The Next Fithian: An Ordinary Teen on a Strange, New World

By Rick C. Barry

Description:

Was this a new life - or a death sentence?



When Rankin Johnson boards a flight to Israel, he expects an adventure in archeology. But the airplane comes under attack and explodes in midair. Rankin shouts, "God, I'm yours!" Instantly, he's in some other place. An angel informs Rankin the Lord is pleased to accept his offer. He dubs Rankin "the next Fithian" - a messenger from God, not to Earth, but to planet Zemna in the alternate dimension. What happened to the previous Fithian? "He was killed," the angel says before vanishing.



On Zemna, Rankin finds a perplexing, violent world. Futuristic technology mingles with primitive ways. Also, a bizarre symbol-the Intersection of All Things-has appeared on his left palm. It's a tool to aid his mission, but how? Rankin is supposed to share God's message with this planet. Instead, he becomes a slave. What he really wants is a trip back to Earth.



With the aid of a brother and sister who become his best friends, Rankin escapes. He hopes to fulfill his mission and return home as fast as possible. But now there's a price on Rankin's head. More than one Zemnan would rather kill him for the reward than hear what he has to say.

Book Takeaway:

You may consider yourself insignificant and ill-equipped to serve God, but He can still use you—if you’ll let Him.

Why the author wrote this book:

Whenever I attended homeschool conferences to sign books for shoppers, teens visited my table to chat. What were those teen guys and girls wearing? T-shirts. Specifically, T-shirts portraying the Avengers, Spider-Man, Captain America, the Hulk . . . It was obvious what kinds of adventures these young adults were into. I began to wonder—what kind of uplifting novel could I pen for Christian fans of the Marvel universe?

In reply, my thoughts jumped back to The Next Fithian, a story brimming with action, adventure, danger, faith—plus a positive role model. This time, I yielded and began brainstorming ways to extend the original 5,400 words into an 80,000-word sci-fi novel with a Christian worldview. I didn’t want simply to create a gripping adventure. I wanted to give readers something unique. I wanted to touch their emotions, to make them laugh, to make them cry, to inspire them, and make them ponder things they had never considered before. I also wanted to transport them to another world where they might see better how to live in our own real world.