Alien Wind from the Stars
The existence of alien beings with intelligence is no longer a hypothesis, an unproven conclusion…It is reality!
The realization that aliens are real and have landed on earth is the focus of Dimitrios Molfetas’ debut novel, Alien Wind from the Stars. The story follows several characters as they process and react to the new reality, which happens to occur in the midst of a war zone.
Molfetas is a retired aviation ground engineer and building construction entrepreneur. This is his first published novel. He resides in Australia with his wife and son.
Alien Wind from the Stars utilizes the vantage point of several narrators, as they deal with war and then the arrival of a massive spaceship. The spaceship seems to have an odd effect on everyone in its vicinity, which creates an atmosphere of great confusion and despair.
The majority of the 376 page book covers what happens in the hours after the spaceship’s arrival. The plot is interesting, but at times it gets bogged down in flashbacks and backstory exposition. While the backstories are usually quite interesting, on occasion they leave the impression that the plot isn’t moving forward quickly enough. Even so, Molfetas intersperses a good deal of action. There is a tense standoff between the two sides fighting the war. The arrival of the spaceship brings the war to an uncertain standstill, which adds even more tension to the war zone.
Here’s how Molfetas describes how the spaceship’s arrival affects the two armies: “The two adversary armies, sheltered in the safety of the night … don’t notice anything unusual until it is almost over … Most soldiers feel suddenly a legion of ants descending their spine and a substantial numbness in the legs.”
The troops awake to find even more horrifying effects: their arms no longer work, their radio signals are blocked, and even their matches and flares won’t light. These signs almost certainly point to a malevolent alien presence.
After some time for contemplation, the two sides come up with alternate theories. Perhaps the aliens aren’t here to conquer and populate the earth. Perhaps they have landed for repairs to their ship. Or, perhaps, they are here to help humans overcome their stunted moral and ethical beliefs. One character hits upon this thought: “That’s it!…As if the aliens have covered our war gear with an invisible blanket. By God, the war. They are trying to stop the war!”
With the realization that aliens are real and present, the humans in Molfetas’ novel are faced with a new perspective on intelligence and ethics. As one character posits, “…it is high time for our race to leave behind the irresponsibility and narcissism of prepuberty and enter the maturity and responsibility of adolescence.”
This book is well written. Readers of science fiction, as well as readers who enjoy war stories and engaging fiction, will enjoy this book.
Reviewed by
Laura Munion
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
