What do you think?
Rate this book
Station One #1
Time Up
Life used to be pretty simple for Dr. Van Jacobs, until a dead guy rolled into his emergency room and didn't have the courtesy to stay dead. From there, things get a little out of control when Van finds himself being recruited by a government agency that's spent the last 100 years protecting something very important, and very strange under the water just off the coast of San Diego. They need Van's help, but as time goes on and -- runs out -- it becomes clear to Van that they wanted him for far more than his medical expertise.
Between the spacetime breaks and the wingnut cult ... and Ben ... Van is barely hanging on. Not that he was hanging on much before, just kind of existing. But now, he's got a reason to exist - a purpose - just when it looks like all of existence might not be existing much longer.
Between the spacetime breaks and the wingnut cult ... and Ben ... Van is barely hanging on. Not that he was hanging on much before, just kind of existing. But now, he's got a reason to exist - a purpose - just when it looks like all of existence might not be existing much longer.
244 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 2011
35 people are currently reading
351 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 11, 2011
There are two reasons to love this book: the great sci-fi set pieces and the fantastically drawn characters. Our hero is Van, and his day goes from bad to worse to weird as he's drawn into a very new and strange world, a world he's expected to save as spacetime breaks down around them.
Van is wiley, defiant. He's the only who ever challenges Cal, a leader of a secret government agency that needs Van's special skills. Cal though, seems to expect this and knows a lot more about Van than he lets on. My favorite character though, was Riley. She's the resident expert on spacetime and her affection for Van, so quickly apparent, was sweet. And she and Van see most of the action in the story. I won't give away much, but they're so close as characters because they go through a lot. Big, big things that highlight the author's imagination.
The plot moves at a clip, it's a fast read. It takes several twists along the way, but the best is saved for the end which leads me to believe this won't be the last we're hearing from Van, and Riley and Cal.
Reading some of the other reviews, it seems some really wanted to know more about these characters and no, you won't get everyone of your questions answered but that's exactly how it should be. I think too often we want to have everything spelled out for us, we're too lazy as readers and don't want to let the unknown grow in our minds. That's part of the fun.
Van is wiley, defiant. He's the only who ever challenges Cal, a leader of a secret government agency that needs Van's special skills. Cal though, seems to expect this and knows a lot more about Van than he lets on. My favorite character though, was Riley. She's the resident expert on spacetime and her affection for Van, so quickly apparent, was sweet. And she and Van see most of the action in the story. I won't give away much, but they're so close as characters because they go through a lot. Big, big things that highlight the author's imagination.
The plot moves at a clip, it's a fast read. It takes several twists along the way, but the best is saved for the end which leads me to believe this won't be the last we're hearing from Van, and Riley and Cal.
Reading some of the other reviews, it seems some really wanted to know more about these characters and no, you won't get everyone of your questions answered but that's exactly how it should be. I think too often we want to have everything spelled out for us, we're too lazy as readers and don't want to let the unknown grow in our minds. That's part of the fun.
June 7, 2012
This was a very face paced book, and the first I have been able to read and complete in a long time. The story was good, but at some points a little vague. I was still left wanting to know more from the characters and learn more of the secrets of Station One that I am sure are there, lurking below the surface.
The characters could have been a little stronger, because I couldn't get a good grasp on them. The romance could have been a little more pronounced, because it was lacking a lot of that for my taste. The one brief glimpse we got of the romance was good, and I want to know a LOT more about that romance!
VERY action packed.
Overall I enjoyed this book and I would both recommend the book and buy the sequal when it comes out.
The characters could have been a little stronger, because I couldn't get a good grasp on them. The romance could have been a little more pronounced, because it was lacking a lot of that for my taste. The one brief glimpse we got of the romance was good, and I want to know a LOT more about that romance!
VERY action packed.
Overall I enjoyed this book and I would both recommend the book and buy the sequal when it comes out.
November 10, 2011
I really liked the story and the concept of this one- not completely original but not a topic that is overly done for it to seem cliche'. This story also reminded me of a British show (that I really like) which I won't name because it could be considered a spoiler.
What I wasn't thrilled with was the lack of character development. While enjoying the roller-coaster ride of the story I never connected with any of the characters enough to care about what happened to them. I think the author was attempting to make them all mysterious but it just ended up leaving them as very flat and one-dimensional characters.
So- as far as the story is concerned I give it 4 stars. As far as character development I give it 2 stars. And since it's a local San Diego author I give it an extra half star- to round up to a 3.5 stars.
Recommended if you are fine with not becoming attached to the characters but like a nice science fiction tale.
*Note- this book was received through GoodReads Firstreads*
What I wasn't thrilled with was the lack of character development. While enjoying the roller-coaster ride of the story I never connected with any of the characters enough to care about what happened to them. I think the author was attempting to make them all mysterious but it just ended up leaving them as very flat and one-dimensional characters.
So- as far as the story is concerned I give it 4 stars. As far as character development I give it 2 stars. And since it's a local San Diego author I give it an extra half star- to round up to a 3.5 stars.
Recommended if you are fine with not becoming attached to the characters but like a nice science fiction tale.
*Note- this book was received through GoodReads Firstreads*
July 19, 2012
"The dead guy didn't stay dead, and that wasn't even the worst part of the evening."
How's that for an opening line? I was so intrigued I didn't put the book down for hours until I coouldn't hold my eyes open and then spent the next morning finishing it off.
This story is about a young doctor recruited to a secret government agency that's protecting a crashed alien ship on the ocean floor. The ship is malfunctioning and some of its parts wreak havoc on the space-time continuum around San Diego.
The two strengths I think is the plot -- action packed -- and the dialogue. Witty and too the point. If there's a criticism it's that I didn't get to know the characters enough. I wanted more about them, which I know is hard to squeeze in when they're dodging alien dragons and fighting off a crazy cult. There are a few wonderful moments between the characters, especially Ben and Van, and Van and Riley, I just wish there had been more.
How's that for an opening line? I was so intrigued I didn't put the book down for hours until I coouldn't hold my eyes open and then spent the next morning finishing it off.
This story is about a young doctor recruited to a secret government agency that's protecting a crashed alien ship on the ocean floor. The ship is malfunctioning and some of its parts wreak havoc on the space-time continuum around San Diego.
The two strengths I think is the plot -- action packed -- and the dialogue. Witty and too the point. If there's a criticism it's that I didn't get to know the characters enough. I wanted more about them, which I know is hard to squeeze in when they're dodging alien dragons and fighting off a crazy cult. There are a few wonderful moments between the characters, especially Ben and Van, and Van and Riley, I just wish there had been more.
Read
December 2, 2023DNF, stopping at 19% because I just can't get my disbelief suspended for more than a few lines. We're to believe a select team with a large budget somehow, stops spacetime incursions, somehow, but none of it hangs together very well, from the inept MC to the descriptions of surroundings--something most writers manage better in my experience. If somehow this makes any sense eventually, it didn't happen soon enough for me.
November 3, 2011
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway!
Dr. Van Jacobs is a doctor in San Diego who is having a pretty horrible day. The gun-shot victim who entered the morgue did not stay dead, and that's just for starters. Add in a malpractice law suit and medical license review for attempting an unapproved experimental medical treatment, as well as losses in time, and it seems like his life couldn't get any more bizarre. Of course, that would be wrong.
The dead guy asks for his help, and to follow him to do a ship underwater in the Pacific Ocean to look at what is causing his losses in time. There Van begins to discover why he is needed, as well as the various mysteries of the universe, including black holes, parallel dimensions, and aliens. Along with this scientific invesitgation there is also a religious faction that soon rears its head to oppose Van and his new colleagues. As San Diego falls into peril Van and company are racing against the clock to save not only the city, but also the world.
I have to say I was pretty fascinated with this book from beginning to end. None of the main characters are exactly what they seem, from the seemingly omnipotent Cal, to the snarky and feisty Riley, to even Van himself. There is a lot of action to keep things moving, what with dimensional rifts not only destroying parts of the city, but also letting in things from those other dimensions. There are also some twists that took me by surprise and had me saying, "What?! No!" Finally, I really liked that Justin McLachlan seems to have really done his scientific research before writing this book. There's nothing more jarring than reading something with obvious factual errors in it.
Normally this would all lead me to give a 5 star rating, as I can see it being a book I would read (and enjoy) multiple times. However, there were some potential plot lines that seemed to be included in the book for no reason and no resolution, such as the guy who was following Cal and Riley into a bar. There was also the whole mystery behind Cal's and Wright's personal histories that didn't seem to be adequately explained (or in Wright's case, not really explained at all). It's because I thoroughly enjoyed this book that I want to know as much as possible about the characters. It didn't seem like the book was really lacking anything by not feeding my curiosityabout these two characters, but it didn't seem like there was a point to introducing Wright into the mix.
While I liked the ending (which was also an unexpected one), I wanted more. I wanted to know what happened after that. Again, though I can see how this was a complete ending, I still felt it was incomplete somehow, and am full of questions about what happened next to each of the characters. I don't know if Mr. McLachlan is planning a sequel to this book, but if he does I will most certainly be in line to read it!
Dr. Van Jacobs is a doctor in San Diego who is having a pretty horrible day. The gun-shot victim who entered the morgue did not stay dead, and that's just for starters. Add in a malpractice law suit and medical license review for attempting an unapproved experimental medical treatment, as well as losses in time, and it seems like his life couldn't get any more bizarre. Of course, that would be wrong.
The dead guy asks for his help, and to follow him to do a ship underwater in the Pacific Ocean to look at what is causing his losses in time. There Van begins to discover why he is needed, as well as the various mysteries of the universe, including black holes, parallel dimensions, and aliens. Along with this scientific invesitgation there is also a religious faction that soon rears its head to oppose Van and his new colleagues. As San Diego falls into peril Van and company are racing against the clock to save not only the city, but also the world.
I have to say I was pretty fascinated with this book from beginning to end. None of the main characters are exactly what they seem, from the seemingly omnipotent Cal, to the snarky and feisty Riley, to even Van himself. There is a lot of action to keep things moving, what with dimensional rifts not only destroying parts of the city, but also letting in things from those other dimensions. There are also some twists that took me by surprise and had me saying, "What?! No!" Finally, I really liked that Justin McLachlan seems to have really done his scientific research before writing this book. There's nothing more jarring than reading something with obvious factual errors in it.
Normally this would all lead me to give a 5 star rating, as I can see it being a book I would read (and enjoy) multiple times. However, there were some potential plot lines that seemed to be included in the book for no reason and no resolution, such as the guy who was following Cal and Riley into a bar. There was also the whole mystery behind Cal's and Wright's personal histories that didn't seem to be adequately explained (or in Wright's case, not really explained at all). It's because I thoroughly enjoyed this book that I want to know as much as possible about the characters. It didn't seem like the book was really lacking anything by not feeding my curiosityabout these two characters, but it didn't seem like there was a point to introducing Wright into the mix.
While I liked the ending (which was also an unexpected one), I wanted more. I wanted to know what happened after that. Again, though I can see how this was a complete ending, I still felt it was incomplete somehow, and am full of questions about what happened next to each of the characters. I don't know if Mr. McLachlan is planning a sequel to this book, but if he does I will most certainly be in line to read it!
October 26, 2011
If you have ever sat and wondered about space/time and what would happen if it all became a huge mess than this is the book for you. I absolutely loved this story and I can't wait for more books from this author.
December 25, 2015
1.5 stars... this ones storyline just fell flat and was confusing. Just not for me! Rounding up to 2 stars.
November 12, 2017
2/5
I feel like this book would have benefit more had it not been labeled as an mm romance. The romance was more of a stick on element - in fact I completely missed it lol. It read more like a sci-fi junky, and sadly not a very good one either.
