The ULTIMATE SCI-FI !
598838
This is the movie that started it all. The most groundbreaking sci-fi that is truely a landmark of it's time. This is the epic story of good and evil with plenty of special effects and action. Although not the best fim in the  series, it is the mother of them all. Director and creator, George Lukas  does a splended job of telling the story of young, soon to be jed-knight  Luke Skywalker. Truely remarkable! A classic that must be seen to believe!
193672
I wish there were more than five stars, this story deserves more.  The best hardcore sci-fi I've read in some time.  Terran and alien allies fight alien bad guys on an alien world.  A deadly race to secure a precious artifact that may hold the answer to an upcoming invasion...well, it will be beyond Biblical proportions.  The author mentioned that he was a fan of Star Trek as a wee lad (weren't we all?).  He was also a fan of TDTESS.  Caught that Easter egg Mr. Fox.  Good one.
4659507
I loved this book! Mr. Richards writes the best sci-fi thrillers around, so run to get this book and enjoy an awesome reading experience!
This story explores the consequences of Artificial General Intelligence, that of a computer as smart as a human being. It has relatable people, evil villains and almost God-like computers. You'll enjoy every minute!
3450308
Darren !! Wow....This is now my new benchmark for Speculative Science fiction thrillers! Absolute master piece and  to think that its from a 'literary virgin'! I personally do have a habit of reading up on an author before reading their book for the first time. The reason for that is multiple, but the most important is something my dad used to say when i was a kid " When you know the creator, you will look at the masterpiece through his eyes"...while am still figuring out what that means in its entirety,this was one such book that gave me a pretty fair idea as to what he meant!

Darren's experience with NASA and the space program, is reflected in many ways in his book. From the precise description of a portable APU to a Dauntless that can accelerate at 8Gs in a pinch! How? Anti Matter Rings! That doesn't come from anywhere else but the mind of a literary genius! If Jans inspired me to look up to the stars and wonder if all this was actually possible...Eridani is what i would wish for for my kids! This book grows on you as you travel deeper into space and delve into the intricacies of humans settlements on planets light years away while governed by a single earth based entity!

Like a fellow reviewer Kevin Higgins summed up precisely "The technology and future geo-political environment is realistic, thoughtfully presented, and eye-opening in many regards, revealing Beyers knowledge of the world and deep imagination." well said my friend I couldn't agree more.

Darren...you my friend are on the cusp of joining the greats of the literary universe! i eagerly look forward to the Desolation Bridge.

(I was offered a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion. This has in no way influenced my review.)
2473331
I loved everything about this book! As someone who doesn't normally read sci-fi, I was wary of what it was going to be like. However,  from the first chapter I was hooked! There's something about the author' style of writing that keeps the reader immersed in the story and keeps them turning the page. The author's creative imagery made the story read like a movie. Each character speaks something unique to the reader and it is the love for the characters that makes me excited for the sequel!
3117482
I am at a loss for words about how to describe this most fantastic work of true Action Science Fiction that lets you escape, forcing you to wrap yourself around the science at the same time.  Hard to explain, but so enjoyable!!!

The author should be sitting between the greats; such as, Albert Einstein and Steven Hawking, James Watson and Frederick Sanger...to name a few.  Very few authors can keep the continuity of science, physics and biology like Nick Webb can!!!

This should be a television series or a movie, but I do not believe a producer could handle, "The Science of Everything", this book has to offer.

Nick, Sir.  You are either a genius or traveled from the future on a singularity from another galaxy...and just laughing at us Neanderthals!!!

Brilliant Work and "Semper Fi" from this Warrior Geek Reader and Forever Fan of yours!!!

p.s.  Thank you for keeping the bad language down to a minimum too.  But, good grief!  You don't have to rub it in so much that you know some of your readers don't like it!!!  I am a Marine combat veteran; with 8-years of service in the Corps.  I had to listen to it every day from the enlisted and NCO ranks.  Thank goodness the Marine Corps Officers, and Navy Officers, practiced more language etiquette...both in peace-time and during combat!
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!
1941894
The Life Engineered by J-F Dubeau is a powerful and awesome sci-fi book that should be a movie! I am an old woman and have been reading sci-fi since I was a small child and have been a sci-fi geek since. I read hundreds of books a year and this book is in the top 10 books I have ever read in the sci-fi category. I loved it! I won this book from Goodreads and I am so glad I did, and it is a real book, no ebook! The setting is far in the future where Earth was going to be inhabitable so humans planned to go into stasis until it was safe. The main scientist's wife didn't trust the robots to protect and wake them so she convinced her husband to make it so only the last generation of robots, and only a special few, would know when and where to find them and wake them. Two thousand years later, her paranoia paid off. The story is about a select few of these unique sentient creatures that are for and against humans, even though humans seem to be a thing of legend at this point. Robots have inherited the galaxy and tirelessly formed a society throughout the system. The author draws you in from the very beginning and through out the book you learn the society, the wonderful variety of robots, their abilities, and why this new robot is special. This book has all the action, adventure, thrills, emotions, uniqueness, intrigue, and twists you would not expect from a book about robots. The characters so well developed and complex and the plot is excellent with lots of unexpected turns and surprises. I can't wait for his next book. I hope a director picks this book up and reads it so we can some day see it on the big screen as I have seen it in my imagination! Wonderful job! I will be watching this author!
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!
415432
I loved this book! It was an excellent, captivating story of the dangers of allowing technology to run our lives and eliminate the need to interact with nature. The author did a fantastic job of including the reader in the character's journey to enlightenment about the world she lives in. I was hooked from start to finish and found myself immediately hoping for more installments after it was over! If you're looking for a great sci fi read with the added bonus of renewing your appreciation for the world around you, this book is for you!
679728
I've just finished this book, and fireworks are still going off in my head.  I've never been more swept up by a work of literature as I was by this.  The author delivers a book that covers 7,000 years of history, billions of years after Earth's sun goes nova.  This is the story of humanity's second chance, under the most unlikely and mind-blowing cause.  It won't let you go, from beginning to end.  Totally original and mind-blowing.  Filled with philosphy about life, death, and time, this is one of the most uplifting sci-fi action adventures ever written.

-- JJ Timmins
4108521
What a ride! The Sci-Fi Universe has just found a great new Author! Sam has created a fantastical tale that is very real and believable. What if there was truly only a limited amount of time to prepare the world for the colonization from Aliens? How would we avert our destruction? As well as getting ground up into food paste for the aliens while we are at saving things. To that end the Pentagon has assembled an eclectic group of scientists and some Military commandos into FORCE, The Federal Organization for Response to Celestial Enemies. Great name and great team, and I haven't found very much to make me not like this story. A couple of Lucky strikes for us humans mean we might have a fighting chance at survival when they come back.
Gives this book a chance and you will be swept away by a daring and brave attempt to save all of humanity!
885703
First things first... I LOVED this book! The Planet Thieves is pure science fiction - set on a space ship, fighting aliens, far in the future. You don't find many books like this for the MG crowd. And this one is a page-turner from start to finish. As a girl who grew up watching every incarnation of Star Trek (though Next Generation and Voyager are my favorites), I felt right at home in this book. Dan Krokos taps into established elements of the genre - we spend a lot of time on "the bridge" and the characters even use tractor beams! The Planet Thieves made my nerdself sing happy songs.

Okay, enough praise - let's get to the book itself. The Planet Thieves follows Mason Stark, a 13 year old cadet. He's about halfway through the process of training to become a member of Earth Space Command (think: Starfleet Academy). As part of the learning process, cadets spend the summer aboard an actual ESC vessel. Everything's going well until the Tremist make an appearance. Apparently, humans have only made contact with one alien race at this point (the year is approximately 2800). The Tremist and humans have been at war for over 60 years, each desperate to claim and colonize the only other inhabitable planet in the galaxy.

This space adventure is so full of exciting plot twists that I have to stop the summary there. Let's just say that the Earth ship is holding more than just officers and cadets... and the Tremist want what's on board.

