Erec Stebbins's The Anonymous Signal Ready for Movie Production!

Mr. Craig, Sir."

A man in a chauffeur's uniform held a door open patiently. The CEO of Goldman Sachs stalked toward the car. Silver-haired, dressed in a tailored business suit with a golden watch that glinted in the sunlight...Two bodyguards left his side and walked to a second car parked immediately behind.

Jack Craig nodded to the chauffeur and stepped into the limo..."World Financial Center, Miles."

Continuing to stare outside his window, Craig felt a weariness descend. Soon, he knew, they would reach their exist and the nasty courting ritual would begin at the hotel. A presidential speech on financial reform, dutiful agreements from the top managers, handshakes, TV moments, and reporters' questions. Too much money had changed hands for there to be any real concern. They owned the committees. The damn politicians had to trot them out every few years, give them a public tongue-lashing, and then it was back to business as usual.

A black spot in the sky in front of them caught his eye. What the hell? He disengaged the sound suppression.

"Miles, can you see that thing in front of us? I thought it was a plane, but it's something else..." something was wrong. The craft, whatever it was, seemed way to low. Too small... He could see his driver straining upward and nodding...Damn if it's not going to hit us."

The object careened straight for them, slowing its approach until it paced the car. He could see it better now...A mass of spidery arms underneath held what looked like a cylinder, the bottom shining like a large metallis disc. Craig felt a strange unease. It's like some giant insect from Mars...

"Miles, take the next exit...Just do it!" Craig wasn't sure what was happening, but his instincts were never wrong. He had lived too long as a predator and master of the games of power...Right now, his alarms were ringing frantically.

The limo darted across lanes toward the exit to a chorus of horns. The small flying thing matched their motion, and continued to close the distance...Then the impossible! The small craft accelerated and slammed directly onto the roof of the car.

Craig jumped. Shit! "Pull us over, Miles. Now!...Goddamn thing is stuck to the rooftop," yelled Craig, grabbing the handle of his door. He prepared to leap out of the behicle.

A large explosion rocked the corner of 53rd and Sutton Place. Windows of surrounding buildings shattered, facade stone fractured and fell, and debris from a black limo blasted outward with a fireball that set nearby trees and garbage on fire. Smoke surged upward from the demolished vehicle, only a chassis and partial skeleton remaining...

