The co-op bookstore for avid readers
Book Cover for: Minimum Safe Distance, X. Ho Yen

Minimum Safe Distance

X. Ho Yen

First contact was nothing like we imagined.Can the aliens save Earth? Should they?

With the Earth teetering on recovery from humanity's 21st century mistakes, two highly advanced aliens observing from the Moon are suddenly on opposite sides of an ethical battle over a dire cosmic threat.

As governments seek to destroy them, the aliens wrestle and scheme, entangling all of humanity as they influence and empower specific humans to achieve their contrary objectives.

Among them are a brilliant AI expert who has channeled her autism in the service of science, and a violent, anti-secular zealot who hates everything she stands for.

Drawn into the conflict, Laurence and Matt must reach minimum safe distance from human nature itself - their own, the rest of humanity's, and of the former-human, techno-demon 'monstas'.


Chased into the ruins of the US, they struggle to distill the meaning of personhood, discover the value of their own lives, and in so doing decide the fate of the solar system.

----

"Our Verdict: GET IT" -- Kirkus Reviews

8.75/10 -- Booklife Prize

4/5 -- Foreword/Clarion

5/5 -- Readers' Favorite

5/5 -- The Wishing Shelf

"There is a lot to like here" -- blueInk Review

Book Details

  • Publisher: Grand Unification Monastery
  • Publish Date: Oct 17th, 2022
  • Pages: 398
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.50in - 5.50in - 0.82in - 1.01lb
  • EAN: 9780976615811
  • Categories: Science Fiction - Alien ContactScience Fiction - Hard Science FictionLiterary

About the Author

Ho Yen, X.: - "X.HoYen is an autistic, East Prussian-Cuban-Chinese human raised by Kwai Chang Caine on the planet Vulcan. Minimum Safe Distance is his first novel, many years in the making.Before his two+ decades in aerospace engineering, he was a sandwich maker, security guard, deliverer of flowers, preschool teacher, data processing grunt, taxi driver, and independent software author. He's been married since the Soviet Union was dissolved.He's been in the air (PPL glider rating), out to sea (science data collection), deep underground (Carlsbad Caverns, etc.), and in high mountain, winter whiteout (research station).He wants to continue the trend of humanizing, globalizing, and de-militarizing realism-based sci fi.Everything in this bio is true except the part about being raised on Vulcan - that was poetic license. But X.HoYen is a pen name.Keep in touch at XHoYenAuthor.com."

Praise for this book

"When's the sequel coming out?!"

- Derek O., rocket scientist and soccer player extraordinaire


"I really enjoyed MSD. Amazing for a first novel."

- Ruper G., technology director, international traveler


"A thought-provoking novel packed with complex, compelling characters, valuable philosophical insights, and remarkable attention to detail."

- Dan. C., attorney


"Brilliant! Intriguingly inventive and acutely astute. Well done!"

- "Fuj", international NGO assessment info sys mgr, blogger


"An engrossing read with unusual characters. If I had purchased the book, I would be happy that I did."

- Brad H., PhD, Applied Mathematics/Astrophysics, special guest reader