Crater

by Nick Samoylov, Paula Stegmaier, Bill Sterling (Illustrator)

It is 1992, just after the USSR was dissolved and free market economy was declared. Without corresponding legislature, law enforcement and even cultural tradition, the country dived into a chaos of an unrestrained freedom. The former ruling elite - of Communist Party and KGB - joined forces with criminal underground and started to take over. Ordinary people, not used to the self-governing, still hoped that the country leaders would take care about them - the hard working majority. But the development proved futility of such a hope. A group of young scientists and a few their friends, some with special military training, decided to investigate the Patomskiy crater, located in the middle of Siberia - just north-east of the Lake Baikal, on the border between the main Russian gold mining region and diamond fields of Yakutia. They hoped to have a nice and interesting break from the grim routine of their life, before the declining economy would render such trips not affordable anymore.What they actually encountered was far from the easy and exiting journey. It changed their lives in a way only tragedy could. Two more books titled Center and Diamonds - about the same group of people and further development of the story - are written already and expected to be published in 2016. The author will continue to expand the sequel by unfolding layers of the crater's mystery, which in turn leads the book characters to new scientific discoveries and the insights into human consciousness, creativity, productivity and the future of humanity. Among the leading characters are scientists and believers of several major religions, which allows for a multi-dimensional dialog and cooperation - all immersed in the atmosphere of adventure and actions.Can science solve all the problems? What is the role of business in the human progress? How one finds the meaning and purpose of his or her life? Born in Russia, the author emigrated to the US in 1999. Physicist by education and the first trade, he uses the latest theories and discoveries while trying to answer the existential questions about the universe and the place of a human in it. You can find more information about the author, his blog and related reading material on www.nicksamoylov.com

Genres: Fiction

328 pages, Paperback

Published January 11, 2016

About the author

Nick Samoylov was born in Moscow, lived with his family inside the Arctic Circle before moving to the Southern Ukraine where he went to school. After graduation from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technologies, he worked as a theoretical physicist in Crimea and got involved in rock climbing and mountain rescue team.

In 1999, the family emigrated to the United States, where Nick and his wife Luda live now, working as programmers, often for the same company and on the same project. They have two grown-up daughters.

You can read more about Nick and follow his blog and other updates on www.nicksamoylov.com

Reviews

[JP · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I most enjoyed about Crater is how it was a completely new setting and topic for me. The story revolves around a group of explorers set on an adventure to find out about a legendary geological feature in the remotest part of Siberia. It's somehow connected to though experiments being conducted by Soviet scientists turned entrepreneur. Some of the group are friends, and some have their own agenda. Samoylov leverages the societal shifts he knew first-hand from the time immediately following the Cold War. I especially enjoyed how he articulates the Russian mindset in a time of change. This book left me wanting the sequel to arrive soon.