Red Storm by Bradley James - A Great Prequel To Accompany This Author's Novel Series

Red Storm by Bradley James

Thanks to the author's newsletter, I discovered that Bradley James had penned a prequel short story in his Aftermath universe. It is set before his first novel, Aftermath: Lunar. I snapped it up.

The story is set on Mars during a very dense dust storm. The principal character, Elliot Adams, has to brave seemingly impossible conditions to re-establish blacked-out communications; a daunting task, to be sure.

Red Storm is easily read in one sitting at 57 pages. There is a lot packed into this story and, as an avid reader of Bradley's work, I relished it.

Astronauts Elliot Adams, Franklin Lewis, and Dr. Elena Vega are conducting a routine mission on the Red Planet. The trio is caught in an unexpected violent dust storm and must get to shelter quickly. Elena is injured by flying debris and needs more medical attention than Elliot and Franklin are trained to perform. So, while Franklin does the best he can for Elena, it is up to Elliot to find a way to restore communications to call for help. He makes a promise to Elena that he will not fail in his task, and he is a man of his word, no matter what it takes.

Of the many things there are to appreciate in this story, my favorite is getting to know more about Elliot's partner, Franklin. In Bradley's first novel, the focus is mostly on Elliot, and while we are aware that Franklin is his partner, we don't get to know much about him.

Elliot is a man of integrity, and his resourcefulness is a key element in Red Storm.

Once again, as in all the Aftermath novels, Bradley displays a gift for writing characters a reader can care about. Another plot point I enjoy in the writing is the light and often humorous dialog between characters. In this piece, the banter between Franklin and Elena is absolutely priceless!

The most prominent theme in Red Storm for me was perseverance and the human spirit. Stranded and alone, Elliot and Franklin put their skills to work to resolve the overwhelming set of problems they face. They refuse to quit as they run into one obstacle after another to try to get the job done.

My takeaway: never underestimate a person who decides to follow through. One may not have adequate resources, but ingenuity can make up for shortfalls.

If one has not read Bradley's Aftermath series, this is a good short story to get an idea of what to expect in the novels, of which there are three, with a fourth one coming in the not-too-distant future. But Red Storm only scratches the surface of a much deeper tale of survival in the most hostile conditions. This heavily character-driven story is a great one. It fascinates me how Bradley can put so much story and character development into such a small space.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bradley James published his debut novel, The Aftermath: Lunar, in early 2024, realizing a long-held dream. Since then, he has been irreversibly bitten by the writing bug, immediately embarking on his next literary adventure without looking back. When not immersed in crafting narratives, Bradley can be found indulging in long runs, losing himself in books, consuming copious amounts of coffee, or passionately cheering on his favorite football team. Though born in London, he now resides in Southwest England, where the lush landscapes often serve as a backdrop for his creativity.

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In The Shadow Of A Giant - A Short Story by Joseph Graff - A Great First Story From A Young Author!

In The Shadow Of A Giant - A Short Story by Joseph Graff

I received a copy of this for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

In this short story, written by fifteen-year-old Joseph Graff, the reader will find the makings of an author who may be a future major force in Sci-Fi literature.

It was quite by accident I discovered this short story a few days ago. 

In The Shadow of a Giant is a story of about 3500 words, and there is a lot packed into those words. It has everything one could want in a good sci-fi tale, but it can be read in just a few minutes. Young Joseph sets the stage brilliantly with descriptions that are detailed and colorful, but more importantly, they are very visual in the mind. The story unfolds and we get to meet the good guys and the bad guys. There is even enough character description to get a good idea of who they are and what they are actually about.

While the tale itself is well written with more show than tell, the text is also enhanced with several illustrations that add to the enjoyment of the story.

An Old Empire has fallen. The resources of a nearby asteroid belt have been depleted, and the Empire has fallen on hard times punctuated by graft, corruption, and nepotism. Fleets of ships from the remnants of the Empire depart the Space City of Albion to forage for resources to keep the city alive, but also to improve their own position and conditions.

There are many dangers for the rag-tag fleets that work diligently to keep themselves space-worthy. Along with that, they also can become victims of piracy in deep space. No one can trust anyone else in this situation, as there are even acts of sabotage between the fleets themselves.

It is everyone for themselves in a place, once prosperous, but now in severe decline.

There are two principal characters that go head-to-head in this story.

The first character we meet is Commodore Gideon Adira, the commander of the Fulcrum fleet of ships departing to forage neighboring star clusters for raw materials. Initially, he appears as a hero. He's a handsome guy and is a benevolent leader to his people. But, like any heroic character in a good story, Adira has flaws.

