News & Events 1 ­ Penscript Publishing House

'An Alien’s Quest' crosses an alternate 21st-century Sol system in search of answers

November 21, 2016

In the face of humanity's tribalism and destructiveness, it can be difficult to keep faith in the meaningful, the important, and the good. Cary Neeper's new novel An Alien's Quest chronicles the journey of a young human women and her mixed alien family to the dark planet Ellason, seeking answers or comfort from famed spiritual leaders there.

Released on Monday, November 21, 2016, this fourth book in Neeper's series The Archives of Varok follows the cast from Nautilus silver medalist The Webs of Varok to Sol’s distant watery stepchild, where they risk and reaffirm both lives and family ties among Ellason’s ecological wonders and genetic mysteries. Continuing the series' exploration of tough issues through storytelling and world building, Neeper uses her alternate 21st century solar system to explore just what makes life meaningful for sentient creatures not so different from us here on Earth

"Within the context of an action-packed, adventure, Neeper invites the reader to join an exploration of philosophy, science, faith and social organization. Funny, exciting, imaginative and contemplative, An Alien’s Quest illuminates many of the challenges that plague contemporary Earthlings while remaining optimistic that not all is lost. An enjoyable and important read.”

—Michael D. Fels, Ph.D. Odysseus Consulting Services, Inc., author, Gone To Ground

An Alien's Quest An Alien’s Quest becomes available from major online book retailers November 21 in hardcover and paperback. E¬book editions for Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook will be released in time for the holidays.

Author Cary Neeper, Ph.D., is an avid student of sustainability, steady-state economics and the impact of cosmology on issues of science and religion. Her writing includes the Archives of Varok novels, two musical science fiction comedies, and articles on exobiology for Astronaut.com. She studied zoology/chemistry and religion at Pomona College and earned her doctorate in medical microbiology at U. Wisconsin–Madison. The Neepers raised their family in northern New Mexico with a friendly menagerie of dogs, fish and fowl. Dr. Neeper also paints landscapes in acrylics, including the cover art for the most recent Archives of Varok editions.

Online Press Kit

Find press-ready photos, cover images and more in the online press kit for An Alien's Quest.

Update to 1975 science fiction novel even more relevant today

November 6, 2014

First contact with aliens. A love triangle. The search to understand ourselves and our differences. Playing out against a backdrop of core questions about mankind's caretaking role on Earth, these themes from Cary Neeper's 1975 novel A Place Beyond Man remain equally relevant—and even more urgent—today. The story is available again, newly revised and updated as The View Beyond Earth.

"Rewriting A Place Beyond Man was great fun," Neeper said, "a challenge in preserving the expression of passions that drove the environmental movement of the '70s."

The first in The Archives of Varok series, this young-adult/crossover science fiction title introduces microbiologist Tandra Grey, who is among the first to learn that humankind is not alone in the Solar System. She must choose whether to trust or fear her new allies—two off world species, disturbingly human but altogether alien.

"Tandra's personal growth remains the focus of the story," Neeper said, "as a metaphor for our maturing human identity."

A fine multi-cultural, multi-species First Contact along with a siren call to stop 'trashing our planet' in pursuit of profit and status. Bravo!

—Science fiction author T. Jackson King, on Goodreads.com

Cary Neeper has created not one but two credible non-human species.... It's an engrossing first novel.

—Psychology Today, New York, on the original 1975 release

Readers can begin the books today; free preview chapters are available online at ArchivesofVarok.com.

Dr. Cary Neeper is an avid student of sustainability, steady-state economics and the impact of cosmology and complexity on issues of science and religion. Her writing includes the Archives of Varok novels, two musical science fiction comedies, and articles on exobiology for Astronaut.com. She studied zoology/chemistry and religion at Pomona College and earned her doctorate in medical microbiology at U. Wisconsin–Madison. The Neepers raised their family in northern New Mexico with a friendly menagerie of dogs, fish and fowl. Dr. Neeper also paints landscapes in acrylics, including the cover art for the most recent Archives of Varok editions.

