First Born

First Born was a really great book.. up until the end. There was just something missing that kept me from feeling like the story was wrapped up. Maybe it was because Sears never *really* tells you the whole story, and you'll come away with two entirely different impressions of the book, dependent on whether or not you read the epilogue.And although this is booked as a kind of supernatural thriller, I didn't find it to be unbelievably so. Some authors tend to go overboard with abduction and conspiracy theories, but I think Sears did a great job with it.

The last time a birth such as Richard Sears presents in FIRST BORN occured a nova exploded in the eastern sky, herald angels announced Good News to shepherds guarding flocks by night, three Magi rode into Bethlehem bearing gifts, and dark forces were released to destroy the infant Jesus. In Richard Sears' apocalyptic thriller, no astrological sign appears in the heavens, and the infant John Reed is not of virgin born. Instead his mother is an unhappily married menopausal lady and he a changeling who may or may not be the future Buddha or a devil in disguise. For that matter, he may be the key to mankinds' salvation. As for the Magi, there is a modern equivalent in a lady named Casey Lee Armstrong, by vocation a "remote viewer" psychic in the employ of Neo Tech, part of a world wide clandestine organization. Although a local priest, impressed by baby John Reed's awesome powers, proclaims him a new messiah, Neo Tech is not convinced he is even human, let alone holy. They assign beautiful Casey Lee to solve the mystery of this seemingly miraculous child. Not unlike Saint Paul, Miss Armystrong through her superior psychic perception recognizes goodness when she sees it and is converted to John's cause. Now she and everyone connected with the child is marked for destruction by the dark forces of Neo Tech. Keeping within the hero cycle of the Wonder Child theme, there is, of course, a guardian angel to guide the "Holy Family" through its ordeal in the guise of a police detective appropriately named Michael Caruso. Although confined to action thriller formula, Mr. Sears surmounts that limitation and creates a riveting tale of anxiety, mayhem, and hope for mankind's future. Once started the Reader will not put this book down until finished. This is the kind of story that begs for a trilogy. I only hope it is made into a movie. It is a natural for the "silver screen."

"In this robust fictitious account we find one of the government's Remote Viewing experts caught in a dangerous web involving a very interesting baby. Your fingers will be busy turning these pages rapidly as the author brings together concepts of science, religion and mysticism in a very compelling fashion. It reads like an edge-of-your-seat-thriller." -Pendulum Newsletter, 12/99

As someone who has lived in Montauk, NY, for many years, I was very interested in Mr Sears' use of the naval base here as a back-drop for the early part of the novel. There has been so much legend and speculation regarding top secret experiments conducted at Camp Hero that the idea of it being used as a remote veiwing headquarters adds even more to the mystique of the place. As far as the novel is concerned, I found it thought-provoking and imaginative, including the inter-dimensional hypothesis used to explain the alien abduction phenomenon and the birth of psychic - Indigo - babies. Fast-paced and well-plotted, it kept me turning the pages to the end. I look forward to more from Mr Sears... How about a sequel?

In 1991 Mexico City, a woman encounters a UFO. Just after midnight on January 1, 2000 in Colorado Springs, that same woman gives birth to a boy. The infant John Reed is a new breed of humanity. He possesses an adult-like ability to communicate. He has the talent to heal life-threatening diseases. Finally, the baby contains the skill to see deep into the soul of people.The clandestine but powerful espionage organization Neo Tech wants John because they internationally control anyone with ESP abilities. They send their best operative Casey Armstrong to capture the child and learn more about his alien origin. However, Casey's psychic link to John opens up her mind to his goodness of purpose. Casey's employers realize they have lost her to John and thus set her up to take the fall in the murder of a priest. Casey turns to police officer Mike Caruso for help, but he needs John to save his life from a fatal disease. However, what is John? Is he humanity's savior or is he the beginning of the end as the first Homo superior-alien infant?FIRST BORN is an exciting, fast-paced tale that centers on a half human infant battling with a CIA-like group. The concept of John being a superior being due to the alien abduction of his mother falls short because the tale centers on the attempts on his life rather than on him. Still, those who relish action, action, and more action will enjoy this novel. The rest of us will philosophically ponder what all these aliens see in us and wonder why ET cannot visit a blood bank and clone the next generation?Harriet Klausner