THE ATOMIC EXPRESS

by Richard L. Miller

The Atomic Softcover 978-0966941403eBook 978-1881043-96-6“Exploding atomic bombs in the Nevada desert in the ‘50’s must have been surreal, but imagine the personalities eccentric scientists building bombs and theologies, ambitious military men building armies and careers, slick politicians, enlisted pawns. If that’s not weird enough for you, sprinkle in flying Cadillac bombs, Mickey Mouse bombs, escalators to parallel universes, avenging angels, orgasmic blimp rides through hell, and train rides through the heavens. Creating a star to pre-empt the dawn—that’s just the beginning. Then you want to ride it. This work is cinematic in its sweep, setting and nuclear grandeur. But it’s also put together very much like a film—composed of hundreds of sharp, telling scenes. It might have been a screenplay, but superb descriptive prose anchors the work. In the grand tradition of Pynchon and Heller, the book is an irreverent collage of absurdity and symbolism. --CROW Quarterly Review3 of 3 people found the following review Don't Read This Book If You Treasure Complacency!, March 15, 2000By Mary G. Constible (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviewsThis review is The Atomic Express (Paperback) this book contains materials which will provoke high amusement and deep thought. The author operates at many different levels and will keep you wondering what just happened, what is about to happen, and how on earth human beings could ever have allowed such things to take place. Not only did I find this combination of satire, adventure and modern history to be totally engrossing while I was reading it, I found that I couldn't put down some of the issues raised after I'd already finished the book. If you are also a reader who enjoys being shaken up, hop aboard this train for a wild ride.Call your Member of Congress, December 27, 1999By H. W. Cummins (Washington, DC) - See all my reviewsThis review is The Atomic Express (Paperback)No doubt, at one time, man had the ability to learn from her mistakes. Sadly the gods, angered by man's hubris, arrogance and over-reaching, must have withdrawn it. Richard Miller in The Atomic Express tries to teach us something about our recent mistakes; at least when fiddling with the atom. He weaves a set of parables inhabited by inmates from a latter-day Catch 22. If you have any doubt, just sneak a peak at pages 314 to 316 for a blow by blow description of Rhinehart trying to defuse a hydrogen bomb, named "Mickey," left at Ethel's roadside cafe near the U.S. test site. Or, if you're more in the mood for classic catch 22's, try page 326 where the army officer can't tell one of the bomb's designers about the results of a test, because the scientist is a civilian. Hmmm. Read all about it as our government puts all our lives at risk. As Research Director of the Hanford Veterans Cancer Mortality Study, I urge responsible citizens to read this book. What it tells us is what we didn't hear the last time. How often must we be reminded. Long ago we were warned by the Sioux, "this is the fire that will help the generations to come, if they use it in a sacred manner. But if they do not use it well, the fire will have the power to do them great harm." Read this book and call your Member of Congress!Nuclear Hijinks, Awesome Trains, and Metaphysics, December 14, 1999

Paperback

First published January 1, 1997