“Echoes From Another Earth” by J. Daniel Layfield- An SPSFC2 Semifinalist Review

I’ll be reading and reviewing every semifinalist for the Self-Published Science Fiction Contest! Check out my list with blurbs, covers, links, and first impressions for all the semifinalists here. Please let me know what you think of any/all of these books! I love comments, and love talking about books.

Echoes from Another Earth by J. Daniel Layfield

Cross-dimensional consequences are the name of the game in Echoes from Another Earth. We meet Josh, who has awareness that he’s living multiple different lives across different dimensions.

The book has a great opening, selling readers immediately on the story of Josh, even as it reveals that he’s not the greatest person. As openers go, finding out the city your main character is in is about to get blown away by an asteroid, and that he somehow doesn’t really mind much, is a good one. This got me invested in Josh as a character right away. I was going strong with it, and then more characters and viewpoints are introduced, and then we got more characters and viewpoints. And the book went from seeming to be pretty serious to introducing a bit more comedy than I was hoping for at the beginning.

The other viewpoints we get are a scientist who’s working to solve the problems that are cropping up with the dimensional interactions and an admiral who is dealing with questions of loyalty. As I read these other viewpoints and kept returning to Josh as well, I kept hoping for a tone and story more like those opening chapters than I was getting. Admittedly, that’s largely on me as a reader, but I can’t avoid feeling a bit disappointed by the way the story played out being so different from what my expectations were after the beginning.

The story we do get has stakes that are pretty high, but a lot of them are played for laughs more than for the intensity of the plot. Ultimately, the book is more a buddy comedy about multiverse than it is a drama. The obvious comp book is Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter, but where the latter plays it straight and serious, this one turns to some hijinks and humor. If that appeals to you, this book is definitely for you.

Echoes from Another Earth is an interesting take on dimensional interactions. Those looking for a take on multi-dimensionality should check it out.

Links

 Check out my many posts from the SPSFC (scroll down for more).

Science Fiction Hub– I have scores of reviews of Hugo nominees, Vintage Sci-Fi, modern sci-fi, TV series, and more! Check out my science fiction related writings here.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for discussion of posts, links to other pages of interest, random talk about theology/philosophy/apologetics/movies/scifi/sports and more!

SDG.

Author Interview: Drew Melbourne, author of SPSFC2 Semifinalist “Percival Gynt and the Conspiracy of Days”

I’m a judge for the Self-Published Science Fiction Contest (SPSFC), and wanted to spotlight some of the authors in the contest.

Drew Melbourne, Author of Percival Gynt and the Conspiracy of Days

(Questions in Bold)

What was your gateway into speculative fiction? What made you decide to write it?

Oh gosh. So many things! My childhood was a perfect storm of geekery. My brother John was my first Dungeon Master and the clerk at my local comic shop. My mom was deep into the 80s Doctor Who fan community. In prose, I was mostly getting fantasy early on. CS Lewis and Lloyd Alexander and Susan Cooper, but then I discovered Douglas Adams when I was in maybe 5th grade, and the damage was done. I can’t remember when I found out, but my mom was actually working on a kids sci-fi novel when I was a baby. She was home with me, and I was — I dunno — spitting up on myself in my crib, and she was at the dining room table writing out a whole book longhand. Multiple complete drafts! Hundreds and hundreds of pages. I don’t think she ever got as far as sending it out to editors, etc. but it shaped her. And us! I grew up just… *intrinsically* aware that stories aren’t just a thing that’s given to us. They’re things that anyone can create — that *everyone* can create — and share with the world.

Douglas Adams is who I thought of immediately when my group previewed your book, “Percival Gynt and the Conspiracy of Days.” To me, it had that same fun vibe without having the comedy detract from the story. Other than Adams, what inspirations did you draw on for “Percival Gynt”?

I’m a neurodiverse author. I have ADHD. And one of the things I’ve learned about myself over the years is, whether as author or audience, my brain is really geared to fiction that tries to do everything. That’s funny and scary and sad and exciting and thoughtful and ridiculous and and and… I actually have a bad habit of falling asleep watching TV or movies, even stuff I like, if it’s just the same tone over and over. My brain has a hard time maintaining focus.

