What do you think?
Rate this book
Bob: The Right Hand of God
All Chet Thomlin wants is to be left alone to care for the abandoned and neglected animals at his store, Used Pets, but his obnoxious customers and clinging mother make life miserable. And nothing ever seems to change. On April Fool's day, a gnome-like little man appears on television. He introduces himself as Bob, the Right Hand of God, and says that as part of the galactic renewal program, God has accepted an offer from a development company on the planet Xerxes to turn Earth into a theme park Chet laughs at the prank, but then bizarre things happen. Carrier pigeons return, millions of them, darkening the sky as they hadn't done for over a hundred years. His mother and her entire subdivision are wiped off the face of the earth. And his friends disappear. On Easter Sunday, a bright light appears, and Bob tells the remaining population of Denver that if they enter the light, they will be safe from the reconstruction zone. Chet watches people enter one by one, but he refuses to step forward, thinking that he'd rather have his freedom than to be in a dubiously safe place. The light fades, and Chet gets what he wanted. He is left alone. Well, except for Bob. Bob won't let him be. Bob calls Chet on his now defunct cellphone, taunts him, plays with his senses. Being chosen by The Right Hand of God is no fun! Even worse, Chet gets more change than he can handle. Plumbing and all other signs of civilization vanish. Denver becomes a prairie of blue flowers that sweep into an inland sea where a prehistoric monster lives. Volcanoes grow at his feet. And Chet has become prey. Maybe going into that mysterious light wouldn't be so bad after all...
216 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 20, 2020
1 person want to read
About the author
Pat Bertram
11 books122 followersPat Bertram is the author of the suspense novels MADAME ZEEZEE'S NIGHTMARE, UNFINISHED, LIGHT BRINGER, DAUGHTER AM I, MORE DEATHS THAN ONE, and A SPARK OF HEAVENLY FIRE. Bertram is also the author of GRIEF: THE GREAT YEARNING, “an exquisite book, wrenching to read, and at the same time full of profound truths.”
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 14, 2021
Chet Tomlin is just an average guy living in Denver. He runs a pet store stocked with animals who deserve a second chance and he deeply cares about each of them. His job keeps him busy as does his mother who came for a visit six months ago and never left. She rules every aspect of his life when he’s not working. Things have fallen into a routine for Chet, until that fateful April day when a little gnome-like man commandeers the television airwaves and introduces himself as Bob, the Right Hand of God. It seems that a galactic renewal program is underway. Since God is displeased with his first attempt with Earth, He has signed on with a planetary development company from planet Xerxes. Earth will be turned into a theme park for intergalactic tourists. Along with everyone else Chet laughs at Bob, who is considered an expert hacker, and believe this to be a prank. Until people and places begin to disappear.
In the end, Chet avails himself of a refuge where he has limited freedom but is safe from the horrors of the re-creation. Since he is the last to arrive at the refuge, he quickly becomes the scapegoat for everything that goes wrong. Yet Bob, in the hapless role of re-creation supervisor, has chosen Chet to communicate with via a now otherwise useless cell phone that magically keeps reappearing.
When a ragtag group from the refuge decide to escape the enclosure where they are being held, Chet sets out as well – keeping his distance while keeping them in sight. He soon realizes that the one woman, Francie, who reminded him of his mother, is the only one of the group with the ability to reason things out.
Although not of the same mindset as Chet and Francie, the group seeks a fabled City of Gold with the promise of shopping malls and all the luxuries that they no longer have. Chet helps them out of several life-threatening situations. And when the group stumbles upon a cabin filled with the creature comforts they each desire, they all succumb to the relief of finding something familiar and let down their guard. Is this the heaven they’ve been searching for? And what of those spaceships full of aliens who have paid to view this earthly amusement park? The ending will surprise you!
Slightly reminiscent of Planet of the Apes, author Pat Bertram has given the reader a possible future to ponder. Is there any way we can prevent ourselves and our planet from becoming an intergalactic side show? Or is it already too late?
I would love to see this made into a movie. A solid 5 stars.
In the end, Chet avails himself of a refuge where he has limited freedom but is safe from the horrors of the re-creation. Since he is the last to arrive at the refuge, he quickly becomes the scapegoat for everything that goes wrong. Yet Bob, in the hapless role of re-creation supervisor, has chosen Chet to communicate with via a now otherwise useless cell phone that magically keeps reappearing.
When a ragtag group from the refuge decide to escape the enclosure where they are being held, Chet sets out as well – keeping his distance while keeping them in sight. He soon realizes that the one woman, Francie, who reminded him of his mother, is the only one of the group with the ability to reason things out.
Although not of the same mindset as Chet and Francie, the group seeks a fabled City of Gold with the promise of shopping malls and all the luxuries that they no longer have. Chet helps them out of several life-threatening situations. And when the group stumbles upon a cabin filled with the creature comforts they each desire, they all succumb to the relief of finding something familiar and let down their guard. Is this the heaven they’ve been searching for? And what of those spaceships full of aliens who have paid to view this earthly amusement park? The ending will surprise you!
Slightly reminiscent of Planet of the Apes, author Pat Bertram has given the reader a possible future to ponder. Is there any way we can prevent ourselves and our planet from becoming an intergalactic side show? Or is it already too late?
I would love to see this made into a movie. A solid 5 stars.
November 3, 2020
Protagonist Chet Thomlin is more or less a regular guy. He runs a pet store where he treats the animals right and then goes home resigned to the fact that his mother is still living in his house. There's a lot of depth to this character as portrayed via Pat Bertram's trademark pragmatic, carefully crafted prose. Suffice it to say, Chet has enough on his plate, so--like most reasonably sane people, doesn't believe a guy named Bob who appears on TV and says he's working for God and will be supervising the conversion of Earth into a theme park.
A joke, right? Some new dystopian TV series? Or, perhaps an advertisement for God knows what. Chet hardly notices it until stuff (such as people and buildings) starts disappearing. This is urban renewal in spades, including new landforms and other projects that shake Earth to its foundations while making believers out of everyone. The thing is, believers in what?
Bob and Chet converse by phone until Bob gets tired of it, which might be just as well since he's rather vague about the project. While vastly different from the classic novel "Earth Abides," "Bob, The Right Hand of God" brings that old book to mind as people try to cope with the disappearance of everything they know.
The book is many things: highly readable, realistic and believable in portraying how the characters react and interact, dystopian in that everything we know is gone and the replacement plan isn't providing anything better, and (yes) playful. Should the reader laugh or cry? Hard to say. While the ending was predictable, this well-written novel is highly recommended.
A joke, right? Some new dystopian TV series? Or, perhaps an advertisement for God knows what. Chet hardly notices it until stuff (such as people and buildings) starts disappearing. This is urban renewal in spades, including new landforms and other projects that shake Earth to its foundations while making believers out of everyone. The thing is, believers in what?
Bob and Chet converse by phone until Bob gets tired of it, which might be just as well since he's rather vague about the project. While vastly different from the classic novel "Earth Abides," "Bob, The Right Hand of God" brings that old book to mind as people try to cope with the disappearance of everything they know.
The book is many things: highly readable, realistic and believable in portraying how the characters react and interact, dystopian in that everything we know is gone and the replacement plan isn't providing anything better, and (yes) playful. Should the reader laugh or cry? Hard to say. While the ending was predictable, this well-written novel is highly recommended.
October 24, 2020
This book made me laugh and made me think, too. Pat Bertram is a very talented writer and this book is one of her best.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews