by
Anthony Fucilla
(Arima Publishing, June 4, 2021, pb, 155 pp.)
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
The protagonist of “Beyond Earth’s Horizon” by Anthony Fucilla is an astronomer who accidentally enters a parallel universe. This world is controlled by elites who have placed computer chips in the brains of those they rule over. When a mind probe reveals that the protagonist is destined to plant a bomb in the palace of the supreme lord, he is condemned to death. A fortuitous accident and an encounter with a rebel allow him to escape execution, but he faces the two challenges of battling the oppressors and returning to his own world.
This synopsis makes the novella sound like a fast-paced adventure story. In fact, although there are some scenes of action, most of the story consists of talk. Characters endlessly lecture each other about science and philosophy. Most egregiously, when the protagonist meets the rebel, he spends several pages relating in detail events that have already been described in the narrative.
Many of the expository lectures are completely irrelevant to the plot. Long descriptions of the outer planets of the solar system serve no purpose in a story that never ventures into space. A conversation between the protagonist and the rebel about the history of mind control is not only pointless, but is suggestive of questionable conspiracy theories.
The author’s style reveals a lack of professionalism. The frequent use of the ellipsis, and ending sentences with three exclamation points, are sure signs of amateurishness. The aid of an able and experienced editor would greatly improve the text.
There are many implausible and arbitrary aspects to the plot. The fact that the rebel is the only person in this parallel Earth without a brain chip is never explained adequately. The accident that frees the protagonist is completely random, and the story’s conclusion, apparently intended as a surprise, is both predictable and arbitrary.
Victoria Silverwolf almost ran out of gasoline on the way to work tonight.