From despair he fled, through tragedy he lived on, and journeyed to innocence. His trajectory: the stars. His companion: a computer poised at the brink of sentience. An unlikely friendship on a prototype spaceship at lightspeed towards Alpha Centauri, and redemption.
Alpha Redemption
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Editorial Reviews
From the Publisher
Reviews
"Move over, Hal...meet Jay."
Alpha Redemption is a beautiful work of art, cleverly told, portraying deep spiritual themes - a perfect storm of fiction. The daring parallel structure of Alpha is wildly successful, both in terms of mere pleasure in reading, and the manner in which it drives the story forward. It is heart-wrenching, pulling with the force of a bulldozer. From start to end, my heart leapt for Baines' main character, and, unpredictably, for his secondary character. Baines possessed the creative ability to make me feel for a computer! Move over, Hal...meet Jay. Alpha's pacing flowed superbly, striking a nice balance between philosophy, action, and the resulting character development. The story is deeply satisfying, the characters are interesting and compelling, and the reader will pull for them...and the gospel. This one's a clear winner.
~ Marc Schooley, author of The Dark Man
In Alpha Redemption, a story both fascinating and unique, P.A. Baines wonderfully marries two of my favorite themes: the danger and isolation of space exploration and the idea of man's creation giving him greater insight into his own Creator. If you like your science fiction on the introspective side -- on the order of Clarke's 2001 or Pohl's Gateway -- then this is a must read.
~ Kerry Nietz, author of A Star Curiously Singing, 2010 Indie Book Awards Finalist in Science Fiction and Religious Fiction categories
An all nighter, can't-put-it-down read, with a unique twist I didn't see coming and the perfect book for fans of Asimov or Clarke!
~ Dana Bell, author of Winter Awakening
Alpha Redemption is a haunting Sci-fi tale told through the masterful prose of P. A. Baines. Astronaut Brett Denton is on a light speed journey to Alpha Centauri, but his true journey is one of tragic self discovery as he delves into his past and confronts the hidden pain there. With echoes of 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, this is a treat for any hard Sci-fi lover and a must for every Christian who has ever doubted their faith in the one true God.
~ Kirk Outerbridge, author of Eternity Falls and The Tenth Crusader
A book that is not simply bold and adventurous but also well-written. Bravo!
~ Chris Walley, author of the Lamb among the Stars trilogy
An inspiring look forward to mankind's first reach for the stars, and to AI's first reach for something beyond its programming.
~ Ryan Grabow, author of Caffeine
Alpha Redemption is that rarest of combinations: both thoughtful and emotional. Baines has crafted an intriguing and beautiful story of love, loss, and grace. While simultaneously tackling the singularly sci-fi question, what is humanity, the author weaves questions of greater importance: what is the soul, and what is love. Alpha Redemption is a brief, but ambitious work, spanning an entire lifetime, and Baines has managed to work all these disparate parts into a wonderful, eminently readable, enjoyable piece.
~ Randy Streu, Editor, Digital Dragon Magazine
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More About the Author
About me
I was conceived in the USA, born in England, raised in Africa and after a childhood spent travelling around the world, consider myself a nomad at heart. I love the smell of a harbour, and have never lived more than a few miles from the ocean. I love animals and if I could do it all again would choose a career as a big game warden in an African nature reserve.
I have done some interesting jobs through the years, including working as a waiter, a supermarket salesman and, for a number of years, as a fitness instructor (at one point winning a national aerobics title). I originally studied to be a psychologist but abandoned this to concentate on my fitness career.
At the age of twenty, I bought my first computer and discovered I had a knack for programming. For the past twenty years, I have worked as an IT professional, and am currently responsible for maintaining the biggest database of its type in the world. Married with two children, I live in a small farming community in Holland.
My writing
My first serious attempt at writing was a science-fiction thriller inspired by the book of Revelation. My plan was to write something that would appeal to both the Christian and secular markets. The Wire was accepted by a well-known secular agent in New York but was not quite ready for publication.
