First Contact: Strings Attached by Paul J. Nelson (Book Review #25)

 

This review is written for Online Book Club.

“I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars.”

First Contact is the first book of its series. You enter a world where a telescope is considered to be a new invention. Zalk, the inventor of the device, has created a public shock as it confirms that Zeon is not the center of the universe and that Arken and Zeon are twin orbs circulating each other. Arken has some green areas that predict possible vegetation, and also some buildings have been sighted that recommend possible life.

 

This extraordinary discovery causes trouble for Zalk as it is new and against the fundamental teachings of his world. His wife becomes concerned for their well-being, and he is on the verge of being forced into re-education programs and is eventually fired from his job. As the church and people become reconciled with the fact that Zeon is not the only orb and that contains life, Zalk finds employment elsewhere and becomes very popular.

Zalk is a ‘sensitive,’ which means that he can receive mental images believed to be coming from Arken. His premonitions become stronger as time goes by and he manages to connect with Arken on a more powerful level.

The interview that Zalk has with a well-known magazine becomes troublesome and exposes him causing yet again another wind of stress in his life; however, the newfound friendship with Sorab generates a greater opportunity for Zalk and his wife. As we all have heard before that nothing in life comes for free, Zalk finds himself once again in a predicament accepting a generous living from his friend and causing himself to fall into debt with various favors to accomplish.

Will this friendship cost him more than he thought? Or can he trust this new friend? All of this and more are to be discovered. The book ends on a high note and with much anticipation for what is to come.

Besides the highly unnecessary, complicated wording and sentence structure of the book itself, the author has used numerous slang terms that a reader may not even comprehend its meaning. However, these words have been referenced and can be checked out for better understanding. If you purchase this book in print, then I believe you would have to check the back. I am not sure if this is convenient.

Unfortunately, the book did not give me any particular sense of pleasure. My personal feelings towards the book are purely based on not agreeing with the style of writing, pace and character building. I did also find several typos and structural mistakes in the content. I would highly recommend the Author to have another proofreading done of his work.

I did like the plot and the storyline. I credit the Author for its originality of work. It was interesting that Zeon was so technologically behind from the orb he found communication with. In addition, the social media back then was how it is nowadays which created a twist to the story.

If you are a science fiction fan and don’t mind what I have mentioned above, then this book is for you!

 Written by Jeyran Main

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