Pulse: When Gravity Fails

For firefighter Sean Grayson, things are going haywire.  After being told to evacuate a building where fire is raging, he discovers a little boy still trapped in the inferno.  As he makes his way to the trapped boy he runs through the kitchen and sees a cup suspended in the air, spinning. When he finally gets to the boy he is able to free him from the debris covering him as though it were paper, then saves the boy and himself. He vows to never mention the strange events - no one would ever believe him. Except for Dr. Paulo Restrepo, who knows that the Alpha Centauri star system is collapsing and is wreaking havoc on Earth’s gravity.

This fast-moving novella is filled with scientific fact, unlike most Science Fiction. It is based on Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, only the effects of the gravitational pulse are exaggerated. The rich characters that Mr. Freitas has developed makes this work a delight to read. There are a few problems, however: some awkward wording appears throughout the piece, interrupting the flow of the story and there are missing and misspelled words and incorrect punctuation. In spite of that, it is a very enjoyable story with a thought-provoking premise. It has a good ending, but for those who wish to read more, there are three more books in this enticing series.

Belinda Wilson