A MUST read for all Sci-Fi and humour fans!
356102
I can't describe how much i've enjoyed this book! The 4 parts of the Hitchhiker saga are great, and Mostly Harmless, the new chapter, is great too. Finally, the short bonus novel is really fun. I recommend this book especially to sci-fi fans and to everyone who wants to laugh, laugh, laugh! Enjoy this book and DON'T PANIC! (You'll understand that after...)
3619983
I've been on a cheap junk Science Fiction run lately with the expected quality resulting from my many 99 cent purchases.  This book was a surprise departure from that level of science fiction writing.  I would honestly not be surprised to see this book made into a major movie in the next couple years, it was really that unique and would convert into a compelling movie in the manner the author reveals what is happening in little vignettes.  The book is a sort of Science Fiction meets Fantasy meets Police Mystery melange and is remarkably well done.  You are unsure what the hell is going on in this book for at least the first half of the novel as the writer expertly peels back the unseen layers of his world one at a time and then seamlessly pulls it all together towards the end into an epic struggle.  Although the author seemed to gloss over flushing out a few of the characters, several of the main characters are very well constructed and not your stock heroes at all.  When is the last time you read a novel where one of the most likeable and lethal characters was a morbidly obese middle-aged woman? I mean really!  Who can pull that off?!  There is also a great deal of humorous banter that is very witty and quite entertaining.  I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys futuristic techno police mysteries AND fantasy of the apocalyptic magic variety.
552091
Andi, a 34-year-old dipsomaniac civil servant with a dry sense of humour, has an out-of-body experience and finds herself time-travelling into a world of Granny Goths, soothsayers, dead boyfriends and alien spacecraft.
The seaside town of Southend looks like a pint-sized version of Tokyo in the year 2054, but an ethnic cleansing of the hoi polloi is underway.
Author Parker Gordon has a wonderfully idiosyncratic way of writing and the story is told from Andis point of view - her scatter-brained, offbeat sense of humour a joy to behold. Our unlikely heroine becomes a dab hand at astral travel and finds herself flying above rooftops like Mary Poppins (her delightfully whimsical interaction with all and sundry caused me to burst into laughter on several occasions).
The author has a keen eye for human detail, allied with an unrestrained imagination, and has succeeded in delivering a book that is a fantastical delight.
I cant remember the last time I laughed as loud and as often.
Brilliant fun! Loved it!
1207753
MORE MURDERBOT STORIES, PLEASE! Seriously, I want to see multiple volumes based on this universe and these characters.

I saw the book in my Kindle at 3 in the morning, checked it out, found I could not stop reading it.  Got no sleep at all, but I don't care, I loved this book.  I loved the characters, I loved the plot. I loved the dry humor, nay, snark. I loved the dark underlying questions this light-hearted book posed the reader.

When I was a kid, I used to love the stories of James H. Schmitz, a classic science fiction writer of the 40s, 50s, and 60s who wrote non-sexist adventure/space opera books set in a Star Trek-like galactic society called "Tales of the Hub"; this book hit that same sweet spot.  Adventure, a complicated and clever plot, interesting characters, a new world to explore.  I hope to hear from them all again, especially Murderbot, who I think we can all agree, really needs to come up with another name for itself one of these days.
2777069
This is english humour at its best! Dr Xargle is quite an affectionately, fluffy green Alien who teaches other aliens all about earth and the beings. While your children might not get the humour immediately, it is wonderful watching them slowly understand the humour. For instance earth grannys making wrappers for babies from the 'hairdo of a sheep'.

the illustrations are gorgeous with lots of little features going on in the background - they are richly coloured watercolours.

Sweet, fun, while your children might not understand immediately they know there is something more to it and really enjoy going back and looking at it to understand. EXCELLENT BOOK - in fact I would highly recommend all the Xargle books!
1397034
I have read this book exactly a year ago and now am considering re-reading it. It is a highly entertaining, absorbing and funny work. At times I had to put it down because I could not concentrate too well, I was laughing too hard.
The way he treats the theme of apocalypse and doomsday is interesting and unique. It is clear that the author has an outlook of an open-minded person, not affected by any specific religious belief. The fact that he shows the dark angel as a positive character in the book only strengthens that impression.
The book is a must read to anyone who enjoyed Douglas Adams' "Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy". This book is just as funny, if not funnier.
1036921
I picked this sci-fi story just for something different to read and I really quite enjoyed it!

Georgie finds herself kidnapped by aliens. She wakes up in a holding cell on a spaceship with a bunch of other women  all young and single. They are too scared of the alien guards, who are just waiting for the chance to punish a prisoner who steps out of line, to fight for their freedom. For whatever reason, their part of the spaceship is separated from the main ship and is dumped on an ice planet. Georgie has proved herself to be gutsy and resourceful and becomes their natural leader. She leaves the stranded ship and ventures out into the freezing conditions to look for food and water. What she finds, instead, is Vektal.

Vektal has never seen a human before but his khui resonates for her  meaning that he has, at long last, found his mate. There is a lack of females in their dying race and he despaired of ever having a mate.

This story was different, humorous, adventurous, and pretty darn hot!! I never thought I could fancy an alien but Vektal proves himself to be sweet, attractive and a real sexual being. I love the connection between them and how much both want to take care of the other. He is the chief of his tribe so he has some pretty alpha traits but he really is a softie underneath it all.

The author does a great job of finding a way around the language barriers, explaining how Vektals race came to be on the planet, and how to resolve the problem of the humans staying on the planet. Id love to read the rest of the stories in this series!
608955
The Star Host is the perfect blend of fantasy and scifi.  Featuring characters who have inexplicable powers, interplanetary travel, and a ragtag group of misfits who find themselves needing to save the universe, this is a must-read for any Firefly fans.

The author builds an incredible world that includes some of my favourite tropes (high tech scifi overlords + low tech settlers!, cranky cellmate turned ally turned love interest!, chosen ones!) and populates that world with fascinating characters.  Ren, our protagonist, is endearing and truehearted from the get go, and Asher, his rugged, stoic cellmate is a delightful complement to Ren's stubborn hero complex.

I devoured The Star Host in only a few days and I cannot wait for the next book in this series!
4163670
First let me start off by sayingAWESOME BOOK!!!
The description does NOT do this book justice!
With that description I have to admit I only picked this one up because it was free for the day on Amazon.
However, boy was I in for a surprise!
This book is hands down one of the best Ive read in the Sci-Fi genre in a LONG time.
Action, aliens, suspense, fully developed characters, wonderful writing, crossdressing, alien on human relations and all peppered with Star Wars quotes!
This book has it all.
The action comes at you hot and heavy and doesnt let up.  You will be afraid to put it down during certain parts of the book because you just have to see what happens next.

A rare and well done combination of comedy, action, suspense and sex all wrapped up in a very believable and enjoyable Sci-Fi package.
I only finished the first book yesterday and have already purchased the 2nd book in the series to enjoy today!

Do yourself a favor and READ THIS BOOK!
755047
I loved this book! Berin Stephens has an incredible sense of humor. I found myself laughing out loud many times while reading "Delroy versus the Yshtari." The clever plot and Sci-Fi setting are engaging on their own, but it's the humor that makes this story shine. I imagine teenage boys would love this book, but as a full grown man, I thoroughly enjoyed it as well.
633858
This review is based on an Advance Reader's Edition provided by the Amazon Vine program.

I love the Douglas Adam's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books.  Rob Reid has effectively built a brilliant new SciFi world in the same vein.

Nick Carter (no not the Backstreet Boy) is an attorney for a scum sucking intellectual property property firm.  Their clients are the MPAA, RIAA, record labels, and anyone else who wants to make enjoying music a crime.  He's in love with his neighbor Manda, a paralegal and Indie musician.  They get caught up in a fast paced, hilarious adventure to save the Earth from an alien crime syndicate who doesn't want to pay for illegally copying Earth's music.  Oh, and Nick is very likable, quite strange for a lawyer.

If you like THHGTTG, you should read this.  If you found it stupid, stay away.

And as an added bonus to the hilarity, Rob Reid is the founder of the company who developed the Rhapsody music service, so he actually knows a thing or two about the world of music.
865417
This is a weird one... But it sure is funny!  This is book 2 in a series, but I didn't read the first one and had no trouble following the story.  The title alone should tell you that this is an irreverent comedy.  It had me laughing out loud in some spots.  The narrator is very good at voice acting, which adds more humor.  This is a book worth reading if you like to laugh and enjoy sci-fi.  It won't change the world of ltierature, but it definitely will brighten up your day.

My review is not a synopsis of the book, but rather my opinion of it.  I received a free copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
4797578
I am so glad that Amazon expanded the formats for this book. I bought it couple of years ago, and the only choice then was a used library copy shipped from the UK. Now there is a Kindle version! Yeeey!
This is a superbe collection, it contains possibly the best sci-fi story in recent years : Alien Archeology. If you are not familiar with Asher, start with this, you'll get hooked! Whether you believe that AIs can be benevolent and that we'll be able someday to populate the Galaxy, the Universe he builds makes sense, and the aliens are diverse and fantastic ! The Ian Cormac series to which the story The Gabble makes teasing references is awesome, but you do not need to be familiar with them to enjoy this collection.
And the gabbleducks... I am a big fan, they are too complicated to describe here, the most hilariously strange and complex creatures that I met! You'll get a treat with this book, they are the star here, but there are stories that do not contain them that are great: Snow in the desert and Adaptogenic were my favorite.
Mr. Asher must spend a lot of time reading about insects and microscopic creatures here on Earth, his aliens make biological sense and the descriptions are vivid!
Lots of intense action throughout and deadpan humor, this is a collection to cherish and re-read!
1368550
As an American, I've never gotten to really experience Eurovision but Space Opera makes me feel a bit like I have. Introducing so many distinct alien species in a single book is no easy task but Ms. Valente has done an outstanding job of it and every description was some mixture of hilarious and poigniant. I laughed and I cried and I held my breath waiting to see what would happen and when I reached the end, I'd had the best new book experience I've had in quite a long time. As a huge Douglas Adams fan, I believe he would be very pleased to see this book so brilliantly carrying on the science fiction comedy tradition he so exemplified. In case you can't tell, I really just loved it and I'm looking forward to reading it again.
2216196
Jeff is unaware that he has been chosen as Earths ambassador to the galactic commons. Members of the galactic commons are unaware of how to safely have first encounters with humanity. Hilarity ensues!

If you cant get enough of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and yes I even mean Colfers very funny installment too, then Beginners Guide to Invading Earth will take you to new heights of alien ineptitude. If youve read one too many paranormal urban fantasies with a teen love angle, then mix it up with some humor.

The first book of Gehrkes I read was Ninevehs Child and it had a serious tone in a post apocalypse. I was equally impressed! Gehrke has demonstrated the ability to change his narrative voice. My review for his other work is posted at LARC-SciFi(dot)com/bookreviews.html.
Without revealing any details, I will say that antagonists form of derangement is one that I think writer types could fall into given the right circumstances. I was still rooting for Jeff, but found myself sympathize with the baddie.

I may have been given a free review copy at my request or I may have downloaded this from amazon when the ebook was free and have voluntarily left a review. Any review. That fact that its a good one is because the book is good. Which has nothing to do with how awesome I am. Youll have to find that out for yourself @S_Shane_Thomas on Twitter.

There is a point where Gehrke mentions if Niagara Falls stopped running one day and I wanted to mention that Niagara Falls does freeze in the winter time. Ive been there and seen the falls frozen solid. Still a great site and you can score free parking in the winter!

I liked that all the alien tech has applications. Of course it makes sense that their computer driven devices have apps, but Im from the pre-smartphone era, so Im still impressed with using my own apps!
3406999
I have missed this sort of fun sci-fi: THANK YOU for writing Hollow Space

Action, adventure, fighting, loving, joking and in-jokes, solemnity and irreverence, loyalty and rebellion. Hollow Space has all these and much more. Plenty of sentient species and weird critters along with ship-loads of attitude all set in an intriguing cosmos with its own set of rules.

I am keen to spend time with these adventurers again in their next book

I received a prerelease copy of Hollow Space: Venture for reviewing, but have since purchased the book. Yes I like it :)
4504922
If you are a SciFi fan, you will laugh yourself out of orbit over this Classic SciFi-style story with its references and crazy humor.  And if you aren't a SciFi fan, you will still laugh yourself silly. Absolutely one of the funniest stories I've ever read, and that scene toward the end...priceless!