The Butterfly Hunter and King
The God Antenna
Publisher: Zinovii Art Studio
Author: Niko Zinovii
Publication Date: May 29, 2019
Genre: Science Fiction
Language: English
Format: Trade Paperback, ebook
Size: 5.5 inches x 8.5 inches
Length: 280 pages
Illustrations: none
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Trade Paperback

ISBN: 978-0-9860685-6-0
ebook (ePub, mobi)

ISBN: 978-0-9860685-7-7
ISBN: 978-0-9860685-8-4
LCCN: 2019905348
The Butterfly Hunter and the King
Seven imaginative tales of nonstandard speculative fiction are contained within the book The Butterfly Hunter and the King, written by Niko Zinovii from August 2017 to April 2019. The stories address::
Where might a pledge to return someone’s mercy lead?
Can the explanation for UFOs lie hidden in the human mind?
Are visiting strangers always what they appear?
When does the punishment of imprisonment cross the line and become inhumane?
Is death really the final barrier to love?
Can a man discover myth in the real world?
When might two people in love face the unexpected and terrifying with a smile?
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This author’s imagination was inspired when he ascended to the towering rock formation (The Needle) atop of the volcanic South Pacific island of Rarotonga, and found there, carved into the face of the rock by early island settlers sometime after 1,000 AD, the face of a long forgotten Polynesian god. This author, in his writings, attempts to stimulate the imaginations of his readers, instilling into their minds a sense of wonder.
The Stories
Synopsis, first page preview, author commentary
The Butterfly Hunter and the King:
A tale of a young man who, searching for something missing from his past, travels to a remote Fijian isle, where he encounters something ancient and unknown to the outside world.
This South Seas fable-like tale was partly inspired by the author's appreciation of the Paleolithic’s der Löwenmensch ivory sculpture: The Lion-man of Hohlenstein-Stadel
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The lion-headed figurine is the oldest-known zoomorphic (animal-shaped) sculpture in the world, dating back between 35,000 and 40,000 years old.
Löwenmensch means: "lion-human"
The Million Eyes of Nobo Savu
A tale about a psychiatrist who believes he has a rational explanation for UFOs, only to learn otherwise.
Below photo is of the author on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, atop Sleeping Giant, also known as Nounou Mountain. The author drew from his experience in lush Kauai when writing "The Million Eyes of Nobo Savu," which is set on a fictional tropical island lying in the Banda Sea, of the western South Pacific Ocean.
Hollow Boat
A tale set in Japan in 1803, featuring a poor bamboo cutter who, along with the fishermen of his village, encounters a mysterious castaway.
The author wrote "Hollow Boat" when visiting Hawaii, drawing additional inspiration from the significant Japanese presence on Oahu, and from the beautiful koi fish he encountered in Waikiki.
The Psychonauts
A tale about a man who has committed a crime so offensive to humankind he is sentenced to imprisonment for a thousand years.
Psychonaut
The word comes from the ancient Greek words psychÄ“ ["soul", "spirit" or "mind"] and naútÄ“s ["sailor" or "navigator"] thus a psychonaut is: "a mind sailor”
In "To Rise Again" the protagonist of the story finds himself thinking of flowers: "... long ago, there had been no flowers on Earth: only a monotonous stretch of green across the land, all plants and trees possessing no other color. But then, late in the Dinosaur age, flowers appeared and forever changed the world."
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The protagonist's insight was inspired by anthropologist Loren Eiseley's essay "How Flowers Changed the World." Since having read Eiseley's writings, this author has found himself looking at flowers with enhanced appreciation.
To Rise Again
A tale of a man who falls in love with a deceased woman and what happens as they journey together into the unknown.
In the story "Down, Down, Down," the protagonist, Alec, descends in a bathyscaphe into the depths of Suruga Bay off the coast of the scenic port of Shimizu, a town known for its tea leaves and spectacular views of Mount Fuji.
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Suruga Bay, off Shizuoka Prefecture, is the deepest bay in Japan, plunging to a depth of 8,200 feet.
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In the photo below the author is pictured alongside the Purisima diving bell, located in Santa Barbara, California. The small, dual sphere Purisima was capable of diving to depths of 1,000 feet.
Down, Down, Down
A tale about a man who takes his bathyscaphe into the depths of the sea to discover the secret of Japan’s Atlantis.
Dancing with Sirkka
A tale about a young man who is struggling to uncover the point of existence, and experiences love and witnesses a most astonishing event along the way.
This author long ago, as an undergraduate student, experienced his professor of botany one day entering the classroom, pointing out the window at the rising sun, and proclaiming, “There is my god.”
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Those words were part of what inspired the idea for this story, "Dancing with Sirkka."
Back / Front cover spread
Cover idea and design by Niko Zinovii. Cover artwork by artist Leonardo Ariza Ardila.
Cover art Copyright © 2019 by Niko Zinovii
