What do you think?
Rate this book
Countdown to Omega: The Strangers came...
Ancient Aliens meet Greek gods in an epic confrontation that spells the end of the world.
“The strangers came, and they were not like us. Something else, but wearing the skins of men, the eyes of men, their hands...”
Ishur Ninku, Sumer, 4000 BCE
On the far side of the sun, Anthea, cast out of an isolated colony of refugees, shelters from a firestorm of meteorites. The Gods are returning, the vanguard of a race who were abandoned by her own elders millennia ago.
Their arrival triggers a countdown on an alien artefact, given to her as a child, and a chain of events that can only lead to deadly conflict.
Anthea’s amulet holds the key to salvation, or her own death, but will the elders and the Gods listen to reason before the planet is devastated?
“The strangers came, and they were not like us. Something else, but wearing the skins of men, the eyes of men, their hands...”
Ishur Ninku, Sumer, 4000 BCE
On the far side of the sun, Anthea, cast out of an isolated colony of refugees, shelters from a firestorm of meteorites. The Gods are returning, the vanguard of a race who were abandoned by her own elders millennia ago.
Their arrival triggers a countdown on an alien artefact, given to her as a child, and a chain of events that can only lead to deadly conflict.
Anthea’s amulet holds the key to salvation, or her own death, but will the elders and the Gods listen to reason before the planet is devastated?
- GenresScience Fiction
227 pages, Paperback
Published October 29, 2024
About the author
Robert Wingfield
60 books6 followersAuthor of a score of published books in genres from Satire, sci-fi, Gothic, Travel, YA adventures, children's stories and factual.
Editor, proof reader, reviewer and leader of the Inca Project, free resources and assistance for authors.
Editor, proof reader, reviewer and leader of the Inca Project, free resources and assistance for authors.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 5, 2020
Countdown to Omega was, in many ways, what I hoped it would be, though the story went a little differently than what I expected from the synopsis. This is not a criticism, rather an observation.
“Ancient Aliens meet Greek gods in an epic confrontation that spells the end of the world.” –
I feel this tagline could be a little misleading for potential readers as it perhaps gives the impression of an ‘Immortals’ or similar story of Gods waging war, of Zeus throwing lightning bolts etc. While the line is not technically incorrect, it is more a question of interpretation in the story; there is no epic war between Aliens and Gods. The reality doesn’t make the story any less intriguing – it just may appeal to a different reader than one looking for the Hollywood type battle this suggests. In fact to many readers the reality will make for a more appealing and nuanced story.
It’s something I certainly feel. From the outset, you sense that Mr. Wingfield is a well-read, well-researched author with intelligence and a passion for the mystery of the origins of our planet and its people. It’s enjoyable to let this passion and intellect guide you through the narrative.
This shines through in the descriptions and scene-setting, Wingfield being able to create vivid scenes in the reader’s mind through his use of language, which feels effortless. This gives the reader that unconscious quality when reading a book of forgetting that they are reading and simply imagining the story.
Despite this, I do feel that the book is quite dialogue heavy. For readers who prefer a lot of action, it may not be for you. That’s not to say the story is uneventful; it requires the dialogue as a vehicle to explain the past events, the worlds in which the hominids of the universe live(d) and the underlying themes. The narration is limited with the bulk of the story told through these dialogues.
We are introduced to Phoebus and Diana, male and female ‘Watchers’ respectively, sent to observe the planet of Cybele and report their findings for the colonization of their race, the Gaians. In a possible allegory for the destructive nature of the human race, the people of Cybele react with hostility, sending a missile towards the Watcher’s ship, setting off a reactionary firing of weapons of mass destruction from the trigger happy nations on the planet, destroying themselves in the process. The Watchers are forced to divert course and effectively crash land on ‘An-Ki’ a planet and its people having been managed remotely by the high priests living on Cybele. It is the Gaians that are often seen as Gods by the people of Cybele and An-Ki (people who are actually descended from the Gaians, diverging at the mass exodus of Gaia). These ‘Gaians’ stayed behind on the dying planet, the eventual Cybele people choosing to take the World Ship and colonize a new planet. During this time, the people that stayed behind evolved, intentionally using genetic engineering to become near immortal, pale skinned and tall, hardier than their relatives, now appearing as Gods.
