Dustin Kuhlman becomes a soothsayer
of doom in his creatively diverse sci-fi novel titled Warned. With
a cornucopia of sub-plots and scientifically proven and projected details, his
story is told through his character Dr. Jon Castel, a scientist that has run a
computer model predicting the future of the earth’s biosphere. In
alternating chapters, Kuhlman has Jon Castel on earth, and then on a mission on
Mars. This clever technique creates two storylines simultaneously
being told, as Kuhlman brings them together for the climax of his novel with
precision.
Dr. Castel’s research predicted with
certainty the enviable future of earth’s global warming will lead to extinction
of human life. Set in the future some 35 years from now, his
information is told to the President of the United States and the decisions taken
are astonishing. It seems as if earth has crossed the
point-of-no-return for global warming; as nothing can be done to prevent the
onslaught of ocean levels destroying coastal regions, drought and disease
infestation bringing disaster to much of the higher areas, and death to the
nearly 9 billion inhabitants – regardless of any survivalist actions of
mankind.
Man’s only hope as a species for
continuing its existence is for the colonization of space. Mars and
the moon are the best options. Dustin Kuhlman cleverly interleaves a
parallel sequence of events dichotomizing the
novel with the same character of Jon Castel. At one storyline
sequence, Jon Castel is on Mars with a small crew when his mission is jeopardized
by an error in the calculated trajectory of his craft, landing him 500 miles
away from his proper destination and without sufficient oxygen for reaching his
mother ship alive. In an attempt to survive, he realizes a cargo
ship is close enough to get to in time to possibly find oxygen, and heads
through the Martian dust storms in the direction of the craft. What
he discovers is far more surprising – an intelligent alien life form. The
creature, an “E.T. type” only taller, is not from Mars, but from a distant planet thousands of light years away. This seven foot tall alien is
introduced as a non-threatening omnipotent being, and once communication is
established, is named Buddy by Jon. The dialogue between Buddy and
Jon encompass much of the philosophical aspects brought forth by Dustin Kuhlman,
as he uses this creative platform to voice many personal and provocative facts,
ideologies, and introspection. The message is clear as the warning
is told to mankind of our inevitable doom.
There is so much to Dustin Kuhlman’s
writing on so many topics which totally fascinated me with regard to his
originality and credibility of detail. Being a fan of Gene
Roddenberry, Steven Spielberg, Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking, Isaac Asimov and
many other epic minds of science fiction, I found Dustin Kuhlman fitting right
in with the group. He tells a story to showcase his philosophy, and
symbiotically in return his message deepens the story. I certainly
hope to read more of his work in the future – that is, if we survive long
enough to have a future! We’ve all been Warned!
