I’ve listened to a lot of works of podcast fiction. Some are nothing more than a way to pass a 20 minute commute. Some are really decent stories. Then again, there are some that definitely should be turned into printed works and shared with a larger reading audience. I truly believe Cybrosis has been in this latter category and am glad to find it has made the leap into the e-book market.

I was lucky enough to obtain an Advanced Reader Copy of Cybrosis and with the pending release of the book tomorrow, wanted to share my impressions.

So on to the review.

Synopsis: For Agent Ciris, the mission should have been simple: get in, apprehend the target, get out. But when the simple snatch and grab goes horribly awry, the worlds first cyborg finds herself backed into a corner. At odds with her superiors, she becomes embroiled in two conspiracies — one intended to destroy her with a cybernetic virus that will neutralize the technology that keeps her alive, the other intended to keep hidden the untold secrets of her origin. With the walls closing in around her, Ciris becomes a rogue agent with no one to trust and only one objective — unravel the shrouds of secrecy before time runs out.

This cyberpunk action adventure was first released as a free audio podcast in early 2010 and promises to be the first in a long line of titles by P.C. Haring.  (from Author’s site)

Setting: The setting of Cybrosis is a future world city. If it is stated, I don’t remember. It could easily be Chicago or New York. Much of the story takes place within a government facility. Each setting in Cybrosis, whether it is running down criminals in a packed urban environment or dining in a secluded manor, rings true.

Plot: In Cybrosis, Mr. Haring creates a world just entering a cybronic age. The economics of controlling this research, as well as the technology capable or allowing humans to live normal lives after the loss of a portion of their body has far reaching ramifications. Not everyone would use this technology for the good of mankind however, and Agent Ciris must fight the fight of her second life against a foe thats abilities are unknown and agenda might be larger than anyone realizes.

Characters: I loved the characters in Cybrosis. All the main characters left a lasting impression on me and I think part of the strength of Mr. Haring’s writing is his ability to create characters that resonate with the reader. They’re not perfect. They make mistakes. They prove, that even if they’re mostly machine, they’re still human.

Odin’s recommendation:  Cybrosis is essentially the same story in print that it was in podcast form. Very little was changed and the book itself comes in at a bit under 100,000 words. It is an easy read that sweeps the reader from subplot to subplot with ease and keeps the level of breathless anticipation up. Though it is violent, it doesn’t have the dark feel of many futuristic cyberpunk stories. There is an element of hope where many stories in this genre prefer to dwell on the despair that dystopian society has brought upon mankind. I prefer Mr. Haring’s vision, and I think you will too.

A while back I reviewed House of Grey by Colon Earl. As much as I liked it, I couldn’t recommend it, because I felt it didn’t end. So, when I saw that Mr. Earl had completed a new story, this time with co-author Chris Snelgrove, I admit I was a bit elated, but also a bit cautious. Which emotion did I retain at the end?

On to the review.

Synopsis: They built what could not be constructed. A weapon lightyears ahead of its time. A weapon so superior it defied the known laws of physics.

Seven years ago, they were on the verge of unleashing its power. Then… they lost it.

Now they are on a desperate hunt to reclaim what they stole.

Following the trail of unexplainable deaths, they frantically search for what may become their ultimate demise.

But what if the project doesn’t want to be reclaimed?

Join their hunt wading through political power-plays, corporate corruption, domestic terrorism, and the greatest enigma of their time- the infamous assassin known only as: The Magician. (Stolen from Podiobooks.com)

Production: With the sole exception of the exception of the opening music being dramatically louder than the rest of the content, the production of Harmonics is very solid. I don’t recall hearing more than one or two repeated lines in the entire story and all other audio was within appropriate levels.

Grade: B+

Cast: Harmonics was read by Chris Snelgrove. He once again does a commendable job of voice inflection and personalization of each voice. If you choose to listen, you’ll have very little trouble differentiating the characters.

Grade: A-

Story: After having listened, I have to say the synopsis is one of the poorest I’ve read in setting up the story for the listener. In reality, the majority of the episodes follows the story of a teenager, Samantha, who finds a small metal box and has her life changed in dramatic fashion.

Grade: B

Verdict: I had several problems with Harmonics. The first, I alluded to above. Samantha is, for all intents and purposes, the driving character in this story. However, her character is enough of an enigma, that although we’re told she’s gone through dramatic changes during the course of the story, we’d likely be unaware of these facts if the authors had t literally pointed them out to us. Samantha also, although I can’t explain exactly how, didn’t end up fitting the character profile I felt the authors had initially developed for her which left me a bit confused in my reactions towards her.

Harmonics is also billed as the worlds first audio manga. To be honest, it didn’t feel any different than any other future sci fi adventure I’ve heard. This isn’t a bad thing, I’m just unsure, even with the description in the first ep, of how an audio manga should have been different.

Finally, there’s the ending. Harmonics is another story built around the idea of seasons. I don’t have a problem with stories doing this, though I prefer a more traditional “book one” title. Regardless, call it a book or a season or whatever you want, I feel like after having listened to 19 episodes there should have been some elements of the story tied up before you end the first season. As I complained with House of Grey the story didn’t set a cliffhanger so much as it just quit in the middle of the story. No plot threads were brought to a logical conclusion. No explanations were given about what’s really going on. On the contrary, I was left wondering why the authors decided to end the first volume at the point where they did. Don’t get me wrong, it definitely does cliffhanger you, it just does so without any carrots that finishing a season usually provides.

So, do I recommend Harmonics? After much consideration, yes. I do. I enjoyed the story up to the part where it quit very much. Mr. Earl and Mr. Snelgrove make a very effective storytelling team. However, I also remind the listener there are precious few answers in this first season and after 19 episodes you might be questioning what is really the true synopsis for the story you’ve just heard.

Disclosure: I do follow Mr. Earl on twitter. I haven’t tweeted with him more than a handful of times and nothing was offered or accepted in return for this review.

As I began my weekly browsing a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that Gillian Andrews, author of the previously reviewed (and Parsec Nominated) Valhai had completed the second in the series of young adult science fiction stories. Having enjoyed Valhai, I was eager to see where the second book in the series took these characters.

So, on to the review.

Synopsis: The characters from Valhai are back in trouble again – bright, funny, on the watch for backswampers – and always unforgettable.

Six and Diva fence with each other – and seriously irritate the Elders on Kwaide.

Grace finds out who is on her side – and who isn’t.

And even Arcan’s megabrain can’t predict how far the Sellites will go …

Production: Having previously written and produced a Parsec nominated podcast novel, I was expecting to hear growth in the production of this second story by Ms. Andrews. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The things I liked about Valhai are still present in Kwaide. Ms. Andrews voice is still pleasant and the overall sound of the podcast is still quite easy to listen to. However, the things that were annoying in Valhai became more apparent in the production of Kwaide. Ms. Andrews, in her editing, missed multiple repeated lines. This happened in almost every episode. There are also absurdly long silences during some episodes and this phenomena becomes more regular in later eps. Finally, while I again liked the music Ms. Andrews created for Kwaide, I again can’t say that I felt it fit the feeling of the podcast. (This is of course completely subjective, and I’ve even heard the same of the theme I choose to use in my own podcasted reviews.)

Grade: B-/C+

Cast: Ms. Andrews provides a self read once again as she voices the characters she has created. While this isn’t a small cast, it isn’t huge either and truthfully consists of four basic main characters. In this book, one of those characters takes more of a supporting role leaving Ms. Andrews to “only” regularly voice three characters. She does this well. While Ms. Andrew’s doesn’t provide much in the way of unique voices, her reading is well done and quite pleasant to listen to.

Grade: B+

Story: Kwaide takes the next step in the story of Valhai’s heroes. Six, Diva and Grace reemerge a bit older and try to become a bit wiser. As I previously mentioned, it was my desire to see these character’s further develop that had me readily subscribe to this second book. There are several plot points developed in this book, but the main storyline follows our intrepid heroes as they travel back to Kwaide. The initial goal is to rescue Six’s second sister, and later develops into creating and supporting a revolt of the repressed (“Help, I’m being repressed!”) underclass of the planet.

Grade: C

Verdict: I will always remember going to see Back to the Future 2 in the theater. I had rarely been so disappointed in a movie. I felt, at the time, that the only reason the filmmakers decided to make that particular story was in order to cash in on characters from the original story that so many people enjoyed. If that had been the end of it, there wouldn’t be much to tell. Filmakers do that all the time. (Kingdom of the Crystal Suck anyone?) However, what made this movie different was not this movie at all. It was the way it set up the third. At the time, I had no idea how the third movie would change my  mind about the second movie, because In my opinion, the reason for the second movie was to set up that third movie.

I’ve said all that to say this: I have the same feeling with this story. Once the third in the series comes out I think I’ll probably end up appreciating the second more.

This story had a lot going on in it. It had a multiple threads that made me wonder what the real thrust of the story was. There is obviously more to the story, though I have no idea how many more books are in the series. If the pattern continues, each book will take the name of the planet where the main story will take place. I will admit that one of the devices used in the original story, (namely the banter/bickering between two of the main characters) became a bit tiresome to me in this second story in the series.

So, do I recommend it? Yes. There is still precious little young adult science fiction available, and Ms. Andrews continues to tell a good story. I hope I am correct that the stories will continue to build and that some of the devices used in this story were necessary for elements in the third.

Disclaimer: I’ve still never met Ms. Andrews or conversed with her in any manner.

Title:

TIme Stryder by J.W. Kingsley is another one of those stories I’d never heard of before seeing Evo Terra tweet that it was complete and available at Podiobooks.com. I admit, I knew I was going to subscribe almost before even reading the synopsis, because with a title like that, the story simply had to be about time travel, right? Well, being a big fan of the new Doctor Who, time travel is intriguing me more than at any other time of my life. Granted, this story wasn’t penned by S. Moffat, but I could hope for something just as good, right?

So, on to the review.

Synopsis:  Arthur George Edward Stryder, or George as he prefers to be called, is out of place and time, and it’s a struggle for him to keep from going out of his mind as well. He is eleven years old, and ill prepared for what lies ahead when he washes up on a beach in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, in the summer of 2011.

Alicia Henderson, who is eleven years old herself, finds George, battered, unconscious, and barely alive, and as soon as she touches his hand, a bond is formed. They find themselves adrift in time, but the places they go are oddly disconnected, and the people they see are unable to see them, yet it seems like a grand adventure nonetheless. However, the pull of reality is strong, and George must learn to adapt to his new home in our world, unable to understand how he got here.

It might seem that the strangeness is behind him, but George soon learns that there are still malicious things in the darkness, and they are hunting him. They are relentless, and they can move in and out of reality as easily as a stray thought…  (stolen from podiobooks.com)

Production: The production of Time Stryder was good. There were lots of things going on and for the most part, none of them interfered for with the telling of the story. Although that would seem like a simple leap of logic, I’m always surprised when people don’t get it right. Overall, Mr. Kingsley get’s it right and each episode should provide you with nothing that will be detrimental to your ears. That begin said, I believe a good portion of the way into the story, the closing music changed, and then later changed back. To be honest, I might be wrong about this, but I don’t think so.

Grade: B

Cast: Mr. Kingsley does Time Stryder as a self read. He does an overall fine job with it too. A good number of the characters are British and he does a good British accent. However, he doesn’t do an adult female voice well. Not a huge criticism, as I would not even consider trying, but it should be noted.

Grade: B

Story: I admit, I don’t read reviews before listening to a story. Or before writing my own review. Which generally means I don’t ready very many reviews about podiobooks. I have no idea if one of the reviews mentions that this book should be billed as YA, but if it is in the description anywhere, I am sure I missed it. However, that far from makes this a bad thing in my mind. I enjoy a well written story, and by the inclusion of so many children’s stories into our heritage, I’m far from the only one. Time Stryder isn’t only about tweeners and young teenagers, it is well suited for that audience.

Grade: B+

Verdict: Even if you don’t have any young adults lounging around the house instead of working in order to provide you with an extra present for your birthday or.. ooops.. sorry… um..

Take 2

Even if you don’t have any young adults in your household, if you enjoy stories where young adults play leading roles, and if you enjoy some of the thought that always goes into a time travel story, you’ll probably enjoy Time Stryder.

Disclaimer: I do follow Mr. Kingsley on Twitter (@timestryder), but as he mentions in one outro, he really doesn’t do social media that well. (Hey, I didn’t say it!) I’ve never conversed with him, and no one paid or bribed me for this review. (I really need to get a PR department onto this remuneration thing.)

This book, The Starter, written by author Scott Sigler is the sequel to the Science Fiction/Football novel The Rookie. If you haven’t heard/read The Rookie, I strongly suggest you do so. The Starter continues the story begun there. You don’t necessarily need the previous story to understand this one, but since The Rookie has always been my favorite of Scott Sigler’s books, I recommend you don’t miss it.

So, on to the review.

Synopsis: Last season, 19-year-old rookie quarterback Quentin Barnes overcame his racism and unified his team. Now, he and the Ionath Krakens have to compete against the greatest football teams ever assembled and do far more than just survive each game. As he rebuilds the team in his own image, Quentin truly begins his life-long quest for a Tier One Championship. (stolen from podiobooks.com)

Production: The production of The Starter lives up to the remarkable standards that Mr. Sigler has become known for. I’ve always preferred a rather minimalistic approach to production unless you have the skills of someone like Dan Sawyer. Mr. Sigler (or his production team of A Kovaks and Arioch Morningstar) keeps the production simple but clean. Seriously, if you’re considering podcasting your novel, you could do much worse than trying to replicate Mr. Sigler’s sound.

Grade: A

Cast: Mr. Sigler, as always, performs The Starter as a self read. Mr. Sigler has always gone above and beyond when it comes to reading life into his characters. I especially love his personification of the Galaxy Sports show trio. If you haven’t enjoyed Mr. Sigler’s reading of his other stories, you probably not need waste your time here. If you, however, have enjoyed any of Mr. Sigler’s other works, and you especially enjoy an extra dose of wit and sarcasm, you’ll probably like the reading Mr. Sigler provides here.

Grade A

Story: As the synopsis states, this is the story of Quentin Barnes. What happens in his second season in the GFL? Will Quentin become a team player? Well, those answers are definitely answered here. Unfortunately, all those answers will do is leave you wanting more.

Grade A

Verdict: I can no longer say that The Rookie is my favorite story of Mr. Sigler’s. The series continues to ramp up with each story. One isn’t necessarily better than another, but the entire package is one you shouldn’t miss. With the completion of The Starter (on Mr. Sigler’s site at least) there is no reason not to dive in now.

Disclaimer: I do follow Mr. Sigler on Twitter (@scottsigler). I tweet at him occasionally, but more because I just enjoy reading his stream.

Recently I started following K.C. May on Twitter (@GASciFiAuthor) after I ran across her name in a conversation with Nathan Lowell. I love a good Science Fiction story, and she had several out, so I went aheaded and downloaded The Venom of Vipers from Smashwords, loaded it on my iPad and (at the sound of the bell) turned the page.

On to the review.

Synopsis: In a future where humans teeter on the brink of extinction, hope lies in the genetic experiments of Katie Marsh. A brilliant young scientist, Katie is hard at work perfecting a new species of humanoid resistant to the devastating virus afflicting mankind. But not everyone wants Katie to succeed.

Confined to the lab that created him, Ryder Stone wants to live as a free man. But Ryder, whose unique physiology may provide the cure for this viral malady, must tread lightly, for in his world, friends can sometimes be foes, and the helping hand of people close to him may very well turn out to be… the venom of vipers. (The preceding synopsis was stolen from the Amazon.)

Setting: Ms. May’s story takes place predominantly in a compound created for the study, education and retention of a mutated humanoid species known as Saphers. This compound is located in Arizona on a near future earth and all elements of it ring true.

Grade: A

Plot: The plot of The Venom of Vipers is a bit more convoluted then the synopsis would make it seem. Without going into too much depth, it is hard to provide an accurate idea of the detail in the plot, and since I prefer not to provide spoilers, that makes this part a bit difficult. I would say that The Venom of Vipers is really about what motivates us. Love, hate, revenge.. they’re all in there, and each is given a bit of time to play out.

Grade: B+

Characters: Ms. May’s characters are written to be very human. Even the meta-humans. This makes them easy to identify with and it is easy empathize with. However, at times they were a bit inconsistent to my way of thinking. Case in point: main character Ryder is consistently portrayed as being hotheaded and a bit of a trouble maker, and yet every time there is a situation, it truly is instigated by someone else, and Ryder is simply defending himself or others. Yes, maybe it truly is because he is working on his temper, but if this is so, no one seems to be noticing a difference.

Regardless of this type of minor issue, I enjoyed the characters in The Venom of Vipers. Minor SPOILER alert: Especially Captain Nelson, whom I STILL don’t know how to react to.

Grade: A-

Odin’s Recommendation: I liked The Venom of Vipers. If you’re a fan of scifi thrillers and can enjoy a book written more about relationships than science, you should do yourself a favor and check it out. Simply said, I will be checking out Ms. May’s other works as soon as time allows.

I’ve known Scott Roche for quite a while now. I’ve reviewed his first novel, Archangel, as a podcast novel here on the blog. When he completed this story a while back, he asked me if I’d be interested in reviewing it. At the time I wasn’t reviewing print books. That was then.

On to the review.

Synopsis: Ginnie Dare is the communications officer for her family’s space faring shipping company. They arrive at Eshu for a routine supply drop and discover that the entire settlement’s population has vanished. Their search of the site reveals nothing out of place, except the people, but ends in a tense confrontation with the natives. During the conflict, Ginnie discovers an alien artifact that may be the key to diffusing the conflict. Can she decode the artifact before it’s taken by the Sector Defense Force? Will it help them to discover the missing colony’s fate? Or, will the whole thing spark an interstellar war? (The preceding synopsis was stolen from the Amazon.)

Setting: Most of the story takes place on an alien planet. One of the things I like about science fiction is the setting can be as normal or extra-normal as the author likes. Mr. Roche brings us a setting that is enough different from our own to allow him to set the rules, while at the same time similar enough to give us easy points of reference. He keeps it consistent throughout and allows us to experience this environment with the characters.

Grade: B

Plot: As the above synopsis describes, the plot of the story revolves around a puzzle/quest with a time sensitive pressure keeping everything moving along at a good clip. Worth noting is the change of antagonist three quarters of the way through the story that was clever enough to catch the casual reader unaware.

Grade: A-

Characters: I really enjoyed Mr. Roche’s characters. And no, not just the one that bears my namesake. Each of the main characters, especially Ginnie, lived and breathed as much as any character I’ve ever read. Ginnie definitely came across as the character she was written as: an astute and inventive prodigy that is still very much a 14 year old girl.

Grade: A

Odin’s Recommendation: I love a good young adult novel, and make no mistake Ginnie Dare: Crimson Sands is good. It was better than I had hoped for. Having read several of Mr. Roche’s short stories and having listened to Archangel, I can assure you that Ginnie Dare shows remarkable growth and a maturing style. The editing is fluid and reads easily, though not perfect. The punctuation between paragraphs of dialogue being conducted by the same (uninterrupted) character isn’t quite normal, but it’s of little consequence. How much did I enjoy this book?  I’ll be buying a paperback copy to share with my son.

In preparation for the Parsecs, I began listening to of the nominees that I hadn’t heard yet. Ms. Andrew’s Valhai is one of those stories.

So, on to the review.

Synopsis: The Sellites haven’t changed in thousands of years. They virtually rule their binary system, trading technology and minerals for anything they need. But they make a mistake with the new batch of fourteen-year-old donor apprentices they are taking back to their home planet, Valhai. Among them are a homeless no-name from the planet Kwaide and a member of the ruling Elders from Coriolis. Six and Diva are two diametrically opposed characters who don’t exactly take kindly to each other . . .

The Sellites genetically modify their children, ideally qualifying them for their future jobs. So Grace, the only unmodified teenager on Valhai, is also the only one who doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life. She has a sister-in-law who won’t leave her in peace and a newly-widowed mother who has taken to sleeping in a sarcophagus. Grace can’t think straight. She needs to escape from all the pressure. So she decides to break Sellite regulations and venture outside – onto the planet . . .

. . . starting off a chain of events that will involve Six and Diva and force the Sellite race to change forever. (Stolen from Podiobooks.com)

Production: Ms. Andrew’s production of her story was very commendable. Especially for a first podcast. That doesn’t mean it was perfect, but it was quite easy to listen to and I can’t remember many instances where something was jarring enough to break me out of the story. There are occasions (several of them) where one character repeats the previous character. With out the written cues of who is speaking, for a moment this can be a bit of a stumbling block. Also, the music Ms. Andrew’s chooses to open and close the eps with, while pleasant, seems like it would be more appropriate for a startup chime than a podcast theme.

Grade: B

Cast: Ms. Andrew’s performs Valhai as a self read and does a commendable job. She has a pleasant voice and the reading immerses you in the story as easily as the bubbles are immersed in the lake.

Grade: A-

Story: The story of Valhai starts out as a simple tale of rising above your upbringing and becoming the master of your own self. It further evolves into a questing story. Both parts of the story are blended very well together and provide a seamless canvas to the listener. I was very happy to hear that the tale didn’t end with the characters simply escaping their first predicament.

Grade: A

Verdict: I really enjoyed Valhai and think many beyond myself will too. In fact, I recommend Valhai for those of you with young adults/teens or simply enjoy a good story that doesn’t require the addition of strong language or sexual situations.

Disclaimer: I’ve never met or conversed with Ms. Andrew’s. I’d never heard of Valhai until looking at the list of Parsec Nominees. Valhai deserved the nomination.

Mr. Batchelor contacted me during the early summer months and asked me if I’d be interested in reviewing his book, The Metalmark Contract. At the time, I hadn’t really entertained opening up this blog to book reviews, though I had done a few, and was surprised by the query. I thought about it for a bit and then decided I would enjoy reading something new by an author I was unfamiliar with. I informed Mr. Batchelor that I was willing, but that my timetable might be looking at months before a review could be completed. He stated this was okay and sent me a paperback copy of his book. Later, I requested a ebook version, which he also readily supplied.

So on to the review.

Synopsis: The Metalmark Contract combines a vision of how realistic, advanced alien beings might arrive on Earth with insights into how we could be our own worst enemies if that happened. Our religious beliefs, laws and political habits will govern how we respond when aliens arrive. If that happened in the next decade (the timeframe of the novel) then we would not be prepared to take full advantage of the opportunities.

Our baggage of mystical delusions, militaristic preconceptions, oppressive treatment of even the most accomplished women, and reactionary politics all sabotage our liaison with an advanced being who offers us a quantum jump in technological progress. Our only hope is the alien’s forbearance and vulnerability, which make him persist in the hope of combining forces with us to save himself from lethal pursuers.

Contemporary events like the faltering of the US space program and the rise of repressive Chinese governance shape the lives of the characters in The Metalmark Contract. Our chance to join advanced beings and travel the stars is hostage to ancient beliefs, and seems doomed. Can it be saved?

The world after Metalmark arrives is transformed, as well as the Solar System, which he begins to reshape. Our best role is partner to his sculpting, but adversaries rise at the book’s end. And politics in the polarized USA sabotages the greatest nation’s partnership with destiny.

Setting: Mr. Batchelor creates a first contact situation like I’ve never encountered before. The alien life form contacts the United Nations and the majority of the story takes place in New York City. There are trips to other locations around the world, but the earth cities are pretty much interchangeable and add little to the overall story. Each location was simply the basis for the story evolution that took place at that point. While I have no issues with this, multiple references were made to the alien life form encountering different facets of our world and cultures, but little description was included from these encounters. Truthfully, this decision makes sense with the style of writing the author employed and probably would have detracted from the story he was trying to tell.

Grade: C+

Plot: The plot of The Metalmark Conspiracy seems to be pretty straight forward. An alien life form comes to earth willing to trade advanced technologies in return for resources available in our solar system. The book centers around the conflict between human factions determining how a relationship with this alien being will affect them. I would be quite interested in a Muslim reader’s take on how his or her faith was represented in the story. We’re unsure whether Metalmark (the alien) is truly beneficent or has some diabolical plan we’re unaware of.

Grade: C+

Characters: There are quite a few characters in The Metalmark Contract, but few are very likable. Metalmark himself really hasn’t been given enough of a personality to know whether he is the hero or the villain (and yes, I do believe this was done intentionally in an effort to build reader interest). It isn’t until the last third of the book or so that the story begins to center itself around several characters and gives them a bit more soul than previously shown.

Grade: B-

Odin’s recommendation: The Metalmark Contract is an extremely well thought out story, which is very important, because it is very technical. The science in this science fiction is what drives the entire story. Which only makes sense when you read the author’s biography. I had a few issues with the narrative itself. The dialogue was a bit wooden and there were many instances of strange abbreviations. Generals were routinely referred to as Gen. The President was Pres. and the Secretary General of the United Nations was the Sec. Gen. These consistently brought me out of the story and left me floundering as I struggled to resubmerge myself in the storyline. The science itself was phenomenal and I would have enjoyed even a bit deeper level of explanation on some of the purported alien technology. Mr. Batchelor mentions that his early literary heroes include Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov and this is plainly visible.

