The Evidence

by Austin Boyd

The discovery of life on Mars coincides with adesperate terrorist attack on earth. Navy Commander John Wells musttake a giant step for mankind, his family, and his God. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1576839443
• ISBN13: 9781576839447
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: NavPress Publishing Group
• Length: 439 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

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The Evidence By Austin Boyd Review by: David White Price $12.99 Christian Science Fiction has to walk a narrow path in order to be successful. It must be both entertaining and enlightening while not straying too far from a world accessible and understandable to Christian readers. The Evidence by Austin Boyd travels this path well. In the not too distant future of 2011 John Wells orbits the earth. He is a man of talent and faith whose matter-of-fact way of talking about his faith works for some and alienates others. Meal time squabbles on the International Space Station mean little, however, when terrorists strike numerous targets throughout the US. These strikes, while enflaming the American people to go to war with Iran, present a mystery for John. They seem to have succeeded at nothing of practical value except encouraging a war and temporarily blinding US space defense capabilities. John and the terrorist investigator, FBI Agent Kerry, are left pondering what end these attacks had in mind. A bigger mystery engulfs the entire world, however, when NASA starts receiving a signal, and then even a visitor from Mars. The aspects of these puzzles are interesting in their own right, but the end response is the same. There is going to be a manned mission to discover what is happening on Mars. At the same time, though, people of faith are left wondering if there is life on other worlds, what does that mean for them? One man takes charge of the uncertainty of the situation by preaching and prophesying about the coming of the aliens, and begins to gain followers, many of them, when his prophecies seem to come true. Many, including John and his wife Amy, are beyond skeptical as to the message that one priest refers to as a false gospel. In the end John Wells is a man who hears God speak and obeys His will, and he is willing to let God be the one to decide if he is to go to Mars to find out. The Evidence is one book that a sci-fi lover should read. It gives its readers an detailed look into what the actual space program is like, and reminds us that the most important part of any human endeavor is the humans themselves. If there was one problem with this book it would be the difficulty for today's readers to suspend disbelief about such a large scale terrorist attack being able to be successful. This problem does not prevent a reader from wondering at the motivation and the endgame of the terrorists, which is the real intention of the author. The story started in The Evidence is one that will continue through two more books, and I suspect that once you start this one you will be compelled to read them all. If you are a Christian who reads science fiction, or even one who is just open minded about such things, it would be worth your time to read The Evidence.

Best Christian Sci-Fi I've Ever Read

I'm not up on the latest and greatest in what I call "Christo-Sci-Fi" Literature, but I took a chance on Austin Boyd's work and was I pleasantly surpised. I grew up with a father in the Aerospace Industry and was familiar with a lot of the references made in the book, but even if I hadn't been, this was a phenomenal read! The pace, character development, and plot were exciting and I'm looking at "The Proof" sitting on my shelf begging me to start it right now! As a Christian and a Sci-Fi fan, I highly recommend this book! Mr. Boyd, if you read this review, consider me a fan!

Space thriller based on reality

Austin Boyd weaves a tale of space travel, global terrorism, and one man's battle to do what's right for his family. The fact that these events could actually happen in today's world, makes it all the more compelling. This is a book that is difficult to put down.

interesting first contact thriller

In 2011 American astronaut Commander John Wells and his crew watch from the space station the horror of the crippling terrorist attack that devastated DC and much of his nation's security with the brilliantly executed assault that has sent leadership into a tailspin on what to do. The predominant reaction around the earth is similar to the knee jerk reaction to Oklahoma City that a skillful knowledgeable group from the Middle East supported by a rogue government conducted the successful destruction. FBI agent Terrance Kerry begins to gather astounding information that seems to point otherwise than the Middle East; in fact off world. He contacts Wells to assist him in uncovering the truth as NASA has received telecommunications including pictures from Mars that seem doubtful that they could have come from an old probe. While many wonder about ET attacking the earth, influential Reverend Malcolm Raines claims it's a sign from God telling his flock to return to the fold and shepherd the aliens to the Lord. John is considered a key to the face to face contact, but he will leave behind a family who needs him. This is an interesting first contact thriller that grips the audience from start to finish on two levels. The obvious action-packed attack and its "Martian" overtones counter the personal dilemma confronting the hero who as a preteen child dreamed of soaring into space, but has earthly obligations. John is the key as he not only keeps the story line moving, he seems genuine (apparently somewhat autobiographic) wondering what to do to balance his world and country's needs vs. the pull of his family. NASA's loss is readers' gain as Austin Boyd takes his audience on a terrific science fiction tale. Harriet Klausner

For A Few Hours of Excellent Escape Reading

A pounding door awakens John Wells from a sound sleep. In a matter of minutes, John and the other 12 members of the P-3C Orion, a U.S. Navy submarine-hunter aircraft, head to the airport. They are on a classified mission to find a Russian attack submarine, and John, nicknamed Hawk, spots it. The incident near Athens, Greece marks the end of John's time on this assignment and begins the drama in THE EVIDENCE. A committed Christian, John slips away from his military crew and spends a few moments sitting on an outcropping of the Acropolis and reading his New Testament while staring at the planets, particularly Mars. In February 1999, John learns that he has gained his long-term dream of becoming an astronaut candidate. On the other side of the ocean, John's wife Amy is eager for his return from Europe and more of a normal family life. Instead, Amy is headed for a completely different set of trials in the story. The second chapter begins 13 years later, in 2011, and sets the fast-paced action for the rest of the book. Nick, a former military officer, has assembled four teams of terrorists with a mysterious wealthy benefactor. Each team has a coordinated plan and uses airplanes packed with explosives and radio-controlled to wreck simultaneous havoc on four different parts of the United States. One team attacks Colorado while another attacks key buildings and transportation arteries in Washington, D.C. The key character in THE EVIDENCE, Captain John Wells, documents the terrorists' explosions from the space station orbiting the earth. Multiple storylines and short chapters are combined with interesting characters and political intrigue. The overarching theme of the story is a classic good guy versus bad guy scenario, yet with many more complications of politics, service to country, family issues, and God. Also, this story raises the possibility of life on Mars. Malcolm Raines, a Phoenix preacher, stirs loads of publicity and controversy with his prophetic views about the future. In terms of faith issues, John faces and conquers the temptation of a beautiful female colleague on the space station with months away from his family. Afterwards, he visits his parents in West Virginia. On the family farm, John and his skeptical, unbelieving father have one of the most interesting discussions in this book about faith. His father wants to talk about aliens but John relates it to personal faith saying, "Like it or not, Dad, church is where this conversation is headed. And not just at our dinner table, but all over the world. We need to talk about this. Everyone does. Lots of people are scared, and this alien thing takes them to the raw edge of their faith. They don't know what to believe. Plastic preachers like Raines take advantage of that confusion." While a science fiction or futuristic novel would not be my first reading choice, first-time novelist Austin Boyd creates a compelling drama. The opening pages of THE EVIDENCE took hold and would not let go u