Aeon Rising: The Apocalypse Begins by Matthew Mather - This One Is A Hell Of A Page Turner

Aeon Rising: The Apocalypse Begins by Matthew Mather

I downloaded this book from Kindle Unlimited and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I became aware of Aeon Rising when it was being announced on my Facebook newsfeed. I've read Mather's work in the past and enjoyed it, but this seemed to be a special project from the author. There was a lot of content surrounding the release of this story.

Aeon Rising is the tale of a disaster from outer space that threatens to change life on the planet as we know it. I enjoyed the characters and was pleased to see them grow as the story progressed. There is plenty of engaging action taking place and I really didn't want to stop reading when I started. I hurried through my mundane obligations so I could get back to the book.

There is also a great deal of emotional content in this story, and the writing was so good, one could feel what the characters must have been feeling. The emotional spectrum in this tome is mostly on the dark side, but there are also brief glimmers of hope and even a small amount of humor thrown in for good measure.

Another thing I was stirred by was the varied settings and how they were presented in the prose. There were urban settings, the Amazon Jungle, and the frozen tundra of the South Pole. Mather's descriptions were vivid and colorful, complete with the discomforts that come with those environments, as well as a few the author made up to add to the terror, especially in the jungle.

Overall, I love this engaging story.

Opening at a scientific research station on the continent of Antartica, a scientist monitors her equipment to detect neutrino particles as they strike the detectors. During the project, the scientist feels lucky when there is a hit, but one fateful day, her detectors lit up with a brilliance as an astronomical number of neutrinos excites her equipment. The scientist knows what this discovery means, and it isn't good.

What follows is a nearby (a relative term in astronomy) super nova event that has the effect of placing a second sun to heat the already warmed Earth. Climate change is rapid and will prove catastrophic to all life, especially human life. 

A man is sent to the Amazon in South America to contact an eccentric billionaire and friend to learn what he is up to in pursuing scientific discovery he would not be allowed to work on in the U.S. The man's pregnant wife is left to fend for herself and finds difficulty, but also finds help from a mysterious source.

The people of the Earth seek relief by moving north as fast as they can while resources are stretched to the limits and services are nonexistent.

The characters in this story are all well written and come alive as the reader gets to know them. 

Max Carver is former military, currently a professional over-the-road trucker. He's been tapped to find and contact a friend from his past and learn what he is doing in the Amazon jungle. Max seems to be a gentle, nice guy on the surface, but he has a skill set and very good survival instincts. Mostly, he just wants to finish the job he was sent to do and get back home with his wife. She is seven months pregnant with their first child.

Talisha Carver, Max's wife, is also preoccupied with the idea of Max being home before their baby is born. She also has a special skill set and is trying to survive in the difficult situation brought about by the supernova that has trapped Max in the jungle. When she is accosted by several dangerous people, she has to go on the run to save herself and her unborn child, while trying to learn what happened to Max and getting some place safe. She also finds she has a mysterious companion who claims wanting to help her.

Dr. Xin Rhou is the first person to detect the neutrino burst heralding the coming of the supernova. She is stationed at the South Pole and is a Chinese national. There seems to be more to her than just a simple researcher. She also finds herself involved in a mystery involving murder and other mayhem.

My favorite point of plot for Aeon Rising is all the things hinted at in future installments of the series. There are several questions that come to mind:

1. How will governments deal with a mass migration of people moving north to get away from the effects of the Aeon supernova?

2. What part does Max's friend play in the changes in the Amazon jungle?

3. What is the nature of Talisha's mysterious friend who wants to help, and why has this entity appeared?

4. How is Max going to survive in an environment that is out to do him harm at every turn?

5. What will finally be the fate of Xin and what is her actual role in developing events?

The overarching theme and my takeaway from Aeon Rising is survival for everyone in a situation that happened without warning. There are no contingency plans in place to deal with the mass migration of humanity to the northern parts of the planet to escape a developing situation. On the surface, the people of the planet seem to face certain extinction from something no one understands and can't do anything about, except hold out in hopes the crisis will work itself out.