Above the growing chaos, unseen by anyone below, a frenetic buzzing purred. An apple-sized object hovered hundreds of feet above the fire, a propeller whirling above an octagonal hardware collection ending with a downward-pointing lens. The mechanical  insect watched over the scene with a cold stillness. As the first sounds of sirens began to spill toward the carnage, it climbed above the buildings and disappeared into the sky.

~~~

The Anonymous Signal:

Book one of An Armageddon Duology

By Erec Stebbins

Wow! It's probably because I've been working with different types of computer systems all my professional life, that I found the latest by Erec Stebbins to be so fantastic...and horrible... Fantastic because of his details and imagination in concocting the story... And horrible because it could happen in reality to a greater or lesser extent than here in his book... which were truly disastrous events...

Internet Review of Books said of Erec..."Stebbins is the Master of the Thinking Reader's Techno Thriller" To me, when the techies give praise, it is not said lightly. Stebbins is brilliant and uses the expertise he's developed together with his creative genius to move from one book to another in various genres and areas of interest. I've only had the time to read 5 of them over the years, but I did and would still highly recommend all of his books (See link to reviews below combined book trailer video.) But this one...it became my favorite of those I've read...

The First Strike was toward company CEOs and politicians, sometime using

drones. These scary little mechanical creatures had been acquired by the thousands and will terrify you in some of the scenes as completely unmanned machines kill and destroy.

But consider them as merely hors-d'oeuvres to the main meal...An unstoppable worm eating up and through the world-wide Internet... eating through corporate files, government information systems and on to Wall Street and other markets...it was unstoppable... Soon phones were gone, utilities...while money was being moved out of all accounts never to see seen again...

Rioting began in the streets as transportation was dowm and people were going without food...

"Word on the Capitol?"

Lightfoote nodded. "You've seen the footage on the news. Main entrance and steps are blown to hell and back. Few were hurt at this time of night, but the point sure was made. The building is structurally sound, however. It would take a lot more firepower than these little drones can carry to serious damage it."
"And what if they have bigger drones?" asked Cohen.
Angel bit her lip."Then it could be a lot worse. But the scurrying of governmental staff is creating power vacuums. Basically, we're moving to a crisis mode unlike anything except during the Cold War. Not even 9/11 approached this. The apparatus is gearing up for siege."
"This is not going to end well," muttered Savas. "update me on this worm."
"It is hard to get visible, and wow, what a beauty." Cohen arched her eyebrow. "Seriously, Rebecca, this is the Michaelangelo of hackers. The damn thing self-assembled from thousands of computers around the world on some mysterious signal."
"Self-assembled?" asked Savas.
"Yes! We thought that it was hiding on various computers. Only parts of it were. Like the distributed code I mentioned? I didn't realize that the entire worm was networked. In other words, it doesn't exist as a single piece of code on any computer, but like a neural network that's the sum of a bunch of minor worms on millions of computers. It's incredible. Powerful. Unstoppable."
"Unstoppable?" said Cohen.
"Well, I don't know how to stop it. I don't think anybody would. It's unprecedented. It's a distributed AI that's taking over the distributed brain we call the internet."
"But it was activated with the Anonymous broadcast?" asked Savas.
"It ran the damn broadcast, John! I tried to get inside the code that activated, but it quickly detected my efforts and erased itself. Wiped the hard-drive. I'm reinstalling from backup..."
Savas felt his head pounding. He needed something concrete, something practical. "Tell me what the threat is."
Lightfoote looked at him in shock. "John, it can do anything. Write any code, erase data, create data, shut systems down, modulate system function. Turn off the water and lights. Open the Hoover Dam. Drop half the airplanes from the sky. Delete the world's money supply. Anything.
What's the threat? It's fucking digital Armageddon."

~~~

A thousand years scarce serve to form a state: An hour may lay it in the dust.                                          --Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage

Stebbins begins his book in the midst of of United States Armed Forces Special Tribunal, which is the Plaintiff, versus John Savas, Defendant. Set before The Anonymous Event Commission...

There is a certain arrogant attitude established by the writer right at the beginning. You see, the very people who worked diligently and had "saved the world" were now being put through "hell" because of the way they handled things. OMG, Bureacracy at its finest..."Thanks for saving the world, but now, we need to pick all of your actions apart to cover those of us who couldn't--save the world that is..."  Stebbins' outstanding choice to frame his book in this fashion lends so much more credibility to what happens--again leading readers to the horrors of the "possibilities..."

Special Agent John Savas is the head of the team that some were saying had gone rogue... Duh, so while all communication was down, the bureaucrats expected to be totally kept in the loop on what the assigned group was doing to stop the disaster. I loved the sarcastic and emotional amazement expressed by those giving their depositions...

CBD: Thank you, Mr. Miller. You understand that your testimony here is on the record, and your words might later be used to charge and try you as an enemy combatant of the United States?     Mr.Miller: No, I don't understand that. [REDACTED] Have you not been informed of your rights and requirements under the new Tribunal Act?     Mr. Miller: Yes, sir. But none of this makes any sense to me. {REDACTED] You have been informed of the law?     Mr. Miller: Yes, Jesus.

Be prepared for a complex, fast-paced, story that still provides readers with detailed information on what was happening and what was being done to investigate who was behind everything. 

I enjoyed John Savas as the leader and coordinator but there were three exciting heroes who actually responded to the primary activities. One was a brilliant computer genius and a husband-wife team that had earlier been declared criminals and wanted by the government who were brought in by Savas... Kinda supports many of our concerns about actions of government officials, since those three heroes disappeared after all the work they'd done, without any praise or thank yous...in fear of their lives...

What I'm trying to point out is that in the creation of the book, I believe Erec Stebbins has done everything possible he could do to make the story one of the most realistic books you may ever read. It my opinion, it would make a Armageddon techno-thriller movie that would prove to be a major success! And extremely believable, given the time frame and technological advances and connectivity now present across the world.

"Jen, What the hell is your son doing at my
computer?"
The black hair of a young boy popped up from
behind a monitor, his eyes wide behind oversized
 glasses. Several books were positioned around
him on the desk, and his hand clutched a computer
mouse in an iron grip.
A red-faced man stood in the doorway to the home
office, his teeth bared, high-end casual clothing
draping an athletic form. A woman rushed past
him into the room, placing herself between the
boy and the man, hands up as if to ward off a blow.
"Now, Richard, he just wanted to try some
programming. It's for his class presentation."
She smiled wildly. "His will be so much better
than all the other children's! He's a genius,
you know!"
...His stepfather didn't like anyone to use his
things. His stepfather's computer was important.
The things on the computer were serious work.
Maybe it was true, maybe he didn't know how to
code like a grown up yet. He wasn't sure. No one
would teach him at school and his programs
didn't always work like he wanted. He knew he
needed to learn more.
But he could delete files. He knew how to do that.
He could delete ALL his stepfather's files.
He opened a terminal window and began typing.
~~~

The only thing that breaks the realism is the villain...because he is just a flawed, even though brilliant, human.

And that's what makes the book fun!

Readers gain sufficient background about this character to learn that he was born a genius, well beyond the capability of his parents to control him... And unfortunately he turns out to be a psychopath with, perhaps, a god complex... In any event, I loved the connection developed between the hero computer whiz and the villain computer whiz... Because, no matter how he had been prepared, and no matter what hardware and software he had acquired, she beat him every time! After meeting the Daughter of Time in his trilogy, I have come to greatly admire Erec Stebbins for his strong female characters. He has continued that recognition in this novel with my and, I am sure, other women's gratitude. 

In fact, one of Stebbins greatest abilities in his writing is in his character development. While at the same time, his brilliance and expertise brings forth some of the most unique science fiction stories I've ever enjoyed. They are intense, dynamic and complex enough to force the reader directly into the world he's created. If you don't plan to enter in right at the beginning, you might as well forego starting his books because he'll leave undisciplined readers behind...He's that good!

But don't let me scare you, for those who are into Computers? This is a must-read! Could you beat the anonymous signal that may end the world?!

GABixlerReviews

Erec Stebbins is a biomedical researcher who writes novels in a variety of genres, focusing on thrillers and science fiction. His work has consistently been praised for its action and thrills alongside a deeper, often philosophical angle. 

His novels have been called "unique" and "pulse-pounding" (THE RAGNARÖK CONSPIRACY), "altogether profound, reminiscent of Bradbury and Dan Simmons' Hyperion" (DAUGHTER OF TIME TRILOGY), and "startlingly dark" (EXTRAORDINARY RETRIBUTION) with five star ratings in Foreword Reviews, San Francisco Book Reviews, Portland Book Review, and others. 

Author Website: http://www.erecstebbinsbooks.com/

Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5990247.Erec_Stebbins

And Check out My Reviews of...
Extraordinary Retribution
The Ragnarok Conspiracy
Reader
Writer
Maker:Daughter of Time

Review: Davison's Fascinating Techno-Thriller Out In March

Image via Wikipedia

State of Mind

By Sven Michael Davison

Just the cover of State of Mind can tell you what is coming in this science fiction adventure by Sven Michael Davison. Reading it, however, may give you a feeling of the "big brother" syndrome and is a perfect illustration of the potential future of "our" world. 

I am thoroughly enjoying the new books coming out that prophesy the future based upon where technology can (or could) be. And the date for this one is not too far in the future: 2030. By then you may find that what you remember may not even your memories... 

Right now, the only chip that most of us have heard about is having a location finder implanted. To me this sounds like a pretty good thing, especially for children or the elderly. But by 2030 Drs. Veloso and Morris have won the Nobel Peace prize for eradicating violent crimes in prisons. Soon Nano Technologies Inc., have moved to expand the "Personal Chip." into "the first fully functioning microprocessor that monitors and controls the autonomic, chemical and emotional centers in the brain." 

Before we go any further, just think about that... The ads began to talk about eating anything you wanted, but never gaining weight. And, of course, violence would be almost non-existent... Beginning to sound good to you?

I encourage you to read this book a little slower than a thriller, else you will miss the many "possible" things that are happening. One of the most significant is that nobody will be driving cars, except a few who want to do it or the very rich. Most vehicles will be guided electrically from one point to another and if you were to watch those in neighboring vehicles, you would see them doing just about anything you can imagine, including finishing getting dressed for work. 

As you may have guessed, prisoners were the first humans to test the P-Chips. But as news started circulating, a certain Senator took an interest, thinking that this invention could move America back to the top as a world power. He started talking to the Director of Homeland Security (HLS) who saw a broader, more significant role for the P-Chip, especially his role in its use... 

Jake Travissi was one of the first cops to be implanted. He had had some problems on the police force, so they had given him an opportunity to be implanted and start working with HLS. An elite team was established with Travissi as the commander. Another cop had been implanted and another was considered a "control" so that they could capture photographically what was happening with the Enhanced Unit members. 

For, you see, those implanted with P-chips were doubled up with those who were called God Heads who were centrally located to help the Enhanced Unit most effectively use their chips. 

The chips, by the way, allowed the implanted individuals to talk to each other telepathically. It also allowed them to be wounded and have the body begin working on healing them while the officer continued dealing with those breaking the law. 

But then Travissi started having "Flashes." He would see himself watching as someone was killed, perhaps by a fellow member of his team. He knew he had had major depression due to the deaths of his wife and child, so he wondered if he was experiencing hallucinations caused by that depression. Then he realized that he also could "see" backwards into the site where the God Heads were located. Something was very wrong... 

Sven Michael Davison shows us the good and bad of future technological advances. I would love to see us be able to have vehicles guided by a form of GPS and have the auto accidents decrease to zero. Like the doctors who had first created and experimented with the P-Chips, most technology is created to provide a better world. But technology cannot change those who will use that technology for greed and power. Davison has given us a thrilling expose of what could happen, especially when that technology is controlled by the big brother of today, Homeland Security. As a friend of mine says, Great Stuff! Scifi lovers--it's out in March! Order now! 

ARE YOU READY TO BE CHIPPED? (TPB Asks) 

Book Received Via 
To Press and Beyond 

G. A. Bixler


 

Related articles

• Book Review: State of Mind by Sven Michael Davison (seattlepi.com)
• Book Review: State of Mind by Sven Michael Davison (blogcritics.org)

Review: Consider if you will...The First book from Daniel Palmer Out This Month! Free Copy - Check it Out!

Image via Wikipedia

Consider if you will a professional man named Charlie. He's a successful man who now works in a major company since his new program, InVision, proved to be so successful. He now heads the Magellan Team with five senior managers, with whom he does his morning meeting during a brisk walk. He is determined to move up the ladder at SoluCent by knowing when and how to make the important decisions to keep his group functioning at top performance. Of course, it is his managers who really does the dirty jobs like firing anybody who causes the least problem. But everybody knows that it is always the top guy who is responsible...

Delirious


By Daniel Palmer


One thing Charlie kept to himself. There was mental illness in his family--his father and his brother. His mother cared for his brother and essentially their lives were separated and Charlie liked it that way. He had been hurt many times in his early years and still was somewhat afraid of his brother.

But then his mother was hospitalized and Charlie and his brother were both called there...

That was also about the same time that Ann Pedersen called him...

