Blaz Kruger is a man suddenly beset with horrific dreams, weird time perceptions, and unexpected emotional episodes, which are quickly affecting the regularity of his demeaning analyst job, the friendship of a work colleague, and his own crumbling sense of sanity. However, when an alien entity from these visions appears before Blaz as a reality, informing him that he has passed a series of tests confirming his ability to handle the wavering perceptions of alternate universes and strong-arming him into accepting the experimental task of experiencing a different reality, Blaz suddenly finds himself within a scientific tale of terror that tests the bounds of morality. This was a long and complex novel that I feel would be extremely challenging for many readers. With a strong scientific knowledge base and a highly poetic vocabulary to draw from, Ms. Fernandez has woven amazing stretches of descriptive sensual perceptions and mental acrobatics within deep streams of consciousness within her main character, Blaz. However, like overindulging at a large and luxurious banquet, reading through this book left me feeling bloated and tired at times, as deliberations of action or thought seemed to stretch interminably. Yet, what really threw me was the sudden shift in the theme of the book which spent the first half exploring our multiple mental perceptions of truth, reality and time, then veered into a Frankensteinian viral apocalyptic horror tale exploring the concept of morality within evolutionary absolutism. In fact, each theme seemed to undercut each other in seeking an equilibrium. If one has the time, it is a very interesting read to digest and contemplate upon. ( )

Hypnagogic Shifters: Superposition, Penelope M. Fernandez, 2014. Do not pass this one by just because it is a first novel by a self-published author. Yes, it has the usual flaws one would expect, but Fernandez will take you on a fantastic and bizarre journey past shades of Kafka and Philip K. Dick. This is no space opera. It is a twisted blend of outer space and inner space tearing the main character, Blaz, to shreds and dissecting his and our ethical foundations and perceptions of reality. The extreme vocabulary may at first seem amateurish, but it will soon blend in to the setting and the mood of this story so well that when Fernandez emerges in to what may be the real world at times, those words show you how deeply you have fallen into the spell. If you want action in your sci-fi, you will have to endure the torture of Blaz’s soul first. Well worth the effort! ( )