Review by Ellen Scherer -- Heaven and Earth
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Ellen Scherer
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Review by Ellen Scherer -- Heaven and Earth
[Following is a volunteer review of "Heaven and Earth" by Arturo Riojas.]
3 out of 4 stars
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Despite being a work of fiction, Heaven and Earth is a noteworthy addition to the global conversation of environmental consciousness and the future of human health. Arturo Riojas speculates the functionality of a relationship between earthlings and extraterrestrials as a call to action against a dangerous phenomenon which he deems paramount-- cadmium poisoning. He combines narrative with approachable research in order to best inform his readers about this toxic metal which plagues our food and water supply.
Olga Ramos is a researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California. She is excited to have been invited to a science and engineering conference, so she may share her latest accomplishments among her colleagues. When she arrives, she meets up with her good friend, Gavilan, and they begin to reminisce about their college years. Olga tells Gavilan about her projects and about how, after all these years, her research is driven by cause and effect. Then out of the blue, they’re approached by an extraterrestrial by the name of Nivla. He is from the planet Treretum and he needs their help.
Before long, we realize Treretumians may be facing extinction. Treretum has been invaded by muimdac (which happens to be cadmium spelled in reverse), a resilient and predatory species which has been feeding on the Treretumians for thousands of years. As a result, Treretumian investigators are scoping out Earth for resources and answers: “We know too little about them to effectively combat them. [They are] invading our bodies, eventually devouring us from the inside and being programmed to take our form” (Riojas, 102). Unfortunately, they realize humans are failing to progress at the predicted rate, observing the ways in which health and wellness take a backseat in government consciousness.
In fact, they observe societal issues, which when combined, are causing an increase in cadmium poisoning. In attempts to help improve the current state of affairs, Nivla offers his assistance to Olga and Gavilan (and some newfound friends at the CDC), who are taking matters into their own hands. They will dedicate their lives to researching cadmium and building a better government which supports healthy living.
Riojas mentions in his prologue that readers may “skip over” the informational text to avoid distraction from the narrative, but I find the “Cadmium Facts” that close each chapter a great addition to the book. I would actually argue that skipping over the fact sheets takes away from the overall reading experience because the sections work together to allow for congruency and a better understanding. For example, notice how the following information is presented in “Cadmium Facts:”
“Cadmium does not accumulate particularly in the brain. However, because cadmium competes with zinc, the bodies of individuals suffering from cadmium poisoning are typically deficient in zinc. And since the brain is one of the largest reservoirs of zinc in the body, the brain is often robbed of zinc so that other bodily requirements are satisfied, as is commonly found in Alzheimer’s patients” (23-24).
Here is that same information again in the narrative:
"...they literally took me into their family. After my graduation, it was very hard for me hearing repeatedly about [their] health problems. They deserve better than what fate dished out—diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and countless premature deaths" (36).
I typically have issues retaining scientific facts. However, writing strictly factual section and then following up that section with a narrative which inspires emotion is a great way to engage an audience. When they reach “Points of Contact in the Federal Government” at the end of the epilogue, they will be moved to take action (335).
Riojas’ decision to write this novel as science fiction was clever for a couple different reasons. Riojas is able to attract an audience that would otherwise miss out on his important research. (I probably would not have chosen to review this book if he had written, for example, a textbook or collection of scientific reports). Furthermore, the concept of humans working alongside aliens for the sake of their survival works perfectly for this book. While a working relationship such as this still seems near impossible, we are getting closer to finding intelligent life on other planets every day. This works well with Riojas’ assertion that cadmium poisoning exists in large numbers, despite the lack of attention it receives from the federal government.
I strongly feel Heaven and Earth is an important read for those who are looking to make improvements for their own health, as well as for the health of their environment. Therefore, I have some suggestions for improvement, most of which are with regards to fluency and grammar. There are several instances where Olga and Gavilan converse with each other in Spanish. Riojas writes full phrases in Spanish, and then immediately translates the text into English in brackets: “‘Pues, nacido en México pero educado aquí en los Estados Unidos. ¿Y usted?’ [Well, born in Mexico but educated here in the United States. And you?]” (13). The bracketed translation is meant to create a better understanding for those who do not speak Spanish and I think this method would work if there were only a few places where Spanish phrases are used. However, some chapters contain pages full of Spanish with English translation and that continuous use of brackets is distracting. I think using footnotes or even leaving out some translations would actually increase reader coherence.
