EARTH'S EMERGENCE

A debut SF novel stars a young genius.

Daniel Thoth is born on July 7, 2051. Those around him have no clue that his presence on Earth will change humanity forever. Early in Daniel’s life, he is recognized as exceptional. At the age of 3, he has mastered several languages. At 13, Daniel has already started his own company. Although he always intends to use his intelligence for good (as he proclaims at one point, he will see to it that “humanity will rise from the stagnation that we have been trapped in for so many generations”), danger always lurks around the corner. There are many with a vested interest in seeing that humanity does not rise from its stagnation, and these people have no qualms about using violence to try to stop Daniel. Unbeknown to Daniel, his incredible intelligence stems from the fact that he is the embodiment of a spirit named Timiat. Timiat was one of the Olomnri people from a distant planet. As Daniel works to solve Earth’s problems, there is no telling what might eventually await him in outer space. Readers can never be quite sure what astounding discovery Daniel and his team will come across next. And while the powers that be may be upset that they’ll lose market share when, say, a new global internet service provider comes online, it seems likely Daniel will move on to the next thing before they can stop him. The constant conflict with these sinister figures keeps things lively. But the villains tend to be more caricatures of bad guys than worthy rivals. One such man says of Stanford, where Daniel does his graduate studies: “That damn school and their altruistic ideas.” The fun comes in seeing not so much who might stop Daniel but just how far he will ultimately go.

This tech-heavy adventure offers plenty of surprises even though the hero bypasses most obstacles.