Eight Minutes A Novel

Eight Minutes by Gregory N. Whitis
Imagine awakening to anticipate a sunrise that never comes. Eight Minutes is a science fiction end-of-the-world experience that follows the aftermath of a massive solar flare that, in effect, ends civilization overnight.

Alex Tate and his team emerge from a protective bunker to embark on a wild, seemingly impossible mission—to restart the dead sun via a nuclear missile. The world has already vastly changed from anything they could have imagined mere months ago. This requires them to step up to a last-ditch survival effort that could either preserve the remnants of humanity or fail to save the world.

Other solar flare/EMP titles have offered similar-sounding survivalist themes, but what differentiates Gregory N. Whitis’s gripping Eight Minutes from others lies in how it is delivered—via an initial normalcy transformed by heart-stopping experiences. These rest firmly on a cast of powerful, disparate characters and special interests that continually shoot themselves in the foot, flavored with an overlay of light humor for an unexpected result:

He snored lightly.
I could tolerate that. Her last one-night stand could out snore an idling chainsaw.
As she walked by two sergeants in the middle of their shift change, she purred, “He’s sleeping like a baby now.”
They’d have the rest of their shift to yak about that one.

As much attention is given to government and civilian contrasts of experience and perspective, this creates a realistic, involving atmosphere in which the potential saviors of humanity are, themselves, flawed and all too limited in their options and responses. Whitis is especially adept at crafting a tale that injects the unexpected into action in many satisfyingly unpredictable ways.

There are psychological and political examinations, to be sure—but these are supplemented with a fast-paced urgency as characters make the final attempts to rectify a world that has literally changed overnight.

Libraries that choose Eight Minutes to add to collections strong in apocalyptic sci-fi will find the story thoroughly compelling. It’s easy to recommend to patrons who enjoy stories of survival, adaptation, and social and philosophical inspection. Packed with political, military, scientific, and survivalist perspectives, Eight Minutes represents an action-packed page-turner of a tale that is nearly impossible to put down.
Review by Donavan’s Literary Services

Once you start reading Eight Minutes by Gregory N. Whitis, there is no putting it down. The narration is excellent, and the writing is crisp, engaging, and filled with well-crafted dialogue that brings the story to life. I loved the vivid descriptions, which helped create a mental picture of what was happening. This thought-provoking work also got me thinking about issues like climate change and the kind of damage that such events could cause to civilization. The author also used suspense to great effect, which kept me on the edge of my seat. He ensured the plot flowed seamlessly, leaving no room for confusion for the reader. This was an amazing read, and I would love to see this great work turned into a movie. I look forward to reading something else by this talented author.
Frank Mutuma, Reader’s Favorite Reviews