Colony: Life On Mars by Paul R. E. Jarvis - Characters And Plot Twists Make This A Great Read

Colony: Life on Mars by Paul R. E. Jarvis

An ad for this book appeared on my Facebook feed and borrowed it through Kindle Unlimited.

As we get closer to a possible manned mission to Mars, it is not surprising to see authors letting their imaginations run with the trope. Also, as technology advances, those stories are getting more intricate. As far as I have read, most of the travel to the Red Planet stories are all pretty much the same in formula. People travel to Travel to Mars, there is trouble along the way, there is trouble on the surface, people have to leave and return to Earth or die on an alien world. All of them have their own plots and characters, and I enjoy them all. But Colony: Life on Mars stands out as one that is unique among many I have read.

I read this story in a single day, just not able to set it aside, and completely engaged every single minute I read. I was honestly on the edge of my seat the entire time and only took a break from reading to have dinner with the family.

I enjoyed the richness of the tale of an advance team of astronauts and specialists heading out to make ready for a much larger craft to arrive with not just a few others, but enough people to found a colony. I enjoyed the diversity of characters. I loved the descriptions of the science and technology as it appeared. Colony is a fun and engaging story with an interesting twist.

There are a few plot-holes and some typographical errors in the Kindle text, but, if one can suspend their disbelief and overlook the typos, one will find a fantastic story of the plight of people making the impossible plausible.

In the not-too-distant future, Kelly Brown leads an international team of six astronauts on a journey to Mars. Her team comprises her second in command, a doctor, and other people with special skills to set up for the colonization of the planet. Weighing heavily on her mind, along with leaving her husband behind, is a previous unsuccessful mission that resulted in a destroyed space craft and a dead crew.

Kelly has been assured the problems that plagued the previous mission have been solved. With the crew's successful landing on the planet, it would seem everything will work out. But wait, there's more.

One of the characters pointed out that Mars seems like the kind of place that was made for killing people. 

There are numerous problems that arise, and one thing leads to another. It becomes a real struggle for survival as Kelly and her team awaits the arrival of the colony ship.

The characters n Colony are six astronauts who have training for the mission, and each has their own area of expertise. No character appears more important than the others, as they have to work together for survival.

I think the most prominent character in this story is the planet Mars itself. One of the characters in the story makes the statement that the planet seems to try to kill them. It also might seem the same to the reader. Most of the problems that happen with the advance crew results from the elements of the planet. Dust storms, seismic activity, and radiation are the major problems they face as the story unfolds. The timing of the incidents is also a major factor. 

The human characters are written to behave as real people would. They are all good people, and some are more flawed than others.

My takeaway from Colony is the man vs. nature theme. The members of the crew sent to mars are all prepared, in theory. But how can anyone be completely prepared for life in a place so completely alien to anything humans have encountered before? It is difficult enough to survive when nature seems against one, but in this case, it takes extra careful planning and resilience.

As I mentioned at the outset, there are a few shortcomings in this story, but I will not belabor them. The quality of the story is enough to forgive the few flaws I found.

Colony is a well-paced new take on the mission to Mars type story. It is fresh, entertaining, and jam-packed with action and plot twists. I recommend this book for those who enjoy a good character-driven story.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dr. Paul R. E. Jarvis is an author of fast-paced action thrillers. Originally from South Wales, Paul lives in Leeds in the north of England with his wife and two children. He has practised medicine in the United Kingdom for over twenty years and often uses his real-life encounters with people to add colour to his plots.

​He started writing during his breaks while working on the wards as a way of escapism from the harsh reality of hospital medicine. 2019 saw the publication of his first novel, The Danzig Corridor, which was followed by Colony in 2020. Now, his work frequently takes him overseas, so most of his writing is done at 30,000 feet.

​Paul is an accomplished public speaker and entertains audiences with his witty but challenging presentations, covering a wide breadth of topics from Avoiding Career Burnout to How to study for examinations. 

Paul's favourite quote is "Don't let yesterday take up too much of today!"

