IZ The Izzy Story consists of a series of books that describe the life and adventures of Izzy, his loyal friends and, few but deadly, enemies. There is humor and drama, woven through scientifically imagined possibilities that question the origin and of our myths and legends. This introductory book describes the first encounters of Izzy with the Good, the Bad and the Earthlings and lays the basis for subsequent books in the series. "Encounters," consists of 5 chapters from different times and locations. It weaves a tale around Izzy's life and how he lost a precious possession while on a mission to Earth with his companions. Their plan was to develop a vaccine to cure a plague that was rampant on their home planet Authair. Each chapter further develops a mystery surrounding the discovery of a curiously crafted artifact. Chapter 1, "Attack," reveals that Izzy Tzeus, was created by a lab accident at the Ponce Heidon Institute of Genetic Research on Planet Authair. Surprisingly he's found to be half cat, half iguana with a trace of Authairian blood and was named because Ponce kept asking, "What is he?" He uses telepathic powers and can communicate with any life form. Izzy surprises everyone including himself when he learns he can produce a sound capable of subduing enemies and saving lives. For those who don't believe such a small creature's sound could be so potent, in Chapter 2 "Skeptical", older Izzy attempts to prove it is true. He also provides evidence of the team's visit to prehistoric Earth through a gift he received from Kurl Tszargon. Kurl depicted Izzy's life story by engraving an ancient Authairian script around a plate's edge. This precious gift was lost during the volcanic eruption in Santorini around 1600 BCE. But shortly after the eruption, a broken fragment is recovered by a Welsh sailor, Illiachus, who believes it is a gift from the gods. It is eventually rediscovered in 2000 CE at Stonehenge by Tasy, a terrier belonging to Dee, an archaeology coed attending Bournemouth University. Her professor, Geoffrey Devans, once he recovers from the shock of his student 'stealing' an artifact from the earth at Stonehenge hypothesizes the artifact was fabricated during the Bronze Age in Wales but composed of materials known to have only recently been developed here on Earth. The script around the edge resembles Linear A, so professor and student travel to Santorini to have Dee's grandfather, Aristotle Maritimis, attempt to translate it's message. They are joined by Thorf Serendopolis, an archaeology student who has just arrived in Santorini from Princeton University to conduct his PhD research who shortly before leaving for Greece, had discovered he has a strange allele on his DNA that may account for his superior intellect and athletic prowess. On arriving at Santorini, Thorf has a déjà vu feeling that haunts him. That night he has a series of nightmares about riots and a plague in a distant world, then about a young girl gathering firewood on a beach. The origin of the dream is realized in Chapter 5. The young girl's grandfather, Illiachus, recites a fireside ballad to the children of his clan about his encounters with human-like creatures and a dragon that descend to Earth and bargain with him, and how he survives the destruction of Santorini and finds a treasure made by the gods. Book 2, "Creation" continues the story.