The other character, Adira's main opponent, is Ivan Morozov. There isn't much background on Ivan, but he is a mean one who will react with violence based on mere suspicion.

Adira and Morozov meet in deep space to settle a score, one that has apparently been building for a good many years. Of course, this precipitates an epic, well-written battle scene.

My takeaway from this tale is to remember that when it comes to survival, there are no white hats and black hats. Along with that, when brute force meets a force that can think, the outcome is often with those who fight with their brains, and not their muscle.

As a bonus, included after the main story, is a sample from another upcoming story by Joseph.

In the Shadow of a Giant is a great first effort from this new, young author. He has a great sense of form and wrote a logical, easy-to-understand story that is entertaining. I guess, probably the best recommendation I can give is to say, when I finished this tale, I wanted more!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Joe, 15 years old Scouting Patrol Leader, has been reading aloud since he was an infant. By two he was finding typos, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors in thick textbooks edited by many people. At three he impressed the head of Montessori Schools of New Jersey so much that he said Joe should not be on local TV but on international TV instead - to show to the world what is possible in a three-year-old: he could count to twenty in at least six languages, he was starting to speed read and he could do math well beyond his years. At four he was correcting the "answers" given for his I.Q. test. We never put him on TV so he grew up speed reading - and writing - his very favorite literature, fantasy and science fiction.

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The Little Blue Log Book by Roman Lando - A Teaser Novelette For An Upcoming Novel

The Little Blue Log Book by Roman Lando

I received a copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was alerted to this novelette through an email because I follow the author on Amazon.

Nearly a year ago, I was introduced to Roman Lando when he offered me the opportunity to enjoy his first novel, Progress Report. It is the story of a guy who gets caught up in a mission to prevent a devastating nuclear war.

The Little Blue Log Book is a teaser for what is a planned second novel and stand-alone sequel to Progress Report. If this novelette is any indication of what is coming in the next book, it promises to be another great story worth waiting for.

Crack Air Force pilot Vince Ortega faces the end of his brilliant career. He is being replaced by Artificial Intelligence. His choice is either to leave the service or become a pilot in a top-secret government program. Since he will be allowed to continue flying, he takes the second choice and works to get himself ready for a flight in a special craft that will take him to investigate a strange situation.

He finds himself in a competition with fellow pilot, Val, who can fly as well as he can. Vince edges Val out because of his combat experience. Soon, he finds himself in control of an amazing flying headed to a place one only reads about in Sci-Fi novels.

As I mentioned, this is only a small teaser from a much larger story, and you can bet the rent, I'll be first in line to grab this one when it becomes available. It is going to be a great story full of twists and turns.

You can download The Little Blue Log Book for the Kindle at https://www.amazon.com/Little-Blue-Log-Book-ebook/dp/B0CK55SR14?ref_=ast_author_dp

You cannot beat the price for this one.

Roman, the author of the Little Blue Log Book and a sci-fi thriller novel, Progress Report, is a composer, musician, and web and new media designer, and positively has too many passions, interests, and hobbies in his life.

When he's not writing books or music, he can be found sailing, playing keys in a prog rock band, flying his drones, building crazy flight simulation rigs, and LARPing. His lifelong love and passion for hard sci-fi take a special place in his heart. Reading was never enough. The only way to satisfy this obsession was to write his debut novel. He hopes to share his love for true science fiction, along with his interest in history, science, philosophy, and technology with his readers.

After living in three countries on three continents and speaking three languages, Roman has finally settled in Toronto where he lives with his wife and two daughters. No dogs or cats are involved - his drones are his pets. He is now working on his second novel.

You can get in touch with Roman and subscribe to his mailing list at the Progress Report website: https://progressreport.romandesign.ca

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The Galactic Culinary Society: Song Of The Golden Brew By D.R. Schoel - Another Short and Funny Diversion Just For Fun

The Galactic Culinary Society: Song of the Golden Brew by D.R. Schoel

Song of the Golden Brew is the second story in D.R. Schoel's 'just for fun' series of comedic Sci-Fi short stories. This story sees returning characters set on a planet where the major product is a type of beer. Outside of the planet Kazaak, no one has tasted the "ethanolic" beverage which promises “mood improvement, feelings of euphoria, and one can drink as much as one likes without any negative side effects.” Kvass is touted to get one good and smashed and not suffer a hangover. It is a funny story with a few plot twists adding to the humor. It is a pleasant distraction from the heavy Sci-Fi I usually read.

