Language: English
Hard Science Fiction High Tech Literature & Fiction Military Mystery; Thriller & Suspense Science Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy Space Marine Technothrillers Thrillers
Publisher: Pacific Reefs Publishing
Published: Oct 4, 2013
Description:
"What's wrong?" said Andrew. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Seema raised an arm in slow motion, like a mime, and pointed at the monitor. As the
whale squealed through the speakers, the Speakeasy translated its vocalizations
into familiar shapes, embedded in a very unfamiliar setting.
"If you're seeing what I'm seeing," Andrew gulped, "please tell me I'm not crazy."
In the spirit of Carl Sagan's Contact and Stephen Spielberg's Close Encounters, speech scientist Howard Steven Pines' science fiction and marine mammal protectionist thriller takes whale language research to a whole new realm: the excitement of first contact and the recognition of the intelligence, dignity, and wisdom of another earthly species.
When the Navy's controversial sonar experiments begin to destroy Maui's whales, an unlikely hero holds the key to their preservation. Inspired by his mentor's paradigm-busting challenge to open a communications channel with other big-brained species, acoustics professor
David Dmitri begins analyzing the songs of humpback whales. The quest to decode
their mysterious language leads him to an astonishing revelation. With more proof, Dmitri realizes he could rally public opinion and stanch the bloodshed. But as his team prepares to launch a voyage of discovery in the Straits of Lahaina, others are determined to stop him--whatever the consequences.
Built on fascinating, cutting-edge science, Part I of The Torch of Prometheus trilogy delivers thought-provoking "breakthroughs" about language and intelligence in the realm of earth's other big-brained beings, and explores the intertwined existential crises of humans and whales.
The Whale Song Translation . . . A visionary tale of marine mammal protectionism . . . A voyage of discovery, to Neptune and beyond.
Review
Howard Pines's debut novel is sci-fi at its best. A voyage of discovery into a new frontier. The excitement of first contact. The recognition of the intelligence, dignity, and wisdom of another species. Built on fascinating, believable science, The Whale Song Translation provides thought-provoking breakthroughs and expands our understanding of language and communication. A great read! ― *MOLLY DWYER, author of the award-winning Requiem for the Author of Frankenstein *
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From the Author
The idea for my debut novel was born the moment I first thrilled to a humpback whale rocketing from the deep blue sea. My writing is informed by a twenty-five-year Silicon Valley software engineering career that's led to five patents in wireless voice technology.
In the adaptation of voice and modem algorithms for communication devices, I was fascinated by theoretical and physical foundations of speech. The realization that human speech evolved into a process of shape-writing and shape-matching is the inspiration for the interspecies communication experiments featured in my fictional trilogy-in-progress, "The Torch of Prometheus." To learn about the underlying principles common to speech, language, and whale songs visit the "HowardStevenPines" website.
A lifelong Californian, I have a love affair with the Pacific Ocean and especially Northern California's coastline, beaches, and migrating whales. Maui is a favorite vacation getaway and the primary setting for my novel and sequel.
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