Official Review: The Fi Experiment by Paul David Ali
Posted: 28 Aug 2020, 10:17
[i][Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Fi Experiment" by Paul David Ali.][/i]
[rwc=id454774-125]3 out of 4 stars.[/rwc]Sometimes something as simple as doing someone a favor can turn your life on its head. Alice gets a full taste of this when her aunt asks her to check on Richard, Alice's cousin, as his family has not heard from him in over six months. Richard, nicknamed Dicky, went missing in action shortly after he suddenly left his job as an engineer. Now, Alice has to drive over five hours to where he is in a desert, fifty miles northeast of Yuma. Upon her arrival, Dicky is unwelcoming to Alice and as rude to her as he has been since childhood. Before Alice leaves, he asks her to visit again and bring along a camera. Dicky has been getting visits from the Fi, an alien civilization that has been observing the earth for millennia. And he has a message he wants to share with the whole world.
[i]The Fi Experiment[/i] is a science fiction novel by Paul David Ali. With only 137 pages, the book can be read in a single sitting. Most of the book is written in the present tense from Alice's point of view. Other parts, where Dicky is speaking while being recorded, are written in script form. The scripted parts have video versions, which readers can access by clicking the appropriate links in the ebook version, or scanning the QR code provided in the paperback version.
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Dicky is one of those characters one loves to hate. He is egotistical, selfish, and just plain weird. However, this made him memorable. Dicky's descriptions of the Fi were as intriguing as they were unbelievable. I was completely skeptical in the beginning because his stories seemed unrealistic. But by the end, I found myself strangely invested in his accounts of his encounters with the strange alien civilization. I also found the inclusion of actual videos of Dicky creative and refreshing. This added a sense of realism to the story, despite it being purely fictional.
I disliked that Alice did not share much personal information about herself. It seemed the only interesting thing about her life was traveling to and from Yuma to record Dicky. Also, her interactions with Dicky's family and her own friends revolved around Dicky and his videos. I would have liked to have seen her at work or at any other place that did not involve Dicky in some way. Ultimately, the only character that had sufficient development was Dicky. The other characters were simply there to fill the pages until Alice's next visit.
Unfortunately, I came across more than ten errors, which made me believe the book was not professionally edited. There were instances of incorrect capitalization and inconsistent formatting, amongst others. Furthermore, the video links embedded in the chapter headings in the Kindle version of the book did not work. I was only able to access the videos by clicking on the Fi website link included at the end of the book.
I rate[i]The Fi Experiment[/i] [b]3 out of 4 stars[/b] . It loses a star for the errors detailed above and the lack of proper development of supporting characters. The book's creativity, engaging storyline, and memorable protagonist prevent it from getting a lower rating. I would recommend the book to anyone looking for a quick and unconventional science fiction read. The book is appropriate for readers from various religious backgrounds, but since it contains a lot of profanity, it might turn off some readers.
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[i]The Fi Experiment [/i]
View: [url=http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelves/book.php?id=454774]on Bookshelves[/url] | [amazon=B01N992CQI]on Amazon[/amazon]
[rwc=id454774-125]3 out of 4 stars.[/rwc]
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Dicky is one of those characters one loves to hate. He is egotistical, selfish, and just plain weird. However, this made him memorable. Dicky's descriptions of the Fi were as intriguing as they were unbelievable. I was completely skeptical in the beginning because his stories seemed unrealistic. But by the end, I found myself strangely invested in his accounts of his encounters with the strange alien civilization. I also found the inclusion of actual videos of Dicky creative and refreshing. This added a sense of realism to the story, despite it being purely fictional.
I disliked that Alice did not share much personal information about herself. It seemed the only interesting thing about her life was traveling to and from Yuma to record Dicky. Also, her interactions with Dicky's family and her own friends revolved around Dicky and his videos. I would have liked to have seen her at work or at any other place that did not involve Dicky in some way. Ultimately, the only character that had sufficient development was Dicky. The other characters were simply there to fill the pages until Alice's next visit.
Unfortunately, I came across more than ten errors, which made me believe the book was not professionally edited. There were instances of incorrect capitalization and inconsistent formatting, amongst others. Furthermore, the video links embedded in the chapter headings in the Kindle version of the book did not work. I was only able to access the videos by clicking on the Fi website link included at the end of the book.
I rate
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[i]The Fi Experiment [/i]
View: [url=http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelves/book.php?id=454774]on Bookshelves[/url] | [amazon=B01N992CQI]on Amazon[/amazon]
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