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Dogs of DevTown By Taylor Hohulin - High Powered Cyberpunk Sci-Fi That Feels A Lot Like Blade Runner

Dogs of DevTown by Taylor Hohulin

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Dogs of DevTown is a dystopian urban cyberpunk Sci-Fi story set in a place called DevTown. It could be any large city in the US where conditions have deteriorated to where crime runs rampant in the streets, and crime lords are in charge. The description of DevTown is very similar to that of a future Los Angeles in the 1982 Blade Runner film.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It starts with action and doesn't stop until one closes the book. It moves at breakneck speed, but it is so well written, the reader will have an easy time understanding the story. 

Everyone in DevTown is bad. No one seems to have any redeemable qualities, including the principal character, Shan Hayes. She is a bounty hunter who takes on contracts from crime lords to track down those who have crossed them. When Shan receives a contract from a particularly nasty crime lord, she does not know what she is getting into. For her, it is just another paycheck along the way. As she tracks her contract, she learns just how deep the evil goes in DevTown. A megalomaniacal cyber-entity seeks to download itself into a body, and Shan gets in the way. She is dogged by this entity until there is a final epic showdown. The contract she accepts could prove to be more than even she can handle.

Shan Hayes is a human who uses chemicals to enhance her abilities as she hunts for criminals. She is not a nice person and will go to incredible lengths to complete her tasks, including almost killing herself. There isn't a lot to say about Shan, other than she is relentless and ruthless. This is not someone I would want to meet in a dark alley, or anywhere else. One thing I would have liked to have known is a little more background on this character. Where did she come from? What made her the way she is? These are just a couple of questions I would have liked to know the answers to. What we know is she has shunned all the cybernetic and mechanical enhancements everyone else in the story seems to favor.

Shan relies on help from a few shady characters along the way. One, Kim Le, is a scientist in the NexDev tower, a prominent structure in DevTown. He is probably the closest thing to a friend in Shan's life. When Shan's use of chemicals for enhancements has taken her to a near point of no return, she goes to Kim, who puts her right again, with the use of more chemicals. He also supplies her with the drugs she uses to enhance her abilities.

Everyone in the city seems to have cybernetic enhancements, including Andromeda, a "tabber" (drug user) who knows how to gather information when he (Andromeda is typically considered a female name, but in this case, the character is male) can "jack" into the net. It is not clear if Andromeda can be trusted, but Shan has little choice; no one in the story can really be trusted beyond their own self-interest.

Shan's most reliable helper is Aldis, a parasite living in a canister on her side in a saline solution. Shan consults through touch. When she puts her hand into the solution, Aldis connects to her by drawing blood from her fingers. Aldis is also a powerful weapon Shan uses to takedown her targets. He provides company and advice as needed. 

My favorite plot point in DevTown is the final battle between Shan and her chief nemesis. It is a one of the best battle scenes I have read, and the outcome is uncertain all the way through.

My takeaway from Dogs of DevTown is Shen, a tenacious antihero, is forced into a position where she must fight for the good of all. She is not the type to care at all for anyone else. Because of the circumstances, she has to rely on others for help to achieve her goal, but more to survive than anything else. The irony of this story is palpable all the way through.

I was entertained by this book and wanted to read on when I had to set it aside. While I didn't find any of the characters people I could really care about, I did ironically find myself cheering for Shan and, more so, for Andromeda. I loved the fast pace and short length of DevTown and thought it was just right. There were moments I felt disgusted, depressed, and excited all at the same time. The author did a fine job setting the atmosphere for the book with descriptions making the scenes come alive.

I would recommend this book for those looking for a book that doesn't take a lot of thought to understand and enjoy a lot of twists and turns in their plot lines.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Taylor Hohulin is a radio personality by morning, a science fiction author by afternoon, and asleep by 9:30.

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Three Aliens Walk Into A Bar: The Invasion Of Lake Peculiar Book 1 By Jack Ravenhill - A Funny Little Story With A Few Problems

Three Aliens Walk Into A Bar: The invasion of Lake Peculiar Book 1 by Jack Ravenhill

How could anyone resist a title like Three Aliens Walk Into A Bar? Well, I couldn't. I learned about this book from a blog I subscribe to that recommends books in various genres. Along with the title reading like the opening to a bad joke, I was drawn by the cover.

Three Aliens is a Sci-Fi Comedy focusing on strange characters who have gathered in a small town somewhere in Minnesota. It is full of funny situations, but only funny; I wouldn't go as far as to say hilarious. The characters are a group of widely diverse types ranging from somewhat normal to outrageously strange.

