Beamriders

Martin Caidin

"Beam me up, Scotty." And people disappear in a beam of light, reappearing somewhere else. Beamriders works on a similar theory.

There is a secret testing site in the jungles of Venezuela run by the Venezuelan and the American goverments. Here the scientists are trying to transfer matter in a light wave. They have been testing moving inanimate objects and animals, and are ready to test with humans. There have been many failures along the way but the success rate keeps increasing. A powerful force is needed to sustain the teal green light wave. The scientists get all the material, cooperation, and secrecy they need. And their green light helps feed the UFO stories that have surrounded the region for years.

Very special people are chosen to be prepared for the final stages of the experiments. They are all young, athletic volunteers. They are idealistic, ready to risk life and limb for their country, unwilling to kill for their country. They are the future beamriders.

I found this story fascinating. I have not made a study of laser beam technology, but the science theory this is based on seems sound. The successes, the failures, the camouflaging of the experiment, the stealth needed, and all the double dealings are imagination grabbers. This is true "hard" science fiction.

Expendable by James Alan Gardner