THE ARASMITH CERTAINTY PRINCIPLE

After a shocking archaeological discovery, a potentially world-ending scheme emerges in this series opener.

Jen Hewitt, a geologist, learns that her longtime friend and colleague Jonathan Renner has discovered a mind-blowing archaeological mystery. In the desert of Wyoming, Jonathan unearthed a skeleton of a recently deceased old woman buried in ancient sediment at the bottom of what was once a lake. Curiously, within the thousands-of-years-old sediment are a radio, a small wooden cross, and a modern brooch. After seeing the site and the scientific data, Jen believes Jonathan’s findings aren’t a hoax, and the two loop in Dr. Susan Arasmith, a brilliant physicist at the California Institute of Technology. Meanwhile, Susan is in the midst of experiments on the “Certainty Principle,” her counter to Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle (which states “the undefined location of a particle [is] simply a reflection of its wave character”). As Susan, Jen, and other scientists continue their work, they draw unwanted attention from a high-ranking government official and others, who may not be from planet Earth. Although the novel is speculative SF, Colson includes lots of real science. When Jen and Jonathan test the wooden cross, for example, they discuss carbon dates of the wood and the layers of stone where it was found. Susan’s experiments also explore the science behind her speculative work with the Certainty Principle. While the list of players is long, Colson’s layered characterization makes each one distinct. The first half of the novel is well paced as Colson raises the stakes and introduces the villain(s). A short lull occurs in the second half as everyone moves into place for an action-packed finale. Jen’s consideration of her Christian faith and its relationship to science is the crux of the novel’s conclusion and adds interest. A satisfying ending sets up the cast for future installments.

An engaging SF adventure influenced by speculative science and Christian belief.