While the story wasn't what I would call great, it is good. It is solid and moves at a quick pace and is easy to read mostly, which brings me to my major complaint about the book.

I think the author should have run this book past the editor a few more times. The text has so many typos I found myself looking for them and being taken out of the story.

Now, before anyone goes off calling me a "Grammar-Nazi" I'll say no matter how many passes someone makes over a text, a few things will be missed. I've learned this from my writing. I've read several books that have one or two minor problems and tend to forgive them, but Three Aliens has so many, I could not ignore them and must wonder if this story wasn't rushed to release.

Despite the typos, I enjoyed the story and was entertained.

A phone app called Astra is showing numerous objects approaching the solar system from deep space. Scientists say the nature of these objects is inconclusive and could be anything. Later, it seems the objects' movements are not responding to gravity well encounters, and they appear to be accelerating as well. Many people jump to the conclusion that alien invasion is imminent. And with that, chaos and bedlam take hold in large population centers.

Gus and Sam, a couple of gamer-types, react as well. Gus decides it is time for a road trip to see a woman he has been internet gaming with calling herself the Night Fox. In Gus' grandiose thinking, this woman is his erstwhile girlfriend, and he is determined to meet her. Sam, Gus' meek-mannered sidekick, goes along for the ride against his better judgement.

When their car becomes inoperable along the way to the Canadian town where Night Fox lives, they catch a ride with a paranormal radio talk show host. Following another vehicular mishap, they wind up in Lake Peculiar, Minnesota, thanks to a good Samaritan who rescues them.

Meanwhile, Journey Devereaux, and her grandmother are evicted from their cabin in the Canadian woods and told they will have to move on. Thanks to the efforts of Sam and the good Samaritan that saved him, they can bring Journey to Lake Peculiar. Out of the goodness of his heart, Sam does this for Gus' sake, thinking she is the mysterious Night Fox.

In Lake Peculiar, there lives a collection of numerous types of people. All are interesting and some are down-right, well, peculiar.

When the aliens arrive, it is rumored the Russians launched nuclear weapons at a mothership and it resulted in the complete and utter destruction of Moscow in retaliation. Many are convinced this is an actual event, causing everyone to assume the visitors from far away are malevolent. However, when three members of the alien race arrive in town, they don't seem bent on destruction, or anything else for that matter. They just seem to stand and silently observe while the sleepy little town goes about business as usual.

Of the three principal characters of this story, Gus seems to be the most interesting, and the most irritating. He sees himself as a classic Renaissance man who knows everything, but he is really just full of crap. He has the uncanny ability to extrapolate fact from thin air with little or no evidence and gets on everyone's nerves. When the aliens arrive, he becomes a self-appointed goodwill ambassador to the aliens. Most of the people of the town just go about their business while Gus continues his boisterous proclamations of how the aliens will be a beneficial addition to the community. Everyone tends to ignore Gus once they find out what he is all about.

Sam is the opposite of Gus. He is wholly unassuming and rarely insinuates himself on anyone. He is almost powerless where Gus' influence is concerned and often finds himself worse off for it. Sam is a nice kid, and one gets the impression he is smarter than he lets on. As the story unfolds, he shows quite a bit of growth and should be an interesting character in future books.

Journey is blind and is also quite smart and independent. She has accepted the situation that robbed her of sight and despises pity and goes to great lengths to avoid showing any vulnerability. She is the best developed among all the characters in Three Aliens, and as such, the most interesting.

The blurb for the book promises that "if you enjoy Garrison Keillor's Tales from Lake Wobegon, you'll love Lake Peculiar." I would have to agree with that statement. My favorite point of plot is the irony of the townspeople's reaction to the aliens on their doorstep. While as the title suggests, the three aliens do not walk into the bar, but they do little else other than mildly intimidate the population of the sleepy little town. Everyone except for Gus avoids contact with them, but still, they remain seemingly unfazed by the most incredible event of human history.

I enjoyed this story, but I'm on the fence about whether I will invest time in the promised sequels. I was intrigued and entertained by Three Aliens, but I don't feel invested in the story enough to commit. That's not to say it isn't a fine story, it just has a few weaknesses - aside from the poor editing - that may be a little off-putting. Mostly, I have known too many people like Gus in my lifetime and am not sure I want to expose myself to the attitude in my entertainment.

