Surviving Theseus by Randy Noble – Book Review
Randy Noble brings sci-fi novelty to an epic mystery of evil alien encounters in his book, “Surviving Theseus.”
SOAD, an acronym for Search Out and Destroy, trains and equips officers with a license to kill as they stand guard over future distant space corridors, maintaining law and order among travelers on various starships. Regina Valensky, a SOAD officer, is taking a vacation aboard a luxury space cruiser called Pyramid One when she is tricked, drugged, and drawn into a death mystery beyond ordinary comprehension. She investigates a puzzling occurrence in which the entire crew of a spaceship en route to a moon-sized, uninhabitable planet simply disappeared, leaving only their clothing on the deck of the ship, as if they had stripped naked and disappeared. What has caused such strange forensic evidence? How could this have happened to the entire crew, leaving no trace? With her own crew of a dozen skilled pilots and professionals, Regina embarked on a SOAD ship designed with an invisible shield to unravel the facts of the strange occurrence, or likely die trying.
Granted, any science fiction enthusiast is already familiar with dozens of plot scenarios involving space travel between moons and distant planets. However, just when you think you’ve seen all that technology can manifest, Randy Noble comes up with some clever “inventions.” So smart that he should maybe seek a patent for some of them!
For example, two technologies that Gene Roddenberry brought to all of us that were great for plot elements, but contrary to Albert Einstein’s theories, are warp drive and teleportation (transmission). Randy Noble cleverly avoids going beyond ordinary physics by having his spaceship travel fast but not faster than light. In this novel, ships must also stay within the corridors of an array, or lanes in space designated by cleverly designed markers, “floating match” type devices. Only SOAD ships can take “shortcuts” through the interplanetary travel network. Other spacecraft attempting to go beyond the designated areas allowed to travel by the markers result in their engines instantly stopping working, their ships being stranded and being forced to wait for law enforcement to pick them up. prosecute them.
Another technology that I found fascinating was the “magnetic tube” used to transport people from a ship in space to the surface of a planet. Described by Randy Noble as a beam of energy, a tube is roughly like an elongated hula-hoop, extending from the ship to a precise distance of about 4 feet above the ground’s surface. The magnetic tube extends from the ship with two cascading energy fields: the outside moves in the opposite direction to the inside. A person would enter the tube and, like an elevator, be taken through a portal to the end to exit at a safe point to the surface of the planet or moon below. The two energy fields would reverse to provide a push back to the ship. Although a bit of a challenging journey, it did result in compelling theoretical physical thinking, in my amateur scientific reasoning, about the possibilities for novel ways humans can solve problems that don’t yet exist.
Technology aside, “Surviving The Theseus” builds suspense as Regina’s colleagues are eliminated, one by one, by an alien force that can only be seen at times as a glow of orange light, which doesn’t take the necessary form. to aim and destroy. An alien assassin without hesitation, the force is overwhelming all who come near; without even a chance to defend himself. As the crew battles this epically evil foe, character development becomes such that you get to know them as down-to-earth space travelers. Each of them is written with many classic literary techniques, making for an engaging page-turning game in a futuristic fantasy world of believable scientific contraptions; a truly classic science fiction.
Although mixed in with some “R” rated words, the book would still be recommended for young adult reading, but not for children. As sci-fi fans of all ages can’t get enough of new technology, Randy Noble certainly brings to mind some original gadgets, making this a must-read for those looking for a trip off-earth and an interesting battle in the vacuum of space. An action-packed encounter with what is defined in Greek mythology as an assassin; “Surviving Theseus” will remain in your thoughts.