Finality Series Announcement

Many of you know that I wrote a fantasy novel by the name of The Wilden last year. I got it done, sent it to an editor, and received it back.

Then I decided not to continue working on it.

Many authors have shared this same story, not the story in the book, but the story of writing a novel then scrapping it. I can relate. I’m not saying that my first book won’t ever be fixed up and finished, but really, to do something well takes practice and sometimes practice means scraping the first attempt.

I’m okay with all of this. Doesn’t bother me at all. But I do accept consolation chocolates.

What I do want to do is announce what I’m currently working on. This will be a series of science fiction novels set in the Frailty universe. The first three books are called Finality Earth, Finality Venus, and Finality Mars.

I have an attempt at a synopsis for Finality Earth:

After a wave of prehistoric creatures attack the cities of Earth, humans gather together in walled villages to survive. The pace of technological advancement has slowed, but the space age has managed to come about regardless. Starlight Glas, a cargo pilot, gathers a crew together to make a delivery when she uncovers the truth about the beasts that plague the Earth.

I’ll be done with the first draft in March 2022, then spend a month editing on my own, and a month or two having a professional do some editing, then it will go into beta reading just before publishing on Amazon sometime before fall, hopefully, August (If I decide it’s worthy). The latest date would be October. I’ve never done this before so it’s part guesswork and part knowledge based on the previous work I’ve done.

If you’re interested in more news from me please consider signing up for my email list on the left navigation bar.

Review: Starship Troopers

Title: Starship Troopers

Author: Robert A. Heinlein

Date Published: 1959

ISBN-10: 0441783589

ISBN-13: 978-0441783588

Links: Amazon, Goodreads

Synopsis:

Johnnie Rico never really intended to join up—and definitely not the infantry. But now that he’s in the thick of it, trying to get through combat training harder than anything he could have imagined, he knows everyone in his unit is one bad move away from buying the farm in the interstellar war the Terran Federation is waging against the Arachnids.

Because everyone in the Mobile Infantry fights. And if the training doesn’t kill you, the Bugs are more than ready to finish the job…

Continue reading Review: Starship Troopers

Review: Hollow World


Title:
Hollow World

Author:
Michael J. Sullivan

Date Published:
April 15, 2014 by Tachyon Publications

Amazon Link and ISBN:
ISBN 161696183X (ISBN13: 978-1616961831)

Goodreads Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19084955-hollow-world

Point of View and tense:
Third person past tense

Genre:
Science Fiction

Subject matter / Setting:
Ellis Rogers is an ordinary man who is about to embark on an extraordinary journey. All his life he has played it safe and done the right thing, but when faced with a terminal illness, he’s willing to take an insane gamble. He’s built a time machine in his garage, and if it works, he’ll face a world that challenges his understanding of what it means to be human, what it takes to love, and the cost of paradise. He could find more than a cure for his illness; he might find what everyone has been searching for since time began…but only if he can survive Hollow World. 

Themes:
Time travel, Survival, Love, Violence, Governmental Power, Illness

Intended audience:
If you liked THE TIME MACHINE by H.G. Wells this book is of similar ilk. The biggest difference I noticed was (excuse me if I’m wrong, it’s been a long time since I read THE TIME MACHINE) that HOLLOW WORLD focuses more on the characters and the emotion behind the characters and not so much on the technology or environment of the future. That’s not to say that it doesn’t display a great vision of the future, though.

Author’s style:
Character building is surely Sullivan’s expertise. He paints a wonderful vision of the scene but doesn’t go overboard. You won’t get lost in metaphors, but you will know what he intends to show you.

Pacing:
The pacing was excellent. I never felt bored, wanted to skip sections, or desired to take a break and come back later.

How did the book affect me?
It did affect me, especially toward the end. Some really interesting questions are raised, and I felt like I needed to think while I was reading. There are particular parts that I won’t forget.

Evaluation:
I say, “read it”. Maybe not as your first Sullivan book, but put it on your list. Even if Science Fiction is not your thing I think this book is a good read. The story is good and the characters are lovable, and identifiable. Also, pick up his other books. You won’t be disappointed.