A Scarred Drifter by Sotto Voce - Great Post-Apocalyptic Story Telling

A Scarred Drifter by Sotto Voce

Some scars are on the surface; some are on the inside. A Scarred Drifter is about a young man who has scars both inside and out trying to make his way in a world where circumstances have gone even beyond a simple subsistence existence to a real fight to stay alive. What makes this story unique is that the author spins the story in a way that reflects his pen name of Sotto Voce. Those of us who are musicians know the Italian term, sotto voce, to mean "in a subtle or quiet voice." While the writing style for this tale’s narrative is in a subtle voice, the events in this tale are anything but understated. This is one of those not to be missed stories written in a deep, sensitive way. The world-building is incredible, the characters feel real, and there are twists and turns galore that explore the human condition under dire circumstances. There isn't anything about this book I didn't like.

This tale follows the life of Cole Patterson from the age of 8 to 27. As a youngster, he spends his days playing around and near the sea where he learns to swim well and learns to navigate a boat. He is a good fisherman and helps to feed his family from the bounty of the sea, and he learns how to build at the elbow of his dad. For the most part, life is pretty good as he plays along the beach with his friends. That is, until one day when the realities of adult life force his family to relocate. Between climate change and artificial intelligence, the economy crashes, and people are thrown out of work. Nearly everyone is trying to carve a living out of nothing.

Then, disaster strikes, and the social structure disintegrates, giving way to chaos, and the only way to survive is at the expense of others.

Cole is forced to strike out on his own to find a new place to make a life. There are overwhelming challenges at every turn, and it's going to take an abundance of fortitude and wit just to live.

As the tale unfolds, we follow Cole during his adventures as a boy and into the difficult teen years, and finally into adulthood. He is a good kid, but he is also a tough kid. Cole has a lot of compassion, but when threatened, he can be a vicious opponent. He is well liked by most people that know him, but some fear him with good reason. Cole doesn't set out to hurt anyone who hasn't hurt him. He is not a coward, but prefers to avoid conflict if he can, but unfortunately, there are those who back him into a corner and that is when his anger issues emerge, and there is no half-way when he retaliates against those that attack him, or those he cares about.

Cole's character is well developed and will draw the reader in from the first page and keep one hanging all the way to the end. There are triumphs to make the reader applaud, defeats to get down about, and sadness to make one shed tears.

My favorite point of plot is how the story unfolds in four parts. It opens with a peek into the recent past, then goes into the more distant past and brings the story up to the present. This arrangement allows the reader to become familiar with the character, then reveals what events and people shape him as he encounters others on his journeys. The way it is presented was the hook that drove me forward for the rest of the book.

The principal theme that stood out for me was the main character searching for a place he could belong. There are a number of different social arrangements shown in the book, so Cole had to find what worked for him. The reader goes on this journey with the character as though we are looking over his shoulder and able to hear what goes on in his mind. His search also led him to make several choices, and like any good solid story, the hero is flawed and doesn't always make good choices. As a result, this story is believable, and maybe even a little prophetic.

My takeaway from A Scarred Drifter is a reminder that life is full of choices, and choices have consequences.

A Scarred Drifter is a post-apocalyptic story set beginning in the very near future. The world-building is amazing, the characters feel like real people, and the story is told so well, anyone who is a fan of this type of storytelling will enjoy it. If you are not careful, and pay attention, you also might learn from this tale. It is full of surprises, not all of which are pleasant. There are some descriptions of violence that may be disconcerting to some, but I think it helps advance the story and is not gratuitous.

Highest Recommendations!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hi, I am Sotto.

It is my shadow in my profile picture, taken fourteen years ago. I was around 3000 meters high (approx. 10000 feet) on a mountain called Rinjani. It was near dawn, and I was about to miss the sunrise on the peak as it was still a distance (vertical!) away. The terrain was difficult; I wasn't in tip-top condition since I hadn't been climbing for a long time. Nearing the peak, I slid down two steps for every three steps I took. It was exhausting; I considered quitting and kept questioning my existence and objective.

I didn't quit and reached there in an embarrassing amount of time. I missed the sunrise but, thankfully, also the sunrise crowd and had the peak all to myself. It was awesome. The mountain has a beautiful turquoise-colored lake in the crater with an active volcano at that time. I've climbed many peaks before, but this one was special, as this was the only peak I had reached alone for the journey and the finale. My climbing buddy had given up. Sitting on the mountain ridge in the darkness, I had my prolonged favorite moment, looking at the stars, embracing the peace and silence.

I love nature; going up the mountains, scaling the cliffs, exploring the deep, and chasing the currents. I haven't had chances for those now for many reasons, but I find an equal, if not more, amount of happiness strolling the beach with my loved ones and my dog, baking, and writing.

Writing is therapeutic, personal, and intimate. Climbing Rinjani is the reflection of my writing journey. It's challenging, and I am not in sync with the current, continuously questioning my existence and objective. I change the 'standard' professional author profile to a ramble. It's not easy for me to be out there, but I aspire to make my writing known and take small baby steps each time to come out of my shell. I can't really change. I don't have a bubbly personality to engage with everyone facetiously and prefer to establish genuine bonds instead. Even though it will take forever and is not ideal, I like to be myself.

English is not my first language, but it's the one that I can comfortably use to express myself the most. Sotto Voce is my pen name, and I love the meaning. It suits me the most.

If you are reading this or reading my works, thank you.

To learn more about Sotto Voce's Work, follow this link: https://www.sottovoceinora.com/

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De-Evolution by John Lars Shoberg - Entertaining Sci-Fi And Adventure

De-Evolution by John Lars Shoberg

Imagine yourself being part of a colony populating a new planet. What sort of creatures might you find? Are they sentient? Do they have a culture? Are they friendly or hostile toward you?

These are some questions John Lars Shoberg explores in his 2020 novel. De-Evolution.

I enjoyed this novel and was impressed by the craft John displayed with his writing. There are plot twists I found entertaining and was especially pleased with the twist at the end. Overall, this is a fine sci-fi story anyone can enjoy whether or not one is a fan of the genre.

On the planet Belenius 3, humans have arrived from earth onboard a generational ship to set up a colony. They are well on their way to getting dwellings erected to live in and are becoming familiar with their surroundings. Sightings of indigenous beings are reported, but no one really knows their nature or what to expect from the few chance encounters with them. The reports are of creatures the colonists are calling Jabberwockys, so named because of their disjointed appearance. So far, there have been no problems between the colonists and the creatures.

The colony's governor, Howard McCurtel, had his dwelling built on top of a hill, believing it would be safer than having it built near the rest of the colony. Unfortunately, a torrential rainstorm caused a mudslide. He and his family narrowly escape losing their lives when another member of the colony arrived to rescue them. During their attempt to make it to safety, an accident caused the family to be split up and the Howard's two younger children turn up missing.

When the weather clears, the colonists search for the children. They find their tracks but also find the tracks of a Jabberwocky accompanying the children. As Howard and company continue to follow the tracks, it appears the children are cooperating with the Jabberwocky and are in no danger. Eventually they find the children safe and sound in the camp of beings who are friendly and have kept the children safe.

Upon further investigation of the planet’s native occupants, there is evidence of a civilisation de-evolving from a more advanced state. There has to be a reason for this, but no one seems to understand why this evolutionary retardation is happening.

What follows is a story of discovery, danger, and creative problem solving I found engaging.

There are several characters in De-Evolution that have a level of expertise in their fields including builders, scientists, medical personnel, and so on. By far, I found Howard McCurtel the most interesting and developed character in the story. When first introduced, he seemed like he would be a dictator, issuing orders and imposing his way on everyone. An avowed capitalist, he gave all the geophysical features in and around the colony names of his heroes, such as "Buffet Bay" for a nearby body of water. He had his home built on top of a tall hill where he could look down on the colony and survey the fruits of his labor. In the beginning, he didn't seem to understand the nature of being the leader of a colony. In his opening statement, he declares, "there'll be no Communists in my colony!" Obviously, he was mistaking communal living with Communist philosophy. Fortunately, he figured out his role fairly early in the book.

Soon after Howard's family was rescued from the mudslide, he learned to be a leader meant bringing people together to accomplish tasks for the good of the entire colony. He learned there are no expendable people in the group; everyone had a part to play, and all were important for the colony to survive. Several other characters noted this change in him in the text. Howard learned how to lead and went from a character I thought I would not like to a person I could care about.

I also found Howard's two younger children, Tommy and Sarah, fascinating characters. After they go missing, they are found by a member of an indigenous race who leads them to safety. The Raffians, as the natives call themselves, take the kids in and make them feel at home until the rescue party can arrive. Both Tommy and Sarah are well-educated members of the colony. They learn the Raffian language quickly and act as interpreters for the older members who are not so quick to learn languages.

The children and their attitude toward the Raffians leads me to my favorite point of the story's plot.

Leave it to the children to be open-minded enough to make a relationship with an alien race possible. Tommy and Sarah learned to communicate with the Raffians and it opened up a beneficial partnership with the human colony. Had it not been for that relationship, the colony would have ended in disaster. The same thing that caused the Raffians to de-evolve would have claimed all the human colonists in a few months. The kids were the gateway to the colony's survival.

My takeaway for this story is the importance of cooperation in a system where people live in a community. Everyone has their own specialty, and some think their role is more important than others. Depending on the situation, this may be the case, but cooperation is the cornerstone to a community’s survival. Howard was ready to set himself up as the colony's ruler, but he learned he didn't know how to direct his people effectively because he didn't have their knowledge. What he learned was to bring people together and let them use their abilities and training to help him make decisions snd complete tasks. He not only got more done, but he earned the respect of his fellow colonists.

Conquering the fear of the unknown was another theme that stood out in De-Evolution. Fear would only be a natural reaction to entering colonizing a new planet full of unknowns. In the beginning of the story, there were several sightings of the indigenous beings on Belenius 3; they were dubbed "Jabberwokys." An unknown is only so until it is known and the colonists dealt with the situation through empirical and scientific research. 

I dove into this book and literally hated putting it down. It moved at a good pace and the writing was clear and concise. The science was easy to understand, and it wasn't overloaded with a lot of jargon that would have otherwise bogged down the story. Outside of the characters mentioned earlier, the others seemed to have enough development to make them individuals. Overall, I thought this was another fun and engaging story by John Shoberg and well worth the time to read. I recommend De-Evolution for readers that enjoy a solid story of discovery and adventure.

John Lars Shoberg always wanted to be a scientist, and had two Masters of Science degrees, but he also has a creative side. He attended a class for creative writing while in college as well. For several decades he worked in chemical labs while practicing his writing skills in the evenings. All of his works are available from www.MoonPhaze.com, where one can also sign up for his newsletter.

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