Unlight

by

Chandra Shekhar

“A dead planet outside and a gourmet feast here?”

Chandra Shekhar, the author of Mock My Words takes a new turn in his second novel Unlight which is a science fiction based on the theme of apocalypse.

A family of five including Larry, his fiancée Nicole, her mother Elizabeth, older daughter Anna and younger daughter Jessica, survived a cataclysm when Larry invented a secret safe place, 80 kilometres west of Simpsonville in the Strzelecki desert to live as the human existence on Earth was in danger.

Larry Brandon, a great scientist was warned by his friend Fred Walcott, an astrologer about the upcoming fatality that was going to destroy human civilization on Earth. An opaque cosmic cloud 400000 kilometres in diameter outside Pluto’s orbit composed of fine carbon particles was going to hit Earth’s surface clocking the planet like a blanket blocking the sun-rays. And with no Sun the Earth’s temperature was going to plummet far below zero leading to destruction. To keep his family safe, Larry planned a second home in the Australian desert to escape the great catastrophe.

But will it be possible for Larry to keep his family safe inside the ‘Shell’ when the death knell ‘tightens its implacable grip’? Will they escape the tragedy when the planet is going to be destroyed with billions of lives in devastation? Can they survive when the fuel will run out to keep them warm in their new abode?

Unlight by Chandra Shekhar is an engaging read as the story seamlessly traverses through the plot as well as character development. The detailed description points at every particular aspect of the ‘Shell’, a secondary home where human beings can take shelter if the power source of Earth stops suddenly due to some cosmic disaster. A hexagonal dome with the power and heat supplies from a power plant on the top of a geothermal well, generating 2.5 kilowatts whets my imagination to its peak.

Alvina’s Verdict:

With diagrams and details, the author makes everything clear to readers like me who have little knowledge about this type of research and invention. Though this type of genre does not suit my reading passion I enjoyed the novel thoroughly. I recommend this novel to everyone because the science explained behind this fiction is so graphic and brilliant that anyone can understand it.

Leaving behind all the aspects of science fiction this novel touches readers’ hearts with its warm brushing of character portrayal. Though the book is plot-oriented, the characters get enough scope to develop. The author vividly portrays every character with their distinct individuality. Larry demonstrates maturity in tackling his new family with the grown-up daughters of his love. His patience, resilience and tremendous sense of responsibility make him an ideal human being. Amidst that crisis, their relationships take a new definition.

“From being loving but disparate individuals with divergent interests, we’ve grown closer and closer over these years in the Shell…”

Again, the threat of impending death raises the characters to a philosophical level as Nicole realizes: “I never understood until I came to the Shell why some people spend all their lives searching for meaning—giving up their jobs, abandoning their families, tormenting themselves. Now I realize it’s the only goal that matters, work and family being nothing but pleasant distractions on this journey.”

There is no profanity or violence in this book. Some minor editing errors in the last part of the book prove the editor’s lack of patience. I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars since the plot is exceptionally animated and the characters are loving and well-crafted. The storyline progresses like a motion picture. Can you imagine such visual effects on some written pages?