Quantum Lens

by Douglas E. Richards

A mind-blowing new thriller from the NY Times bestselling author of WIRED

“Richards is a worthy successor to Michael Crichton.” —SF Book.com

Omar Haddad is a brutal jihadist in Syria who appears to be invulnerable and capable of supernatural feats. But is Haddad divine, as he claims? Is he a gifted magician? Or is he making use of a stunning scientific breakthrough? And what, exactly, is keeping him from unleashing the global apocalypse he’s so eager to bring about?

Brennan Craft, a quirky quantum physics genius, has the answers, and the US military is desperate to capture him. But when Craft risks everything to recruit a Black Ops researcher named Alyssa Aronson, it becomes clear he's playing a treacherous game of his own.

Hunted by both the military and Haddad, Craft and Alyssa race to find a way to keep the unstoppable jihadist in check. But there may not be any way. And Alyssa soon fears that Craft is becoming an even bigger threat to the world than Omar Haddad . . .

Quantum Lens is a smart, roller-coaster-ride of a thriller, packed with intriguing ideas that readers will be contemplating long after they've read the last page.

“Richards is a tremendous new talent” (Stephen Coonts) who can “keep you turning the pages all night long” (Douglas Preston)

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Amazon

358 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2014

About the author

Write to Doug at douglaserichards1 at gmail dot com, and visit the author's website to be notified of new releases.

Douglas E. Richards is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of science-fiction thrillers that have sold more than three million copies (see list below). Richards has been celebrated for his gripping, thought-provoking works that blend cutting-edge scientific concepts with heart-pounding narratives.

Richards burst onto the literary scene with his debut novel, WIRED, published in 2010. The novel garnered widespread acclaim for its ingenious combination of scientific speculation and thrilling storytelling. This success set the stage for a series of bestselling novels, each marked by meticulous research, riveting plots, and characters that resonate with readers.

Known for his ability to translate complex scientific concepts into accessible and engaging narratives, Richards has become a go-to author for readers seeking an intellectually stimulating and adrenaline-fueled reading experience. His works delve deeply into the ethical dilemmas posed by scientific breakthroughs and the potential impact of technology on society.

A former Director of Biotechnology Licensing at Bristol Myers Squibb and a former biotechnology executive, Richards earned a BS in microbiology from the Ohio State University, a master's degree in genetic engineering from the University of Wisconsin--where he engineered mutant viruses now named after him--and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

The author has two grown children and lives in San Diego, California, with his wife and dog.

Richards loves hearing from readers, and always replies, so feel free to write to him at douglaserichards1 at gmail dot com, and address him as "Doug". You can also Friend Richards on Facebook at Douglas E. Richards Author, or visit his website, where you can sign up to be notified of new releases.

SCIENCE FICTION THRILLERS BY DOUGLAS E. RICHARDS

SERIES

WIRED (Wired 1)
AMPED (Wired 2)

MIND'S EYE (Nick Hall 1)
BRAINWEB (Nick Hall 2)
MIND WAR (Nick Hall 3)
UNLEASHED (Nick Hall 4)

SPLIT SECOND(Split Second 1)
TIME FRAME (Split Second 2)

THE ENIGMA CUBE (Alien Artifact 1)
A PIVOT IN TIME (Alien Artifact 2)

STANDALONE NOVELS

QUANTUM LENS
GAME CHANGER
INFINITY BORN
SEEKER
VERACITY
ORACLE
THE IMMORTALITY CODE
UNIDENTIFIED
PORTALS
THE CURE (To become KU eligible for the first time in 2023)
THE BREAKTHROUGH EFFECT

Kids Science Fiction Thrillers (9 and up, enjoyed by kids and adults alike)

TRAPPED (Prometheus Project 1)
CAPTURED (Prometheus Project 2)
STRANDED (Prometheus Project 3)

OUT OF THIS WORLD

DEVIL'S SWORD

Reviews

[Bharath · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a mixed bag – it has a decent underlying premise, fair amount of research/background and good pace. If the events were either more credulous or at the minimum better explained, and characters better developed, it could have been closer to a great read. The story progression has a touch of the ‘Dan Brown’ style.

The book starts with Omar Haddad, who prefers to be referred as ‘Al Yad’ (Hand of God) or ‘The Great One’ who has amassed a large loyal following in Syria and this has both the government and other nations worried as talks aggressively of cleansing the world.

