Umbrellas Up The Mountain
The God Antenna
Publisher: Zinovii Art Studio
Author: Niko Zinovii
Publication Date: April 26, 2017
Genre: Science Fiction
Language: English
Format: Trade Paperback, ebook
Size: 5.5 inches x 8.5 inches
Length: 266 pages
Illustrations: none
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-9860685-3-9
ebook (ePub, mobi)
ISBN: 978-0-9860685-4-6
ISBN: 978-0-9860685-5-3
LCCN: 2017904935
Umbrellas up the Mountain
Eight imaginative tales of nonstandard speculative fiction are contained within the book Umbrellas up the Mountain, written by Niko Zinovii from February 2016 to March 2017. The stories address:
Is there something in humanity’s future that will cause his extinction?
Does the art produced by a single man matter?
Can one face his own end with courage and purpose?
What is it that can provide a new sentient species with true freedom?
When might advancement break the spirit of man?
Can utopia be something other than what one first perceives?
What physical shape might a visiting extraterrestrial possess?
What is mankind’s next great leap?
On the cover, on the man's backpack are the
Japanese words:
世界を通る
English translation: “Passing through the world”
The words are taken from a haiku poem by poet Iio Sōgi 1421 - 1502: “Passing through the world, indeed this is just a shelter from the shower.”
The Stories
Synopsis, first page preview, author commentary
The Last Frog
A tale of a biologist who believes not only that man is alone in the universe but that humankind's future may also be without hope... To his surprise, he learns otherwise.
"The Last Frog" is a science fiction tale that takes place primarily in St. Peter's Square of Vatican City, where an extraterrestrial spacecraft lands unannounced. This author had imagined this as an extraterrestrial landing site as he strolled St. Peter's Square when visiting the Vatican some years ago, appreciating the encircling colossal Tuscan colonnades, the towering Egyptian obelisk, and the fountains of the piazza.
"The Last Frog" begins with the protagonist of the story walking across St. Peter's Square, stopping before the Maderno fountain, where he witnesses the unbelievable.
As Old as Stars
A tale of a young man who turns from science to art and is troubled with his choice until he has an unusual encounter.
"As Old as Stars" features a young man who paints under the sea. The author drew upon his diving interest when describing the undersea world experienced by the protagonist in the tale.
The protagonist in this story, painting under the sea, pays tribute to the Cousteau aquanaut and cameraman André Laban, who was the founder of such underwater art.
Melody in a Bottle
A tale of a balloonist who has an encounter with something otherworldly and then ultimately with life itself.
In writing "Melody in a Bottle," this author drew upon speculations presented by COMETA (Committee for In-Depth Studies) in the organization's 1999 issued report prepared for the French government on UFOs and the possible implication for French national defense. The report was titled: "UFOs and Defense: What Should We Prepare For?"
a Rozière hybrid balloon
Umbrellas up the Mountain
A tale of a man whose journey up a mountain in Japan presents him with love and mystery, culminating in an unimagined awareness.
“Umbrellas up the Mountain,” is this author’s tribute to Japanese haiku poetry.
The story was inspired by haiku, and by this author's deep appreciation of nature.
The Fall of Man
A utopian tale of a man in the far-distant future who finds himself feeling a deep sense of unease after learning of the death of one of his fellow citizens.
Our fragile Earth will only be habitable for approximately another 2.3 billion years, after which it will be too hot to sustain life, due to the increasing luminosity that will be generated by the life cycle of our sun. If the human race does not colonize space, dispersing itself throughout our solar system and beyond, it will eventually face certain extinction.
The Isle of Pan
A tale of an idealistic man searching for a utopia on Earth and finding what he believes to be one, only to later discover that things are often not as they might first appear.
This story, "The Isle of Pan," was inspired by a number of influences and experiences, one of which was this author’s ascent of Haleakalā, the 10,000-foot eastern volcano of the Hawaiian island of Maui, where the continued drop in temperature with increasing elevation results in micro-climates up the mountainside.
Part way up the western slope of Haleakalā, this author stopped at a lavender farm, lavender being a plant of temperate climates.
Bimanous Quadrupedal Hexapods
A tale about a paleontologist who is shown something from the deep past that provides an answer to a philosophical question that has been haunting him.
The story is set in Madagascar, and the extinct elephant bird is mentioned in the tale. The elephant bird reached a height of 10 feet and weighed as much as 1,000 pounds. The author (6' 2") is pictured below in Auckland, New Zealand standing before a replica of the extinct moa bird, which stood approximately 12 feet tall, weight over 500 pounds.
Bimanous: having two hands distinct in form and function from the feet (of man and the higher primates). From New Latin bimana two handed, from bi- + Latin manus hand.
Quadrupedal: Four footed. An animal, esp a mammal, that has all four limbs specialized for walking. From Latin quadrupēs, from quadru- + pēs foot.
Hexapods: Six-footed. Greek hexapod-, hexapous having six feet, from hexa- + pod-, pous foot.
Outgoing Tide
A quasi-utopian tale of a man who finds a unique fossil fish, encounters the love of his life, and finds himself faced with a mystery involving the interconnectedness of life, the colonization of the sea, and the future of humankind.
An unexpected encounter with a large green sea turtle at low tide early one morning on a small, empty beach on the Hawaiian island of Maui left this author contemplating life that had returned to the sea, wondering if man might ever do the same...
Back / Front cover spread
Cover idea and design by Niko Zinovii. Cover artwork by artist Leonardo Ariza Ardila.
Cover art Copyright © 2017 by Niko Zinovii