Mather has set up a seemingly impossible to survive story. It will be interesting to see what roads he will lead us down as the questions are answered. This segment of the series gives the reader an exposition of people, places, and things likely leading to some amazing plot twists. I think Aeon Rising is an uncommonly great example of telling a story to invoke compassion, apprehension, and extraordinary thrills. I give Aeon Rising: The Apocalypse Begins my highest recommendations as a book well worth reading.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The two novels following this one are: Aeon Burn - due to be released early December 2022 - and Aeon Fury - in April 2023.

You also might be interested in some of the promotional material that is available from the author. He talked about Aeon Rising with two other authors on videos available on YouTube. You can access those through the links below:

Talk with author Steve Konkoly

Talk with author Kyla Stone

In the meantime, be sure not to pass up Aeon Rising; apocalyptic sci-fi fans should really enjoy this one!

Amazon Charts Bestseller Matthew Mather's books have sold millions of copies, accumulated over 100,000 ratings on Goodreads, Audible and Amazon, been translated and published in over 24 countries across the globe, and optioned for multiple movie and television contracts. He began his career as a researcher at the McGill Center for Intelligent Machines before starting and working in high-tech ventures ranging from nanotechnology to cyber security. He now works as a full-time author of speculative and science fiction thrillers.

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Bouncing Off the Moon: The Far Side of The Sky Book 2 by David Gerrold - More Sci-Fi Goodness From A Master

Bouncing Off the Moon: The Far Side of The Sky Book 2 by David Gerrold

I finished reading the first book in this series, Jumping Off the Planet, a few weeks ago and gave it a five-star review. Bouncing Off the Moon continues right where the first installment ends. This is a tale of an estranged family with parents who are more childish than their children. It is very a very sad state of affairs when parents use their children as weapons against each other; everyone suffers, especially the children.

The story, so far, is told from Charles's point of view. He is the middle child of three brothers who are all different in their interests and behaviors, but they have one thing in common; they depend on each other for support and survival.

Bouncing Off the Moon is a brilliantly written story told in the classic sci-fi style. It is set wholly on Earth's Moon and the descriptions of the backdrop colorfully illustrate the colorless landscape of the colonized satellite. I couldn't help but think about Buzz Aldrin's observation when he encountered the body in 1969. He called it "magnificent desolation" and David brings those words to life in this book.

I was most impressed by the pains the author took to get the science right. However, what really drives the story are the characters.

This second book isn't your typical bridge between the beginning and the end of a trilogy, but it is a complete story unto itself. I found it exciting, scary, sad, and humorous; running a full gamut of emotions.

Charles, also known as Chigger, his two brothers, Bobby the younger, Douglas, the older, have just won their emancipation from their parents and are striking out to seek their fortune among the stars. Economic and political conditions on Earth have deteriorated to where its society seems doomed to collapse. The brothers are accompanied by Mickey, Douglas' newly found love interest.

Realizing they are being pursued for a toy they have in their possession; they learn they have to take an alternate way to avoid being captured. Bobby's toy contains something precious to many people. The boys are joined by Alexei, a friend of Mickey's and a resident of the Moon, who helps them escape from the tether in a cargo pod before they can be captured.

As a resident of the Earth's natural satellite, Alexei knows how to get around and he takes the boys on a fantastic adventure crossing the Lunar surface to seek safety. After arriving at a safe place, all is not what it seems, and the boys must watch their backs because there is uncertainty at every turn.

As for the characters in this second part of the tale, there is significant growth in the brothers. In the first book, they really had little in common with one another other than the schism brought about by their parents. Since they have been away from that influence, they have become closer and depend on one another for strength and support.

The story is told from Chigger's point of view, and we get to follow his feelings through the numerous new, strange, and dangerous situations the boys face. David wrote this story so one can feel what the boys feel, especially Chigger. As a young teenager, he is already emotionally compromised just because of the age. I have to say, though, that he handles much of what he faces well for his age.

My best advice for a reader is to keep an eye on all the characters. Some are not what they seem.

My favorite point of plot for Bouncing Off the Moon is all the swerves, twists, and turns this story takes. Just when one thinks this story is going to be predictable, it takes a turn and moves in another direction. I thought for sure I had a couple of characters figured out, only to find I was completely wrong about them. This alone makes this tale a fun one to read, as David takes the reader on an emotional and literal roller coaster ride.