Alysssa Aronson is a scientist working on secret government projects related to human behaviour. She meets Theo Grant, after connecting with him on an online dating site. The date seems to be going well, but towards the end, her house is attacked. She learns from a senior official Elovic that Theo Grant is actually Brennan Craft, an eccentric genius, who the government is desperate to speak with. Brennan Craft is a physics genius in Quantum Mechanics, though he does not any formal specialization. He was later also obsessed with Inedia – staying alive with no food and only methodical fasting for long periods. He is a disciple of Bernard Haisch as he loves his book ‘The God Theory’ which theorizes that the universe is a result of a subtraction (a fascinating theory). As a result of his genius, he makes a lot of money by selling his inventions to Eben Martin, now a technology millionaire.

It is believed that Brennan (with help from Alysssa) has the best chance of stopping Omar Haddad. It turns out that both Brennan & Omar Haddad have met in the past and understand each other’s abilities – they can both leverage the zero-point energy field, but with different magnitudes. Omar Haddad unleashes his confidant and a bunch of mercenaries on them – Tariq Bahar, Santosh Patel & gang. A lot of action follows.

The characters, with the exception of Alysssa to some extent, are poorly developed. I liked the science background around quantum theory woven into the plot, which was done pretty well. This book can be read for entertainment value and you will most likely like it more if you suspend the tendency to parse the plot too closely.

My rating: 3.25 / 5.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story line is o.k. (if unbelievable), the character development is poor, the plot is unique, BUT I can't get past the unnecessarily cruel way the female protagonist was treated in this book.

In science fiction novels, I expect to have to suspend disbelief, but a great author such as Crichton (whom I've seen Douglas Richards compared to, but I don't see the similarities personally) is able to get you to do that in a way that does not require you to CONSCIOUSLY keep turning off the part of your brain that is saying "this is really impossible" or "there is no way this could happen" (e.g. humans flying and heating the air around them using zero point energy).

The story had many holes as well. Here are a few:

1.) Why can some people harness this zero point energy and others can't? Not really explained well. I think it is some form of intellectual snobbery actually - only the REALLY smart can do it or maybe it is a religious theme - only "true believers"?

2.) Why did Craft need hypnosis to strengthen his powers? This seems to me to be an underlying theme of religious "believers" vs. "non-believers". At times it seemed they were just inventing reasons for Alyssa's character to be in the novel.

3.) Why would Omar Haddad believe in the quantum mirror device? It was not demonstrated and he was only going off of his arch nemesis' word. Very unlikely that a megalomaniac with immense powers would trust the "devil" (Craft) based on his word.

But my main gripe with this book is the treatment of the female protagonist, Alyssa Aronson (note the name). Not only was she captured, tortured, tricked, lied to over and over, and objectified throughout the book, but, for good measure, she was made to be Jewish, for (seemingly) the sole purpose of being able to have Omar Haddad call her a "Jewish whore" over and over. Really, Mr. Richards, how did her religion contribute to this novel? Her faith was never mentioned until Haddad said she was a Jewish whore (by the way, how did Haddad know she was Jewish? In the melting pot of America, names are a poor way to determine one's religion).

Sorry, but with the plot holes, undeveloped characters, fishy and unexplained scientific miracles, and helpless, objectified, anti-semitic personification of the only female character, this novel lost my vote.

[O.S. Prime · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like your main character to be a repeated, passive victim of physical and emotional violence and also the recipient of frequent extended bouts of mansplaining, then this science-y fiction book may be for you. On the other hand, if you don't enjoy interminable expositions of crackpot ideas and tedious play-by-play analyses of prior action scenes, your appreciation for this work may be limited. There are several twists in this book that provide interest and a few examples of humorous banter, but mostly it's way, way too much of, "I'm the smartest guy you ever met, so let me tell you..."

[Jim Seidman · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the underlying story is compelling, Richards frequently interrupts the plot for long periods of dialog exploring topics of science, religion, philosophy, and politics. This wouldn't be a problem for me if Richards' information on these topics was even vaguely accurate. But it's not, meaning that the reader is left with long sections of pseudoscientific nonsense or sophomoric uninformed musings.

The main premise of the book is that people can learn to harness quantum energy by using the mind as a "quantum lens," hence the title. The male lead, a genius, explains that this is possible because quantum wave functions only collapse when exposed to a conscious observer. While this idea that consciousness creates reality is a staple of such popular nonsense as "The Secret," anyone with any knowledge of quantum physics knows it's wrong.

This same genius at one point claims that it's "a miracle" that a fertilized egg can turn into a person, asking how all of the dividing cells know where to go, using this as evidence of an intelligent creator. This is especially bizarre since Richards has studied developmental biology. He should therefore know that embryonic development involves an incredibly complex cascade of chemical and other signals. If it were simply a miracle, we wouldn't get birth defects!

