The Tree Shack: A Story About the Foundations of Morality and the Origins of Humankind

by Charles E. Kupchella

Late in the otherwise placid 1950's a young Pennsylvanian has a surprising and increasingly jolting encounter with a group of charismatic scientists from the planet, Casparia. The scientists tell him they are in the final stages of an effort started by their people millions-of-years earlier to shape and refine humankind on Earth. Chuck, only a semi-willing study-subject at first, is recruited to help pave the way for a future collaboration between the people of Casparia and the people of Earth. In a series of follow-up encounters over the next sixty years including a visit to Casparia, Chuck learns amazing things about space, time, creation, genes, souls, prayer, miracles, the Bible and the afterlife and gains a shocking new perspective on the origin of humans on Earth and the very foundations of morality. ***** Human nature is a profound wonder. Who are we, how did we get here, and why? Are we entirely a God's doing or are we a work in progress driven by something perhaps more tangible - something more natural and less supernatural? The Tree Shack emphasizes and expands on this wonderment by suggesting alternatives to the answers most people accept. The author guides us into a world of plausibility that may shake the very ground on which we all stand, whether we want it to or not. What if humans from another galaxy engineered the evolution of human beings on Earth and shaped us in their own image? What if our general view of God is actually derived from aliens having been mistakenly identified as spirit-world gods by primitive earthlings? How might this have happened and how might it have evolved into today's religions and into today's views of God, souls, angels, and the afterlife? The Tree Shack explores these and other compelling "what-if" questions as it examines the grabbing power of religion, the human inclination to believe in a supernatural realm, the biological foundations of morality, and the trajectory of human evolution. Although it can be hard to take lovingly-held beliefs and upend them to think from a completely different point of view, it is a worthy endeavor, and in Kupchella's book, it also happens to make for a really great read. His story-telling ability is only outmatched by the intellectual level of the questioning that is a driving theme below the more visible layers of the story. The tale is of an otherworldly plausible way in which Earth came to be. In The Tree Shack, the basis for morality, ethics, and the genesis of humankind is found not in the supernatural, but in the essence of the physical universe and in our very essence as human beings. While The Tree Shack is a light and pleasurable read, it is so much more; it is also a brave, unflinching look at some profound, age-old questions and old answers that always leave at least one more "why." ***** The Tree Shack uses the art of fiction to address deep questions such as, why humans? why religion? where does morality really come from? and why are so many sure that the supernatural is at work beneath it all? In a way, The Tree Shack an agnostic's answer to The Shack. Whereas Young's book uses fictional characters to explain who God is and why he/she/she made things the way they are with all the evil and craziness in the world, The Tree Shack uses fictional characters to describe a fundamentally alternative reality and offers what arguably may be even more plausible explanations for how thing got to be the way they are - with humanistic reasons why we must do better.

332 pages, Paperback

First published January 13, 2014

About the author

Charles E. Kupchella was born in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania - the oldest of six brothers in a coal-mining family. Dr. K has a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and a PhD in physiology from St. Bonaventure University. Dr. Kupchella worked as a musician throughout college -- his group making a record and once playing back-up to a touring American Bandstand dance group. In college, he held a draftsman gig at a construction firm, and even worked in the mines during the summer before his senior year. During his professional career, Kupchella served as president of the Kentucky Academy of Sciences, president of the American Association of Cancer Education, and for nine years as president of the University of North Dakota. He is the author of several works of nonfiction on diverse subjects - the senses, cancer, and the environment. This is Kupchella's first work of fiction -- a story addressing some compelling human questions.

Reviews

[Amanda Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Tree Shack was my first GoodReads Giveaways win ever. I'm always interested in exploring views about human morality, especially about the brain, and I've read a few other books on the subject. Initially, I thought it would be nonfiction, but it’s actually a story. It took me ~ two weeks to finish it, because it’s one you need to think about in the process.

I was struck by several questions (about Christianity and God) posed in the first few pages, because to me there really are answers to them that strengthen my faith. I concluded that those may have been the questions that sparked the very intensive thoughts and proposed explanations that would follow in the rest of the book.

Towards the middle of the book I concluded that my descendants may one day cringe at my beliefs, but that I still believed in God (and still do). I’ve had too many experiences, answers to prayers, and coincidences that have solidified my understanding.

My favorite parts of the book, however, were the ideas about educating children. I have a PhD in Neuroscience so I also love proposals that support what we know about brain development. One of the ways we can improve everyone’s quality of life is by creating atmospheres supportive of healthy brain development and learning.

I love to read and search for truth & true principles, because they do exist. What I think is true, however, differs from this book, but the amazing thing about our society is that we can respectfully share our thoughts and knowledge via books, forums, and ongoing discussions.

[Jacqueline Waterworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book from a GoodReads giveaway.

I think anyone who loves sci-fi and aliens will enjoy The Tree Shack as it tells the story of Chuck, a 14 year old boy, and his many interactions with the Casparians who educate, interview and experiment on him.

The Tree Shack definitely was a bit difficult for me to read as it challenged my beliefs in Christianity. It asked for me to be open to an alien creation of "humankind", life in other universes and the notion that God could not exist because of the occurrence of atrocities, like the Holocaust. I did think the author's tale of the Casparians and how they were responsible for our creation and evolution was an interesting tale. However, even though I like to think I'm an pretty open minded person, I was not comfortable with the text that suggested I consider that God may not exist.

[Sara McFadden · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tree Shack is fiction - or is it? Assumed to be a scientist's rebuttal to The Shack, it is just as believable. One notable personal difference is that I finished reading The Tree Shack. The author, Dr Charles Kupchella, who is eminently qualified across many science disciplines, has given us a well written narrative as well as proposing plausible answers to many of the questions posed by readers of the Bible. Like any consideration of religion, it requires a suspension of disbelief, but its core suppositions will leave you thinking - as well as wondering. I recommend adding it to your reading list.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to read a book that makes me think “What if …?” I have always questioned my faith – and I truly think it’s only human to do so. I’m not sure who God is exactly, but like to say “God gave me a brain and intend to use it!” I would not want a God who expected me NOT to use the gift of thought and wanted me to take the words of others as fact without using my own head. I say that mostly because I expect some people will be afraid to read a book such as this that might make them question their absolute “truth” ….

The concepts that are discussed as part of this book – and the utopian society that is Casparia – were interesting to say the least – thought-provoking certainly. I especially enjoyed the philosophical aspects, the comparison of religions and how the author tied together the dogmas from different religions – shining a light on how many of us share the same beliefs deep down – perhaps with a twist or two - and claim different names for our respective denominations so that we can say “We’re RIGHT and you are WRONG!”. And to think how cynical and judgmental the world is because we think we’re so different! It’s curious to think that we may be here as an experiment to see how we’ll react and survive when left to our own devices.

[George Ashmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unusual & interesting. A combination of SiFi, philosophy & utopian thinking. I enjoyed the read and think it opened me up a bit about the ideal society--whether created by aliens or men.