Interstellar Politics: The Boy, the Bootlegger, and the Telepathic Aliens

When humanity encounters the mysterious beings known as the Manipulators, everything changes. These ancient telepathic aliens possess knowledge that spans galaxies and the ability to reshape worlds. Yet when they choose their first human representatives, they select two unlikely ambassadors: a young boy and a rough edged bootlegger named Al Kroemer. Suddenly thrust into a universe far beyond anything he imagined, Al becomes involved in the struggle to free the Manipulators from enslavement across the galaxy. Their alliance opens the door to extraordinary new technologies, powerful enemies, and complex interstellar politics. As civilizations watch and wait, the future of more than one species may depend on the courage and decisions of the most unexpected diplomats ever chosen.

Cleve Farmer was born in Oklahoma and raised in West Texas. After graduating from high school he joined the United States Navy during the Cold War era. His service was extended during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and he spent part of that time operating near the coast of Russia. After leaving the Navy he moved to the Dallas Fort Worth area to pursue work and continue his education. His career eventually led him into the telecommunications industry during a period of rapid technological change. Farmer was involved in the early transition from rotary dialing to touch tone telephone systems and later built one of his first computers when eight kilobytes of memory was considered substantial. Over time he worked with developing network systems and communication technologies using both copper and fiber. Drawing on a lifetime of experiences with technology, travel, and change, Cleve Farmer writes science fiction that explores humanity’s place in a much larger universe.