IP BOOK REVIEWERS

The Omega Wave, © Richard Rydon 2008, Lulu.com, 408 pages

The Omega Wave is science fiction in its most complicated presentation. Author Richard Rydon injects pure science into a story that incorporates kidnapping, torture, and cover-ups. Science is the base of the terror that ensues and the center of the enlightenment that ultimately leads to the end of a nightmare.

Luper Beauchamps was originally hired by Wes Lane Inc. to develop new chip interfaces and to secure patents. After a short, but successful stint on the job, Quade Barras, the Director of the Neurochip Facility befriended Luper and ultimately offered him a job in his department testing neurochips. Frieda Delvin, an IT Assistant is assigned to help Luper with his new assignment. Quade’s assistant, Rose Allen, also works very closely with Luper and Frieda on the project.

The neurochips are created from strips of human brain. Wes Lane has an agreement with local hospitals to obtain the tissue from the deceased. There are limits to the number of neurochips the company can develop due to rules established by the Computer Ethics Committee. As Luper, Frieda, and Rose begin to mesh as a team, they explore various techniques and equipment for increasing the life-cycle of the neurochips. The scientists are seeking answers to two questions: Where does consciousness begin? Where does consciousness end?

As the neurochips gain in age and brain function (including perception and telepathy), Luper and Frieda discover strange activity on the adjoining Army base and Central Asian Embassy. After several secret expeditions to the embassy, the couple learns that prisoners are being tortured with the assistance of “minders”, people trained to coordinate their brain waves with those of the neurochips to cause distress and physical pain to the detainees.

The Omega Wave includes detailed scientific references from the opening of the book. Initially, the text may be difficult to follow for readers who are not scientifically inclined, but as the story progresses, Rydon breaks the science down into manageable components that fit seamlessly into the rest of the plot. Throughout the book, the three researchers “… systematically test the effect of various electromagnetic (EM) frequencies in the range from 1 to 100 cycles per second (hertz)” on each neurochip. They also work towards putting an end to the abuse of human rights taking place at the embassy. Luper and Frieda risk their own freedom to achieve their mission.

The Omega Wave will provide a refresher in college-level sciences, stimulate the reader’s imagination, and feed the desire for adventure.

Melissa B. Levine, For Independent Professional Book Reviewers
www.bookreviewers.org