Flight

A Quantum Fiction Novel

By: Vanna Bonta

Narrated by: Vanna Bonta

Length: 17 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

The novel that introduced quantum fiction to literature shelves was called "a fable for our times" and extends the stage of human drama to the subatomic realm and entire cosmos.

Mendle Orion is a writer who lives at the intersection of fiction and reality. He idealizes love and cynically rails against a world that wastes his dreams. The man's life is forever changed the day he meets a mysterious young woman with intense blue eyes and total amnesia who looks at urban life as though she's seeing it for the first time.

Mendle names her Aira Flight, after the light being superhero of the latest book he's writing. As he falls in love with the soulful stranger, he discovers the she has no navel, and the novel he's writing is bizarrely unfolding as real coinciding events in his life.

A novel within a novel are masterfully intertwined as mysteries unfold to a conclusion where even theoretical physics confirm the thin line between fairy tale and cold reality.

The story is read by the author, Vanna Bonta, who brings experience as a voice actress for major films and television to the narration. "Whatever 'quantum fiction' is, we need more of it." (Publishers Weekly) "An auspicious genre-bending parable ... An inspiring romantic adventure ... refreshing..." (Booklist, American Library Association)

©2007 Vanna Bonta (P)2007 Meridian House Audio

Critic reviews

"Vanna Bonta reads her own work and is a refreshing and engaging narrator. She occasionally uses vocal effects but never to excess. This is a book with much to say." ( AudioFile Magazine)
"Bonta's reading is clear and provides a satisfying atmosphere for this tale. Recommended for larger collections." ( Library Journal)
" ... her (Bonta's) performance is brilliant. I was hooked on this story, the tale is ingenious." ( Audiogeist)

Where science and fiction collide! Awesome!

Wow!!!! this is a story unlike any I have heard. Never have I found a story which both engages me in a fantastic fictional adventure as well as satisfies my scientific side. The author is calling this style "Quantum Fiction" which is, I agree, an excellent way to describe it. There is so much in the popular media these days about "The Secret" and other quantum physics lines of thinking... It is about time that we have a fictional story which also elaborates on and embraces that concept. 17 hours seemed a little daunting at first... but once I got into the rhythm of the story... all I can say is... congratulations on a job well done... riveting through and through! Can we have more????

Flight

I always loved this story and hearing it takes it to a whole new level, the voice is so soothing and calming. I felt like the characters were right there, like I was watching a movie.
I suggest for everyone to buy this book on audio and lay in a comfortable place and listen to an amazing story that will take you out of this world!

Excellent story, Quanta Bonta is quantastic

Any additional comments?

Every time I see Bonta rattle her pen like a saber and shake the stars I want to cheer. Her poetry was a top selection to go to Mars on the NASA mission MAVEN. Her poetry rose to the top of TV malaise to emerge on a shining show, Wilfred. And in Flight she wrote arguably the definitive book about human quintessence in the quantum age.

Flight, a Quantum Fiction novel is a tour de force. It took the world almost two decades to catch up to. It's not a science book but stands as the poster book for the Albert Einstein quote "Imagination is more important than knowledge."

In Flight Bonta predicted that for every quasar there's a black hole (published 1995 and astronomers are recently announcing the discovery), and started us thinking about The Cure For Death (that now 2 decades later Google is funding). I didn't know what I would think of this book but it is worthy of every praise including the first Publishers Weekly review that launched a genre and called for more.

Since everyone is a writer these days, let's talk shop. The novel is a smorgasbord of literary devices from allegory to zoetic innovations applied to the writing craft.

And I hear TOR (an editor there is rumored to have led a lynching rally of buddies against Bonta for years when Flight was published) is partnering on a Quantum Flash Fiction contest --- 18 years late. ah well better late than never.

How unfair is it that writers and artists like this have to endure head-scratching jerk
who try to knock them down? Writers, we all need to beware the huffy "expert" attacking new ideas and the power to move people. Better they be hilarious than lethal. When the bashers so-called "reviews" write like soggy noodles, then... woops.

I think the Flight audiobook should be released with the works of sound effects and music. I enjoyed Bonta's piano-playing in it but there was too little of it. No praise of her voice does it justice. Truth be told I enjoy the print edition best because of the graphics and design are incorporated to tell the story. Just listening to audio alone without that can be confusing to someone isn't familiar, there's so much there. With the book, the chapters move and are illustrated with clocks like Time, the ingenious subplot is printed on a computer screen, a lot of cool visual like that that enhances and ingenuously tells the story too.

Superb

I really enjoyed this story. I like science fiction to begin with, and this fusion of sci-fi with other genres (which is partially what classifies it as Quantum Fiction, I suppose) was a good listen. Very original, a good story, compelling characters, and full of deep underlying messages that everyone should hear.

Very pleasing to hear it read by the author as well. Not only does she have a nice voice that you don't get tired of, but the fact that she's the one who wrote the story to begin with makes it a very comfortable experience. You feel as though you're in good hands for the ride.

Time to feel and enjoy quantum love

The audio version of Flight enhances the enjoyment, it's an effective presentation of this masterpiece. I believe Flight is destined to be a classic, not only for the literary fantasy story and writing, but as fusing modern science to our thought process and feelings about the perception of reality.

The novel is well ahead of its time. I am sure audiences with backgrounds in modern physics will enjoy it and be thrilled. This novel is an inspiration to the advancement of modern physics and its applications to our perception process. It is not a complete fiction but a very enjoyable analysis of our perception of life process.

As a physicist of many decades, I can say that Flight is one of the most thrilling, inspiring novels I've experienced. I hope it appears on big screen soon.

Hard to believe

Reads like a bad romance novel written by Carlos Castenada. Breathless, certainly Flighty. Not nearly enough verbs.

Up There With Great Forever Books

If you could sum up Flight in three words, what would they be?

radical original phenomenon

Have you listened to any of Vanna Bonta’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No this was my first time listening to any of Vanna Bonta's performances, but it was definitely a great work of art and I will Listen to another in the near future.

Any additional comments?

It's radical. It's original. Bonta weilds the pen worthy of any poet and author titan. And the book is a phenomenon of the quantum age.

George Bernard Shaw said if you tell the truth you better make them laugh or theyll kill you. Well, Vanna Bonta tells the truth AND makes you laugh but between knuckleheads stuck in Newton's idea of science fiction and crazy cults that fear her, Bonta has raised some hackles. I love her for it. I love the writer for her command of the English language, for her fearless innovation and originality.

The story is about a writer who rebels against reality and our violence-infested world. He writes a novel about an interdimensaionl being. At a science ficiton convention he finds a woman who looks exactly like the superheroine in his book. The woman has total amnesia. He gives her the name of his superheroine. The mystery and a riot of a love story unfolds from there.

The book is a masterwork that constructs an allegory of the dangers of mind control, the importance of free-thinking and creativity, the very nature of reality, and it dares to address things like infinity and death.

I follow Bonta on Twitter and even her tweets are quotable (and loved the ep of Wilfred that starts with her quote).

This book is up there with the books that will never die. Even if you don't like it, it's a highly respected and respectable work. I can understand why some wish they had written it.

Quantum fiction & alternate reality

Bonta has created two incredibly unique main characters - Mendel and Aira. Mendle J. Orian is a science fiction writer who is pulled deeply into his books. Aira's character in Mendle's novel is a "light being", able to change forms at will, using thoughts rather than words to convey thoughts and influence others. When Mendle and Aira's storylines merge, we begin to find unusual coincidences between life and the written word. These "coincidences" lead us to many questions: Is Aira really Mendle's character, or is she just an amnesiac who happens to have no bellybutton? Which came first, Aira or Mendel's writing? What is reality? Are there other dimensions? Are coincidences "just" coincidences? In quantum physics, thoughts affect answers, and you can become like Mendle, "surrounded by his own imagination come to life".

Vanna Bonta is both a writer and a voice-over actor, and her skills are well utilized in this work. Bonta gives each character a unique tone, bringing an extra depth to all of them as she pulls us into her world. While using a third person narrative, Bonta is able to delve into the thoughts of each character, helping the listener or reader get invested in the world that she has created. The combination of the sound effects of typing and Bonta's voice keep each character completely unique, a challenge in many audiobooks. As the story continues, Bonta interweaves scientific terms and jargon, which makes the book feel all the more "real".

Vanna Bonta's voice is entrancing - quickly making an engrossing connection between the listener and the characters; her versatility as a voice actor brings a very realistic feel to the book. Flight is amazingly positive, life-affirming book, filled with beauty. The combination of the characters, storyline, and Bonta's voice make the audio book an intense and memorable experience. Flight will exert a magnetic pull on you, and you'll be stuck on it, waiting for the sequel to be released!

Excellent Fiction

What made the experience of listening to Flight the most enjoyable?

I was recommended to check this book out by a good friend. She knows my taste very well and knew I would only immerse myself in this book. Within minutes, I was hooked. The writing was very tasteful and professional. The quality of the writing is superb. The story is written and organized in a manner that keeps readers engaged the entire reading. The characters are developed very well, having their own unique characteristics.

The narrator makes a genuine effort to add to the story with their voice. The energy makes the story more realistic.

I would highly recommend this book or reading to another fiction lover.