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The Hunters of Vermin
H. Paul Honsinger - 2017
For reasons Max barely understands, the Vaaach decide that they have an obligation to train him to be a Vaaach warrior, or at least as close as a puny, fruit-eating human can come. Max finds himself on a strange, unknown world, under the tutelage of a nine-foot tall, carnivorous Vaaach drill instructor, learning an alien way of fighting, and stalking and making war. Not only is the training like nothing Max has ever imagined, there's the small matter of the final exam: a real mission involving real combat against real Krag with the life or death of an entire Union naval task force hanging in the balance. Max is going to have to find resources of cunning, creativity, strength, endurance, and courage far beyond his years if he's going to survive and save thousands of his comrades who--unknown to them--are depending on the slender thread of the young officer's abilities for their very survival. The Hunters of Vermin is a short novel (just over 62,500 words, slightly longer than such classic novels as Lord of the Flies and All Quiet on the Western Front), that can be read as a stand-alone adventure or as a part of the longer series of Max Robichaux space tales. Readers who have never met Max Robichaux or encountered Honsinger's fiction before will find a thrilling, self-contained adventure. Fans of Honsinger's other books will gain interesting insight into the events that helped make Max Robichaux the officer we meet in the "Man of War" series, as this novel covers events immediately after the conclusion of the novella Deadly Nightshade and twelve years before the beginning of the "Man of War" Series. This novel packs everything Honsinger's readers expect--realistically staged combat, deep character development, believable aliens, and the thrill of deep space adventure--into a compact package. The Hunters of Vermin is a military coming-of-age story in the vein of the early Horatio Hornblower books, but set centuries in the future against the backdrop of an interstellar war that threatens the survival of the human race.
Tanis Richards: Shore Leave
M.D. Cooper - 2018
But Tanis's commanding officer has other things in mind for her. Enfield Technologies has developed a new technique to pair enhanced L2 humans with AIs, and the military wants Tanis to undergo the procedure. Though she feared the worst, after meeting Darla, Tanis realizes that having an AI—especially a fabulously wealthy one—is better than she'd ever imagined. Darla foots the bill for Tanis to enjoy her convalescence at The Grand Eire, Vesta's most luxurious resort. Swimming in the infinity pool with a stunning view of space is just what the doctor ordered, except it will be far from a restful vacation. Everything starts to go downhill when Tanis sees someone who should be nowhere near the resort—largely because Tanis had killed him a week ago. Tanis is thrust into a mysterious conspiracy that could bring down the Federation, but when she gets to the bottom of it, what she finds is...none other than herself. NOTE: This novel was previously published in the Galactic Genesis anthology.
Platoon F: Pentalogy
John P. Logsdon - 2014
His only out is to undergo a complete physical makeover, get a rank and name change, and agree to take over a new platoon in the Segnal Space Marine Corps (SSMC). Mission 2: Angry Robots A group of antiquated robots have decided that they've had enough of being treated like second-class citizens. Working together, they take over the sewage plant on Segnal Prime and start pumping the sludge back up into the buildings. Mission 3: The SSMC Voyeur A space probe that was sent out 500 years ago has returned...sort of. It's actually a copy of the original model of The SSMC Voyeur, which begs the question: What happened to the original craft? The crew of The SSMC Reluctant is dispatched to learn about the originating planet that sent this cloned vehicle. And, if Rear Admiral Conster gets his way, they're also to blow the entire planet that it came from to smithereens. Mission 4: Earthlings After their last mission, the Segnal Space Marine Corps (SSMC) saw the value of the GONE Drive. The ability to move through space in a blink of an eye would be highly appealing to any military body, but specifically to Rear Admiral Parfait who has a bit of a thing for military bodies. Parfait sets a mission in place where The SSMC Reluctant must go to one of the planets that they briefly landed on during their last mission: Earth. Parfait sees the opportunity to...probe another society of human-like creatures and possibly build relations with them. Furthermore, and much to Captain Don Harr's chagrin, Parfait has put in for a title change to Senior Diplomat so that he can join the crew! Mission 5: Synthetic DNA After a close call in the year 2440 at the planet called "Earth," the crew of The SSMC Reluctant makes a quick escape back to their home of Segnal. However, Geezer didn't have time to set the clock on the GONE Drive to return them back to their own era, and things have changed greatly in the Segnal System over the past 500 years. The system is ruled by Synthetic Lifeforms now, and they find humans and standard robots an affront to their intellectual capacity. From their perspective, only Synthetic Lifeforms should be allowed to live.
We Are The Wolf
Toby Neighbors - 2017
With human colonies on 45 worlds and space stations in over a hundred different systems, serving with the elite Force Recon branch of the Extra Solar Defense Force is the most prestigious career anyone could hope for. Warfare is almost exclusively the domain of remotely operated drones, but when things go wrong, in space or on a colony world, the Off World Recon gets the call and they always come prepared. Dean is a young man with plenty of prospects ahead of him, but when he gets selected for the most coveted job in the world, he jumps at the chance. Little does he know the rigors of training to become an elite Force Recon specialist or the dangers waiting for him in off-world tours of duty that sometimes last for years on end, but it’s always been his dream to charge into the unknown with a band of brothers, facing any threat to humanity’s expansion across the galaxy and etching his name into the annals of history. The only question is does he have what it takes to stand between the threats of the galaxy and the rest of the human race? We Are the Wolf is the first book in an exciting new military space opera that will have you riveted from the very first page. Toby Neighbors reimagines what service in a militarized space force would look like and takes his readers on a roller coaster ride that introduces them to a whole new world of adventure. From training across the globe to missions in outer space, We Are the Wolf will capture your imagination and have you cheering for more.
Fast Forward
Darren Wearmouth - 2016
And somebody offers the guarantee of a better life in the distant future... Would you take the chance? After recovering from near-fatal injuries sustained on a mission, Luke Porterfield is offered a second opportunity to fight terrorism by a private venture. He is stored in bleeding-edge technology before agreeing to the deal, and wakes to an uncertain fate. In a vastly changed and advanced world, Luke is tasked to defeat a deadly and elusive terrorist group. When his mission unearths a five-decade-long conspiracy, the explosive consequences force him into risking his life to save society. Fast Forward is a thrilling science fiction adventure packed with action, unexpected twists, and technologies destined to be part of our future.
The Intern (The Forbidden World Book 1)
Garry Ocean - 2017
Due to an accident and his own blunder, Nick Sobolev, an intern of the Space Courier Service, ends up on a mysterious planet tucked away in deep space. The planet is named Terrius and resembles Earth. At the site of his starship wreck, Nick meets local hunters. He follows them to the Forest and the City, hoping to find a way to communicate with Earth and to find out why the planet at the level of development of a feudal society is equipped with structures and devices capable of shooting down interstellar vehicles. The events unfold quickly and are full of unexpected turns. Nick finds himself deeply immersed in solving ancient secrets of the local civilization. To save his new friends, he has to participate in the brutal Ritual reminiscent of Earth’s ancient gladiator fights. This does not go unnoticed. Nick’s participation attracts attention of many powerful locals, all of whom have their own plans for the stranger they believe to have come from the wild steppe. Some want to kill him; others see in him the messiah from an ancient prophecy. The Forbidden World book series is written in sci-fi/fantasy fusion, a genre gaining more and more popularity. In the books of this series, the readers will find a whole new world – planet Terrius with its wondrous flora and surprising wild fauna. Its rich social life is full of legends, myths, its own games of thrones, and stories of individuals who are either endowed with a mysterious Gift or cast a powerful wicked Spell by someone unknown.
Keeper of the Well
Steve Kaide - 2017
The one thing that lets him escape the monotony is writing his fantasy novel, Keeper of the Well. Until he discovers something about his book that leaves him terrified, something impossible. Jack’s normal life is thrown into chaos, and he finds himself wrapped up in an adventure wilder than anything he could have written himself. An ancient order from another world threatens to destroy Earth, and mankind will be defenseless without his help. Soon, Jack will realize he must bear the weight of destiny upon his shoulders. Keeper of the Well is a thrilling, unique take on modern fantasy that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Watchers
S.T. Boston - 2013
The following day US President John Remy is found dead of a heart attack in his hotel room.Meanwhile two friends on a road trip across North America come to the aid of a mysterious woman they find washed up and battered on the banks of The Colorado River. Somehow all these events are linked.Choosing to help her plunges them into a nightmarish race across the globe for she holds a secret that defies all we know about human evolution.Pursued by a deadly force intent on stopping them they must recover a relic so ancient it’s fallen into legend. A relic that will not only save them but the whole of humanity.
Supernova
Doug Dandridge - 2015
Not all the action occurs on the main front. Space is too big for that kind of restriction. The Klassekians are a gifted race, with an ability which could help the Empire in its war against the Ca'cadasans. Just entering space, the species is still torn apart by religious and nationalistic schisms. They are on the verge of a nuclear war. And that is the least of their problems. For six light months from their star system is a blue giant, and the timer on its life is just about to hit zero. Exploration Command ships discover the civilization, and it is soon apparent that this is one that needs saving. But saving the six billion people on the planet is a daunting task, especially with a killing wave of radiation a year and a half away, six months after the blue giant explodes. And one of the main religious factions of the planet sees their destruction as a cause for celebration, the return of their God. Now the humans must not only battle time, but the politics and religious fanaticism of a fatalistic people who do not desire rescue, and are determined to stop those who do. Add to this the mysterious alien artifacts that rise from surface to above the atmosphere, and the mission becomes interesting in the most hazardous manner. And in the darkness, wait things that humanity thought they were well rid of, probing the human fleet, and threatening the great Empire base at Bolthole.
