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The Fi Experiment
An alien civilization, observing our planet for thousands of years, has chosen one individual to make its initial contact with the human race. Maybe they chose the wrong human.
The Fi is a written narrative backed up with links to video to take you further into the drama and interaction of its unforgettable characters.
As a favor to her aunt, Alice drives into Arizona's stark and bleak Sonoran Desert to check up on her cousin who has mysteriously left his job as a chemical engineer in Houston and has moved onto the family's long abandoned jojoba farm. No one has heard from him in six months. Alice hasn't seen her cousin in years. She recalls the egotistical socially dysfunctional boy that tormented her throughout her childhood. When she meets him again she finds that not much has changed about his unpleasant personality, but when he begs her to return to videotape a message he desperately needs to share with the world, Alice must make a fateful choice that will affect the rest of her life.
How to read this book
The Fi is available in paperback and e-book. It is written in two styles: narrative and script. The scripted section is bracketed by rows of tiny flying saucers and begins with a heading. If you are reading an e-book, the heading is a link to the video portion of this novel. Click on the heading to get to the video. If you are reading a paperback, beneath each script heading is a QR code and URL address of the Fi website
Either scan the QR code with your smart phone or copy the URL in the address window, not the search window. When the site opens, scroll down a bit until you see “Link to Videos” and click on that link. You will need internet access to view the videos. If you choose not to view the videos or do not have access to the internet, simply read the scripted dialogue between the two main characters as you would if you were reading a play.
The Fi is a written narrative backed up with links to video to take you further into the drama and interaction of its unforgettable characters.
As a favor to her aunt, Alice drives into Arizona's stark and bleak Sonoran Desert to check up on her cousin who has mysteriously left his job as a chemical engineer in Houston and has moved onto the family's long abandoned jojoba farm. No one has heard from him in six months. Alice hasn't seen her cousin in years. She recalls the egotistical socially dysfunctional boy that tormented her throughout her childhood. When she meets him again she finds that not much has changed about his unpleasant personality, but when he begs her to return to videotape a message he desperately needs to share with the world, Alice must make a fateful choice that will affect the rest of her life.
How to read this book
The Fi is available in paperback and e-book. It is written in two styles: narrative and script. The scripted section is bracketed by rows of tiny flying saucers and begins with a heading. If you are reading an e-book, the heading is a link to the video portion of this novel. Click on the heading to get to the video. If you are reading a paperback, beneath each script heading is a QR code and URL address of the Fi website
Either scan the QR code with your smart phone or copy the URL in the address window, not the search window. When the site opens, scroll down a bit until you see “Link to Videos” and click on that link. You will need internet access to view the videos. If you choose not to view the videos or do not have access to the internet, simply read the scripted dialogue between the two main characters as you would if you were reading a play.
205 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 23, 2016
8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 25, 2023
This was such a fun read and I love how interactive it was with the included videos. I highly recommend if you check this one out you must also view the videos. The author put so much care and time into telling this story. They truly created a unique experience and a fun new way of storytelling. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and would highly recommend it. It’s a quick read, I finished it in about two days and could have been quicker if it wasn’t for school! It was well written and fast paced and the characters were well developed. Also, the cover is super cool!
October 13, 2018
*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review*
When Alice offers to drive out into the middle of nowhere to check up on her unpleasant and reclusive cousin she does it more as a favour to her Aunt than anything. However, when he asks her to return and record for him a message, Alice finds herself drawn into the story of his strange encounter with alien race The Fi. Unsure of whether to believe Dicky’s accounts, Alice is compelled to help him document his tale. But as she learns more about The Fi’s intentions, Alice starts to think that perhaps her cousin is not crazy after all.
The Fi Experiment is an unusual novel in that it is part novel and part video. The author has uploaded the video documentation of Dicky’s encounters with The Fi and these can be viewed in the video format via links or read as a scripted narrative if the reader prefers. The rest of the story is written as a novel from Alice’s point of view.
When I first started reading it I was unsure of how well this would work and I was pleasantly surprised. The format does work really well. The videos linked the rest of the story up nicely and were done extremely well. I thought they might be distracting but this wasn’t the case at all and I thoroughly enjoyed this unique read.
The story itself is short and well-paced. Each of Alice’s visits reveal a little more about The Fi and also rebuild her relationship with her cousin. Dicky’s documentation of The Fi edges between common encounters/abduction stories but with more depth and reasoning behind the events. At the end it is very difficult for Alice to know if what he said was true or not, and the readers are also left to decide this for themselves.
The Fi Experiment is a clever and refreshing new reading experience and I recommend giving it a go!
When Alice offers to drive out into the middle of nowhere to check up on her unpleasant and reclusive cousin she does it more as a favour to her Aunt than anything. However, when he asks her to return and record for him a message, Alice finds herself drawn into the story of his strange encounter with alien race The Fi. Unsure of whether to believe Dicky’s accounts, Alice is compelled to help him document his tale. But as she learns more about The Fi’s intentions, Alice starts to think that perhaps her cousin is not crazy after all.
The Fi Experiment is an unusual novel in that it is part novel and part video. The author has uploaded the video documentation of Dicky’s encounters with The Fi and these can be viewed in the video format via links or read as a scripted narrative if the reader prefers. The rest of the story is written as a novel from Alice’s point of view.
When I first started reading it I was unsure of how well this would work and I was pleasantly surprised. The format does work really well. The videos linked the rest of the story up nicely and were done extremely well. I thought they might be distracting but this wasn’t the case at all and I thoroughly enjoyed this unique read.
The story itself is short and well-paced. Each of Alice’s visits reveal a little more about The Fi and also rebuild her relationship with her cousin. Dicky’s documentation of The Fi edges between common encounters/abduction stories but with more depth and reasoning behind the events. At the end it is very difficult for Alice to know if what he said was true or not, and the readers are also left to decide this for themselves.
The Fi Experiment is a clever and refreshing new reading experience and I recommend giving it a go!
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September 30, 2023👽 This was probably the most unique book I’ve read in a long time. You know how sometimes when you’re reading you think to yourself, “this would be great as a movie!” Well, Paul videotaped the interviews between Dicky and Alice and imbedded QR codes within the book so you could watch them and really get immersed into the book. The whole premise is Alice’s odd, reclusive cousin Dicky ropes her into taping his story about aliens and posting it for the world to see. At first Alice is not into it at all, but the way Dicky tells the story makes her question if it’s not just a story after all. The Fi (aliens) visit Dicky and impact his life immediately. I loved how there was a golden ratio reference in the book (hey math!) and how Dicky spoke about The Fi having taxes. That made me chuckle a bit! There was one part of the novel that I thought didn’t really have much to do with the plot and I wish the ending was a bit different. Overall though, this was a solid, enjoyable quick read that could easily be read in one sitting. The extra aspect of the videos imbedded within the text was such a fun touch and I could tell Paul put in some extensive work to pull everything together. If you’re looking for a quick, science fiction read this is the one for you! 🎥 📕 👽
October 7, 2023
This book is more than just a fun read - it’s an experience. The plot is intriguing and the videos that go along with the chapters are what make reading this book an experience.
A man sits behind a camera, his face hidden to protect his identity. What he proceeds to tell us will have you shaking in your boots.
I enjoy Sci-Fi books because there’s always that thought in the back of your mind that these things “could” take place. This book pushes past that boundary and really give us something to think about. I just loved it!
You can read in one sitting!
A man sits behind a camera, his face hidden to protect his identity. What he proceeds to tell us will have you shaking in your boots.
I enjoy Sci-Fi books because there’s always that thought in the back of your mind that these things “could” take place. This book pushes past that boundary and really give us something to think about. I just loved it!
You can read in one sitting!
August 9, 2021
*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review*
I was excited when I received this book as it was like no other I had read before.
The author not only wrote the story but included with it videos. A great combination, for those who not only enjoy reading but also audio books.
As a debut novel, Paul has done a magnificent job. The story wasted no time pulling me in. It was an enjoyable read that he wrapped up nicely.
I was excited when I received this book as it was like no other I had read before.
The author not only wrote the story but included with it videos. A great combination, for those who not only enjoy reading but also audio books.
As a debut novel, Paul has done a magnificent job. The story wasted no time pulling me in. It was an enjoyable read that he wrapped up nicely.
July 26, 2024
Very interesting premise and setting. Was difficult at first to sort out all the characters and I wish there was a character list/relationship to each other at the start, like Agatha Christie and Rita Mae Brown frequently offers. If you like mystery, sci-fi, with a bit of hometown history thrown in plus video games and humor, then this is a book for you. Paul David Ali has a future with this genre.
November 13, 2023
The Fi Experiment is one of those books that you don't just read but rather experience.
When Alice is roped into helping her eccentric cousin record his "important message" with the world, she finds herself involved in a cosmically big dilemma. At the start of every video recording transcription, there is a QR code in the printed novel that links the reader to the actual video recording! I thought it was so super cool and unique to be able to listen/watch the recordings rather than read them - it truly took the book to a whole new level!
The banter in The Fi Experiment cracked me up, and it was a fun take on the first contact trope!!! Scifi fans will get a huge kick out of this one!
When Alice is roped into helping her eccentric cousin record his "important message" with the world, she finds herself involved in a cosmically big dilemma. At the start of every video recording transcription, there is a QR code in the printed novel that links the reader to the actual video recording! I thought it was so super cool and unique to be able to listen/watch the recordings rather than read them - it truly took the book to a whole new level!
The banter in The Fi Experiment cracked me up, and it was a fun take on the first contact trope!!! Scifi fans will get a huge kick out of this one!
February 15, 2017
I voluntarily reviewed this book and I have not been compensated in any way.
The Fi are an alien race that have been watching the planet and studying the inhabitants (all forms of life from the smallest to the largest) and have chosen one inhabitant to be their contact - shame they have chosen badly.
