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Francis's published books |
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The combined three volumes of the Valley Trilogy. The first volume "House Arrest - A Story of Liberation" described how survivors in the Sacramento Valley, after a nuclear war, start to rebuild their lives and defeat a tyrannical government in the town of Sacramento. The second volume "Rainbow Valley - A Story of Choices" continues the saga by describing how six towns in the valley organize their lives according to different economic principles choosing a social organization that works for them. The third volume: "Valley of Hope - A Story of Consequences" talks about how consequences of past mistakes, like ignoring climate change, catch up with the folks in the Valley, threatening their survival. They have only one hope: find another planet where they can start with a clean slate. In the meantime, they have to hide in underground cities when life above ground becomes too dangerous. The chickens have come home to roost and our abused and exploited planet Earth demands justice. |
I was in awe of the realistic dialogue and vivid detail given to every
character. Each idea was easy to envision. For example, when an engineer
creates a design for improving outdated equipment, it is broken down in
simple terms so anybody can visualize the result. All forms of government
were objectively viewed by the people in their political debates. Are
communism, socialism, dictatorships, or capitalism the only options to
prevent the destruction of the planet? Will short-term solutions result in
a downward spiral in the long term? I recommend the Time is Running Out -
The Valley Trilogy to readers who are interested in evaluating different
possibilities for saving the planet before mass destruction results in the
end of all life. - Reviewed by Stephanie Chapman for Readers’ Favorite
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Finally, this third volume of the Valley Trilogy: "Valley of Hope - A Story of Consequences" talks about how consequences of past mistakes, like ignoring climate change, catch up with the folks in the Valley, threatening their survival. They have only one hope: find another planet where they can start with a clean slate. In the meantime, they have to hide in underground cities when life above ground becomes too dangerous. The chickens have come home to roost and our abused and exploited planet Earth demands justice. |
Valley of Hope has an interesting plot. I was hooked on this story of
survival early on as Francis Mont did a great job of setting the scene.
The incorporation of climate change and where our society might be headed
was a nice addition. The pacing mirrored the speed of the impending doom
and helped give a sense of how chaotic life might be for the characters. I
also liked the way that the situation on Earth kept deteriorating as the
story went on, as opposed to the plot just being about brave souls
traversing the cosmos. When well done, the duality of despair and hope
always work perfectly at getting me invested in the plight of the
characters and the plot. This is a book that entertained and got me
thinking about the future. - Reviewed by Nicholus Schroeder for Readers’ Favorite
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After a nuclear war destroyed most of the USA, a few surviving towns in the Sacramento Valley, California, try to rebuild their lives.The six towns in our Valley form an interesting little ‘country’ - independent in their internal organizations, but trading with each other by contributing their strengths in areas in which other towns have deficiencies. It’s an all-around win-win community. Inside these towns, vibrant social experiments explore the different ways human beings can relate to each other. They have economic systems ranging from Capitalism to Communism; from agricultural cooperatives to Technocracy; from benevolent dictatorship to pure anarchy. The beauty of the system is that no one is trying to force their way on anyone else, ideology was replaced by pragmatism - each town follows its own idea of what works for them. |
Francis Mont’s Rainbow Valley: A Story Of Choices is a science fiction
novel that depicts a frightening world. What makes it chilling is that we
may well be on our way to this dystopian world. The story is well
researched, so much so that it is quite realistic. Francis Mont has a
vivid descriptive style and the flow of his narrative is logical.
Fast-paced with many interesting plot twists, it is an interesting read.
And in spite of the chaos brought about by the breakdown of the world
order, the indomitable human spirit shines through and this is what makes
Rainbow Valley different from many dystopian novels. Humans may, after
all, learn from past mistakes, and build communities that truly nurture
life. - Reviewed by Maria Victoria Beltran for Readers’ Favorite
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I enjoy the way Perambulations by Francis Mont takes the reader through a
connected but separate series of events that span time and space. Each
theme is well presented, and the writing style makes for an enjoyable
read. I appreciated the backstory at the beginning of the book. I felt I
knew the author even before reading his collection of stories, which gave
me a deeper insight into the short stories. The combination of
self-deprecating descriptors and often very humorous storylines allowed
for an easy read. The pacing was pleasantly broken up by the addition of
poetry that wittily and sweetly captured the essence of each theme. The
author chose ideas and experiences that most people can relate to and
connect with, leaving a lasting impression upon the reader. - Reviewed by Sheena Monnin for Readers’ Favorite
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As I write this memoir, in 2021, memories keep flooding into my mind, documenting my life leading from ignorance to confusion, to clarity. I am calling this memoir an intellectual autobiography because, what’s important to report on are not the actual events that happened, but the stages of mental development that transformed my idealistic and romantic self to the mindset of an old curmudgeon, with bone-cutting honesty and total lack of illusions. I hope that my journey may show a path in the labyrinth of possible understandings and convictions. I believe I have arrived at the truth at the end, such as it is possible for a fallible human being. So, without further ado, here is my story |
"...for me the most engaging parts of this captivating book are Atilla’s time as a youth in Budapest, his and Marta’s defection to the West, and their early years in freedom, relishing their mind-opening experiences in Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the States. Mr. Mont made me feel Atilla’s excitement and unfettered joy of the streets, parks, and neighborhoods of Toronto, the magnificence of Niagara Falls, his first sight of New York City from a helicopter, and his delight at the ease of entry into financial self-support." - Jon Michael Miller Readers' Favorite
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You can understand Physics -- it’s easy! Whether you are a curious layman or a student, understanding basic concepts is the key to mastering the principles by which the universe operates. Accompany the scientists as they struggled with the same mysteries that you are trying to face and untangle yourself. Reading this book will guide you through that journey, at the end of which you will have: - acquired a clear picture of
concepts. |
"It is different from many other science books as it discusses the history, theory, and practical implications of physics, including the social and ethical aspects. The scientific descriptions are interlaced with background stories and also the occasional joke, insightful quote, or philosophical analysis. This results in an enjoyable read, especially compared to traditional science books." -
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"the volume in its entirety remains a very enjoyable read, accessible to a wide audience but with enough intelligent social commentary to make this a work clearly superior to the average science-fiction collection." Chris Angelis, PhD, English Literature |
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A collaborative story of kings, witches, dragons and a prince and a princess that stretches the imagination and requires serious suspension of disbelief. It is based on a story that was written by four people who never met, did not know one another and never discussed the plot. Each added characters and events until it all came together at the end. One day, back in June, 2013, ALF was bored looking at the new posts on his favourite website: Secular Café. He had been posting his poems and other writings on the “Creative Writing” thread for over a year and did have a lot of fun reading posts from other poets and writers, but recently nothing interesting showed up. So he decided to stir things up a bit and posted the following query, addressed to his favourite writer on the board: Shadowfox: ALF: So, where are the other creative writers willing and ready to rejuvenate this thread? A while ago, Fox posted a challenge ("The Last Man on Earth") that I found very enjoyable and so did several of us. Fox, any more of those challenges? It could be fun! To which he received an immediate reply: SF: Well, here's one to begin a tale, each person to contribute a few lines. Could get to be quite funny! “He was a dark and stormy knight”. Any style, prose or poetry, any genre. That is how it started. |
“What I liked about this story was the diverse cast of characters. They all tie together beautifully towards the end. Karma does what it does and while this has the good triumphs over evil in the typical knight stories, this is anything but. I loved the addition of female fighters and the strong female characters in the book who weren't the slightest bit apologetic about who they were. All in all, a fun read.” J.B. Trepagnier, author of My Beautiful Monsters and Fortuna Academy series
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This is a story of
post-nuclear-war America in 2098. |
"This was a terribly fascinating read, particularly as the story progressed and we moved to more of a survivalist, rebuilding setting...it’s a fun, fun story, and the devil’s in the details, and author Mont makes this post-apocalyptic tale totally work as described. The best spec fic gives you chills because it’s totally believable, and this one works!" - "As a writer, Mont has demonstrated an impressive flair in picturing a bleak future and the organization of its society. He has written more than just about artificial intelligence; it is about men and women and how their propensity toward freedom and justice may well bring a spark of hope and rectify what is already a chronic and oppressive social structure. It is about you and me. If you are ever in the mood to read a visionary sci-fi tale, this novel should be your priority." -Reviewed By Vincent Dublado for Readers’ Favorite
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The "Time Scope", is a Sci-Fi
TV Set that can be tuned to any space and time coordinate and observe
events, without sound, as they took place in the past. It has control
buttons and dials for 'Power', 'Time', 'Space', 'Zoom', 'Speed', 'Scan'
and 'Track'. It is used, among other things, by an American Senator to
find out if his party's presidential nominee, a retired general is, in
fact, a power-mad maniac with dictatorial ambitions. He wants to save his
country from a rogue president who could cause immense harm to both the
USA and to the rest of the world. This is the smallest of their problems,
The bigger one spans the entire galaxy |
"...I really loved the sci-fi/fantasy aspects. Somewhere about halfway through there is a really interesting viewpoint added. That was a lot of fun to think about....This is a thought provoking sci-fi adventure with a relevant message in trying times." - "Saved in Time: An Escape Story is an entertaining science fiction tale that encapsulates the concept of history repeating itself. Author Francis Mont's fast-paced narrative deftly showcases humans' tendency to repeat past mistakes in their quest for power. The cast is quite large, and multiple POVs are used to portray the varying factions involved in the narrative. The inclusion of extremely radical political factions in the plot has some accurate real-world parallels. I found Zack, Joe, Ivo, and Jenna to be my favorite characters from the bunch. I particularly enjoyed the Atlantis chapters and found the advanced civilization fascinating to read. If you're looking for an entertaining science fiction adventure sprinkled with some meta-commentary, Saved in Time: An Escape Story is the book for you." Reviewed By Pikasho Deka for Readers’ Favorite
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The
history of Physics can be broken down to roughly three main phases. During
the first phase experiments were performed, phenomena discovered, laws
established, predictions made and applications found. . During the second phase assumptions and hypothesis were advanced about the hidden causes of the phenomena and then mathematical theories constructed based on these assumptions. The predictions of the mathematical models were tested and found to agree with reality, however nobody knew for sure whether the chosen assumptions were the right ones – they did not make any sense to the human mind. The third phase is pure speculation, based on wild assumptions that could never be verified. Very sophisticated mathematical models were created, the predictions of which could never be tested and no conceivable application could be seen forthcoming, however some Physicists see the proof of their theories in the aesthetic beauty of their equations. (Word of caution: many theories in science, like Ptolemy's epicycles, were considered beautiful and it also worked for a thousand years in spite of being utter nonsense). That is why I gave the title “Epicycle Physics” to this third phase of Physics |
"As a physicist, Francis Mont has a deep knowledge of the subject. As an author, he knows exactly how to present this knowledge in a way that is accessible—this is a telltale sign of a skillful educator: to know how to explain complex concepts in a way that they can be understood by adults and college students alike....Overall, this is a fantastic book — whether as a companion piece to Humane Physics or on its own — that can definitely become a go-to volume for anyone looking to have a quick reference guide for the who-is-who of modern physics. Very highly recommended! " Chris Angelis, PhD
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Collected poems from 2000 to 2013. The collection is organized in seven groups, each corresponding to one of the seven emotions, expressed by the poems in that group: hope, joy, humour, love, sadness, anger and despair. These feelings are also represented by the rainbow: from the happy warm colours to the sad cool ones. In addition, the poems also comment on the most important lessons the author learned in a long and adventurous life. |
"Definitely
5 stars, and worth the read. There’s a lifetime of info in this book and
everyone needs to adapt this way of thinking for the betterment of
yourself, all living things around you-including people, and the planet as
a whole because indeed we are all ONE." "The author studied Theoretical Physics, worked in Computer Science, and has a unique way with words. Not to mention, there is such a profound depth in the way that he perceives the world. Needless to say, I was (quite) pleasantly surprised by this anthology. I enjoyed the writing style immensely. The open form made it easy to read and was an effective choice in delivering various life lessons and experiences...Mont was able to communicate a great deal in very few words. There was so much unexpected insight hidden in some of these poems." -Annie Arcane, Author of Dare to Love
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