A must-read for science fiction lovers
592090
When a band of travelers jump a time warp to escape an Earth destroyed by a man-made killer virus, they crash land on a planet capable of sustaining human life. Seamus Robinson, the teen would-be scientist, comes into his own in this book. His method of working out problems in a scientific manner soon puts him on a par with the real scientists who have come along on this journey. As Seamus, his family, and the other refugees set about building the rudiments of their new lives they are forced to deal with high radiation from this sun, acid rain clouds, and days that are equivalent to multiple Earth days. The planet, named Locus by Seamus's dad, seems to be friendly but lurking nearby are sounds and movements that give the explorers reason to fear. Soon there is a small colony and the women begin the process of procreation. Seamus and Sofie, his sometime girlfriend, finally settle down together and become a couple. At the core of this book is the way in which everyone pulls together. When one of the government scientists insist that a leader of the coloy be named, a vote is taken. The new leader, Seamus's pregnant mother, agrees to take on the job but only for a short while. Then they must all vote again for a successor. The entire book can be summed up in the phrase uttered by not only Seamus but also by his mother: "We have the chance to build a new civilization based on trust and respect". What remains to be seen is whether or not their dreams become a reality and how these space travelers adapt to their new surroundings? Will they adapt and flourish? Or will they succumb to the hardships of life on this new planet?

Colonization is the continuation of The Seamus Chronicles, a very plausible scenario of how our world is killed by a man-made virus and how this small band of refugees is determined that mankind as we know it should not pass into extinction. Having survived the post-apocalyptic chaos of Earth, the tribulations of finding and settling a new planet that is partially hospitable to Earthlings takes its toll on the survivors. But they persevere and soon a small colony is created. Author K.D. McAdams draws a fine picture of what the new planet and its new inhabitants. We delve even deeper into the psyche of a cross-section of humans as we make ourselves at home on the new planet called Locus.

I thoroughly enjoyed Colonization as I did the first two books of The Seamus Chronicles. Author McAdams has a fine voice in the science-fiction genre and his technical details are well-researched. A believable scenario of how mankind can adapt and survive beyond anything I've read. The coming-of-age of a teen-aged Seamus has the twist of living on another planet and facing challenges that no teen today could dream of. The interactions of Seamus and the other members of his family have a different dynamic as they all must accept equal responsibiities in their new lives.

The Seamus Chronicles - Annihilation, Evacuation, and Colonization - combine to provide an enjoyable escape from life here on Earth. A must-read for science fiction lovers. Looking forward to the next installment.
1933377
Great read that touches on various subjects of technology, human rights and politics. The author includes an afterword section that includes current research programs that deal with nanotechnology and physical interfaces that is fascinating and gives the novel and sense of impending conflict that would be lost otherwise. He is coined as "the best sci-fi writer since Michael Crichton" and I'm inclined to agree. Pick up the trilogy all at once because I guarantee that you won't want to put this series down.
2433314
This book is a definite read for all sci-fi fans. The characters have a lot of depth and the plot has many unexpected, imaginative twists and turns!
Every chapter is full of captivating adventure and I was loathed to have to put the book down.
A very pleasant and gripping read.
821669
The Power of Six is compilation of short stories that will blow your mind and make you think. What is reality and what is fantasy? Each story has a sci-fi undercurrent that will keep the reader glued until the climatic and satisfying finish.

Nicholas Rossis has proven he is a master of suspenseful sci-fi fiction. I have read three of this author's books and look forward to seeing what he will come up with next.

Highly recommend for all sci-fi lovers out there.
1173168
Generally, I don't read science fiction, but this book was an Amazon deal of the day so I thought I would give it a try. I loved "Lost" and the description captivated me. I read this book in two days. I literally couldn't put it down and when I did, it consumed my thoughts. A GREAT page-turner that kept me fascinated and intrigued until the end.
268061
Great Science-Fiction! With Full-Blooded Characters and Real Drama!
3727154
I was EXTREMELY impressed by this book.  Sandra has crafted an amazing story that manages to stand alone and follow up logically on the first book, and unlike many sequels which drag a bit or feel the need to simply move the plot forward, this book actually picked up steam and got more interesting with each page.