After explaining who she was and why she had called him, Ann told Charlie that one of the VPs at SoluCent was going to make a presentation at an upcoming meeting to oppose moving forward with InVision. Later she sent him the time, place and agenda. Charlie realized that he had to act fast if he was going to continued to be employed. He did what he thought he had to do--he crashed the meeting between the President and his VPs!

Unfortunately for Charlie, the agenda for that meeting proved to be false... And when he and others tried to find Ann Pedersen, it was discovered that she not only did not work there, but they couldn't find her at all.

He also started finding notes written in his handwriting that were written as if to himself; e.g., "If not yourself, then who can you believe?" (p. 21). Other notes would tell him to look for something at a certain place and when Charlie went to the place, he would find something about which he knew nothing. And then he was led to the body of the SoluCent Security Chief who had been present when he was fired; he was just the first on the murder list he had written, which also included his direct supervisor, the VP that he had been told was not supporting him, and the President!

On the job, an audit of his performance was made. They found he had been visiting porn sites, all showing the access had been made using his badge, network and email. And then an email to a major competitor from Charlie was found!

At first Charlie believed that the corporation itself was trying to set it up to fire him, so that the major money from InVision would not have to be paid to him. But after being closer to his brother because of his mother, he had to remember what his brother had done to him while growing up and wonder. He realized that it was very possible that his being around his brother was causing him just as much stress as it was Charlie!

In desperation, Charlie contacted the only psychiatrist with whom he had ever had contact--his brother's. Of course she would never be able to treat him, but both realized a mutual attraction, and she made the mistake of at least spending time to listen to what was happening. She then tried to refer him to another...

Charlie could not accept that he, too, might have become mentally ill, even with his family relationships. But as he tried to investigate on his own, he finds himself continuing to question if he had experienced job burnout, had become like his father and brother--had become a murderer!

I love psychological suspense, but this book is almost horror, it is scary! For those of us who value control in our lives, we watch this successful man lose his job, be thrust into close contact with an abusive brother and slowly be hunted by, seemingly, another part of himself who is out to kill anybody who has harmed him while taunting him with the results. There is only one way readers can keep up with all of the possibilities, and even then, if you are right (I was), it doesn't matter because each twist makes you reconsider, wonder...and shudder at the possibilities...

If it's not the best I've read, I sure can't think of another as exciting and suspenseful! I promise you--if you like psychological suspense, this is a MUST-READ...and yes, Daniel is Michael Palmer's son, but you'll soon remember Daniel without thinking of his father!

Book Received Via
Bostick Communications

G. A. Bixler

Extra Bonus - Check out Review and Interview by Ruby Moon-Houldson, writer for Roddenberry.Com, and scifi author:

Earth Realm Reviews!  Note that the review/interview covers four entries due to space limitations:
     http://bbs.roddenberry.com/showthread.php?t=4057

     http://bbs.roddenberry.com/showthread.php?t=4058

     http://bbs.roddenberry.com/showthread.php?t=4059

Available January 25; Pre-Order Now...








And that's not all! A Free Copy of Delirious will be won by a random commenter to my review! It must be submitted here at Book Reader's Heaven so I'll be sure to find the comment!

Review: End of Grace Exciting Technothriller!

End of Grace
By K. Thomas Murphy
MC2 Inc.
ISBN: 9780578020624
385 Pages



"Somebody's trying to kill us. My Church is trying to kill us." (p.352)


Just finished End of Grace by K. Thomas Murphy...Wow! What a great thriller!

Rick Macey had once been in love with a young woman whose parents refused to acknowledge him as a possible suitor for their daughter. Actually the couple had been dating secretly for quite some time, so when Ashley received their response, she hurriedly decided to leave home to go and be with Rick. On the way, she was killed in a car accident.

Many years later, Rick has nothing that keeps him more involved than the revenge he seeks for losing the woman he loved so much. No, he doesn't go after her parents; he goes after the church that had created such a restrictive environment that rules prevented his obtaining her parents' blessing.

Rick's best friend stood by him and listened to his angry rants and when Rick announced his plan, Clay agree to participate. His plan was quite simple:

