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.

Well, there it is...

Qapla!

The Waste Gun By John Lars Shoberg - A Science Fiction Thrill Ride From Start To Finish

The Waste Gun by John Lars Shoberg

Consider Nuclear waste. What does one do with it? Where do you put it for thousands of years until it has become inert? Some have suggested to just put it underground and forget it. Perhaps we can tunnel into mountains and leave it there. Maybe encase it in concrete. Send it to be vaporized in the Sun. The latter would seem to be the best solution. However, the cost of $10,000/pound just to get a payload into orbit, let alone the extra cost of sending it into deep space, would be prohibitive.

In The Waste Gun, author John Shoberg proposes to build a giant magnetic gun to shoot large canisters of waste into the Mid-Atlantic Rift, recycling the materials taken from the earth back to the earth. Is this a good idea? Well, it depends on a lot of things, some are addressed in The Waste Gun.

Waste Gun is a science fiction work by independent author John Lars Shoberg. I found this work interesting and fun to read.

The story unfolds in three intertwining parts. First there are the people of Nuclear Recyclers Inc. Second is a rabid combination environmentalist/terrorist named Carlos. Finally, there are several FBI agents investigating acts of terrorism taking place in and around the United States.

Nuclear Recyclers Inc is working to develop a system to handle all varieties of nuclear waste. They are a private company seeking funding from investors for research, development, and implementation of their waste gun. The system comprises a series of magnetic rings designed to accelerate metal containers to high speeds. The containers loaded with nuclear waste materials get shot into the Mid-Atlantic Rift where extreme temperatures of the magma layer of the earth's crust will render the materials inert. Company owners believe it to be an efficient recycling method for materials piling up at an alarming rate. Many countries around the planet have endorsed the idea and are planning to use Nuclear Recyclers' services to rid their countries of waste materials.

Carlos, an independent terrorist, and self-proclaimed environmentalist (and I use this term lightly) is receiving funding and materials from an investor of his own. He moves around the country recruiting help to set up acts of terrorism to stop the "rape" of Gaia (from the ancient Greeks who believed Gaia was the name of the goddess representing the planet as a living organism). For much of the book, Carlos uses a plastic explosive substance called Semtek to wreak much of his havoc, and he has the explosive in abundance. While he seems to be overly concerned about the Earth's resources, he has no regard for life and purposefully puts people in harm's way to deliver his message. Fortunately, many of his nefarious plots go awry because of the incompetence of those he recruits to help, or because forces against him arrive in the nick of time.

Finally, FBI agents track Carlos across the country by following the trail of the stolen Semtek explosive, and through his operating patterns they find in his activities.

There are several characters developed to where the reader gets just what he/she needs to know and understand what their purpose and motivations are. For me, the most developed character in the story was Carlos.

I cannot help but wonder if Carlos was loosely patterned after Carlos the Jackal active in and around Paris, France in the mid-1970s. The Carlos in Waste Gun loved to set and watch explosives detonate and it did not matter who was hurt as long as the message was delivered. The Jackal's favorite method was also to use explosives. I asked John about this...

Me: "Was Carlos patterned from Carlos the Jackal, the terrorist known to be active in Paris from 1973 to 1975?"

John: "Nope. I just patterned him after a completely committed eco-terrorist whose only wish is to destroy the defilers of the Earth, even if it destroys that earth. I just made the character to be as evil as I could."

Throughout the entire story, Carlos talks to the Gaia goddess explaining he is taking revenge for 'crimes' committed against her by the "defilers" and "rapists" as he refers to people who benefit from earth’s resources. He does not consider human life part of the total living system of the planet; he believes human death on a massive scale is just another means to advance his agenda.

In one scene, he attempts to poison an entire town by setting explosives in a fertilizer plant in eastern Nebraska. As the unsuspecting town sleeps, charges will explode and send a chemical cloud over the town killing men, women, and children. He has no respect for life.

What I liked most about Waste Gun is how fast paced it is. The book opens with some fast action between chapters, but it really ramps up after the middle of the book and it does not let up until the end. Without giving away spoilers, Carlos takes the fight directly to the protagonists. At this point in the story, the reader learns Carlos is a true idealist. He is consumed by his beliefs and will go to any lengths to achieve his goals. I was never bored with the story, neither did I find anything that took me out of the story. It is focused, well written, and is an exhilarating thrill ride for readers.

One of the most contested topics today is how we have and are handling the environment. Global warming, pollution, mass extinctions, and other topics have passionate people on both sides of issues. Nuclear waste is created at many levels, but a great deal of it is low-level waste from the medical industry. The waste has to be disposed of or stored in such a way it doesn't harm people. But when a site is proposed, the people in the neighborhood are vehemently opposed to have it stored in their area. They say yes, take care of it, but do not put it here. A waste gun may not be the answer to the problem, but it is at least a call to think about alternatives to solving the problem of nuclear trash.

