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Element 42 #1
Element 42: Book 1
What if Earth possessed a critical element not found on any other planet in the known universe? And what if older, more advanced civilizations on other planets circling other stars had spent millennia searching for it, only to discover it on Earth? What if they were willing to fight over it, even if they turned Earth into a battleground?
That's what computer engineer and committed agnostic Steve Kowalski learns when he seeks solace from his personal problems on a remote mountaintop in Colorado. He discovers a badly injured alien who claims he is there to defend Earth against other, unscrupulous aliens who would not hesitate to kill humans or damage the planet to get what they want. No one else on Earth suspects any of this, and in the heat of the moment Steve decides to help his new alien friend defeat those who would harm our planet.
Thus begins an adventure that takes Steve hundreds of light years and introduces him to three different alien societies. His immediate priority is to return home to his son and alert Earth to both the jeopardy it faces and the potential wealth and power represented by what only it possesses. But he also finds himself caught up in a search for universal truths that humans have thought and fought over throughout their history.
In an orderly universe, why would Earth be the only location where something essential to the existence of life exists in abundance? And what would that imply about Steve's agnosticism? If Earth's great bounty wasn't the result of divine intervention, what else would explain it? Has Steve, in fact, discovered real proof that God exists and humans are His special creation, put here to be the caretakers of life in the galaxy?
That's what computer engineer and committed agnostic Steve Kowalski learns when he seeks solace from his personal problems on a remote mountaintop in Colorado. He discovers a badly injured alien who claims he is there to defend Earth against other, unscrupulous aliens who would not hesitate to kill humans or damage the planet to get what they want. No one else on Earth suspects any of this, and in the heat of the moment Steve decides to help his new alien friend defeat those who would harm our planet.
Thus begins an adventure that takes Steve hundreds of light years and introduces him to three different alien societies. His immediate priority is to return home to his son and alert Earth to both the jeopardy it faces and the potential wealth and power represented by what only it possesses. But he also finds himself caught up in a search for universal truths that humans have thought and fought over throughout their history.
In an orderly universe, why would Earth be the only location where something essential to the existence of life exists in abundance? And what would that imply about Steve's agnosticism? If Earth's great bounty wasn't the result of divine intervention, what else would explain it? Has Steve, in fact, discovered real proof that God exists and humans are His special creation, put here to be the caretakers of life in the galaxy?
495 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 19, 2012
5 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Alan Zendell
12 books14 followersAlan Zendell spent more than forty years as a scientist, aerospace engineer, software consultant, database developer, and government analyst. He spent two years working on the first manned lunar mission, then moved on to a variety of near-Earth satellite projects, and Pentagon support for anti-ballistic missile systems. As the aerospace industry became more oriented toward the military, he applied his skill set to health care and social service systems, and ultimately branched out into software and database consulting.
No matter what he did to earn a living, he never lost his fascination with science fiction and speculating about the future. He always wrote a lot, but it was generally really boring stuff like proposals and technical papers, reports, business letters, and policy memoranda. But trapped inside him all that time were stories he wanted to tell and ideas he wanted to share, so with encouragement and cajoling from a loving baby sister he plunged into fiction.
He has written several short pieces in a variety of genres and completed five novel manuscripts, three of which have three of which have found their way into print and e-books. “Wednesday’s Child” is hard science fiction with a different twist on time travel; “The Portal” is a science-fiction love story set in a dystopian twenty-second century America; and “Critical Focus” is a contemporary political novel that addresses the major issues facing present-day America. But regardless of the story lines and subject matter, his writing is about more than aliens and technical marvels. He creates strong, three-dimensional characters a reader can care about, because it’s people and the way they live and feel that are important. It’s the things they believe in and how much they’re willing to invest to preserve them that make a story worth telling. It’s convincing interactions and well-researched credible plots that make a story worth reading.
Alan has six book currently listed on Goodreads, including sample chapters.
No matter what he did to earn a living, he never lost his fascination with science fiction and speculating about the future. He always wrote a lot, but it was generally really boring stuff like proposals and technical papers, reports, business letters, and policy memoranda. But trapped inside him all that time were stories he wanted to tell and ideas he wanted to share, so with encouragement and cajoling from a loving baby sister he plunged into fiction.
He has written several short pieces in a variety of genres and completed five novel manuscripts, three of which have three of which have found their way into print and e-books. “Wednesday’s Child” is hard science fiction with a different twist on time travel; “The Portal” is a science-fiction love story set in a dystopian twenty-second century America; and “Critical Focus” is a contemporary political novel that addresses the major issues facing present-day America. But regardless of the story lines and subject matter, his writing is about more than aliens and technical marvels. He creates strong, three-dimensional characters a reader can care about, because it’s people and the way they live and feel that are important. It’s the things they believe in and how much they’re willing to invest to preserve them that make a story worth telling. It’s convincing interactions and well-researched credible plots that make a story worth reading.
Alan has six book currently listed on Goodreads, including sample chapters.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 24, 2018
This is science fiction from a unique point of view. Great story and character development. The idea is completely Zendell's and no one can take it away. It is up the there with the masters of the genre, written with his unique sense for the human sensibilities. As with his other novels, one does not need to be a science fiction geek to enjoy this work, the focus is on his characters and how they deal with the events they are inflicted with.
It is a journey, and a good read for sure.
It is a journey, and a good read for sure.
September 22, 2019
A damned good read. I want more. I suspect that I won't be able to put those down either. Up all night. Enjoy!
October 21, 2022
Well written. Science terminology a little over head, but caught on.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews