A computer programmer turned author; I’ve been a fan of science fiction for as long as I remember. Star Wars, Dune, Alien, you name it. I’ve also been a follower of Christ since childhood and so enjoy stories where authors have a faith component to their work. It’s hard to imagine a future where belief systems won’t be in play—for 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 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 I’ll highlight here is my first novel, A Star Curiously Singing. The main character is named Sandfly. He’s 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. He’s 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.
I really enjoy hard science fiction—science fiction that uses real science—and 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 character’s search for a cure to her genetic condition create a delightful mix that rivals what’s found in sci-fi classics, like Dune and Foundation.
The author’s 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 board’s high commissioner. When the colonists discover her connection, she is ostracized—the possible penalties for conducting their…
I’ll admit, artist Kirk DouPonce’s 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 doesn’t 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. It’s 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 salvation…
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 Steve’s work that’s available,
it’s hard to pick just one book to recommend. So, I guess I’ll 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. (There’s 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.…
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. There’s 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 isn’t 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 he…
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 Regnier’s 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 “warrior,” and a time-traveling teen as his crew. Of course, there’s 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 aren’t what he had in mind. But they’ll have to do.
The Emerald Enigma won’t wait forever and neither will the bounty hunter tracking…
I am a freelance writer from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, specializing in media history and speculative fiction. I have been enchanted by animation since childhood and followed many series avidly through adulthood. My viewing inspired my MA thesis on the history of animation, out of which grew two books on the history and theory of animation on television, America 'Toons In: A History of Television Animation (available from McFarland and Co.) and The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows (available from Rowman and Littlefield). Hopefully, others will follow.
Jefferson Ball, the mightiest female dog in a universe of the same, is, despite her anti-heroic behavior, intent on keeping her legacy as an athlete and adventurer intact. So, when female teenage robot Jody Ryder inadvertently angers her by smashing her high school records, Jefferson is intent on proving her superiority by outmuscling the robot in a not-so-fair fight. Not wanting to seem like a coward, and eager to end her enemy's trash talking, Jody agrees.
However, they have been lured to fight each other by circumstances beyond their control. Which are intent on destroying them if they don't destroy each other in combat first...
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