at which he is one of the top players in the world.
Zack's father, Xavier, died when he was a baby (or did he?), but left behind some unique theories. He strongly believed that pop culture, from the Twilight Zone TV show to the Star Wars films all the way to present-day video games has a specific purpose. It is to indoctrinate mankind to the possibility of alien existence, because Contact has already happened.
At school one day, everyone rushes outside when a shuttle from the Earth Defense Alliance, exactly like the video game, lands on the athletic field. The people inside are looking for Zack. The invasion is real and imminent. Taken to a secret underground base, Zack and the other new recruits, all top players of the game, learn that swarms of drones are coming from Jupiter's moon, Europa. The intention is to wipe out humanity. All of Earth prepares for war.
While engaging the invaders, questions arise about their tactics. If they really want to destroy mankind, why are they using an inefficient method like a drone invasion? Pointing an asteroid at Earth, or releasing a worldwide plague would be much easier.
Anyone with any video game passion will love this novel. It is very easy to read, and understand, and would make a great movie. This is very much worth reading.
Zack Lightman is an average teen-age resident of Oregon. His passion is video games, especially an Alien invasion game called Armada, at which he is one of the top players in the world.
Zack's father, Xavier, died when he was a baby (or did he?), but left behind some unique theories. He strongly believed that pop culture, from the Twilight Zone TV show to the Star Wars films all the way to present-day video games has a specific purpose. It is to indoctrinate mankind to the possibility of alien existence, because Contact has already happened.
At school one day, everyone rushes outside when a shuttle from the Earth Defense Alliance, exactly like the video game, lands on the athletic field. The people inside are looking for Zack. The invasion is real and imminent. Taken to a secret underground base, Zack and the other new recruits, all top players of the game, learn that swarms of drones are coming from Jupiter's moon, Europa. The intention is to wipe out humanity. All of Earth prepares for war.
While engaging the invaders, questions arise about their tactics. If they really want to destroy mankind, why are they using an inefficient method like a drone invasion? Pointing an asteroid at Earth, or releasing a worldwide plague would be much easier.
Anyone with any video game passion will love this novel. It is very easy to read, and understand, and would make a great movie. This is very much worth reading.
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