Pacific Book Review

Future Prometheus: Emergence & Evolution

     A new science fiction series penned by award winning writer J.M. Erickson Future Prometheus: Emergence and Evolution delivers mind-boggling adventure set in a bleak and oppressive future world with the last of humanity forcibly propelled towards extinction. Divided into two novellas, this novel starts the series – the first novella being Emergence and the second is Evolution.

     The first novella, Emergence brings readers to the future world on earth as it is falling apart while a virulent, incurable virus has caused the majority of the male population ages 18 to 70 go insanely violent, rampaging and murdering all other forms of life worldwide. Born out of fear and a lack of a cure, young males are cast out by society into the desolate world before they can reach the age of maturity/infection. Without reproductively viable males, the human race would eventually die out prompting the urgent need for a plan to repopulate earth. With marshal law, in effect while a handful of surviving women are in power with the world divided into four mega states. Robot assistants are relied upon to help with many daily and specialized tasks.

     Desperate for a solution they look towards their one glimmer of hope - the savior of the story (and of humankind) Lt. Jose Melendez. While a male already in his thirties Melendez is largely unaffected by the disease, and he exists as the only sexually viable male left who can restart the human race. An intelligent loner and an expert in cryogenics Melendez becomes an integral part of a mission to save the remaining women, children, and other viable men like himself. For temporary safekeeping, he is placed into cryogenic sleep for eight months.

     Novella two, Evolution has Lt. Melendez roused, believing it is eight months later until he finds out that it is one hundred thirty two years later. He has awoken to a far grimmer scenario of life where there are fewer humans than before, young men still cast out regularly, and robots have become more pivotal in life as they serve in more controlling roles than before and have become sapient instead of sentient like their cyborg predecessors. Melendez remains the only sexually viable male to be found. Faced with the daunting task of restarting the race and running an army of robotic females that are progressively learning human female traits Melendez finds he himself the leader and savior of an estranged new world.

     Overall, I completely enjoyed this book and as a fan of his prior work, the Birds of Flight thrillers I was not disappointed. As his premier work in the science fiction genre author J.M. Erickson delivers, a literate, sexually candid, and inventive science fiction read. Future Prometheus Emergence and Evolution is thought provoking Science Fiction that keeps the reader engrossed. I recommend this as a must read for mature readers. - Lisa Brown-Gilbert