This apocalyptic thriller covers a lot of ground: When Judas Iscariot miraculously finds himself in the 21st century, he seeks to usher in the long-promised Kingdom of God. In a world of terror and hatred, Judas must unite Jews and Muslims into a single faith with the mysterious, powerful Arab Prince Sabah as its earthly king. But then Saturn goes missing. A massive tsunami destroys the beaches of Los Angeles. A new mother dies, but her newborn son, Elijah, lives–and he can hear what his mother hears in Heaven. Meanwhile, Father Calucci, an immortal Roman soldier cursed to walk the earth until the return of Christ, recognizes the signs: The end has begun.

Immaculate Inception is the first in the author’s “Judas Christ” series. Simmons, BSAE ’82, has timed the events of the novel based on the “physics-correct” orbital parameters—a skill he learned from his Aero department professor, the late Harm Buning. Two of the book’s characters are based on fellow aerospace engineering alums, Simmons says. “They play critical roles in the book’s climax, but they don’t know it yet.”