There’s a movie I saw this year called EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE that I adore, and I caught an interview with the directors on NPR where they described the movie as “maximalist.” As in, the opposite of minimalist. And it was a real light bulb moment for me, because I never had a word for it before, but that’s absolutely it. I write maximalist fiction. So a lot of my inspiration is just “everything I’ve ever loved in a blender” but I also have these touchstones, creators or works that really exemplify what I’m trying to do. I go back to a comic book guy, Kieth Giffen, who was doing this amazing stuff with JUSTICE LEAGUE and LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES in the late 80s. To BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, which magically sprang into existence without a writer. To PRINCESS BRIDE. The movie and, maybe more importantly, the book. And to Shakespeare, when I’m feeling fancy!

I definitely get a sense of “everything and the kitchen sink” in this book, but you make it work! There are at least 3 possible sequels teased in the novel–will we be seeing more of Percival Gynt and/or others?

Indeed! The one I can talk about is PERCIVAL GYNT AND THE INEVITABILITY OF FIRE AND OTHER CASES which, if the stars align and fate finds favor, should finally be out in 2023. It’s a short story collection, set mostly before the events of CONSPIRACY OF DAYS, and structured so that it can be enjoyed equally by new and returning readers. In it, Percival catches killers, slays monsters, exorcizes ghosts, and saves Christmas! And plays bridge. Not well, but he’s a good sport about it. Oh. And the title novella, THE INEVITABILITY OF FIRE, is structured like an old-time Choose Your Own Adventure!

So lots of fun ridiculous stuff, and along the way we’re watching this flawed young man grow into the hero of CONSPIRACY OF DAYS.

I can’t wait to read about Percival saving Christmas, among other things! Where can readers find you?

Folks can pick up a copy of CONSPIRACY OF DAYS from Amazon.

I’m @drewmelbourne on Twitter until it implodes and I’m forced to decamp to Instagram, Hive, Mastadon, or Fnargle. And my website, https://drewmelbourne.com, is a great place to find out more about my work, with links to reviews, interviews, merch, and more.

Thank You!

All links to Amazon are Affiliates

Links

The Self-Published Science Fiction Contest (SPSFC) Hub– Check out all of my posts related to the SPSFC here!

Science Fiction Hub– I have scores of reviews of Hugo nominees, Vintage Sci-Fi, modern sci-fi, TV series, and more! Check out my science fiction related writings here.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for discussion of posts, links to other pages of interest, random talk about theology/philosophy/apologetics/movies/scifi/sports and more!

SDG.

“Shakedowners” by Justin Woolley- An SPSFC2 Semifinalist Review

I’ll be reading and reviewing every semifinalist for the Self-Published Science Fiction Contest! Check out my list with blurbs, covers, links, and first impressions for all the semifinalists here. Please let me know what you think of any/all of these books! I love comments, and love talking about books.

Shakedowners by Justin Woolley

Captain Iridius B. Franklin seems to have astronomically bad luck as a starship captain. No matter what he does, something always goes terribly wrong. That’s why he’s relegated to hauling land whale dung and mining waste around rather than flying a more glamorous ship. But it’s also why he gets selected to do a shakedown cruise to test out the Gallaway, a top-of-the-line ship that they want to be sure has all the kinks worked out. Well, Franklin of course runs into trouble, and the barebones crew of hard-on-their-luck people he selected for the shakedown journey has to help him solve a galaxy-threatening problem.

What you see is what you get in this novel. The description above tells you most of what you’re going to get. While there are twists–I was a big fan of what happened with the primary threat in the novel–the core of it is a silly adventure in space with stakes that are comedically high for the crew we’ve got. Mileage on this one will vary wildly with how much readers enjoy that kind of fun romp. For me it was a good read and an excellent listen. The narrator for the audiobook is top notch and makes the novel even more enjoyable than it otherwise would have been.

I appreciated the thoughtfulness of the main threat, too. I can’t say much more than that without seriously spoiling some of the best parts of the story, so I want to just say that if the idea of a fun afternoon read with a pretty compelling main villain is what you’d like, you should check the book out.

Shakedowners is an enjoyable romp that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It will appeal to fans of the speculative fiction/humor mashup.

Links

 Check out my many posts from the SPSFC (scroll down for more).

Science Fiction Hub– I have scores of reviews of Hugo nominees, Vintage Sci-Fi, modern sci-fi, TV series, and more! Check out my science fiction related writings here.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for discussion of posts, links to other pages of interest, random talk about theology/philosophy/apologetics/movies/scifi/sports and more!

SDG.

“Riebeckite” by O. R. Lea – An SPSFC Review

I’m reading and reviewing many books from the Self-Published Science Fiction Contest as a judge. Check out my many posts from the SPSFC (scroll down for more).

Riebeckite by O.R. Lea

An asteroid strike to the moon leads to unknown particles falling on Earth. Are they dangerous, are they benign? Some time ago, Tahira made a promise that the ordeal would bring humanity closer together. Fast forward to now, and that isn’t true. Humanity seems to go on as it always did, with petty rivalries and oppression as the stark reality for so many. When Tahira discovers the Riebeckite is more than meets the eye, many factions are drawn into the fold to find out more or stop her from telling all.

The tension ramps up quickly and maintains the pressure throughout the novel. O.R. Lea does a good job balancing plot exposition with intensity, making the book compulsive reading after a while. There’s enough hard sci-fi mixed in to make the conflict realistic, even as the conflict spans nations. Tahira and Zareen make a great lead pair, with a complex relationship that is believable and touching at times.

I did wonder at times why more people weren’t caught up into the conflict. The nature of the Riebeckite is a central aspect of the book, and one would think that it would be studied by far more people and that many more people would be taken into conspiracy theories, scientific research, and more related to it.

The audiobook was read well, with a pace that was neither too slow nor too fast, and the sound balancing was done well.

I found Reibeckite a fascinating read that combines elements of hard sci-fi, a touch of horror, and even some inspirations from comics together into one coherent whole. I was glad to see it was book one of a series, because I’m interested to read more. Thanks to Lea for a copy of the audiobook!

All Links to Amazon are Affiliates

Links

The Self-Published Science Fiction Contest (SPSFC) Hub– Check out all of my posts related to the SPSFC here!

Science Fiction Hub– I have scores of reviews of Hugo nominees, Vintage Sci-Fi, modern sci-fi, TV series, and more! Check out my science fiction related writings here.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for discussion of posts, links to other pages of interest, random talk about theology/philosophy/apologetics/movies/scifi/sports and more!

SDG.

“Hammer and Crucible” by Cameron Cooper- An SPSFC Semifinalist Review

I’ll be reading and reviewing every semifinalist for the Self-Published Science Fiction Contest! Check out my list with blurbs, covers, links, and first impressions for all the semifinalists here. Please let me know what you think of any/all of these books! I love comments, and love talking about books.

Hammer and Crucible by Cameron Cooper

Hammer and Crucible starts with a mystery- what happened to Danny Andela and her family? When questions begin to arise about her son, she gets thrown in with her granddaughter to solve a mystery that might have much wider implications than they realize.

What follows is a slow burn that builds up as Cooper peels away layer after layer of the complex world that’s been created for this series. One of the great joys of reading this book was how Cooper integrates technology into the story. One of the great joys of science fiction is seeing how authors manipulate existing ideas and tech to come up with new uses of existing technology or extrapolating new technology and inventions entirely, and I loved how Cooper used this to great impact throughout the story. Whether it was the anti-aging treatments or the extremely fun nanotech-driven spaceship later in the novel, the technology felt seamlessly real in this futuristic story and continued to impress upon the reader the setting.

The novel is driven by its plot, which goes through a fairly step-by-step journey to solve the central mystery. Since the characters don’t have much to work with at the beginning, they basically just follow a logical path of chasing the one lead they have, following the lead that one gives, etc. until the end of the novel. Again, this plays into the slow burn nature of the story. While the impact of the story is big, the way it plays out is quite intimate and even plodding at points. I would have liked to see perhaps a quicker lead in to the major events of the novel.

I enjoyed that we had a main character who wasn’t a teen or twenty-something. There’s nothing wrong with people that age as main characters, but they seem to dominate a lot of speculative fiction, so having a grandma as the main perspective made for a refreshing difference. I also thought the main story was well-done. The characters grew into relationship with each other through the book, and I thought that was a great way to bring dramatic tension and resolution about.

Hammer and Crucible is a solid read with big implications, interesting plot points, and great tech. I recommend it for fans of story-driven space opera.

Links

 Check out my many posts from the SPSFC (scroll down for more).

Science Fiction Hub– I have scores of reviews of Hugo nominees, Vintage Sci-Fi, modern sci-fi, TV series, and more! Check out my science fiction related writings here.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for discussion of posts, links to other pages of interest, random talk about theology/philosophy/apologetics/movies/scifi/sports and more!

SDG.

“Aestus Book 1: The City” by S.Z. Attwell- An SPSFC2 Semifinalist Review

I’ll be reading and reviewing every semifinalist for the Self-Published Science Fiction Contest! Check out my list with blurbs, covers, links, and first impressions for all the semifinalists here. Please let me know what you think of any/all of these books! I love comments, and love talking about books.

Aestus Book 1: The City by S.Z. Attwell

The City is below the surface of the planet. Whatever is above the surface requires people from the Patrol to deal with it. Jossey and her brother went aboveground when she was 10 years old, but that led to her losing her brother and coming back convinced that whatever is above, it is a serious threat. Now a member of the Patrol, she has signed up to help the City grow and be successful with solar arrays, aboveground farms, and more. But she discovers that everything is not quite as it seems.

Aestus is a lengthy work. Readers follow Jossey on a journey of fear, discovery, finding herself, and renewal. Attwell’s narrative voice is strong. There’s a commanding grip on the narrative that makes it feel directed without being heavy handed. The story itself develops over time, bringing some twists and turns–a few of which I found predictable, but overall quite satisfying–to go with an extended narrative that is a kind of coming of age for Jossey as well as her society.

The setting has a surprisingly lived-in feel despite not always getting fleshed out at times. One scene near the beginning just has Jossey riding a transport, and I was confused about the context. Readers just get dumped into it, but Attwell deftly makes them feel at home in this world of the City and the aboveground. One downside in the novel is that it feels too long to me. While I mentioned the strong narrative voice above, that doesn’t fully cover up the several times in which it felt like the novel could wrap up a scene or a plot thread in a swifter fashion. At times, it feels dragged out for length. On the flip side, several scenes were very impactful and memorable, even more than a week after finishing the book. I kind of wish that some of the length in some scenes had been cut and added to those that were more memorable.

What can’t be denied, though, is that Aestus has “it.” What is “it”? It is that certain feel hat you get when reading a novel that just clicks for you in the right way. It makes you look past whatever flaws might exist because there’s just something about the book that is compelling and compulsive reading from the get-go. That is here in spades. A large part of “it” is, as I said, Attwell’s narrative voice. The strength of the writing is evident throughout the novel.

Overall, Aestus Book 1: The City is a satisfying read. It delivers a realistic sci-fi world with enough invested in it to make readers care about the plight of those living in it.

Links

 Check out my many posts from the SPSFC (scroll down for more).

Science Fiction Hub– I have scores of reviews of Hugo nominees, Vintage Sci-Fi, modern sci-fi, TV series, and more! Check out my science fiction related writings here.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for discussion of posts, links to other pages of interest, random talk about theology/philosophy/apologetics/movies/scifi/sports and more!

SDG.

“Cleansing Rain” by Holly Ash- An SPSFC Review

I’m reading and reviewing many books from the Self-Published Science Fiction Contest as a judge. Check out my many posts from the SPSFC (scroll down for more).

Cleansing Rain by Holly Ash

Zoe Antos is a scientist working for a corporation whose goal is to help reverse and prevent the spread of climate change. When she heads home from work after a strange encounter in a parking lot, she is kidnapped and thrust into a web of conspiracy that she hadn’t even suspected existed.

That description might lead you to suggest the book is a thriller, and you’d be right. While there are plenty of sections to slow down and think about things, much of the plot revolves around Zoe, her fiancé, Cole Wilborn, and his family and the corporation. Zoe begins to discover more about a conspiracy happening and she suspects that she may have been deceived. It keeps building from there.

There’s not much I can say about the rest of the plot without revealing too many spoilers. What I will say is that it is a compelling narrative, and I especially enjoyed the way that Holly Ash wrote the interaction between the two main characters. I appreciated the directions she took the plot.

The book was submitted as a science fiction novel, and it is that, but only in the lightest terms. At its core, this is an eco-thriller with science fiction trappings. And to me, that’s fine. I don’t believe in gatekeeping genre lines, and this one definitely qualifies as sci-fi in my opinion. If there’s a downside to the book, it’s that I thought some of the way the police interacted related to Zoe’s kidnapping stretched credulity a bit.

Cleansing Rain is a captivating, hyper-focused read. Ash provided me with an audio version of the book for review, and I’m happy to report the reader does a fine job capturing the characters and the intensity of the plot. I listen at a fairly accelerated speed (2-2.5x) and was quite satisfied with the audio performance. The book is recommended for those interested in eco-thrillers or thrillers more generally.

All Links to Amazon are Affiliates

Links

The Self-Published Science Fiction Contest (SPSFC) Hub– Check out all of my posts related to the SPSFC here!

Science Fiction Hub– I have scores of reviews of Hugo nominees, Vintage Sci-Fi, modern sci-fi, TV series, and more! Check out my science fiction related writings here.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for discussion of posts, links to other pages of interest, random talk about theology/philosophy/apologetics/movies/scifi/sports and more!

SDG.

Announcing Team Red Stars SPSFC2 Semifinalists- Self Published Science Fiction Contest

The second annual Self Published Science Fiction Contest rolls on, and my team now has an exciting announcement! We have determined our three semi-finalists! These books will continue to the broader group, going to two separate groups to be judged for a chance at a coveted finalist spot. Without further adieu, let’s take a look at these three books.

Heritage by S.M. Warlow

Heritage is space opera on a grand scale. Galaxy-spanning war, massive consequences, and a focus on the crew of a ship make this plot move quickly. Group members loved the scale of it, the characters, and the story. The most obvious comparison to the book would be The Expanse series. I plan to re-read it for the competition later, but for now I hope this has whet your appetite enough to check it out.

Percival Gynt and the Conspiracy of Days by Drew Melbourne

I don’t often go for books that lean into comedy, especially when that’s a sci-fi novel. But Drew Melbourne perfectly captured the blend of humor and plot that makes such books work when they do work. And Percival Gynt er… works. Tongue firmly planted in cheek, Melbourne throws all kinds of hilarious hijinks at the reader, but the hijinks actually matter on a large scale and are placed within a universe that is, despite being an everything-and-the-kitchen-sink experience, somehow meshes into an intriguing backdrop. I was won over by the tone of the story and stayed to enjoy the characters and evolving plot. An obvious comparison would be Douglas Adams.

Check out my full review for more.

Intelligence Block by Kit Falbo

A computer whiz uses VR and other technology to become a wizard in this strange story that has elements of gamelit and cyberpunk. What surprised me here was the tonal shift from what read initially like a happy YA adventure to a much more serious read within the span of just a few pages. The ride ends up being a wild one, with twists and turns that reveal more to the reader about the world and characters. Is everything as it seems? Read the book to find out.

Conclusion

The next stop on our SPSFC journey is that our group will receive two other groups’ semifinalists and analyze them. As last year, my commitment is to read and review every semifinalist to proved each other with a review. It may take longer than the contest runs to do that, but I had a blast with it last year and intend to do so again. Look forward to more interviews, semifinalist revelations, and more reviews coming up!

All links to Amazon are Affiliates

Links

The Self-Published Science Fiction Contest (SPSFC) Hub– Check out all of my posts related to the SPSFC here!

Science Fiction Hub– I have scores of reviews of Hugo nominees, Vintage Sci-Fi, modern sci-fi, TV series, and more! Check out my science fiction related writings here.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for discussion of posts, links to other pages of interest, random talk about theology/philosophy/apologetics/movies/scifi/sports and more!

SDG.

“The Unpleasantness at Baskerville Hall” by Chris Dolley- An SPSFC Review

I’m a judge for the Self-Published Science Fiction Contest (SPSFC), and I’m reading and reviewing whichever books in the contest appealed to me! Follow the blog to keep up with more updates from the contest, along with many, many other reviews and topics!

The Unpleasantness at Baskerville Hall by Chris Dolley

Steampunk pseudo-Holmes madcap retelling-ish! That’s the fastest elevator pitch I can come up with to sell this book to you. It’s a fun premise, and Dolley capitalizes on it to make an ultimately satisfying story.

Family money is on the line as murder haunts the Baskerville-Smythe family. Strange reptiles, steampunk tech, and the bumbling nonsense of detective-antics all pile up to make this mystery a funny, entertaining read. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when the attempt at solving the mystery is put forward, but there’s a twist that readers might not expect.

The Unpleasantness at Baskerville Hall is a good read with a mystery at its core. I enjoyed it, and I think readers who enjoy steampunk and/or mystery will as well.

All links to Amazon are Affiliates

Links

The Self-Published Science Fiction Contest (SPSFC) Hub– Check out all of my posts related to the SPSFC here!

Science Fiction Hub– I have scores of reviews of Hugo nominees, Vintage Sci-Fi, modern sci-fi, TV series, and more! Check out my science fiction related writings here.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for discussion of posts, links to other pages of interest, random talk about theology/philosophy/apologetics/movies/scifi/sports and more!

SDG.

“Percival Gynt and the Conspiracy of Days” by Drew Melbourne- An SPSFC Review

I’m a judge for the Self-Published Science Fiction Contest (SPSFC), and I’m reading and reviewing whichever books in the contest appealed to me! Follow the blog to keep up with more updates from the contest, along with many, many other reviews and topics!

Percival Gynt and the Conspiracy of Days by Drew Melbourne

Our group picked Percival Gynt as a quarterfinalist for this year’s SPSFC, and it’s easy to see why in the sample portion we read (the first 10-20%). I’m one who tends to be skeptical of novels that have comedy as a major driver, but the humor found in this book is consistently funny (to me) and never takes over or away from the plot. And the plot is truly not what I expected.

Melbourne navigates the line between absurd and expected, quickly introducing readers to a universe-ending threat, because of course that’s what would happen in a story like this. But he also subverts the tropes, hitting readers with regular twists, many of which both add to the humorous elements of the story while still making sense. And it’s that last bit that is most important to me as a reader of stories like this–is the humor the driving force of the plot, or does it result from the plot? It’s the latter that I prefer, and Melbourne delivers time and again, making the humor arise from situations that make sense within the story.

The story is, frankly, insane. And I mean that in the best possible way. The story starts with an escape using an outdated Apple Watch to turn back time, and it gets messier from there. It’s hard to go too far without spoiling it, and it features a character named Um. So, um, enjoy that! But seriously, the wildness of the adventure makes it a joy to read, and the humor helped keep a smile on my face even as Percival was facing universe-threatening consequences from his actions.

Percival Gynt and the Conspiracy of Days is a surprisingly deep adventure with its tongue firmly planted in-cheek all the way through. I recommend it highly.

All links to Amazon are Affiliates

Links

The Self-Published Science Fiction Contest (SPSFC) Hub– Check out all of my posts related to the SPSFC here!

Science Fiction Hub– I have scores of reviews of Hugo nominees, Vintage Sci-Fi, modern sci-fi, TV series, and more! Check out my science fiction related writings here.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for discussion of posts, links to other pages of interest, random talk about theology/philosophy/apologetics/movies/scifi/sports and more!

SDG.