“Quantum Radio” by A.G. Riddle – The Hazard of Knowledge

 

Short Summary

A.G. Riddle is , for good reason, one of the foremost science-fiction authors of the modern age, his mind not only rife with original ideas, but also extremely well-versed in expressing them. In his latest novel, titled Quantum Radio, he follows Dr. Tyson Klein, a CERN scientist working with the Large Hadron Collider, on the verge of making a nigh-unimaginable discovery, the truth of which threatens to radically change the future.

A.G. Riddle Creates the Impossible Discovery

The value of various commodities has drastically altered over the course of human history, but there is one which has consistently withstood the winds of change: knowledge. He who knows has power, and perhaps more than ever before, modern humanity is particularly motivated in its acquisition of information, with all the tools at its disposal. The realm of physics certainly holds the most potential for something Earth-shattering to be uncovered, as is the case in A.G. Riddle's Quantum Radio.

The story opens by introducing us to Tyson Klein, a quantum physicist whose entire life has been dedicated to his research at CERN. His work consists of analyzing the data generated by the Large Hadron Collider, and over many years of observation, Tyson feels as if he has finally figured out a pattern to the output it generates.

As Tyson examines this pattern deeper and deeper, he comes to realize it very much looks like an organized stream of data being broadcast through the quantum world. Whether it's a signal from another universe, the future, or something else entirely, Tyson has absolutely no idea, but he can't stop himself from digging further now.

In reality, the signal Tyson has received is immensely more complicated than he could have imagined, with such far-reaching implications for human existence he wavers on what to do with his discovery. Meanwhile, there are those who have been watching him from the shadows, intently following his research, and hoping to stop him from unravelling the truth at the centre of it all.

A device is built using the data analyzed by Tyson, the function of which nobody actually knows, and he finds himself forced to us it when his facility is attacked. Unexpectedly enough, the device transports him to Earth in an alternate universe, one where it is under threat of invasion by those who are only known as The Covenant.

The First Step to Infinity in Quantum Radio

Even though at the moment of writing this review Quantum Radio isn't part of some larger series, I would be quite surprised not to see it change in the near future. This book was quite obviously written with the idea of serving as a launching pad for the kind of literary series which can keep on going as long as the author wants it to.

I think it's important to keep this in mind as one goes through the story, which takes it time in setting up the world as well as the characters in it. We get to learn quite a bit about the people whom, I assume, will become mainstays of the series down the line. As a result, the pace of the story does suffer here and there, but is compensated for by A.G. Riddle's ability to make virtually anything interesting with his masterful prose.

In my personal opinion, the various members of the main team we get to meet are a little too perfect and powerful within the story. That is to say, they're all superbly capable people and I never had the sense they were totally outmatched by whatever challenges they were facing, so it remains to be seen just how much tension they can add to the story. Overall I did enjoy meeting them, even if the amount of background information we were imparted about them did make the pacing suffer a bit.

Logically-speaking, the action ought to pick up in later chapters as our characters travel through the multiverse, fixing problems and repelling The Covenant's invasion, but for this first outing expect more of a gentle cruise with a few shocking waves along the way. With this being said, there are still some moments of action here and there, as well as a few truly hard-hitting plot twists, so it's not like a mundane walk in the park either.

Of course, the idea itself has already been explored before time and time again, and so it remains to be seen just how much originality the author is able to inject into his work, but so far, I must say his first step shows his willingness to dig deep in his well, still brimming with interesting ideas. The premise of the titular quantum radio alone was enough to tickle my fancy.

The War Beyond the Veil

Now, it's all well and good to treat this book like it's the beginning to a long-running series, but the reality is the sequels haven't yet been written, meaning that for the moment, Quantum Radio also ought to be examined as a standalone work, which it actually is, in a certain way. While it does provide the foundation for a massive science-fiction series in the future, it also does have a self-contained plot meant to work independently of anything else.

Essentially, the book can be split into two halves. In the first half (the one I personally enjoyed more), we get to see Tyson on his odyssey of discovery, slowly inching our way closer to the truth alongside him. This is where A.G. Riddle really lets his knowledge of science shine bright, drumming up a massive enigma using his understanding of quantum physics, which he shares quite adeptly with us.

I went into the novel blind, and can say I had a great time playing quantum detective, trying to figure out what was really happening and where it would all eventually lead. Of course, this couldn't last forever, and the second half of the book pretty much begins when Tyson uses the previously-mentioned device and transports himself into an alternate universe.

This is where, in my humble opinion, A.G. Riddle needs to tighten up a few screws here and there, because events seemed to unfold in a rather arbitrary manner at times. On numerous occasions we see our characters caught in contrived and hardly-believable scenarios, and a few problems do seem to get solved through questionable logic.

With this being said, those problems weren't nearly enough to stop me from enjoying the novel, especially since they happen during the more furious parts of the adventure, where one barely has the time to think in the first place. Ultimately, I am looking forward to seeing more of Tyson and his dimension-travelling team, especially since I suspect future entries will be a little more on the hasty side.

The Final Verdict

Quantum Radio by A.G. Riddle is an interesting first entry in what is obviously going to turn into a series in the future. Perhaps a bit slow at times and illogical on a couple of occasions, it is nevertheless a captivating science-fiction novel revolving around a multiverse-travelling team of heroes and their battle against a greater evil, all told through the author's magnificent and evocative prose.

If you enjoy sci-fi novels revolving around alternative universes, or are an A.G. Riddle fan impatiently waiting for his next work to come out, then I believe you will deeply enjoy all this novel has to offer.

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A. G. Riddle Personal site A. G. Riddle is an American author from North Carolina who spent ten years dabbling in the world of internet business before devoting himself to his true passion, fiction writing. The Atlantis Gene is his widely-acclaimed debut novel, having already been translated into over 22 languages and marking the beginning of a bestselling series.