ADAM: A Close Encounter With A Cosmic Visitor

by J.L. Smith

NO KNOWN ASTEROID AT THESE COORDINATES IN THE CURRENT TIME FRAME. Sid and Patty Wilson jerked to attention as they looked at the monitor. Had they done it? Had they discovered a new Asteroid? As it turned out the answer was no. No it was not an asteroid. It was not a comet. It was like nothing that any human had seen since the beginning of history. It would prove to be a cosmic visitor that would change everything for the people of the earth. So begins story of Adam. Sid and Patty Wilson were making a routine scan of the heavens in their Nevada observatory in preparation for the upcoming Martian project. They were scheduled to leave for Mars in two years to set up a permanent colony. This night all was going well when suddenly they detected something very unusual. Their equipment had found an unknown object beyond the orbit of Saturn. Originally thinking it was an asteroid or comet buzzing toward the sun, they soon waded into a mystery that would have profound consequences for all the people on earth. The body was traveling fast, very fast. In fact it was moving fast enough that once it swung past the sun it would leave the solar system. What’s more this body could not have originated in the solar system. This was no comet or asteroid. It was large, very large. And the most chilling thing about it was that it was heading towards earth. What was it? Was there danger for the people of earth? What should the response of earth do to prepare for it? This is a story that describes a cosmic visitor that changed everything. Adam is the work of a new novelist, physics educator J L Smith. It is a stand-alone novel that seeks to be true to the laws of science.

Genres: Science Fiction

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 28, 2014

About the author

J L Smith is a retired physics teacher. He spent thirty-five years teaching young minds the laws of the universe and the beauty of physics. He has published multiple scientific articles in national journals such at The Physics Teacher and The Science Teacher. He has taught on both the high school and college levels.

In his teaching career Mr. Smith has attempted to develop and present thought-provoking demonstrations illustrating physics concepts. He has specifically developed hundreds of demonstrations that make learning stimulating and fun. Though designed for the physics classroom, his approach and techniques are applicable to science education in general. MUSINGS OF A RETIRED PHYSICS TEACHER is a book describing some of Smith's memories.

J. L. Smith is also the author of the science fiction book ADAM: A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH A COSMIC VISITOR. In his writing Smith tries to be true to the laws of the universe. He has incorporated his knowledge of physics and astronomy in his novel and hopes the reader gains some new understandings while reading his work.

Mr. Smith lives in sunny Naples, Florida.

Reviews

[Jada Ryker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adam

It's the year 2027. Astronomers and married couple Sid and Patty are preparing for Project Genesis. In the project, a permanent colony will be established on Mars. Their mission in the colony would be to study and log the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. As preparation, they are completing the asteroid survey training program, mapping asteroids in Nevada. The practice helps prepare them for the Mars project.

During the course of their pre-Mars work, Sid and Patty find what they believe is a new asteroid. They name their discovery Adam, thinking it's the first of many to come.

With Adam on his way, humankind must work toward a viable solution to solve the problem.

Adam: A Close Encounter with a Cosmic Visitor, is the first novel by J. L. Smith. The realistic details reflect Dr. Smith's physicist background. The excellent writing and photographs, including NASA and public domain images, help bring the story to life. As you read the book, imagine Morgan Freeman as the narrator.

[James Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two astronomers spot something which could collide with the Earth. They let other astronomers know so there can be intense examination of what might be happening. The mass of the object makes it a dwarf planet.

It will pass close enough to the Earth to cause major problems like earthquakes. This leads to further problems physically and problems like rioting. As expected, the government tries to keep this covered up but the news gets out anyhow.

There's an Armageddon-type attempt to divert the object but things go wrong. The question now is if the Earth will continue to be severely damaged by the object or not.

It's a very science-focused book and is based on things that could really happen. There's a good discussion of quantum physics, also.

It's a really good book about what could happen and a good support for the scientists who keep track of any object that seems to be approaching near to the Earth.

[Tom Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hold on to your emotions your going for a he'll of a ride.

This story will get to you as you read along, keeping in mind that this could happen as we watch the heavens. You may think not but the universe is filled with danger,we have become complacent and our caution has dwindled. Read this book and know this could be our fate in the future. This author writes a good story that you should not miss.

[Andy Coleman · Rating 2 out of 5]

A SIMPLE MAN'S REVIEW:

Oh, this was bad. It really missed on every element.

Characters? Flat and absurd. I sort of pictured the same person using different accents (badly) for all the dialogue. And this could have been written in 1950 with the way men vs. women acted and were described. The future is still sexist!

Plot? Uh, haven't I seen this movie a few times? At least throw in a UFO or something. Instead, we get "something is going to pass too close to Earth and now it isn't". Captivating!

Suspense? No, nothing happens. Every time something goes wrong, it's fixed within a paragraph.