The plot of The Planet Thieves is fast-paced and completely engrossing. There is a palpable sense of danger and every character is at risk. I especially love how the main characters face one obstacle after another. Just when I thought the primary conflict was wrapping up, a new one would emerge that was equally compelling. This combination of factors kept me reading into the wee hours, way past my bed time!

Oh - and did I mention that there are Space Wizards in this book!?!? Yep.
Space. Wizards.

I absolutely recommend this book!
1908863
I could not love this series more!  Reading it was reminiscent of some of my favorite novels by Isaac Asimov or Dean Koontz.....in my head, it was a full-blown movie!  So well written; so well paced; I was captivated by the stories of Cris, Wil and Saera.  This author really understands how to create another reality, all the while keeping it believable, exciting and real for her readers.  I loved the moral dilemmas.  I loved the humanity of all the characters (even the Bakzen).  If you enjoy scifi, you will absolutely love this trilogy!  Highly recommended.  Now I am off to see what else this author has written...:)

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and objective review.
4555405
I was flipping through channels recently and landed smack in the middle of an episode of "Farscape".  I had NO idea what was going on,and had never seen the show before, but the gist of the story and the depth of the characters instantly drew me in.  I purchased the box set, and I am so glad I did! This is one of the most creative, crazy, addicting Science Fiction shows ever made, and many of the CGI sequences have held up remarkably well.

But it's not the explosions, prosthetic alien makeup, or detailed sets and puppets (Yes, I said puppets, but these ain't your friendly Fraggles) that drive "Farscape"; it is the development and interactions between all the intriguing characters that will hook you.  At the crux of the tale is John Crichton, an astronaut who  accidentally arrives in a distant region of space after traversing a wormhole.  He immediately encounters a ship, a living ship (Think giant space whale) full of prisoners making their escape from a militaristic force called the Peacekeepers.  And the space odyssey begins in earnest!  Crichton works to simultaneously become accepted and useful to the outcast crew, and his ultimate goal of returning to Earth.

The characters in "Farscape" are not your typical sterile, static Sci-fi batch viewers are use to. They are a flawed, self-serving and pretty violent little band of misfits...but they each have redeeming qualities, and the more you watch them, the more you love them.  Each actor takes every opportunity to explore their character's facets, and they do a terrific job. The show is able to be dark and gritty, yet transition to comedic scenes seamlessly. And you really do forget the puppets are puppets. Trust me.

Another aspect of "Farscape" that MUST be mentioned is the romance between Crichton and Aeryn, a former Peacekeeper also stranded about the ship with the prisoners.  The relationship that builds between them is so deliciously complicated that I couldn't look away from any of their scenes together, afraid I'd miss some nuance or long look.  Seriously torturous! But the kind of torture you sorta like.  Ben Browder and Claudia Black have some serious chemistry, and it soooo drove many a "Farscape" story. They made me cry!  Like, multiple times.  Again, an unusual feat for traditional Science Fiction.

It is a shame that a show this cool was cancelled before its time. I think the writers and actors would've done justice to a 5th season.  There are many extras and commentaries that are worth a listen, as are the bloopers.  Lastly, if you get this box set and you are a new fan like me, go ahead and get the mini-series "The Peacekeeper Wars." Buy it before you finish the last episode of Season 4, or you're frelled, my friend.
1531396
This story is very well told, and has a tremendous sense of balance between interesting characters and a unique sci-fi world. The great thing about the sci-fi genre is that anything is possible, which opens up readers' minds to endless possibilities and makes predicting what will happen impossible (and no one likes an ending you could spot a mile away!). The not-so-great thing is that some authors use it as an excuse to cross too far across "the line" separating interesting impossibilities and the land of just darn-right weirdness. Carissa expertly walked that line with this story, and kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what secrets this strange world held, and wanting to know what would become of these characters that I so quickly came to care about. I am impatiently looking forward to Book 2!
1418216
About the BEST "sci-fi" story I have ever read because everything that was described and later confirmed in the movie was entirely plausible with today's technology.  This book is nearly impossible to put down.....a fantastic read!!