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Emperor Dad
James Hill saw the theft of the British Crown Jewels live on CNN and had an uneasy suspicion that his father had invented teleportation. Nothing less could explain the theft and it made sense of his brilliant father's secretive new job. Bob Hill knew his discovery was likely to cause global disruption, and it was a development that couldn't be hidden away for long. To goad the nations into quickly finding ways to protect themselves, he'd decided to play-act a supervillian, right out of a James Bond movie, a self-proclaimed Emperor of Earth holding the world hostage. And the nations did react, finding a way to poison him in his secret hideaway inside Mt. Rushmore. But no one counted on James hacking his way into the family computer and giving himself access to the technology. With Mom and Oriel Meirieu, the beautiful girl he'd met while popping over to visit Paris, they evade the FBI, INTERPOL and even black-ops agents, saving Bob's life and facing the question: What exactly is a legal claim to power?
268 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2007
5 people want to read
About the author
Henry Melton
60 books13 followersHenry Melton is often on the road with his wife Mary Ann, a nature photographer and frequently captivated by the places he visits. This has inspired his latest series of novels; Small Towns, Big Ideas. Formerly a programmer specializing in database work and web design, he pioneered Internet use for a Fortune 500 company until the tech bubble collapse. In the early days of home computers, he created one of the earliest commercial word processing programs, and built his own computers back when that meant wiring the chips together by hand to his own schematics.
Henry's short fiction has been published in many magazines and anthologies, most frequently in ANALOG. Catacomb, published in DRAGON magazine, is considered a classic, and by the continuing fan mail twenty years later, a formative influence among modern computer gaming programmers. Many of these are available for free on his website.
Other than an occasional short story, most of his time is spent writing science fiction YA novels. Currently being published by Wire Rim Books are the Small Towns, Big Ideas series of books, where high school aged heroes of the here and now are confronted with classic science fiction themes. The first, Emperor Dad, was the winner of the 2008 Darrell Award for Best Novel.
Sharing what he's learned about the art, craft, and business of writing has been an on-going part of his life, from grade school readings to teaching formal classes and veranda coaching for the students of George Benson Christian College in Zambia during his 2007 trip to Africa.
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Henry's short fiction has been published in many magazines and anthologies, most frequently in ANALOG. Catacomb, published in DRAGON magazine, is considered a classic, and by the continuing fan mail twenty years later, a formative influence among modern computer gaming programmers. Many of these are available for free on his website.
Other than an occasional short story, most of his time is spent writing science fiction YA novels. Currently being published by Wire Rim Books are the Small Towns, Big Ideas series of books, where high school aged heroes of the here and now are confronted with classic science fiction themes. The first, Emperor Dad, was the winner of the 2008 Darrell Award for Best Novel.
Sharing what he's learned about the art, craft, and business of writing has been an on-going part of his life, from grade school readings to teaching formal classes and veranda coaching for the students of George Benson Christian College in Zambia during his 2007 trip to Africa.
"
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 10, 2016
another of Henry Melton's sci/fi-fantasy books for teens. Joseph's dad got laid off and resents it. He tries to consult, but he is a scientist, not a money manager. So he scraps it and starts (in secret from his family) to pursue a line of scientific investigation that leads him to teleportation. From this discovery to his becoming Emperor of the Earth makes a really great story. It starts slow because it is pretty technical showing his line of study, but as soon as he discovers teleportation, it becomes really exciting. Highly recommended. I love this author.
January 1, 2022
Bob Hill is in the research and development portion of his company. When they hit a crunch they tell Bob to streamline and document existing processes, they don't have the money to invest in new technologies. When he gets laid off with hundreds of others it's not unexpected, but still a shock. Bob decides to start his own consulting company.
Bob reading cutting edge academic research papers, his job was to look for ways to take that research and make it marketable, and with the help of some Ben Franklin type experiments creates teleportation spheres.
Bob knows that teleportation is too dangerous in the wrong hands, or even in too many right hands. Then again he can't thwart the technology either. Someone else, less ethical, will discover it. He proclaims himself emperor of the world. Being a James Bond fan starts with some outrageous demands in villainous fashion, but then starts humanitarian and commercial efforts like bringing water to drought stricken areas, rescuing trapped miners, and creating instant shipping methods.
James Hill always looking for faster computers to run his games uses his Dad's computer and starts snooping and inadvertently learns some stuff. Of course, government powers consider him a threat labeling him a terrorist and do what they can to locate him to either kill him or seize control.
Fast, fun read. Nice premise of the way to handle an idea that could be easily exploited for voyeurism, greed, terror and worse. Enjoyable, five stars.
Bob reading cutting edge academic research papers, his job was to look for ways to take that research and make it marketable, and with the help of some Ben Franklin type experiments creates teleportation spheres.
Bob knows that teleportation is too dangerous in the wrong hands, or even in too many right hands. Then again he can't thwart the technology either. Someone else, less ethical, will discover it. He proclaims himself emperor of the world. Being a James Bond fan starts with some outrageous demands in villainous fashion, but then starts humanitarian and commercial efforts like bringing water to drought stricken areas, rescuing trapped miners, and creating instant shipping methods.
James Hill always looking for faster computers to run his games uses his Dad's computer and starts snooping and inadvertently learns some stuff. Of course, government powers consider him a threat labeling him a terrorist and do what they can to locate him to either kill him or seize control.
Fast, fun read. Nice premise of the way to handle an idea that could be easily exploited for voyeurism, greed, terror and worse. Enjoyable, five stars.
January 8, 2017
A guy gets fired so he comes home an creates a teleportation system then tells the world he is creating a Monarch-type taxation without representation system, then he resorts to Capitalistic enterprises. The powers that be brand the guy a terrorist. His wife and son have to step in to help. Includes a love interest.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews