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

The Final Day: The End Of The One Second After Series Is Great! Many Twists And Turns To Keep A Reader Guessing!

The Final Day: A John Matherson Novel By William Forstchen

Around five years ago, I embarked on a literary journey into the post apocalyptic world of author William Forstchen. I first listened to the audiobook version of his first novel, One Second After, and was enthralled. That book would have stood alone, but then I learned that Forstchen  had published a sequel entitled One Year After, which also mesmerized me when I picked that up. Finally, school is out and I now have time to read and blog and I recently read The Final Day in three days. Again, as with the two previous stories, it grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let go.

In the previous two books, The United States is hit with an electromagnetic pulse, or an EMP, which is produced when nuclear weapons are detonated. In this story, whomever sent the weapons didn’t intend them to destroy the country, but rather the detonations happen above the atmosphere, so the effect is that the people and the infrastructure are not directly harmed by the blast, but all of the electronics are fried on the inside and devices will no longer function. There are several types of EMP’s that are both manmade and occur naturally, but in the case of this story, it is an attack against the U.S. So what happens when the pulse hits? Cars no longer run, planes no longer fly, communications are knocked out, and people who are dependent on electronic devices, such as pacemakers, just drop dead. In this day when we rely so heavily on electronics, one will find themselves plunged into the dark ages. And so it goes for a small college town near Asheville, North Carolina; the lights go out.

Through the series, the main focus is on retired Colonel, John Matherson, who teaches at Montreat Christian College in Back Mountain, North Carolina. He becomes the de facto leader of the community because of his knowledge, experience, skill, and as a highly respected member of the community. In One Second After, following the EMP attack, the townsfolk are concerned with the immediate needs of the community and how to take care of defending their town from those that would enter and take what little is left. On this score, they do pretty well, but then tragedy strikes as John’s daughter, Jenn, dies needing insulin to live and the supplies are gone. John brings the community together and they do defend the town and manage to subsist, but just barely. One Year After, finds the community a little better off than before, but things are working and the people are hanging together. Thanks to some people that have the knowledge, some electricity is restored along with some communications capabilities. It is learned that an entity calling themselves the legitimate new government of the country will be constripting people from all over the eastern part of the U.S. to serve in an army. When John learns that this army will leave his town completely without protection, he refuses to cooperate. All of the young people of the town are to be taken away, trained as soldiers, and then sent off to try to take back control of some of the major cities that have fallen to chaos. The new government reacts to John’s refusal by sending in a contingent of soldiers under the command of an inept officer to take the young people by force. John and his townsfolk are well trained and manage to repel the attempted takeover and continue to subsist.

The Final Day opens as winter has really set into the mountains and it looks like it is going to be a bad one. Things in Black Mountain are continuing to improve slowly, but everyone seems to be coping. Enough food has been stored to keep everyone fed with just the minimal amount of calories. At least the lights are on and there is some limited communication. It is discovered that some older computer technology was stored in a place that was sufficiently shielded from the EMP. With the help of a couple of tech-savvy townspeople, the old computers are being reworked in an attempt to restore some long-range communication.

Meanwhile, word reaches John that his former commanding officer, General Bob Scales, is trying to contact him. When they finally do get together, John learns that the self-appointed government in Bluemont, Virginia wants him to stand down as leader and turn himself in to stand trial for treason! Scales tells John that if he does not, his community will be obliterated. John considers what he has learned and almost decides to cooperate until he and his pregnant wife are attacked by a small team of commandos sent by the Bluemont government to kill him. In the aftermath of that attack, John confirms that General Scales had nothing to do with the attack and together they discover a horrible truth that will change how the United States will be rebuilt as the future unfolds.

The Final Day begins with what would seem to be a very peaceful scenario but then rapidly ramps up to a fast paced ride that I read during every spare minute I had for three days. The main reason for this is that the characters are written such that one feels that they know them personally. I became invested in John Matherson from the very beginning of the series and have come to admire this fictitious character for many reasons. First, he is a reluctant leader placed in his position because of his Army training and experience. Prior to having the role of community leader thrust on him, he was very happy being retired from the military and teaching history at Montreat College. His leadership style is very much by example and he only becomes assertive when it is absolutely necessary. Mostly, he is very good at inspiring people to take action, even in the face of complete hopelessness. There are also many of the townspeople that appear in the story, some for only brief moments; Forstchen has the ability as a writer to make those people also seem real very quickly. If you read this novel, or the entire series for that matter, make sure you have a box of Kleenex nearby because many characters will be lost as time goes on, and some of them are very good people.

