Book Review #67: The Crossing Hour By Quoleena Sbrocca

Title: The Crossing Hour

Author: Quoleena Sbrocca

Publishers: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 430 (PDF edition)

Source: Review copy by author

“Time travel used to be thought of just science fiction, but Einstein’s general theory of relativity allows for the possibility that we could warp space-time so much that you could go off in a rocket and return before you set out”    

       - Stephen Hawking

  

    “The Crossing Hour”, a novel that has kept me hooked for whole 2 days. Author Quoleena Sbrocca, a first time writer that wrote this excellent novel. It is really hard to believe a first timer can write something like this. This novel is an excellent work of imagination. Bundling fiction with few historical characters to create a magical time traveler’s story is something really a commendable job.

Stanley Graf, a retired NASA employee has believed in something extraordinary. He has created a device, called “Gramameter”, through which one can find any signs of the possible time travelers. Stanley worked relentlessly along with his son Thomas to witness this magic happen. This event happens once in every 4 years. A time traveler will appear once in every 4 years and according to Stanley’s theory, these time travelers will have 4 years of timeline to go back to their original time. He longed to prove his theory as a practical phenomenon, which was backed by Thomas Graf. After studying and documenting all these things for his entire life, Stanley passed the baton to his Granddaughter Leigh, a psychology graduate, to carry out the research and possibly receive any time traveler. Entire Stanley Graf’s family members are well educated of this time traveler’s event.

So, as the story progresses further, Leigh, now all set to receive the time traveler. She prepared well enough to witness this magical event happen right before her eyes. She sets all the black hole coordinates and waited. One fine day, a woman, probably in her late twenties, appeared out of blue. Leigh, who was witnessing this event made sure she was recording everything. Leigh was not sure of, whom this woman was or from which century she belonged to. She followed this mysterious woman and with help from her brother Stan, she collected enough information about this mysterious woman called “Harriet Tubman”.

The interesting part of the novel was the differences in the ways that 21^st century people talked and the people from Harriet Tubman’s time used to talk. Author had clearly mastered in choosing the right kind of grammar and vocabulary, and the salutations that people used to refer back in the days, so that it adds more weight to the time traveler’s character.

There is an important character in the novel called John Brown, a time traveler, staying in Stanley’s house for over 3 years. This part of the story in the novel where there are twists and turns, that sets the stage of the novel for its climax.

What worked in the entire novel is, the way the story is built. Readers can actually read effortlessly. There are some light moments when the earlier century people discover the modern technologies such as cars or mobile phones. The way it amuses them is exceptionally written. Hope one day, we all can witness such phenomenon in theory, proved in reality.

The writing style of the novel is lucid and engaging. There are no boring chapters as such. Each and every chapter makes sense. Breaking the entire novel into short chapters has really worked here. The dialogues differentiation between the earlier century people and the current generation people is just splendid. The scientific details and technological explanation just makes it more real than fiction. I recommend this book to every other reader who is interested in time traveler’s story.

Note: I received this book by the author in exchange of an honest review.

My Rating:

5/5

Book Review #26: Yana By Dr. S.L. Bhyrappa

For the first time S.L. Bhyrappa tried a science fiction based novel.!!. Published just 2 weeks ago, has attracted thousands of his loyal readers, making this book as one of the bestsellers in Kannada in recent days.  As a first timer to this genre, there are slight mistakes and scientific inaccuracies and there were space to improve in the writing. Nevertheless, this book didn't disappoint me. As a regular reader of SL Bhyrappa's books, what I read is an expected. There is nothing unexpected or extra super stuff that he wrote. He just carried it in a simple but elegant manner.

What it seems to be the most secret phenomenon called Black Hole has been studied in this novel in a somewhat possible way. But, it is beyond a science fiction, it explores the regular SL Bhyrappa's flavor of human relationships, bondage, philosophical aspects, etc..

The story is very simple as it seems to be. Two Astronauts, a female fighter pilot Uttara and a male scientist Sudarshan, who sets out on a epic journey into a far away galaxy leaving our solar system. They set out to travel to the Proxima Centauri which is several light years away from our solar system.

The intention of this journey was kept a top secret by the central space research agency. The mission was supposed to test the human generation growth in a space. These two astronauts were supposed to procreate and their children were supposed to marry (Yes, you are reading it right!!) and should procreate and this cycle must continue forever. As the intention of this experiment is kept top secret, the central space research agency selected fighter pilot Uttara for her right attitude towards serving the country and Scientist Sudarshan who is capable of building modern space shuttles. They were instructed clearly by the space research station that they will never return to earth. So, these two sets out on this journey or YANA leaving behind the earth forever.

As the novel progresses further, Author had done little damage while describing the space and its intricate details. Though he described the space shuttle in somewhat possible way. The space station that has facilities to grow even vegetables. It has been proved in recent times about the facility to grow vegetables in space stations.

As the novel continues, we find that, pilot Uttara had already covered a space travel program of 100 days previously with her pilot husband in a similar journey. When the 2nd time was announced, her husband declined this offer, whereas, Uttara accepts this offer. Hence, their relationship was ended abruptly.

With the clear instructions from the space research agency, these two protagonists, Uttara and Sudarshan were supposed to procreate. But, somehow, Uttara loses her interest in this idea and she starts to avoid by becoming pregnant. And, Sudarshan tries all his might to explain the duty that she was supposed to carry out in this mission. But, he fails. As their journey continues, Sudarshan also loses interest in this mission and he tries to find solace by surrendering to meditation. The ideas and the thoughts that Sudarshan gets while he starts practicing meditation is a treat to read from the book. I will not be explaining those things in my review.

After a while, Uttara changes her mind and approaches Sudarshan. But this time, Sudarshan declines and suggests her to get pregnant with the sperms that was given to them by the space research agency before their travel. Somehow, she gets pregnant and gives birth to two children a boy Akash and a girl Medini. These two children were supposed to get married in few years and carry out this YANA. But this idea itself is somewhat creepy. I know some conservatives/orthodox people will hate this idea of brother marrying his own sister. But this is fiction right, author have every rights to let his imagination go in any direction.

As the novel progresses towards the end, the two children were supposed to marry. But, they starts getting doubt about this marriage. So, they approach their parents with all the questions they have on their mind. By studying their parent's life journey, they comes to a conclusion that, this journey has come a long way and there is no possible way of going back. Hence, they also decides to serve their mission and thereby serving their country. This marks the end of the book. Were they got married ??. Imagination left to the readers.

The writing style of this novel is lucid and it did engage the readers. If you expect a typical SLB writeups in this novel. There are two answers for that, Yes and a No. Yes, because you can read the conventional human-human relationships, whether its an illicit or a time bound relationship doesn't matter, the spiritual thoughts that runs through in the minds of protagonists, the philosophical experience, etc, etc.... And No, because, you get a feeling that, this is not even a science fiction, but a regular book that has a backdrop of space station. THAT's ALL.

Overall, can be read. Not a must read though. Author would've taken a different approach for a science fiction genre than his regular writing style. A new try will always have some loopholes.

My Rating:
4.5/5