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Epsilon
For 300,000 years, the ultimate battle between good and evil has raged across the galaxy. Now that battle comes to Earth. A nuclear accident gives one man the power to crush all who oppose him. The A ruthless Neo-Nazi uncovers an ancient alien weapon and the key to restore the Reich. A new age of darkness is about to be unleashed on an unsuspecting Earth. But good has its champion. College student Jack Remmler. Chosen by a cosmic entity known as the Keeper, entrusted with an armored battlesuit of incredible power, he is all that stands between victory and defeat. But it will not be easy. Jack's courage, beliefs and honor will be put to the ultimate test as he struggles to accept his role as a Cosmic Protector. Three men . . . One battle . . . The fate of the world hangs in the balance.
432 pages, Paperback
First published December 28, 2000
1 person want to read
About the author
John J. Rust
26 books16 followersBorn in Hamilton Township, NJ, Rust graduated from Nottingham High School before obtaining degrees in communications from Mercer County College (NJ) and the College of Mt. St. Vincent (NY). He worked as a reporter for New Jersey 101.5 FM before moving to Arizona, where he became the sports director/sportscaster for KYCA-AM. Rust published the military sci-fi novel "Dark Wings," the baseball-related books "Arizona All-Time Baseball Team" and "The Best Phillies Team Ever," the cryptozoological thriller "Sea Raptor," and several short stories, including "The Art of Fear" starring the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe, which appears in the anthology "Halloween Dances with the Dead."
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 1, 2011
Buyer beware...
Having been a reader of comic books for over 20 years, I'd like to think that I've an understanding of what works and what doesn't ... at least from my own limited perspective. The significant difference between the comic book and the novel is that the comic book relies heavily on the visuals in order to establish the greater part of the narrative. EPSILON, on the other hand, lacks the sophistication of the prose necessary to lift it off the page and imprint it upon the mind's eye of the reader ... at least, it did this reader. That isn't to say that the story of a not-so-ordinary college student holding the fate of the universe in his hands might be lost on others; it simply didn't appeal much to me.
The 'average man' mythology has worked best in the medium of the comic book. Several years ago, STARBRAND and NIGHTMASK (though short-lived) used the 'typical next store neighbor suddenly finding himself a superhero' to great achievement, just not to great sales. Consequently, the masses were driven back to the mainstays of XMEN, BATMAN, and SUPERMAN. However, I found the characters -- while enduring tragedies to find their superpowers -- largely uninteresting. Some nice twists and turns to the plot along the way elevated EPSILON above the typical, similar fare (check out the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series, as an example), but twists and turns do not SOLELY a plot make; interesting central characters are the mainstay to any successful story, whether it's comic bookish or a novel.
Lastly, the book began with a dedication to the author's mother and father for all of their support. I couldn't explain why, but, from that point forward, I thought I was reading something intended primarily for their viewing and not a wider audience.
Having been a reader of comic books for over 20 years, I'd like to think that I've an understanding of what works and what doesn't ... at least from my own limited perspective. The significant difference between the comic book and the novel is that the comic book relies heavily on the visuals in order to establish the greater part of the narrative. EPSILON, on the other hand, lacks the sophistication of the prose necessary to lift it off the page and imprint it upon the mind's eye of the reader ... at least, it did this reader. That isn't to say that the story of a not-so-ordinary college student holding the fate of the universe in his hands might be lost on others; it simply didn't appeal much to me.
The 'average man' mythology has worked best in the medium of the comic book. Several years ago, STARBRAND and NIGHTMASK (though short-lived) used the 'typical next store neighbor suddenly finding himself a superhero' to great achievement, just not to great sales. Consequently, the masses were driven back to the mainstays of XMEN, BATMAN, and SUPERMAN. However, I found the characters -- while enduring tragedies to find their superpowers -- largely uninteresting. Some nice twists and turns to the plot along the way elevated EPSILON above the typical, similar fare (check out the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series, as an example), but twists and turns do not SOLELY a plot make; interesting central characters are the mainstay to any successful story, whether it's comic bookish or a novel.
Lastly, the book began with a dedication to the author's mother and father for all of their support. I couldn't explain why, but, from that point forward, I thought I was reading something intended primarily for their viewing and not a wider audience.
Displaying 1 of 1 review