Alien

After 11 years in an institution for the criminally insane, Colin, a celebrated concert pianist, escapes, with the help of a kitchen worker who recognizes that Colin’s gifts are being wasted. But he must find a way to avoid recapture in the world outside, first in the rough Tennessee mountain woods where he finds himself. He has no experience with any environment except New York City, where he grew up, recording studios, and the world’s concert halls. Also, the anti-psychotic drugs he has been fed since his incarceration have left it difficult to focus or think clearly. He has no money, no identification, no food, and only institutional clothes, but he gradually develops coping abilities as he confronts different environments and environmental ugliness. Eventually, he stumbles on Marie, a woman of his age (mid 60s) with her own difficult, rebellious, background. She takes on Colin’s current problems and his rehabilitation as her cause. Together, they experience adventures as they run from recapture. They gradually mesh closer as Colin finally learns of, and engages in, life.

Ralph Bowden has entertained himself by writing mostly fiction for 25 years, through and following careers as an electrical engineer in the aerospace industry, a history professor, a home builder, an alternative energy consultant, an instructional designer, and a technical writer. Twenty-three novels, four story collections, a volume of short fiction, and a three-act play hide, mostly unread, on his hard drive. He likes all of his word offspring. Realistically, some of them are probably terrible. Others might entertain readers besides himself, but Ralph hasn’t the time or ego drive to promote and sell, nor the stomach for collecting rejection letters. Self-publishing avoids all that and is quick. If somebody finds and likes what he has written, fine. If not, the world will go on (or not) just the same.