As for the story. It had a strong start and a potential concept, however the actually execution fail to grip me. The pacing was fast, yet at the expense of details and emotion. All of the character were as expendable as a casting from Saw, just another plotting device tool. It's hard to connect to them, when you never really get to know any of them at all. As for the sci-fi aspect of it. The concept is interesting but not palpable. All we get a few big word throw at us,, and escalation later in the book made it hard to hold on to any belief for the story.
I feel like this book would have benefit more had it not been labeled as an mm romance. The romance was more of a stick on element - in fact I completely missed it lol. It read more like a sci-fi junky, and sadly not a very good one either.
As for the story. It had a strong start and a potential concept, however the actually execution fail to grip me. The pacing was fast, yet at the expense of details and emotion. All of the character were as expendable as a casting from Saw, just another plotting device tool. It's hard to connect to them, when you never really get to know any of them at all. As for the sci-fi aspect of it. The concept is interesting but not palpable. All we get a few big word throw at us,, and escalation later in the book made it hard to hold on to any belief for the story.
October 18, 2023
Sort of Silly Sci-Fi with Fantasy Feel
This was more 3 stars for me, but since it is a debut novel, it was worth rounding up one. The story and characters were enjoyable enough to finish, but sometimes the plot got messy and distracted .
This was more 3 stars for me, but since it is a debut novel, it was worth rounding up one. The story and characters were enjoyable enough to finish, but sometimes the plot got messy and distracted .
June 16, 2012
This is my first read for this author and 1) I love his style, sparse and reminiscent of Chuck Palahnuik. 2) I think he's got a good gift for moving the plot and story along. I finished this book wanting more, but that may have been because other things are sometimes sacrificed for plot. It seems there's a lot of mystery surrounding the characters and this government agency, and we definitely don't get all our questions answered. But... I know the author is writing the second part, so that seems more reasonable to me than it did when I was reading it.
But, all that's hardly noticeable because the story is so exciting and you're constantly turning pages to find out what happens next.
But, all that's hardly noticeable because the story is so exciting and you're constantly turning pages to find out what happens next.
November 10, 2011
The concept of this book was really interesting, but I felt like the execution of the plot was done fairly poorly. The plot in general seemed to skip ahead very rapidly -- to the point that, while reading this book, I had the constant sensation that I had missed some crucial paragraph a few pages back that explained how the book went from point A to point B. Very rarely do I say this, but this book actually would have greatly benefited from an additional 50-100 pages to flesh out this story better.
Currently reading
April 16, 2021The book was good. The story and plot were interesting. I'm going to get and read the next book right away.
The only thing that seemed odd to me is that it was listed under LGBT. Only thing happens is a kiss between two guys. They might have had sex but that isn't clearly spelled out in the book. They definitely didn't have a "relationship" after that though. And not a bad thing it is under LGBT just a little odd.
The only thing that seemed odd to me is that it was listed under LGBT. Only thing happens is a kiss between two guys. They might have had sex but that isn't clearly spelled out in the book. They definitely didn't have a "relationship" after that though. And not a bad thing it is under LGBT just a little odd.
September 1, 2017
Good read
The book was good. The story and plot were interesting. I'm going to get and read the next book right away.
The only thing that seemed odd to me is that it was listed under LGBT. Only thing happens is a kiss between two guys. They might have had sex but that isn't...
The book was good. The story and plot were interesting. I'm going to get and read the next book right away.
The only thing that seemed odd to me is that it was listed under LGBT. Only thing happens is a kiss between two guys. They might have had sex but that isn't...
October 21, 2018
Overall excellent story
A little clunkily written at first but really hits its strode halfway through. Compelling story and I look forward to reading the follow up.
A little clunkily written at first but really hits its strode halfway through. Compelling story and I look forward to reading the follow up.
December 20, 2012
This novel seems to have been written to be adapted for the big screen: it is fast, full of twists and action packed, a tank of ideas for wondrous special effects of the apocalyptic type.
I can see Ben Affleck as Van... admitting Affleck were willing to kiss a guy full on the mouth and sort of declaring his love for him just before the final scenes. Or admitting notoriously conservative and pavid Hollywood producers were willing to have an explicitly bi lead in a colossal. Of course they could cut the incriminated scenes or else alter the plot and redirect them towards the feisty, clever female character, Riley.
