When Aaron’s headlights catch the outline of what appears to be a beautiful woman standing in the middle of the road, his car swerves and crashes at high speed into a tree ... Convinced that the beautiful woman he saw that night saved his life, he hacks into top government databases. His brother and the departmental shrink think he’s crazy, making him resort to his old friend Michael, whose open-minded views on the supernatural have always been a point of contention between them. This time Aaron has no choice, his recent hallucinations having opened his mind to possibilities that would have otherwise been startling for his logical mind to comprehend.

The Others reminded me of classic science-fiction stories, where paranoia of government and the searching of alternative alien truths lead to alienation and friction. However, Aaron is far from admitting he is troubled. Convinced that the authorities are behaving suspiciously, it’s easy to admire his ability to see through them and use his courage to seek out his supposed saviour, the beautiful woman. I liked the debate of paranormal dimensions and alternative histories discussed between Aaron and Michael, it brought forth new possibilities and made reading The Others a strand of successive mystery and revelation with each new paragraph. The pacing was fast, and events seem to rush by, sometimes in a blur. However, the layered plotlines unfold well once all the characters and rules are introduced, and I really felt I got a sense of what it would mean if Aaron succeeds or fails, and even if there are other worlds out there?

The Others is a classic sci-fi with powerful romance and with wondrous twists at the end. For me its message was to follow your convictions, regardless of what you are told, and for us to not forget our natural origins.