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By Leo Kasim

The old English adage says “Don’t judge a book by its cover” but in this case one could be guilty of that. The Forlorn Adventure, written by 26-year old Bruneian Amir Falique, is a science fiction thriller but it is hard to tell when you look at the cover; scrambled eggs on toast with tomato sauce on a red and white checkered tablecloth with a knife and fork on each side.

Based on the book’s synopsis, the story is set in 2025 in which NASA selects Brunei’s first astronaut, A’jon Emir, and tasked him with installing software that could unlock the secrets of ancient languages and help warn its users of potential threats to Earth. The synopsis continues:

“Although he must leave his fiancée behind, A'jon knows a life-changing opportunity awaits as he boards a plane bound for America. But little does he know that the world he is leaving behind is about to change-possibly forever. After he completes intense training in Houston, A'jon and the crew rocket into orbit on the shuttle. But after the flight commander manages to avoid a missile fired to destroy the ship, the violent maneuver causes a survival knife to break free from a compartment, stabbing A'jon and rendering him vulnerable to a bacterial infection. Unfortunately, that is not all the bad news: a war has broken out on Earth, leaving the astronauts unable to return home. With the mission now aborted, the crew must do everything in their power to avoid potential enemies. In this science fiction thriller, a Bruneian astronaut is unwittingly propelled into a dangerous adventure in space, where he may be forced to hide longer than he ever imagined.”

“I took that photo myself and that is actually from one of the more romantic scenes in the book. I didn’t want to fit into the stereotype of sci-fi in which you’d expect planets and rockets on the cover,’’ says the 26 year old multimedia graduate from Lim Kok Wing University.

Sounds like pieces of a puzzle that don’t seem to fit? Maybe. But Amir Falique intends it to be that way in the beginning as he follows the style of British filmmaker Guy Ritchie.


“I like Ritchie’s concept of multiple character stories such as in ‘Snatch’ and ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’. In the first hour, none of the characters come together but as the story progresses it all comes together in the final 10 minutes,’’ he explains.

It took nine months for Amir to finish the story and a few more months for editing and publication. All this is possible because of his self-imposed discipline to write one page per day.

The Forlorn Adventure book launch will place at TT Blues Restaurant in Gadong on 18th May 2014. Copies are available for pre-order at the restaurant or by calling 2424527. For more information visit the book’s Facebook page or visit Amir Falique's website.

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