For example, Riojas writes Olga’s thought about Pasadena: “Dios mio [My God], doesn’t this city ever sleep?” (12). I didn’t need the translation in this sentence because the Spanish phrase is quite common and easily understood. Later in the text, Gavilan uses the word “cojones” when referring to the boldness required to fight government corruption (214). English-speakers and Spanish speakers alike employ that word in their vernacular.
The final suggestions for the improvement of Heaven and Earth are strictly grammatical. The majority of this text edited quite well. However, there were a few areas which contained grammatical errors. As shown in the previous paragraph, phrases are italicized to represent character thoughts. This is one of the two correct ways to punctuate thoughts. (The other way is to use quotation marks and to state the text inside them is a character’s thought.) However, there are also a few instances where the italics seem like they’ve been thrown into the text randomly. Here a few examples:
“He began petting Cooper a little more enthusiastically” (38).
“...the product with the highest cadmium concentration is the wheat gluten, making flour tortillas even more toxic—a cadmium double whammy” (41).
“Olga felt the pull of his dark eyes” (113).
In the cases above, italics are causing a distraction. They are not indicating a character’s thought or adding to the meaning of the phrase as a whole.
Notice this description of Olga and Gavilan’s drive to New Mexico uses “a” when an article is not required: "It was a pleasantly different from the warm, sultry evenings and early mornings for which Houston, the city noted for being an outdoor sauna, is famous" (109). Other fixes would be to write: “It was a pleasant difference” or, more simply, “It was different.” There are similar structural errors on pages 121, 258 and 282, where phrasing and/or punctuation should be reconsidered.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. There are some grammatical errors in the text, but the piece as a whole is great. Riojas creates a sense of transparency with readers. He grasps the attention of fiction lovers health enthusiasts, and environmentalists in a single publication. Thanks to Riojas, I feel like an expert cadmium poisoning and am ready to share my knowledge with others.
******
Heaven and Earth
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Ellen Scherer's review? Post a comment saying so!
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Despite being a work of fiction, Heaven and Earth is a noteworthy addition to the global conversation of environmental consciousness and the future of human health. Arturo Riojas speculates the functionality of a relationship between earthlings and extraterrestrials as a call to action against a dangerous phenomenon which he deems paramount-- cadmium poisoning. He combines narrative with approachable research in order to best inform his readers about this toxic metal which plagues our food and water supply.
Olga Ramos is a researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California. She is excited to have been invited to a science and engineering conference, so she may share her latest accomplishments among her colleagues. When she arrives, she meets up with her good friend, Gavilan, and they begin to reminisce about their college years. Olga tells Gavilan about her projects and about how, after all these years, her research is driven by cause and effect. Then out of the blue, they’re approached by an extraterrestrial by the name of Nivla. He is from the planet Treretum and he needs their help.
Before long, we realize Treretumians may be facing extinction. Treretum has been invaded by muimdac (which happens to be cadmium spelled in reverse), a resilient and predatory species which has been feeding on the Treretumians for thousands of years. As a result, Treretumian investigators are scoping out Earth for resources and answers: “We know too little about them to effectively combat them. [They are] invading our bodies, eventually devouring us from the inside and being programmed to take our form” (Riojas, 102). Unfortunately, they realize humans are failing to progress at the predicted rate, observing the ways in which health and wellness take a backseat in government consciousness.
In fact, they observe societal issues, which when combined, are causing an increase in cadmium poisoning. In attempts to help improve the current state of affairs, Nivla offers his assistance to Olga and Gavilan (and some newfound friends at the CDC), who are taking matters into their own hands. They will dedicate their lives to researching cadmium and building a better government which supports healthy living.