In many ways, this story, and the entire series for that matter, is a lot of fun to read, but is also quite terrifying and thought provoking. Imagine for a minute; it’s a “normal” day, or at least what is normal for you. It is about 4:00 in the afternoon. The sun is shining, birds singing, and you can hear traffic noise coming from the nearby interstate. All of a sudden, everything stops. You check your phone, but there’s nothing there. The lights in your home will not come on, your radio and television don’t work so you can’t even get the news. Out on the interstate, you hear tires screeching and the sound of vehicles crashing for just a bit and then everything goes silent. You talk to others and learn that everyone is experiencing the same thing. You don’t know how long it is going to take for power to be restored. Perhaps you know someone that has a pacemaker and you learn that he has simply dropped dead. Whomever is in charge in your community calls the people together to try to figure out what has gone wrong. Someone suggests an act of terrorism has taken place and it may be a very long time before things are back to normal. Days stretch into weeks, then months. Food and medicine supplies are getting low or have run out, and there are no deliveries to the local grocery store. Small groups of people enter your town looking for handouts of whatever they can get, but there isn’t even enough to take care of your own at this point. Along with the people who are just looking for a little help, there are those that are determined to take what you have and leave you with nothing.

As time goes on, some communication is restored. Most likely it is a ham radio operator that knows enough about electronics to restore one of his radios and listens in to a broadcast from overseas. He learns that the country was hit with an EMP as some minor foreign power detonated three nuclear weapons above the atmosphere. There is not help coming. The major cities, including Washington D.C., stand in ruins as the people there have looted and burned everything that can be found, and they have finally resorted to cannibalism.

Believe it or not, the very scenario that I have outlined is quite possible and given today’s global political climate, might even be probable. There are those that believe that this could happen at any time in the near future and that we, the U.S., are woefully unprepared should some such event take place. Scientists have been warning about the danger that an EMP might cause and nothing has been done to harden our technological infrastructure against EMP attack.

Our planet has experienced the effects of EMP’s in the form of Coronal Mass Ejections from our own sun. As recently as 2003 when there was a series of CME events that knocked out communication. The FAA was offline for about 30 hours due to those events as well as causing damage to several satellites in orbit around the planet. It also resulted in reports of seeing the Northern Lights in regions of the U.S. that normally would not experience this phenomena. A man-made EMP would be far more concentrated and probably far more devastating than one that occurs naturally.

The unfortunate thing is that for every person that warns about the possible dangerous results of an EMP attack, there is another that will deny that there is any danger. Who do we listen to? I should think that it is a pretty good idea to err on the side of caution rather than take a wait-and-see attitude.

Forgive me, I digress. This is, after all, supposed to be a book review, but as I said, The Final Day, as well as its two predecessors are quite disturbing and thought provoking.

Forstchen’s writing is easy to read and the book flows along mainly focusing on the main character, while at the same time, many of the supporting characters in the story are just as compelling as the main role. I found myself having feelings about characters, both positive and negative. At one point in the story, John was convinced that his friend and former commanding officer, General Scales was responsible for the attempt on his and his wife’s life. Not only was Matherson angry, I found myself highly suspicious and angry at Scales. Further, I was happy to learn that Scales was not one of the bad guys after all.

The author is also a master at showing the reader what the story is rather than telling a story. It would not surprise me in the slightest to learn that the John Matherson novels are under consideration for a future movie or television series. Forstchen paints pictures with his words that are vivid and makes his characters come to life.

I highly recommend reading the entire series including One Second After, One Year After, and The Final Day. These three stories meld into one complete epic that is well worth the time no matter what side of the issue one is on. It is just a great saga, especially for fans of post-apocalyptic speculative fiction.

Well, there it is…

Qapla’!

Edited by Benjamin Arrowood

Fog & Fate (Dust & Cannibals Book 4) By Bruce I. Schindler - The People Of Harlan County Are On The Move!

Fog & Fate (Dust & Cannibals Book 4) by Bruce I. Schindler

I first met Bruce and learned about his writing at the Buffalo County Fair a few years ago while he was manning a table with the Central Nebraska Writers Guild. After visiting with him for a few minutes, I knew I had to read his Dust & Cannibals novel. He described it as a post apocalyptic cowboy/Sci-Fi mashup that takes place in and around Harlan County, Nebraska. Since reading that first novel, Bruce and I have become friends and I await every installment of the series with great eagerness. I finished reading Fog & Fate and am all the more chomping at the bit to read the next book which is promised to be released soon.

The Dust & Cannibals series opens somewhat innocently enough with a single rider headed into the town of Alma, the county seat of Harlan County (or simply Harlan as it is known to the people there). This rider, a man named Lyle Lillard happens to be on a “green-broke” horse with a saddle that is too small. When he is about halfway to his destination, he is set upon by a large group of people who are intending to have him for dinner, but not as a guest, but rather as the main course! It is only thanks to his horse being spooked that he escapes. As the story unfolds, we learn that a series of disasters, both natural and man-made, have made the world into a place where chaos is the rule rather than the exception. Those that have survived the disasters find themselves in a position in which only the fittest will continue to survive.

Fog & Fate moves forward with an imminent threat from the a large group of terrorists to the south near Colorado Springs. It is not known what capabilities the terrorists have to wage war against Harlan, but the possibility of a nuclear threat is a real concern. It is determined that a small group from Harlan needs to go on a recon mission to determine what numbers and capabilities they are facing. It would seem that the terrorists really don’t have anything against the people of Harlan, that is, other than a difference of philosophical points of view. Actually, they are determined to kill all the men and enslave the women for nefarious purposes. An altogether unacceptable situation for the citizens of Harlan.

It is soon determined that there are far too many terrorists to fight and that mass relocation is necessary for continued survival. When the idea of using the existing railway system and steam engines comes up, preparations are made to leave. But where can they go? There are so many places that are unsafe either because of the terrorists reach, or the climate conditions, the choices are very limited. While things are looking grave for the people of Harlan, there is still hope and determination driving them forward.

Each book of the Dust & Cannibals series focuses on a different character. This installment takes a close look on Josh Morgan, a former soldier who survived the war in Afghanistan and made his way back the the U.S. on an aircraft carrier. He, along with his friend, Mark Tahner, made their way across the country on foot. Upon arrival in Harlan, Josh and Mark’s skills came in very handy and they were readily accepted into the fold. Josh is a likable character who is not too outspoken and willing to take orders. He and his wife, Alicia are expecting one of the first babies to be born after the threat of the devastating Omega Dust (a weapon of mass destruction) has passed.

Josh is sent to command a mission to reconnoiter the terrorists in Colorado. During this mission, we find that Josh is not a strong commander, but he shows great personal growth after the birth of Baby Grace. From then on, the people of Harlan find that they can depend on him to get the jobs done and that he does a fairly good job of assessing a situation and solves problems. There is only one situation that he finds himself in where his soldier’s sense fails him and he gets pinned down during a firefight.

Bruce really ramps up the action in Fog & Fate with several firefights of varying size. This action tends to drive home the point that things are very tense for the people of Harlan. Some of that tension is very palpable when Josh’s wife, Alicia stands outside of the Lillard home with an automatic weapon gunning down attacking terrorists en masse. There are many other smaller scale skirmishes along the way, and the descriptions of those are also charged with the same sense of tension; as I read, I felt a true sense of relief that the situation had been resolved. The apprehension of what might happen next always hung in the air and there are many surprises along the way.

As each novel is released, there is more and more territory revealed and the conditions therein. Fog & Fate ranges from Cheyenne, Wyoming to the west to near Omaha, and south to Colorado Springs. All along the way, Bruce gives us a picture of devastation that evoked some sad feelings for me since the story is set so close to home. In other words, he is doing what a great author should do by making the reader feel what one should.

As it is throughout the series, the theme in Fog and Fate is survival. The people of Harlan are being targeted by the terrorists and decide that they have to leave the area, especially in light of a possible nuclear threat. There are many things to consider when outfitting the trains they will use as their transportation, as well as their homes away from home. First they have to make sure that everyone has plenty of food and water, then there are the horses they will continue to depend upon that also need to be fed. While the trip will not be the most comfortable, many considerations are given to make things as pleasant as possible. The people of Harlan will only survive as long as they work together and stay focused on their goal.

While I have enjoyed every novel in the Dust & Cannibals series, this one is my favorite so far because of the author’s brilliant world-building and character development. He has really made me care about what happens to the people of Harlan. Add to that, Bruce’s style of storytelling that is quite non-formulaic allowing for surprises along the way. I give my highest recommendations for this book and all of the rest in the series. We are promised a fifth book in the series entitled Steam & Trust, for which I am eagerly awaiting as the people of Harlan try to find a place that they can find peace.

Well, there it is…

Qapla’!

Edited By Benjamin Arrowood

The Sensitist (Convergent Space Book 3) By John-Paul Cleary - Awesome Characters In A Great Story Well Worth The Time!

The Sensitist (Convergent Space Book 3) by John-Paul Cleary

I was introduced to the work of John-Paul Cleary just a little four years ago when I stumbled upon his first novel in the Convergent Space series (the first book is the same title as the series), followed by his second book entitled The Shadow Ship. I enjoyed both of those earlier works and have just finished reading the third in the series, and must say that this may be my favorite of the three.

To recap, A mysterious ship has gone around the part of space held by a faction called the Renaissance and planted bombs inside their planets. These bombs are capable of utterly destroying the planets they are planted in. Control of the explosive devices are given to Tihn Forlihn, the once leader of another faction called the Phlegar.. The control is not a physical device, but rather a set of commands and codes that Tihn has memorized and cannot forget. Moving forward in the Convergent Space universe, Tihn become the most sought after person in the galaxy for several reasons, but mostly for his knowledge of what he calls the Vapourgun.

One faction seeks him to exploit him to win a war while another looks for him to prevent their space from being devastated. The race is on to get to Tihn first, but there are other factions that may have something to say about it too.

The story opens with a character that captured me immediately. He is a gentleman named Rico Bretch who is a captain in an army on the planet called Estia. He is an older man who is fighting for one of two factions on the planet called the Progressives. They value youth and are fighting an enemy called the Reformists who value the experience that is offered by age. Bretch is in command of a squad (made up of equally elderly soldiers) that is routinely sent out on the most hazardous missions. Thanks to his experience, he seems to always manage to complete the missions he is sent on, sometimes with many casualties. One such mission seemed like an attempt by his Progressive commander to get Bretch and his entire squad killed. When he manages to survive once again, he is rudely mustered out and sent away to become part of the Reformist society.

Bretch is happily welcomed into the company of the Reformists and can have anything he wants there. Unfortunately, although the enticements are tempting, he is understandably suspicious of his new hosts. So he decides to go somewhere else and think things through. After all, he has spent most of his life fighting the Reformists.

Bretch is a character I can connect with and I enjoyed reading his exploits, on and off the battlefield. He is smart, cunning, and ruthless when he needs to be, but he also has deep feelings and the ability to think on his feet. He has a solid sense of right and wrong and is not afraid to make judgements based on his observations of a given situation. Without giving too much away, he manages to improve his situation immensely without intending to do so just because of the way he uses his wits.

Another character is Amilla, the Sensitist who has been called away from her normal routine on false pretenses only to be disappointed in the end. She finds herself deceived and used by nearly everyone. Amilla very much represents a tragic figure, and even moreso because none of her misfortune is of her own making. Amilla is accompanied by her Companion, a computerized device that has been with her all her life. It not only advises her and keeps her informed, but also helps her regulate her bodily functions. I believe that because of Amilla’s inherent naivety, she wouldn’t have survived very long outside her comfort zone.

Amilla’s comfort zone is to be a Sensitist and an author of “sensory literature.” A sensory book not only allows the reader to enjoy a story, but they can also enjoy the emotion by inducing chemicals into the reader.

Another character is Kodava. He is an animal of some sort who has to be kept in a movable cage with a muzzle. He is able to talk and move, but the restraints are to keep those around him safe. Kodava is a complex character that I would have to describe as being severely bipolar, except the ups and downs are not good. He is racked with self loathing and much anger that causes him to either do harm to himself or to do devastating harm to others. In one scene of The Sensitist, Kodava sees a situation develop which drives him to smash out of his restraints and go on an awesome rampage. His ambition is his undoing.

Cleary’s writing is very easily understood and the technical aspects of the story are not hard to grasp. He gives enough information for the reader to understand the essence of the situation without overwhelming jargon. Add to that, a writer who is adept at creating characters that come alive. Even the minor characters are given enough personality to really add to the story.

I especially liked the pacing as the plot unfolded. The characters start out in different situations and different worlds and slowly come together. The reader gets just enough of the picture in each chapter until it switches to another part of the story, leaving the reader with a mild cliffhanger with each plot block. I sincerely did not want to put the book down and read at every opportunity.

I recommend The Sensitist as well as the previous two novels in the series, Convergent Space and The Shadow Ship (both of which I reviewed on this blog, just click the title). All three are some fine science fiction that includes space opera, political intrigue, and fast paced action. John-Paul Cleary spins a good yarn that is worth the time, and as far as the Kindle editions are concerned, well worth the price of $4.00 each!

Well, there it is…

Qapla’!

Edited By Benjamin Arrowood

Solitude: Dimension Space Book One by Dean M. Cole - Excellent Apocalyptic Science Fiction!

