Star Man (ePub)

First-year intern Dr. James Braiden receives an education in timeless truths from Karel "Star Man" Starn, a mysteriously ageless patient at a long-term mental health facility shrouded in rumors, secrets, and bureaucratic cover-ups. At first, Braiden is so distracted by suspicious patient files and reports of paranormal events, he nearly misses the golden opportunity to learn from a master. As the maverick doctor works doggedly to unravel troublesome discrepancies in Starn's case file, a series of rarefied conversations between Braiden and Starn take place behind closed doors. Roles are reversed as patient guides doctor through a mind-bending journey.

Starn builds his case for a new way of living in the world methodically, doling out successive layers of gemlike insight at each meeting. When the Star Man speaks, saying things like "What we call evil in the worldly experience is not an entity unto itself. It only has as much power as we ourselves ascribe to it. There is only one real, true power, and that is the power of Love," Braiden is intrigued but resistant. When he is able to integrate the wisdom offered by Starn, Braiden finds healing for his broken heart, new beginnings with another love, and a better way to practice medicine. By the end of the novel, Starn has transferred over to his hand-selected protégé the most brilliant aspects of our zeitgeist.

Stories that touch the quiet place inside us transcend time and inspire us to think about our individual purpose within a universe greater than ourselves. Herman Hesse's Siddhartha and Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist are such stories. In a similar way, Star Man: A Novel aims to show readers that a mindset free of fear unleashes unlimited possibilities, and that love always finds the way home.