Another point I appreciated were the descriptions of the surroundings and how the characters move through them while on the moon, not to mention how they get to the moon. The science is well researched, and it adds so much to the authenticity of the story. Everything the author shows the reader in this story is completely plausible. Indeed, it is all made up, but everything is so practical, it wouldn't be difficult to say that David is projecting today’s technologies into the not-too-distant future.

One takeaway from this story is how one must know their surroundings with great diligence. This is true especially with the people once interacts with. With the brothers, they had little choice in who to ally themselves with and it could have cost them their lives had they not been suspicious of nearly everyone they encountered.

But even more, during a scene near the end of the book, two characters get into a discussion of a legal and philosophical nature. The question posed is, "when it is appropriate to break the law?" Many would argue that illegal activity brings about change, but then at what cost does that change take place? Then there is the idea presented by American author, Henry David Thoreau, in an essay commonly known as On the Duty of Civil Disobedience. In nearly every book I've read by David Gerrold, there is something to give me pause and think. As for me, I think this small section is worth the price of the entire book. The conclusion to the argument is, "... it is never appropriate to break the law. It is, however, appropriate to challenge it responsibly." (p. 268, Kindle edition)

Not only is this my favorite part of the story, it is thick with substance and well worth the time, especially in the current political climate.

I recommend Bouncing Off the Moon along with the volume that comes before, Jumping Off the Planet, as something worth the time to read, not only because of the immense entertainment value of the saga but also to have one's mind stimulated with issues relevant to life today. David Gerrold's skill as a writer is shown in this story because the deep issues are not presented in a preachy way, but they are presented as important story points moving the story forward.

Highest recommendations for this book as well as the series (so far) as a whole.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

David Gerrold lives in California with his son, daughter-in-law, and his toddler grandson. He is the winner of numerous awards for his writing. You can follow him on Facebook or through his Patreon page. He is a self-described curmudgeon, and you are strongly advised not to tread on his lawn.

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A Hole In The World by Weston Ochse - Modern Military Fantasy At Its Best

 

A Hole In The World by Weston Ochse

While scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed, I came across a post from Weston Ochse where he shared a review of A Hole In The World. The reviewer left no doubt that he/she didn't appreciate the book and, with much malice, virtually shredded it. First, I want to compliment Weston on sharing a harsh review of his own work; it takes guts to acknowledge what I thought was unfair and way over-the-top. I've read Weston's work in the past and enjoyed it, but when I saw that review, I knew I had to get a copy and read it. Nothing could be as bad as the description from my fellow reviewer (who I don't care to know).

I wasn't sure what I was getting when I downloaded this story. I was expecting more of a military sci-fi tale. It is a military tale, but there is very little sci-fi to this. It is pure military fantasy. 

The story is told from the point of view of a strong female character named Laurie May. She is a member of an organization that aggressively investigates (meaning sometimes fights) malicious paranormal beings. The attention of her organization, Special Unit 77, is piqued when a missing town in South Dakota. The strangest thing at the beginning is that everyone that lived in or around the town doesn't realize it is missing. As a matter of fact, it never existed as far as they are concerned. Only one person, a Native-American man calling himself Francis Scott Key Chases The Enemy, knows the place existed, and it has disappeared.

A similar incident happens in England, where Laurie is sent to investigate and offer aid wherever she can.

Paranormal mayhem ensues when she discovers she is involved in a massive war between two factions in the Fae realm. it became a brutal and bloody fight for survival to keep the fighting from spilling into the world as we know it.

Laurie May is a great character following in the tradition of many characters; one that comes to mind is Ellen Ripley. She is tough, but she cares. She knows how to take care of herself in a fight. When Laurie becomes a part of the team in England, she's more-or-less told to stay out of the way. As time passes, she earns a place in the team as they learn of her skill and ability to think on her feet and adapt to numerous situations. 

My other favorite character is Francis. With a name like his, who cannot like him. He strikes me as a kind of Native-American poet/philosopher/warrior. I was hoping to see a lot more of him in this story. He's someone I want to get to know.

As far as plot points in this tale, I really enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the characters and the battle scenes. As I mentioned before, the battles are brutal, and some descriptions are graphic in their detail. I don't mind this, but readers who are sensitive to this type of literature may find it unappealing. Aside from that, this book is full of characters who have a lot of fun to read interactions. Their banter is humorous, but not offensive. Oches does a fine job of bringing his characters to life, making A Hole In The World an entertaining read.

My takeaway from this story is how the classic battle between good and evil is usually won by the good side, but only as long as good is ready to get down on the same level of evil and behave as such. Really, the tactics between the two are much the same. 

While fantasy is not my favorite genre, my curiosity was sated in finding this work of fiction was not at all as described by the aforementioned reviewer. The story is solid, the characters are appealing, and the book is wholly entertaining. What more can one ask from an author? I've enjoyed Weston's stories in the past and I did not find the quality lagging, as a matter of fact, I saw growth in the writing from the earlier works I've enjoyed.

I recommend A Hole In The World for those who enjoy fantasy in a modern setting with modern technology as a tool to fight the good fight.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The American Library Association calls Weston Ochse "one of the major horror authors of the 21st Century." His work has won the Bram Stoker Award, been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and won four New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards. A Writer of more than thirty books in multiple genres, his Burning Sky Duology has been hailed as the best military horror of the generation. His military supernatural series Seal Team 666 has been optioned to be a movie starring Dwayne Johnson and his military sci-fi trilogy, which starts with Grunt Life, has been praised for its PTSD-positive depiction of soldiers at peace and at war.

Weston has also published literary fiction, poetry, comics, and non-fiction articles. His shorter work has appeared in DC Comics, IDW Comics, Soldier of Fortune Magazine, Cemetary Dance and peer-reviewed literary journals. His franchise work includes The X-Files, Predator, Aliens, Hellboy, Clive Barker's Midian, and V-Wars.

Weston holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, and he teaches at Southern New Hamshire University. He lives in Arizona with his wife and fellow author, Yvonne Navarro and their Great Danes.

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When Earth Shall Be No More by Paul Awad and Kathryn O'Sullivan - One Child, Two Timelines To Save Humanity

When Earth Shall Be No More by Paul Awad and Kathryn O'Sullivan

I received an advance copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was attracted to this book because of its cover design and the title. I was expecting a post-apocalyptic kind of story where the Earth is destroyed and some very rich man building a spaceship to carry an elite crew off the planet to save humanity. When I read the book, I found it was much more than what I expected.

This is a story full of humanistic ideas and interactions between two timelines. There are many twists and turns making the story compelling. The plot is driven by well-developed characters that a reader can truly care about and relate to. It is a tale of people forming relationships depending on cooperation for survival. It suggests just what humanity can do if people work together.

A reader will find this book hard to set aside once it is opened. 

The Earth has somehow been destroyed and Constance Roy, an environmental scientist along with forty-eight others, are taken aboard the Orb, a huge space vessel that is in orbit around the planet Jupiter. Constance and the rest of the humans are watched over by an automaton race of beings calling themselves Curators. Everything on board Orb is provided except for the solution to the problem of where to go before the ship's orbit decays and is crushed in the Jovian planet's atmosphere.

In another timeline on modern day Earth, Constance goes about her life as a single mom raising a son who appears to be someone very special. The youngster, Nicolas, appears to have a special gift of being able to understand things far beyond his age.

Onboard the Orb, the Curators have given up on any possibility that the humans will save themselves. Their bickering and single-mindedness seem to get in the way.

Just when all seems lost, the timelines collide. Nicolas's mother Constance makes a sacrifice, and the boy helps Constance in the Orb timeline to solve the problems. Convinced there is no hope for the future of humanity, the Curators seek to kill Nicolas, but Constance fights to make sure the boy can give hope to what is left of Earth's population to start over on a new world.

When Earth Shall Be No More is told from Constance Roy's point of view in both timelines.

Constance on the Orb and on Earth both have the same personalities. They think, talk, and act alike. Both are analytical and are good problem solvers. The difference between the two is their focus on the problems they face. Orb Constance is trying to find the target planet to settle on by following a string of cryptic clues left behind by a friend while the Earth version is concerned mostly with her son and his wellbeing. Earth Constance does not know what is happening when a mysterious stranger arrives on the scene and tries to kidnap Nicolas.

My favorite point of plot in this tale is how Nicolas has been nurtured to appreciate science and what it can offer to solve problems. She encourages Nicolas to read books and learn all he can about the things he is interested in. This alone makes the child a force in the future survival of humanity.

My takeaway from this story is how one should never underestimate the powers of a young person who is full of wonder and curiosity. One such individual can be both an inspiration and can present a unique point of view to the solution of a problem.

This book is an easy-to-read story that flows along at a good pace and will hold a reader's attention. It is an uncommon science fiction thriller that runs the entire spectrum of emotional content and is well worth the time as the opening to a series.

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Paul Awad and Kathryn O’Sullivan are an award-winning husband and wife writing and filmmaking team. They have collaborated on feature and documentary films, screenplays, and web series. Paul is a cinema professor and Kathryn is a theatre professor at Northern Virginia Community College. Kathryn is also the award-winning writer of the Colleen McCabe mystery series. They live in Reston, Virginia.

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Moments Asunder - Star Trek: Coda Book 1 by Dayton Ward - Mayhem Ensues From An Old Foe

Moments Asunder - Star Trek: Coda Book 1 by Dayton Ward

On April 23, 2022, I made a trek to Kansas City to attend Planet Comicon. My mission was two-fold; first I took part on a panel with my friend, Troy Rutter on Autograph Collecting. The second part of my mission was to meet Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore, authors of Star Trek literature. The panel, while not well attended, was a success. Meeting two of my favorite authors was also successful, and I returned home with an autographed copy of Moments Asunder, the first book in the new Coda series penned by Dayton. The next two books in the series include The Ashes of Tomorrow by James Swallow and, finally, Oblivion's Gate by David Mack.

This story introduces a conundrum with the return of a nemesis from ST: TNG, who has become stronger and more dangerous. In reality, this series avoids a problem of breaking continuity in the Trek timeline and resolve new ideas that have been presented in the Picard television series. So, moving forward, there will be continued consistency in future books.

It is hard to write about Moments because nearly everything I might say would be a spoiler. This story is so full, it never slows down and all the while urged me on to reading more. If you read this book, don't blink, you'll miss something. 

Moments is, as always, with Dayton's stories, well written, logical, engaging, and highly entertaining.

In order to avoid any undue spoilers, I'll quote the blurb from the back of the book...

Starfleet's Finest faces a challenge unlike any other...

Tomorrow is doomed...

Time is coming apart. Countless alternate and parallel realities are under attack, weakening and collapsing from relentless onslaught. If left unchecked, the universe faces an unstoppable descent toward entropy.

Wanderer, Oracle, Ally...

Scarred and broken after decades spent tracking the escalating temporal disaster, while battling the nameless enemy responsible for it, an old friend seeks assistance from Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Starship Enterprise. The apocalypse may originate from their future, but might the cause lie in the past?

Everything that will be...

Identifying their adversary is but the first step toward defeating them, but early triumphs come with dreadful costs. What will the price be to achieve final victory, and how will that success be measured in the futures as yet undefined?

What is most impressive about Moments is how Dayton dovetails the past books and episodes from Trek into this one opening tale in the continuing adventures of the Enterprise. All the characters we have come to know over the years are in play here along with those we have also come to know through the literary continuation in the expanded universe.

Lives and situations have changed over the years, but the characters have grown through their experiences. With introducing multiple timelines in this book, we get an array of varied living situations that is satisfyingly familiar to those of use who have taken the time to read the many books in the expanded Trek universe.

This alone is a strong point in Moments, but there is so much more.

My favorite point of plot for this amazing story is the opening of the book. We return to a place from the past where a character is trying to get answers, but the answers are all couched in unspecific riddles that only breed more questions. "By all that was. By all that will be," is all the questioner will get. The rest of the story shows the meaning of this cryptic statement.

In the pages that follow this opening, there are more twists and turns that San Francisco's Lombard Street and would be nearly as difficult to navigate without the brilliant writing by the author. It is Dayton's depth of knowledge in the Trek universe that drives this story forward. It is a complicated story made clear. Let's face it, stories set in multiple timelines can be difficult to understand, but that is not the case here.

My takeaway from Moments Asunder is that the past is prologue. Whatever has come before will come again. This tale most assuredly illustrates that quote from Shakespeare's play, The Tempest.

Moments Asunder is loaded with great character driven story, familiar characters (it's almost like getting a visit from old friends), and plot twists galore all wrapped in a package that moves at breakneck speed. Once you pick this one up, it will be nearly impossible to set aside. Yeah, it's that good.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dayton, me, and Kevin
Planet Comicon 2022

"Dayton Ward understands and forgives readers who skip over the "About the Author" pages. It's easy to gloss right past them. Besides, a lot of them can be kind of pretentious, with the author listing everything they've ever written, along with the names of every cat they've rescued from a tree. Dayton hates being that guy, even though he really digs cats.

"What Dayton can tell you is that his first Star Trek "expanded universe" story was written in the early 1980s, and you'll be thrilled to know it remains unpublished. Indeed, the story itself doesn't even exist anymore. All copies have been burned, and all witnesses have been silenced. You're welcome.

"If you've made it this far, let Dayton know by visiting him on the web at DaytonWard.com, where you can read about all the stuff he's written and thank him for sparing you the pain of yet another long, drawn-out "About the Author" page."

That was from the end of Moments Asunder. In reality, Dayton Ward is the New York Times bestselling author or coauthor of nearly forty novels and novellas, often working with his best friend, Kevin Dilmore. His short fiction has appeared in more than twenty anthologies, and he’s written for magazines such as NCO Journal, Kansas City Voices, Famous Monsters of Filmland, Star Trek, and Star Trek Communicator, as well as the websites Tor.com, StarTrek.com, and Syfy.com. A native of Tampa, Florida, he currently lives in Kansas City, Missouri with his wife and two daughters. Visit him on the web at DaytonWard.com. 

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Out of Time by Mikhail Gladkikh - Breathtaking Hard Sci-Fi

Out of Time by Mikhail Gladkikh

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

When Dr. Mikhail Gladkikh contacted me via email asking if I would read his new book, and sent the blurb along, I did not know what to expect. I just finished reading Out of Time and I will admit, it left me breathless. It is an amazing roller coaster ride of scientific discovery, political intrigue, and mayhem perpetrated by those who are power hungry megalomaniacs. There are a plethora of characters, both good and bad, who embark on a journey to save, or destroy, the very universe we live in.

This story is based on concepts constantly under the scrutiny of real astrophysics every day. Chiefly, some concepts explore the nature of spacetime, dark matter/energy, and the effects of gravitational waves. When I read or listen to podcasts dealing with much of this subject matter, I come away only partially understanding what I've taken in. This story discusses these concepts as well, but the author does a great job making it easier to understand for the common person.

The tale itself is well paced, moving from chapter to chapter, following the exploits of the characters in their various roles.

In short, if you only read one hard sci-fi novel this year, this should be it.

Set in the year 2057, humanity seems to have gotten itself together enough to move off planet and explore the solar system. The people of Earth have changed little in the future, and there are those who have massive amounts of wealth and power, but enough is never enough. It's politics as usual. Things go awry when something strange happens in the outer solar system.

On Oberon, the outermost moon of Uranus, an anomaly seems to increase the gravitational pull of this body. When a team is sent to investigate, a probe is destroyed, revealing few answers. Not long after, the same type of anomaly grips the Earth's moon and sends the satellite on a collision course with the planet.

A crack team of scientists is gathered to address the problem. As they work on this, a college student, Jim Steel, begins having visions of the future and helps police solve a crime.

There are several threads to this story that weave together into a complete tapestry of deeper scientific understanding of the workings of our universe, and the dangers presented by those who would manipulate the laws of nature to their own advantage.

My favorite point of the plot in Out of Time was how the science was written. At one point, a character proposes what she conjectures to be the mechanics of how the universe continues to expand and what is causing the anomalous problems that exist in the story. What I most enjoyed about this is how Galdkikh made the prose so clear even I could understand the explanation, while still making it sound more like science than science fiction. There are two hypotheses put forth that seem so plausible that they must be something under study in the real world.

At another point, there is some discussion of how the universe will end. This takes place within the mind of the character Jim Steel, a college student who has glimpses of the future and helps solve some problems presented in the story. The idea deals with the theory that since the universe was created in a massive explosion, it would end in just the opposite way, with a Big Crunch.

In the first idea, it is the addition of (dark) matter/energy that inflates the universe, and in the second, the universe will in a kind of overcrowding of matter and energy, which will lead to a Big Bang; the creation of a new universe in a new epoch.

Whatever the truth is, we may never know, but it is fun to think about and come up with new ideas and argue about the old ones. In any case, my point is that the science in this book is written so anyone can understand what is being discussed. The handling of science in this story made it more accessible to me and easier to visualize, which I appreciate.

My takeaway from Out of Time is how science can be corrupted by introducing politics into problem solving. We see this today when we look at the problem of global climate change and how this debate is developing. I will not offer my personal views here, but I will say that it disturbs me how everything science, which is supposed to be the search for the truth, is spun to fit whatever one tends to believe.

This story is a perfect example of how scientists are charged with finding truths and solving problems and when politics become involved, how the issues become clouded to where the common person doesn't know what to think. 

This tale is engaging and entertaining and at no point was I bored with this book. There is a lot in this book to keep track of, but it is so well written and organized that there are no problems with understanding the action taking place. I love the way the threads of the story, which in many cases seem unrelated, come together at the end. I give Out of Time my highest recommendations for a high-quality hard sci-fi story.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mikhail Gladkikh is an author and a thought leader, driven by the quest for knowledge, learning, and advancement of humanity.

Mikhail Gladkikh, Ph.D. Applied Mathematics, is a new fiction author. His sci-fi short stories are published in multiple online journals. Mikhail’s short story “Sea-born” has been selected as the story of the month for November 2021 and nominated for the Pushcart Award by “The Big Purple Wall” magazine. His professional career provides him with a unique perspective on the technologies of the future. He spent sixteen years at Baker Hughes, an Energy Technology Company, where he is working at the forefront of the 4th Industrial Revolution, advancing 3D Printing, Industrial Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Supply Chain. 

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Alien Isolation (Audiobook) by Keith R.A. Decandido - A Complete Package Of Great Story, Characters, And Narration!

Alien Isolation (Audiobook) by Keith R.A. Decandido

In preparation for a day trip to Kansas City, Missouri, to attend Planet Comicon, I downloaded Alien: Isolation to accompany me on the drive. I found this a great choice for an audiobook for both content and narration. Keith is one of my favorite authors, mostly for his work in the Star Trek sandbox, and particularly for his portrayal of Klingons in his work. Knowing the quality of his work in the Trek universe, I was not surprised to find the same level of quality in this story from the Alien franchise. Overall, I found Alien: Isolation a refreshing diversion from the monotony of cross-country driving.

This story is based on the video game of the same title as the book. (I've never played the video game, nor did I know anything about it before I looked it up.) This is the tale of Amanda Ripley, daughter of Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley of the ill-fated cargo ship, Nostromo. Apparently, Ripley revealed she had a daughter back on Earth during the Aliens film in a scene that was cut from the original movie. This story fleshes out Amanda's plight using flashback scenes to give us some insight into the principal character, and the main story of Amanda's struggle to learn Ellen's fate and her struggle to survive encounters with the xenomorphs.

Keith's story is fast-paced and was well balanced between the flashbacks and the principal story. The descriptions of the settings were easy to visualize, and the characters were excellently developed and read as believable living people. The narration by Sarah Mollo-Christensen was also outstanding and further brought the action and characters to life.

Ellen Ripley departed on the Nostromo after promising her young daughter, Amanda, she would return in time for her eleventh birthday. As Amanda awaited her mother's return, she only finds deep disappointment when she is informed Ellen will not return because the Nostromo was mysteriously destroyed en route returning to Earth, and that her mother's fate is not known.

Amanda, who is being raised by her alcoholic stepfather, has a rough life. Her ambition is to attend school, learn all she can, and learn of her mother's fate. After following several false leads, she finally receives word that the Nostromo's flight recorder has been recovered and is on a deep-space station.

When arriving at the station, her ship and crew find themselves in a desperate fight for survival against the very creatures that ravaged the Nostromo's crew. Amanda must use all her knowledge and wits to escape death and find out if she will ever see her mother again.

Amanda Ripley is not Ellen Ripley, at least not right away. She is smart and learns fast. Her intention was to become a certified engineer. While she did become an engineer of sorts, the certification eluded her for many reasons. Chief among those was her stepfather who, while capable, had a lot of problems with alcohol, and by extension, holding a job. So instead of being able to pursue her ambition, she had to work to support herself and her often unemployed stepdad to survive and avoid being taken into the system.

Those of us who have followed Ellen's exploits through the Alien franchise admire her as a tough, yet compassionate, and heroic character. Amanda has these same traits as she goes about the business of seeking hope her mother somehow survived the Nostromo disaster. Aboard the space station, there are dangers everywhere. Yes, there is the monster, but at the same time there are numerous system failures she must keep repairing, and, she has to deal with the personnel issues as the crew also breaks down and enters an ‘everyone-for-themselves’ survival mode. In the end, Amanda is every bit the hero as her mother.

As always, there seems to be another enemy to fight who never shows its face. Readers/listeners probably will not be surprised at the reveal who the hidden enemy is.

My favorite point of plot for Isolation is how well Amanda's character is fleshed out to become someone a reader can care about. Without this aspect in the story, this tale wouldn't have been extraordinary. I felt so bad for this brilliant little girl and absolutely wanted her to be successful in achieving her goals. It was sad that at every turn; she was thwarted and forced to serve in a menial role so far below her intellect. It is my hope that Keith may tell more of this tale outside of the novelization of the video game. He just knows how to spin a great yarn, and I know his treatment would be a satisfying story. 

The obvious main theme of Isolation is a look at someone who survives against insurmountable odds. But my takeaway from this story goes a little deeper than Amanda versus the monster. It is more how Keith endows her with a strength of character that allows her to survive.

There is no quit in Amanda. She is going to persevere no matter what she is told or what obstacles are put in her way. It would have been so easy for her to just accept being told Ellen was dead and move on from there. She might have, but it was that tiny seed of doubt that drove her on to do whatever she had to do to uncover the truth. I admire her for this, and it is what kept me listening as I made my way home from Kansas City.

Alien: Isolation is a great audiobook and I highly recommend it to those who are fans of the franchise and are looking for more story. It moves at a great pace. There just isn't a dull moment or what one might think of as fluff. Everything is relevant to the story. The characters, along with Amanda, are great and help the listener/reader understand the principal character better. Even though the story is complete in itself, it still left me wanting more and it is my hope there will be more in the near future, especially if Keith DeCandido is tapped to be the author.

Novel Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Narration Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Keith R.A. DeCandido was born and raised in New York City to a family of librarians, which pretty much explains everything. He has written more than 50 novels, as well as short stories, nonfiction, eBooks, comic books, and blog entries, many of them in various media universes, among them Star Trek, Alien, Supernatural, World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Marvel Comics, Cars, Farscape, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Stargate, Serenity, Resident Evil, Kung Fu Panda, Doctor Who, Sleepy Hollow, Leverage, Orphan Black, and more. Among his many works of original fiction are the fantasy police procedural series of novels and short stories that started with Dragon Precinct, as well as a series of urban fantasy short stories set in Key West, Florida, many of which are in Ragnarok & Roll: Tales of Cassie Zukav, Weirdness Magnet, fiction about cops in a city filled with super heroes, and an urban fantasy series about a nice Jewish boy from the Bronx who hunts monsters, starting with the novel A Furnace Sealed. Keith is also an editor (having supervised several book lines and put together dozens of anthologies), musician (percussionist for the Don't Quit Your Day Job Players, the Boogie Knights, and others), pop culture commentator (he writes for both Tor.com and his own Patreon at patreon.com/krad) and a third-degree black belt in Kenshikai karate (he both trains and teaches). He still lives in New York City with various humans and animals.

Sarah Mollo-Christensen (Narrator): Sarah grew up riding horses outside Boston, and went to Dartmouth College, where she graduated magna cum laude with a BA in History. 

After a few years working in other industries, such as documentary production, book publishing, and law, she threw caution and financial responsibility to the winds, and decided to apprentice herself to a dog trainer and attend the Atlantic Acting School's two-year Conservatory. 

In the years since, Sarah has acted in New York and at wonderful regional theaters, including The Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., where she spent a year in residence as an acting fellow.

When she's not in a theater or an audio booth, Sarah can be found resolving the behavior issues of New York City's dogs (and their owners).