fbpx
BooksMEDIAScifi

Points Of Origin by E. S. Fein (book review).

I think this is a self-published book which don’t usually come to my attention. Authors typically don’t have the marketing and distribution resources to get books in front of reviewers like me. I’m also inclined to treat them with caution as the quality of self-published books can be very variable. With ‘Points Of Origin’, the author E.S. Fein is raising the bar for quality as it’s a very well-written and thought-provoking book. Some of that credit will no doubt be due to the editor Nichole Paolella Petrovich.

The book opens with a prologue which introduces the main character Amero Hiddiger. He’s disturbed from his rather long slumber and begins to remember the past events that brought him to this point. These events are set in an Earth where a twisted version of Christianity called the New Covenant has come to totally dominate the remaining pockets of technical civilisation.

The New Covenant is stricter and harsher than any preceding Christian sect especially for homosexuals who can expect punishment and more probably execution. This is a problem for Amero as he is a flamboyant, extrovert homosexual. With no long-term partner, he enjoys one-night stands and doesn’t unduly concern himself with the fate of these discarded partners.

The one redeeming feature which keeps Amero safe from the New Covenant is his ability to pilot spaceships. Put simply, he is the best pilot on Earth and a globally famous for his piloting exploits. Amero’s personality makes him rebel against the strict moral environment and so he keeps pushing to annoy the New Covenant.

I must admit at this point I was questioning where this tale was going. Was it going to be one man’s story of tortured rejection by society for being gay? There was a lot of the book still to be read and this seemed to be the likely outcome. Well, it isn’t and there are reasons why Amero’s fit with revealing society has to made prominent which become clear later. Perhaps I should also mention at this point that there are no sex scenes in the book.

Anyway, scientists working for the New Covenant build a new type of spaceship that can travel faster than light. Amero is the obvious choice as the pilot and a homosexual partner is selected from the scientists to accompany Amero on the trip. There is a slight problem as the new drive powering the spaceship is one way. There will be no return trip.

From the New Covenant’s perspective, this is a win-win opportunity to send two homosexuals (abominations as they call them) on a one-way trip off Earth. Amero isn’t very keen on the idea or on the selected partner neither. Not that his wishes are regarded as particularly important, so off they go.

It is at this point that you, the reader, begin to realise that not everything is quite as it seems and the true nature of what is really going on starts to be revealed. I don’t want to go into the plot in any detail from this point as whatever I say would be a spoiler. What I will say is that this is a story of reality manipulation and I don’t mean something like the Matrix where it’s just people’s perceptions. This is actually manipulation of time and events spanning the life of the universe.

There are constraints, of course, and there is a purpose to it although the purpose is not universally agreed. There are specific events with can’t be altered and have to be worked around or accommodated. With each chapter we get to see the bigger and bigger picture until at the end there is nowhere else to go or is there?

It really is a thought-provoking book which had me captivated. There are points and themes in the story that could be discussed for eons as people will have their own idea on where it leads. It’s a book I would highly recommend.

Andy Whitaker

September 2021

(pub: Feinbooks, 2018. 353 page ebook/paperback. Ebook: Price: £3.82 (UK), $ 2.99 (US). ISBN: 978-1-7323069-1-2. Paperback: Price: $11.63 (US), £11.95 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-7323069-0-5)

check out website: https://officialesfein.com

AndyWhitaker

I live in deepest darkest Essex where I enjoy photography, real ales, walking my dog, cooking and a really good book. I own an e-book reader which goes with me everywhere but still enjoy the traditional paper based varieties. My oriental studies have earned me a black belt in Suduko and I'm considered a master in deadly Bonsai (there are very few survivors).

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.