2 out of 4 stars
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Heaven and Earth by Dr. Arturo Riojas seeks to inform the reader on the dangers of the heavy metal cadmium as it presents itself in our food and water supply through the framework of a science fiction novel. Between chapters Dr. Riojas provides clearly stated facts about how cadmium is introduced into our food supply, how it affects the human body, and ways to take action to minimize these effects in day to day life. This is where the author shines; he is able to convey complex scientific theories in a clear and concise manner. It is obvious that he has a good deal of experience writing in the scientific field. This is, unfortunately, what I consider to be his downfall in regards to writing fiction.
The science fiction element of the story follows four human characters, Olga, Gavilán, Sam, and Dr. Welch, whose paths cross at a NASA funded conference and lead them to the aid of an extra terrestrial by the name of Nivla, who has joined an information gathering mission to earth in order to retrieve his brother’s remains. It is difficult to summarize the plot without spoilers, as I found the plot itself to be largely unclear until the 100 page mark, and often neglected in favor of setting up scenes in which the characters can discuss the issues surrounding cadmium poisoning. If cadmium had played a clearer role in the final plot or the climax of the novel, this would be entirely reasonable, but the end plot revolves almost entirely around the alien’s own motivations and struggles.
If you have a hard time maintaining focus on large paragraphs, this isn’t the book for you. What little plot there is is revealed through small offhand comments hidden within long blocks of information. Almost all of the dialogue is written in a stilted and unrealistic manner in order to lead to the next inevitable monologue that the author uses to drop large chunks of information about cadmium poisoning or the state of current affairs in regard to our current government and culture into the story; the result being an uncomfortable onslaught of disjointed ideas that treat the reader like an imbecile. It is frustrating, repetitive, and much of the rhetoric feels like a rehash of the age old "kids these days", even when the points being made are entirely valid.
This is not to say there is nothing of merit within the novel, the characters involved are quite likable despite the clunky execution. Olga is a fun, defiant character that provides a perspective that younger readers can relate too, and Sam, though sometimes tiresome, represents the privileged college boys we’ve all had to deal with at one time or another, yet paints him in a forgiving light: as a character who can learn from his mistakes and rise above his previously misguided opinions (with a little bit of nudging and help from more worldly characters). Of them all, Cuauhtémoc Gavilán is by far the most compelling. Through Gavilán the author is able to inject some humor and insight from his own experiences into the story. This is all, however, somewhat eclipsed by his budding relationship with Olga, who is only 25 while Gavilán is implied to be a fair deal older. The end result being that the author’s means of inserting himself into the narrative wins over the heart of a younger woman. It is a trope I myself have grown tired of in any form and the author’s lackluster execution of the romance seems out of place within the rest of the novel.
I really respect what the author wishes to accomplish in regards to this novel, but I have to wonder if this is the best method of spreading information. Despite the fact that his informational chapters are consistent and well researched, Dr. Riojas does not include in-text citations, nor does he provide a bibliography at the end of the book. Though he does provide a transcript of questions and answers from various online health summits, the lack of traditional citations and articles, juxtaposed against a novel that relies on theories regarding ancient aliens and contains references to chem trails, unintentionally casts doubt upon the facts he has provided. Whether these ideas have any basis in reality is irrelevant, these ideas are considered by most to be irrational conspiracies and placing them alongside valid ideas and concerns casts the scientific dialogue in a fanatical and unreasonable light. The lack of citations may not register as strange to everyone, but if you’re reading from an academic background it seems like an obvious oversight.
Technically speaking there are no spelling or grammatical errors that I could find. However there are a couple of moments at the beginning where the prose switches from past tense to present tense unexpectedly with no clear purpose. These are on page 13: "undaunted, the Mexican shouts enthusiastically", and on page 19 for the first 6 paragraphs of chapter 3. I can only assume this was unintentional, as it does not happen again after this.
Dr. Riojas suggests that readers uninterested in the issues surrounding cadmium can skip the appendices labeled “Cadmium Poisoning Facts” to read the book strictly as a sci-fi novel. I would argue the opposite. Without an interest in cadmium I doubt a casual reader would have the patience to sit through the novel. Instead I would suggest reading the appendices where the information is clear and easy to understand. Most of the facts in the appendices appear in the chapters that frame them, and reading both leads to many repetitions of the same information.I also believe the book would benefit from being classified as a Health and Nonfiction piece, as categorizing it as Sci-fi/Fantasy may give the reader expectations that are simply not met.
I give Heaven and Earth 2 out of 4 stars. As a work of fiction I found it difficult to read, and on its own would have been given only the one star. The wealth of information provided increases my rating to two, but it does not redeem the work enough for me to recommend it. Should the author find himself interested in returning to this concept of distributing information through fiction, I would recommend he do so in collaboration with a ghost writer with more experience writing fiction. The plot and characters had potential, and the story could be coaxed toward a compelling conclusion with the application of some subtlety and a clearer narrative.
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Heaven and Earth
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