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One Jump Ahead (Jon & Lobo #1)
Jon Moore: A nanotech-enhanced warrior who wants nothing more than a quiet life and a way back to his strange home world. Lobo: An AI-enhanced Predator-Class Assault Vehicle, a mobile fortress equipped for any environment from the seabed to interstellar space. TWO WOLVES IN A GALAXY OF LARGER PREDATORS!
Jon Moore wanted only to relax on the pristine planet of Macken
...moreMass Market Paperback, 416 pages
Published
May 20th 2008
by Baen
(first published 2007)
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Retired mercenary Jon Moore made one mistake when went to the lovely undeveloped planet Macken, he paid upfront for substantial time in his vacation rental which allowed him to be found by a Slake, the head Kelco executive on the planet. Kelco hires Jon to retrieve his kidnapped daughter. In pursuit of the mission, Jon who has some exceptional nanotech enhancements and the ability to communicate with mechanical objects, manages to acquire Lobo, a sentient assault vehicle. Mission accomplished he...more
This is the first book in the Jon & Lobo series. Jon is a man with a troubled past. His planet was destroyed and he was subjected to experiments that left him nanotechnology enhanced. Such enhancements are thought to be impossible and he needs to keep them a secret from those who might profit from them. Suffice it to say, he is a sort of super-soldier. He takes on the task of freeing a kidnapping victim. This simple act entangles him in a complex web of intrigue involving powerful corporations a...more
It's been ages since I read a mass market paperback. I picked this one up because the author was recommended to me by a friend whose opinions I generally trust, and I wasn't disappointed.
It's classic sci-fi adventure with a "lone wolf" protagonist successfully bucking the system using his wits and technological tricks. One of the great problems with these kinds of stories is explaining why the methods of the hero haven't been dealt with.
For example, (possible ...more
It's classic sci-fi adventure with a "lone wolf" protagonist successfully bucking the system using his wits and technological tricks. One of the great problems with these kinds of stories is explaining why the methods of the hero haven't been dealt with.
For example, (possible ...more
‘One Jump Ahead’ is Van Name’s first novel and it’s a heck of a debut. I read this book in a quick couple of sittings, ignoring other distractions (even The Sims 3 – which anyone who knows me can tell you is one mean feat!) until I finished it.
'One Jump Ahead’ is the where not only where we meet Jon Moore and Lobo, but they meet each other. Jon Moore has a colourful and distinctive past as a mercenary soldier and private courier. But before that time he was a test subject in a s...more
'One Jump Ahead’ is the where not only where we meet Jon Moore and Lobo, but they meet each other. Jon Moore has a colourful and distinctive past as a mercenary soldier and private courier. But before that time he was a test subject in a s...more
This is a quick read and a good, if formulaic, story. If you're a fan of space opera you'll probably enjoy this, although I wouldn't say it's exceptional. The author is a tech guru and it shows in the book, both because the author has imagined a LOT of technology that would exist in the future and because the author is so familiar with current technology that some slips in without him noticing it would be horribly out of date one or two thousand years into the future.
I never really c...more
I never really c...more
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I have to admit that this is a book that I didn't buy in the past because of the cover. It looked almost exactly like the David Drake "Lt. Leary" covers, and I wasn't interested in reading a clone of that series, especially from an author I had barely heard of.
That was a mistake. Van Name puts together a pretty good tale of a hero who is by choice and circumstances, forced to be a loner. He comes into the posession of a powerful piece of self-aware military equipment. T...more
That was a mistake. Van Name puts together a pretty good tale of a hero who is by choice and circumstances, forced to be a loner. He comes into the posession of a powerful piece of self-aware military equipment. T...more
For a first book in a sci fi series this is very good. The characters are believable and entertaining to read about and the action is excellent. The interaction between Jon and his PCAV battle vehicle's AI (Lobo) is great. Probably my favorite part of this book is the future technology that Mark envisions for his worlds. It's a realistic blend of organic and technology, which is probably what the future will end up being more like versus an all metal world. I give 3.5 stars to the story its...more
A very fun, fast-pace, sci-fi adventure with a bit of a heist feeling. There's also a bit of military, a bit of technology, some humor, but not too much of anything. It has a great slightly old-fashioned feeling, like some of the anti-hero stories from the '60s and '70s. And Lobo is a great side-kick.
This was an accidental re-read. I originally read this before I discovered Goodreads and planned to read the sequels, but never remembered to look for them. Knowing when the next book in ...more
This was an accidental re-read. I originally read this before I discovered Goodreads and planned to read the sequels, but never remembered to look for them. Knowing when the next book in ...more
Nice world building, interesting and compelling characters and enough action to keep you flying through the book. Mark has created a world where his main character Jon has to live by his wits. Even though Jon has an easy out of a lot of problems with his nanomachine complement, Mark as done two smart things: he's found a way to make Jon limited in what he can do, and he's allowed Jon to make some very human mistakes. These and Mark's sense of humor which pervades the book without detracting i...more
This is sizzling debut novel. The main character, Jon Moore, is a weary, soldier-of-fortune, wanting just to be left alone, and keep a low profile, but a small mistake puts him on the radar of some people who pull him into a job that turns out to be not quite what it seems. And then he has to go back and right the wrong. Full of interesting moral dilemnas and question, but packed with action, adventure, and a great sense of humor.
Mark L Van’s debut novel was a pleasure to reading from the first page to last. It’s one of those books that was so fun I read it too quickly and then wished I had savoured the plots twists and turns more carefully. One Jump Ahead was a wonderfully balanced novel that balanced science fiction with thriller and adventure elements. The non-stop action, compelling first-person narrator and a witty AI-controlled combat ship.
This is my kind of book. It's fast paced, cleanly written and complex enough tht I didn't have everything figured out right away. The characters are believable withing the setting and had very human reactions.
If you feel the need to classify things I would call this space opera. I'm ok with that. I don't need to grasp nanotechnology at a textbook level to enjoy and finish the story, but all the technological wonders serve to move the story along.
The most important things ...more
If you feel the need to classify things I would call this space opera. I'm ok with that. I don't need to grasp nanotechnology at a textbook level to enjoy and finish the story, but all the technological wonders serve to move the story along.
The most important things ...more
A very good first novel from Van Name. It is the first of two novels by the author in the omnibus edition, Jump Gate Twist. JGT has the original short story from which the main character Jon Moore originates as well.
Jon Moore, a nanotech-enhanced warrior who wants nothing more than a quiet life and Lobo, an AI-enhanced Predator-Class Assault Vehicle are a team who suddenly find themselves hunting frantically for a kidnapped youngster.
Jon Moore, a nanotech-enhanced warrior who wants nothing more than a quiet life and Lobo, an AI-enhanced Predator-Class Assault Vehicle are a team who suddenly find themselves hunting frantically for a kidnapped youngster.
A light science-fiction read with some interesting ideas. There are a few light moments with the main character giving personalities to different futuristic appliances, but overall, it reads as a science fiction/military adventure with the main character prepping adventurous plans to perform espionage in a futuristic setting.
B-movie plot: guy with mutant super-power and limited intelligence with his sidekick AI-Predator Class Assault Vehicle go through the same dumb routine over and over for 300 pages in a universe of unrestrained capitalism and militaristic corporations. No character worth spending time with.
Read this if you are interested in an action-packed sci-fi story with an ethical mercenary hiding his past. There was more humor than I expected to find. Engrossing and cleanly written, it was hard to put down and even at times when some turns seemed predictable, I couldn't help but enjoy seeing the hero work his way out of the plot twists.
I learned it's hard to get over a death of a loved one
A pretty good book. I wasn't really expecting it to be so good but I thought it was a pretty enjoyable read. It got a little bogged down with description sometimes, that I thought could have been done a bit more efficiently, but that was still not nearly enough to make me not like it.
Simplistic main character makes for a boring read.
Competent but predictable space opera.
Satisfying high tech sci fi
TOTALLY AWESOME. I love it when I'm not anticipating a book being good and... it is! This guy lives right in the triangle and yet, he's brilliant ;) Now, to qualify - he's not Connie Willis brilliant.. at least not in this book - the writing style is a little stilted from time to time. But the characters are engaging, the plot is fun and the existensial speculation right up my alley. Plus, how can you not like a book whose dark, damaged main character hails from a world called Pinkelponker?
So far, this is a pretty good sci-fi novel. Author Mark L. Van Name mixes semi-hard scii-fi with quirky comedy to create a novel that is better than the sum of its parts.
Embarrassing to admit, but I have a soft spot for military sci-fi (John Ringo et. al.). "One Jump Ahead" squarely falls into the category of crypto-fascist clap-trap, but is nicely plotted and a fun read (if one is willing to overlook the occasional case of murder and torture by major characters, objectification of women, and, worse, endless scenes of cameraderie and military jargon). I'm definitely looking forward to the next volume in the series.
Jon is a nano-machine enhanced lone-wolf mercenary who gets hired to do a simple job, but finds out that not everything is as it seems.
I really enjoyed the first half of the book, getting to know Jon and see some of his unique abilities.
The author came up with some very fascinating sci-fi hardware.
I like Lobo quite a bit.
It had a pretty good ending.
The Strange-Kitty enhanced animals were interesting.
I really enjoyed the first half of the book, getting to know Jon and see some of his unique abilities.
The author came up with some very fascinating sci-fi hardware.
I like Lobo quite a bit.
It had a pretty good ending.
The Strange-Kitty enhanced animals were interesting.
The lead character of this book and series, Jon Moore, frustrates me. He should be awesome but falls short. He's a loner with no hobbies or passions. While his nanotechnology tricks are moderately interesting, Jon Moore fails to wow.
A lot of fun to read but I felt like I had missed something.
The book references past experiences with an indication that the reader should be aware of.
Even with this issue I found trhe tale enjoyable, lots of action, skulduggery and triple crossing; just the thing you need for a light read.
I am eagerly awaiting book 2!
The book references past experiences with an indication that the reader should be aware of.
Even with this issue I found trhe tale enjoyable, lots of action, skulduggery and triple crossing; just the thing you need for a light read.
I am eagerly awaiting book 2!
Think the old tv show 'The Equalizer' in space. A pacifist philosophizing mercenary with sister issues.
Recommended by OS Card
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