The Aquarians: An Ancient Mayan Prophecy—A Modern Phenomenon (Paperback)

by Eric Rankin (Author)
Key Phrases: dolphin behaviorist, Eric Rankin, South Coast Safari, San Diego (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
1945—After being blown off the deck of his ship by a horrific explosion, U.S. Naval officer Vern Becket is visited by what he can only assume is his guardian angel. Helplessly floating in the dark seas off the coast of Japan, Vern learns that he has a mission—one that he won’t accomplish for almost sixty years.

2004—A pioneer in the study of dolphin echolocation, Dr. Troy Wallace is convinced that he is on the verge of an incredible scientific breakthrough. Recent research suggests that dolphins may send three-dimensional sonograms to each other, and Dr. Wallace hopes to be the first to decode and view these images.

Rebecca Larson, a dolphin behaviorist at SeaWorld in San Diego, California, is assisting Dr. Wallace in his research. She believes that dolphins—a species that has thrived on Earth for more than forty million years—may offer critical insights into the societal structure, behavior, and future of mankind.

As handsome as he is shallow, southern California television celebrity Ryan Ericson is thrust into an ever-expanding mystery of coincidence and discovery. And he is about to learn how his professional involvement with Vern, Dr. Wallace, and Rebecca relates to dolphins, an ancient Mayan prophecy, and the very fate of humanity.

About the Author
Eric Rankin has traveled the world studying and swimming with dolphins, both wild and tame. Rankin lives in Southern California with his wife, Elena, and son, Ryan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 206 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (December 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595443028
• ISBN-13: 978-0595443024
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #115,077 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love, Forgiveness, Compassion - Dolphins and Mayans and Hope, July 18, 2008

By	Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Eric Rankin's close communication with dolphins resulting from his swimming with these ancient and intelligent beings around the oceans of the world helps to explain one reason why this brief book is so addicting to read. But since THE AQUARIANS is his first novel the reader will not only be absorbed in the very fine story line of the book, but will also be impressed with the amount of research Rankin so obviously accomplished in the fields of Astrology, Mayan intelligence, and computer technology as applied to animal studies. First and foremost, this is a novel that will capture the attention of anyone who is fortunate enough to pick up a copy - an adventure filled with intrigue, investigation, criminal underpinnings, and a fine love story: it is also a warmly informative approach to the mysteries of the Mayan Calendar, Dolphin communications, and philosophical line of thought about the state of the world and the future of the human species.

Wisely weaving several stories, each with a set of characters we get to know, to a braid of story in which all of the events and characters of the novel become intricately connected, Rankin begins his story with a prelude in 1946 and an important incident occurring just after the atomic bomb devastation of Japan that sets the tone of the novel. The reader encounters crusty old scientists who are determined to understand the ultrasonic holograms dolphins transmit, archeologists who gaze in wonder at the findings of a hidden Mayan temple on whose ceiling is painted the famous Mayan Calendar referenced in the 800 year old Dresden Codex, and to keep the story contemporary, young people are added to not only provide the requisite love interest but also provide the tie with the past that gives the book such an uplifting ending. Rankin blends these elements so well that he is able to make statements about humanity and the fragility of life without sounding saccharine. 'It's knowing that life constantly offers you the opportunity to commit an act of love, and that no matter what, love is always the right act to commit. Love is always the right answer'. And in sharing his knowledge of dolphin behavior he offers his scientist the chance to make poignant statements: 'We're warm-blooded, air-breathing animals similar to them [dolphins] in many ways, but different in that we live on land, walk, build things, and are preoccupied with conflict and violence'.

Faced with the shared evidence from many of the characters that the numbers 11:11, the date the Mayan Calendar ends time as we know it (December 21, 2012), and recurring dreams/visions provide, Rankin's characters provide a window of hope into the future - a true 'dawning of The Age of Aquarius' - if the study of dolphins is heeded. It all makes for a fascinating book, and after reading it, the reader will recognize that clues to the entire story are presented on the very well designed cover of this successful novel! Grady Harp, July 08

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Looking forward to 2012, March 5, 2008

By	rucinn (CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Aquarians: An Ancient Mayan Prophecy—A Modern Phenomenon (Hardcover)

The Aquarians is one of those rare books that has the magic to really pull you into the story. I kept wanting to pick it back up even when I didn't have time to read--I couldn't stop thinking about it. I liked the characters and the entertaining storyline, but I think the real pull for me was the message. The Mayan calendar end-date coinciding with the age of aquarius, the 11:11 phenomenon being a wake-up call (I am one of those who has been seeing 11:11 for years), and the new perspective it offered me about dolphins left me with such optimism. I realize it is just a work of fiction, but the facts woven through the story were so inspiring. I am looking forward to the new direction humanity can take in the year 2012.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect Beach Book - Entertaining and Inspiring!, May 17, 2009

By	NLMPT (Aliso Viejo, CA USA) - See all my reviews

The first page draws you into the water, and each page following buoys you along like a swell on the ocean. Wave by wave, you are drawn into the seemingly disconnected lives of captivating people. You join the thread of each character's past, and the author invites you along for the enlightening journey that brings them all together. With them you are transported to many intriguing locales, and left feeling as though you have walked in these places and shared their experiences. Along the odyssey, fascinating, true facts about dolphins, science, and Mayan culture will lead you to search for more. This is not a doomsday prophecy, rather a tale of possibilities for the future, and the hope of human potential.