Chef Hunter, Jeane Oberon of the Galactic Culinary Society begins her journey on the planet Cor Caroli. It is an ice-covered world with an ocean beneath the surface. She discovers the ingredients for a pickled sea cucumber, while at the same time, she learns about a type of beer produced on another planet. She learns about the beverage from her 'sidekick,' the greedy Greelon profiteer Xstersisiisterpeeze (whose name was thankfully shortened to 'Xstersi' for most of this story). After a close call with a fearsome creature, Jeane agrees to accompany Xstersi to Kazaak where she will attempt to discover the secret of a brew known as Kvass. Xstersi plans to strike a deal with the inhabitants to sell the beer to other sentient beings across the galaxy for huge profits. Jeane makes it clear she is only going to add to the knowledge base of the Society.

Upon arrival at Kazaak, Jeane and Xstersi find a society that is rife with conflict. But she is not there to problem solve, only discover the secrets of the Kvass. While Xstersi works to secure a bargain, Jeane learns there is only way she will learn about the brew is by winning a drinking contest. No doubt, good times are had by all, or not depending on your point of view.

What I most enjoyed about this story is the way Schoel writes about the relationship between Jeane and Xstersi. At first, one gets the impression that Xstersi is only a thorn in Jeane's side. Actually, these two have an amusing synergistic relationship where they get on each other's nerves, but one also seems to care about the other in a repugnant sort of way. In other words, they really do like each other, but neither one would ever admit to it openly. They have a chemistry I enjoy and want more of in future stories.

If you are looking for a short, fun distraction from the rigors of everyday life in the fast lane, I recommend Secrets of the Golden Brew. One does not need to be a Sci-Fi fan to enjoy this. It can be read in under an hour, but don't read it too fast so you can savor the flavor of the language the author uses. Along with this, I also recommend the previous (first) story in the series, The Secrets of Umami (reviewed on this blog). Both are great diversions for a break.

Schoel writes, "I am a writer and filmmaker with a Master's degree in film production. But they say it's the experience that counts: I've worked for nearly twenty years with the Inuit of the Arctic on many, many television programs. I've also worked with Chad McQueen (son of movie icon Steve McQueen) on an un-produced project for Netflix, and wrote a feature film about a Jewish-Arab love story, "Adam's Wall," released globally. I've presented a short film at Cannes (an autobiographical piece, "The Fantastic Bus"), won a Canadian Screen Award (the equivalent of the Canadian Oscars; is that worth mentioning?), and had a Top-10 documentary at the Toronto International Film Festival, "Sol," about an Inuit circus performer who died in RCMP custody. I like to travel, having been all across China - including Xinhiang, where Uyghurs were put into detention camps, and I had to go through police checkpoints, sometimes twice a day - to Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, The Dominican Republic, pretty much everywhere in Europe, and the Arctic. Of course, I'm a lifelong fan of Sci-Fi and since I can't (yet) go into space... I like to dream about it.

"You can follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/DRSCHOEL), and on Twitter (https://twitter.com/@drschoel2013).

"To keep up-to-date on all things related to The Galactic Culinary Society and intergalactic Chef Hunter, Jeane Oberon, you can sign up for my newsletter here: GCS NEWS."

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The Glactic Culinary Society - The Secrets Of Umami By D.R. Schoel - Short Story - Long On Hilarity

The Galactic Culinary Society: The Secrets of Umami by D.R. Schoel

When writer/filmmaker D.R. Schoel contacted me by email to introduce me to his Galactic Culinary Society story, The Secrets of Umami, I was surprised and pleased. In his email to me, he mentioned that during these (COVID) times; he wanted to make something lighter and fun, much like stories he enjoyed as a child.

Of course, I am always happy to look at new material and agreed to read and comment on his story.

Overall, I found Umami hilarious and satisfying. It is a quick read at 44 pages, but in those pages is a tremendous story. The writing style is in the vein of Douglas Adams. It is loaded with unusual names for aliens and ironic prose. I think Schoel has met his goal in what he promises to be a series of such stories involving Jeane Oberon, Galactic Chef Hunter.

The story opens with an epigraph explaining that, despite being human, Jeane Oberon is a top agent for the Galactic Culinary Society (GCS), a body that is sworn to "Preserve and Serve" information on culinary delights from all races throughout the galaxy. Jeane has never failed on a mission before the accounts in this story.

Jeane looks for and finds a memory chip on a crashed ship on Alpha Bootis. The chip contains information on a strange food item that is shrouded in mystery, The Edible Sonnets of Umami. Yes, poetry that is edible. Apparently, one has to partake of the words and the flavors in the verse to appreciate it fully.

At any rate, Jeane finds herself before an assembly of the GCS. She appeals for backing to find and return the secret of how the esculent sonnets are produced and how they work. Some of the GCS say she will be successful as always, others say she is doomed to failure. She is commissioned by the Society to seek the secrets of edible poetry, but if she fails, there will be a price to pay.

She does what it takes to gain access to the single person who can give her the secret, but there is also another being who will go to great lengths to secure the secret for himself. Xstersiisterpeeze, a member of the Greelon race, makes it to the planet Umami before Jeane. The monk who possesses the secret puts them through several challenges promising the secret to the winner of the contests.

As stated in the opening epigraph, Jeane loses. But does she really?

The principal character, Jeane Oberon, is an adventurous young woman whom I would compare to Lara Croft and Indiana Jones. Croft is a strong, intelligent, athletic character while Jones is all of those things, he doesn't seek profit from his adventures. Jeane is always in command of herself, and through that, also in command of situations she finds herself in. She can assess a situation and make an analysis on the spot. There's no backstory offered in this story, but I hope that through future stories, we learn what makes her tick.

Jeane's rival in seeking the secrets of the edible poetry, Xstersiisterpeeze, is unlikable, but is also endearing at the same time. He seeks the secret for sheer profit. Always cautious when he encounters an unfamiliar situation, he holds back, letting Jeane face the danger before plunging ahead to meet challenges.

The owner of the secret of edible poetry, Brother Otin, seems to be a simple monk charged with protecting the mystery, but there's more to him than appears. Jeane figures out what he is doing and ignores it in favor of securing the secret. Xstersiisterpeeze also knows what's going on, but also lets it pass in favor of the immense profit he can make.

It is also worth mentioning the characters in the GCS gathering. Some were rather vocal and played a small part in the opening and closing of the story.

I usually try to identify favorite plot points in a story, but there is no single item I can point out without spoiling a large part of it. I'll just say the entire story is excellent.

My takeaway from this story is not all is what it appears to be. There are many twists and turns in this story creating amusement for me. Brother Otin first appears to be challenging Jeane and Xstersiisterpeeze to several contests, but he is actually reducing the challenge to himself. I'll let you figure that point out yourself.

Another important theme is the inclusion of a strong, highly intelligent female character. Jeane is amazing in her demeanor and is cool under fire. I want to know more about her and look forward to her role in future stories.

The Secrets of Umami may be short on word count, but it is long on intelligence and imagination. It is also long on humor and there were many times I laughed out loud. If you are looking for a break from serious Sci-Fi and wanting something quick and light, this is the book for you. Having a bad day? Umami will make you smile, and for that alone, I highly recommend it.

When Schoel sent me the book, he mentioned he is a fan of the Dune books. Then he mentioned he had included a huge reference to the Dune in the story and challenged me to find it. I did, so I am passing the challenge on to you. If you know Dune, you should be able to pick it out. Enjoy!

About D.R. Schoel:

I'm a writer and filmmaker with a Master's degree in film production. But they say it's the experience that counts: I've worked for nearly twenty years with the Inuit of the Arctic on many, many television  programs. I've also worked with Chad McQueen (son of movie icon Steve McQueen) on an un-produced project for Netflix, and wrote a feature film about a Jewish-Arab love story, Adam's Wall, released globally. I've presented a short film at Cannes (an autobiographical piece, The Fantastic Bus), won a Canadian screen award (the equivalent of the Canadian Oscars; is that worth mentioning?) and had aTop-10 documentary  at the Tornto Film Festival, Sol, about an Inuit circus performer who died in RCMP custody.

I like to travel, having been all across China - excluding Xinjiang, where Uyghurs were put into detention camps, and I had to go through police checkpoints, sometimes twice a day - to Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, The Dominican Republic, pretty much everywhere in Europe, and the Arctic. Lastly, I'm a lifelong fan of Sci-Fi and since I can't (yet) go into space... I like to daydream about it.

You can follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/DRSCHOEL), and on Twitter (https://twitter.com/@drschoel2013).

The Secrets of Umami is the first in my new series, The Galactic Culinary Society. I have lots of surprising ideas to explore. To keep up-to-date on all things related to the GCS and Intergalactic Chef Hunter, Jeane Oberon, you can sign up for my newsletter at GCS NEWS.

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