Become a licensed pastor and create a church that opposed and spoke against Ashley's church!

Actually, the plan was very good and because of Rick's expertise, he was able to move forward quickly once the scam had been conceived.

The method:

Whenever a church member died, Rick's church would send the grieving family a letter, notifying them that his church had baptized the family member into...the Church of the Disciples of Moroni...

Kay Summers who was a personal assistant for one of the high-ranking leaders of the church was sent to investigate. She was surprised to be chosen, as a single woman she was one of the few who actually worked in the church administration and most of the others were in clerical functions. Brian, a somewhat irreverent friend known as "computer man" worked along with her trying to find anything and everything about this new church. A web site was found; the church had been in existence since the late 1800's and well over a million had visited the site! Finally, it was discovered that M & A publishing company was handling the letters. Kay went to meet with representatives of that company first. And that's when everything started to happen!

Caught in the avalanche of a large corporation whose only goal was to make this new group go away, Kay finds that she has not only become attracted to one of the employees of the publishing company, she is beginning to question the actions of her own church!

If you're looking for a new book, with new ideas about "old" rules and regulations, this book may be just what you are looking for! I have no idea how much of the church information was factual; but I did check the hierarchical structure online and it seemed to follow it closely with a change of a few words, and the addition of a group called the Danite Knights. It is obvious that the author did significant research in order to support the establishment and credibility of the Church of the Disciples of Moroni. The book was a page turner for me; a technothriller with exciting action that captures readers immediately. I hope to see more from this author; fiction readers, frankly, I loved End of Grace by K. Thomas Murphy!


G. A. Bixler

Review: Texas Rangers in Terrific Techno-Thriller!

Strong Enough To Die
By Jon Land
Forge Books
ISBN: 9780765312587
351 Pages


A “western” flavor with great historical information and action from the Texas Rangers is merged within an exciting techno thriller, in Jon Land’s Strong Enough To Die. In my opinion, it’s a must-read out this month!

Caitlin Strong, a fifth-generation Ranger, has had one too many close calls--the last one resulting in the death of a dear friend and partner. Leaving the Rangers, she goes back to school to get her degree for counseling and gets a job at the Survivor Center for Victims of Torture. Although the director is unsure about her working with victims, when Caitlin is brought in to see one of her potential patients, and recognizes him, she is pulled into an experience to be faced like no other she has ever known and assures the director that she will work hard to handle the job in order to be able to care for the man.

As she begins her new job, she learns that Cort Wesley Masters, the man who had been the leader at the ambush where her partner was killed, has been released due to a new test for the DNA that had proved him not guilty, and he was coming after her for revenge. They meet when he finds out where she is working and goes to the Survivor Center, only to find that the facility is under attack and Caitlin is the only staff member left alive and she is fighting to save her patient. In a split-second decision, Cort forgets his original plan and works along with Caitlin to eliminate the attackers!

Reclaiming her Ranger’s badge is one part of Caitlin’s first acts after this massacre. As Caitlin discovers that Cort was set up and wants to find out who falsely accused him, she also learns that, by protecting her patient, who others are trying to kidnap, she, Cort, and his two children, are now all under attack. Cort and Caitlin are forced into an uneasy alliance as they discover more and more about everything happening.

Caitlin and Cort are terrific characters and I hope they will be in future books; however, one minor character, Guillermo Paz, stole a lead role for me—a mercenary/hit man, Paz visits various churches and confesses his actions to the dismay of local priests. His latest job has brought him from South America by the “head man” and is told to get rid of all witnesses. However, when he finds Caitlin, protecting the sons of Cort Wesley, he leaves without killing them—and later revisits a local church. Paz has found his role in life!

Strong Enough To Die by Jon Land is refreshingly different as the role of Texas Rangers is blended with hi-tech murder. One of the best I’ve read!

G. A. Bixler