I am getting sidetracked here. There is precious little sex in this novel: little more than that kiss, actually, nothing prudes need to worry about.
This is pure, hard SF. It is set in our current timeline and reworks the usual theory of the alien ship the US government is keeping hidden for the greater good. Of course it is always for the greater good, isn't it always...
The plot is traditional but well constructed: the religious fanatics are realistic villains, I can very well see some of those bigots that actually exist in the US taking a gun and god's work in their righteous hands.
Unfortunately just as much realistic is the character of Cal who is supposed to be the boss of the good guys but has a lot of secrets of his own and a manipulative, ruthless streak that seems to come in the job description of public officials. Van confronts him, of course, but he does it blandly and this is the first of the several loopholes in the plot's logic.
There are others:
why was Van with the CIA and what does it have to do with the story? It is never explained.
How is Van supposed to be doing his research in a hospital with noone realising that?
Why are Van, Ben and Riley always alone on the field against the monsters, why is the station always understaffed, but when Cal needs Van incapacitated suddenly the muscles in battle gear appear?
Why does Van accept Cal's orders in the first place instead of telling him very rudely what he can do with them?
As always with action movies... ehm... books one simply has to condone a bit.
Characterization is also typical of the genre, obviously a bit clean cut for the sake of action, and it is true, as some reviewers have pointed out, that the characters do not grow.
The core of the SF element here are time warps. After a rather confusing beginning the workings of these warps become rather linear but the author uses their theoretical possibilities to give us an ending that is duly hazed -there might be an opening for a sequel- and vague enough to allow the reader to think what he prefers. Many questions are left unanswered, the only thing clear being that Mr McLachlan has no patience for religious zealots (I have even less, so this is fine with me).
Writing is good, quick and it serves the story well.
Typos are few: I would have noted them but the publisher's request to do that was printed at the end of the book...
P.S. I think Ryan Gosling would make a good Ben, I am still thinking about Cal and Riley
P.P.S. Coram Deo should mean "before God, in the presence of God"
I can see Ben Affleck as Van... admitting Affleck were willing to kiss a guy full on the mouth and sort of declaring his love for him just before the final scenes. Or admitting notoriously conservative and pavid Hollywood producers were willing to have an explicitly bi lead in a colossal. Of course they could cut the incriminated scenes or else alter the plot and redirect them towards the feisty, clever female character, Riley.
I am getting sidetracked here. There is precious little sex in this novel: little more than that kiss, actually, nothing prudes need to worry about.
This is pure, hard SF. It is set in our current timeline and reworks the usual theory of the alien ship the US government is keeping hidden for the greater good. Of course it is always for the greater good, isn't it always...
The plot is traditional but well constructed: the religious fanatics are realistic villains, I can very well see some of those bigots that actually exist in the US taking a gun and god's work in their righteous hands.
Unfortunately just as much realistic is the character of Cal who is supposed to be the boss of the good guys but has a lot of secrets of his own and a manipulative, ruthless streak that seems to come in the job description of public officials. Van confronts him, of course, but he does it blandly and this is the first of the several loopholes in the plot's logic.
There are others:
why was Van with the CIA and what does it have to do with the story? It is never explained.
How is Van supposed to be doing his research in a hospital with noone realising that?
Why are Van, Ben and Riley always alone on the field against the monsters, why is the station always understaffed, but when Cal needs Van incapacitated suddenly the muscles in battle gear appear?
Why does Van accept Cal's orders in the first place instead of telling him very rudely what he can do with them?
As always with action movies... ehm... books one simply has to condone a bit.
Characterization is also typical of the genre, obviously a bit clean cut for the sake of action, and it is true, as some reviewers have pointed out, that the characters do not grow.
The core of the SF element here are time warps. After a rather confusing beginning the workings of these warps become rather linear but the author uses their theoretical possibilities to give us an ending that is duly hazed -there might be an opening for a sequel- and vague enough to allow the reader to think what he prefers. Many questions are left unanswered, the only thing clear being that Mr McLachlan has no patience for religious zealots (I have even less, so this is fine with me).
