Interview with Albert S. Abraham Today, Tyler R. Tichelaar of Reader Views is pleased to interview Albert S. Abraham, who is here to talk about the new edition of his science fiction novel, “Jack Jacobs and the Doomsday Time Machine.” Albert Abraham was born in El Dorado, Kansas and grew up on a farm. He received an engineering Bachelor of Science degree in 1981 and went to work for an aerospace company soon after graduation. He has worked in the field of aerospace engineering ever since. “Jack Jacobs and the Doomsday Time Machine” is his first novel. Tyler: Welcome, Albert. I’m glad you could join me today. To begin, will you tell us a little bit about Jack Jacobs and why you think readers will find him an attractive main character?
Tyler: Albert, will you explain for the lay reader what Jack does to advance the law of gravity propulsion physics and what exactly gravity propulsion physics is? Albert: It was his doctoral thesis that advanced the laws and it is not explained in this story. It is revealed in the follow-up story that was written years ago. Gravity propulsion physics is a complex field of science that encompasses many different fields. One is space physics that deals with two frames of space in relation to the gravity element after it is propagated with an energy source. One of the frames would be unaltered or normal space and the other frame would be gravity altered space. Both must be taken into account during vectored directional propulsion. Gravity propulsion physics also encompasses particle physics because of the energy source that is used to propagate the gravity element. Space and space displacement and the amount of energy propagation go hand in hand. That’s all I’m going to explain. Tyler: Now will you tell us about the Doomsday Time Machine and how Jack becomes involved with it? Albert: That is for the reader to find out in the story. To answer the question would give away some of the plot. Let’s just say that what they found had Jack Jacobs totally baffled. Tyler: Why did you choose to create a story based around a time machine and also use a personality named Jennifer? Albert: I actually conceptualized and created this time travel story as a forum to reveal fringe sciences that I believe one day will become factual science in the distant future. Of course I mixed some non-sciences into the story that will be left for the reader and future generations to figure out what is true science or not. As far as Jack Jacobs’s computer, Jennifer, she was created as a balance to his personality and to show a side of humanity that is starting to diminish in our 21st century. Tyler: So is Jennifer actually more human than most people? Will you explain that further—in what ways is she human compared to people alive today? Albert: Do you know anyone in your lifetime that has never gotten mad, angry, or disgusted at one time or another? Even though Jennifer has the complete emotional base of a human being, she never gets mad or angry. She always has a positive outlook and is never negative. Jack Jacobs feeds off of this emotional trait of Jennifer’s and it helps him maintain a positive attitude himself. Tyler: What time period(s) does Jack travel to in the book? Albert: Since Jack Jacobs and Jennifer are continually traveling back in time exactly 100 years as though on a countdown timer; they initially end up in 2099, then 1999, 1899, 1799, 1699, and so on, and keep traveling farther back in time. In 2099, Jacobs reflected back to his grandpa who would have been five years old. Jennifer even verified his grandpa’s existence from the Earth’s census database. In 1999, NORAD picks him up on radar and he has to deal with them. In 1799, he reflects back to George Washington and the fact that he will pass away in six months from a throat infection. He and Jennifer even listen to a conversation George Washington had with John Adams and Thomas Jefferson at Washington’s mansion. All the while Jacobs had the urge to investigate and analyze Washington’s body to see what might have caused his death, but then he didn’t want to take the chance of changing history. In 1699 Jacobs reflected back on history to the pirate Captain Kidd when he was arrested in 1699 for piracy and then hung two years later after being convicted of piracy and murder. There are other actual events in history mentioned in the story, all through Jack Jacobs’s eyes, and followed up with some of his own thoughts and philosophies on what may have happened during those time periods. Tyler: Would you give us an example of what Jack learns and what he thinks about some of those time periods? Albert: As far as what he thinks about those time periods, that is for the reader to find out. One example of what he does learn is the conversation in 1799 when he listened to George Washington talking to John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. He didn’t recall in history the first three presidents of the United States talking together at Washington’s mansion. What he did hear left him to surmise that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were actually closer friends than what was believed to be the case in history. That’s all I’m going to explain. Tyler: In writing the novel, what made you decide to have Jack travel into the past and always 100 years back rather than say a thousand years back or forward? Albert: It was more interesting to go back a hundred years at a time and for Jack Jacobs in the story to be able to see, glimpse, or visualize how humanity has changed in the distant past. A thousand years at a time would have skipped all of the history of the United States. In the story, he is eventually