There are many other topics covered, but by the time they're addressed the observant reader will be highly skeptical of the premises underlying the dialog. Richards describes in the afterword how he researched these topics in great detail, but either he used terrible sources or his ideological views are so strong that he cherry-picked what he wanted from his sources.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

You must read this book or it won't exist!

Now I could be wrong about that but if I learned anything from this book, it's that quantum physics is something I know very little about. This book is a real good mystery story which I usually don't read. I did enjoy it though. It turned into one of those books you can't put down.

I wasn't sure who the main character was going to be but soon found out that there were/are three, Dr. Alyssa Aronson, Brennan Craft, and Eben Martin. While all three are central to the story, you really don't get a full blown background on any of them and it's really not necessary. Just know that all of them are geniuses and two are very, very rich!

Brennan Craft starts out getting lucky with an on-line dating request with Alyssa! That’s fiction right there. If she’s half a good looking as he describes her, this would never, ever happen! Anyway, he thought they would be extremely compatible and he also needed her scientific talents. I’ll just say Alyssa isn’t what she appears to be and that is a University professor. You really need to read the book to find out what she really is and how she can help Brennan.

I found the story easy to read with some very exciting parts. Even while discussing world domination, the conversations seem to make this reader say, “Well, yes, that could work!” I will caution you, some of you will see the ending before it happens, although, that ending only happens because you read it!

Great book. Give it a read!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is definitely different. Two "god-wannabe's" who are able to fly around at 500 mph without an airplane, destroy people and structures with a single nod, and generally be a threat to mankind, are on the loose. Their mastery and application of quantum physics makes them impervious to external attack by normal people and present-day weapons. Enter Dr. Alyssa Aronson, a behavioral scientist, with knowledge that both sides need, and the stage is set for an epic showdown. The book has a lot of action, ambushes, kidnappings, and all the other elements of an edge of your seat thriller. The ending leaves some strings hanging, so maybe there will be a sequel. This one gets a 4 star rating.

[Bina Lyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Longer than it needed to be.....

The plot was interesting...up to a point. Then it went downhill....dramatically. The female character....definitely written by a man - for such a smart woman, she behaved like a sex starved teenager who only wants to be "liked".....

I needed it to end....so, yep - I started skipping a lot....basically to the last two chapters to wrap it up. Would I recommend it.....nope.

[Lucas Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about a terrific twist of an ending... I pride myself on being able to see twists ahead of time, but I didn't see it coming. Terrifically delightful.

[Colin MacNeil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Characters are one-dimensional. Some of the ideas are interesting, more on that below. The "twist" ending was broadcast in neon lights well before it was a surprise so reading the last few chapters was just an exercise in patience.

The primary character we follow through most of the story is just a patsy and has zero agency. She is just used by the other main characters throughout the book. I kept picturing her with these big doe eyes in a constant state of fawning amazement at the protagonist. Without exception, all of the "good guys" are nearly perfectly good. To be interesting characters they need human flaws. A character making a few mistakes or being forced to behave a certain way to achieve an ideal outcome isn't terribly interesting.

I like the author's formula of taking some interesting bleeding edge science and technology and saying "what if?". There's some of that on display here and it made for an entertaining read for the most part. However, "breatharianism?"...really? At the back of the book the author normally lists real resources for some of the ideas he explores. In this case he simply says "this is real". Bullshit. This is intellectual dishonesty. Please point to any credible evidence that anything like this is possible and has been shown to have actual practitioners who are able to survive without taking in food over a long period of time and not showing any negative effects to their health. The Bible doesn't count, I said credible. Saying the human body can survive without food, taking sustenance from the "ether", or in this case, the zero-point field, is akin to saying you can leave a battery in the sun and it will magically recharge itself. Where's the mechanism? This goes in the garbage with homeopathy and chakras.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quantum physics is becoming a thing and not a thing. It certainly serves as a mind-bending backdrop to a story.

Alyssa Aronson goes on a blind date to meet Theo Grant. They go to her house for a night cap, and let's just say the date ends in a spectacular fashion. Then there's a guy in the Middle East who believes he is The Hand of God. And he does appear to have some kind of power.

And that's about all I feel comfortable saying to avoid spoilers.

