Return of the Visitor: The Silver Sphere Series by David Gittlin

Like all of the Silver Sphere Novellas, “Return of the Visitor” opens with a life-threatening event. The sixth book in the series finds Amy and Jacob Casell joined by their alien and android friends, attempting to evade a swarm of supersonic fighter jets determined to blow their Starship, the Dauntless 2, out of the sky unless the crew can identify themselves adequately.The situation is grimly ironic because Silenna, an extraterrestrial from a survivor colony called New Aneleya, is returning to Earth to fulfill a humanitarian promise she made. The reason for the opening suspense is a breach of communications with an Air Force Base and a Starship that looks nothing like the one Silenna arrived in five years ago.Arcon, a super-intelligent AI who lives in a silver sphere, is in charge of telepathic communications. With incompatible radio frequencies between the Starship, the jet pilots, and the Air Force Base, telepathy is the only means of communication. With Arcon’s unprecedented breakdown, the crew cannot communicate its peaceful intentions, leaving its odds of survival dwindling by the minute.“Return of the Visitor” is a fast-paced, multi-layered Sci-Fi adventure that will keep you surprised and entertained from beginning to end. Although it is the sixth novella in the series, the author has included enough background information to make it a stand-alone story, perfect for recruits and veterans alike.Editorial Reviews“Return of the Visitor adds the sixth book to David Gittlin’s Silver Sphere series, employing the same attention to a romp through aliens, space adventures, androids, and AIs which has gained the series an audience of space opera-loving fans.“The tale opens with AI Arcon leaving his three human charges in danger as he’s forced to shut himself down after absorbing undetected radiation. This happens on the cusp of alien Silenna’s return to Earth in a starship that appears to be an alien threat to the planet’s military defenses.“Amy and Jacob Casell have their hands full not only evading forces which ordinarily would be welcoming but also navigating the possibility of setting aside their galaxy-hopping past to settle down and raise a family.“As they survive their initial re-entry into human society and the politicians and quandaries of government bureaucracy and alien interactions, the Casells tackle Silenna’s ambitious visions for their future, new scientific possibilities and promises, a President’s death and murderous influences, and more. Return of the Visitor becomes a series of social and political conundrums many won’t see coming from previous book events.“David Gittlin cultivates the impact of these changes on presidents and ordinary people as the story unfolds, with satisfying twists and turns:“I’m a better person when I’m around you. And I believe your presence will help me stay in my right mind. Together, we have to keep the world from collapsing around us until we find a way through this.”“A deepening international crisis blends with a mission to help Humans transform, creating a fast-paced adventure that both complements prior series books and makes it easy for newcomers to step into the personalities and challenges tackled in this sixth adventure.“Libraries seeking sci-fi series space opera creations that embrace metaphysical elements, androids, AI potential, and human fallacies alike will find Return of the Visitor a powerful addition.“Its ability to juxtapose danger, challenge, and personal and political struggle with high-tech possibilities and unusual relationships between aliens and AIs sets Return of the Visitor apart from most sci-fi adventures.”Diane Donovan, Senior Editor, Midwest Book Review