Three years ago I started a college degree in Creative Writing. The tutor and assessor both felt my writing was of a publishable standard and suggested I try to sell some of my work. I looked around to see if Christian speculative fiction was a viable option and found Marcher Lord Press ("MLP"). I wrote two stories and submitted them to MLP. Later they were entered in the Marcher Lord Select contest. The story I expected to do well was voted out of the first round. My second story, Alpha Redemption, which I almost did not enter, went through to the semi-finals and attracted quite a lot of interest. One of those interested people was Grace Bridges, who owns Splashdown Books. After I had made a few tweaks to the plot, Grace offered to publish Alpha Redemption.
In the period between the contest and Grace's publication offer, I submitted two short stories to online magazines, both of which have appeared in print.
I was conceived in the USA, born in England, raised in Africa and after a childhood spent travelling around the world, consider myself a nomad at heart. I love the smell of a harbour, and have never lived more than a few miles from the ocean. I love animals and if I could do it all again would choose a career as a big game warden in an African nature reserve.
I have done some interesting jobs through the years, including working as a waiter, a supermarket salesman and, for a number of years, as a fitness instructor (at one point winning a national aerobics title). I originally studied to be a psychologist but abandoned this to concentate on my fitness career.
At the age of twenty, I bought my first computer and discovered I had a knack for programming. For the past twenty years, I have worked as an IT professional, and am currently responsible for maintaining the biggest database of its type in the world. Married with two children, I live in a small farming community in Holland.
My writing
My first serious attempt at writing was a science-fiction thriller inspired by the book of Revelation. My plan was to write something that would appeal to both the Christian and secular markets. The Wire was accepted by a well-known secular agent in New York but was not quite ready for publication.
Three years ago I started a college degree in Creative Writing. The tutor and assessor both felt my writing was of a publishable standard and suggested I try to sell some of my work. I looked around to see if Christian speculative fiction was a viable option and found Marcher Lord Press ("MLP"). I wrote two stories and submitted them to MLP. Later they were entered in the Marcher Lord Select contest. The story I expected to do well was voted out of the first round. My second story, Alpha Redemption, which I almost did not enter, went through to the semi-finals and attracted quite a lot of interest. One of those interested people was Grace Bridges, who owns Splashdown Books. After I had made a few tweaks to the plot, Grace offered to publish Alpha Redemption.
In the period between the contest and Grace's publication offer, I submitted two short stories to online magazines, both of which have appeared in print.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A clear winner...,
This review is from: Alpha Redemption (Paperback)
Alpha Redemption is a beautiful work of art, cleverly told, portraying deep spiritual themes - a perfect storm of fiction. The daring parallel structure of Alpha is wildly successful, both in terms of mere pleasure in reading, and the manner in which it drives the story forward. It is heart-wrenching, pulling with the force of a bulldozer. From start to end, my heart leapt for Baines' main character, and, unpredictably, for his secondary character. Baines possessed the creative ability to make me feel for a computer! Move over, Hal...meet Jay. Alpha's pacing flowed superbly, striking a nice balance between philosophy, action, and the resulting character development. The story is deeply satisfying, the characters are interesting and compelling, and the reader will pull for them...and the gospel. This one's a clear winner.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Slotted as one of my all time favorites.,
By
This review is from: Alpha Redemption (Paperback)
When I first heard this book was about a computer finding God, I had my doubts that this could be pulled off without it being tacky and lame. Sorry, I must be honest. I questioned how God could be glorified in such a book. Well, P.A. Baines blew that notion right out of the water. The writing is crisp. The story is clean. My heart was wrenched. Not since Frank Peretti's, This Present Darkness has a book had such an effect on me.The story takes place in a not so distant future, and scientists have built a ship called the Comet. It is capable of light speed. An on-board computer, eventually named Jay, flies the ship but they want to send a man along to record the effects of a trip to Alpha Centari. What better test subject than a man that has nothing left to live for? Brett has lost everything. More importantly, he has lost his way. He volunteers for the trip and is picked out hundreds of other worthy applicants. He is cynical and angry. Brett has come so far in his bitterness that he no longer believes there is a God. He has no idea what God has in store for him though. I highly recommend this book. It will no doubt have some award nominations for this year. It has slotted in at the top of my all time favorites.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Alpha Redemption Book Trailer,
By
This review is from: Alpha Redemption (Paperback)
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