Online Press Kit

Find press-ready photos, cover images and more in the online press kit for The View Beyond Earth.

'The Alien Effect' paints a vision of the future—near and far—for life on Earth

November 6, 2014

Life in some form seems likely to go on—regardless of 21st Century humanity's outlook on ecological questions. How might things evolve on Earth? A mixed family of humans and aliens play an unwitting role in Cary Neeper's newly released science fiction novel The Alien Effect.

"This story evolved over several decades," Neeper said, "reflecting our changing world, its unresolved conflicts, and its increasing environmental dilemmas. It moves far into a future made ever more plausible as we learn more about genetics and complex systems."

The third book in Neeper's series The Archives of Varok, this young-adult/crossover title follows the multispecies cast from Nautilus silver medalist The Webs of Varok as they explore a troubled 21st Century Earth. Continuing the series' exploration of tough issues through storytelling and world building, Neeper delves deeper into her vision of an alternate 21st Century Solar System.

. . . by turns wondrous, wise, witty, tense and gripping—all in service of a heartfelt environmental polemic. The Alien Effect is an auspicious new entry in this daring series that refuses to stick with easy answers or safe issues related to humankind's ecological crisis. . . . a tale appropriate for both adult and young-adult readers.

—Frank Kaminski, book reviewer for resilience.org

The Alien Effect is now available for sale from major book retailers, together with an updated edition of the first title in the series, re-released as The View Beyond Earth. Readers can begin the books today; free preview chapters are available online at ArchivesofVarok.com.

Dr. Cary Neeper is an avid student of sustainability, steady-state economics and the impact of cosmology and complexity on issues of science and religion. Her writing includes the Archives of Varok novels, two musical science fiction comedies, and articles on exobiology for Astronaut.com. She studied zoology/chemistry and religion at Pomona College and earned her doctorate in medical microbiology at U. Wisconsin–Madison. The Neepers raised their family in northern New Mexico with a friendly menagerie of dogs, fish and fowl. Dr. Neeper also paints landscapes in acrylics, including the cover art for the most recent Archives of Varok editions.

Online Press Kit

Find press-ready photos, cover images and more in the online press kit for The Alien Effect.

August 11, 2014

We're gearing up, double time!

In November, 2014, Penscript Publishing House will launch The Alien Effect – the third novel in Cary Neeper's series The Archives of Varok – together with a newly revised edition of Neeper's 1975 debut novel and book I in the Archives, The View Beyond Earth. The two new titles will join the second in the series, Nautilus silver medalist The Webs of Varok, with matched hardcover, paperback and ebook editions.

Synopses

The Alien Effect – Raised on the Jovian moon Varok, the young woman Shawne longs to return to Earth and help her devastated home planet build a new civilization—one that can thrive for millennia. But when she and her “mini alien invasion” set up a school in California, they face unexpected lessons in love and humanity, unaware of the long-term consequences of their collision with life on Earth.

The View Beyond Earth – How do twenty-first century humans react, confronted with comparable intelligence residing in "their own" solar system? Microbiologist Tandra Grey finds new hope for an ailing Earth and her own future when she makes first contact with alien neighbors too intelligent, too nosy, and too near to ignore. Book I in The Archives of Varok, originally released as A Place Beyond Man (Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1975).

Review Copies

Both novels are available now to news outlets and book bloggers for advance review. Contact us for a copy.

Giveaways This Fall

Keep an eye on ArchivesofVarok.com and this website for announcements of Goodreads and LibraryThing advance copy giveaways later this fall!

May 25, 2013

Come meet author Cary Neeper in Chicago and pick up a signed copy of her Nautilus silver medalist The Webs of Varok on us!