Writing is good, quick and it serves the story well.
Typos are few: I would have noted them but the publisher's request to do that was printed at the end of the book...
P.S. I think Ryan Gosling would make a good Ben, I am still thinking about Cal and Riley
P.P.S. Coram Deo should mean "before God, in the presence of God"
June 22, 2016
This book is tough to rate. 3,5 stars? The story has a heck of a lot going for it. It's witty, creative, well-written, well-paced and breathtakingly action-packed. Usually this would be exactly my kind of thing. The plot keeps turning crazier every time you turn the page, and before you know it you're surrounded by dragons, aliens and religious extremists. There isn't a single boring moment per se, but I found my interest waning after a couple of chapters.
The problem is with the characters. They lacked something, depth, personality, humanity, I can't quite put my finger on it. I couldn't relate to them. I had actual difficulty telling them apart because they were so similar in the way they talked and acted. None of them seemed to be swayed by things like family, past, fears, or personal preferences. The main character Van took each new cataclysm with a shrug; most of the time he didn't have any personal reaction to offer. It was hard to care about the impending doom of planet Earth when I didn't care if these people lived or died. Van turned interesting and relatable for a moment around 67 % through, but then he was back to being a performance-oriented Rambo.
I really wanted to love this book because everything else was so fantastically well plotted, paced and executed, but if the characters had thoughts and feelings about what was going on around them, it wasn't sufficiently brought out. As a result this book read to me like an event catalogue, not like the mind-bending roller coaster ride it could have been.
The problem is with the characters. They lacked something, depth, personality, humanity, I can't quite put my finger on it. I couldn't relate to them. I had actual difficulty telling them apart because they were so similar in the way they talked and acted. None of them seemed to be swayed by things like family, past, fears, or personal preferences. The main character Van took each new cataclysm with a shrug; most of the time he didn't have any personal reaction to offer. It was hard to care about the impending doom of planet Earth when I didn't care if these people lived or died. Van turned interesting and relatable for a moment around 67 % through, but then he was back to being a performance-oriented Rambo.
I really wanted to love this book because everything else was so fantastically well plotted, paced and executed, but if the characters had thoughts and feelings about what was going on around them, it wasn't sufficiently brought out. As a result this book read to me like an event catalogue, not like the mind-bending roller coaster ride it could have been.
September 20, 2012
A time twisting scifi story that could have been better. The characterisation was weak and filled with stock characters. The bad guy was so obviously over the top horrible that it was too obvious. I didn't even really care about the characters. There was a lot missing -- the romance was too quick and undeveloped, and I found the old director of Station One's entry into the story missing its punch. We don't really know how that was relevant other than to place a main character into danger.
July 18, 2015
I am a self confessed lover of Justin McLachlan's writing. Everything is right on the mark for me and this book is no different. It's brilliant and in some places absolutely bonkers but the characters keep me completely grounded in the story, laughing and crying in all the right places.
August 14, 2016
DNF. Amazon recommended this like it was an mm book. I never saw any male on male romance, so was greatly disappointed. I need an interesting love story to go with my science fiction. I may one day return to this because it did have interesting characters, but right now I'm not feeling it.
December 18, 2016
Very Intriguing Science Fiction
This is a good science fiction story that captivates your interest and holds it. It's a page turner. I found myself immersed in it and its characters.
This is a good science fiction story that captivates your interest and holds it. It's a page turner. I found myself immersed in it and its characters.
December 5, 2011
Most of it seems to be a rip off of Torchwood, but it was an interesting puzzle. Don't read if you don't like ambiguous endings.
March 2, 2014
The idea was good but not developed well enough to let me get involved with the characters. The story jumped around a lot, and seemed somehow disconnected.
March 26, 2015
The writing is excellent but I didn't get to know any of the characters and the story wandered. I kept going back, thinking I had missed things but I hadn't. They just weren't there.
January 23, 2013
Dope, this was not for me.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews