To The Vanishing Point by Alan Dean Foster (1988) – The Sonderberg family doesn’t know it yet, but this isn’t going to be any ordinary road trip. A quiet drive down Interstate 40 becomes a trip into an alternate reality when they pick up an unassuming hitchhiker. It turns out the family has just given a ride to an alien who has the fate of the universe resting on her shoulders. Now the Sonderberg family must fight evil alongside their new alien friend in a desperate attempt to save the world they love.
Foster is one of those science fiction writers that keeps popping up with stories I love. I had read some of the stories involving his character of Flinx with his mini-dragon Pip. So when I saw the description of this one I jumped on it. I have never regretted that decision. It’s a fascinating combination of science fiction and faith as the family finds itself driving directly into Hell. Yeah, the one we learned about in Sunday school. Well, sort of.
The story does a fabulous job of weaving together some very realistic family dynamics with some parallel universe science fiction and all the demons (including the bureaucratic) of Hell. The result is a story that feels entirely too real while taking the reader to some fascinating places.
From the very first time I read it I thought “This would make a GREAT movie”. The problem was that the special effects probably couldn’t keep up with the needs of the story back in 1988. Today, it wouldn’t be a problem and it would still make a great movie.
Preparing to do this review gave me the chance to read this book again. I loved it just as much this time as all the others. The book is still available in hardback, paperback and e-book versions.
If you love science fiction this should on your shelves as well.
Stories Are My Life 
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