over one thousand years into Earth’s past anyway, but they are also traveling toward another galaxy by this time. Tyler: I understand Jack and Jennifer ultimately must visit a far away galaxy. Will you tell us more about why they go there and what they find? Albert: Again, this is for the reader to find out by reading the book. Let’s just say that what they do find takes them where no one has ever been before—this is literally in the story and for the imagination of the reader. Tyler: Albert, I understand this is the third edition of “Jack Jacobs and the Doomsday Time Machine.” Why a third edition? Have you made changes from the earlier ones? Albert: Yes, quite of few. In all of the previous editions of the book, Jack Jacobs always had holographic imagery technology, but Jennifer was not a holographic image. Jack had to look over at one of the ship’s cameras to feel like he was talking to her. Now she is interfaced to the ship’s holographic system and can appear, at will, as a full human form and size interactive image. She is of course not solid for Jack Jacobs to touch, but the addition of her holographic image into the story made it much more personal and fun. Another revision I made was removing some of the science talk between Jack and his computer, including some of Jack’s own thoughts in trying to solve their predicament. Basically, I brought it down somewhat for the layman. I also added more daydreams and reflections from Jack Jacobs to his work in the secret government. More of his childhood memories were also added. Another major change to the third edition book itself was adding front and back colored end pages. Each end page is different. They are filled with galaxies and nebulas against a darkened outer space field that is covered with stars. Tyler: Albert, will you tell us more about your own work in the space industry and how that translates into your writing? Albert: Well, there actually isn’t much in the book that is related to my job in the engineering aerospace field. Maybe some of the basic concepts that are mentioned for radio transmission and radar technology, but for many of the radio transmission concepts mentioned in the story, I believe them to be into the distant future. For Jack Jacobs’s spaceship, it is of course, gravity propulsion driven and “time warp field propulsion” capable. Don’t look for gravity propulsion technology in our general society for at least a century and a half. Hopefully this will give you some idea of how far off what I do at work is to what is written in the book. Tyler: Your version of science fiction is very realistic in its focus on technology rather than fantasy where people just easily go to another planet and have adventures. What is it about the technological and scientific side of science fiction you find so intriguing? Albert: Faster-than-light sciences that encompass: Subspace communications and their propagations, quantum gravity propulsion (called time warp field in my book), and ultimately wormholes. Tyler: What do you find most difficult about writing science fiction, especially set in the future? Albert: I’d say adding future science concepts and ideas into a story that will also cause the characters to come alive and work within the plot. Seeing future science concepts is one thing—putting them into words within a science-fiction story with characters who co-exist with chemistry between them is another challenge. Tyler: What do you think is the most important thing for a science fiction writer to remember in creating a novel? Albert: I feel the most important aspect of writing a science-fiction novel is for the author to write for the reader and not get too entranced in the story plot as though you’re taking on the role of the main character. In other words, there has to be some emotional detachment to the main character or characters while writing the story, otherwise it will turn descriptive. Tyler: Albert, are you planning to write any other books, and if so, will you tell us about them? Albert: Yes, I’ve written quite a few stories that are in different stages. I completed a science-fiction story about a ten year old boy with the plot based in Los Alamos, New Mexico and in the year 2003. I’m currently editing it. I’ve also written two science-fiction stories about a main character named Dr. John Reed. The first story is centered on the Earth time frame of 1982. (This character Dr. John Reed was actually mentioned in the Jack Jacobs third edition book). I’ve also written a few children’s stories, but have not had a chance to go back and edit them. As far as the Jack Jacobs series, I completed the following story years ago, but since there have been so many changes to the original story, it will have to be revised immensely. I’ve contemplated a lay person version of Jack Jacobs. Tyler: Thank you, Albert, for joining me today. Before we go, will you let our readers know more about your website and what additional information they may find there? Albert: Yes, the website is www.bluecometbooks.com. There is also a first chapter PDF preview and read of the story on the website. Anyone is welcome to click on the mailbox icon and send me an e-mail. Comments about the story (3rd edition only) are always welcome and appreciated. I expect this story continually to evolve to some extent or degree. Tyler: Thank you, Albert, for the informative interview. I’ve enjoyed learning more about “Jack Jacobs and the Doomsday Time Machine” and your thoughts on writing science fiction. Best of luck with your future books. Read Review of Jack Jacobs and the Doomsday Time Machine (3rd ed)
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