Terrorism is another theme in Waste Gun to give one pause for thought. It seems all too easy for terrorists to perform acts that cause devastation and death on massive scales. Unfortunately, especially in the United States, when measures are put in place to keep citizens safe, there is always an outcry how our civil liberties are being curtailed. What might seem like a major issue to some is usually little more than a minor inconvenience. The question is, do we want to live in a place where we feel safe to go about our daily lives, or live-in paranoia and fear. Never knowing when a bomb might explode and change one's life forever, or even take it away? Waste Gun may give one pause to think about weighing one against the other.

I enjoyed The Waste Gun as a story that is entertaining and thought provoking. I recommend it for anyone who might enjoy a fast-paced, action packed Sci-Fi story by an independent author.

John Lars Shoberg always wanted to be a scientist, and has two Masters of Science degrees, but he also has a creative side, and took a class on 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.MoonPhase.com, where you can also sign up for his newsletter.

Well, there it is...

Qapla!

Time Off By John Shoberg - A Vacation Through The Galaxy Is Not All The Hero Is In For!

Time Off by John Shoberg

Looking at the cover of Time Off doesn’t reflect what is inside the book itself. On the cover we see someone in a spacesuit floating above a planet. Everything looks tranquil and happy which is the way it is supposed to be when one takes an interstellar vacation aboard a space going cruise ship, right? Well, it is not so for the main character of this novel, one Mr. Ed Tanner, a stressed out veteran of the SEALs. Ed works as a consultant for a company related to the military and when his boss notices that his stress level is rising beyond healthy levels, he sends Ed on vacation. Ed decides that he has enough stashed away to take a jaunt aboard a luxury liner where he expects to travel around the galaxy relax, enjoy being waited upon, and visit some exotic places. Further, Ed is plagued with something that might be taken for PTSD as he has bad dreams that wake him in the middle of the night. He dreams of a mistake he made as a sniper in the SEALs. What he doesn’t know is that the dreams and memories are false.

Ed’s cruise is anything but peaceful; even before he boards the ship, an attempt is made on his life and this is where the nonstop action begins in Time Off. Another thing that he doesn’t know is that there is a sinister plot to develop a device that is supposed to be beneficial to everyone but can also be perverted into a weapon of mass destruction that will end everything.

When our hero is finally allowed to settle down aboard the ship, he meets new people, and even friends that he has known for a while, just like one is supposed to when on board a ship. But it seems that someone is determined to ruin his time off and they do manage to make things quite uncomfortable as his cabin is broken into, bugged and his belongings disappear. Not to mention that equipment he is to use for EVA excursions is sabotaged. As he confronts people that he finds responsible for these acts, he seems to be debilitated because everytime he confronts someone, he becomes violently ill and is unable to act, so he can barely defend himself.

I know John Shoberg, the author of this story, and it reflects the kind of person that he is. One thing about John is that he never seems to sit idle, and Time Off definitely does not slow down. The action in the book is ongoing from the beginning to then end and I found that I was engaged all the way through. Every now and then, as I read this book, I found that I needed to take a break for a short time because it moves so fast. Another thing I will share about John is that he appreciates when an author shows the reader a story as opposed to just telling a story. In this, John has succeeded in this his first published novel. His descriptions of the action, people, places, and things unfold much as a movie would on the screen.

What appealed to me most about Time Off is the cast of supporting characters that the author included in this volume. I absolutely loved the holographic detective that appeared, and disappeared as time went on because he was a very noir-like relentless gumshoe type who may not have said much, but spoke volumes by what wasn’t said. The ship’s captain was also an interesting character as he tended to be another antagonist to Ed, blaming him for everything that was happening on board his liner, not realizing that Ed was actually being made a victim. It made for a very ironic situation.

What is also interesting in this book is how it shifts from taking place on a cruise ship and turns into a military operation designed to shutdown the big antagonist of the story. John has never served in the military, but one gets an impression that he is well read in the military story genre. The ending of the story picks up the pace even more than the matter before and paints a picture of something far more serious.

In any case, Time Off is a fun romp and a roller coaster ride set in a future that John makes seem plausible as his characters move comfortably through it. It is a fast read that never strays from the plot. I wouldn't tag Time Off as hard sci-fi, but it is easy to read and moves at a pace with will hold a reader’s attention.

As I mentioned above, John Shoberg is not one to stand idle and let grass grow under his feet. He is active on the convention circuit as a panelist and teacher, quite knowledgeable in the area of costume building and how to organize activities. He is an active member of the Klingon Assault Group, and the 501st Legion.  If you are in Florida where he lives you may see him as a stormtrooper, or even as Darth Vader in parades and perhaps elsewhere. John is also one of three hosts (I am another) on Bound By Honor: The Klingon Book Review Podcast available at KAG.org/podcast, and he also has appeared on many other podcasts discussing various aspects of Klingon Culture, activities, and costuming.

Well, there it is…

Qapla’!

Edited by Benjamin Arrowood

My Weekend - OSFest 7 - Omaha, Nebraska - August 1-3, 2014

My Weekend at OSFest 7
August 1-3, 2014

There are many conventions that are larger out there, but I cannot think that, at least for me, there are any that could be called better than the Omaha OSFest.  You may find that to be a debatable point, and that is your right.  As for me, I love OSFest.

It was a busy weekend for conventions when one takes into account that Shoreleave was taking place on the East Coast and STLV was raging out west.  Someday I might be able to get to one of those huge ones, but I really enjoy Omaha’s hospitality and being able to hobnob with friendly people the likes of which seem to be very common in Nebraska.

Anyway, it seemed that this year’s OSFest attendance was down a bit from last year’s event (read my blog post from OSFest 6 HERE).  As I visited with people also attending, there were many ideas, rumors, and speculations as to why this was, which I will not go into here because there is really nothing substantial to talk about.  The atmosphere was also more subdued then last year’s event; far more relaxed and not so hustled.  That, I am sure, is due in part to the fact that I had been there before and the experience wasn’t new as it was last year.  However, in light of what I just said, it is not to say that there wasn’t plenty to do.  There were wall to wall activities, displays, demonstrations, and panel discussions, and all on numerous subjects that should have been able to appeal to everyone.

On Friday night, I participated on a Dune panel that I had proposed earlier this year.  I was joined on the panel by John Shoberg of the IKSRaptor’s Heart group and at the last minute, was also joined by Patrick Kennedy of PoKoArt (if you are a Dune fan, Pat is an artist who produces some very beautiful art and due to how Dune has influenced him, much of his art reflects this).  The Dune panel was patterned after a panel discussion held at this year’s Farpoint convention by my Dune Saga Podcast partners David Moulton and Scott Hertzog (access that panel discussion HERE).  I designed the Dune panel to be a broad discussion with audience participation to discuss the books and films.  It was well attended and some of the audience did indeed participate.  It was fun and I am hoping to do another panel next year on the same subject, however, as my partner John suggested, it will be a bit more focused on one aspect of the Dune universe.

After the panel was done, I found a room party to attend where Pat Kennedy and I discussed Dune some more; a lot more actually.

Maggie Egan at Opening Ceremonies.

Saturday was another busy day.  The Media Guest of Honor was Maggie Egan of Babylon 5 fame.  If you are not familiar with Maggie’s work, she appeared as Jane, the Interstellar Network News anchor in ten episodes of Babylon 5 and also came back in the same capacity in the Crusade series.  She has also appeared in numerous other shows and about 600 commercials.  What a pleasant person she was to listen to as she told her stories.  I was able to score an interview with her in the afternoon which will appear in a future episode of The Babylon Project Podcast hosted by Raul Ybarra and me.  I also attended panels with Maggie and got two autographed photos, one for me and one for Raul (I couldn’t very well leave out my partner, could I?).

Troy Rutter with a license plate signed by Jason Carter

I also met with Troy Rutter.  Now his name may not be as familiar, but he was also (and continues to be) a part of the Babylon 5 family.  Troy was the man responsible for all of the internet media that was involved with the show.  Long before Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus, he was pioneering what we now take for granted today.  I was also able to have an extensive interview with him which will also appear on The Babylon Project Podcast in the near future.

By Sunday, I was pretty wiped out.  I attended a panel on the Philosophy of Star Trek which we discussed the extension of sentience to beings other than humans.  This panel was hosted by Natasha Mohr and Matt McKeever.  After that, it was time to head home.

Maggie and Me

All in all, it was another amazing weekend.  I brought home some things to think about and am looking forward to next year’s OSFest 8.

Here are some of the other pictures I snapped during the weekend…

Chrissy holding a blaster and wearing a "Fett" helmet.  She had the right shirt.

I found Q shopping in the dealer's area.

Chrissy and I with Boba Fett. That is an amazing costume.

Another Great Costume.

Cat Woman!

A Starfleet Officer tending her tribble.

The pictures cannot do the detail on these models justice...

John Shoberg of the IKS Raptor's Heart in full Klingon regalia.

Troy Rutter, Maggie Egan, and Mitch Obrecht at the B5+20 Panel

Art by Patrick Kennedy - Shai Hulud.

Also by Patrick Kennedy.

Chrissy chose R2.  A graphite drawing.

Autographed photo of Maggie Egan as Jane.

Well, there it is…

Q’aplaH!