Alice goes to find and visit her engineer cousin who is holed up in a remote abandoned farm that is owned by the family in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. He is still rude and obnoxious (like he was when they were younger) but demands she come back with a video camera as he has a message to tell the world.
This is a rather strange book that can be read with occasional videos that can be watched online (instructions are given on how to watch them). I have to say for me I preferred to read the written transcripts that are in the book at the correct locations as for me it flowed better that way.
I enjoyed the story and the events depicted in the story. The alien race was quite accurate as per common belief today among those that currently believe they have seen or been abducted by aliens. I loved the level of descriptions at the start of the book which was very good and detailed and although it was not quite as good as at the start it was still of a high level through the rest of the book. I loved the way the story ended and the effect it had on the various characters. I did feel that I wanted the story of the cousin to finish a bit more complete as I assumed he would need a job at the end.
The Fi are an alien race that have been watching the planet and studying the inhabitants (all forms of life from the smallest to the largest) and have chosen one inhabitant to be their contact - shame they have chosen badly.
Alice goes to find and visit her engineer cousin who is holed up in a remote abandoned farm that is owned by the family in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. He is still rude and obnoxious (like he was when they were younger) but demands she come back with a video camera as he has a message to tell the world.
This is a rather strange book that can be read with occasional videos that can be watched online (instructions are given on how to watch them). I have to say for me I preferred to read the written transcripts that are in the book at the correct locations as for me it flowed better that way.
I enjoyed the story and the events depicted in the story. The alien race was quite accurate as per common belief today among those that currently believe they have seen or been abducted by aliens. I loved the level of descriptions at the start of the book which was very good and detailed and although it was not quite as good as at the start it was still of a high level through the rest of the book. I loved the way the story ended and the effect it had on the various characters. I did feel that I wanted the story of the cousin to finish a bit more complete as I assumed he would need a job at the end.
March 22, 2018
A copy of the book was given to me in return for an honest review.
The Fi Experiment follows Alice, who visits her cousin, Dicky, who has previously left his job and moved into an old family home, now long abandoned. Alice hasn't seen him in years, but when she meets him again, he's desperate for her help to record something that will change the world. At first, Alice thinks he's lying, but upon closer inspection, she begins to discover the secrets behind the mysterious beings that visit her cousin. Told through a written narrative, along with linked videos, The Fi Experiment is an interesting read.
The premise and the execution of this book were different and very exciting to read. I found myself kept on my toes, especially since the narrator has a lack of knowledge which continues through the novel. I thought it would be irritating, knowing there's part of the book we're missing out since she never experiences it herself but the way Dicky reveals it himself was intriguing. The story narrative also includes QR codes which link to videos of Dicky's video diaries about his interaction with the aliens. I don't think I've ever seen this format before, so it's what appealed to me the most about it and it lent itself well to the plot.
[Spoilers (I think)] I think my favourite overall part of it is a fact we don't know if Dicky is ever telling the truth. The book ends with Alice believing him, but we never really see what Dicky saw, and I liked that. It's up to the reader to decide for themselves what was the truth.
The book doesn't explore the political landscape of discovering aliens, nor does it show much of the scientific or technological aspects in so much detail. Much of the events happen in retrospect, but their weekend meetings/filming sessions are catch up session on events after they unfold. This lead to a much of the story being more telling rather than showing, and we witness Alice's response in real time. Although I wanted more detail on how things happened, the book does progress at a rather fast pace that kept me surprised until the very end. Which was so shocking, I honestly didn't expect it.
The Fi Experiment follows Alice, who visits her cousin, Dicky, who has previously left his job and moved into an old family home, now long abandoned. Alice hasn't seen him in years, but when she meets him again, he's desperate for her help to record something that will change the world. At first, Alice thinks he's lying, but upon closer inspection, she begins to discover the secrets behind the mysterious beings that visit her cousin. Told through a written narrative, along with linked videos, The Fi Experiment is an interesting read.
The premise and the execution of this book were different and very exciting to read. I found myself kept on my toes, especially since the narrator has a lack of knowledge which continues through the novel. I thought it would be irritating, knowing there's part of the book we're missing out since she never experiences it herself but the way Dicky reveals it himself was intriguing. The story narrative also includes QR codes which link to videos of Dicky's video diaries about his interaction with the aliens. I don't think I've ever seen this format before, so it's what appealed to me the most about it and it lent itself well to the plot.
[Spoilers (I think)] I think my favourite overall part of it is a fact we don't know if Dicky is ever telling the truth. The book ends with Alice believing him, but we never really see what Dicky saw, and I liked that. It's up to the reader to decide for themselves what was the truth.
The book doesn't explore the political landscape of discovering aliens, nor does it show much of the scientific or technological aspects in so much detail. Much of the events happen in retrospect, but their weekend meetings/filming sessions are catch up session on events after they unfold. This lead to a much of the story being more telling rather than showing, and we witness Alice's response in real time. Although I wanted more detail on how things happened, the book does progress at a rather fast pace that kept me surprised until the very end. Which was so shocking, I honestly didn't expect it.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews