Science Fiction | Self-Publishing Review

U-10 by Sam B. Miller II

When an alien and his craft crash-land in Afghanistan on a mission to capture a human and return home, a madcap hunt for the mysterious titular technology U-10 begins. Author Sam B. Miller II delivers an off-kilter, tongue-in-cheek sci-fi drama that has occasional echoes of Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and even a dash of Asimov.

Ty Lavender, Lincoln Frost, and Koritt Diviak make for a captivating core of characters, despite being on opposing sides with decidedly different intentions. One wants to keep his soldiers safe and get out of the Afghan desert alive, another wants to take possession of the priceless […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-09-11T09:44:34+02:00September 10th, 2019|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Science Fiction|

Review: The Devil’s Dragon by Jason F. Boggs

Dystopian near-future novels are all the rage in recent years, and The Devil’s Dragon by Jason Boggs is the exciting first installment of a new series set less than a century in the future. Despite the plethora of books in this freshly popular vein of writing, this novel stands out for a number of reasons, primarily the depth of character development and the comprehensive world-building on display.

The world as we know it has changed at the turn of the 22nd century, and for new recruit Nelson Jones, joining the military means proving that he’s the best, and finding some […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-10-10T11:39:39+02:00September 10th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Jason F. Boggs, Science Fiction, Space Opera|

Review: Hot Solar (Cold Solar Book 2) by Anthony Robinson

In the not so-distant future, the remains of Earth and the Martian colonists are locked in a bloody battle for control of resources, the destiny of their planets and the ultimate fate of mankind itself. This is the sci-fi premise of Hot Solar, the entertaining second installment of the Cold Solar series from Anthony Robinson. Balancing well between suspense and action, the author draws readers into a number of mysteries in his twisted future vision.

While the first book set up this dystopian world and the major players within it, this sophomore of the saga allows for more intense […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-09-26T07:59:19+02:00August 16th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Anthony Robinson, Science Fiction|

Review: Chromatophobia by W.D. County

It feels like a struggle these days to find sci-fi or horror novels that don’t regurgitate old plot lines and rely on classic tropes to snag a bit of attention, but Chromatophobia, the new novel by author W.D. County, will cause fans of these genres to sit up and take notice.

After a childhood living on the edges, isolated by his grey vision of the world, Miles Reardon has found his sweet spot in the military, where he turns tragedy into triumph as a precise and renowned sniper. From the very first scene, readers are given an intense dive […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-05-20T05:17:13+02:00August 12th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction, Thriller, W.D. County|

Review: Sky Parlor by Stephen C. Perkins

A mind-bending thrill of a novel, Sky Parlor by author Stephen C. Perkins has set an impressive new bar in the historical science fiction niche. Tracing the age-old battle between Artemis and Apollonia, and its different manifestations throughout human history (and future), the novel delivers an action-packed escape pod from reality, while also challenging readers to examine some new philosophical ideas about what it means to be human.

Like pawns in an infinitely complex board game of the gods, this wildly creative novel suggests that human beings return to this world in future lives, playing out new roles in an […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-07-26T08:28:18+02:00July 26th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction, Stephen Perkins, Time Travel, Visionary Fiction|

Review: Tetrastatum by Tim Smith and Dr. Richard

For those who think sci-fi is little more than futuristic space operas and allegorical cautionary tales, Terastatum, the new novel from Tim Smith and Dr. Richard, will certainly broaden your horizons. Inspired by the likes of other famous Richards – Feynman and Dawkins – this book is a wild and wise journey through time, space and some of the most complex fields of modern science.

The novel is founded on a truly boggling premise that there is another universe, just as massive and incalculable as the physical one, consisting of non-matter, known as a thotonic universe. Not only can […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-09-06T06:42:41+02:00July 18th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction, Time Travel, Visionary Fiction|

Review: The Capsule by Olga Loukianova

As our world continues to be increasingly reliant on technology, the fear of losing one’s individuality is similarly growing. Author Olga Loukianova presses hard on that slow-burning wound with her dystopian novel, The Capsule, a chilling take on the fate our species.

During the so-called “Age of Perfection,” life has been simplified and streamlined. People exist within perfect capsules, where all their physiological needs are met and managed by Systema, the technological savior of humanity. Interaction with reality outside the capsules is discouraged, and in most cases, unnecessary, as you can instead exist in Net City, which offers all […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-07-19T05:11:28+02:00June 19th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Dystopian Fiction, Science Fiction|

Apex: A Max Ahlgren Novel (Crucible Book 3) by Ryan W. Aslesen

In Apex, the third thriller in the gripping Crucible series from Ryan W. Aslesen, Max Ahlgren is once again recruited for a high-stakes mission that will take him closer to answers about his family, but also straight into the heart of the jungles of South America, where his hunt for a missing boy quickly becomes a hunt of a very different kind – with him as the prey.

Similar to the previous Ahlgren novels set in Alaska and North Korea, this exotic adventure offers intrigue and a deeply spiraling web of lies with our never-say-die protagonist leading every bullet-riddled […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-05-22T11:02:19+02:00May 22nd, 2019|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Ryan W. Aslesen, Science Fiction|