New Author’s Series: Alpha

Do not push play until instructed to do so!!

One of the most intriguing and controversial entries in the Marcher Lord Premise Contest was Alpha by P. A. Baines.  I must admit, it was I who started the controversy… but it had to be done.  For me, the question needed to be answered, and judging from the responses many people needed it answered.

Alpha is the story of a man sent on a solo mission in space.  He’s simply the human guinea pig on the mission, and the craft is really under the control of a state-of-the-art AI computer.  I won’t tell you any more of it, I’ll let Baines’s own words do that for me later.

So what was so controversial?  It was this… will P. A. Baines maintain a conservative view with the sanctity of human life, and still pull off a self-aware AI who discovers God?

It’s a tight rope to be walked, Mr. Baines… a very tight rope.  However, I feel very confident after hearing his response that he DOES keep to a very high standard of the sanctity of life.  I look forward to reading this book in its entirety and to see it published.

P. A. Baines was born in England but currently lives in the Netherlands.  By day he’s a COBOL programmer and by night a writer of Christian Sci-fi.  He is the author of two unpublished novels, Hour and Alpha.  Alpha was a Marcher Lord Press Premise Contest Semi-finalist.

When it comes to writing, Baines says:

I see my writing as a ministry. When times get tough for me and my faith wavers I draw comfort from those who are struggling as well. My stories are about ordinary people trying to keep their trust in God when things get hard. I want to show that, no matter how difficult things may get, God is with us and never leaves us.

To read more about P. A. Baines, and his two books go HERE.

Ok… before you keep reading push play on the video.  When the music starts, start reading.

 

 

In man’s pursuit of knowledge A.I. was created. In the pursuit of love A.I. found God.

When Arnold loses everything in a tragic accident, he gladly accepts an invitation to take part in a prototype speed-of-light trip to Alpha Centauri, knowing that he may not survive. His only companion is the ship’s on-board computer, Jay. At first he finds Jay an annoyance but, as time passes, the two become friends. With the voyage drawing to a close, Jay develops a sense of self-awareness and a belief in God. When it becomes clear that they cannot both survive the return trip, one of them must make the ultimate sacrifice.

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