I would recommend this book to someone who might look for light and entertaining story with lots of action and head-scratching logic. It's not bad.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jack Ravenhill loves to build strange and complex worlds rich with unforgettable characters, hidden corners, and looming questions. His favorite stories break down old categories and invite you into fresh and fascinating ways of thinking. Whether it's robot fairies or small-town aliens, whether the stakes are the fate of the world or a teenage heartbreak, Jack always gets you through with heart, humor, and a feast among friends.

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Star Trek #21 - Uhura's Song By Janet Kagan - Didn't Love It & Didn't Hate It

Star Trek #21 - Uhura's Song by Janet Kagan

I found this book through an offer by the publisher offering it and others on Amazon for a bargain price.

I'm kind of on the fence about this book. I didn't hate it or love it. The plot is good; I like the idea of the Enterprise called to aid people in distress. That is what the Federation is about. On the other hand, I had a tough time getting all the way through the story and considered not finishing it a few times.

I think there are just too many words in this book. It seemed to have a lot of filler and unnecessary banter between characters. There is a lot of dialog broken up with a few scenes of action.

The USS Enterprise is sent to a planet populated by a feline race, where a deadly disease is escalating. Dr. McCoy and Nurse Chapel beam down to the planet and begin searching for a cure but are having little success. A cure becomes even more urgent when it is learned the disease is jumping species and humans are also infected. They learn about a possible cure on a faraway planet where the felines are originally from. Kirk leads the Enterprise to that planet where Uhura learns about a song that tells about the cure in its last verse. Unfortunately, Kirk and company may not hear the last verse because they are not considered adults on this planet. In order to be adults, one has to make a five-day trek through treacherous territory and survive. Kirk, Spock, Chekov and Uhura are guided by two felines through the walk. They encounter numerous obstacles along the way in the effort to discover a cure to take back.

All the regulars of the Enterprise crew are present for this romp, with a few new characters. I thought the regulars were written well and recognized their voice in the text. The feline characters were a different culture and were well developed as the story unfolds, but I felt the author might have dwelt too much on them and their culture.

One character that helped the story move forward was Dr. Evan Wilson. She took over as chief medical officer when McCoy was left behind to search for a cure to the disease. She has a great sense of humor and enjoyed perplexing Spock; they shared a light-hearted relationship where Spock usually got the short end of the stick. Her scenes with Kirk were also funny and helped with the pacing of the story. There were several moments where the author seemed to hint at a romantic relationship between her and Kirk, but thank goodness, it didn't get that far. It would have been the point at which I would have not read on to the end. Dr. Wilson is also a mysterious character. No one seems to know where she comes from, and it is never really explained to my satisfaction who or what she actually is.

With the title, Uhura's Song, I was expecting a story centering on Nyota Uhura. It didn't happen - it was all about Kirk, Spock, and Wilson (taking the place of McCoy). I found the title misleading causing me even more disappointment.

I had difficulty understanding exactly what the plot of the story was. At the beginning, the disease seemed to be the main plot of the book, but as I read on, that appeared to become a subplot. Then the main plot of the book became the culture of the feline race and their interactions. It was a little confusing, and I found myself wanting to tell the author to find a point and make it. There wasn't anything that stood out to me as a main plot as I meandered through this.

If there was an intended dominant theme, it was also lost on me. Is it about people helping others with a difficult situation? Is it a first contact story? Or is it a coming-of-age story? Perhaps I missed the point altogether.

Uhura's Song was a book I neither hated nor loved. It didn't hold my attention, and I had a hard time getting through the entire story. I felt it was too long and had too many details. I felt the title didn't represent the story well and was looking for a story featuring Uhura, but she was more of a side note. If you are a reader that enjoys stories that has some good world-building, this one has it. If you like cultural first contact stories, this is the one for you. If you enjoy a good solid Trek story, the premise is good, but the execution is lacking.

Writing is hard. Please don't misunderstand and think I am trashing the author. Kagan was a brilliant writer. There is a lot of positive in this book, and one cannot argue against an author who wins Hugo awards for her writing. This one just didn't excite me as much as I hoped.

