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The Art of the Houdini Scientist and the other soulless zombies who were never here... (Hummingbird Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Tr Nowry (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 112 ratings
See all formats and editions
Houdini Scientist: Noun.

1) A young inventor that hides the secrets to her science behind elaborate misdirection and an illusion of incomprehensible complexity, like a magician would.

2) Just another soulless zombie trapped in a secret base that officially doesn't exist.

3) A girl that will save the world, if she can save herself first.


* * *

"Some savants can play concert-level piano at the age of five, without ever taking a lesson. Others can do advanced math in their heads,
draw a Picasso with crayons, or recite every word they've ever read or heard. Her piano was a lathe, a plasma cutter, and an automated mill. And the songs she played shook the world."

* * *

In the control room of a secret mountain base, a dozen engineers crowded around a wall of monitors as the girl on the screens connected the final pieces of a month long, multimillion-dollar project.
"They can't seriously be thinking about turning that thing on, can they?" the new engineer said.
"Believe it."
"She's what, thirteen?"
Stepping closer to the screen, the lead engineer just shook his head, "I've seen her like this before. Almost a trance the—"
"Have you looked closely at that thing?" He pointed to the array of ducts, pipes, and tubes that fed an enormous ring bolted to the ceiling, dripping with frost. "Staring up, it almost looks like a—"
"A Stargate, right out of the TV sho—"
"And they're prepared to let a teenage girl not only build one, but turn it on? Are you crazy?"
Right then she hesitated, held out her hand as if conducting an orchestra, and pointed to the camera.
"God help us," the lead engineer said, sending more power than the entire US grid surging through the alien-looking device.
Booooommmmmm!!!
They plunged into darkness as a muffled explosion rumbled through the base. "Richter 3.9!" someone announced, lights flickering on.
"Get me eyes in that chamber!" the XO said. "I want to see what kind of rabbit she just pulled from our hat."

A much calmer eleven years earlier...

The newly transferred major showed his badge at the gate...




The Art of the Houdini Scientist is a prequel to The Hummingbird Series (Patent Mine, Hell from a Well, The Heredity of Hummingbirds, and Mourning After Dawn) and Daughters of Immortality



Prequel, in this case, literally means it was written years after "Patent Mine" but takes place (within the storyline) before "Patent Mine". Because of this it naturally, and unavoidably ends where the other begins. The books in this series can best be thought of like seasons on TV shows, with "The Art of the Houdini scientist..." as season one.
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 7
    Hummingbird series
  2. Print length
    469 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    March 22, 2012
  6. File size
    1666 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B007O0FNQA
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (March 22, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 22, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1666 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 469 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 112 ratings

About the author

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tr nowry

tr nowry

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I tried to write my first novel with a thousand monkeys at a thousand typewriters, but all the flung expletives were much harder to delete than I was led to believe. Now I do it the old fashion way, one key at a time. Lord help me but, this aint lookin no bUtter!

The Hummingbird series starts with Houdini Scientist and continues with Patent Mine, Hell from a Well, The Heredity of Hummingbirds, Mourning after Dawn, Daughters of Immortality, and Waffen. Each is more like a season on a TV series, building on each other, than what typically gets cranked out of the big publishing serial mills. Other titles on the way.

I'm about as Indie as it gets, no editor, no publishing house, no cover artists, no safety net, no... well, it's just me, a taped-together '03 laptop, and a Google phone connecting me to all of you... the way it was intended. Questions, comments, found some typos? I'm on Facebook (those months I can afford to pay my phone bill :)

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
112 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Nathaniel E. Parkinson II
5.0 out of 5 stars These are "Must Read" books if you love SciFi and great character development!
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2013
Verified Purchase
Just finished this entire series - ending at Waffen - and I must thank this author for a most delightful month. I have a long long habit of immersing myself in books, especially series like these, and devouring them. NoWry has a singular talent for weaving characters and technology into plausible 'flesh and blood' and making the reader actually CARE about the characters.

The author makes it quite clear in all his books that they are not suitable for children, and this is true. Real life is often brutal and unpleasant and some of the scenes are brutal and quite violent, but in no way is this a criticism. It is merely good story telling - the stories demand such utter harsh reality and would be implausible were these element excluded to conform to the squeamish sensibilities of a minority.

Where NoWry truly excels in in his crafting of a seamless, believable, and totally new combination of scientific design. We're talking quantum, sub molecular particle physics - but created and written in a way that even someone who flunked 'Physics for Poets' can follow.

I do not know how much of the science is 'real' and technically possible with today's technology, but I now have a real interest in termites and shall actually investigate.

I have read SciFi for over 50 years - cutting my teeth on Heinlein's 'juveniles' at about age 8 and count myself as just enough of an expert in this genre to say that this series is as much a future classic as Frank Herbert's Dune. I may go so far as to ask permission from the author to get a paper copy printed at Kinko's just to ensure that I never lose my set. It would probably cost me nearly $200 to do, but since I expect to re-read these many times I am unwilling to leave my ownership of them to the life expectancy of an iPad.

GREAT character development, very few typos (I have emailed and PM'd with the author - he does his own editing and does a better job than my editor and 5 beta readers...in 6 books I found only 2 noticeable bits...heck that is as good as it gets in the Indy world)

You owe it to yourself to meet Shadona - do NOT pass these up!
6 people found this helpful
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David GreyBeard
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book! Great point from which to start... In The Beginning.
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2013
Verified Purchase
Conspiracy Heaven!
The author sets the framework in today's world. In America, in a clandestine Army facility, which, of course, could never really exist in here in America today. Right? Not in our current climate of governmental transparency, where everyone born in this country is free to do exactly what they want. Right?

The author brilliantly weaves current technology of all sorts and then blends it together with an single-minded bureaucracy with a ulterior motive.

The Horticultural technology detailing the modification of corn and potatoes is not only plausible; but it is completely doable, and does not fall under the category of GMO because they achieved their results the old-fashioned way... Through tightly controlled cross-breeding.
Therefore, it will never be done for exactly the reasons explained in the book.

The same reasoning applies to the Termite experiment. They do for woody grasses what the humble earthworms do soil; they process it internally and render it sterile, leaving only nutritionally beneficial by-products necessary for plant growth. Earthworm also render sewage sludge sterile. In addition, they can also render soil contaminated with heavy metals and radioactive materials clean and ready for use in a relatively short period of time (3-5 years).

The Energy Technology described does exist; but anyone attempting to promote it are ridiculed, disparaged, and eventually broken. At least here in America. The Swedish Navy has a submarine that uses a Stirling engine that cannot be detected even while it is running. This is the exact same engine described in the book; the one that initiates the electrical current flowing through magnetic fields that supply the power everything else.

The Author, TR NoWry, uses this same level of expertise with the development of each character. Having lived with 'special needs' children; I am in awe at the way (s)he was able to explain (what are normally called deficiencies) Shadona's strengths and how she existed.

This book is NOT intended for children. At least not until they understand Life, and truly appreciate Grimm's Fairy Tales for the Truth they contain. Adults 'should' be able to do this also.

Read the BOOK! Get the rest of the answers, the ones I only implied. It is well worth the time spent. Have a great time.
3 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Love the premise....
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2013
Verified Purchase
I read "Patent Mine" first and was blown away by the premise and story. When I read reviews and found out there was more stories and a series I downloaded them all. I went back and read this one then continued through the humming bird series. I'm in the 5th one now and can barely stand it. Spoiler*** The writing is great, the story(s) are good, the abuse, pain and, NEVER get a break suffering, endured by the female main characters of each book is ridiculous. WTHeck... I am dying to find out if there is a happy ending (anywhere) but am beginning doubt. This is a shame because the writing is GOOD! Hopefully I can amend this when I get to the end of "Waffen" but we will see. I read the first 2 books in a day Now i can only read a few chapters then take a day break to get my mind and spirit back from the dark side. I'm going to try and finish them. wish me luck!! *** Well, Just finished "Waffen" and I've got to say I enjoyed the series. Especially the last few books where things get Way better for the females in the story. LOL. tr nowry is a really good writer and This is a very good story/series. I must mention for an Indie Writer I've found Far fewer errors than most of the other indie authors on Amazon. I hope he continues to write. I think he will be one of the good ones for many years to come.
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Top reviews from other countries

Keith Crossland
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Talent
Reviewed in Canada on May 11, 2014
Verified Purchase
I am impressed with Nowry's writing and clever ideas. The way that we are made to think about the uses of science for military purposes is very well done, and the puzzles built into the story are positively fiendish. Altogether a very good book and I ordered several more of the series.
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Lana
5.0 out of 5 stars Totally different and fantastic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 2, 2013
Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this story. I've read books with a similar initial premise and thought it would be similar to some of Dean Koontz' s work. This novel was even more thought provoking. I found the characters believable and enjoyed seeing the lead character grow and develop over the years.
I recommend this book :)
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Jules
3.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 1, 2013
Verified Purchase
A very long book but well written. In my opinion would make a good film or tv series I would recommend this book
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