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H: Infidels of Oil
Politically, Socially, Emotionally Jolting
After a rudimentary H-bomb erupts half-a-world away in a Middle-Eastern oil field, global war appears imminent. Cultural beliefs and raw cowboy personalities fatally clash when terrorists smuggle several obsolete Soviet hydrogen weapons into west Texas. Their mission is an all-out nuclear-radiation assault on American oil fields. This border breach threatens to permanently poison vast strategic U.S. underground petroleum energy reserves.
Amid constant turmoil from production costs, plunging barrel prices, and predictions of a soon-to-be hydrogen-powered world; a handful of oilmen counter attack. Grit-hardened, these small-town roughnecks reluctantly realize that they are all alone with the enemy on the Texas desert. Under a looming cloud of nuclear fallout, they defy the imminent demise of not just their individual careers, but collectively their very lives.
The idea for "H" is taken from the front pages of today's news. “H” exposes a variety of contradictions in dogmatic assumptions and human values.
After a rudimentary H-bomb erupts half-a-world away in a Middle-Eastern oil field, global war appears imminent. Cultural beliefs and raw cowboy personalities fatally clash when terrorists smuggle several obsolete Soviet hydrogen weapons into west Texas. Their mission is an all-out nuclear-radiation assault on American oil fields. This border breach threatens to permanently poison vast strategic U.S. underground petroleum energy reserves.
Amid constant turmoil from production costs, plunging barrel prices, and predictions of a soon-to-be hydrogen-powered world; a handful of oilmen counter attack. Grit-hardened, these small-town roughnecks reluctantly realize that they are all alone with the enemy on the Texas desert. Under a looming cloud of nuclear fallout, they defy the imminent demise of not just their individual careers, but collectively their very lives.
The idea for "H" is taken from the front pages of today's news. “H” exposes a variety of contradictions in dogmatic assumptions and human values.
235 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 4, 2017
About the author
Ray Palla
3 books9 followersRay put three decades into a commercial broadcast career. He anchored two top-rated Texas radio news desks.
His books, KRILL AMERICA, SIMPLE TRIPLE STANDARD, and H have 5-Stars on Amazon.
During his journalism career, Ray interviewed astronauts who walked on the moon like Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin and the late Neil A. Armstrong. Ray recalls that “those two, like school kids,” sparred over who spoke the first words on the moon. “Aldrin still contends that he said something about a soft landing just seconds before Armstrong famously reported to Houston that the Eagle had landed.”
U.S. Senators, Governors, Mayors, and a host of other influential notables interviewed with Ray (and they all called him ‘Ray’). His “on and off-the-record” dialogs invoked hundreds of musicians, actors, comedians, sports legends, and daily-dozens of down-to-earth people to speak up or speak out. From those conversations, Ray learned the art of telling a compelling story.
Palla recently said, “I was too young and naïve to grasp the ‘forever impact’ of some of them. Like Willie Nelson. I just hope that a piece of Willie’s greatness shines out through me, as a result of my quest to peer into how his success came to be. What an incredible influence some men and women ‘troubadour’ into future generations! I admire those who do.”
Mr. Palla also boasts awards for several national advertising campaign jingles for customers that include Ford, Purina, and Exxon.
His books, KRILL AMERICA, SIMPLE TRIPLE STANDARD, and H have 5-Stars on Amazon.
During his journalism career, Ray interviewed astronauts who walked on the moon like Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin and the late Neil A. Armstrong. Ray recalls that “those two, like school kids,” sparred over who spoke the first words on the moon. “Aldrin still contends that he said something about a soft landing just seconds before Armstrong famously reported to Houston that the Eagle had landed.”
U.S. Senators, Governors, Mayors, and a host of other influential notables interviewed with Ray (and they all called him ‘Ray’). His “on and off-the-record” dialogs invoked hundreds of musicians, actors, comedians, sports legends, and daily-dozens of down-to-earth people to speak up or speak out. From those conversations, Ray learned the art of telling a compelling story.
Palla recently said, “I was too young and naïve to grasp the ‘forever impact’ of some of them. Like Willie Nelson. I just hope that a piece of Willie’s greatness shines out through me, as a result of my quest to peer into how his success came to be. What an incredible influence some men and women ‘troubadour’ into future generations! I admire those who do.”
Mr. Palla also boasts awards for several national advertising campaign jingles for customers that include Ford, Purina, and Exxon.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 17, 2017
The curious title of Ray Palla’s latest novel "H:Infidels of Oil" isn’t so curious once you get into the story. Things heat up early in the narrative as a group of terrorists sets off a H-bomb in a Middle Eastern oilfield. Meanwhile, back in the United States we are introduced to some colourful characters, their language and their habits. They are roughnecks who stumble upon another group of terrorists, related to their brothers in the Middle East, who are hell bent on igniting not only the local oil fields but the global war which they hope will follow. Also riding along are some Mexican illegals including some women hoping to make it to the delights of Las Vegas. It’s an interesting mix. The motley crew of cussin’, cursin’ sun-hardened oilmen decide to take on the terrorists. And the result is explosive.
I had a little difficulty getting into the story. With characters named Foot, Pad, Wichita and Weasel I wondered if I’d happened upon a nursery rhyme. Then there’s the dialogue. What’s going on? But soon the mist cleared and I could see the road ahead. Of course oilmen would talk like that and they’d all have weird nicknames. Once I settled into the story it grew on me. A considerable amount of research on many subjects must have been carried out for "H:Infidels of Oil." The dialogue, certainly that of the American characters, sounds realistic and Ray Palla paints a picture with his words so it is easy to visualise every scene. But there is room for improvement. I wondered about the Middle Eastern dialogue. Of course it is translated into English but it is difficult to imagine a Farsi speaker saying “my good man” as an English gentleman might, or “at your pleasure, sir.” Even with the English speakers, not enough use is made of contractions to make the dialogue sound more realistic. In this era of the Internet and Google it isn’t necessary to explain in brackets various terms, even technical ones. That, plus an overuse of commas, can give the text a staccato-like effect. The tension in the story might have been beefed up a little to make it more of a page-turner if there were more scenes involving the Middle Eastern characters and less of the mundane day to day conversation of the English speakers. Those peccadillos aside, the story itself is imaginative, a real Boy’s Own adventure and well worth a read.
I had a little difficulty getting into the story. With characters named Foot, Pad, Wichita and Weasel I wondered if I’d happened upon a nursery rhyme. Then there’s the dialogue. What’s going on? But soon the mist cleared and I could see the road ahead. Of course oilmen would talk like that and they’d all have weird nicknames. Once I settled into the story it grew on me. A considerable amount of research on many subjects must have been carried out for "H:Infidels of Oil." The dialogue, certainly that of the American characters, sounds realistic and Ray Palla paints a picture with his words so it is easy to visualise every scene. But there is room for improvement. I wondered about the Middle Eastern dialogue. Of course it is translated into English but it is difficult to imagine a Farsi speaker saying “my good man” as an English gentleman might, or “at your pleasure, sir.” Even with the English speakers, not enough use is made of contractions to make the dialogue sound more realistic. In this era of the Internet and Google it isn’t necessary to explain in brackets various terms, even technical ones. That, plus an overuse of commas, can give the text a staccato-like effect. The tension in the story might have been beefed up a little to make it more of a page-turner if there were more scenes involving the Middle Eastern characters and less of the mundane day to day conversation of the English speakers. Those peccadillos aside, the story itself is imaginative, a real Boy’s Own adventure and well worth a read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review