The Metalmark Contract is a fairly large book at nearly 300 pages (Trade Paper size) and though I hadn’t realized it at the time I was reading it, it is the first book in a series, and it does leave you on a bit of a cliffhanger. After I had finished the book I looked to see whether this was made clear anywhere, and I did eventually find it mentioned on the Amazon sales page. However, (though I might be simply missing it) I do not find it notated anywhere on the book.

I believe The Metalmark Contract will appeal to readers that appreciate technical writing and hard core science fiction. I personally believe that The Metalmark Contract could be a very good book, perhaps even excellent, by employing the skills of a good editor who might make the flow of the story a little more manageable to the average reader.

Title: Marco and the Red Granny
Author: Mur Lafferty
Genre: Science Fiction
Released: 8 Feb 2011 – 25 Feb 2011
Located:Podibooks, iTunes
Formats Available: Podcast, eb00k
Rating:; PG13: Violence

I’ve listened to a lot of podiobooks. A lot of them. Ms. Lafferty is one of the biggest names in podcast fiction. She’s earned that place by right of her efforts and commitment to providing a well told tale. I previously, (review 9) reviewed her novel Playing for Keeps. I’ve listened to most of the rest of her works as well, so when I recently discovered her novella, Marco and the Red Granny, I gave it a listen.

So, on to the review.

Synopsis: By bringing back the patronage system, a new alien species has transformed the moon into the new artistic center of the universe, and Sally Ride Lunar Base soon gains the nickname “Mollywood.” These aliens can do amazing things with art and the senses, allowing a painting, for example, to stimulate other senses than simply sight. When someone asks a starlet, “Who are you wearing?” she could as easily say “J.K. Rowling” as she could “Gucci.”

Every creative person in the world wishes for a patronage. It’s quite competitive.

Marco wanted one, once. But then his girlfriend got one and shuttled off to Mollywood for fame and fortune, and Marco stayed home, waiting for his own patron. After several years, he gave up entirely. His career faltered. His agent dumped him. And then, one morning, he gets a call. At last he has a patron, at last the aliens want him. But he’s about to find out that an artistic patronage isn’t what it was in the good old days, and that the only friend he’s made, a tiny old woman who’s the star of a blood sports reality series called The Most Dangerous Game, has secrets of her own. (Stolen from iTunes)

Production: Although this story is written by Ms. Lafferty it is read and produced by someone other than the author. I’ve never quite understood why some authors go this route. I’m sure there is a plethora of solid reasons for doing it, but when you have the talent and experience Ms. Lafferty has, I was surprised to find her not at the helm of this one. That being said, the narrator and, I assume, producer is Devo Spice. Mr. Spice did a very nice job with the production. The sound quality is consistent and nothing really jarred me out of the moment. There aren’t a lot of bells and whistles, other than another musical sequence by Beatnik Turtle.

Grade: B+

Cast: As previously stated, this story is narrated by Devo Spice. He does an adequate job of reading the story and provides vocals that never make it difficult to understand the point of view of the character that is speaking. While I was a bit disappointed that Ms. Lafferty wasn’t reading, I wasn’t disappointed with Mr. Spice.

Grade: B+

Story: Marco and the Red Granny starts out light hearted and almost comedic in many ways. As the story progresses, it becomes a bit of something else. Social conscience? Political? Perhaps. Perhaps something else as well. Regardless, it stays within the boundaries Ms. Lafferty sets out. There is no shark jumping here.

Grade: A-

Verdict: I liked Marco and the Red Granny quite a bit. I think most fans of Ms. Lafferty would agree, more importantly, I think most people would agree. This story is a novella is over relatively quickly, but it is long enough to have developed a decent plot and it kept me sufficiently entertained throughout.

Disclaimer: I have never met Ms. Lafferty. I have never tweeted with Ms. Lafferty. In fact, she doesn’t follow me, nor I her. I should probably correct that. I know she can be found on Twitter: @MightyMur. I have listened to many of her stories and am beholding to her for her participation in the podiofiction community.