I found this to be an exceptional read, a complete joy to read except about 20 pages -- totally an example of telling rather than showing, and really a major distraction from the otherwise fine craftsmanship amply demonstrated everywhere else in the tome. The main characters were thoroughly enjoyable and believable. The reader is challenged with the ideas proffered dealing with quantum physics (I was certainly challenged). And, one's faith could certainly be challenged.

This is a dense book to consume. The story itself is exciting and compelling. The ideas brought forth as background are both mind-bending and mind-stretching. This is not for the faint of heart (or mind). A solid 4.75 (that 20 pages kept it from a true 5-star rating, but rounding and all).

[Jeff · Rating 1 out of 5]

- Poor pacing. Small bits of action mixed with lots of repetitive and tiresome exposition.
- The science is sophomoric. The author resorts to analogies to popular movies ("What if we really are in the Matrix?") Yet amazingly, the author added an Afterword where he patted himself on the back for his "extensive" research.
- Mindblowingly-annoying habit of using breathtakingly-taut superlatives on every single page of the book. Distracting.
- Stereotypes. The sole female character serves only as a puppet in the other characters' plans, an audience for their monologues, and of course, serves her duty in the boy-meets-girl subplot. The Muslims are war-mongering whackos. The software businessman is cardboard. I expect better from a book written in the 21st century.
- The big reveal... was predictable. Beyond that modest effort, there wasn't any reason to be thinking while reading this.

I asked myself if I could think of any redeeming feature, any reason to remember this book. I couldn't come up with any. So, 1 star.

[Banner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story moved at a fairly fast pace and keep me interested in the characters. I enjoyed the mixture of science, religion, philosophy and politics. Several interesting concepts to mull over in my entertainment.

This was a little cheesy (but only a little). There were a couple of really ah ha moments in the plot.

It gets high marks for entertainment value but not so much from a literary perspective.

I will certainly try this author again.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where is the action?! The characters talked me to death. Seriously, the book is about an astounding jump in mental capabilities which makes those who learn the ability as powerful as a god. The struggle to rule the entire world has begun and the two main characters have the ability to wipe out the planet. This sounds like a great comic book to movie scenario but no, the author torments readers with pseudoscience and long discussions of religion.

[Jean Hontz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had issues. Mostly about the one female character who gets used, although she's supposed to be as bright as the boys. And who is then expected to just forgive her treatment because, of course, it was for the 'greater good'.

Otherwise, lots of good sciency stuff which I always enjoy. Too bad about the above. Oh, also in several parts too much lecturing about politics.

I listened to the audio version, read by Marc Vietor who did an okay job.

[Maria Fledgling Author Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

Metaphysics or Quantum Physics?

Quantum Lens was quite a bit different than the other books I've read from Douglas Richards.

The storyline was much less technical than philosophical and the pacing of the plot was crazy like a fox.

I enjoyed the exploration of power vs ethics in the context of the developing human psyche.

Read it for yourself and determine whether you agree with the author's premise.

[Tulay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to sit back and think about this book.

Maybe I have to sleep on what I was in this book. Could this happen in my life time? Syria is in the news? Could this be possible in the near future? Love to read mystery/thrillers, but even it's fictional I like to read books that makes me think and wonder.

[Yvonne]

No rating - DNF @ 35%

[Tyler Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little too far fetched for me. Main characters are OP (over powered). Personally enjoy books that border closer to scientific possibilities. I will say that the ending is thrilling.

[Emanuele Gemelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the second book in a row I'm reading , which title has the word 'quantum' as the first; like the first, this is between ridiculous and idiotic. Actually this even worse. The author claims he had tapped in some serious stuff, well, sure, maybe; however the plot and the characters are quite ridiculous in their development. In a nut shell: one crazy guy gets super duper powers by tapping into zero energy thanks to another guy like that; the former becomes rapidly insane, while the other as well, even pretending not too. In between some random rant about wind mills, religion, democracy etc. the only good thing is that I need to revalue Sawyer's Quantum Night novel, because, at least, it is well written

[Santosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Douglas Richards does a great job at merging complex physics, psychology, human behavior, and pure logic into a coherent and understandable flow. It is easy to see he can bring complex theories to life, add his own fictional implications, and turn it into a story. The operating word here being "can".

While I enjoyed the scientific exploration in the book, there was only a hint of a story. Character development could have been better. The story could use more meat to make it sound less like a prolonged conversation between two people about one man's scientific musings and related theories.

The potential exists to be the next Michael Crichton, if he can develop his books' worlds further.