As you can see, I'm not a fan. But just in case you're not totally convinced, we have two married characters who can't figure out how to not get pregnant within ten months of losing access to birth control. Literally had a baby in space. And then stereotypical Russian, who is described as not being "superstitious", mentions how lucky he is in every piece of dialogue he has. Every one.

Skip it!

[Carol Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Encounter With Our Future

In December 2004, an asteroid named 'Apophis' was discovered to be in an orbit, that would in, 2029, bring it as close as 32,000 miles to Earth. While not the size or mass of 'ADAM' if it hit the Earth would give us quite a hole. Depending on where it hit it could cause some of the earth movement and tidal disruptions (not to mention loss of life )as described in the book. Currently an experiment (2022) called "DART, " or Double Asteroid Redirection Test, is underway to move a small asteroid name ' Dimorphos' witch orbits a larger asteroid named
'Didymos.' Its objective was to crash a Kinetic Energy rocket on its surface and changing its orbit. It succeeded, and decreased its orbit time around Didymos by 23 minutes.
(Regular bombs will not work outside of the atmosphere.)
This is a good read that also addresses the human side of disaster that will keep you reading into the night. Enjoy!

[jboyg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tedious World’s End Story done Before, and Better, By other.s.

If you’re going to base your novel on such an overworked SF trope as a rogue asteroid hitting the earth, it would be a good idea to come up with a fresher approach than we see here. Everything in this book seems at least one step removed from the real world of its characters and plot, thus leaving the reader with little to hold on to as the story progresses.i really didn’t like it very much at all.

[Ralph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. While I thought, at times, that some things were over-simplified or not fully explored, I understand that a detailed exploration of an event as significant as this one would require many more pages than one normal-sized novel. The characters were adequately developed by the author to be likeable and to garner concern, by the reader, for their well-being. Even though the plot was somewhat predictable, the author told a good story. Adam was an enjoyable read.

[John P Court · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great novel that shows us just how much we take for granted.

I'm not going to say anything to ruin the story line.....so you will just have to get this one and read it yourself. But I am pretty sure that everyone who reads this one will get caught up in the story line and will be glad they did so!

[DOUG HEARD · Rating 2 out of 5]

Solid 2 star.

The prior comments had me believing more science would be built into the story line. I wish more would have been done. Character conversations lacked in depth character. The book was not bad and kinda like able ; Way too many sci-fi take outlandish plots and liberty. This one stays focused. I would read another by this author.

[stephen tibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adam close encounter

This novel was a great story as well as being informative in the genre of great hard science fiction . Also the feel for the lives of the characters was well established. Thank you for wonderful read

[Hugo S · Rating 1 out of 5]

The title is misleading...

This was a sort of a drag, I couldn't relate to the characters. To me, their behaviors were not on par with what I expect a contemporary scientist to behave, knowing what we know about the Earth current state.

[Gary E. Land · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hate to say it but it was light weight Sci-Fi. Ending was predictable 1/2 way through. Large planet like asteroid heading to earth from Jupiter. Rescue mission from earth dispatched with 4 super nuclear bombs to alter the trajectory. Bombs go off, earth saved, the end.

[bill evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written story about an object that endangered earth we know it.

The author has done a great job of research making this story come to life! He has done a very good job of creating what humans can accomplish in times of impacting doom. Great job sir!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This seemed like a documentary, in the best way. It was such a realistic, math and science heavy scifi, filled with the most love filled characters. It reminded me a little bit of Hail Mary, my favorite realistic scifi. It's just a pins and needles, bad things happening, good things happening, feel good, rah rah Human Race, book.

[Beth Stany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book.!

Story kept my interest from beginning to end. I hope to read more books by this author in the future

[Maggie North · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book; great plot and fabulous detail. Makes me curious about the Mars colony; how do the goats and rabbits and chickens survive? Looking forward to more from Mr. Smith.

[bob rausch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting story?!

Very different take on another way that the earth would be destroyed and the fight to save it. Very good twist on an often written plot.

[William P Kalbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended reading!

Abundant with factual information, a well written reflection of what possibly could happen to Mother Earth sometime in in the far distant future .

[Debbie Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like it

Too much of this story is trite. I really don't care about any of the characters and was unconcerned about the fate of the earth.

[Ajay Patel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

Not that exciting. Pretty predictable. Kept waiting for a twist or turn in the plot and it did not come

[Raymond Handforth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

A very realistic possible end of the earth story. It keeps your interest all the way through, end is definitely worth your time!

[Twhite · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plot idea was interesting but poorly told. Skimmed the last half

[Paul Hoekema · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read

This book was very well written and kept me reading late into the night but it was a very good read. Thank you J. L. Smith to a job well done.

