Heaven and Earth

Heaven and Earth is quite interesting allegorical sci-fi tale about the government-pharmaceutical complex. The cautionary commentary fuels the plot but is also offered to the reader for real life application. It is novel/pamphlet about ancient aliens, cadmium poisoning and the cultural heritage of brainwashing the masses. Sounds calamitous but author Arturo Riojas cogently brings it all together.

Riojas aims to raise awareness about ubiquitous cadmium poisoning and has cleverly done so with parallel stories of rebellions on Earth and on an alien planet: Treretum. On Earth, among other environmental concerns, most are unaware of a poisonous amount of cadmium in the food supply. On Treretum, there is the similar microscopic “Muimdac” invasion. The warning is not just a matter of questioning what we eat. We must confront authority: those who control the food business and pharmaceutical companies which work hand in hand to perpetuate a corrupt system.

Aliens return to Earth to see how much their previous ancient visits have led to human progress. With them, an alien rebel faction has come to recover their comrades' remains from Area 51. Olga and Gavilán are the main human protagonists. They are thoughtful, intelligent, open-minded, and this is why the alien rebels seek them out. In the process, they encourage Olga, Gavilán and their friends to seek the truth. Both aliens and

humans must confront poisons (i. e. cadmium) and oppressive regimes of sorts. If you've never heard of the cadmium problem, you are probably not alone. This is the point – what don't we know about what we eat and how we live? Riojas unveils these themes in alternating chapters of the story and scientific data on cadmium. He uses allegorical characters and motivations, thus comparing the Treretumian elites with a certain United States administration once infamous for cultural manipulation and wagging the dog. Like Animal Farm, it is fun decoding who the alien characters represent in real life: Egroeg and Yenech for example.

Thoughtful and well-written, it is an eye-opener about cadmium and a useful exercise in questioning authoritarian complexes. As literature, it is a bit exposition-heavy, but that is to drive the point home. The point: question what we are “fed” - what we eat but also the roles we are made to play. Riojas challenges the reader to ask - what are the causes of disease and what are the causes of how we think and live? Look for the causes rather than just the symptoms.

"The cadmium story in this country began around the end of World War II, with the widespread use of phosphate and other commercial fertilizers."

In this most unusual offering, author and chemical/environmental engineer Riojas combines scientific fact and science fiction. The novel concerns an aeronautical engineering brainiac, Olga, whose overt curiosity about some unusual data puts her under suspicion among her fellow scientists. Her friend Gavilán, a sensitive practitioner of Earth sciences, arranges for the two to make an exploratory, under-the-radar visit to Roswell. There they meet a thousand-year-old alien from Treretum. The Treretumians visited Earth once before and were known to the ancients as “The Teachers.” They are concerned now at the common trend among Earthlings to ingest a poisonous chemical that causes life-threatening illness.

At the end of each chapter of this fascinating fictional scenario are facts concerning cadmium, a contaminant that has insinuated itself into our food chain, attacking the pancreas, kidneys, liver, lungs, and bones. The author states that cadmium is in our water, our food, and our air. Some of our favorite foods—chocolate, coffee, bread, pasta— are cadmium-laden.

The linking of these two disparate parts works surprisingly well. Riojas has composed an engaging reverse thriller, with aliens checking up on Earthlings instead of vice-versa like in Star Trek. Likable characters battle pervasive evil while exhorting readers with a barrage of dire data about cadmium, which the author believes has been responsible for the deaths of people in his own family and for countless others in America and elsewhere. His scientific knowledge supports both halves of the narrative. He presents practical advice along with his admonitions about cadmium, adding more than forty pages of supporting information, including what sorts of foods to avoid and what supplements to take to combat the element’s effects. An attractive sci-fi tale underpinned by disturbing factual data, Riojas’ cautionary tale is a good read in a good cause and can be taken seriously even as it is enjoyed.