As per my scoring system, the book falls in the "Very good" category, meaning the author can achieve excellence with his potential.
The author Tony Brunal treats us to a good world of sci-fi and adventure, in this book "As Time Narrows". It's a period after 2075... after 'years of war, famine, and pestilence', thereby the world is reduced to a mere population of just 200,000.
The story written in the third person, in the present tense, revolves around a group of scientists, from various countries of the devastated world. There is a subtle sub-tale of friendship, love and a battle.
Suddenly, the scientists discover a thrilling signal of hope from 'trillions of miles' away. It is from a sleek spaceship, from an alien planet, which they think can help the dwindling humanity. They estimate that it would land on Earth on frozen land. The experts decide to assemble there in order to capitalize on the new discovery. Thereon, the author authentically leads us on a journey as if we travel with the groups of scientists from various countries. Once the spaceship lands on Earth the scientists are in for a great surprise. What challenges do the groups of scientists face in between? How do they overcome and help humanity? Please read the book to find it out for yourself!
I found the plot has good entertainment value. Some interesting parts of the whole story are in the aspects of the Aliens, Wormhole, and Space travel undertaken by humans, with the thrills associated with it!
I found the writing, substantially, very interesting, articulate and brilliant. The attention to the details is commendable. The author has complete control of his style, in narrating the happenings by painting vivid pictures. I felt happy while reading some lines ……'They evacuated the remaining humans and welcomed them into their society. There would be a period of adjustment for the new arrivals, but soon prosperity flourished, and the two groups formed close friendships and even inter-being families.' … 'Mikael lays his body and says prayer to a man he never met.'
The story has creative depictions, good portrayal of emotions, and characterization of Mary, Eason, Tim, Mikael, Walt, Meri especially. A lively visual treat of portrayal as if they exist in front of you would help readers to construct the story in their mind quite easily! There are good realistic descriptions of the events, especially the main characters' arduous journey towards the spaceship's landing spot. The author has demonstrated his potential in describing the things as they are! So, it sustained my interest to continue reading, despite some shortcomings like drags in some chapters.
Well, there are definitely certain things that may not enthuse the readers. I felt some more care could have been taken for professional editing, for the book to achieve its meritorious place. If some important aspects of the main storyline had been elaborated in detail, it would have made a very impactful story. The biggest stumbling block I felt was in the mixture of different languages in the conversations. Though absolutely realistic, still it's my opinion, it impedes the story flow. Also, the story was not self-explanatory and emphatic in some places, demanding better clarity to understand the flow due to liberal usage of acronyms. A glossary at the beginning itself would have helped.
If the storyline had some twists, and a faster tempo it would have made the reading more interesting!
Why do I recommend this as a good book despite its shortcomings? I liked this book because: 1) I had some really beautiful moments. 2) of the honest efforts by the scientists across the world, coming together, to find a solution for the dwindling humanity (though could have been articulated in-depth); 3) vivid descriptions of a humane approach to saving a life while undertaking an arduous journey, when the crew members made a great struggle, facing a challenging crisis.
My rating is based on my ability to appreciate the scientific temper of the author, and the utmost care taken by the author to elucidate the things as they are; also based on the true joy I derived when I read the book leaving aside the flaws. If you’re looking for a delightful adventurous experience, and if you like SciFi genre, my recommendation is ….please read this book!
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