Tag Archives: science fiction

Immortal for a Day by Stephen Piper-review

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Immortal for a Day by Stephen Piper-review

Amazon.ca

ABOUT THE BOOK: October 1. 2026

Evelyn Bishop thought she was strong, hardened by everything life had thrown at her. She was wrong.

She is murdered by her husband, only to wake again in the distant future—into a manufactured paradise designed to meet the wants and needs of its notionally immortal inhabitants. But something beneath the surface is waiting, watching—plotting.

When everything descends into chaos, her life becomes a living hell. Something inside her snaps. She refuses to be the victim any longer and fights back—only to discover her terrible ordeal has just begun.

•••••

REVIEW:IMMORTAL FOR A DAY is the first instalment in Stephen Piper’s adult, science-fiction, utopian, futuristic series set in the year 9077 focusing on psychotherapist Evelyn Bishop.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspective (Evelyn) IMMORTAL FOR A DAY follows psychotherapist Evelyn Bishop as she, against her will and on her husband Richard’s order, is placed in cryopreservation, only to be awoken seven thousand years into the future, with a new body, along with a core group of people who are part of the building blocks of a new civilization built into Ganymede, the largest moon of Jupiter. From the outset, Evelyn Bishop is a reluctant but curious member of society until the unwanted attention of one of the founders finds our heroine facing an unknown future.

The world building is detailed, complex and intricate as the reader, along with Evelyn Bishop, endeavors to understand the new world order, and what it means for those left behind. From cryogenics, computerized robots and drones, cyborgs and cloning, paradise and everything anyone could ever want and need, the utopian society created by The Rebirth Foundation is hiding an ugly secret, few of which know little about.

The secondary and supporting characters are numerous, charismatic, determined and often questionable. Paradise may look perfect from the outside but the eccentricities, idiosyncrasies and psychosis of the human mind have yet to be eradicated. The oligarchs, megalomaniacs and power-hungry visionaries find the perfect stooge in those hoping to live forever. We are introduced to Evelyn’s husband Richard Bishop, Michael Whittaker, creator of The Foundation, Rupert Calthorpoe Stewart-the original Head of R & D, Luke Falkner, the new head of R&D but a man struggling with his new life, Clarise Peterson, second largest financial contributor, and Megan Millhouse, the original CEO of The Rebirth Foundation.

IMMORTAL FOR A DAY is a futuristic story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, madness and obsession. The character driven premise is dramatic, comprehensive and intriguing; the characters are desperate, determined, and dynamic. IMMORTAL FOR A DAY, ends abruptly on a cliff hanger-of a sort-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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THUMOS RISING (Σ Book I) by Demitrios Lopez-a review

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THUMOS RISING (Σ Book I) by Demitrios Lopez-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 15, 2024

“They said he was handsome,
but with alien features,
purple, pupil-less eyes…”

With the world of Ninivon on the brink of annihilation, Zeno finds himself pitted against a vampiric overlord from beyond the stars. The tyrant, wraithlike purple glowing from his eyes, is obsessed with one thing: unraveling the mystery of the Σ a primordial and otherworldly power. A power that has chosen Zeno as it’s champion.

But Zeno will not accept the power, terrified of what the Σ will make of him. Until he discovers that Alexandra, his childhood best friend, is leading a rebellion against the Vampire and his monsters. Then Zeno becomes the demigod he was destined to be and joins the fray. But the lines blur between his duty to save Ninivon and his desire to protect Alexandra, whose past is shadowed in secrecy.

Where dragons soar alongside futuristic spacecraft and magic intertwines with advanced technology, Thumos Rising chronicles Zeno’s quest to unlock the mystery of the only thing those with purple eyes fear: The Σ.

••••••

REVIEW: THUMOS RISING is the first instalment in Demitrios Lopez’ adult Σ paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi series focusing on Ninivon warrior Zenosthenes ‘Zeno’ Andrea, and his rise to power as the Vessel of Thumos.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise including graphic violence, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from numerous omniscient third person perspectives (Zeno, Lysandros, Ghost, Vampire, Alexandra) following several back and forth timelines, THUMOS RISING focuses on a war between the Vampire and everyone else. The Vampire is determined to take control, annihilate every civilization, but never expected to come up against Zeno, a demi-god who has been chosen by an otherworldly power. More than ten years earlier, Zeno’s best friend Alexandra would be sent away for her protection, and in the ensuing years, would herself become a powerful warrior. Reconnecting years later, Zeno and Alexandra continue to profess their love but the Vampire is taking aim, separating our couple, once again. Fighting alongside Alexandra’s father Lysandros, Zeno would, at twenty six years of age, come into his powers, powers bestowed by an otherworldly Priestess. Family will be pitted against family, as Zeno is tasked with saving the world, becoming the ‘Truth’, the savior of men.