It is on An-Ki that we meet our main character, Anthea. The symbiotic amulet she possesses is perhaps the main driver of the story; figuring out what the symbols on it mean and the overriding dread that when the symbols all become lit up over time, something dreadful will happen. Through the story, there is always a feeling of urgency and a clock ticking as the symbols gradually light up. There is a welcome addition of humour in parts of the story, with Anthea having a particularly dry, sarcastic tone. The little revenge she is able to get on one of the minor antagonists, Antaeus is particularly satisfying for this reason. On the subject of antagonists, Wingfield is able to successfully create a dislike for the character of Tiresias, a prominent antagonist in the story who is more of a stereotypical power-hungry villain.
What I enjoyed most was the exploration of the origin of man. Without spoiling the story too much, the author should be commended for telling an interesting story of his own creation whilst still staying within the constraints of an existing origin myth. Although the story is dissimilar in a majority of ways, I got a Prometheus vibe from the book (in a good way) – evolution, the origin of man, creation, a superior space race of hominids and where our potential could go particularly interests me and some of these questions are considered here.
There are actually a number of philosophical questions considered and I felt human nature was one of them. No matter how civilised we feel we become, can the dark side of human nature ever really be eradicated? Is our mortality actually in fact beneficial to our progress as a species? Where did we come from? Where could our future lie?
This book won’t be for everyone, but for me that tends to mean the people who will enjoy this type of book, will enjoy it all the more. It can require a bit of thinking and asking questions yourself and it’s really beneficial to have a little bit of knowledge of stories and myths regarding Greek Gods for example. It’s certainly interesting having finished the book, going and looking up some of the characters from the book and unravelling where some of the author’s ideas have come from. This will make you appreciate it more, and possibly having a 2nd read through after doing so would give you a few “ahhh clever” moments.
Depending on the reader, then, the book could be a different experience. For those particularly interested or knowledgeable on the above, it could be a 5 star. Perhaps a confusing 2 star for someone just wanting to have a casual read without thinking too deeply and not interested in the backstory and extra details of where Mr. Wingfield has been inspired. As I mention above, reading up on some of these inspirations after reading will certainly enhance your enjoyment of the story. For these reasons I give this intriguing, enlightening and thought provoking book a 3.5 star rating!
“Ancient Aliens meet Greek gods in an epic confrontation that spells the end of the world.” –
I feel this tagline could be a little misleading for potential readers as it perhaps gives the impression of an ‘Immortals’ or similar story of Gods waging war, of Zeus throwing lightning bolts etc. While the line is not technically incorrect, it is more a question of interpretation in the story; there is no epic war between Aliens and Gods. The reality doesn’t make the story any less intriguing – it just may appeal to a different reader than one looking for the Hollywood type battle this suggests. In fact to many readers the reality will make for a more appealing and nuanced story.
It’s something I certainly feel. From the outset, you sense that Mr. Wingfield is a well-read, well-researched author with intelligence and a passion for the mystery of the origins of our planet and its people. It’s enjoyable to let this passion and intellect guide you through the narrative.
This shines through in the descriptions and scene-setting, Wingfield being able to create vivid scenes in the reader’s mind through his use of language, which feels effortless. This gives the reader that unconscious quality when reading a book of forgetting that they are reading and simply imagining the story.
Despite this, I do feel that the book is quite dialogue heavy. For readers who prefer a lot of action, it may not be for you. That’s not to say the story is uneventful; it requires the dialogue as a vehicle to explain the past events, the worlds in which the hominids of the universe live(d) and the underlying themes. The narration is limited with the bulk of the story told through these dialogues.
We are introduced to Phoebus and Diana, male and female ‘Watchers’ respectively, sent to observe the planet of Cybele and report their findings for the colonization of their race, the Gaians. In a possible allegory for the destructive nature of the human race, the people of Cybele react with hostility, sending a missile towards the Watcher’s ship, setting off a reactionary firing of weapons of mass destruction from the trigger happy nations on the planet, destroying themselves in the process. The Watchers are forced to divert course and effectively crash land on ‘An-Ki’ a planet and its people having been managed remotely by the high priests living on Cybele. It is the Gaians that are often seen as Gods by the people of Cybele and An-Ki (people who are actually descended from the Gaians, diverging at the mass exodus of Gaia). These ‘Gaians’ stayed behind on the dying planet, the eventual Cybele people choosing to take the World Ship and colonize a new planet. During this time, the people that stayed behind evolved, intentionally using genetic engineering to become near immortal, pale skinned and tall, hardier than their relatives, now appearing as Gods.
