Tag Archives: Science Fiction

Review

Retread Shop

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retread_shopT. Jackson King is old school – literally. He’s been doing this writing thing for a very long time. His first books were mainstream press and he’s making a come back with self publishing. Everything I’ve read has been stellar.

A couple of years ago I stumbled on Retread Shop and thought it read like something much older. It has the style and sensibility of something written in the 70s or 80s. Imagine my lack of surprise to find out it was.

The story recounts the adventures of the only human inhabitant of an intergalactic junk shop. It’s a huge station filled with all manner of aliens — all of whom involved in trading in recycled tech and lost information. There’s intrigue and danger. The inhabitants aren’t above a bit of skulduggery and backstabbing in order to secure their positions – and profits – in the station’s hierarchy. Our hero gets caught up in it and the outcome is sometimes hilarious, sometimes terrifying.

If you’re looking for something a little off-beat and a legit blast from the past, grab a sample of Retread Shop and see what you think.

[Disclaimer: I met T. Jackson King once at MileHiCon a couple of years ago and hope to meet him again. He’s a fascinating guy and really getting into this process of republishing his reverted titles.]

About the reviewer:

NathanLowell_150x150Nathan Lowell has been writing science fiction and fantasy most of his life. He started publishing in 2007 and has no intention of stopping any time soon.

Learn more about Nathan Lowell and his works at http://nathanlowell.com

[Note: You’re seeing more reviews from me because fellow authors aren’t sending reviews of the books they like. If you’re an author, consider the submitting a review about an indie book you loved. The submission guidelines link is at the top of this page.]

Review

Earthrise

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earthriseEarthrise is an interstellar cargo ship, captained by Theresa Eddings (aka Reese), and crewed by an assortment of human-variation species and some true aliens. They’re just scraping by, always hoping that the next run is finally going to give them breathing room, but it never seems to. In fact, they wouldn’t even be out there but for the long-ago help of a mysterious stranger, and now that stranger has called in the favor.

The request seems simple: Go to a backwater world, find a man named Hirianthial, and break him out of the local jail. With a few bumps along the way, they manage it, but then it gets dicey. Hirianthal is no ordinary man. In fact, he is an Eldritch, a race whose telepathic abilities have forced them into isolation,
and beyond that, his own history with the Eldritch is clouded in mystery. And the locals who put him in jail aren’t happy that Reese took him.

Reese and Hirianthial clash, but they also work well together, with both of them rising to the occasion when the other needs help. I’ll say I was caught by surprise when a romance subplot began, mostly because I wasn’t expecting it, and I generally don’t enjoy that kind of plot. However, this one was good, and it did not make me want to smack the two of them for their foibles. In fact, I’m feeling drawn to the sequels to see how this plays out.

But as I said, the romance is a subplot. In the foreground we have pirates with a mind towards revenge and naval officers who only seem to help enough to get Reese and her crew into even more danger. Don’t come looking for huge space battles, but expect the occasional explosion and plenty of tension as Reese and her crew look for any way to keep the Earthrise flying.

About the reviewer:

dan_thompsonDan Thompson started writing fiction at the age of ten. Luckily for the world, all copies of that early Star Wars rip-off have been lost to time and Sith retaliation. Moving on from that six-page handwritten epic, he has self-published two books with more on the way – honest!

He lives near Austin with his wife and three children, drives old police cars, wears kilts when the weather permits, and is generally considered to be the weirdo next door. Fortunately, the neighbors don’t know how weird he really is.

Find out more about Dan at http://www.danthompsonwrites.com

Review

Metal Boxes

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metal_boxesI’m not sure who recommended Alan Black to me sometime last year. Probably somebody in the Galaxy Rangers group on Facebook. I snagged a copy of Metal Boxes and immediately found a new author.

The plot of this first-in-the-series feels like it could have come from Heinlein – young person adrift in space facing mortal danger. Black steps back from the edge of cliche over and over and in ways that delighted me. The main character – Blackmon Perry Stone, scion of a rich and powerful trading family – bends over backwards in trying not to take advantage of his family’s position, yet he continually finds himself in situations where his background contributes to his success.

I won’t spoiler the stories by trying to describe them or the difficulties he faces along the way. In doing this review I just discovered a new title in the series so I’m off to grab it myself. If you like your space opera with a little silly, a little swashbuckling, and the occasional clever world building, you might grab a sample of Metal Boxes and give it a try.

About the reviewer:

NathanLowell_150x150Nathan Lowell has been writing science fiction and fantasy most of his life. He started publishing in 2007 and has no intention of stopping any time soon.

Learn more about Nathan Lowell and his works at http://nathanlowell.com

[Note: You’re seeing more reviews from me because fellow authors aren’t sending reviews of the books they like. If you’re an author, consider the submitting a review about an indie book you loved. The submission guidelines link is at the top of this page.]

Review

Mission Zero

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mission_zeroSometime last year I saw these Fourth Fleet Irregulars titles showing up in my Also-Boughts on Amazon. I picked up a sample of Mission Zero and burned through the series in a matter of days.

MacDonald’s stories are – pardon the expression – stellar. Imagine a military skunk-works in space. They get all the cool toys. They invent things that aren’t possible. They’re run by a crazy man who sees duty quite differently from his more staid contemporaries (and commanders). Yet they succeed because they’re odd, because they follow the spirit of the regulations – if not quite the letter – all the time.

If you like good space opera with excellent world building, a modicum of political intrigue, and a fair share of blowing things up, you might consider grabbing a sample of Mission Zero. I found it well worth my time.

About the reviewer:

NathanLowell_150x150Nathan Lowell has been writing science fiction and fantasy most of his life. He started publishing in 2007 and has no intention of stopping any time soon.

Learn more about Nathan Lowell and his works at http://nathanlowell.com

[Note: You’re seeing more reviews from me because fellow authors aren’t sending reviews of the books they like. If you’re an author, consider the submitting a review about an indie book you loved. The submission guidelines link is at the top of this page.]

Review

Life II

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life-iiI have always loved “Replay,” Ken Grimwood’s 1986 novel about a man who inexplicably begins replaying a core section of his life, giving him the opportunity to do things differently or “better.” So when I came across “Life II” by Scott Spotson I was intrigued at finding a similar story. The main character, Max, is a Canadian accountant who regrets not pursing a life of medicine. Now married with a nit-picky wife and two pre-teen children, he feels trapped in the life he chose.

He comes across an odd book called “Account of Time Travel on Earth Using Wave Theory” and Max eventually deduces that concealed in the chapter titles is an address in Athens, Greece. Taking a spontaneous trip to visit this address, he meets a woman who identifies herself as Dr. Time. This person, one of many Dr. Time to live in this location over the years, gives Max the opportunity to go back in time and relive his life from any point he chooses. He chooses to return to his high school days, determined to put in the effort needed for a medical career.

And thus begins the adventure. Max comes across believable as an ordinary guy who wants out of the humdrum life he has built around himself, but some of the decisions he makes are just terrible. For instance, he chooses to go back in time to the exact moment that he makes a great play on the field that vastly improves the remainder of his high school career. Of course this time he misses the shot because he’s getting used to the effects of his trip.

It doesn’t take too long before he begins to miss what he left behind, mainly his two children. He learns that making history repeat itself in regards to the relationship with his Life I wife is not an easy task. In the end Max has to learn to be happy with the life he has instead of seeking an escape to make a better one.

Life II does complete the arc of Max’s desire to make a better life through time travel, but there is a sequel to this book called “Bridge Through Time” that I will likely pick up at some point. My rating for Life II was 4 stars, which to me means that I enjoyed the book but it didn’t totally bowl me over. If time travel is your thing, I would recommend grabbing the sample.

About the Reviewer:

keith_hughesKeith Hughes is an author and podcaster who has participated in and won NaNoWriMo five times. He has two time travel novels available on the free Podiobooks.com serialized audiobook platform, and also on Amazon as ebooks. He hosts a quasi-daily podcast where he talks about a variety of topics on his commute. Keith is also hard at work editing the third installment in his time travel series, with a planned release for late 2016. You can find more information about Keith and his works at www.penslinger.com, and he can be found on Facebook (Keith Hughes, Penslinger), Twitter (@edgizmo), and Google+.

Review

Immortal

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immortalImmortal is the second book of the Genesis Endeavor Series and continues the story that began with The Freezer. Jack Taggart has settled into his new world, and position, but all is not well. He soon discovers there are even deeper agendas being pursued by both known and unknown adversaries. Even more intriguing are several new discoveries that appear to have connections to the world he left behind. Jack must walk a tightrope, balancing his pursuit of the truth with his need to protect his new life, all while maintaining peace among his people and with the outside world. Things don’t go exactly as planned, however, and the results prove to be both tense and surprising.

As before Mr. Kersten skillfully weaves multiple stories, settings, and characters to a satisfying culmination, without tying everything up too neatly. As with The Freezer I hated putting the book down each night and can hardly wait for the next chapter.

About the reviewer:

bl-alleyAs a boy I escaped the real world by reading everything from The Hardy Boys to darker tales by Poe and Jacobs. Even with such diverse literary tastes, my primary interest has always been science fiction. I also created my own stories in high school and college, but never considered writing anything long form until 2006. That’s when an abandoned roadside attraction called Twin Arrows sparked an idea for a story.

With my passion for storytelling rekindled I wrote when I could, and in early 2014 Arbor Day was published. During that time I came up with other ideas for novels, including a ghost story titled The Diamond, and one involving time travel, titled Relative Age. I also developed the remaining notes for Arbor Day into a pair of follow-up novels, Titan Mine and Plan B, and The Arosil Series was complete.

I currently reside in Northern Arizona but can be found online at http://writerblalley.wixsite.com/home

Review

Home: Interstellar

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homeI’m a sucker for space opera. When I saw this title pop up I thought it was the book that movie was based on.

Yeah. Pretty sure that’s not the case.

The yarn starts with a family ship that gets captured by pirates. Only the children survive and only because of Meriel Hope. I’ll have to stop here to avoid spoilers.

Ray Strong creates a tight, beautifully formed universe that’s equal parts grit and grind. Muriel carries deep scars from her tragic childhood, but works to keep them from ruining everything even as she fails to control their pull. The story plays a lot of double-crossing against a skeptical cast. I was pretty sure I knew where the story was going from about the one-third mark, but Strong did a masterful job and kept me guessing until the end.

This ain’t your normal pirate space opera. The characters feel real and relatable. The world building is superb. If you’re looking for a fun read that doesn’t take the normal paths through death and destruction, you might grab a sample and see what you think.

About the reviewer:

NathanLowell_150x150Nathan Lowell has been writing science fiction and fantasy most of his life. He started publishing in 2007 and has no intention of stopping any time soon.

Learn more about Nathan Lowell and his works at http://nathanlowell.com

[Note: You’re seeing more reviews from me because fellow authors aren’t sending reviews of the books they like. If you’re an author, consider the submitting a review about an indie book you loved. The submission guidelines link is at the top of this page.]

Review

Creation

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creationGreg Chase has created a unique vision of near Earth civilization. Starting with an almost clichéd vision of a climate changed Earth, he takes us on a strange, fever dreamed, wish-fulfillment ride through pirate held space into a broken ship. I’ll confess I was ready to toss this one several times before I found myself hooked into a story that explored ideas like what it is to be human, how we relate to each other, and how unintended consequences can trip up the best of intentions.

There are aspects of the book that gave me the Stranger In A Strange Land vibe. His vision of a human culture not tainted by the historical concepts of love and possession, of sexuality and morality, of consumption and acquisition carry an echo of Heinlein without – I think – the stridency. He’s built believable, consistent world of people, places, and things that swirl together in a richly flavored stew.

This is one of those books that has made me think. Why not grab a sample and see what you think?

About the reviewer:

NathanLowell_150x150Nathan Lowell has been writing science fiction and fantasy most of his life. He started publishing in 2007 and has no intention of stopping any time soon.

Learn more about Nathan Lowell and his works at http://nathanlowell.com

[Note: You’re seeing more reviews from me because fellow authors aren’t sending reviews of the books they like. If you’re an author, consider the submitting a review about an indie book you loved. The submission guidelines link is at the top of this page.]

Review

The Freezer

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the-freezerThe Freezer is a science fiction story offering a fascinating glimpse into a complex future. The book opens with the reader as confused and disoriented as the main character, Jack Taggart, allowing us to discover what has happened to his life at the same time as he does. What is revealed is a world that is both inspired and troubled, combining utopian, dystopian, and post-apocalyptic elements. There are political and military machinations, as well as some interesting ideas regarding relationships and how they are thought of in a society that must be far more pragmatic than that which Jack left behind.

Mr Kersten perfectly wove together these elements to keep the story moving forward, introducing us to new characters, situations, and ideas along the way. The more I read the more I wanted to read, and I found myself mourning each time I had to stop. My only complaint is that it ended too soon, so I look forward to the next chapter, which I hope is just around the corner.

About the reviewer:

bl-alleyAs a boy I escaped the real world by reading everything from The Hardy Boys to darker tales by Poe and Jacobs. Even with such diverse literary tastes, my primary interest has always been science fiction. I also created my own stories in high school and college, but never considered writing anything long form until 2006. That’s when an abandoned roadside attraction called Twin Arrows sparked an idea for a story.

With my passion for storytelling rekindled I wrote when I could, and in early 2014 Arbor Day was published. During that time I came up with other ideas for novels, including a ghost story titled The Diamond, and one involving time travel, titled Relative Age. I also developed the remaining notes for Arbor Day into a pair of follow-up novels, Titan Mine and Plan B, and The Arosil Series was complete.

I currently reside in Northern Arizona but can be found online at http://writerblalley.wixsite.com/home

Review

Pay Me Bug

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pay_me_bugCaptain Grif of the Fool’s Errand is brash, foolhardy, and lucky to be alive. He’s also unlucky enough to have pulled off the kind of score that attracts the wrong attention. When the powers-that-be want him to pull it off again, he has no choice but to hope for luck again. Luck had other plans.

This is a fun space opera romp with a ship and crew from the wrong side of the space station. The title comes from the fact that Grif’s crew commonly make side bets on their various success or failures, with Ktk (the bug of an unpronounceable race of an unpronounceable planet) often taking bets against their success. The crew and denizens vary across several races, so this is not a human-only setting, with some like Ktk much less human than others. But they were all quite fun.

The score they have to pull off turns into an involved heist at the behest of one government against another. They’re essentially after a McGuffin, but that doesn’t diminish the fun. Plenty of things go wrong, and they can almost never catch a break, but in the end, Grif and his crew are able to turn even the worst hand into a winner.

Think Firefly with more dirt.

About the reviewer:

dan_thompsonDan Thompson started writing fiction at the age of ten. Luckily for the world, all copies of that early Star Wars rip-off have been lost to time and Sith retaliation. Moving on from that six-page handwritten epic, he has self-published two books with more on the way – honest!

He lives near Austin with his wife and three children, drives old police cars, wears kilts when the weather permits, and is generally considered to be the weirdo next door. Fortunately, the neighbors don’t know how weird he really is.

Find out more about Dan at http://www.danthompsonwrites.com