Buried deep below the Nevada desert, in a place often called Area 51, is a very special and ancient school where the best and brightest children come to learn the technology that will bring mankind to its next step of evolution -- a place amongst the stars. 'The Fourth World' follows four children through their entry into this school: 'Fintan Reilly' is a young, often bullied Irish boy who has a big destiny; Zach Adams, from Fresno, is his diametric opposite, and instant best friend; Ayako Katsuragi is a brilliant Japanese girl, a military brat who is as capable as she is smart and Nizhoni Benally is a Navajo from New Mexico, who is as tough as she is beautiful, and who somehow shares a secret past with Fintan. The book follows their first year in their new school, with an Alien as headmaster, and where they learn everything from Cosmic History through to how to fly a flying saucer, and comes to a shocking conclusion in a field trip to Mars where ancient secrets are uncovered.
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About the Author
Laurence Moroney is the author of over a dozen books on computer technology, as well as hundreds of magazine articles. 'The Fourth World' is his first published Novel, and it is a story that is very close to his heart. Laurence lives in Washington with wife Rebecca and children Claudia and Christopher. You can contact him at authors@destinypress.net
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A new twist on the teenage/school friendship genre. Take Area 51, take space travel and voila! The Fourth World. Very different, very readable very effective.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Okay- first, the quick readers review..
I'm a sci fi junkie, and don't often like the young adult reads. I didn't care overly for the harry potter series- mostly because I have been reading sci fi and fantasy long enough that I prefer the better written and more complex stories.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The chapters read really quickly, and while I kept saying, finish the chapter and then go do my work.. I read the book cover to cover.
It's a story about friendship, relationships, between people, people and the earth, and eventually, people/humans.. and aliens. And yeah- theres some cool alien stuff, too! Imagine taking a field trip to the moon, or mars! Wow! But there is something for everyone here. Friendship. Cool science. Mystic spiritual ceremony of Navajo/Dine', and complex concepts around the philosophy that drives science.
Okay- on to more technical stuff:
This story reads fast and smooth. Each chapter hooks the reader to continue reading. At first I thought that this book was trying to be a science fiction version of Harry Potter, but by the halfway point, this story had definitely taken its own form and was very much a unique and rich world. In true form with the young adult book, the characters are more straightforward and carry less complexity than is often seen in literature. Although in much science fiction, character development does not seem to be the strongest aspect of the book. Stephen Baxter is a brilliant scientist and phenomenal writer/ story teller.. but characterization is not the primary emphasis.. What is going on is the greater focus, and here also, the story is not hindered by this in any way.
There is an excellent blend of science and mysticism-spirituality.. and this is highlighted by a very stirring speech given by one of the characters in the middle of the book. With all of the technology and scientific discoveries.. one of the main characters comes to a very profound insight: And through this, exposes young readers to these complex notions.. Hiroshima, the rain forest.. the world young adults are discovering, in all its horror and beauty, asking.. To what end, and for whose gain? How should science be used and for what motives? Zack comes to the conclusion that "We must understand ourselves, too."
In this, science and spirituality have been re-merged, something that has been broken since the beginning of the Cartesian model was developed, where all things are mechanistic and ethics were often set aside in the pursuit of pure science: the ends justifying the means. The 4 children that are central in this story question this premise, and hopefully the series will follow them as they discover a way to maintain the two in equal measure.
What I would like to see more of or would change:
Girls in skirts... didn't seem to serve any specific purpose, and it sends stereotype messages to kids who are reading.
Better depiction/ more gritty realistic of the life of native Americans on a Res.
For the aliens to be less human in their mannerisms and psychology.
I'm a sci fi junkie, and don't often like the young adult reads. I didn't care overly for the harry potter series- mostly because I have been reading sci fi and fantasy long enough that I prefer the better written and more complex stories.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The chapters read really quickly, and while I kept saying, finish the chapter and then go do my work.. I read the book cover to cover.
It's a story about friendship, relationships, between people, people and the earth, and eventually, people/humans.. and aliens. And yeah- theres some cool alien stuff, too! Imagine taking a field trip to the moon, or mars! Wow! But there is something for everyone here. Friendship. Cool science. Mystic spiritual ceremony of Navajo/Dine', and complex concepts around the philosophy that drives science.
Okay- on to more technical stuff:
This story reads fast and smooth. Each chapter hooks the reader to continue reading. At first I thought that this book was trying to be a science fiction version of Harry Potter, but by the halfway point, this story had definitely taken its own form and was very much a unique and rich world. In true form with the young adult book, the characters are more straightforward and carry less complexity than is often seen in literature. Although in much science fiction, character development does not seem to be the strongest aspect of the book. Stephen Baxter is a brilliant scientist and phenomenal writer/ story teller.. but characterization is not the primary emphasis.. What is going on is the greater focus, and here also, the story is not hindered by this in any way.
There is an excellent blend of science and mysticism-spirituality.. and this is highlighted by a very stirring speech given by one of the characters in the middle of the book. With all of the technology and scientific discoveries.. one of the main characters comes to a very profound insight: And through this, exposes young readers to these complex notions.. Hiroshima, the rain forest.. the world young adults are discovering, in all its horror and beauty, asking.. To what end, and for whose gain? How should science be used and for what motives? Zack comes to the conclusion that "We must understand ourselves, too."
In this, science and spirituality have been re-merged, something that has been broken since the beginning of the Cartesian model was developed, where all things are mechanistic and ethics were often set aside in the pursuit of pure science: the ends justifying the means. The 4 children that are central in this story question this premise, and hopefully the series will follow them as they discover a way to maintain the two in equal measure.
What I would like to see more of or would change:
Girls in skirts... didn't seem to serve any specific purpose, and it sends stereotype messages to kids who are reading.
Better depiction/ more gritty realistic of the life of native Americans on a Res.
For the aliens to be less human in their mannerisms and psychology.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I found this book to be a wonderful tale of friendship with plenty of science fiction along the way. It's a story about a young Irish boy who finds a place where he belongs. On his journey he meets some interesting friends, learns to fly a saucer (of the UFO kind) and discovers mysteries about this world's past.
A really fun read for all ages, suitable for tweens to adults.
A really fun read for all ages, suitable for tweens to adults.
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