[Paul Eastley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A touch of Armageddon here, but a very clever and well written book. A scary concept that'll have you thinking well after you turn the lights out.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This SF book concentrates on the astrophysics and physics of a cosmic object whizzing through our Solar System on its way elsewhere... or on its way to Earth? There are splendid illustrations from Hubble space telescope, diagrams and other colour pictures to get you interested and involved in the story.

Patty and Sid Wilson are a couple who fortunately share the same passion for astronomy, and they staff NASA's giant telescope in Arizona to check for new asteroids. They whimsically name the first new body they spot Adam, and the name sticks. Adam turns out to be something unexpected; it has already made it unseen to Saturn's orbit thanks to low albedo from a dark hue, and its mass is large enough to perturb the orbit of Saturn's little moon Phoebe.

Once news gets out inevitably some people consider that this body must be a spaceship, while the fact that it is going to pass closer to Earth than the Moon means devastating weather, seismic and climate change events. Scientists are keen to collaborate on finding a solution - if there is one - but politicians and generals distrust other nations and inertia looks likely to be the greatest threat.

At each new stage of the story we meet more very human characters to guide us and we get to know their hopes, sadness and loves. The author has been a physics teacher so as well as informing he knows the personal side of imparting information. While there are no young adult characters, Adam: A Close Encounter With A Cosmic Visitor could be enjoyed by bright young adults who are interested in space travel or SF. Adults would find it a good readable grounding in a fascinating topic. I hope Jack Smith will write more SF as he clearly enjoys this work and has a gift for communicating his concepts.

[Angie Boyter · Rating 3 out of 5]

In his first novel, Jack Smith has written a classic SF story (That is a compliment, in my opinion.) about the discovery of a strange astronomical object approaching the earth and humanity’s reaction to the potential danger it presents. The author, a former physics teacher, did a nice job of inserting interesting science, both when it was germane to the plot and when it was just interesting, like tidbits about various moons and planets. I was reminded of the fascinating things I learned from writers like Robert Heinlein when I was in junior high and think it would be an especially good pick for a young teen to encourage their interest in science and space exploration. The book is beautifully illustrated by a number of actual photos from sources like NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute.
Unfortunately, my enjoyment of the book was marred by several flaws. A good copy editor could have quickly disposed of the punctuation and grammatical errors and some unfortunate typos and a bit of stiffness in the prose that is not too surprising in a first novel. The author could have done a better job of imagining the language that will be used in 2027; some terms seemed anachronistic, like the use of the title “Miss”. Finally, the emphasis was definitely on plot at the expense of realistic character development.
There are many things to enjoy in Adam: A Close Encounter with a Cosmic Visitor. If the author can address the elements that prevented me from enjoying it more fully, I think his second book would merit a much better review.
Note: I do not know Mr. Smith, but I received a complimentary copy of his book with a request for a review.

[Ed Tinkertoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but did not give it a higher rating than three stars because it is basically a rehash, with a slightly different twist, of two old sci fi movies. Both old movies had the same basic plot. An asteroid is discovered heading to Earth with predicted catastrophic consequences. In one movie, Armageddon, a NASA space ship is launches with a crew of about 12 people to land on the asteroid and plant bombs. Just like in this book. In the other movie, Deep Impact, the US and Russia join forces and send space station based nuclear missiles to blow up the asteroid. There is cooperation and the use of nuclear missiles, just like in this book. In the Deep Impact movie pieces of the asteroid shower the Earth after it is blown up and cause catastrophic damage along the east Coast US, just like in this book.

The one different twist of this book was the original purpose of the space ship used was to send people to Mars to set up a colony. The ship was built in space at a space station and held up to about 600 people. After the asteroid passes by Earth and leaves a path of destruction, a group of people are left on Mars and the rest eventually return to Earth.

[Kevin Black · Rating 2 out of 5]

1. I had fun reading it because of the science and the overall theme. 2. Unfortunately, the book really made me appreciate a good copy editor: e.g. "free reign", "submit" for "transmit", several places where an older and a newer version of a sentence both partly survived. 3. The writer's cultural background showed through a little too much. This was somewhat welcome in regards to his religious worldview, but somewhat jarring in terms of some dated / non-PC comments about women, probably unnoticed by the author. E.g., women were included as key scientists etc., but sometimes introduced as "the lovely Dr. so-and-so," or once the main character introduces an accomplished scientist as his assistant. Although technically her current role was to be his lieutenant (-ish), that introduction wasn't really appropriate. 4. Most interesting of all to me as a wannabe writer, the large-scale organization of the narrative was OK, but the prose was just ... I don't know, vapid is too strong. Maybe dull, or predictable? The sentences plodded much more often than they danced.

[shannon Stubbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't really finish the book. It was way too technical for me. It was hard to keep my attention.

[Eric Gnoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming

A fun read about mankind striving towards a common purpose. No zany “magic Si-Fi” stuff but real world physics on display.