Solitude: Dimension Space Book One by Dean M. Cole

I get a lot of ads on my Facebook timeline for books to read. As a matter of fact, I get so many that if I tried to read every book that appears, I would be backlogged on reading for months. So I am very selective on the ads I look at and check into. Recently, I started seeing an ad for a new novel by Dean M. Cole entitled Solitude. The cover art was appealing and the blurb about the book caught my attention...

“Can Humanity's Last Two Unite? Solitude: Dimension Space Book One The Martian meets I Am Legend and Gravity when Earth's last man discovers that the last woman is stranded alone aboard the International Space Station. If you like action-packed, page-turning novels, you'll love the electrifying action in this apocalyptic thriller.

Astronaut Angela Brown, commander of a diminished crew aboard the International Space Station and fellow astronaut Bill Peterson are on an EVA to perform maintenance on the station’s solar panels when they receive a call from Mission Control to observe a phenomenon of light that is sweeping across the planet knocking out communications as it passes. It is soon determined that a state of emergency exists and that the astronauts have to abandon the ISS and make an emergency return to Earth. Unfortunately for Angela, she is not able to get on the Soyuz capsule for the return trip and is left behind with the promise of rescue at a later time.

Meanwhile at NASA’s Glenn Research Center near Cleveland, Ohio, Astronaut Mark Hennessy and Army helicopter pilot Vaughn Singleton are testing a new propulsion system when they see a bright flash of light, and their communications with their support crew goes dead. They realize that something has happened when they move outside the testing facility and see commercial aircraft crash-landing at the nearby Hopkins International Airport. As the two begin to investigate what has happened, Mark is killed leaving Vaughn on his own. He soon discovers that he is the only person left alive on the planet as he travels to his mother’s home in Boulder, Colorado.

With her limited supplies on the ISS diminishing, Angela goes about the business of survival and Vaughn does the same on the planet. They both believe that they are the only humans left alive and as they begin to lose hope of ever finding a solution to their problem, a famous ad slogan sparks a memory in Vaughn that could mean hope for both he and Angela.

Solitude is a well written story that is light on the scientific jargon while being heavy on character development and detail in describing the action that is taking place during the story. There is plenty of opportunity for the author to throw in a lot of acronyms from NASA-speak that wouldn’t further the story at all, but that is not the case here. We get just enough technobabble to let us know what is important to the characters, lending a clarity to the prose without clutter. The two main protagonists and what they are doing as they get into and out of situations, and there is where the detail lies in Solitude.

On the ISS, Angela is dealing with a shortage of supplies because of a failed resupply mission to the station. She has to make due with what she has on hand, and as she does, she performs tasks that are logical and that make sense to the reader. As a physicist, she devises a way to supply the station with power when the solar panels are no longer viable. There is just enough explanation so that anyone with an acquaintance of basic high school physics can understand.

Vaughn, on the other hand, is faced with having virtually unlimited resources, but in some cases, he has long distances to travel to get to what he wants or needs. At the same time, he is trying to wrap his head around the fact that he is totally alone which begins playing with his mind causing him to become a bit eccentric in his behavior. Vaughn became my favorite character in the story because of his personal growth as the pages turn. He starts out as a bit of a negative character who has never really taken advantage of the opportunities that have come his way. He could have become an astronaut, but he had too many things going against him when those doors were open to him. In the beginning, he comes across as one of those kind of people that tries to put together a kit without looking at the instructions first, just winging it as he goes along, and usually getting in trouble or failing at the task. As his adventure as the sole survivor on Earth unfolds, he learns that there are procedures to be followed and impulsiveness is not something that works well. His impulsiveness almost kills him a couple of times, but he learns his lessons well as the story unfolds.

Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic science fiction stories are among some of my favorite to read, and this one is a great one. The descriptions of the characters, the places they go, the things that they do, and the things that they see are spelled out in enough detail to paint mental pictures and ignite the imagination of even the most casual reader. Solitude is one of those that should appeal to a wide audience because of the writing style of the author. It is easy to understand and immensely entertaining and fun, and comes complete with a cliffhanger ending and the promise of another book to follow in late 2017.

Author Dean M. Cole is a “Commercial pilot by day, author by night. Originally from Texas Dean Cole lives all over the world as a traveling international pilot. Writing from locales as remote as Equatorial Guinea and romantic as Paris’ Champs-Elysées.  A combat veteran, he served in the US Army’s First Cavalry Division as an Apache Attack Helicopter Pilot.” Quoted from the author’s web site.

Solitude: Dimension Space Book One receives my highest recommendations as a fine bit of work in the genre.

Well, there it is…

Qaplah!

Edited By Benjamin Arrowood