Sunday, April 02, 2017
Reflections
About me (Rodney James Hylands)
I attended Beckenham Primary School in Christchurch from 1945 to
1947. Two events of particular interest I
remember from that time. One is the dropping of leaflets over Christchurch on
VJ Day to mark the end of WWII in 1945.Many schools had the afternoon off to
witness the event which was widely reported in the Christchurch Press. The other
is a launch trip that my father (Constable Hylands who was Arms Officer at
Christchurch Central Police Station) took me on to the British light aircraft
carrier HMS Theseus moored off Sumner Beach in 1946-47 (can’t remember exact
date). I remember the steep climb up the massive hull to the flight deck then going
down in an elevator to a hangar of fighter planes with folded wings. HMS Theseus
then continued on to make official visits to Wellington and Auckland. There
appears to be no official record of the mooring off Sumner Beach!
My family left Christchurch in 1947. We went by passenger vessel, Wanganella,
to Wellington then caught the main trunk train to Auckland. I remember a mad scramble off the train at Taumarunui
Station to get a cup of tea at the refreshment centre.
In Auckland I attended Mt Eden Primary School. Then from 1952 to 53 I
attended Kowhai Intermediate School. A big problem was asthma. I remember
sitting up all night gasping for breath, the only respite being from breathing
in smoke from burning ‘Neil’s Asthma Powder’. Walking to school each day was often
an effort. Needless to say that sport was largely out of the question. I
particularly enjoyed Kowhai school excursions such as to the dunes and fresh
water lakes behind Bethell’s Beach and to Motutapu Island.
From 1954 to 58 I attended Mt Albert Grammar (MAGS). Sleepless
nights caused by asthma continued to be a problem. I’d often arrive at school
about 10AM after pedalling several kilometres on my trusty ‘Triang’ bike.
Nevertheless, I persevered and passed School Certificate and University
Entrance. I then went to Auckland University where I completed a BSc (RadioPhysics)
in 1961. In 1962 I joined Akrad Radio Company in Waihi as a Radio Engineer. However, the
remoteness of the place got to me so I stayed only six months. Later, I joined
the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) as a research scientist. I was then sent on
full pay to Auckland University from 1964 to 1965 for postgraduate study. In May 1965 I viewed the only total eclipse of the sun visible in New Zealand in the 20th century from a launch at the entrance to Whangaroa Harbour. In
1966 I was awarded an MSc (Physics) degree at a Town Hall ceremony. This
completed my formal studies. From 1966 I worked at NRL.
In September 1968 I married a Japanese lady, Masako. In 1970/71
Masako and I took our 4½ months old baby (Michiko) to Japan on a cargo vessel,
the Townsville Star. It took two weeks to reach Okinawa then on to Kobe where
we exited the ship. There was no doctor on board so in retrospect we were
taking something of a risk. The return trip to NZ was delayed by six months
because the ship had to go into dry dock in Yokohama to repair a propeller
damaged by a floating log.
In 1978 we returned to Japan
via Hong Kong taking Michiko and our second child, Mariko (born 1972). Michiko
was almost overcome in Hong Kong by the 33 deg C heat and only revived after we
entered the air-conditioned Grand Hotel. In Kyoto, we temporarily lost Mariko
in the crowd at the top of steps leading up to the Kyomizu Shrine. It was a
worrying five minutes before she ran over to us. In 1983 Masako and I took
Michiko (aged 12) and Mariko (aged 10) to Japan by plane. We visited Tokyo
Disneyland five months after it had opened. Michiko and Mariko loved the place
especially Pirates of the Caribbean (doesn’t everyone?). Afterwards, we went by
ferry from Niigata to Otaru to visit Masako’s mother and two sisters. On
another trip to Japan some years later we travelled via Hawaii.
In the early 1970s as well as carrying out scientific research I was
an examiner for Auckland Technical Institute. I did this for five years. My job
was to set and mark advanced electronics papers. In the mid-1970s NRL was
renamed the Defence Scientific Laboratory (DSE). In 1990 DSE had a change of direction
from scientific to operational research. In 2000 after 38+ years I
retired to write novels.
About my interests.
While at Mt Eden Primary school and Kowhai Intermediate school my
main interests were making and flying balsa wood models of planes and
constructing Meccano models (I had a number 6 set; the maximum number being
10). In 1949 I made a model of the Easter Island Kontiki raft out of raupo
reeds. At MAGS I was interested in chess, making homemade fireworks (mainly of
the exploding type) and brewing sake. It was lucky I didn’t blow myself up or
poison myself. The sake brewed undoubtedly contained traces of fusel oil and/or
methanol both of which are toxic at high levels. In 1957 while in 6Science at
MAGS I pedalled up Mt Eden at night to view Sputnik. Many other space enthusiasts
were there too.
At MAGS I enjoyed English literature as well as physics and
chemistry. However, science and maths needed less memory so I concentrated on
these. In my first three years at Auckland University (1959-61) I concentrated
on studying for a BSc. In the first year of the two-year MSc course (1963-64) I
joined the University Underwater Club and went with them on several trips
around NZ. Most memorable were trips to Cavalli Islands, Kawau Island and Mayor
Island. I also went with the University Canoe Club to Lake Waikaremoana. A
highlight of this trip was overcoming an asthma attack while climbing to the
base of the Panekiri Bluff, no mean achievement even in the best of health.
In my early years at NRL I dabbled in Amateur Radio. My call sign
was ZL1AYR. I was also into recreational yachting. My first yacht was an Aussie
Moth, the second a Dolphin sailing dinghy. In 1997 Mariko and I went on a
canoe/kayak trip up the Whanganui River. We exited at Raetihi then had a
mountain bike company drive us up nearby Mt Ruapehu. The ride down on separate
bikes was fast and furious!
In the 1970s I did an extramural course in Stage I Japanese at
Massey University getting an A for written Japanese and a B for spoken. However,
because learning Japanese took so much time I didn’t proceed with the course
figuring that I’d take Japanese up again if I ever went to live in Japan. I
never did though.
Some exciting helicopter trips I was on during my career.
·
Going by Iroquois to Mayor
Island, hill hopping most the way, very exciting. I was a week there in a beach
hut monitoring sounds from hydrophones.
·
A trip to Great Barrier Island
(GBI). We got lost in rain and mist and had to hop around the rocky eastern
coastline until we found a recognisable point.
·
Being winched off the
Australian submarine HMAS Otama after completing a noise ranging exercise off
GBI. The alternative was going on the submarine to Whangarei then having to
catch a bus back to Auckland.
I often went on oceanographic cruises on the fleet auxiliary vessel,
HMNZFA Tui. A particularly memorable cruise was along the west coast of
Australia. It was flat calm all the time. The ship called into Broome where we
hired a mini-moke and drove into the desert to witness a spectacular sunset. The
visit to Broome hadn’t been planned. We were supposed to go to Bali. However,
the crew didn’t want to go because it meant that they’d lose their coastal
allowance which gave them more money in the pocket than a sea-going allowance.
So the ship’s fresh water generators mysteriously failed forcing the ship to
abandon Bali and hug the Australian coast, hence the Broome visit. One memory
was jumping over the side of the ship into the shark-infested waters of the
Indian Ocean encouraged by a crewmember being on the bridge with a rifle ready to
shoot any inquisitive shark. In retrospect this armed crew member may have
given us a false sense of security.
Another memorable trip was seismic profiling along the Louisville
Ridge, a 3000km long chain of seamounts in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I
joined the ship in Rarotonga. After arriving by plane at Rarotonga (and carrying
the ship’s mail), one of the Prime Minister’s Department drove me on a three
hour sightseeing trip around the island, all I managed to see of the island as
the ship was about to depart. Later, I discovered that civilians weren’t authorised
to carry mail much less deliver it, only Post Office officials, so I had
unknowingly committed an illegal act!
Another trip that comes to mind is to a NZ Weather Station on Raoul
Island in the Kermadecs. The only way to get ashore was to pile into a wicker
basket off a ship’s dinghy then be winched up by a derrick arm jutting out over
a cliff.
Also memorable was a tour around a nuclear submarine (either USS
Haddo in1979 or USS Queenfish in 1983) when it visited Auckland. The tour went as
far as the entrance to the reactor room but we weren’t allowed inside.
Achievements
I am particularly proud of
·
In 1964 in the first year of my
MSc studies I took a Stage II Mathematical Physics paper. The end-of-year exam
was three hours long yet I finished the paper in two hours. Most of the
questions involved solving problems using differential and integral calculus. I
double-checked my answers glanced at my watch then thought ‘why not?’ So I
handed in my script and to the amazement of others who were finding the paper
difficult left the room. I got an A+ and for several months
afterwards was regarded by some as near genius. Then reality set in. Still, it
gave me quite a buzz at the time.
·
In the late 1980s the RNZN
decided to create a permanent Noise Range at Great Barrier Island. Noise
ranging is the measurement using hydrophones of underwater sound radiated by a
vessel. In 1988 I and a Beca Carter Software Engineer created a
prototype/demonstration Noise Range software system for the RNZN. It was
written in structured BASIC and ran on a HP Integral PC. At the time I
considered myself something of a noise ranging expert having managed the
ranging of a variety of naval vessels including submarines over the previous
ten years. I was also familiar with US, UK, Canadian and Australian noise
ranges. The prototype/demonstration system proved to be cheap and flexible
being written in BASIC and therefore easily changed to suit different
requirements. In my opinion the prototype/demonstration software even though
running on the rather clunky HP Integral PC was superior in all aspects except
speed (a non-essential requirement) when compared to the expensive, gold-plated
ADA software package eventually purchased by the RNZN from Thomson-Sintra
Australia. Also, it could process data from portable hydrophone arrays, not
just the fixed array at GBI. Lastly, the software written in BASIC would have
been far cheaper to maintain than ADA. I also modified a software package for a
colour LOFARGRAM recorder (LOFAR means Low Frequency and Ranging) used by the
project.
·
I had a dispensation from the
RNZN to do outside-of-working hours software contracting. One of these jobs was
the creation of a ‘cutting list’ software package written in BASIC for the Mt
Albert based curtain manufacturing company Leigh Jackson Ltd. The package proved
a great success and helped the company maintain an edge over its competitors.
In the late 1990s I rewrote the ‘cutting list’ programme as an Access 97
database. This package has since been ported to a more recent version of Access
and was in 2015 still being used by the company to maintain their competitive
edge.
·
My four novels The Asset, le Nucleaire, Saul’s
Prophecy: Sword of Gaia and Lateral
Connection.
·
In the 1970’s I built a PC
using the Motorola 6800 microprocessor and got it to print messages on a
Teleprinter. The home-made PC is made of duralumin and has impressive rows of
switches and LEDs on the front panel.
Monday, June 27, 2011
THE ASSET
The novel is a real politik-technological thriller set in New Zealand. A US military airship on an anti-terrorist mission makes an emergency landing in Auckland. A defective nuclear reactor is covertly off-loaded. The US President sends Delta Force commandos allegedly to guard the airship.
FBI agents and the commandos try to spirit the reactor out of Auckland without the NZ government becoming aware of it. But they are resisted by Claire Sanvers, a schoolgirl driven by revenge for a past injustice. FBI Special Agent Harry Talbot is assigned to stop her.
The first 12 pages can be viewed via www.lulu.com as can all my novels.
FBI agents and the commandos try to spirit the reactor out of Auckland without the NZ government becoming aware of it. But they are resisted by Claire Sanvers, a schoolgirl driven by revenge for a past injustice. FBI Special Agent Harry Talbot is assigned to stop her.
The first 12 pages can be viewed via www.lulu.com as can all my novels.
Friday, March 26, 2010
le NUCLEAIRE
The novel le Nucleaire is available on Lulu.
Plot of le Nucleaire
A deluded genius wants to make plutonium too dangerous for nations to continue
stockpiling. He invents a simple device to unleash the nuclear demon locked within
plutonium. Now terrorists have an incentive to steal plutonium. The only defence is to
eliminate all stockpiles thus making plutonium unprocurable.
* * *
The following is relevant background information to le Nucleaire. But don't get me wrong, you don't need a physics textbook to read and enjoy either novel. It has some didactic elements but is primarily a thriller.
PLUTONIUM
The Nagasaki A-bomb used super weapons-grade plutonium with less than 1% of isotopes such as Pu-240. The plutonium had been rushed out of production nuclear reactors before significant amounts of other isotopes could accumulate.
Weapons grade plutonium (as opposed to super weapons-grade) contains no more than 7% Pu-240, an isotope that can cause a bomb to pre-detonate (in other words fizzle).
Reactor-grade plutonium is a mixture of isotopes. If a light water reactor is run for some time then the plutonium produced is a mixture of about 40% Pu-239, 30% Pu-240 and 30% other isotopes.
In 1962 a bomb made of reactor-grade plutonium was successfully tested. The precise isotope mix has never been revealed. Nor has the yield been revealed except a comment that it was less than 20 kilotons.
U-238
Neutrons of 1MeV and greater can result in fission.
* * *
The above comments are from the book 'Nuclear Weapons--what you need to know' by Jeremy Bernstein.
Plot of le Nucleaire
A deluded genius wants to make plutonium too dangerous for nations to continue
stockpiling. He invents a simple device to unleash the nuclear demon locked within
plutonium. Now terrorists have an incentive to steal plutonium. The only defence is to
eliminate all stockpiles thus making plutonium unprocurable.
* * *
The following is relevant background information to le Nucleaire. But don't get me wrong, you don't need a physics textbook to read and enjoy either novel. It has some didactic elements but is primarily a thriller.
PLUTONIUM
The Nagasaki A-bomb used super weapons-grade plutonium with less than 1% of isotopes such as Pu-240. The plutonium had been rushed out of production nuclear reactors before significant amounts of other isotopes could accumulate.
Weapons grade plutonium (as opposed to super weapons-grade) contains no more than 7% Pu-240, an isotope that can cause a bomb to pre-detonate (in other words fizzle).
Reactor-grade plutonium is a mixture of isotopes. If a light water reactor is run for some time then the plutonium produced is a mixture of about 40% Pu-239, 30% Pu-240 and 30% other isotopes.
In 1962 a bomb made of reactor-grade plutonium was successfully tested. The precise isotope mix has never been revealed. Nor has the yield been revealed except a comment that it was less than 20 kilotons.
U-238
Neutrons of 1MeV and greater can result in fission.
* * *
The above comments are from the book 'Nuclear Weapons--what you need to know' by Jeremy Bernstein.
Friday, September 04, 2009
SAUL'S PROPHECY:SWORD OF GAIA
OVERVIEW
Ever wondered what an intelligent, technological entity would make of religion, war and environmental desecration done in the name of economic growth? The novel while predominantly a thriller attempts an answer.
The novel is a futuristic account of the abuse of political privilege, the imminent destruction of the rainforests and how a naive computer entity (the product of advanced technology) reacts.
REVIEW
The following are excerpts are from Online Originals reviewers' comments of Saul's Prophecy
dated April 2000
* * *
I submitted the novel to Online Originalsin 2000. It was accepted for publication. However shortly afterwards Online Originals stopped trading so the novel was never published on their website. I put the novel aside. In 2009 I re-wrote it and published it as 'Saul's Prophecy: Sword of Gaia' on www.lulu.com. Many of the reviewer's comments remain relevant though.
Saul's Prophecy:
This novel is unique, and, in my opinion, of far better quality than most science fiction, perhaps because it is set at a time not too remote (the coming century) and so confronts us with both a
technology that remains within our comprehension and with problems which are already our problems, in particular, the problem of environmental destruction due to our failure to respect nature.
The particular device employed to generate the dramatic tension is also plausible. Haley's comet passed by not so long ago and an asteroid fell into Jupiter (or was it the sun) even more recently with effects which were staggeringly explosive. We know that an asteroid of even modest dimensions falling into the earth would bring most life to an end, leaving the earth with the task of regenerating life again over hundreds of millions of years (as it did once before), perhaps in a manner more conducive to the mutual claims of life and nature.These issues of negotiation and co-operation versus military force are all reasonable extensions of problems we already face today, so that science fiction is being powerfully used to drive home some lessons which humans will have learn sooner or later.
There is an interesting, almost spiritualist, dimension to the story in this work. We begin with the slaying of the last of the Delphic priestess, representative of a nature cult which the Roman empire is no longer prepared to tolerate. Her protégé, Saul, invokes the heavens, and a prophecy of divine retribution is disclosed in the form of a flaming sword destined to destroy mankind at some time in the future. This brings science into relation with mysticism is an interesting way.
I have a proposal. It seems to me that, at the very least, the very first paragraphs, dating back to the Roman era, should be separated out into a Prologue. The intra-chapter break used to distinguish these paragraphs from the fast forward to the 21st century seems to me insufficient. And if possible the material at the end should be reassembled to create an Epilogue in which the now mythical figure of Gaia returns to deliver her warning and to open the way to a future in which Hayes works to make mankind aware of the environmental issue that have been neglected. This means there would be two endings. The first would be the destruction of the
asteroid, witnessed by the earth's inhabitants and experienced as a release. But the question then remains open whether mankind will merely postpone the moment of destruction by continuing to destroy the planet's natural resources as they have done over the past two centuries. This is where the re-appearance of Gaia would be critical, warning Hayes of the consequences of not following through on the warning represented by the asteroid. The work needed to recast this Prologue and Epilogue would be minimal. And not merely would it bring beginnings and ending together in an interesting way, it would leave us with the important conclusion that the end (the destruction of the asteroid which would have destroyed human civilisation) is not really the end (humans being of themselves more than capable of making the planet unliveable by simply continuing along the present path of development). Having said all that Saul's Prophecy is, in my opinion, the best science fiction we have had submitted to date.
DESCRIPTION
The novel is set in 2058. The main protagonist is a young UN contractor named Thomas Jefferson Hayes. He comes across what appears to be a conspiracy against the UN. To investigate he enlists the help of an experimental computer that is being trained to produce virtual reality movies. He gets more than he bargained for. The computer has developed a penchant for moral judgements. It learns about the environmental desecration of Earth and decides to do something about it. It plans to drastically reduce Earth's population, the root cause of the desecration. Tom must battle both the conspirators and the computer to save civilisation.
The novel can be read either as a sci fi thriller or as an allegory about technology versus nature. Is advanced technology the saviour of humankind? Read this novel and find out. Although fiction I regard the novel as a 'message in a bottle' for a future generation.
The novel is available from Auckland City and North Shore libraries. You can purchase it from http://www.lulu.com/
THE FUTURE OF CIVILISATION
The following is relevant to the novel.
Sir Martin Rees in his book, 'Our Final Century' estimates the chance of civilisation lasting until the end of the century as no better than 50-50. The big worry is malign intent or misadventure by individuals when advanced technology is developed and becomes readily available.
We have been down this path once before. The chance of nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis has been estimated at between one in three and 50-50. These odds are frightening enough. However, I'm not sure if they reflect the true situation. According to Rees a young Russian submariner, Vasily Arkhipov, who was one of three officers authorised to launch nuclear-armed torpedoes, refused to fire a torpedo against an American warship during the embargo even though his two compatriots had agreed. Armageddon was averted by the slimist of margins. We were lucky that time. We may not be so lucky next time.
Ever wondered what an intelligent, technological entity would make of religion, war and environmental desecration done in the name of economic growth? The novel while predominantly a thriller attempts an answer.
The novel is a futuristic account of the abuse of political privilege, the imminent destruction of the rainforests and how a naive computer entity (the product of advanced technology) reacts.
REVIEW
The following are excerpts are from Online Originals reviewers' comments of Saul's Prophecy
dated April 2000
* * *
I submitted the novel to Online Originalsin 2000. It was accepted for publication. However shortly afterwards Online Originals stopped trading so the novel was never published on their website. I put the novel aside. In 2009 I re-wrote it and published it as 'Saul's Prophecy: Sword of Gaia' on www.lulu.com. Many of the reviewer's comments remain relevant though.
Saul's Prophecy:
This novel is unique, and, in my opinion, of far better quality than most science fiction, perhaps because it is set at a time not too remote (the coming century) and so confronts us with both a
technology that remains within our comprehension and with problems which are already our problems, in particular, the problem of environmental destruction due to our failure to respect nature.
The particular device employed to generate the dramatic tension is also plausible. Haley's comet passed by not so long ago and an asteroid fell into Jupiter (or was it the sun) even more recently with effects which were staggeringly explosive. We know that an asteroid of even modest dimensions falling into the earth would bring most life to an end, leaving the earth with the task of regenerating life again over hundreds of millions of years (as it did once before), perhaps in a manner more conducive to the mutual claims of life and nature.These issues of negotiation and co-operation versus military force are all reasonable extensions of problems we already face today, so that science fiction is being powerfully used to drive home some lessons which humans will have learn sooner or later.
There is an interesting, almost spiritualist, dimension to the story in this work. We begin with the slaying of the last of the Delphic priestess, representative of a nature cult which the Roman empire is no longer prepared to tolerate. Her protégé, Saul, invokes the heavens, and a prophecy of divine retribution is disclosed in the form of a flaming sword destined to destroy mankind at some time in the future. This brings science into relation with mysticism is an interesting way.
I have a proposal. It seems to me that, at the very least, the very first paragraphs, dating back to the Roman era, should be separated out into a Prologue. The intra-chapter break used to distinguish these paragraphs from the fast forward to the 21st century seems to me insufficient. And if possible the material at the end should be reassembled to create an Epilogue in which the now mythical figure of Gaia returns to deliver her warning and to open the way to a future in which Hayes works to make mankind aware of the environmental issue that have been neglected. This means there would be two endings. The first would be the destruction of the
asteroid, witnessed by the earth's inhabitants and experienced as a release. But the question then remains open whether mankind will merely postpone the moment of destruction by continuing to destroy the planet's natural resources as they have done over the past two centuries. This is where the re-appearance of Gaia would be critical, warning Hayes of the consequences of not following through on the warning represented by the asteroid. The work needed to recast this Prologue and Epilogue would be minimal. And not merely would it bring beginnings and ending together in an interesting way, it would leave us with the important conclusion that the end (the destruction of the asteroid which would have destroyed human civilisation) is not really the end (humans being of themselves more than capable of making the planet unliveable by simply continuing along the present path of development). Having said all that Saul's Prophecy is, in my opinion, the best science fiction we have had submitted to date.
DESCRIPTION
The novel is set in 2058. The main protagonist is a young UN contractor named Thomas Jefferson Hayes. He comes across what appears to be a conspiracy against the UN. To investigate he enlists the help of an experimental computer that is being trained to produce virtual reality movies. He gets more than he bargained for. The computer has developed a penchant for moral judgements. It learns about the environmental desecration of Earth and decides to do something about it. It plans to drastically reduce Earth's population, the root cause of the desecration. Tom must battle both the conspirators and the computer to save civilisation.
The novel can be read either as a sci fi thriller or as an allegory about technology versus nature. Is advanced technology the saviour of humankind? Read this novel and find out. Although fiction I regard the novel as a 'message in a bottle' for a future generation.
The novel is available from Auckland City and North Shore libraries. You can purchase it from http://www.lulu.com/
THE FUTURE OF CIVILISATION
The following is relevant to the novel.
Sir Martin Rees in his book, 'Our Final Century' estimates the chance of civilisation lasting until the end of the century as no better than 50-50. The big worry is malign intent or misadventure by individuals when advanced technology is developed and becomes readily available.
We have been down this path once before. The chance of nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis has been estimated at between one in three and 50-50. These odds are frightening enough. However, I'm not sure if they reflect the true situation. According to Rees a young Russian submariner, Vasily Arkhipov, who was one of three officers authorised to launch nuclear-armed torpedoes, refused to fire a torpedo against an American warship during the embargo even though his two compatriots had agreed. Armageddon was averted by the slimist of margins. We were lucky that time. We may not be so lucky next time.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Friday, February 22, 2008
LATERAL CONNECTION
DESCRIPTION
Scientists are trying to tap the vast gravitational energy released when an ensemble of micro gravitational holes collapses. Henry Barek considers the experiment dangerous. Colonel Li Wutong, a Red Army contracts manager, enlists Barek's help to destroy SkyBord, the world's first advertising satellite. He has an ulterior motive. He wants to discredit Arnuth Ord, the owner of the space station hosting SkyBord, and thus pave the way for the purchase of the space station by the Chinese government at a bargain price. Barek also has an ulterior motive. Instead of destroying SkyBord he wants to stop the black hole experiment. Their plans come unstuck when Julie Billinghurst, a beautiful technologist, dies in mysterious circumstances and Cameron Bass is asked to investigate. Barek comes to believe that only help from beyond the stars can stop the experiment and thus save the Earth. The novel is a thriller set inside a scientific mystery.
The novel is available from Auckland City and North Shore libraries. You can purchase it from Amazon or http://www.lulu.com/
REVIEW
NEW ZEALAND WRITERS' EZINE February 2008 - Part IIa
Lateral Connection, by Rod Hylands
Reviewed by Jocelyn Watkin
Rod Hylands has penned a modern-day thriller reminiscent of James Bond - high technology, high stakes, villains with big egos and "good guys" that sometime err into the dark side. Nearly everyone has a lot to lose at some point in the tale.
The book begins with Henry Barek, an academic who appears to be on a quest to stop dangerous black hole experiments. Like many that are passionate about their ideals he has complex motives, which are not just limited to preventing the experiments.
Hylands's grasp on future possibilities for technology is amazing. Central to the story is a privately owned space station manned by robots (who get out of control, of course) and the disturbingly real concept of "adversats"- advertisements on satellites that screen their messages to the same size as a full moon in the sky. The rights to these "adversats" are worth big money. As both Henry Barek and his flawed plans unravel, the stakes get higher for most of the characters, who then try to ruthlessly outsmart each other across several continents and in the atmosphere.
Occasionally, I felt that Hylands was trying too hard - too much action crammed in, with some characters just too clichéd. However, the story does rip along and it will be a treat for lovers of spy vs spy high-tech action.For those not quite up on the latest in gadgetry, Hylands is careful to explain how these things work in an absorbing way and without becoming too obsessive.
The odd spelling mistake in Lateral Connection would suggest that another
edit would have been prudent. The attractive cover design is also slightly let down by the use of a card that is too lightweight for a cover. Neither of these points will worry fans of James Bond type yarns, who will love this book. That's James Bond as portrayed by Hollywood and not by Ian Fleming, of course.
Author’s note:
I wrote the novel as a private investigator type thriller wrapped inside a scientific mystery. I was therefore surprised at the James Bond comment. Sure, the scope of the novel is James Bond and there is even a villain whom Ian Fleming would be proud of but in my opinion the similarity ends there. Hollywood? I don't think so.
One important point. The theme of the novel isn't mentioned by the reviewer. The point I make is that only help from afar (another universe?) can save us from technology gone mad. In other words it is beyond humankind to save itself from disaster. To see what I mean take a look at the uncontrolled scientific experiment known as ‘global warming’ or even the drilling disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
* * *
The following comments are relevant to the novel. They are from the book, 'Our Final Century' by Sir Martin Rees, the UK Astronomer Royal.
MICRO BLACK HOLES
According to Einstein's Theory of Relativity the energy needed to make even the smallest black hole far exceeds what any current particle accelerator can achieve. However, a new theory invokes extra spatial dimenions beyond the usual three. A consequence of this is to strengthen gravity's grip thus rendering it less difficult than previously thought for a small object to implode into a black hole. The theory also suggests that such micro black holes would be innocuous evaporating almost instantly rather than drawing in surrounding matter.
STRANGELETS
A strangelet is a compressed object composed of quarks. A new-born strangelet could convert surrounding atomic nuclei to strangelets and by this means grow relentlessly ultimately converting the entire Earth into a hyperdense sphere about 100m across.
In accelerators such as Brookhaven and CERN heavy particles impact head on. There is no recoil as in a cosmic ray impact on atoms in space. Any stranglets formed would thus have no net motion and therefore have a good chance of converting nearby matter into strangelets.
To summarise the situation. If strangelets exist (which is conceivable) and if they form reasonably stable configurations (which is unlikely) and if they are negatively charged and thus attract protons (although theory strongly favours positive charges) and if stranglets can indeed be created by Brookhaven and CERN accelerators then there could be a problem.
Scientists are trying to tap the vast gravitational energy released when an ensemble of micro gravitational holes collapses. Henry Barek considers the experiment dangerous. Colonel Li Wutong, a Red Army contracts manager, enlists Barek's help to destroy SkyBord, the world's first advertising satellite. He has an ulterior motive. He wants to discredit Arnuth Ord, the owner of the space station hosting SkyBord, and thus pave the way for the purchase of the space station by the Chinese government at a bargain price. Barek also has an ulterior motive. Instead of destroying SkyBord he wants to stop the black hole experiment. Their plans come unstuck when Julie Billinghurst, a beautiful technologist, dies in mysterious circumstances and Cameron Bass is asked to investigate. Barek comes to believe that only help from beyond the stars can stop the experiment and thus save the Earth. The novel is a thriller set inside a scientific mystery.
The novel is available from Auckland City and North Shore libraries. You can purchase it from Amazon or http://www.lulu.com/
REVIEW
NEW ZEALAND WRITERS' EZINE February 2008 - Part IIa
Lateral Connection, by Rod Hylands
Reviewed by Jocelyn Watkin
Rod Hylands has penned a modern-day thriller reminiscent of James Bond - high technology, high stakes, villains with big egos and "good guys" that sometime err into the dark side. Nearly everyone has a lot to lose at some point in the tale.
The book begins with Henry Barek, an academic who appears to be on a quest to stop dangerous black hole experiments. Like many that are passionate about their ideals he has complex motives, which are not just limited to preventing the experiments.
Hylands's grasp on future possibilities for technology is amazing. Central to the story is a privately owned space station manned by robots (who get out of control, of course) and the disturbingly real concept of "adversats"- advertisements on satellites that screen their messages to the same size as a full moon in the sky. The rights to these "adversats" are worth big money. As both Henry Barek and his flawed plans unravel, the stakes get higher for most of the characters, who then try to ruthlessly outsmart each other across several continents and in the atmosphere.
Occasionally, I felt that Hylands was trying too hard - too much action crammed in, with some characters just too clichéd. However, the story does rip along and it will be a treat for lovers of spy vs spy high-tech action.For those not quite up on the latest in gadgetry, Hylands is careful to explain how these things work in an absorbing way and without becoming too obsessive.
The odd spelling mistake in Lateral Connection would suggest that another
edit would have been prudent. The attractive cover design is also slightly let down by the use of a card that is too lightweight for a cover. Neither of these points will worry fans of James Bond type yarns, who will love this book. That's James Bond as portrayed by Hollywood and not by Ian Fleming, of course.
Author’s note:
I wrote the novel as a private investigator type thriller wrapped inside a scientific mystery. I was therefore surprised at the James Bond comment. Sure, the scope of the novel is James Bond and there is even a villain whom Ian Fleming would be proud of but in my opinion the similarity ends there. Hollywood? I don't think so.
One important point. The theme of the novel isn't mentioned by the reviewer. The point I make is that only help from afar (another universe?) can save us from technology gone mad. In other words it is beyond humankind to save itself from disaster. To see what I mean take a look at the uncontrolled scientific experiment known as ‘global warming’ or even the drilling disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
* * *
The following comments are relevant to the novel. They are from the book, 'Our Final Century' by Sir Martin Rees, the UK Astronomer Royal.
MICRO BLACK HOLES
According to Einstein's Theory of Relativity the energy needed to make even the smallest black hole far exceeds what any current particle accelerator can achieve. However, a new theory invokes extra spatial dimenions beyond the usual three. A consequence of this is to strengthen gravity's grip thus rendering it less difficult than previously thought for a small object to implode into a black hole. The theory also suggests that such micro black holes would be innocuous evaporating almost instantly rather than drawing in surrounding matter.
STRANGELETS
A strangelet is a compressed object composed of quarks. A new-born strangelet could convert surrounding atomic nuclei to strangelets and by this means grow relentlessly ultimately converting the entire Earth into a hyperdense sphere about 100m across.
In accelerators such as Brookhaven and CERN heavy particles impact head on. There is no recoil as in a cosmic ray impact on atoms in space. Any stranglets formed would thus have no net motion and therefore have a good chance of converting nearby matter into strangelets.
To summarise the situation. If strangelets exist (which is conceivable) and if they form reasonably stable configurations (which is unlikely) and if they are negatively charged and thus attract protons (although theory strongly favours positive charges) and if stranglets can indeed be created by Brookhaven and CERN accelerators then there could be a problem.
