Life at the Precipice

Best Indie Book Award - Literary Fiction Winner
Leacock Medal for Humour - Long Listed

"The characters in R.F. Vincent's novel are little masterpieces of comic invention . . . Highly, highly recommended" - Vancouver Sun (Tom Sandborn)

"A gripping tale of a man seeking understanding and finding it in an unlikely place." - The British Columbia Review (Sheldon Goldfarb)

In 1959 an earthquake in central Vancouver Island devastated the lakeside community of Pyrite Ridge. The seismic event triggered landslides that isolated the town and killed sixteen people, while a geological anomaly known as a segue caused the lake to drop an astonishing 150 meters. Perched at the precipice of an abyss and cut off from the world by tons of rubble, Pyrite Ridge became a place of myth and lore.

Travis Sivart, an Air Force officer struggling with PTSD, finds a single-page newspaper attached to a red balloon that appears to have originated from Pyrite Ridge, now called The Segway. The headline story about the sighting of a large sea creature in the lake compels Travis to set off on a quest to find the enigmatic town. After an arduous journey he stumbles upon the secluded settlement, which is home to a group of delightfully quirky residents. Travis spends a week in the town, learning of its remarkable history and interacting with the unforgettable inhabitants. Everyone has their own fascinating story of how they came to The Segway, creating an extraordinary tapestry that causes Travis to question his own sanity. Is there a connection between the source of his trauma and the tragic earthquake that struck the region decades earlier? Solving the mystery may be the key to overcoming his personal demons.

Life at the Precipice is a wholly unique blend of drama, mystery, and humour that will captivate readers.

MORE ACCOLADES FOR LIFE AT THE PRECIPICE

NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite - Literary Fiction
Readers' Favorite Bronze Medal Winner - Literary Fiction
The BookLife Prize - Quarter Finalist
Literary Titan Gold Medal Award
Indie B.R.A.G. Medallion Recipient

"A captivating literary blend of science and fantasy . . . Readers will find themselves as engaged as the protagonist, and they'll share his bewilderment with a sense of excitement and wonder." - Kirkus Reviews (GET IT)

"A fascinating novel that will pull you swiftly into its world and then hold you completely. Un-put-downable." - Bookview Review (Recommended Gold Badge Review)

"Life at the Precipice by R F Vincent is an immediate drop into fantasy and a masterclass in subverting a reader's expectations and inviting them instead to consider the limitations of their own perceptions and interpretations. " - Readers' Favorite (Five Star Review)

"Life at the Precipice is at times funny and absurdist, at others moving and deeply human, and in its entirety filled with a sense of memorable wonder." - The Fiction Fox

"Surreal, fascinating, threaded with humor, and a wonderfully bizarre array of quirky characters, Vincent has produced a stunning novel, full of imagination, originality, and pathos." - IndieReader

"Northern Exposure, but make it smaller, more remote, and quirkier." - Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Fantastic read! Funny in all the right places, and gripping to the last page." - Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"I am speechless! What a mystical, fascinating tale." - Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"It reads like a true story but it is just a great story with some great characters. I wish it were real or maybe it is . . . ? - Amazon Customer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"I've just finished Life at the Precipice by R. F. Vincent and I found it to be such an incredible read. Vincent mixes facts, fiction and fantasy deftly to share the story of a man haunted by his past who eventually comes to accept it and move beyond it." - Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Well written, fantastically entertaining, full of insights and surprises, and includes a cast of true 'characters' who you'll find quirky and lovable. Anybody up for an adventure?" - Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Award-winning author, R.F. Vincent (PhD) is a professor of Physics and Space Science at the Royal Military College of Canada. In a previous career he flew 2,000 hours as an Air Navigator on the CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft out of Comox, British Columbia. R. F. Vincent has published two other works of fiction: an unconventional fantasy novel, "The Curious Mr. Pennyworth", and an award-winning short story, "Men in Red Shirts Have Souls, Too," (Tall Tales and Short Stories, Vol. II). He lives in Kingston, Ontario with his wife, JoAnne.