Quantum Lens by Douglas E. RichardsMy rating: 1 of 5 stars
The story line is o.k. (if unbelievable), the character development is poor, the plot is unique, BUT I can't get past the unnecessarily cruel way the female protagonist was treated in this book.
In science fiction novels, I expect to have to suspend disbelief, but a great author such as Crichton (whom I've seen Douglas Richards compared to, but I don't see the similarities personally) is able to get you to do that in a way that does not require you to CONSCIOUSLY keep turning off the part of your brain that is saying "this is really impossible" or "there is no way this could happen" (e.g. humans flying and heating the air around them using zero point energy).
The story had many holes as well. Here are a few:
1.) Why can some people harness this zero point energy and others can't? Not really explained well. I think it is some form of intellectual snobbery actually - only the REALLY smart can do it or maybe it is a religious theme - only "true believers"?
2.) Why did Craft need hypnosis to strengthen his powers? This seems to me to be an underlying theme of religious "believers" vs. "non-believers". At times it seemed they were just inventing reasons for Alyssa's character to be in the novel.
3.) Why would Omar Haddad believe in the quantum mirror device? It was not demonstrated and he was only going off of his arch nemesis' word. Very unlikely that a megalomaniac with immense powers would trust the "devil" (Craft) based on his word.
But my main gripe with this book is the treatment of the female protagonist, Alyssa Aronson (note the name). Not only was she captured, tortured, tricked, lied to over and over, and objectified throughout the book, but, for good measure, she was made to be Jewish, for (seemingly) the sole purpose of being able to have Omar Haddad call her a "Jewish whore" over and over. Really, Mr. Richards, how did her religion contribute to this novel? Her faith was never mentioned until Haddad said she was a Jewish whore (by the way, how did Haddad know she was Jewish? In the melting pot of America, names are a poor way to determine one's religion).
Sorry, but with the plot holes, undeveloped characters, fishy and unexplained scientific miracles, and helpless, objectified, anti-semitic personification of the only female character, this novel lost my vote.
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