Speculative Fiction · Supernatural Thriller
Etched in Stone
A Novel by Mark Lew
One stone. One touch. One choice that could unmake civilization.
When microbiologist Jodie Switzer unearths a mysterious etched stone in the Kalahari Desert, she unleashes forces beyond comprehension. One touch resurrects the dead, another rewrites the dawn of creation. As its power turns the world against God himself, Jodie alone holds the choice that could rewrite humanity's future.
Inside the Book
The Synopsis
When microbiologist Jodie Switzer unearths a mysterious, etched stone in the Kalahari Desert while searching for a devastating biological impossibility, she unwittingly unleashes a series of surreal events. One touch transports her to the dawn of creation, while another resurrects the dead.
As she grapples with its untamable power, its existence becomes public, and an age old biblical grievance, God's choosing of Abel's offering over Cain's, is revealed as the first act that has poisoned humanity's well ever since. Every war, every prejudice, every societal ill throughout history is rooted in that single divine choice.
Outraged, people take to the streets in condemnation of the Almighty as civilization begins an inescapable march toward its own demise. And Jodie, at its epicenter, discovers the stone doesn't only reveal the past. It can rewrite the future, if she has the resolve to sacrifice her life.
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The Story Behind the Story
It Began With an Argument
In the midst of a discussion about morality with a devout Coptic Christian friend, he asserted that all morality was Bible based. I disagreed. I'm a moral person, and I'd never read the Bible cover to cover. Indignant, he told me I had no business even raising the subject without having read the text. So I compromised: I promised to start reading that very night.
I did, until I reached Genesis 4, the story of Cain and Abel. I was stunned by what I took from it, and started asking others what meaning they found in those verses. Every interpretation came back the same. Not one of them matched mine.
And just like that, Etched in Stone was born. It took over five years to research, write, and edit. And now it's here.
About the Author
Mark Lew
Mark Lew was born in Cuba and has called South Florida home since 1961, aside from a six year stint in New York City. For decades he worked in his family's construction business, raising three children, but his real passion was always writing, filling weekends with pages for over fifteen years.
After several difficult early attempts and years spent studying the craft, he found his voice. He began Etched in Stone, his debut novel, in 2020 and published it in 2025. His work has been compared to James Rollins, and he counts Alix E. Harrow and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich among his greatest influences.
Questions & Answers
What is Etched in Stone about?
When microbiologist Jodie Switzer unearths a mysterious etched stone in the Kalahari Desert, she unwittingly unleashes forces beyond comprehension, one touch resurrects the dead, another rewrites the dawn of creation. As the world turns against God himself, Jodie alone holds the power to rewrite humanity's future.
Who will love this book?
Readers of speculative and supernatural fiction who want big ideas wrapped in a gripping plot, fans of James Rollins looking for thrillers that wrestle with faith, morality, and the deep roots of human belief.
Who is Jodie Switzer?
A microbiologist searching for a devastating biological impossibility in the Kalahari Desert, who instead uncovers something far older and more dangerous a stone that reveals the past and can rewrite the future, if she has the resolve to pay its price.
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