POLE SHIFT

POLE SHIFT
Author: Albert Samuel Tukker
Copyright: 2007
Lulu Press
Softcover
ISBN: 0557024749 ISBN: 978-05557024742
$24.95 292 pages
Science Fiction/Mystery

Everyone seems to have an opinion about what might happen in December of 2012 when the planets will supposedly align and the Mayan calendar ends. Will this be the end of our world?
Albert Samuel Tukker has his own vision of what might happen. His story is POLE SHIFT. Could this alignment cause our magnetic poles to shift to being straight up? How would this change our planet?

POLE SHIFT begins with Forrest Woods being at his wife’s side as she is slowly and painfully dying of cancer. When she actually dies, he is, naturally and guilt-ridden, not there. However, Forrest still feels her closeness, especially whenever the blue firefly appears. Is this his wife looking after him?

Grieving is different for everyone. For Forrest, it means that he is grateful for Lisa’s life insurance and this allows him to move out into the Arizona desert and live his life without the hassle of populated areas while pursuing a career in photography. He becomes a loner and survivalist with building his own shelter, raising his own food, and having little human contact.

Forrest is grateful for living away from the cities when an immense earthquake occurs that literally changes the planet. Did the change of the poles cause this earthquake? Since Forrest was in his cellar at the time, he managed to live until the shaking stopped. What he was not prepared for was the change in the land such as mountains being flattened and much of our country not being covered in salt water. Even the crops he had planted had the roots pulverized. Also puzzling is the placement of the Sun in the sky and the path it follows throughout the days. What would change the sun’s position?

Animal behavior also changed during this disaster. Forrest witnessed a flock of pigeons killing and eating a rabbit and a herd of rats outran and killed a coyote. What could have changed these eating habits and behaviors? If animals react this way, how will this change humans? How do you survive now?

POLE SHIFT is Forrest’s journey back into having relationships with people along with the healing of his grief. What are the rules to live by now? What else has changed? How does he survive? Is this the end of the world as we know it?

POLE SHIFT makes you wonder what will be the result of the alignment or will anything actually happen in 2012. More importantly is the examination of our humanity and how each of us reacts in the face of danger and life. This is the story of personal healing and survival.

The voice and sincerity of Forrest Woods is the strength of POLE SHIFT. My criticism of this novel was being forced to end my reading relationship with Forrest and his blue firefly by finishing the last page.

I could easily see POLE SHIFT as the first book in a series featuring Forrest. I look forward to reading more from Albert Samuel Tukker.

POLE SHIFT was considered to be the best science fiction for the year 2007 from Books-and-Authors.net for Literary Excellence.