Lacy Dawn's father relives the Gulf War, her mother's teeth are rotting out, and her best friend is murdered by the meanest daddy on Earth. Life in the hollow is hard. She has one advantage -- an android was inserted into her life and is working with her to cure her parents. But, he wants something in exchange. It's up to her to save the Universe. Lacy Dawn doesn't mind saving the universe, but her family and friends come first.
Rarity from the Hollow is adult literary science fiction filled with tragedy, comedy and satire. A Children's Story. For Adults.
“The most enjoyable science fiction novel I have read in years.”
--Temple Emmet Williams, Author, former editor for Reader’s Digest
“Quirky, profane, disturbing… In the space between a few lines we go from hardscrabble realism to pure sci-fi/fantasy. It’s quite a trip.”
— Evelyn Somers, The Missouri Review
. "…a hillbilly version of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy…what I would have thought impossible; taken serious subjects like poverty, ignorance, abuse…tongue-in-cheek humor without trivializing them…profound…a funny book that most sci-fi fans will thoroughly enjoy." -- Awesome Indies (Gold Medal)
“…sneaks up you and, before you know it, you are either laughing like crazy or crying in despair, but the one thing you won’t be is unmoved…a brilliant writer.” --Readers’ Favorite (Gold Medal)
“Rarity from the Hollow is an original and interesting story of a backwoods girl who saves the Universe in her fashion. Not for the prudish.” --Piers Anthony, New York Times bestselling author
“…Good satire is hard to find and science fiction satire is even harder to find.” -- The Baryon Review
Culture: This novel was written in colloquial Appalachian voice.
Political Allegory: This novel was the first, perhaps the only, science fiction adventure to specifically predict the rise of Donald Trump to political power -- parody with no political advocacy one side or any other. Readers find out how Lacy Dawn, the protagonist, convinced Mr. Rump (Bernie Sanders) to help talk Mr. Prump (Donald Trump) into saving the universe. The allegory includes pressing issues that are being debated today, including illegal immigration and the refuge crisis, an issue that several European commentators have compared to cockroach infestation; extreme capitalism / consumerism vs. domestic spending for social supports; sexual harassment…. Mr. Prump in my story was a projection of Donald Trump based on the TV show, The Apprentice. The counterpart, Mr. Rump, was based on my understanding of positions held by Bernie Sanders as I wrote the story. Part of the negotiations in the story occur in the only high rise on planet Shptiludrp (Shop Until You Drop), a giant shopping mall and the center of economic governance, now more easily identifiable as Trump Tower. The allegory was not addressed by ARC reviewers of the novel because so few people worldwide considered Donald Trump to be a serious political contender until the primary elections in the U.S. The political allegory in the novel is obvious now that Donald Trump has become a household name.
Review:
Lacy Dawn is a pre-teen girl who lives in an Appalachian community called The Hollow. Not many people escape The Hollow, but Lacy Dawn is smart. With the help of her un-Earthly friend, DotCom, Lacy has been tutored and her parents have been changed from an alcoholic who likes to use the switch and a down on her luck housewife to loving, intelligent parents who will help her with her mission in life. DotCom is not just helping Lacy Dawn to nice; he needs Lacy Dawn to save his home planet, Shptiludrp and her world. With Lacy Dawn’s new found intelligence and her new and improved team, Lacy Dawn will be able to save Shptiludrp and Earth with the most extraordinary of means.
This book has a little bit of everything in it and I really didn’t know what I was getting into. The beginning threw me for a few loops, with child abuse, mental health issues and sexual abuse, this story that is labeled as an adult fairy tale is most definitely for adults. There is definitely a lot of strangeness in this book, but all of that led to wonderful insights and even better characters. Lacy Dawn is irresistibly intriguing, I love her acceptance, heart, willingness to take on challenges and honesty. Her growing relationship with DotCom was both fascinating and sweet. DotCom’s transformation was probably the best part of this story for me, as he changes to a ‘real boy,’ the emotions and new sensations that DotCom was feeling as a human were hilarious. The story really picked up for me when Lacy Dawn received her mission on Shptiludrp, an exciting and zany planet whose only hope is a dysfunctional family, their dog and an android who is turning into a man.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
I recently retired after 52 years of contributions into the U.S. Social Security fund so that I could write and promote my fiction. I’m a former mental health psychotherapist in West Virginia. After coming home drained from working with child abuse victims, I didn't have the energy left to begin self-promotion of this project. Most of the successes listed above have been achieved in the last fifteen months following my retirement. Author proceeds have been donated to a child abuse prevention program in my home state. http://www.childhswv.org/ A listing of services that are supported can be found here: http://mountainrhinestones.blogspot.com/2015/06/review-giveaway-rarity-from-hollow-by.html.
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