Echo of a Distant Planet

 Author's Summary

How would a distant intelligence contact earth? Shawna is an Air Force officer with unearthly remembrances of the future and the C-130 Hercules as her hero. Trapped in a structured military world, her eerie memories persist for nearly three decades, culminating in a message from the stars. Meanwhile, on a distant planet, alien life is struggling with their attempt to communicate with life on earth. Shawna is their target. The author of six books in the series "Coastal British Columbia Stories" ventures into an exciting new genre, military aviation science fiction.

MWSA Review

MWSA 2010 Honorable Mention for Fiction, Sci-Fi

How do you reconcile aliens and C-130s?  By reading Wayne Lutz' exciting new novel, Echo of a Distant Planet! As the reader considers the evocative cover art  of Wayne Lutz' "Echo of a Distant Planet," depicting both C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and a distant galaxy, he/she will wonder how these very different images will be brought together in the novel.  Trust me; the reader will not be disappointed with the answers found in this thoughtfully-crafted book.
 
USAF maintenance officer, Shawna Whitney is haunted by recurring and often frightening images.  Over a period of 33 years, her life is impacted by strange and unexplainable events and by what appear to be glimpses into the future.  Through the years, these intermittent "dreams" lead her to question her sanity and eventually to wonder if her concept of time is being challenged by forces beyond her control.  Through the help of a friend and lover, she slowly begins to accept her fate and unravel the mystery when her future becomes her present.
 
Echo of a Distant Planet succeeds in large part because Lutz' main characters come across as normal human beings, living normal lives--"normal" within the constraints of military rules, culture and customs.  The reader is slowly, but inevitably drawn into Shawna's life--and those around her--by measured narration, thorough character development, and level-headed story-telling.  

This book is recommended for both the Sci-Fi enthusiast as well as anyone wanting to know more about the USAF, its flyers and maintainers and the venerable C-130 Hercules.

Reviewed by: John Cathcart (2010)