CAPITAL SOURCES

Out of the 'Axis' of Evil

After the nuclear deal, what is ahead for North Korea?

By Daniel Stone | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Jun 30, 2008 | Updated: 10:45 a.m. ET Jun 30, 2008

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Posted By: The_epoch_point @ 07/05/2008 10:24:15 PM

Comment: Wisconsin's unique landmarks once again find themselves in the pages of the latest novel to be presented to readers of history, thrillers and religion in a work that combines all three genres into an adventurous global conspiracy.

The Epoch Point, just released on May 1 and written by Wisconsin native Spencer Zimmerman, is a fictional novel that includes historical facts, certain to intrigue history buffs who are interested in history from the local to the international level, especially as that history thrillingly plays out into what Zimmerman describes as a worldwide "conflict between God and the devil, good and evil."

According to the book's synopsis, the lead character, Robert Davis, is "a young Airman fresh out of Air Force basic training," reflective of Zimmerman's own recent service in the Air Force. "After being held captive in China, (Davis) suddenly finds himself unraveling the most immense conspiracy in history...soon uncovering hidden facts suggesting Russian and Iraqi involvement...discovering the diary of Lee Harvey Oswald...As the clues surface, an evil emerges powerful enough to rewrite the entire history of humanity...before long the conspiracy takes on a supernatural form, marked by [natural disasters] and the wrath of God...Nothing [prepares] (Davis) for the final suspenseful twist the story takes, a da Vinci style revelation that reaffirms his belief in Christ."
Posted By: The_epoch_point @ 07/05/2008 10:24:04 PM

Comment: Zimmerman, having lived in several locations around Wisconsin, including near Lake Mills and Watertown, incorporated Wisconsin locations and history into his novel, among them a Viking cathedral on Washington Island and the events surrounding Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy. Also mentioned is a small village outside of Burlington, Wisconsin, founded by a Mormon religious leader who proclaimed himself king, the only monarchy to ever occur in the forty-eight continental states in American history. Among the other Wisconsin landmarks in The Epoch Point, and most notably, the famous national landmark Aztalan is discussed at length.

Zimmerman's discussion of Aztalan in his book in part follows what Zimmerman calls the "darker" side of Aztalan, including its cannibalism and religious practices, and the instantaneous disappearance of its thriving population. Zimmerman's writing also seeks to make connections between Aztalan's existence with that of the Minoan civilization from Ancient Greece and Zoroastrian culture of the Middle East. All three peoples had similar beliefs, worshipped fire (one of Aztalan's mounds is believed to have been the abode of an "eternal" flame) and practiced human sacrifice and cannibalism.

Zimmerman noted all of these "obscure (historical) connections," which ultimately inspired him to take the connections and formulate them into an adventurous plot. Writing his book took roughly two years.

The book's chapters are titled after the sixty-six books of the Bible, and the plot progresses as Davis reads through each chapter of the Bible, opening the Bible for the first time in chapter one of The Epoch Point. Each chapter follows a "flashback" style in structure, in which the book's characters experience revelations of historical events and experiences from 4000 B.C. to the present, which allow them to observe how those events contributed to the global conspiracy they are presently confronting. Zimmerman states that the book's events begin on New Year's Eve of 2000, and end on Christmas of 2006.

While writing novels remains at present a hobby for Zimmerman, he already has ideas for a second novel that he anticipates will follow a more scientific fiction path. The Epoch Point is currently available through Amazon.com, and Zimmerman is hoping to get copies of the book into some of Lake Mills's downtown novelty shops.
-Emily Ann Paape "The Lake Mills Leader"
Posted By: Wired @ 07/02/2008 3:09:54 PM

Comment: I despise Bush. But I gotta give it to him (administration). This is probably the most positive/moral thing they have done in the last 8 years. Diplomacy and tough sanctions are THE BEST solutions to problem nations. No one like to be told what to do especially with the threat of military action. But choke them with sanctions and they have no choice but to gasp.
Posted By: lobsternooberg @ 07/02/2008 2:06:55 PM

Comment: i smell an inside deal not for peace , not for democracy , not for world good but for power money and a furtherance of the usual political scheming and undermining of the human soul ( if it exists :P )

i wonder what north korea got out of the deal and OFF the books
Posted By: abefe @ 07/02/2008 8:51:18 AM

Comment: This is at least one victory for president bush,and it should be highly praised.North Korea should be commended and all sanctions imposed be removed.If America and others handle this well it might encourage the likewise nuclear-armed others to give up for economics benefits. One good turn deserves another.
Posted By: abefe @ 07/02/2008 8:38:37 AM

Comment: iugyydgygfggyegy
Posted By: Reporter Guy @ 07/01/2008 11:23:13 PM

Comment: Unfriggin believable.
North Korea blows up their cooling tower -- thereby disabling their nuclear reactor --- and Newsweek buries it in the last graph of an interview that's not even one of their main stories.
(note to Dr. Cha: they didn't shut down the tower at Yongbyon.....THEY BLEW IT UP. Kinda different, and kinda symbolic)
Of course the media hates news like this, because they refuse to give the Bush administration credit for anything.
Newsweek is the very definition of liberal, biased media.
Shame. You should not let your hate of Bush prevent you from reporting the news, because, um, THIS IS PRETTY MAJOR NEWS.
This country has been a huge problem for DECADES.
When Cuba opens up -- and it will, eventually -- that crap will be all over the news, but a nuclear nation that has threatened to turn the Korean peninsula into ash has finally disarmed and the most crucial facet of this is the LAST SENTENCE in the story? And how many days did it take for you to report this?
Do you people know how to write a lead? Generally speaking, YOU PUT THE MAJOR NEWS FIRST, then follow with the details.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Stories like this, presented as such, are the reason so many people turn to the jackasses on Fox News, because nearly every other media outlet has blinders on.
YOU SUCK NEWSWEEK.