It is on An-Ki that we meet our main character, Anthea. The symbiotic amulet she possesses is perhaps the main driver of the story; figuring out what the symbols on it mean and the overriding dread that when the symbols all become lit up over time, something dreadful will happen. Through the story, there is always a feeling of urgency and a clock ticking as the symbols gradually light up. There is a welcome addition of humour in parts of the story, with Anthea having a particularly dry, sarcastic tone. The little revenge she is able to get on one of the minor antagonists, Antaeus is particularly satisfying for this reason. On the subject of antagonists, Wingfield is able to successfully create a dislike for the character of Tiresias, a prominent antagonist in the story who is more of a stereotypical power-hungry villain.
What I enjoyed most was the exploration of the origin of man. Without spoiling the story too much, the author should be commended for telling an interesting story of his own creation whilst still staying within the constraints of an existing origin myth. Although the story is dissimilar in a majority of ways, I got a Prometheus vibe from the book (in a good way) – evolution, the origin of man, creation, a superior space race of hominids and where our potential could go particularly interests me and some of these questions are considered here.
There are actually a number of philosophical questions considered and I felt human nature was one of them. No matter how civilised we feel we become, can the dark side of human nature ever really be eradicated? Is our mortality actually in fact beneficial to our progress as a species? Where did we come from? Where could our future lie?
This book won’t be for everyone, but for me that tends to mean the people who will enjoy this type of book, will enjoy it all the more. It can require a bit of thinking and asking questions yourself and it’s really beneficial to have a little bit of knowledge of stories and myths regarding Greek Gods for example. It’s certainly interesting having finished the book, going and looking up some of the characters from the book and unravelling where some of the author’s ideas have come from. This will make you appreciate it more, and possibly having a 2nd read through after doing so would give you a few “ahhh clever” moments.
Depending on the reader, then, the book could be a different experience. For those particularly interested or knowledgeable on the above, it could be a 5 star. Perhaps a confusing 2 star for someone just wanting to have a casual read without thinking too deeply and not interested in the backstory and extra details of where Mr. Wingfield has been inspired. As I mention above, reading up on some of these inspirations after reading will certainly enhance your enjoyment of the story. For these reasons I give this intriguing, enlightening and thought provoking book a 3.5 star rating!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this book very much. As with any Fantasy series, once you get to grips with the world that is being portrayed and settle yourself in for the ride, I found myself being immersed as if I was actually alongside the characters. I genuinely began to care about all of their plights and power struggles. The banter between the characters was enormous fun at many points in the book, I really felt like there was natural chemistry and sparks between them.
The Greek mythology that was used in this book gave the settings both an ancient familiarity, while painting a picture of far off worlds too. I didn't find the concepts within heavy lifting at all, particularly since Robert takes the time to provide a glossary after the tale has finished, which you can refer to if necessary. He even has a section in the book which highlights real world parallels to his storylines and the ancient Greeks themselves, which only adds even more charm to the book, after you have experienced everything it has to offer in the main storyline.
This book is very well written, I enjoyed the pace and it became relentlessly thrilling towards the end. I can see a lot of future sequel potential within it (but it could easily stay as an excellent stand-alone read too, in its own right). I can't wait to read other books the author has published!
The Greek mythology that was used in this book gave the settings both an ancient familiarity, while painting a picture of far off worlds too. I didn't find the concepts within heavy lifting at all, particularly since Robert takes the time to provide a glossary after the tale has finished, which you can refer to if necessary. He even has a section in the book which highlights real world parallels to his storylines and the ancient Greeks themselves, which only adds even more charm to the book, after you have experienced everything it has to offer in the main storyline.
This book is very well written, I enjoyed the pace and it became relentlessly thrilling towards the end. I can see a lot of future sequel potential within it (but it could easily stay as an excellent stand-alone read too, in its own right). I can't wait to read other books the author has published!
