Alpha Rising [Paperback]

G.L. Douglas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2007

A failed space rescue mission lands astronaut Bach Turner in a beleaguered future world where history repeats itself, future events cast shadows, and abduction, deceit, seduction and hedonism fuel an allegorical battle of good and evil. With no way out short of blind faith and the ultimate weapon, his mind, Turner embarks on a final mission that fulfills prophecy.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a rich and imaginative tale...exceptionally well-written. Use every means to promote this book, it deserves a large audience."  - Writers Digest International Book Awards (added by author)

"Alpha Rising soars to the top of my list of great books...a thrilling taste of the extraordinary! ...credible and compelling...there is a startling sense of reality in this book...."
- Joyce Handzo, In the Library Reviews (added by author)

 "...lots of great things to say about Alpha Rising...G.L. Douglas has definitely got the right stuff when it comes to evoking interest...character development is strong..." - Paul Weiss, Sci-fi Reader (added by author)

"...suspense-filled book. You must, must, read this book with a clear mind, and please don't turn back to recapture the details...great reading...I still think about what could have happened." - Danelle Drake for Reader Views (added by author)

"A remarkable good versus evil tale...overtones of C.S. Lewis in abundance...exceptionally savvy and well-constructed tale..." - Peter Sykes, Sci-Fi Lists --Sci-Fi Lists

Review

"Alpha Rising soars to the top of my list of great books...credible and compelling...there is a startling sense of reality in this book, as if this story could actually happen one day in the distant future...The author successfully straps readers into the cockpit, giving them a clear view of the story, as each turn of the page accelerates them deeper into a new dimension...The characters and the cosmos merge into a story line that has eternal significance...The final pages are like riding a shaft of sunlight into a place long forgotten but easily remembered...Alpha Rising is a thrilling taste of the extraordinary!"

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 283 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (April 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595411002
• ISBN-13: 978-0595411009
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,590,170 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great story, strong writing, October 25, 2007

By 

Mrs. Garside "Reader and Writer" (Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alpha Rising (Paperback)

'Alpha Rising' begins with two astronauts, Bachman Turner (yes, like the band) and Faith Christopher (the name is no accident) leaving Earth on a mission to rescue a stranded space lab and its crew of four (including Bach's fiancee. They manage to hook up with the crippled ship, but before they can return to Earth, the rescue ship and the station are propelled across the galaxy to a strange planet called Jenesis. Bach's crewmates are captured by a rotten bunch called Rooks (Rulers of other kingdoms. I wish I had thought of that). Bach is picked up by the scientist Altemus and his daughter, Star. Bach soon doscovers that Altemus, an old genius, is on a mission from God, or the Creator. And soon, so is Bach. I won't say anything more about the plot.

Ms. Douglas writes in a clear, cut-to-the-chase prose that's refreshing these days, when so many authors just pile on the verbiage. The quest that Bach and Star are sent on is compelling and wholly original. Just as compelling is Bach's own journey from mild agnostic to God's chosen messenger. Everything-the brutal Rooks, Bach's shipmates, the scientific culture of Altemus and Star, the varying societies Bach and Star encounter on their mission-comes fully alive, with real emotions and real detail. Douglas is obviously inspired by earlier writers like Le Guin and Lewis, but this work never feels second-hand.

I hope that Ms. Douglas isn't through with these people. The ending, which concerns both the end and the beginning of the world, leaves plenty of room for a sequel. If she writes one, I'll buy a copy.

Read this book. You won't be disappointed.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Great idea, badly executed!, July 13, 2011

By 

JimVonBaden - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alpha Rising (Kindle Edition)

As I read through all the reviews I was excited to see all the great things said about the book and author. There seems to be a shortage of real science fiction writers these days, with so much more fantasy being written.

Unfortunately, despite the decent beginning and story potential, there is so little science in this fiction that it can hardly be called a science fiction book at all. The "advanced" science is balanced by incredibly simple mistakes in application, and missing elements. At one point the main character discovers he is only 1/4 as smart as the population of the people he meets (who all just happen to speak American English, and even have Earth names), and yet he is easily able to keep up with everything going on and contribute to the application of advanced science. The science in the story is more like magic, and the dialog like it was written by a child.

After reading the likes of Asimov and Vinge it is hard to take this book seriously. The very thinly veiled reproduction of the biblical Noah's Ark story rings false and the annoyingly simple action scenes reduce this book to a pre-teen level of potential acceptance as a serious novel.

I am only half way through, and my not be able to finish this book, only the second time this has ever happened in the thousands of books I have read. Were it not on the free Kindle book list when I got it, I would say I wasted my money on it. As it is I simply wasted my time.

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This one will rumble around in your brain a bit..., October 31, 2010

By 

Madeline000 (Texas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Alpha Rising (Kindle Edition)

I'm not usually a sci-fi reader, but this one got my attention when the author posted on a message board that I frequent (KindleBoards.com). Despite the fact that I don't read much sci-fi, I do love NASA and often dream about what it would be like to be an astronaut. As a result, I decided to go ahead and give this book a whirl and I'm glad that I did.

Essentially, this book reminds me of the Narnia books. Sure, it is sci-fi in genre, but it was written in the same vein as the Narnia books - as an allegory to a larger, more important message. As far as I'm concerned, in the sci-fi genre, this one is ingenious. The author has spent ALOT of time working out her plot and allegory - so much so that even if I ignored the allegory altogether, Alpha Rising would be a compelling sci-fi adventure on its own.

Often with this type of fiction, I get annoyed because the "message" is so ridiculously cheesy and the plot is so ridicoulsy unbelieveable, that the point the author is trying to make fails miserably because I just can't take it seriously. Not so with Alpha Rising. The message does not beat you over the head, but weasels its way in amongst the beautiful scenery, high tech gadgets, the action and the adventure. And long after I've finished, the plot and characters have continued to roll around in my thoughts...I wonder what that meant? Or who this person represented? What are these characters doing after the end of the book? That, my friends, is the sign of a good story. If it sticks with me after I've finished it, well, I can deal with recommending it to others to read.

Despite being an indie novel, I found no errors whatsoever. The book is perfectly formatted and is clearly the result of a labor of love, in more ways than one.

Alpha Rising is not the best book I've ever read, no, but for a debut novel by an unknown author, it is a stunning reminder to me that we readers need to take chances on the indie authors because there is definately HUGE talent out there. I look forward to reading more from this author, and if I might be so pushy as to suggest it, I'd love to read a sequel!