Lunar Encounter

Harold W. G. Allen

At the end of the 21st century Mark Hamilton and Susan Baldwin are on their way to Lunar Base as replacements for other workers whose tour of duty on the Moon station is ending. They arrive to discover that Susan's brother and another man who was stationed on the Base have disappeared from the Moon under strange circumstances. Susan and Mark are part of the team of people who try to retrace the missing astronaut's and geologist's last steps before the disappearance.

They discover much more. The missing men are safe inside another Moon base, one that is occupied by an alien race from the distant stars. The Matusians are a peace loving people who have been monitoring the Earth for many years. They feel the time is almost right for their presence to be revealed to the peoples of Earth and have called for their starship. When this starship arrives in about 30 years the Matusians plan to announce themselves and offer their solutions for the problems on Earth. Unfortunately, the first geologist and astronaut discovered them 30 years too early.

The Matusians know that without their starship for protection they are in grave danger from rulers on Earth who will not like their message. Their cosmology theories are radically different from the now-rejected evolution theory, the religious creation theory, or other possibilities of the beginning of the universe. They also promote an equality World Government. The trick now is to keep themselves hidden until their reinforcements arrive. Yet how can they keep these humans from revealing them?

I was very excited when this book came in the mail. I had visited the author's website but had trouble understanding his philosophy in the few pieces that I only read partially. The description of this book caught my attention and I knew I wanted to read it. Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. I liked the story line, and the sequence of events. My problem was with the characters. I was never involved with Mark and Susan, never felt any of the characters came to life. Many times through the book I had to remind myself who they were. The intrigue and action were done well, especially in the last third of the book, but again, the people involved never were more than names to me.

The cosmology and philosophy Mr. Allen promotes are radically different from any I have heard or believed in the past. While he has some valid points and the science and mathmatical backup for his theories, I'm one of those "religious fanatics" he denigrates in his novel because I cannot give up my idea of the one true God. This novel is a soapbox for Mr. Allen, which is fine. Science fiction has long been a soapbox for promoting other philosophical, governmental, religious, and cosmological ideas. I could get past the two chapters that describe his ideas in depth if I had then been pulled into the story. Even in rereading the two defining chapters of his ideas, I need to read them again. The science and math involved are not my area and much is beyond my current comprehension without more study.

Mr. Allen's philosophy and cosmology has some valid points, in my opinion. I don't agree with a lot of it, though. His personal website is Cosmic Perspective.

Author provided for review