December 20, 2019
If you are fascinated by theories regarding the first aliens to arrive on Earth and how they could have been the Gods all mythologies talk about, then this is the right book for you.
A well-written sci-fi novel with a fast pace and a plot that has been researched very well. As the story unfolds, the author offers explanations to some of the mysteries of the ancient world as well as creating a world of his own in a faraway galaxy.
Anthea, the main female character, is racing against time to save her planet from being eradicated by the alien race her ancestors perceived as Gods. The amulet around her neck counts the time down and threatens to take her life as well if she doesn't find a way to stop the countdown to Omega.
Do read the index provided by the author at the end as it will give you insight into the research done by the author for this story to be written and will help you delve into the alien theories even more.
I also liked the fact that this is sci-fi with a pinch of humour as well. The combination creates a very fun read.
For me, it deserves all five stars given and I urge people to pick it up. I don't think you will regret it!
A well-written sci-fi novel with a fast pace and a plot that has been researched very well. As the story unfolds, the author offers explanations to some of the mysteries of the ancient world as well as creating a world of his own in a faraway galaxy.
Anthea, the main female character, is racing against time to save her planet from being eradicated by the alien race her ancestors perceived as Gods. The amulet around her neck counts the time down and threatens to take her life as well if she doesn't find a way to stop the countdown to Omega.
Do read the index provided by the author at the end as it will give you insight into the research done by the author for this story to be written and will help you delve into the alien theories even more.
I also liked the fact that this is sci-fi with a pinch of humour as well. The combination creates a very fun read.
For me, it deserves all five stars given and I urge people to pick it up. I don't think you will regret it!
June 22, 2020
Featuring dark comedy and adventure in a world both old and new, ‘Countdown to Omega’ is an amusingly satirical space adventure from Robert Wingfield.
Interestingly, the themes and characters are based about the immortals and semi-immortals venerated by the Ancient Greeks, eternally captured in their legends. There are some intriguing explanatory notes at the end of the story.
Here we meet an original version of Athene – the revered great mother of the ancient world, and the oddly charming but emotionally challenged Phoebus (Apollo) and his sister Diana (Artemis). We meet the educator Cadmus, and the originals of Helen and Clytemnestra (here depicted in an earlier incarnation as Cassandra) and many others.
Anthea has always been an outsider. Sent across the solar systemfrom the planet of Cybele to the planet of An-ki as an infant by her parents, she has been taught by a community of patriarchal and corrupt priests of the Egumenio who oppress the indigenous population. Members of the elite from Cybele are sent for ‘an education’ – for which read ‘indoctrination’ - on this planet, before returning to Cybele to take up places as members of the equally corrupt and idle elite there.
One bitter priest, Antaeus, has always done his best to make Anthea’s life miserable, though she has had something of a mentor in the more benign Secundus Michael. Finally, her questions about their interpretation of sacred texts have made the priesthood cast her out, to live in a cave.
Following a sacred ritual by the priests, showers of meteorites fall, and she begins to wonder if something has happened to Cybele. One impact sets off the strange powers in the amulet she wears about her neck, indicating that something untoward is going to happen.
This amulet has been with her since babyhood. She remembers an old man presenting it to her. It has strange characters engraved about its circumference, which now start to glow in sequence, and she senses an alarming charge of power.
Recently, the priests have become decidedly unwelcoming towards visitors, and suspecting that the predictions in the sacred texts about the arrival of the gods are to be fulfilled, Anthea makes sure that she is the first to greet them.
The so-called gods, the original survivors of Anthea’s race, arrive, as personified by Phoebus and Diana as escapees from their doomed spacecraft. Their arrival – sea drenched and seaweed draped – is perhaps not very impressive –and they might even have bungled their mission – but Anthea can’t help but be impressed by the magnificent, golden appearance of these Gaians, particularly Phoebus.
The problem is that the intentions of the main force are not exactly encouraging. This is how Phoebus casually states what will happen when themain Gaian force arrives:
“The fleet will sterilize this world... but we do not want them to destroy this planet as happened on other worlds we tried to colonize...” “
And what about the people here?”
