A computer programmer turned author; Iâve been a fan of science fiction for as long as I remember. Star Wars, Dune, Alien, you name it. Iâve also been a follower of Christ since childhood and so enjoy stories where authors have a faith component to their work. Itâs hard to imagine a future where belief systems wonât be in playâfor good and evil. So, why not explore that element? Even if it means taking the Amish into space to encounter vampires? (As I did in one of my stories.) Hopefully, we discover something about ourselves and the world we live in along the way.
I really enjoy hard science fictionâscience fiction that uses real scienceâand Shivering World is an excellent example of the subgenre.
The story revolves around terraforming and genetic research, but there is a lot more going on here. Politics, faith, power struggles, survival situations, and the main characterâs search for a cure to her genetic condition create a delightful mix that rivals whatâs found in sci-fi classics, like Dune and Foundation.
The authorâs background in microbiology, music, and education brings a new level of believability to the story. Kathy Tyers is best known for Star Wars novels and her Firebird series, but I think her standalone books are fantastic.
A planet on the edge of life. A woman on the edge of hope.
Microbiologist Graysha Brady-Phillips accepts a hazardous position assisting in terraforming the planet Goddard, partly to get out of debt and partly in desperate hope. There's a chance that the colonists are conducting illegal genetic research, which could provide a cure for the genetic disorder slowly killing her.
But genetic engineering is banned by the powerful Eugenics Board, and Graysha is the daughter of the boardâs high commissioner. When the colonists discover her connection, she is ostracizedâthe possible penalties for conducting theirâŚ
Iâll admit, artist Kirk DouPonceâs striking cover art is what drew me to this book. Any book with art like that must be worth a read, right?
Thankfully, Edge of Oblivion doesnât disappoint. The author has a captivating Star Trek-adjacent universe here, filled with characters, situations, and civilizations that could fill dozens of books. (Beyond the three that are currently available.)
Edge of Oblivion starts the trilogy off with a bang: The arrival of a mysterious planet-sized superweapon to threaten an already fragile confederacy. Itâs epic, intriguing, and worlds of fun.
A Forgotten Past. A Terminal Future. Earth has emerged from a cataclysmic dark age with little knowledge of its past. Aided by the discovery of advanced alien technology, humanity ventures into the stars, joining other sentient races in a sprawling, prosperous interstellar Confederacy.
That peace is soon shattered. Without warning, the Confederacy comes under attack by an unstoppable alien force from the unknown regions. With hopes for civilization's survival dwindling, Commander Jared Carter is sent to pursue an unlikely lead: a collection of ancient alien religious fragments which may - or may not - hold the key to their salvationâŚ
Homeless following the death of his adoptive parents in a car crash and the subsequent loss of their farm tenancy, Seb decides to enrol as a residential student at the Asklepios Foundation, a College of Natural Medicine, boasting a sanctuary modelled on an ancient Greek healing temple. Spending a nightâŚ
Steve has been writing in the genre for as long as I have (over
fifteen years). He has dozens of stories
to his credit. He leans into military sci-fi, with lots of action, political
intrigue, and epic space battles.
Given the amount of Steveâs work thatâs available,
itâs hard to pick just one book to recommend. So, I guess Iâll go with the
first book I read. The Word Reclaimed
is about a space scavenger who recovers a forbidden book.
There are hints of Star
Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and Starship Troopers here, written
in a unique, approachable style that I appreciate. (Thereâs also lots of action,
intrigue, and space battles.)
Spare parts - that's all Baden was looking for. Even then, whatever wrecks the pirates leave to rust in some corner of space are hardly worth the time he spends salvaging them. But a book? A Bible, no less? Now, that's different.
The pages will bring a nice payout, with the content itself maybe more than nice. Baden had thought the secret police erased all trace of religion from the five colonies. But what if the find keeps him?
A talking book should be the least of Baden's worries with the interstellar war storming. Should be.âŚ
I was intrigued by this book because of its gaming angle.
Cyberpunk-ish stories are difficult to find in the Christian market, even with me doing my best to change that. Thereâs a whole lotta science fiction in this book: surveillance states, virtual realities, aliens, cloning...anything is fair game. The characters are fascinating and well-drawn, the plot is interesting and complex, and it isnât preachy or labored in any way. The Evaporation of Sofi Snow simply tells a fun story.
The line between virtual and reality is about to EVAPORATE.
In a world where skycams follow your every move and the details of your life are uploaded each hour, Sofi knows that her eyes are the only caring ones watching her brother, Shilo.
As an online gamer, she works behind the scenes to protect Shilo as he competes in a mix of real and virtual blood sport. But when a bomb destroys the gaming arena, she is helpless to rescue him-and certain that his disappearance was no accident. Despite all the evidence of Shilo's death, Sofi's nightmares tell her heâŚ
Ilsa Krause and her siblings are stunned to discover their father left massive debt behind upon his death. To help pay off their creditors, she takes a job at Beckâs Chocolates, the company her father despised. To make matters worse, her boss is Ernst Webber, her high school love whoâŚ
Are you a fan of Galaxy Quest, Futurama, or The Orville? Then this is the series for you.
There are scant few science fiction stories that have caused me to laugh out loud, but Paul Regnierâs Space Drifters did. Often. All three Space Drifters books are witty, action-packed, and fun. The main character, Captain Glint Starcrost, is perpetually broke, with a less-than-adequate starship and a bounty on his head. To make matters worse, he has a passive-aggressive ship computer, a pacifist alien âwarrior,â and a time-traveling teen as his crew. Of course, thereâs an unattainable love interest in the mix, along with a quest or two. Space Drifters is enjoyable and unique.
Captain Glint Starcrost is not having the carefree, adventurous life the space academy brochures promised star pilots.
Broke, with an unreliable star freighter and a bounty on his head, Glint is desperate enough to try anything. Even set out on a quest to find a fabled good luck charm, the Emerald Enigma.
Now for a crew. A passive aggressive ship computer, a peaceable alien warrior, and time-traveling teen from the past arenât what he had in mind. But theyâll have to do.
The Emerald Enigma wonât wait forever and neither will the bounty hunter trackingâŚ
I have over a million words in print in the form of eleven novels, a non-fiction book, a novella, and a handful of short stories. The story Iâll highlight here is my first novel, A Star Curiously Singing. The main character is named Sandfly. Heâs a techno-slave in a future world under sharia (Islamic) law. Sandfly has an implant in his head that allows him to connect to technology, but also controls his thoughts and behaviors. Heâs sent to near-Earth orbit to discover why a robot on a deep space mission tore itself apart. As he pieces together the clues, he discovers a trap beneath his feet. Solving the robot mystery might shatter his world and seal his fate. A Star Curiously Singing is the start of a series that readers find unique and compelling.
The aftermath of human first contact, written from the extraterrestrial's perspective.
Kelvoo is overcome with wonder at the arrival of the humans. With flawless memories and innate curiosity, Kelvooâs community embraces the benevolent humans and their knowledge of the boundless universe beyond the cloud-covered sky. After the departure of theâŚ