Review by Rebecca Henderson -- Heaven and Earth

[Rebecca Henderson]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Heaven and Earth" by Arturo Riojas.]

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1 out of 4 stars

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Arturo Riojas’ Heaven and Earth presents itself as a science-fiction/fantasy novel that discusses an alien presence on Earth and the effects of cadmium poisoning. The book is a thinly-veiled political statement, offering a cover story as the delivery vehicle. The fictional story, which follows two scientists, Olga and Gavilán, describes their meeting with an alien, Nivla, who must retrieve his brother’s remains and return them to his home planet, Treretum. Even as his motives for visiting Earth become clearer, so, too, do the agendas of those promoting cadmium poisoning rise to the surface. The book provides a social commentary upon some prominent historical events, a cautionary tale against the blind consumption of food, and a rather poignant call-to-action.

Heaven and Earth introduces the alien race first, and then begins to follow Olga as she meets Gavilán and a host of other characters. While Olga and Gavilán form a friendship which soon turns into a budding romance, the larger themes of politics, environmentalism, ethics, and activism are clear. Olga and Gavilán will work together with Nivra and his companions to not only save his brother’s remains, but also to come up with a plan to save Earth and her inhabitants as well. The two species will part amicably, but will their meetings in the future hold such diplomacy?

Arturo Riojas prefaces his work with a statement of purpose, describing his advocacy in educating the public on cadmium poisoning. Written by a very well-educated engineer, the text suffers from such a heavy undercurrent of political activism. Each chapter concludes with statements—in bullet-point fashion—regarding cadmium poisoning and the effects of the substance itself. These provide roadblocks in the reader’s mind as the text continues; each chapter is interrupted by the scientific explanations that follow. Imagine having to read a short story and then process factual information directly afterwards. I do not dismiss the legitimacy of the claims made after each chapter, but the format, while it does attempt to integrate the fictional form and the facts, jerks the reader out of the storyline with each switch.

I rate this book 1 out of 4 stars. All biases aside, this piece was a lackluster attempt at braiding fiction and fact together. There were thinly-veiled references to larger political and religious instances and themes, including characters whose names—spelled backwards in the text—referred to real people when written forwards. The aliens describe a certain Nis and Yloh, which when spelled frontwards depict “sin” and “holy.” Beyond the naming scheme, references to Adam and Eve and the apple, the Big Bang, climate change, and various governmental actions degrade the story to a level that turned me off as a reader to whatever the author might be trying to convey.

In the end, whatever might have been accomplished by the fictional story was destroyed by the overload of facts, at least in my personal reading. Let me be clear, I fully support spearheading a movement with a message, but if that message directly contradicts the medium you are using, then your results will be less than satisfactory. When I read that this book was a science-fiction/fantasy novel, I did not expect a lecture in ethics and a study on the current socio-political environment. I would have paid much more attention to a study on cadmium, but when cloaked by a patchy storyline, the facts felt redundant. This book could be great for those looking to find out more about cadmium, but for serious fiction fans, be aware! Heaven and Earth is no retreat into a fictional land; it is a study of our own world.

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Heaven and Earth
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[kandscreeley]

Interesting review. I think if someone is to try and weave a message into a fictional story, it must be well done. There have been those who have been successful. Take the Wizard of Oz for example. However, this sounds like it just wasn't written well at all. Good review. I'll be avoiding this one.