Yorktown
Bill Robinson - 2014
What she finds instead is an alien invasion, one that only she and her crew can stop. Action and adventure await the reader. This is not great literature, it’s simply great fun. Some violence, an adult innuendo or two, and an occasional “frak,” otherwise fine for fun lovers of all ages. Length: Rounded off: 2001: A Space Odyssey is 70,000 words. The Forever War is 81,000 words. The Hobbit is 97,000 words. Yorktown is 98,000 words. Ender’s Game is 107,000 words. Game of Thrones is 300,000 words. This is a real novel, but not an epic one. Bill Robinson is a short story writer of strange computer fiction, including the only two intentional works of fiction ever published by Network World, "The Tolkien Ring Network," and "The Ether Strikes Back." His first novel, Intention, and it’s sequel, Destination, are apparently the most read grown up superhero novels for the Kindle.
The Signal
Nick Cook - 2018
Why? Could it be we really are alone in the universe? Or is it that the truth has been withheld from us by a global conspiracy of silence? When radio telescope operators Lauren Stelleck, a woman with a special gift enabling her to literally see certain sounds, and Steve Andrews, a diehard sci-fi geek, detect a signal like no other at Jodrell Bank in England, a chain of events is unleashed that propels Earth towards all-out nuclear war. Can Lauren and Steve unlock the secret of the signal before our species tears itself apart? The Signal is a prequel novella to the Fractured Light trilogy, and is part of the Multiverse Chronicles, an epic series of interlinked stories that follows the struggle of humanity to survive across parallel universes. Watch the skies because the darkness is coming for us. Please note that there is the occasional use of strong language in The Signal and the story deals with adult themes. Recommended age is 16+.
Forced Compliance
Bradford Bates - 2017
Captain Drake was the kind of smuggler that would take any job that needed to be done. That was as long as you had the credits and didn’t mess with his crew. Now one of those very crew members had been taken, and Drake would stop at nothing to find her. Samantha Ripley only wanted one thing, she wanted to get off Hyperion Four. For the last four years, she had dedicated herself to nothing but flight school. Her graduation was so close she could almost taste it. A chance encounter as she finished her shift at the diner was going to change everything. The two of them were separated by a universe of stars, but their lives would intersect like two colliding comets, and the results would shape the future of the verse itself. When Firefly meets Underworld a new legacy is born.
Awakening
K.M. Fortune - 2017
A woman awakens from the past. She is the key to restoring humanity, except not everyone believes humans are worth saving. Raven Winter lives a normal everyday life. Until one day, while on vacation, she is involved in an accident which freezes her in time. A century later, her body is found by a scientist on an expedition searching for the key to humanity’s survival. Hoping Raven’s body was frozen before the plague and the nuclear wars which followed it, he revives her. Now Raven, confused and suffering amnesia, is in a world completely alien to her own. All she knows is nothing is as it seems in the underground colony where she is a prisoner. Only one thing is clear. The residents have revived her for a single reason – to take her possibly fertile eggs.Matthew, a lead scientist in the colony, is shocked when his specimen awakens. Thinking she would remain in a coma forever, he finds himself enthralled by the beauty and intelligence of the woman from the ice. Before long he is faced with a horrible decision – to harvest her or give up all he has ever known to set her free.Awakening is the beginning of an epic post-apocalyptic story written in the serial novel format. If you like a quick read filled with intrigue and adventure, mixed with conflict and heroism, then you will love KM Fortune’s new page-turning book. Buy a copy now to explore the world of “The Forever Winter Chronicles” today and begin an unforgettable journey with book one Awakening.
Mechanical
Bruno Flexer - 2013
But first he must survive his mission inside enemy held Manhattan and face an unimaginable enemy.Since that fateful night more than three years ago, America is at war with an unknown enemy it cannot understand.Lieutenant Tom Riley has only a few days to learn to use his new Personal Battle Tank before he and his team are dropped into Manhattan.The team's clandestine mission can go sour in an instant and then Riley and his team will find themselves in an alien, hostile city unlike anything they have ever seen before.But the lies surrounding the enemy and the mission may prove the deadliest things yet.˃˃˃ An original and daring bookThis is an original and daring book, in which you will see Manhattan as you've never seen it before. Join the team in this one of the kind adventure.'Mechanical' is a military science fiction action thriller from the author of 'Dragon Over Washington', 'The Fire At The Gates' and 'Automatic Rebellion'
The Krone Experiment
J. Craig Wheeler - 1986
Damage to a Russian aircraft carrier leads to a breakdown in the detente with the United States. Star wars erupt as the two countries invoke space-based weapons in a deadly face off in orbit. Robert Issacs, Deputy Director of Scientific Intelligence for the CIA, and his top aide, Dr. Patricia Danielson, connect the carrier damage with a mysterious seismic signal. Thwarted by internal CIA politics, they put their careers at risk to engage in an unauthorized consultation with Jason, the secret group of physicists who consult for the government. Astrophysicist Alex Runyan advances a fantastic theory that triggers a race for the truth before the conflict with Russia can spin out of control. The quest leads to the New Mexico laboratory of Paul Krone. The true danger dwarfs that posed by the international crisis. Bonus links to historical background material are provided at the end of the book. The Krone saga continues in the sequel, Krone Ascending, also available for Kindle.