APPEARING LIVE AT THE FINAL TEST is an intense hybrid of contemporary real-world drama and mythic science fiction about a black newsstand operator, his wife and three neighbors in a Brooklyn-like neighborhood, whose lives take a cosmic punch from a nuclear bomb threat that launches them on an eerie and spellbinding journey. "APPEARING LIVE AT THE FINAL TEST is an extremely well-written novel--a pleasure to read, a wild ride of depression at some points, exhilaration at others. John Teton has raised some serious concerns regarding the fate of civilizations, and our consciousness is raised with this thought-provoking work." Eric Chaisson, Author, COSMIC EVOLUTION Professor of Astronomy and Physics, Tufts University Director, Wright Center for Science Education "APPEARING LIVE AT THE FINAL TEST is a genre-breaking story unlike any other. Its scenes range from a scarily realistic depiction of an urban nuclear event to mind-stretching intergalactic travel,;all related in the author's savvy, wisecracking, original and sometimes hilarious hyperbolic voice." Craig A. Lambert, Ph.D.; Deputy Editor, HARVARD MAGAZINE Mr. Teton gives fictionalized treatment to "cosmic evolution," a complex and controversial theory which holds that evolution affects not just life on Earth, but extends back to the birth of the universe and continues to include changes in human civilization, culture, technology and beyond. The story benefits from a grounding in everyday human fears and troubles, along with mind-blowing scenes which venture into questions about creation and the role of human beings in it. The novel is chock-full of information about stars and the planets, and yet he clearly knows a thing or two about teenagers, old folks, sailing, marine biology, marriage, love, pop culture, terrorism, religious extremists and the media. Rhonda Parks Manville, SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS