Written by well-known fantasy author Robert Holdstock it describes the quest of Alex Ryder, a newly-qualified pilot, to exact revenge for his father's death at the hands of a paid assassin. Along the way he is assisted by the enigmatic Rafe Zetter who links him up with a fugitive pilot who also wishes to eliminate the killer of Alex's father, but for her own reasons.All in all, a good story which, though spoiled by a few irritating character traits and a number of typographical errors, sets up the Elite universe in a cohesive manner.It also covers the combat and trading sides of Elite and the general nature of trading between different systems, buying what's cheap on one world and selling it wherever the demand is sufficient to keep the price high.Interestingly, the back of the BBC novella states that a sequel was planned for publication in 1985, but as far as I know this never came to fruition. Later editions of The Dark Wheel, included in the Sinclair Spectrum and Commodore 64 versions amongst others, sported new artwork

    Decades later, the children of the survivors find themselves unable to conceive, with complex and expensive fertility treatment the only option. Some can afford it, but for everyone else, there is the In Vitro Lottery.Kate Adams never really wanted a family, so when her numbers come up for treatment at the clinic, she gives her winning ticket to her sister, Emily. Then tragedy strikes, and Kate is sent on a collision course with the clinic head Victor Pearson, and the Government, in her quest for answers.When Kate's investigation reveals devastating truths about her sister, she is drawn towards the pressure group IVFree and begins to question everything she believes in. Together, they formulate a plan to get answers and to uncover the real purpose behind the Lottery. When the fate of Humanity is at stake, who really controls the future, and what will they do to protect it?New Apple Summer e-Book Awards 2016 winner in SciFi / Dystopia

    His unplanned future changes dramatically when he is arrested and charged with crimes against the Central Committee. Rather than being put to death, he is sentenced to three-year's service in the Earth Defense Forces. Relieved by this twist of fate, Vincent is sent off to train at the local Replacement Depot. But any dreams of him lazing away his years of servitude are shattered when an alien horde called the Alliance attacks. On their way to the harsh killing fields of war, Vincent meets Fiona, a Martian gangster serving a life sentence. Together, they must find a way to survive against the most terrifying foe humanity has ever seen.

    "The green hills of Earth" is the fascinating tale of the Blind Singer of the Spaceways, a legend from Marsopolis to the Jovian asteroids. Jake Pemberton is a "Space jockey" on the regular run from Earth to the moon-- when disaster strikes, it takes guts to ride his ship home safely.~~~Warner Audio Publishing : 2145.Duration: 70 mins.Reader: Colin Fox.