“There will be no people. This sphere will be decontaminated.”
It becomes Anthea’s mission to save the planet, from both the coming fleet of invading aliens, and the treacherous priests.
The Gaians – as is reflected in the Greek legends – have their foibles: but they have their powers, too – and along with Phoebus – who unfortunately is not always heroic, though he always looks the part -and Diana, Anthea sets of on her mission, developing fine ‘qualities of leadership on the way.
They soon meet the band of indigenous people led by the coolly detached Cadmus, and another Gaian called Iphestos, who has managed to enrapturethe native twins Helen and Cassandra, who worship him as a god and act as his bodyguards. Soon they are joined by sundry others, including a would-be rapist she has subjugated, and named ‘Groin man’, they set out to do the impossible.
The humour is sharp, the action is fast moving, and the characterisation intriguing.
Here are some of my favourite quotes:
About the people of Cybele
“That would make a change. From what I’ve read so far, they spend most of their time pointlessly amassing more possessions than they have the space to store, and then selling them off at a discount from stalls in rainy fields.
Phoebus trying to explain to Anthea why the people who are following behind may take some time to arrive.
“Relativity,” said Phoebus.
“I don’t know my relatives. I told you.”
“Not that. It’s to do with traveling near the speed of light. Time passes more slowly when you go that fast.”
”Still not understanding.”
“Ten years for us at the speed of light might be several hundreds of years for you on your little world.” He regarded Anthea’s blank expression. “They will be here soon,” he said tiredly. “That’s all you need to know.”
The Gaian, Diana, is peeved that Phoebus is attracted to Anthea.
“And you can repair the native while I’m out, seeing as how you think so much of it,” said Diana. She waved at Anthea, who was fading into unconsciousness.
The twins, who have been given anatomy lessons by their god, Iphestos, aredefending him, and faced by an unknown foe.
“Speak, or we liberate your small intestine, carefully avoiding your spleen,”
Tiresias is passing himself as a god with the natives, and explaining how he escaped the meteorite storm.
‘We descended the secret stairway into the well.”
“I didn’t know there was one,” said Anthea.
“It would not be a secret if you did.”
“And what about the people?”
“They can fend for themselves. I have no obligation.”
“Is there any compassion in you?”
“I gave them the choice. A few stayed in their hovels, but most are in the main building. It is strongly built. They are merely adparitors, lackeys, hangers-on. The important thing was to get me to safety.”
Interestingly, the themes and characters are based about the immortals and semi-immortals venerated by the Ancient Greeks, eternally captured in their legends. There are some intriguing explanatory notes at the end of the story.
Here we meet an original version of Athene – the revered great mother of the ancient world, and the oddly charming but emotionally challenged Phoebus (Apollo) and his sister Diana (Artemis). We meet the educator Cadmus, and the originals of Helen and Clytemnestra (here depicted in an earlier incarnation as Cassandra) and many others.
Anthea has always been an outsider. Sent across the solar systemfrom the planet of Cybele to the planet of An-ki as an infant by her parents, she has been taught by a community of patriarchal and corrupt priests of the Egumenio who oppress the indigenous population. Members of the elite from Cybele are sent for ‘an education’ – for which read ‘indoctrination’ - on this planet, before returning to Cybele to take up places as members of the equally corrupt and idle elite there.
One bitter priest, Antaeus, has always done his best to make Anthea’s life miserable, though she has had something of a mentor in the more benign Secundus Michael. Finally, her questions about their interpretation of sacred texts have made the priesthood cast her out, to live in a cave.
Following a sacred ritual by the priests, showers of meteorites fall, and she begins to wonder if something has happened to Cybele. One impact sets off the strange powers in the amulet she wears about her neck, indicating that something untoward is going to happen.
This amulet has been with her since babyhood. She remembers an old man presenting it to her. It has strange characters engraved about its circumference, which now start to glow in sequence, and she senses an alarming charge of power.
Recently, the priests have become decidedly unwelcoming towards visitors, and suspecting that the predictions in the sacred texts about the arrival of the gods are to be fulfilled, Anthea makes sure that she is the first to greet them.
