Transcendent
Part One of the Transcendent series starts off with a bang—literally.
Thirty trillion miles from Earth, the colony ship Transcendent, bound for the new human cities on the planet Prosperity, suffers a disaster that disables its engines and kills every member of its crew—all except one.
Panicked, medic Troy Hartman finds his approaching certain death vying with the sheer will to survive as he scrambles to revive the drifting ship. With the help of OTTO, the ship’s AI, Troy sets out to repair the damage, hotwire the engines, and establish communication with anyone out in the dark and forbidding void.
And as all hope seems to be fading, a mysterious lifeline appears—a signal from an unknown source, prompting Troy to redouble his last-ditch effort at making contact and changing course. Especially when he realizes that he may not be the last living human on board, after all.
Available in Paperback and Kindle on Amazon.com.
Praise for Transcendent
“Exciting and suspense-laden … I recommend Transcendent to science fiction readers who enjoy tales of long space voyages gone wrong, problem-solving action, with plenty of tech talk to make it all feel real.!” (FIVE STARS)
— Karen Siddall, REEDSY DISCOVERY
“For an exciting and imaginative science fiction story . . . I highly recommend it!” (FIVE STARS)— Scott Cahan, READERS’ FAVORITE BOOK REVIEWS
“Transcendent is riveting from the start … Antani’s prose carries the novel, building a fully immersive environment that will sweep readers into the story immediately.”— THE BOOKLIFE PRIZE
Edge of Light
(Coming soon! Tree of Worlds: Edge of Light, Pt. 2)
On October 23, 2030, a meteor bursts high over Los Angeles–one of many that rain down over Earth that night. For 17-year-old Dev Harrison, the awesome event coincides with two major events in his life: The first is a recurring dream about his astrophysicist-father Dr. Gavin Harrison, who disappeared ten years earlier in a mysterious lab explosion. In the dream, Gavin reveals to Dev a location, high on a Tahoe peak above their family cabin, where he’s hidden a box. The top of the box bears the message: “Find Bollinger.” Second, Dev suspects he’s being watched
So begins a dangerous journey for Dev and his two best friends, Abby Mendes and Conner Stone, as they travel the back roads of an unraveling California heading for Tahoe to see if there’s any truth to Dev’s dreams. Close on their heels is the sinister federal agent Franklin Dix, assigned to capture the kids and bring them in, along with the contents of the mysterious box.
The deeper they travel, the weirder things get as they cross paths with violent rioters, mysterious drones, separatist fanatics, and, deadliest of all, bands of ravenous humanoid creatures–humans, really, infected by a parasite released by the meteors. It dawns on them gradually that Dev’s father, together with his ex-colleague Bollinger, could be the last protectors of a universe-shattering discovery–one that defies the bounds of spacetime and portends the end of humanity itself. The further they journey, the more Dev, Abby, and Conner have to rely on each other–for guidance, support, to stay alive . . . and, possibly, to save the world.
Edge of Light is my foray into the kind of sci-fi and horror I love–the kind with intimate, everyday characters on a grand, all-important quest that pushes beyond the edge of the possible while staying grounded in a world we recognize, albeit one darkened by civilization’s worst impulses (war, exploitation, and environmental destruction). The telling of this story has been satisfying and great fun–and I hope to share it with readers before the end of the year.
Available in Paperback and Kindle on Amazon.com.
Praise for Edge of Light
“With skill and precision, Antani cleverly maneuvers his diverse cast and disparate disasters into a rollicking interplay of adventure, science, and terror. Readers will be hooked.”
— PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“A suspenseful and haunting work anchored in genuine emotion … the story’s conclusion is certain to leave readers wanting more.”
— KIRKUS REVIEWS
“MUST READ! Heart-stopping at times, heartbreaking at others, Edge of Light is a real action-adventure!” (FIVE STARS)
— Karen Siddall, REEDSY DISCOVERY
“I was hooked from the first page. Containing alien creatures, unspecified agencies, and quantum physics, it is a remarkable novel … an edge-of-your-seat adventure that will enthrall everyone who enjoys books filled with action, drama, and suspense.” (FIVE STARS)
— Susan Sewell, READERS’ FAVORITE BOOK REVIEWS
“Engaging, exciting … I couldn’t put the book down.”
— 8th ANNUAL WRITER’S DIGEST SELF-PUBLISHED EBOOK AWARDS
“An intensely involving new achievement!” (FIVE STARS)
— Grady Harp, AMAZON TOP 50 REVIEWER
The Leaving of Things
Vikram is not your model Indian-American teenager. Growing up in late ’80s Wisconsin, he is rebellious, adrift, and resentful of his Indian roots. But a disastrously drunken weekend becomes a one-way ticket back to the homeland for Vikram after his outraged parents decide to pack up the family and return to India.
So begins a profound journey of culture shock, loneliness, and self-discovery as Vikram—navigating the chaos of daily Indian life and the antiquated social rules of his college—finds the confidence to explore his own creativity, reconnect with his family, and meet unforgettable new friends. Most of all, he discovers that India is his soul … but America is his heart, the land of his destiny, leading to a once-in-a-lifetime test of courage as he sets out to chart a bold new course for his future.
Winner of the 2014 Kindle Book Award and the International Book Award (in the “Multicultural Fiction” Category), The Leaving of Things is a coming-of-age saga about one teenager’s culture shock, topsy-turvy sense of identity and destiny in a globe-spanning, heart-on-its-sleeve narrative connecting the Midwest of America and Ahmedabad, a dusty and colorful city in western India in the late 1980s.
Self-published in 2013, the novel’s success prompted Lake Union Publishing (an imprint of Amazon Publishing) to acquire and republish the book in November, 2014, under its own banner. The book has since gone on to become an Amazon best-seller, a favorite of many readers and even of teachers who’ve used the book in high-school and college classrooms in discussing the many facets of multiculturalism in America.
Available in Paperback, Audiobook and Kindle on Amazon.com.
Praise for The Leaving of Things
“India comes alive, even for the uninitiated. The daily life, smells, culture of food, and personal relationships flourish while the reader follows a coming of age story … The richness of this story is in the details of Indian life, the nuances of the culture, the reality of how much easier life is in America. [The Leaving of Things] tells a well-worn story of growing up, rendered beautifully, in a seductive setting.”
—Publishers Weekly
“I read [the book] over what turned out to be a very enjoyable weekend. The story was rich and deep enough to lose myself in, and its teenaged hero spoke with an authentic, intimate voice that immediately drew me in and kept me hooked until the end.”
—Lindsey Lee Johnson, Author of The Most Dangerous Place on Earth
“Consistently mesmerizing! It overflows with a joie de vivre that holds the attention of the reader to the last page. The Leaving of Things is a major success for a debut novel.”
—Grady Harp, Amazon Top 50 Reviewer
Jay Antani 