                                    Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Janet Kagan (1946-2008) was an American author. Her works include two science fiction novels and two science fiction collections, plus numerous science fiction and fantasy short stories that appeared in publications such as Analog Science Fiction and Fact and Asimov's Science Fiction.

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Skybound By Lou Iovino - What Would Happen If The Earth Stopped Spinning? Here's One Possibility

 Skybound by Lou Iovino

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Skybound is an apocalyptic Sci-FI novel exploring the events following the appearance of a mysterious object appearing above the Earth and apparently causing a complete breakdown of the laws of physics. This event, as one might expect, throws the entire planet into chaos as people speculate the nature of the object.

Overall, I found Skybound an entertaining story with a lot of strengths and a few weaknesses. I liked the characters and their development; they are people I grew to care about and what happened to them. I liked the story for the most part.

What I call weaknesses are just some personal, nit-picky stuff that I will not dwell on because the story is worth a read.

Life in Franklin, Colorado, goes along as usual. Two lifelong friends, Father Michael Williams and Deputy Jimmy Bell, have coffee and pie at the Crispy Biscuit Diner when Father Williams finishes confession.

At nearby Peterson Air Force Base, a class of students from the high school is taking a tour guided by Noel Williams. Her job is to track and adjust the orbits of communication satellites in geosynchronous orbit.

In low earth orbit, the International Space Station under the command of Yanez Prescott continues research in its labs.

Life goes on normally until a peculiar, giant object suddenly appears above the Earth and the planet stops spinning on its access. Chaos breaks forth as Father Mike's church collapses, the diner burns catches fire, Noel sees the satellites she is in charge of drifting out their orbits, and so does the ISS.

The result is a fight for survival and to understand what has happened.

The major strength of Skybound is its characters. There are no superhumans among them. They are all people who are believable and can care about. Most of them do their best to cope with the situation, while some have a few problems. Of all the principal characters, my favorite was more in a supporting role as opposed to being a major character.

Aster Meekins (aster is the Greek word for star) is one of the students on the tour of Noel's lab at Peterson AFB. At first, she is quiet and unassuming. She is a science nerd and not one of the popular kids in school. Mostly self-taught, she becomes important in the story as an assistant to Noel as events unfold. She is smart and knows her stuff, but Aster also offers a lighter side to the story because of her teenage wisdom. I felt bad for her because she would have had a brilliant future as a scientist.

Another favorite character was Astronaut Yanez Prescott. She is not only the commander of the ISS, but she is also a military pilot, and a tough character when she needs to be. Her survival story is both heart wrenching and heroic at the same time. Following her from the station carrying what she thinks will be vital information on the object to the conclusion of her segment is compelling. 

My favorite point of plot in Skybound revolves around the relationship between Aster and Noel. They have to work together to keep the flow of information going in an old radio station. During that time, they develop a close friendship. There isn't a lot of humor in the story, but what there is happens mostly between those two.

I enjoyed this mostly character driven story. There was some questionable science in a few places, but then again, it seemed the object that appeared in the sky may have messed with physics and changed things significantly. My major reservation with Skybound was with the ending of the story. I will not spoil it, but I have to say it left me a bit unsatisfied and bewildered.

Other than that, I recommend it for the reasons I mentioned before. Fine, well-developed characters, good dialog, and interesting situations and puzzles to solve.

As I read, I couldn’t stop thinking about how it felt a lot like another book I’d read by Niven & Pournelle a while back.

It is a very good first novel.

Lou Iovino is a ten-year veteran of the comics industry. He is the co-creator of THE LAST WEST, a two-volume graphic novel available exclusively on Comixology. He has also written for Zenescope Entertainment on several of their flagship titles including ROBYN HOOD, VAN HELSING, GRIMM TALES OF TERROR and RED AGENT.

His debut novel SKYBOUND is available now at Amazon and on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.

In days gone by, Lou taught basic, advanced, and technical writing and world classics at Rutgers University. He is currently teaching advertising at Villanova University.

He lives in New Jersey with his wife and two sons.

