PROJECT ANASTROPHE: A SCI FI NOVEL

PROJECT ANASTROPHE: A SCI FI NOVEL
Author: George Karnikis
Copyright: 2008
Outskirts Press, Denver, Colorado
ISBN: 978-1-4327-2898-4
Trade Paperback $24.95
556 pages
Science Fiction
An anastrophe is a term of Greek origin regarding a figure of speech in which the order of the words is changed.
Most people on our planet do agree that we need to stop the pollution that is slowly destroying our place to live. Somehow, we have allowed the oil industries to dominate our energy choices and the results have not always been positive for our lives. We know that the pollutants have harmed both our bodies and our planet, but we continue anyway. It's easier that way. What will happen when there is so much pollution and damage that we have no choices with our health or the environment? How long do we really have?
This is the problem in PROJECT ANASTROPHE. In the 25th- century, yes, we have technology that we probably could not even dream about in the 20th-century. The people in this century now live in domed cities since the planet is saturated with radiation. Only within these domed cities is it safe to live. Nothing can live outside the domes due to the radiation levels. Even though these domed cities have been effective for years, now in the 25th-century, radiation is leaking through the ground into the cities and beginning to kill every living thing. In an effort to save themselves and the planet, Project Anastrophe is created.
The solution for the planet is go back in time and stop the use of nuclear materials in the 20th-century. To achieve this, the 25th-century government decides to create a team consisting of a scientist, Norina who is from the 25th-century and Nick Papas, who work as a NASA physicist in the 21st-century, along with three robots who are at different stages in technological and biological advances, on this quest to save the future.
To accomplish this, they must go against the Prime Directive which states that you must not change the past in time traveling, as that will also alter the future. Also, in this race against destruction, is another team strictly funded by big business, who wants to destroy the government team and change the past also, but for the purposes of increasing the profits of particular businesses.
Both teams go back to the early 1940s to the creation of nuclear bombs and to convince the governments and scientists of their harmful effects. Meeting with various leaders and scientists around the world at this time, seemed realistic with respect to technology and lifestyle of the time period.
Through time travel in the future to the 30th-century it is discovered that the planet is now is a battle with another planet. So again the team must go against the Prime Directive in order to alter their future.
George Karnikis is a native of Greece and currently lives in the United States.
The ideas in PROJECT ANASTROPHE are creative and well-thought through. However, much of the writing seems awkward and does not have the fluidness of master writers in our language. I also am concerned about using the term of Prime Directive as this was originated for the Star Trek series. Also, it would help if the author had attached himself more to the characters. The book lacks a personal voice for the characters. I truly felt that this story was loved by the author and could be an outstanding book if written with the guidance of a true editor. Being that the author is not a native English speaker, some of the problems of word order, or anastrophies, could be alleviated. It could be a great novel if an editor worked with the author on its rewriting.
This is basically a good novel, a great idea, that I enjoyed. .