The main character, Paul, is one of the most believable characters I have come across in a sci-fi novel, and the cast of people Sandra puts around him are equally well-drawn.  What I especially like, though, is the emotional connection Sandra makes me feel, both the emotions the characters have for each other and the way she makes a reader care about them.  There is a scene in the book where Cass, the younger sister of the protagonist, learns some dismaying news about some musicians she likes, and I felt bad for Cass hearing the news, just as I would for a real person suffering real news.

As good as the characters are, they still need a story to build around them, and Sandra doesn't disappoint there.  I've said before that she is as good a world-builder as you will find, and the two universes she sets up here are phenomenal, as is the way she has them interrelate to each other.  She manages to make 20th-century Earth seem both perfectly familiar and oddly unfamiliar, while somehow making the spaceship many of the characters live in and the alternate, future Earth just the opposite.

And the science! The science is great: she invents things that help actors and wormholes in space and weird future medicines and then  comes up with the "Catalyst Quirk," which is incredibly interesting and deserves even more attention than it got in here.  But she makes it all seem perfectly normal, the way laptops or cellphones are just part of our life even though they're technological wonders.

I can't say enough good stuff about this book  And in proper trilogy fashion, the ending seems to build towards something even bigger on the horizon.  This is as good as science fiction gets.
1132480
"Time enough..." was my "entry" book to Heinlein, and my "turn on switch" to Sci-Fi. Before it, all I had read was Isaac Asimow (and still love the good doctor...), and my interest for the matter was quite superficial. But when I started this one, and could never  put it down, I discovered Sci-Fi could be much more than good  story-telling! Heinlein has a way of making his stories double-meaning: you  can read them as nice Sci-Fi tales, or you can think better, and find new  ways to see Life, Mankind, and even God! Here is an excellent example of  this: it goes from morals to adventure, from sex to family, from war to  peace, and it never stops making full sense! You can disagree with  Heinlein's ideas, but I strongly recommend that you don't miss knowing  them!
2116795
This book came very highly recommended, and I felt that it lived up to all of my expectations and then some. Already working on the next title in the series, and I am very excited that there are several more after that. The characters are well developed and it is easy to identify with them which makes for a very immersive experience. I would recommend this to any lover of Sci-Fi.
4536621
If you are considering this book, then, like I, you love science fiction. I love science fiction blah blah blah blah(the usual reasons) nevertheless I, a seasoned SF aficionado, found I had to stop while reading this book and happily try and stretch my mind to comprehend/embrace some of the ideas/happenings/occurrences of this book.
This is a fascinating & wonderful sequel to The Peace War.
4118772
It took me a while to get into this book because of the large number of foreign names and the dual storylines, but once I came to know the characters whose lives were changed by the discovery of a sentient radio transmission from Alpha Centauri, I absolutely couldn't put it down. I was absorbed by premise of this story of First Contact and the inadvertent mistakes even the well-meaning make, perhaps inevitably. But it was the humanity of the brave band of travelers that truly drew me in and held me.

Highly recommended for those who enjoy intelligent science fiction.
2480714
It's been a long time since I've read a science fiction novel so good it kept me turning the pages on my Kindle for PC. As a teller of tales myself, some science fiction, others science fantasy or romance, I have my favorite authors--the Eddings, David and Leigh, JRR Tolkein, Anne McCaffrey, Gordon Dickson, and such. I'm now adding Joe Bergeron to my list. His characters are well-shaped, his worlds carefully developed, and his plots not easily guessed in advance. Even better, his science is solid and his understanding even clearer in some ways than the practitioners in the fields of physics and cosmology. I was starting to wonder if I was the only person who can glimpse the true nature of reality. I'm glad I am not.

Space Mariners is a great story for young adults (including the young at heart, like me), as it shows with almost painful clarity the confusion of the transition from childhood to adulthood. That transition is difficult enough without tossing into the mix an alien girl who may look like you, but most definitely is not, a robot known as the Prohibitor which is designed to keep you and your people in a state of relative innocence with respect to science and technology, and almost accidental access to forbidden knowledge. Only by finding ways to work together, despite the confusing storms of feelings that wash over them, are the heroes and heroines of this tale able to survive, escape the bounds of their world, and travel across space and time to a new world, on which they must deal with a whole new set of problems. In the end, they again succeed in escaping, but who knows where they will go next? I'm hoping there will be another tale about Valjhar and his friends.

I greatly appreciate all the work Amazon has done over the last ten years or so in developing the Kindle, as well as CreateSpace, to enable those of us who write very well, but whose stories the editors of the great publishing houses don't understand, or don't like, or don't think will ever gain enough of an audience to make it worth the money required to market our tales. Without Amazon, I would not be able to share my tales--and neither could Joe. While everyone else I listed among my favorites has been published by the great publishing houses, Joe has not--though that may change in time. Most of my favorite authors have been publishing for decades. The newer authors coming out of the great publishing houses don't write the kind of stories I like to read, and until now, I was starting to wonder if anyone did. It appears Joe does, though his tales are quite different than mine. That's okay. His tales stretch my mind, and I'm glad of that.

I plan to read the rest of his tales and share my thoughts about them in their own reviews. Meanwhile, if you like true science fiction and wonder whatever happened to it, try Space Mariners, as well as the other tales Joe tells. You won't regret it.
1394360
Anyone that loves the science in science fiction will enjoy this book. I loved the details and the far reaching  story line. Definitely a must read.
1565707
Lost Souls by Penny de Byl is a great choice for science fiction lovers. de Byl opens the story with a relevant, attention-grabbing scene and slowly builds the dual narrative until they're tightly woven together.

Lost Souls follows the trail of detectives as they investigate links in a rising number of suspicious deaths while also following a team of scientists as they embark on what seems from the get-go like a doomed-to-fail survival-of-the-human-species mission that is supposed to last five years. The storyline is well-researched and plotted, and de Byl manages to keep the pace moving despite the incredible amount of detail involved in building the bridge of science, tech and ethics.

Although there were a few minor quirks, de Byl is a solid writer in her genre, delivering an entertaining tale of mystery and suspense. I expect to see many more great stories from her.
353034
If you like stories from the golden age of science fiction from authors like Heinlein, Van Vogt and Philip K. Dick, you owe it to yourself to read this book.  If you enjoy vivid imagery, a fast paced plot, interesting characters who become people you feel you know, and science and fiction and a bit of the occult blended into a story with unexpected twists and turns that demands your complete and full attention from beginning to end, you should read this book.  The plot detail is incredible and I found I had suspended my disbelief somewhere in the first chapter and never looked back.  Just one word of warning....Don't start reading this book just anywhere.  You may not be able to put it down!!!
4010636
This is one of the best SF books I have read recently. Bob, a 21st Century software engineer and avid science fiction fan, has his body cryogenically preserved after death. He awakens in the 23rd Century to find his mind has been destructively copied into a computer system that is to control a space probe searching for habitable worlds. When he finds a suitable world his instructions are to set up an automated space station to contact Earth, begin preparing the planet for colonization, make multiple copies of himself to begin searching for additional suitable worlds. The author has clearly thought out what would be involved, and provides logical explanations for how all this might be accomplished: Fusion reactors for almost unlimited power, ram scoops to collect interstellar hydrogen for almost unlimited fuel, self-replicating automatic factories with 3D printers capable of working down to the level of individual atoms, and automated asteroid mining machines for almost unlimited raw materials. Presumably, all this is possible in the 23rd Century. However, the author does not fall into the trap of making Bob all-powerful, there are serious limitations on Bob's capabilities that influence his decisions. Since the original Bob was an engineer, software Bob is able to make design improvements in himself and for future probes as well.
Bob finds a suitable star system, replicates himself, sends the replicates off on their own missions, then begins preparations for colonization. The story follows multiple Bobs as they search new star systems, and encounter various problems. The book makes fascinating reading as the Bobs go about their business, finding new planets, teraforming some, studying life on inhabited planets, and occasionally encountering hostile probes sent out by other Earth factions (there was a massive world-wide war involving several different factions at the time of Bob's launch). There is very little violence in the book, and only a few brief space battles; the emphasis is always on how Bob goes about accomplishing his goals.
Fascinating reading.
1393076
This collection of short stories from Luca is fantastic. Science fiction finally meets eroticism in a well written and imaginative way. I picked this book up to read on my commute to work but found myself delving back in at lunch time. A compelling and thought provoking read. Everything a science fiction story should be.