What would you sacrifice to bring to light the greatest discovery in human history?Quentin Darnell was only a boy when his anthropologist parents were overcome by a professional failure so crushing it led to his father’s suicide. Now a schoolteacher, Quentin is looking for answers that can only be found in the wild terrains of Indonesian Papua, where years ago his parents studied an isolated … parents studied an isolated aboriginal tribe.
Quentin leads his wife, son, and six students on a field trip to experience Papua’s pristine tropical forests. When their plane tragically crashes in the wilderness, Quentin becomes trapped in a vicious fight to protect the ones he loves.
Just as resources and hope run out, several mysterious tribesmen appear, bearing a substance with extraordinary healing properties. The material promises to benefit all of humanity. But it’s much more than medicine. It creates creatures unknown to science. And it brings to life what should remain dead—including Quentin’s own son, Addison.
Logic and sanity begin to unravel. Addison speaks a new language. He knows things he shouldn’t. And he’s a killer.
For the others to escape, Quentin must face a decision no parent should have to make.
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Such a different storyline. This is a continuing series that is morality right, maybe, maybe not. A teacher was taking students into the unknown and what they bargained for was sure not what they were expecting. One bad thing after another that puts all of them at risk. This author has a unique way of storytelling and I love reading his books. This is an exciting book to read and can’t wait for the next book.
I think the main draw for me with this book ‘Diffusion’ was its setting in Papua, New Guinea, a place I’ve always been intrigued with and wish I’d visited in all my worldly travels.
This is a unique story that’s action packed and certainly not your usual bland story-line. Mr. Smith has a way with depicting his characters that I find similar to Anne Tyler, where you leave the book feeling if you bumped into the character, you’d know them.
The book was a bit tedious at times and sometimes a bit confusing but Mr. Smith eventually smooths things out. The tedious part, for me, was the use of the tribal language that at some points seemed to be a bit too much. But, the characters were strong and well described so as to come alive in your mind as you read and there’s always the sense of wanting the book to hurry along just to see what is going to happen.
It surely was not boring and I finished it soon after starting it. My only big dissapointment was not having the funds to continue with the series to find out what happens once they return to the states, if in fact that is what they do.
Excellent book. I highly recommend you try it!
Most astonishing read
A book which in the beginning which is hard to follow and especially in the beginning which makes no sense. As you get into it, it makes more and more sense as the primary characters figure out and find out whats going on. Is very original and at times mind boggling . Something very rare nowadays. Haven’t got the next book in the series as yet but is heading into scary territory and I wonder how the author will handle it.
Talk about a twist of story and characters! Spellbinding, exhale out loud action!
So fascinating that I went in search of the next in the series immediately after completing the first. Am ashamed to admit that I almost didn’t start the first one, as it didn’t look like the sort of subject I’d enjoy…Boy, was I ever wrong ! ! !
A well written outcome. Good imagination with possible realistic outcome.
Best sci fi I’ve read in years!
Unusual story with twists. Creative!
Kept me guessing and opened my eyes to the other aspect of an “invasion” scenario. Also the damage total power can wreak on the innocent.
An unusual premise well executed. A fun action read with lots of unexpected plot twists.
Outstanding indie book. This was a happy surprise, even though I had noticed that Stan C. Smith newsletter is probably the best written and most interesting of all indie newsletters I have been subscribed to. The book also has top ratings and excellent reviews, though not very many in 3 years time (but the initial cover picture may not have appealed to some, though it did fit the book). My first remark, after 10 or 15 pages was: “This author can write.” The style is very direct, very smooth and easy to read, but not in any way simplistic. The author has the ability to depict very vivid scenes with very few words and give depth and reality to characters’ interactions. You feel that you are there and that all is real in its own way. This is also based on a significant effort to research and document the background of the story.
Is it science-fiction? For me there is not the shadow of a doubt, even though there are no star ships or the usual science fiction paraphernalia. At the beginning, it feels a bit like the classical “fountain of youth” stories, like H. Rider Haggard She/Ayesha or Pierre Benoit’s Atlantide. But it rapidly gets more complex and very different. I believe it is out of any genre I know of, but it clearly comes across as science fiction, not fantasy, if only because of the very careful construction and consistency of the story, quasi scientific under its own premises. To me it is as much SciFi as a story like Lewis Padgett’s “Mimsy were the Borogoves”.
The story is well paced, far from from slow or linear, full of twists and surprises. It also hints at many societal and moral issues in the open way that is permitted by science fiction, being thought provoking without trying to be didactic or moralistic.
It is true that the theme allows well for all that and I have yet to read other stories by the author. Unfortunately, I may have to wait some time for that since all his other books, including sequels to “Diffusion”, are unavailable in the EPUB format for ebooks, the format used by my ebook reader.
One negative point for ebook readers: the Papuan dictionary at the end of the book was not accessible while reading my ebook version of the book. But one can read without it. It may even be better that way.
I really liked this book, and plan to read the other two books that follow! Creative, interesting, a really good read!
This book was a fast read with an expected climax,
Very different and unique story.
An original approach to a story of discovery. Well crafted.
I very much enjoyed this book.
Honestly I wasn’t sure I would like this book in the beginning. It has a slow start but keep at it through the introduction and it becomes rather intriguing. Has a very unique premise. Lies somewhere on the fringes of sci-fi fantasy as it’s fairly unrealistic but the bones of a good story are there. Looking forward to the next book.
It started off a little slow for me, but then I got into it. As someone who is old enough to remember when indigenous people were portrayed as savages and idiots, I was impressed with the authors knowledge of the local people, and he creates their characters with dignity and respect, even when they are not perfect. The story is an interesting mixture of sci-fi and adventure. Some parts are very sad, but move the story along. Overall, a good book. I would recommend this book.
I have to admit it didn’t grab me right off, perhaps due to my own sad lack of knowledge, or interest, in South America. The story was a little more Twilight Zone than sci-fi but still interesting enough to keep going. That said, from about halfway on through to the end I was hooked. The sci-fi aspect kicked in wonderfully giving some fantastic answers and makes me anxious for the sequel. Also, Mr. Smith does a great job of giving the reader the unexpected in that each time I thought I knew what was about to happen, I was wrong. It was refreshing to have something so different and is a great addition to my personal library!