[Hal Zenner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know this is a relatively high rated book, but I couldn't relate: too many concepts thrown together proved too much for me. Furthermore, it seemed that half the book was spent by one or more character trying to explain these concepts to each other (i.e., the "reader"). "Mind control" of unlimited energy just goes too far. The author does try to explain how these concepts are based in current thinking (that there is some science-based evidence) ... but there was just an overload of these concepts in the book.

[Sean Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another charged and gripping work from Richards, with similarities to Wired and Amped yet with enough divergence to keep things fresh. I've read enough Richards now to know which way endings are going to go, which does take things down a little, and the thrown-in female, macho yet physically alluring guy and very, very rich helping-hand is becoming something of a theme. Still, a worthy story and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

[Gabriel Gasparolo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good idea and plot but unsatisfactory execution

The story tells more than show how smart are different characters. The heroine, while doing advances beyond what's known to the public on psychology, is so gullible that's hard to relate to. Also, at least three chapters are used to explain what the lector already knew by anticipation and can't help to make plausible the actions of the main character.

[Anthony Petruccelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't write many reviews but felt I should about this book. It was very entertaining from the first page. Fast paced and not a single lull anywhere in the book. I'll use the old cliche "a real page-turner". The book was well written and very witty. I'm looking forward to reading more from Douglas Richards. Well done sir.

[Maryanna Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Reading This Book

Adventures in psychology, hypnosis, and quantum physics, real and speculative, told from the perspective of very interesting characters. Good vs evil, twists and turns of plot, romantic but not overly mushy. This book is a joy to Read. I'll be reading more from this author.

[Bartosz · Rating 2 out of 5]

An exposition for idiots

Reading this book I felt like the author thought I was a moron, meticulously explaining every situation to make sure I didn't miss any of the nuances, of which there were really none anyway.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather 'wordy' and not enough action in my opinion. I thought it was a tad on the daft side but hey-ho, what a boring world it would be if we all thought the same way!

[Richard S · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not impressed. I can see what the author was going for. It is an 'ok' written book, but I do not feel that it was amazing. There were parts that could have been expanded. Instead of telling us a character was going crazy, or that 'they practiced', maybe devote a few chapters to that. Draw us more of a picture of what is going on, instead of just saying 'and that happened'. You are a book, not a movie. You don't have a budget nor a run-time limit. I also feel the book was explanation heavy, with not enough pay off. Long parts of explaining the science. I get it, you need to do that for books like this. But I felt like there was too much of it, for the not parts of it. I grew bored with the explanations after a few pages. Especially at the end where it kind of just dragged on.

I was originally going to give the book two stars, but I felt that crosses into the 'bad/poor' land, which it is not. I just feel there could have been more narrative, and less 'this is how it works'. Yes, jurrasic park and prey do that too, but I feel like those books have enough pay off to make that worth while. I feel like this book did not earn its info dumps. Maybe more in the middle, maybe a growing love interest instead of 'and they were in love' would have made it better.

[Wayland Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

What do a scientist researching hypnosis and the placebo effect, a madman in Syria, and one of the world's wealthiest men have in common? Well, as it turns out, a man called Brennan Craft. Craft is a somewhat offbeat genius whose interests range from quantum physics to religious studies to world governments, with a special side helping of computer hacking. Craft makes an amazing discovery, and, in the early days of it, shares it with the wrong person.

Now scientist Alyssa Aaronson gets recruited into a desperate struggle by Craft, as he races to stop his former student Omar, and they get help from billionaire Eben, who goes way back with Craft. This unlikely trio have to decide how a power that can reshape the world should be used, and stop the man already threatening to commit massive acts of violence with that same power.

There were some brilliant plot twists and surprises I didn't see coming, so I'll give the writer that. The main character gets used almost more as a prop/plot device than an actual character at times, and there are some long detours into philosophy and science that play with the pacing.

Decent read and, like I said, some impressive surprises.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the concepts in this book, but a lot of the book was just very clunky. The author is trying to keep the reader in suspense as to what is actually happening and so most things are only seen from Alyssa's point of view. Then, instead of shifting the action to another character's point of view, the author had Brennan go through these long dialogues at a couple points in the story to explain - at length - information that is important to the story. Brennan goes on and on and Alyssa chimes in occasionally with things like "that makes sense!" During one of these there is a weird passage about how wind turbines are terrible things. That just struck me as really weird and out of place.

It also became painfully obvious what was going on about 2/3 of the way through. I think it might have been better to interweave Brennan's perspective into the book at the book at this point.

That said, I did like how the Zero Point Field was used in the book and some of the more philosophical ideas. This was my first Douglas Richards book and I don't think I'll be rushing to get another one, though.