The so-called gods, the original survivors of Anthea’s race, arrive, as personified by Phoebus and Diana as escapees from their doomed spacecraft. Their arrival – sea drenched and seaweed draped – is perhaps not very impressive –and they might even have bungled their mission – but Anthea can’t help but be impressed by the magnificent, golden appearance of these Gaians, particularly Phoebus.
The problem is that the intentions of the main force are not exactly encouraging. This is how Phoebus casually states what will happen when themain Gaian force arrives:
“The fleet will sterilize this world... but we do not want them to destroy this planet as happened on other worlds we tried to colonize...” “
And what about the people here?”
“There will be no people. This sphere will be decontaminated.”
It becomes Anthea’s mission to save the planet, from both the coming fleet of invading aliens, and the treacherous priests.
The Gaians – as is reflected in the Greek legends – have their foibles: but they have their powers, too – and along with Phoebus – who unfortunately is not always heroic, though he always looks the part -and Diana, Anthea sets of on her mission, developing fine ‘qualities of leadership on the way.
They soon meet the band of indigenous people led by the coolly detached Cadmus, and another Gaian called Iphestos, who has managed to enrapturethe native twins Helen and Cassandra, who worship him as a god and act as his bodyguards. Soon they are joined by sundry others, including a would-be rapist she has subjugated, and named ‘Groin man’, they set out to do the impossible.
The humour is sharp, the action is fast moving, and the characterisation intriguing.
Here are some of my favourite quotes:
About the people of Cybele
“That would make a change. From what I’ve read so far, they spend most of their time pointlessly amassing more possessions than they have the space to store, and then selling them off at a discount from stalls in rainy fields.
Phoebus trying to explain to Anthea why the people who are following behind may take some time to arrive.
“Relativity,” said Phoebus.
“I don’t know my relatives. I told you.”
“Not that. It’s to do with traveling near the speed of light. Time passes more slowly when you go that fast.”
”Still not understanding.”
“Ten years for us at the speed of light might be several hundreds of years for you on your little world.” He regarded Anthea’s blank expression. “They will be here soon,” he said tiredly. “That’s all you need to know.”
The Gaian, Diana, is peeved that Phoebus is attracted to Anthea.
“And you can repair the native while I’m out, seeing as how you think so much of it,” said Diana. She waved at Anthea, who was fading into unconsciousness.
The twins, who have been given anatomy lessons by their god, Iphestos, aredefending him, and faced by an unknown foe.
“Speak, or we liberate your small intestine, carefully avoiding your spleen,”
Tiresias is passing himself as a god with the natives, and explaining how he escaped the meteorite storm.
‘We descended the secret stairway into the well.”
“I didn’t know there was one,” said Anthea.
“It would not be a secret if you did.”
“And what about the people?”
“They can fend for themselves. I have no obligation.”
“Is there any compassion in you?”
“I gave them the choice. A few stayed in their hovels, but most are in the main building. It is strongly built. They are merely adparitors, lackeys, hangers-on. The important thing was to get me to safety.”
January 27, 2020
This novel is an interesting origin story with a complex cast of characters. The countdown element gives the plot a sense of urgency. I found the beginning difficult to break into but it was worth the effort to stick with it. Descriptions of the impending destruction encouraged me to keep reading.
This review is written by the author of The Diplomatic Spy by Shawn Callon.
This review is written by the author of The Diplomatic Spy by Shawn Callon.
January 20, 2020
I was provided with a free copy of the book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Countdown to Omega is an excellent book. It takes two seemingly very different topics: Greek myths and aliens and melds them together quite well. It’s not suited to be a fast, casual read though. I think any fan of sci-fi should read it. It’s a fascinated, deep, well-executed story. I’m not sure if the author plans to write a sequel or not, as the ending works for both a stand-alone novel or the first in a series, but I’m excited to read what other stories he has to offer.
An in-depth review can be found here
Countdown to Omega is an excellent book. It takes two seemingly very different topics: Greek myths and aliens and melds them together quite well. It’s not suited to be a fast, casual read though. I think any fan of sci-fi should read it. It’s a fascinated, deep, well-executed story. I’m not sure if the author plans to write a sequel or not, as the ending works for both a stand-alone novel or the first in a series, but I’m excited to read what other stories he has to offer.
An in-depth review can be found here
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews