A World Apart – Alan M Weber

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Existential Threats & Human Survival: A Cerebral Sci-Fi Epic Tackling Racism, War, Environmental Destruction and Societal Divisions.

Delve into the mind-bending universe of Alan M. Weber’s latest masterpiece, A World Apart. This gripping narrative takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster, exploring the depths of human existence and the looming threats that could lead to our extinction.

The story unfolds as mysterious entities, having observed our self-destructive tendencies through centuries of war, injustice, and environmental degradation, decide to intervene. They present humanity with a seven-point survival program. But is this a lifeline or a leash? Are these entities our saviors or colonizers? And what else have they brought with them? The answers to these questions form the crux of this riveting tale.

Weber, known for his thought-provoking works like The Mensch, What Kimi Discovered, Miens of Existence, and The Wedge, once again showcases his knack for crafting socially conscious narratives. His storytelling prowess shines through this science fiction epic, reminiscent of a novel-length version of The Twilight Zone.

A World Apart is not just a tale of survival; it’s a mirror reflecting our societal divisions. It’s a call to action against the existential threats we face – environmental degradation, racism, war, and the erosion of freedom and justice. It’s a commentary on the gun control debate and a plea for unity in a world torn apart by fear and hate.

This book is a must-read for science fiction enthusiasts and political thriller aficionados alike. Its speculative elements are sure to captivate the former, while its exploration of contemporary issues will resonate with the latter.

In A World Apart, Weber has created a world that is simultaneously familiar and alien, a world that forces us to confront the uncomfortable truths about our existence. It’s a world that asks us a simple yet profound question – must we save our Earth from them or from ourselves?

AMAZON REVIEWS

5.0 out of 5.0 stars amazon-reviews

Epic Novel / Highest Praise

Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2024 by Stellar Reviews

A World Apart is an epic work, an important and timely plea to the world to save itself from self-destruction. The plot unfolds in ways both thrilling and touching. With its impeccable story telling, character development, dialogue, imagination and undeniable passion, this book is a must read, not just for science fiction aficionados, but for everyone who cares about the state of our nation and world.

It’s not just for science fiction readers

Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2024 by bookworm

I’m not really a science fiction reader. But I thought the description looked interesting. The themes that were mentioned, particularly environmentalism, are important to me. I got the book on Monday, and practically read it straight through. I had to come on here after finishing it to say how much I learned and how much it made me feel. If science fiction is anything like this book, I think I’ll be reading more of it. The story is just amazing, very imaginative but also very real, if that makes any sense. I can’t say I enjoyed it because some things about the realities of the world aren’t enjoyable, but it made an incredible impression on me. I think it’s an important book that everyone who cares about our future should read.

Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi…A Must-Read!

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2024

This was such an insightful and compelling sci-fi novel. The fast pacing of the narrative helped showcase the seriousness and urgency of the novel’s themes, and the character development helped reflect relatable individuals and drive the plot forward naturally. The tension that grows and the heavy atmosphere surrounding this book’s premise shows a depth of intrigue that keeps the reader engaged with these characters.

The heart of the story is in the prominent themes that are featured. Sometimes, to see a problem clearly, one must be willing to take a step back and get an outside perspective on the situation. The author takes this to an extreme yet shockingly necessary place, with an alien race showing the hostility and destructive nature of mankind throughout the centuries and the threat to both ourselves and the planet mankind is. The question of morality, survival, decency, and camaraderie come into play brilliantly here, and the back-and-forth struggle as those seeking change come against those who refuse to see a brighter future charges the action moving forward in this narrative.

Aliens have arrived, and they promise to make things interesting.

Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2024

I received a copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

This story is not like anything I have read before. Oh, I’ve read political thrillers, colonization sci-fi, and first-contact alien stories frequently, but in my personal recollection, nothing like A World Apart. I found it mesmerizing. And I loved everything about it.

Weber presents his tale at an easily digestible pace that goes by very quickly. I found it so engaging I probably could have read all 188 pages in one sitting, but one has to sleep sometime. The prose is also very accessible to those who are not fans of sci-fi full of technical jargon and complicated ideas. It is a character driven tale with people that are real in all the ways that count. The dialog between the characters advances the story without having to explain a lot of the plot in info-dumps.

Much of the time while I read this book, I saw shades of the movie, The Day the Earth Stood Still (the 1951 film directed by Robert Wise) and also could hear strains of John Lennon’s song, Imagine.

A World Apart opens with a scene between two neighbors, formerly friends, who are verbally bashing each other over their political philosophical differences. This scene really hit home as being very realistic, and not atypical of what might actually happen in any neighborhood. That scene is followed by other snapshots of life in today’s social climate. Other than expressing anger and hate, the three scenes all have something else in common: no one notices the UFO’s streaking overhead.

When the extraterrestrials land and introduce themselves, they have a bit of shocking news for the people of the Earth. They announce they are from a galactic organization that has been observing the planet since it came into being, and because of human short-sightedness, they have come to save us from ourselves because, by their estimation, we are on a path of extinction.

They explain they will “usurp” our autonomy and rid the world of those things that have “plagued” humans throughout our history and promise to do away with “increasing division, hatred, and ignorance.” The manner they propose to use are set out in seven directives that will lead to sweeping changes designed to unify humans in a global population.

As one would expect, the proposals are met with various levels of acceptance or rejection. And the big question is, are they actually here with beneficial intentions, or are their reasons nefarious?

The principal character, Alan Zimmer, is a journalist of sorts. He had originally intended to be a serious journalist writing for a major newspaper, but when he needed a steady income, he began working for a tabloid, and had quite a bit of success. When he became popular, he lost his family and began a downward spiral into alcohol addiction.

Then, he was invited to become a human spokesperson for the aliens. His agreement to work with them came with changes to his life and he embraced the assignment with great vigor. But, along with a few successes came many failures, not on his part, but that of the people he needed to deliver the message to.

He is a good man who, while being accused of being a mere collaborator, stands by his convictions. Even when he is not sure of the purpose the aliens harbor, he follows through with his promise.

My favorite point of plot in this tale is the twist at the end. I’m going to leave this right here to avoid spoilers.

My takeaway is what I think is the purpose of the book is – Introspection. Alan Weber is challenging us to look inside ourselves for answers to the big questions. One might say the elephant in the room. Those things we deny are happening, or choose to ignore, or those things that cause us to be fearful of many things.

Alan is asking us to take a look inside ourselves for flaws and biases that may need to be resolved.

Beyond any message the author is challenging the reader with, it is just a great story I enjoyed reading. It is well written and easy to understand. There is plenty of action to hold one’s attention, and every page-turn will spur the reader forward, wanting to know what happens next. There are a few social messages that one may derive from A World Apart, and they might cause some readers a little discomfort, but sometimes, change is drawn from a little discomfort. I didn’t feel compelled to agree with any philosophical ideas in this tale, although there are points with which I agree strongly.

I would enjoy seeing this story being made into a film!

Along with the images I mentioned in the beginning (the film and the song I mentioned), I also felt as though I were reading something that might be a Twilight Zone episode. Realizing there is the famous episode of that series entitled To Serve Man (season 3, episode 24), the story in A World Apart is vaguely similar, but far different.

I recommend this story for both sci-fi fans and those who just want to read a good story.