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The Exodus Betrayal By N.C. Scrimgeour - Thrilling Sci-Fy/Cyber Punk

The Exodus Betrayal by N.C. Scrimgeour

I received an advance review copy free; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Exodus Betrayal is a sci-fi thriller/cyber punk novel that is well written, exciting, and difficult to put down. I especially enjoyed the strong female principal character, Alvera Renata. The story is told from her first-person perspective revealed with the first line of the book, "Welcome to my head." What follows is a fast-moving story of betrayal and intrigue. The story is not overly long and there is no filler. There are lots of unexpected twists and turns to add to the suspense contained within. I just think it is a splendid book, and it is well worth looking at.

Warrant Hunter (bounty hunter) Alvera Renata lives on the planet New Pallas. It is a dismal place where corporations pay low wages to do very dangerous jobs. The "sletes" (short for Obsoletes) work in mines extracting various materials for the corporations on an upper level of the planet called the Spire. The sletes slave away without adequate food and no access to medicine, they have no other choice. Over everything is a mysterious space station orbiting above the planet. No one really knows what it is doing there, or who occupies it because anytime someone tried to travel to it, they are killed before they can even get close.

Alvera doesn't care for the way the common folk of the planet are treated and feels an urge to make changes. But she is only one person. It's going to be an arduous task, if not impossible.

As is mentioned in the book's prologue, Alvera wishes she had a mind of her own. She has cybernetic implants that enhance her abilities, but she is also monitored and receives messages through her tech. The sad thing about Alvera is she really doesn't have an identity she can call her own, and even worse, she doesn't know it. She is tough and determined and has made a few enemies during her time on the job. Even though she is tough, she also has compassion. She cares about the people on the planet's surface wand believes everyone should have an equal opportunity to reach their potential. Unfortunately, her ambitions are controlled by a man who is the embodiment of evil. His name is Ryce.

Ryce has no redeeming qualities. He is controlling, manipulative, and knows just how to make Alvera do things he wants her to do, and things she doesn't want to. He sees no value in the lives of the sletes. Ryce is the ultimate user and doesn't care who is hurt. He is a brilliantly written villain, and I disliked him from the first time he was introduced in the story.

My favorite point of the plot is how Alvera grows as she learns more about herself. She is secure in who she is until she learns a key point about her past. It throws her into a lot of self-doubt, but she copes with it. With the story told in the first-person point of view, we get a lot of insight into her putting pieces together, but she never loses sight of her goal. A victim of deception and betrayal are only obstacles for her to remove.

My major takeaway from Betrayal is the good versus evil trope in this book. Ryce is the epitome of evil in this story, while Alvera is the good. The only problem is, sometimes even good must revert to evil tactics to be successful. Alvera is not beyond stooping as low as Ryce to advance her cause, the only difference is Alvera frequently has regrets for what she is forced to do. 

The blurb from the back cover mentions a comparison with Blade Runner. AI read I had that noir kind of feeling all the way through. It just seems like Alvera had way too many things against her to succeed. Other things I appreciated was the world building the author presented. She does a great job of showing a story that unfolds like a film in one's mind with visuals and descriptions that are vivid, but not overstated.

I recommend The Exodus Betrayal as a finely crafted Sci-Fi story with a strong female lead to rival any I have seen so far.

N. C. Scrimgeour is a science fiction and fantasy author whose books focus on character-driven stories in vibrant worlds, from folklore fantasy to space opera.

After completing her Masters in English Literature, she went on to work in journalism and marketing and communications while pursuing her passion for writing.

When she’s not working on her books, she enjoys playing story-driven RPGs, watching and reading all things science fiction and fantasy, and getting outdoors with the dog for a good walk!

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An Audience For Einstein by Mark Wakely - An Amazing Character Driven Young Adult Science Fiction Must Read!

An Audience for Einstein by Mark Wakely

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I found this book on the BookSirens site. What immediately caught my attention was the cover art and the title. The blurb sealed the deal, and I downloaded it. I've since read An Audience for Einstein and was mesmerized from the first page. This is an incredible treatment of the old sci-fi trope of transferring memories from one being to another. It is young-adult sci-fi book I would say is appropriate for 7th grade readers and up. Don't be fooled by the designation young adult. Anyone who is just looking for a great story to enjoy will enjoy this one, no matter the age, or what genre you enjoy. 

Percival Marlowe is a retired professor and Nobel laureate, dying from old age.

Dr. Carl Dorning is a former neurosurgeon turned researcher.