Cary will be signing and giving away copies of the latest in the Archives of Varok series at the American Library Association annual conference on Sunday, June 29. She'll be set up in the Independent Publisher's Association (IBPA) booth, #2435, from 1 to 2 p.m.

Come chat with Cary about writing, sustainable science fiction, and the next book in the series—Conn: The Alien Effect, slated for release later this year.

Book giveaway and signing at-a-glance

• The Webs of Varok by Cary Neeper
• ALA 2013
• McCormick Place, Chicago
• Exhibit Hall, Booth #2435 (the IBPA booth)
• Sunday, June 29, 1–2 p.m.

See you in Chicago!

May 8, 2013

We are honored to announce that Cary Neeper's novel The Webs of Varok has been named a silver medalist in the 2013 Nautilus Book Awards. In keeping with the motto “Better Books for a Better World,” the Nautilus awards recognize print books that inspire readers to explore new possibilities for positive change, whether personal, social or global.

Released in December 2012, The Webs of Varok follows the human and alien cast from Neeper's 1975 firstcontact novel A Place Beyond Man as they leave a troubled 21st Century Earth for the promise of stability on a veiled moon of Jupiter. This young‐adult/crossover science fiction novel explores solutions for a sustainable and equitable economy through the adventures of its multi‐world family, as they untangle a web of deceit to protect their new home and their family bonds.

"The Webs of Varok is the story of a mixed family gambling their trust in each other against the power of greed," Neeper said. "Their challenges and progress on an alien world threatened by overgrowth portray in fiction some positive solutions to our current dilemmas here on Earth." Free preview chapters and additional material from the book are available on the Archives of Varok series website at ArchivesofVarok.com.

The Nautilus Book Awards marked their 13th year with the 2013 awards announcement. Nautilus Book Awards Silver and Gold Winners are selected in a three-tier judging process by experienced teams of book reviewers, librarians, authors, editors, book store owners, and leaders in the publishing industry. The award website notes: “Gold and Silver awards are given to print books of exceptional merit that make a literary and heartfelt contribution to spiritual growth, conscious living, high‐level wellness, green values, responsible leadership and positive social change, as well as to the worlds of art, creativity and inspiration.” More information about the awards and their library of winning titles is available at www.nautilusbookawards.com/.

"Winning the Nautilus award feels wonderful," Neeper said, "like passing a final exam after a 40-year class in writing, illustrating steady state economics, and fleshing out likeable aliens. I also feel deep gratitude, for credit belongs equally to my publisher, whose rigorous editing, deep love for the stories, and care for their message gave them their award-winning literary quality."

Learn more. . .

Find the full press release, book details, author photos and cover images in the Webs of Varok press kit.

March 11, 2013

We are pleased to announce that Cary Neeper's novel The Webs of Varok has been selected as a science fiction finalist in the ForeWord Reviews 2012 Book of the Year Awards. The awards recognize outstanding books from independent and academic presses.

ForeWord's judges chose the finalists from among 1300 entries divided across 62 categories. The Webs of Varok was selected as a finalist in the Science Fiction category. Over the next two months, ForeWord's panel of sixty judges, librarians and booksellers will determine the winners of Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards in each category, as well as Editor’s Choice Prizes for Fiction and Nonfiction. Winners and ForeWord’s Independent Publisher of the Year will be announced at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago, June 28.

Since 1998, the quarterly print journal ForeWord Reviews has provided reviews of books from small, alternative, and academic presses. See the ForeWord Reviews website for book reviews and more.

Read more about the awards in the ForeWord Reviews news release:
2012 Book of the Year Award Finalists Announced.

February 15, 2013

Penscript author Cary Neeper writes about the power of fiction to illustrate options for real life, and her experiences writing The Webs of Varok, in this article for the The Daly News, published by the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State.

A good story can attract new audiences, widening exposure to sustainable economic and ecological policies and providing a vision for a stable future. . . .

Read more in The Power of Story for Changing the Economy. . .