Science Fiction Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Gift From Above by Frank Cardinale

A compelling message and two well-drawn protagonists make Frank Cardinale’s Gift From Above a unique work of science fiction.

Andy Milton has managed to land himself a dream job working for Londra Aeronautical Engineering. At the helm of Londra is CEO Wally Smith, Andy’s idol. Andy’s relationship with Wally gets off to a rocky start and when Wally asks to see Andy in his office the next day, he believes he’s about to be fired. Andy fearfully heads to the meeting, little suspecting that his life is about to drastically change, as his boss reveals that he was whisked away […]

Marta Cheng2018-02-21T09:44:20+02:00February 21st, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Middle Grade Fiction Book Reviews, Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Lower World by Eloise Harmann

For fans of science-fiction fantasy, author Eloise Harmann delivers a list of classic touches that include a hugely diverse cast of characters, quotes by Neil deGrasse Tyson, and a weighty page-count, in this unusual underwater saga.

In Lower World, author Harmann writes a corporate tech-political murder-mystery that sees an underwater community, the tetrapeds, threatened by a landlubbing world. Teeming with information on marine life and geological features of the ocean’s floor, the premise explains that the Great Unexplored is not Deep Space at all, but the oceans of our own planet, offering a highly inventive world that skirts the […]

SPR2018-01-12T08:24:35+02:00January 12th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Soul Census by AJ Vega

★★★★ Soul Census by AJ Vega

Finding purpose after a life-changing event is something to which all readers can relate, and such is the fate of WWI veteran Willem Maddock, feeling the sense of despondency and alienation following the impossible tragedy of war. However, in Soul Census, written by AJ Vega, the story delves much deeper than a standard novel about post-war America. Instead, it penetrates the veil between mortality and spirituality, hinting at a form of existence that doesn’t end, but simply transcends.

Returning to find a cold world that doesn’t worship the right heroes, the tone is set for Maddock to be granted […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-22T15:17:08+02:00January 8th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Visionary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Salvation Day by RD Meyer

★★★★

Mike Faulkner has just attended the second funeral he never thought he’d have to experience: first, his daughter Samantha, taken far too young, and now his wife, who has taken her own life from grief.

Mike is more than a grieving father, and more than a fresh widower – he’s emotionally detached, yet intellectually brilliant. Currently, he is working as part of the team on the verge of a groundbreaking discovery that could revolutionize energy production forever, and his family tragedy will soon affect his work dramatically.

Despite his colleagues’ hesitance, Mike’s pain becomes fuel for his work, spurred […]

James Grimsby2018-05-09T10:47:52+02:00January 7th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

The Matriarch Matrix by Maxime Trencavel

The Matriarch Matrix by Maxime Trencavel is an epic work of science fiction spanning the distant past to the near future. The book takes place in various time periods and locations, from Siirt to San Francisco, to the ancient wars of the Black Sea, all following the tale of the titular entity known as Matriarch, and the lives she has changed over 12,000 years.

The book is largely a mystery thriller with a slight supernatural twist with the presence of the mythical Matriarch ever-looming in the background. What the Matriarch is, or what precise relevance it has to the overarching […]

James Grimsby2019-01-22T05:41:41+02:00December 18th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Speculative Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Sundown by Carl H. Mitchell

★★★★½

When the world stops working and the oil runs out, no one is exactly sure what sort of chaos will unfold, but author Carl H. Mitchell has a pretty good idea. Sundown: Engineering Gives the Devil a Sunburn is an ambitious and entertaining peek into what lies ahead for the world. A corrupt Supreme Leader is pulling the world’s strings in dangerous directions, the fabric of American democracy has crumbled, and survival is becoming more important than maintaining any semblance of society.

The novel begins with a bang – or rather a strangle – of the vice president of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-06-14T04:56:07+02:00December 6th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Speculative Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Free Will Odyssey by Larry Kilham

★★★★

In Free Will Odyssey, author Larry Kilham imagines a not-too-distant future where humans are able to have complete control of their lives. By enhancing one’s free will, and preventing one’s body from dictating the choices you make, this new technology could usher in a new generation of human achievement and happiness.

Upon that fascinating premise, this short novel weaves the intricate and thoughtfully crafted tale of Peter Tesla, the brilliant young inventor and engineer that is responsible for creating this revolutionary new technology. The plot is highly dependent on certain elements of VR and AI, extrapolating some of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-12-06T05:48:03+02:00December 6th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Speculative Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Blowback ’63 by Brian Meehl

★★★★

Overlapping timelines in different centuries, epic struggles of self-discovery, and enough fantasy thrills to make your head spin, Blowback ’63 by Brian Meehl is a roller-coaster of a novel, but also a clever and well-planned drama. Following on the heels of Blowback ’07, the first installment of this series, Meehl continues his era-jumping narration and sheds even more light on Arky and Iris, the enigmatic core of these novels.

As in the first book, Arky and Iris are still doggedly searching for their mother, trapped somewhere back in time. The magical family instrument, the Jongler cor anglais, […]