cover image Beyond the Mist

Beyond the Mist

Ben Zwycky. Sci Phi Productions, , $2.99 ISBN 978-0-9945163-0-5

The setting of a colonized planet in the far future doesn’t quite fit this story centered on Christian values, free will, redemption, forgiveness, and repressive roles for women. Zephyr Walker had his memory wiped. He falls through a mist yearning to learn the truth of his past, and trusts a white-suited man covered in light to show him the way out. He is told that the choices he makes from now on are what matter. His first trial is avoiding lustful temptation in a savage tribal wilderness. He then must choose between safety in a peaceful village or following a tunnel into a city where he will be reeducated in the ways of civilized life. All the while he is puzzled by the memory wipe, asking how he can learn from his mistakes if he doesn’t remember what they are, but when someone offers him a memory refresh, he questions whether the past should remain hidden. The fascinating premise eventually lags as Zwycky (Nobility Among Us) exacerbates uneven plotting with long-winded descriptions; one-dimensional characters; women whose only goals involve cooking, marriage, and babies; and a detour into a whodunit. (BookLife)