THUMOS RISING is an action-packed, multi-layered, exceedingly complex, and detailed story line using virtually every type of fictionalized creature from the supernatural to science fiction, and several others created for this tale. Using mashed-up words from Greek and Roman mythology, Latin and English, THUMOS RISING is a complicated tale of power and control, war and madness, as an alien priestess reveals the chosen to lead an offensive against the Vampire, and his army of the ‘undead’. There is an inordinate number of characters, worlds, peoples and names, and in this, the info-dumping is exorbitant, way beyond a simple or easy read-I could not fathom the pronunciation of many of the names and worlds. A well-written and elaborate yet convoluted and difficult read . THUMOS RISING ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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CENTAURI’S SHADOW by Ross Garner-Review & Guest Post

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CENTAURI’S SHADOW by Ross Garner-Review and Guest Post

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 8, 2024

‘Eight years ago they sent a single ship to test our defences. Now they’re building an armada.’

Cole grew up in the shadow of grief. Kyoko grew up in the shadow of war. Two pilots, separated by time, set out on parallel journeys to Proxima Centauri. What they find could be the start of something new. What they bring with them could be the end of all we know.

In this sweeping science fiction debut from Ross Garner, readers will find an Earth that is transformed by fear of an imminent invasion; a space station in orbit that acts as a gateway to other worlds; a Martian colony with all of the threat and violence of the Old West; and a distant star where answers can be found.

What is ‘the signal’? A greeting, or a threat?

••••

REVIEW: CENTAURI’S SHADOW by Ross Garner is an adult, science fiction thriller focusing on a potential war on the horizon with an alien race.

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Cole and Kyoko), focusing on two timelines, CENTAURI’S SHADOW follows in the wake of a message from space possibly signifying a senscient lifeform from beyond the sun but the UNSA’s (United Nations Space Agency) first attempt to circumnavigate the sun, ends in disaster, and years later, the sole remaining survivor, volunteers to set a plan into motion, to reach the Centauri system, in an effort to complete the original mission.

Meanwhile, several decades into the future, Earth and its’ colony on Mars have been attacked by an unknown enemy, and Kyoko and her crew of fighter pilots is tasked with ending all future attacks but Kyoko will quickly discover that all is not well on her voyage towards the end.

The characters are numerous, determined, dynamic and often lost. Mars is not so much a respite from Earth, but a virtual imprisonment for those who have been forgotten or have no direction home.

CENTAURI’S SHADOW is a detailed, complex and intriguing story of what ifs and whys. Humans have not learned from the past, and the past is gearing to repeat itself over and over again. Every generation or two fights for power and control, and in this, vengeance and greed lead to another war that no one will win.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Click HERE to read the first chapter of CENTAURI’S SHADOW by Ross Garner

The Wright Flyer to Apollo 11

By Ross Garner

In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made history as the inventors and pilots of the Wright Flyer: the first airplane. Of the first four test flights, the most successful was the last: covering a distance of 260 metres.  

Just 66 years later, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins flew Apollo 11 a distance of 953,054 miles. They landed on the moon, and returned safely.

There aren’t many people who lived through both events. A person born in the United States in the 1880s had a life expectancy of just 40 years. But there were some: a miraculous few who experienced first hand the transition from the Old West to the Space Age.

What was their reaction to this dramatic change in our technological capability? Did they feel like time travellers, leaving the world of the horse and wagon behind in favour of rockets and satellites?

It was this idea that led to the writing of Centauri’s Shadow, my first novel.

I imagined an astronaut, setting out alone to visit our closest star: Proxima Centauri. The journey would take him 40 trillion kilometres away from Earth. With today’s technology, it would take 70,000 years.

He would need to be frozen somehow, waiting to be reawakened on arrival.

And how might his home planet have changed while he slept?

If humankind’s technology could shift from a flimsy biplane to a rocket-fuelled spaceship in just 66 years, how might it evolve over 70,000 years?

It seemed reasonable to conclude that our technology would continue to improve. That the journey time would shrink from 70,000 years, to something more manageable.

By the time our astronaut arrived, Proxima Centauri could be home to millions of people: living in spaceships, space stations, and on other worlds.

I thought about this astronaut: sacrificing his life on Earth to be the first great explorer to visit another star, only to find that the journey had been pointless. The time, wasted. The sacrifice, meaningless.

And I decided to turn this idea into a book.

The story of Centauri’s Shadow evolved in the writing. The astronaut in question became Cole Anderson, and he journeys to Proxima Centauri not with a traditional rocket but with the use of solar sails: a method of propulsion that already exists and uses the pressure from solar radiation to gain speed.

With a bit of science fiction fudgery, the journey time was reduced to 30 years: allowing for a stronger emotional tie to Cole’s life and relationships back home. But the core concept remained, including the themes of time and sacrifice.

And the original idea lingers in the novel in another major way: the notion of the Old West, complete with saloons, brothels, missionaries and violence, re-emerged in the form of the first martian colony.

It took me 10 years in total to finish the story. A rather damning reflection of my ability to get things done when compared to the accomplishments of those who followed in the steps of the Wright brothers.

But I came to have sympathy for Cole, with all his faults. He did his best to find his way, as we all do.

Readers can make up their own minds whether it was worth it.

Centauri’s Shadow is available now on Amazon (US / UK / Canada)

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THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: ENDGAME -Inciting Incident by Dean C Moore

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THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: ENDGAME -Episode 1 -Inciting Incident by Dean C Moore

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 3, 2023

The seven divisions of Earth’s space force are waking up to the fact that something big is about to go down. There have been too many signs, however vague and ominous. Big is what these guys do for breakfast, so the fact that all seven divisions are increasingly disquieted is highly disturbing; especially when you consider that each of the seven divisions is technologically more advanced than the others. And no one feels prepared for what’s coming. The timeframe extends from the 1980s to the early 2000s.

So just what is coming?

Something that may well humble, even unite all seven divisions—which are often at odds with one another. In-fighting over who controls what planets and for what purposes is nothing new. But the mysterious communiqués from outside of space-time is.

Join me as the various extraterrestrial races and interests take to the scrimmage lines. The game is only just beginning.

•••••

REVIEW: THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN : ENDGAME Episode 1-Inciting Incident is the first instalment in Dean C Moore’s adult THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN : ENDGAME sci-fi series that takes aim at everything and everyone.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives, INCITING INCIDENT is a complex, detailed, and thought provoking story of an alternate history if billions of years of alien technology fell into the hands of the twentieth century Nazis. Following several intersecting timelines, pathways and probabilities, set somewhere between 1980 to 2020 but not relegated to a specific time, INCITING INCIDENT is a sociological look at the build up of power, of war and the potential for total annihilation throughout the universe, a universe larger than we could have ever imagined but for Dean C Moore’s own imagination.

Reading like a blend of Star Trek™, Star Wars™ and numerous science fiction storylines and series, we are up close and personal with AI, cyborgenic organisms, robots, ETs, aliens, anthropomorphic beings, enhanced humans, time travel, and sentient ‘everything’,in a story of ‘what if it were possible?’ . Dean C Moore pulls the reader into flight of fancy, a fantasy of imagination referencing many of Earth’s own more popular movies, books, and even some questionable politicians, oligarchs and megalomaniacs .

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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While action-packed sci-fi/techno-thrillers set in the near future are my forte, I also stray into other genres from time to time, such as space operas, paranormal fantasy, and detective stories. All my novels can be described as action-thrillers, no matter the sub-genre.

You can sample my writing with a free sci-fi e-book set in the near future by visiting my website https://deancmoore.com and signing up for my email list.

I live in the country where I breed bluebirds, which are endangered in these parts, as my small contribution to restoring nature’s balance. When I’m not writing, or researching my next book, I may also be found socializing with friends, or working in the garden.

If you’d like to know what compels me to write, it’s simple. I write as a force for peace. Fiction has a way of engaging our whole minds, not just our intellects, but various layers of our conscious, superconscious, and unconscious. Novels also encourage our left and right cerebral hemispheres to get in sync and, with just enough magic and wizardry, can help to transform people into more enlightened souls (the writer included) better than a hundred years of therapy or rational arguments to the same ends.

I’ve remained a lifelong student of philosophy, spirituality, psychology, science, and the arts.

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Hive (The Arcane Volumes 1) by Jeremiah Ukponrefe-a review

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Hive (The Arcane Volumes 1) by Jeremiah Ukponrefe-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

NOTE: HIVE is currently unavailable at the time of posting. We will update when links become available.

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 31, 2021

The Collective military has spent its years destroying the last remnants of The Hive, an alien force that devastated the old world. bringing forth the apocalypse, and ushering a new age of warring factions.

Alexander King is a Collective soldier who during a mission monitoring the outskirts of Zone 6, discovers evidence that the Hives presence is stronger then commonly believed. With his new information it becomes vital that The Collective acts fast, for if they dont the world will be brought to its knees again in a wave of destruction that will end humanity forever.

•••••••

REVIEW: HIVE is the first instalment is Jeremiah Ukponrefe’s dystopian, post apocalyptic, THE ARCANE VOLUMES science fiction series focusing on the aftermath of a alien invasion of Earth, in what is now referred to the old world.

Told from third person perspective HIVE follows Alexander King, a soldier in the Collective as he is raised to Commander, and assigned to search for evidence of the Hives-the alien ‘hubs’ of existence but Alexander, and his small intrepid band of soldiers and wannabes comes face to face with more than the Hives but with a large assortment of rogue factions and groups, each of whom has claimed territory in the ongoing war. As the realization comes to dawn as to the extent of the invasion and infiltration, Jeremy will discover that the power of the Hive must be stopped but in doing so, another power must take control.

HIVE is an action packed, graphic adventure marrying Starship Troopers with a little bit of Star Trek’s the Borg. Humans have tried to colonize other planets but in doing so, aliens have retaliated sending other species to colonize and take over Earth. Somewhat confusing in the outset, there is little in the way of back story or the history of how, when or why-the timeframe is never revealed, and details of what happened are limited. HIVE is an interesting concept, and entertaining story but more information about what led to the invasion and the ensuing fall-out would be a welcome addition.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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