The Epsilon Eridani Alternative [Paperback]

Beth Groundwater (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 7, 2009

A "Kill-or-Be-Killed" Scenario! If you had to kill an infant of an alien species to save your own life... could you do it? What if the future of the entire human race depends on your decision? When space colonists from Earth crash-land on a planet orbiting the star Epsilon Eridani, they must wrestle with an ethical dilemma. They've emerged from their stasis pods 33 years older than when they started. They could harvest stem cells from alien infants to counteract the effects of human aging... but the process will kill the infants. As factions develop among the astronauts, the scientists race ahead with experiments to restore their youthful vigor-and must face the unexpected consequences of their choices. "Entertaining and thought-provoking. Groundwater uses engaging characters to adeptly contrast the intellectual, biological, and emotional urges we have to protect our species." -Laura E. Reeve, author the Major Ariane Kedros Novels

Editorial Reviews

Review

-"Entertaining and thought-provoking. Groundwater uses engaging characters to adeptly contrast the intellectual, biological, and emotional urges we have to protect our species."

-Laura E. Reeve, author the Major Ariane Kedros Novels

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

About the Author

BETH GROUNDWATER’S debut mystery novel, A Real Basket Case, was published in 2007 and was nominated for a 2007 Best First Novel Agatha Award. To Hell in a Handbasket, the second in the Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series, was released in 2009. Eight of Beth’s stort stories have been published, including one in Wild Blue Yonder (Frontier Airlines’ in-flight magazine), one that was translated into Farsi, and one that was also performed in live theatre. She recently signed a two book contract for her new Mandy Tanner river ranger mystery series, which will debut with Wicked Whitewater in early 2011. Ms. Groundwater lives with her husband, two grown children and a dog in Colorado Springs, where she defends her garden from marauding mule deer and wild rabbits. An avid reader since she was a child, Beth savors her monthly meetings with her Book Club—and not just for the gossip and wine. Visit her website at www.bethgroundwater.com and her blog at bethgroundwater.blogspot.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 124 pages
• Publisher: Virtual Tales (December 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1935460137
• ISBN-13: 978-1935460138
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,484,530 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Beth Groundwater writes two mystery series, the Claire Hanover gift basket designer series and the Rocky Mountain Outdoor Adventures series starring whitewater river ranger Mandy Tanner. The first book in her Claire Hanover series, A REAL BASKET CASE, was released in hardcover in 2007 and will be re-released in trade paperback and ebook in November, 2011. The book garnered good reviews from Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and other national reviewers and was nominated for the 2007 Best First Novel Agatha Award. The second book in the series, TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET, was released in hardcover in 2009, also to good reviews, and will be re-released in trade paperback and ebook in the fall of 2012. A third book is in the pipeline.

The first book in Beth's Rocky Mountain Outdoor Adventures series starring whitewater river ranger Mandy Tanner, DEADLY CURRENTS, was released in trade paperback and ebook in March, 2011 with good reviews from Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and Mystery Scene, among many other reviewers. The second book in the series, WICKED EDDIES, will be released in May, 2012, and Beth has begun work on the third book. Beth was an avid "river rat" in the 1980s, running whitewater rivers in the eastern US, and enjoyed reacquainting herself with that subculture while researching this series. In June, she was the parade VIP for the First in Boating on the Arkansas River (FIBArk) whitewater festival in Salida, Colorado, which is featured in DEADLY CURRENTS. Beth lives in Colorado and enjoys its many outdoor activities, including skiing and whitewater rafting.

Beth's science fiction novella, THE EPSILON ERIDANI ALTERNATIVE, was released in ebook and paperback 2009. Also, she has published nine short stories, many multiple times in various formats, including audio. She enjoys meeting with book clubs in person or via Skype or speakerphone to discuss her books. Visit her website at http://bethgroundwater.com/ and her blog at http://bethgroundwater.blogspot.com/ for more information or to arrange a visit.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A thought provoking novel, March 24, 2010

By 

Jacqueline Tritt "jackiet" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Epsilon Eridani Alternative (Paperback)

Like modern Rip Van Winkles, the characters in this scifi novel wake from their space journey to find themselves considerably aged. Now too old to reproduce, and having lost the stem cells they were transporting, they face a terrible dilemma. This is a futuristic, but credible story, and the concepts are almost within reach of present day scientists. A lot to think about, here.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Science, Nature, and Morality Clash in this Must Read Book, September 1, 2010

By 

T. L. Cooper "T. L. Cooper" (Albany, Oregon, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Epsilon Eridani Alternative (Paperback)

The Epsilon Eridani Alternative by Beth Groundwater explores issues we face today such as the abuse of the resources Earth provides in this intriguing tale about a group of people sent to settle on a new planet with the hopes it will provide salvation for the people of Earth. When the couples find the cryogenics used to slow their aging didn't work, the hope of populating the new planet with human beings is dashed. The colonists also realize communicating back to Earth the results of their findings will take too long. The colonists begin experimenting with the stem cells from the planet's inhabitants to restore the colonists' youth until unexpected consequences occur. Groundwater creates a world filled with characters the reader will alternately like and dislike, agree with and disagree with, root for and root against because of their complexity. Her exploration of the issues within the pages is both insightful and balanced. The reader will question the decisions the characters make on both sides of the issues they are facing. The Epsilon Eridani Alternative is a fast, enjoyable read by an author who is both skilled and talented.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A rivetting sci-fi novel, March 10, 2010

By 

Minijax (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Epsilon Eridani Alternative (Paperback)

In Beth Groundwater's intelligent Sci-fi novel, a group of astronauts have landed on another planet, and face a terrible realisation. They have all aged by thirty years. This group of young people are transformed and soon have to wrestle with all the ageing processes, including the possibility of dementia. Once they realise how they can rejuvenate themselves they are presented with a dilemma, which is as difficult as knowing that their physical and mental faculties are going to let them down.

Filled with suspense and likeable people, with whom one cannot help but empathise, I thoroughly recommend this book.