Miguel Sanchez is a street urchin who hangs out with older boys who spend their days on the streets panhandling for cash.

So, what do these three people have in common? Dr. Dorning's research is to prolong life by transferring one person's memories to others. He receives funding from Dr. Marlowe to continue his research and have his memories transferred to someone younger so he can continue his groundbreaking discoveries in astrophysics. Thinking Miguel has no family or future, Dorning chooses Miguel to inherit not only Marlowe's property, but his memories as well.

Dorning delivers an amazing sales pitch to Miguel, but doesn't tell him everything. One small detail Dorning leaves out is, if what he plans to do is successful, Miguel will no longer exist while Marlowe continues to live; Miguel will become Marlowe.

Miguel is not a bad kid, but he is in a bad situation as far as his family life is concerned. His situation leaves him vulnerable to be exploited by Dorning. He never seems to trust Dorning, but the promises made to him are so appealing, he doesn't want to pass it up. He believes it will not only help him but will help his family as well. He is scared, but really has no place else to go. Miguel meets Dr. Marlowe, and they have a friendly relationship, visiting together about many things.

Dr. Marlowe is old and frail. He doesn't have long to live, and he's made a deal with the devil in the person of Dorning. He also doesn't know all of what will happen when his intellect is transferred to Miguel. If he did, he most likely wouldn't go through with the procedure.

Dr. Carl Dorning quit his career as a neurosurgeon to pursue his idea on mind transfer. He lives alone in a home with a full laboratory in his basement, funded mostly by Marlowe. His character is strange in that, as a reader, I liked the guy one minute and despised him the next. He seems to care for both Miguel and Marlowe, but he actually only cares for his work and its success. It is more of an obsession than a research project and this make him scary.

All three characters are well developed, and in the case of Miguel and Marlowe, they are people the reader can care about and a young reader might actually empathize with Miguel at some level. As far as Dorning is concerned, he comes across as somewhat of a snake-oil salesman who convinces others his motivations are noble, but his only motivation is a successful outcome to his project and his own fame once he releases his findings.

My favorite point of the plot in An Audience for Einstein is when we meet Miguel's family and see that they aren’t the people they are assumed to be. I found my own implicit bias causing me to make judgements about his mom and dad and thinking he might be better off with Dorning. I was pleased to learn his parents do care about him and are working toward making a better life for themselves and Miguel as well.

What I am taking away from this book is the theme of one's identity. Dorning justifies taking Miguel's identity by deeming him as one who has no potential. As far as he is concerned, Miguel will be given a gift that will improve his life. He is, in essence, plotting the murder of one human being's personality in favor of making them someone who they were not meant to be. On the other hand, Miguel thinks he and Marlowe will live sharing personalities. When he learns the truth, he asserts he wants to be who he is, free to explore his own potential. Dorning is not just unethical, he is criminal, and one might even find him pathological. Along with Miguel, Marlow doesn't have all the facts, but when he learns the eventual outcome intended by Dorning, he also rejects the taking of another life to enhance his own.

I was fascinated with An Audience for Einstein from the first page and the book held my interest and attention all the way through the end. There isn't any filler in this story, and it moves at a lightning speed. There is a lot in it to provoke thought on many levels and I think it is a wonderful story to introduce a young person to the world of Science Fiction. There isn't a lot of jargon the wade through, the language is plainly written on a level anyone can enjoy. The characters are well written and real. They will elicit emotions and reactions in the reader's mind.

I looked on Wakely's web page and found he has done his homework on the science in the story. There is an actual scientific hypothesis on the idea of memory transfer. Follow this link to see the basis for that part of the story: http://www.anaudienceforeinstein.com/from-the-author.html

The author also provides resources for teachers who may like to use An Audience for Einstein in their classes. Follow this link for those resources: http://www.anaudienceforeinstein.com/resources-for-educators.html

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good story whether or not a sci-fi fan. Five Stars.

Mark Wakely has held a lifelong interest in all things science-related, dating back to high school when he won the Bausch & Lomb science award in high school. Mark holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and is a college administrator at prestigious Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Illinois. He lives in a nearby town with his wife and three children, and is an avid reader and amateur astronomer.

Here is a link to the author's blog: https://markwakelyauthor.blogspot.com/

Well, there it is...

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