Antigravity Drive - The Diary of an Invention

by Barry C. Cunningham

Richard Charles had a dream, a strange dream, one that made him think that things that seemed impossible just might, with a following wind and a cheese sandwich, be possible. With a bit of research, some astute ebaying and a bit of application, you never know he could "clean up", make a fortune, win a Nobel Prize. He decided to record everything in a diary on his beloved Kindle.

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 10, 2017

About the author

Barry is 74 and a retired chemist, not working in a shop (that would be a pharmacist), but someone who has spent his career immersed in the world of Industrial Laboratories and Product Development. He has been an active Rotarian for many years with The Rotary Club of Hull Kingston. He lives in the East Riding of Yorkshire, with his wife, Diane, two toy poodles, Tessie and Frankie, a tortoise named Daisy-May and several beautiful Koi Carp. He is a life-long Science Fiction fan, which is just one of his many interests and passions, these include exploring the world of antiques and collectables, collecting and listening to music (He still buys vinyl, new and old and is developing an extensive 78rpm record collection).

Reviews

[Stephan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The author specifies it as hard sci-fi (as in the genre, not in difficult), I want to add the genre speculative fiction. It happens today.

It is written in diary form and fits the premise of the story very well. Richard Charles had a dream and sits down in his garage to build the object of this dream, an antigravity device. He is neither scientist nor engineer, just a man that had a dream and believes it can actually work. Probably for the better or his scientific knowledge would have told him to not even try.

Richard is a likeable guy, a human being like you and me. He doesn't have anything a normal guy doesn't have making it easy to relate to him. Nor does he think he has any theories or solutions - only his dream. So he starts building, buys parts on ebay and puts them together in trial and error. His diary is what we are reading.

The book doesn't bore you with technical details, Richard keeps at it and suddenly, not far into the book, I was right there with him, my imagination going wild, wanting him to do things, try my own experiments! I am not getting more specific to not spoil your experience. The story got me involved and then, after things were already in motion it took off.

The diary form was unusual at first. On one side it kept me at a distance, at the disgression of the keeper of the diary. On the other side I was there with him, not watching him, but in his thoughts. About halfway in I didn't focus on it anymore - I was so involved.

If you liked Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, but maybe found it a little depressing, I think you will like this. If you like to think about questions like "What would the world be like if x?" - this fits you very well. Because the setting is right here, right now, the story feels very real, like it could happen. Have fun, fellow reader! Open at day 1, join Richard and his family in their endeavor :)

I am looking forward very much to the sequel the author is already working on. I find it fun picturing him writing it on his Kindle tablet, like our main character Richard is keeping his journal on!

[Barry Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keep watching this space for Book Two

[Anita Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book for all that could be turned into a film. Once you start to read you will not be able to stop reading. It is a very enjoyable and interesting book. I hope that you will enjoy reading this book as much as I did reading it. Happy reading.
Author Anita Kirk

[Barry Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watch this space book two will be published this year, one way or another.

[Phill Featherstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is full on, uncompromising sci-fi, so if you're not into this genre it won't be for you. The narrator complains many times about how the concepts in the book make his head hurt and they did mine. Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed it and found that the story moves well, despite slowing a little in the final quarter. The plot deals with a revolutionary discovery made by an amateur by accident, and the ramifications which arise from this. The author's focus is on the physics and the events, so don't expect a lot of character description or development. There are a few textual glitches that should have been picked up by an editor, but that's just me as an ex teacher of English being picky. It's a good read, a story that will get you thinking and talking, and one that stays in your mind after you've finished, as you wonder whether by choosing - say - coffee rather than wine you've initiated yet another reality.