Riojas mentions in his prologue that readers may “skip over” the informational text to avoid distraction from the narrative, but I find the “Cadmium Facts” that close each chapter a great addition to the book. I would actually argue that skipping over the fact sheets takes away from the overall reading experience because the sections work together to allow for congruency and a better understanding. For example, notice how the following information is presented in “Cadmium Facts:”
“Cadmium does not accumulate particularly in the brain. However, because cadmium competes with zinc, the bodies of individuals suffering from cadmium poisoning are typically deficient in zinc. And since the brain is one of the largest reservoirs of zinc in the body, the brain is often robbed of zinc so that other bodily requirements are satisfied, as is commonly found in Alzheimer’s patients” (23-24).
Here is that same information again in the narrative:
"...they literally took me into their family. After my graduation, it was very hard for me hearing repeatedly about [their] health problems. They deserve better than what fate dished out—diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and countless premature deaths" (36).
I typically have issues retaining scientific facts. However, writing strictly factual section and then following up that section with a narrative which inspires emotion is a great way to engage an audience. When they reach “Points of Contact in the Federal Government” at the end of the epilogue, they will be moved to take action (335).
Riojas’ decision to write this novel as science fiction was clever for a couple different reasons. Riojas is able to attract an audience that would otherwise miss out on his important research. (I probably would not have chosen to review this book if he had written, for example, a textbook or collection of scientific reports). Furthermore, the concept of humans working alongside aliens for the sake of their survival works perfectly for this book. While a working relationship such as this still seems near impossible, we are getting closer to finding intelligent life on other planets every day. This works well with Riojas’ assertion that cadmium poisoning exists in large numbers, despite the lack of attention it receives from the federal government.
I strongly feel Heaven and Earth is an important read for those who are looking to make improvements for their own health, as well as for the health of their environment. Therefore, I have some suggestions for improvement, most of which are with regards to fluency and grammar. There are several instances where Olga and Gavilan converse with each other in Spanish. Riojas writes full phrases in Spanish, and then immediately translates the text into English in brackets: “‘Pues, nacido en México pero educado aquí en los Estados Unidos. ¿Y usted?’ [Well, born in Mexico but educated here in the United States. And you?]” (13). The bracketed translation is meant to create a better understanding for those who do not speak Spanish and I think this method would work if there were only a few places where Spanish phrases are used. However, some chapters contain pages full of Spanish with English translation and that continuous use of brackets is distracting. I think using footnotes or even leaving out some translations would actually increase reader coherence.
For example, Riojas writes Olga’s thought about Pasadena: “Dios mio [My God], doesn’t this city ever sleep?” (12). I didn’t need the translation in this sentence because the Spanish phrase is quite common and easily understood. Later in the text, Gavilan uses the word “cojones” when referring to the boldness required to fight government corruption (214). English-speakers and Spanish speakers alike employ that word in their vernacular.
The final suggestions for the improvement of Heaven and Earth are strictly grammatical. The majority of this text edited quite well. However, there were a few areas which contained grammatical errors. As shown in the previous paragraph, phrases are italicized to represent character thoughts. This is one of the two correct ways to punctuate thoughts. (The other way is to use quotation marks and to state the text inside them is a character’s thought.) However, there are also a few instances where the italics seem like they’ve been thrown into the text randomly. Here a few examples:
“He began petting Cooper a little more enthusiastically” (38).
“...the product with the highest cadmium concentration is the wheat gluten, making flour tortillas even more toxic—a cadmium double whammy” (41).
“Olga felt the pull of his dark eyes” (113).
In the cases above, italics are causing a distraction. They are not indicating a character’s thought or adding to the meaning of the phrase as a whole.
Notice this description of Olga and Gavilan’s drive to New Mexico uses “a” when an article is not required: "It was a pleasantly different from the warm, sultry evenings and early mornings for which Houston, the city noted for being an outdoor sauna, is famous" (109). Other fixes would be to write: “It was a pleasant difference” or, more simply, “It was different.” There are similar structural errors on pages 121, 258 and 282, where phrasing and/or punctuation should be reconsidered.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. There are some grammatical errors in the text, but the piece as a whole is great. Riojas creates a sense of transparency with readers. He grasps the attention of fiction lovers health enthusiasts, and environmentalists in a single publication. Thanks to Riojas, I feel like an expert cadmium poisoning and am ready to share my knowledge with others.
******
Heaven and Earth
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Ellen Scherer's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon
