What do a talented singer, an astrobiologist, prehistoric ancestors and the future of life on Earth have in common?
In L. Richard Feldenberg’s forthcoming novel THEIA, they become part of one sweeping story about science, identity, love, evolution and a mission far larger than any one person expects to carry.
At the center of the novel is Theia Soul, a singer, songwriter and actress whose life has never felt entirely ordinary. Since childhood, she has experienced mental connections with beings from humanity’s evolutionary past. Some are extinct animals. One is Pretty Flower, a prehistoric woman who becomes one of Theia’s closest companions across time.
Theia eventually learns that these strange connections have a name. She is a Prajna, a gifted being able to communicate with evolutionary ancestors. The novel makes clear that her ability is not simply a curiosity. She must eventually understand what it means and how it connects to a much larger responsibility involving humanity’s survival and the threat of mass extinction.
Then there is Dr. Atticus Hall.
Atticus is an astrobiologist whose work focuses on questions surrounding the origin of life. His scientific world includes evolution, biochemistry, planetary history and the search for answers to one of humanity’s oldest mysteries: how did life begin at all? His perspective offers a powerful contrast to Theia’s experiences. Where she knows certain things through extraordinary connections, he approaches the universe through evidence, research and scientific inquiry.
That difference helps give THEIA much of its energy.
Theia’s world is filled with experiences that sound impossible. Atticus inhabits a world where extraordinary claims demand explanation. As their paths come together, Feldenberg uses their relationship to explore the tension and possible connection between what can be measured and what has not yet been understood.
The story grows even larger as Theia begins to realize that her name itself may matter. Theia is also the name given to the ancient planet associated with the formation of the Earth-Moon system and the novel connects that cosmic history with Greek mythology and Theia’s own mysterious identity.
From there, the stakes continue to rise.
Theia’s journey takes her deeper into questions of evolution, extinction, climate change, time, consciousness and the survival of life. Her path eventually brings her into contact with extreme scientific environments, including work connected to Antarctica and neutrino research, as she learns more about her abilities and the responsibility attached to them.
Yet for all its cosmic scale, THEIA remains grounded in personal struggles. Theia wrestles with grief, relationships, creativity, self-worth, family and the desire to be understood. Her mission may involve humanity’s future, but she is still a person trying to figure out who she is and what kind of life she wants.
That balance gives the novel its appeal.
For readers drawn to speculative fiction that blends science, romance, mythology, environmental themes and big philosophical questions, THEIA offers a world where the past, present and future are all connected.
THEIA by L. Richard Feldenberg is currently in the publishing phase and will be available to readers soon.
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