Intelligent Design

Revelations to Apocalypse

Fiction - Science Fiction
401 Pages
Reviewed on 11/17/2015
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

In addition to creating the Birds of Flight series and the other award-winning science fiction stories, Future Prometheus and Intelligent Design, J. M. Erickson holds a BA in psychology and sociology from Boston College and a master’s degree in psychiatric social work from the Simmons School of Social Work. Certified in cognitive behavioral treatment and a post-trauma specialist, he is also a senior instructor of psychology and counseling at Cambridge College, visiting lecturer at Salem State University’s School of Social Work and a senior therapist in a clinical group practice in the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Eduardo Aduna for Readers' Favorite

We are not alone. Intelligent Design: Revelations to Apocalypse by J.M. Erickson rewrites not just Earth's history but our entire galaxy's past as well, and offers us a future where humanity must rely on the help of intelligent beings in order to stave off extinction. Terra has long been hidden from the prying sensors of Earth. It is a planet populated by beings with a distinct heritage, yet one strongly connected to our own. As humanity is on the verge of discovering Terra, cataclysmic events are unfolding in our corner of the universe, events that could spell the end of the human race.

There are numerous paths that a science fiction writer can take when crafting a novel. Authors could choose to go the science fiction is simply soon-to-be science fact route, unfolding a future that is firmly rooted in the advances being made in the present. They could choose the alternate history route, where events diverge from a single point in history and with past events creating a radical departure from our norm. Science fiction writers can also choose the route of exploring the many unexplored possibilities inherent in our universe and making these possibilities clash with our current reality. J.M. Erickson's Intelligent Design: Revelations to Apocalypse manages to weave these three paths together to create a journey all science fiction enthusiasts should undertake.

In the vein of the Golden Age of science fiction writers like Asimov, del Rey, Clarke, and de Camp, Erickson manages to reflect on humanity's foibles and traits by providing a counterpoint, a unique society that is also very familiar. Erickson makes us see our species at its best -intelligent, tolerant and focused - and also forces us to face some of our less positive aspects. The philosophical undertones inherent in science fiction novels are particularly emphatic in this one. I was forced to take several brief respites just to think of the ramifications of Erickson's premise and how humanity in all its diverse forms would react. J.M. Erickson's Intelligent Design: Revelations to Apocalypse has many layers that are uncovered at a breakneck pace. It sprawls at times, touching on numerous subjects, but always manages to rein it in to focus on the main story lines. This is one novel casual readers and die-hard science fiction fans can equally enjoy.

Tracy Slowiak

There's nothing I love better than a great short story or novella. And science fiction is one of my all time favorite genres! Combine the two and I am almost in heaven. Combine the two and make it two novellas in one book, well, I'm not even really sure what to say to describe my excitement! And that's what I got with the excellent new work, Intelligent Design: From Revelations to Apocalypse. In this unique and wonderfully written book, author J.M. Erickson provides readers with an exciting story that begins in the very distant past, 65 million years ago, to be exact. Highly evolved beings are working with advanced technologies in order to save several types of hominid life. In Apocalypse, we find even more issues. The possibility of a planet igniting into a sun is very real, and would end all life as it is known, unless all can come together and work for a solution.

This book was fantastic. That's certainly the main word that came to my mind when I finished the last page. The story hooked me from the very beginning, and I simply had to read it obsessively through to the very end. Author J.M. Erickson has written an outstanding work in this genre. Exciting, adventurous, interesting, heart-pounding and even jaw-dropping in places, I think that any person who loves a great science fiction story would love Intelligent Design: From Revelations to Apocalypse. I really hope that there will be another book by author J.M. Erickson released soon. If it's anything like this, it will absolutely be worth the read!

Tracy A. Fischer

Wow! Just wow! That’s exactly what I thought when I finished reading Intelligent Design: Revelations to Apocalypse, a wonderful new collection of two science fiction novellas by author J.M. Erickson. It starts with Revelations, taking place over 65 million years ago, and giving readers a taste of highly evolved technologies, as well as a race of advanced beings that are doing all they can to save hominids. Flowing forward to modern times, and readers will find that there are a few special humans who know that there are other planets in the solar system with intelligent life and it will come down to a very select two to make sure that human life continues. In 'Apocalypse,' the story turns darker, with even more intrigue, new revelations and lots more to discover. It truly appears that the adventure has just begun!

I so enjoyed Intelligent Design: Revelations to Apocalypse. Author J.M. Erickson has developed an amazing story line that runs through both novellas in an extremely cohesive plot. The story is exciting, the characters well-drawn, and the settings are both futuristic and realistic at the same time, the perfect format for a great work of science fiction. Any reader who enjoys science fiction or simply a great read of fiction should absolutely pick up Intelligent Design. I highly recommend this book, and I certainly hope that author J.M. Erickson is hard at work on another installment in this extremely promising body of work. I, for one, will be watching eagerly for its release.